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Isese: Oluwo Chased Me When I Visited Him — Ooni Of Ife

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The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, disclosed in a viral TikTok video on Sunday that he was chased away during a visit to the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi.

Speaking, the Ooni of Ife said, “When I visited Oluwo, he chased me out like a child, since that incident, I have always maintained myself going close to him. Now that you people (attendees) are imploring that I visit him again, what if he does what he likes to me?

“But I have to contain his excesses as an elder, although I am a young person sitting on the throne of the elders. Oluwo, I greet you.”

Although Ogunwunsi neither revealed the location where it happened nor spoke on any feud between him and Oluwo of Iwo in the viral video as both are respected monarchs in Osun State, findings revealed that Oluwo has not been pleased with Ooni’s relationship and activities with the traditionalists who he described as ‘idols worshippers’.

In another video, Akanbi popularly called Telu 1 was seen telling the people of Iwo to detest traditional practices warning that anybody indulging in it should do so in their respective homes.

“My work as a monarch is to stand for God and preach about him alone while challenging those worshipping things other than Him. I don’t do Ogun or any idol festival. Although, I have previously celebrated the Egungun festival with the worshippers but I will never do that again. Except that they don’t call it idol worshipping. I don’t support their activities, that’s why their dealings don’t thrive here.

“And you cannot even perform sacrifices in Iwo here. Anyone who does that will eat it. Better still, litter your house with the sacrifices. Environmental sanitation has been exercised here to curb things like that. What anyone would need to be successful is to challenge the idols and their worshippers. That alone would make you a soldier of God,” he added.

Continuing, Oluwo in his Facebook post on Monday clarified that Iwo used to be ruled by a traditional monarch but has ceased being that since the emergence of Oba Memudu Ayinla Lamuye in 1800 who spread Islam in the town as the monarch converted the whole Iwo people to Islam.

He wrote, ”Oba Ibirinade Abioye Adekanbi (Alawusa) brought Islam in 1600. He evacuated idols and converted a place of worshipping deities to the Oluwo Central Mosque. Precisely, he birthed the first Mosque in South Western Nigeria in 1600. Later in the late 1800, another Oluwo, Oba Memudu Ayinla Lamuye (pictured above) spread Islam and converted the whole Iwo people to Islam and that’s why in Iwo, every compound has a Mosque and there is no Iwo indigene that does not have a Muslim name including recent convertees when the missionaries came.

“Oba Ibirinade Adekanbi was also called Alawusa because he was hospitable. He accommodated Malians who people tagged Hausa then they came to settle in Iwo. Oluwo was turbaned. New Oluwo used to be enthroned with a beaded crown before 1600. After 1600, turbanning used to come first before wearing the beaded crown. Oba Muhammad Ayinla Lamuye spent 90 years on the throne. Exactly 100 years after, the reigning Oluwo, was enthroned to complete the good work of the past monarchs.”

Recall that Akanbi in 2018 alleged that Ogunwusi ordered his bodyguard to push him out of the way during a meeting of traditional rulers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

According to Akanbi, the incident happened at Hotel Presidential in the oil-rich city. He said it happened just as the Ooni was called to the podium to give a vote of thanks.

“The bodyguard of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, in what seemed to be an errand message, pushed Oluwo at the public gathering of the first-class paramount rulers held at the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State last Tuesday,” Akanbi said in a statement.

“Dignitaries at the event were taken aback by what they considered as a desecration of the crown as the bodyguard of the Ooni pushed a first-class paramount ruler, Oluwo.

But the Ooni denied the allegation in a statement that the director of public affairs at his palace, Moses Olafare, issued on his behalf.

Ogunwunsi described the claims of the Oluwo as untrue, saying, “There was no altercation between Oluwo and anybody at that venue at all.”

BIG STORY

NDPC Fines MultiChoice N766m For ‘Violating Privacy Of Subscribers’

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The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has imposed a fine of N766.24 million on MultiChoice Nigeria, the parent company of DStv and GOtv, for “violating the privacy of subscribers and their friends”.

In a statement on Sunday signed by Babatunde Bamigboye, head of legal, enforcement and regulations at NDPC, the commission explained that the sanction followed an investigation launched in the second quarter of 2024.

NDPC said MultiChoice was found to have breached the Nigeria Data Protection (NDP) Act after an inquiry into alleged violations of the privacy rights of its subscribers and the illegal cross-border transfer of personal data belonging to Nigerians.

“NDPC found, among others, that Multichoice violated the data privacy rights of subscribers and their friends who are not necessarily subscribers,” the commission stated.

“The Commission also found that Multichoice carries out illegal cross-border transfer of personal data relating to data subjects in Nigeria.

“The depth of data processing by Multichoice is patently intrusive, unfair, unnecessary and disproportionate. This is a grave affront to fundamental right to privacy as enshrined in section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Nigeria is entitled to protect her citizens, and data sovereignty under both international and extant municipal laws – as these have far-reaching implication for rule of law, national security and economic growth.

“In line with its standard remediation procedure, the Commission directed Multichoice to carry out appropriate remedial measures. However, the Commission found the measures undertaken by Multichoice in this regard unsatisfactory.

“For want of cooperation, the Commission has directed Multichoice to pay N766,242,500 for violating the Nigeria Data Protection Act.”

NDPC also stated that Vincent Olatunji, the national commissioner of the agency, has directed that every outlet through which MultiChoice collects Nigerians’ personal data be investigated for possible non-compliance.

Olatunji emphasized that any outlet processing personal data in violation of the NDP Act would be subject to a penalty as stipulated by the Act.

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BIG STORY

US Court Jails Nigerian Pastor Over $4.2million COVID-19 Fraud As Monarch Forfeits Properties

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They appeared before Justice Christopher Boyko at the US District Court of Ohio.

A Nigerian pastor, Edward Oluwasanmi, has been sentenced by a United States District Court to 27 months in prison for defrauding the COVID-19 relief fund.

His associate, the Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, forfeited his property to the US government while awaiting a court ruling set for August 1.

Oluwasanmi and Oba Oloyede were arrested in early 2024 for fraudulently obtaining $4.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds.

They were charged with 13 counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminal proceeds.

They were brought before Justice Christopher Boyko at the US District Court of Ohio.

Reports indicated both men pleaded guilty to some of the charges under a plea agreement.

According to court documents, Judge Boyko sentenced Oluwasanmi on Wednesday, July 2, to 27 months on counts one, 11, and 12 of the indictment.

The sentences will run concurrently.

The court also ordered Oluwasanmi to pay a $15,000 fine and report to the U.S. Marshal Service.

The court stated, “Supervised release three years on each of counts 1 and 11-12, all such terms to run concurrently, with standard and special conditions.”

It also declared, “As a result of the foregoing offenses, defendants Joseph Oloyede and Edward Oluwasanmi shall forfeit to the United States: all property, real and personal, which constitutes – or is derived from – proceeds traceable to the commission of the wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy offenses; all property constituting, or derived from, proceeds the defendants obtained, directly or indirectly, as the result of the wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy offenses and any and all property, real and personal involved in the money laundering offenses, and any property traceable to such property.”

Oluwasanmi will forfeit a commercial property located at 422 South Green Road, South Euclid, Ohio. Meanwhile, the court scheduled Friday, August 1, for the sentencing of Oloyede after the monarch pleaded guilty to counts one and 13 of his indictment.

On Monday, April 21, Oba Oloyede, a US-based accountant and information systems professional crowned Apetu in July 2019, entered his guilty plea before the court.

Oba Oloyede and Oluwasanmi were accused of submitting fake applications for the Paycheck Protection Programme and Economic Injury Disaster Loans under the US Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act between April 2020 and February 2022.

They allegedly used falsified tax and wage documents to obtain funds intended to help struggling businesses during the pandemic.

The Act was meant to offer emergency financial relief to Americans facing the economic consequences of COVID-19 by providing loans to small businesses and nonprofits.

Oba Oloyede was alleged to have used some of his companies, including Available Tax Services Incorporated, Available Financial Corporation, and Available Transportation Company, to commit the fraud.

Following the monarch’s disappearance, the Osun State Government said it would wait for the conclusion of his trial before deciding on any action.

The state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, said, “A person is innocent until a court convicts them. So, we don’t want to jump the gun; let us wait for the court’s pronouncement on the matter.”

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BIG STORY

UK Grants Duty-free Access To 3,000 Nigerian Products Under New Trade Scheme

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The United Kingdom has revealed that more than 3,000 Nigerian products, such as cocoa and cashew, are now eligible to enter the UK market either duty-free or at reduced tariffs. The Country Director for the UK Department for Business and Trade, Mark Smithson, announced this development as part of the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) in a recent video released by the UK in Nigeria.

“Up to 3,000 products from Nigeria qualify for low tariff or no tariff access to the UK through the Developing Countries Scheme, one of the most generous trading schemes in the world,” Smithson stated.

He added that the UK has streamlined the process for Nigerian exporters, making it simpler to trade a wide range of goods, including cocoa and textiles.

Smithson urged Nigerian exporters to take advantage of this opportunity.

“The UK is open and looking to do business with Nigeria. So why don’t you go to the website and find out more about the Developing Countries Trading Scheme and begin to trade with us?”

The DCTS, launched in 2023, replaced the UK’s former Generalised Scheme of Preferences. It aims to lower tariffs and simplify trading regulations for over 60 developing countries, Nigeria included.

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