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Protesting Lagos Driver Set Ablaze By Government Agents, Family And Colleague Insist

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A family member and a colleague of a bus driver, identified as Ayobami, aka Ero, have denied that he set himself ablaze after his vehicle was impounded around 7 and 8 Bus Stop, Airport Road, Lagos State.

The aggrieved family and colleague, who spoke to our correspondent during a visit to the area on Wednesday, alleged that some government agents set Ayobami ablaze.

A colleague, who identified himself as Adeola, said he was conveying passengers to a destination when the incident happened, adding that he saw the state officials impounding vehicles at the bus stop.

During the enforcement, Adeola explained that one of the area boys working with the task force dragged the steering with Ayobami, who refused to release his vehicle.

In a desperate attempt to impound the vehicle, the eyewitness said the area boy reached for petrol, poured it on Ayobami, and used a lighter to set the father of two ablaze.

He said, “He did not set himself ablaze; how can somebody who is normal set himself ablaze? It was the area boys working with the task force that poured petrol on him and used a lighter to set him on fire.

“It was done to make him get down from the bus. At first, they threatened him with the petrol, but he refused to get down, so they poured it on him and threatened to burn him, but he refused again.

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“It was when the area boys were switching on and off the lighter that the fuel attracted the fire and his body started burning. Even the area boy who was dragging with him at the front seat quickly jumped down and fled alongside the task force officers.”

It was gathered that the victim, who sustained serious burns in the face, chest, stomach, back, and arms, was rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

A relative, who identified himself as Baba Roqeeb, confirmed Adeola’s account of the incident, adding that doctors were battling to save Ayobami’s life.

He said, “Immediately he got burnt, his conductor, Rotimi, called me. But when I rushed to the scene of the incident, I was told that they already rushed him to Makinde Police Station.

“I quickly rushed down there but was told they already left for the task force office at Bolade, Oshodi. When I got there, the policemen detained me in a cell when they knew I was there because of Ayobami.

“I asked why they detained me, but they said they heard we were trying to burn the office like it happened during #EndSARS. They released me when they needed a family member to accompany him to a hospital.”

Our correspondent saw Ayobami’s vehicle parked close to his house around Aji Camp, Ajao Estate.

Black patches were seen on the roof of the driver’s side, indicating that the front seat was burnt.

The Chairman of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit (task force), CSP Shola Jejeloye, in a statement on Wednesday, distanced officials of the agency from the incident.

Jejeloye said at the time of the incident, his men were still at their base, adding that some imposters were using the name of the agency to perpetrate crimes.

He said, “Investigations and accounts of persons who were present at the scene of the incident have categorically revealed that the driver, one Mr. Ayo aka Eru, poured petrol on himself to scare security operatives from enforcing the traffic law which he violated. After the operatives left, luck ran out on him and some of the hoodlums present mistook him for one of the security operatives and set him ablaze.

 “Let me emphasize here that for us as an agency of government, we believe that it is better for us to allow an offender to go unharmed than to cause an injury.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, said the state Commissioner of Police had ordered an investigation into the incident.

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UK To Reduce Voting Age To 16 In General Elections

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The British government announced on Thursday its intention to grant voting rights in general elections to 16- and 17-year-olds, marking a significant shift that would place the UK among countries with the lowest voting age globally.

This move stems from a commitment made by the ruling Labour Party before gaining power last year, and is part of a broader set of proposed reforms to the democratic process, which some have described as “in crisis” due to issues like low voter turnout.

The proposal is expected to spark debate, as opponents argue it could be politically motivated, with younger voters perceived as more inclined to favour the centre-left Labour party.

“I think it’s really important that 16- and 17-year-olds have the vote, because they are old enough to go out to work, they are old enough to pay taxes, so (they) pay in,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

“And I think if you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on, which way the government should go,” Starmer added.

To implement the change, the government will need to present legislation in parliament, where it holds a solid majority.

Globally, only a few countries allow citizens as young as 16 to vote in national elections, according to online sources.

These include Austria — the first EU member to reduce its voting age to 16 in 2007 — along with Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Cuba.

Labour ministers argue the reform is designed to “modernise our democracy” and increase participation, while also matching the voting age already used in elections for devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales.

Other planned reforms include the adoption of automated voter registration — a system already in place in Australia and Canada — and allowing UK-issued bank cards to be accepted as valid ID at polling stations.

These proposals come after the former Conservative government implemented laws requiring voters to present photo identification, which the Electoral Commission reported resulted in around 750,000 people being unable to vote in last year’s election.

Harry Quilter-Pinner, executive director of the Institute For Public Policy Research, described the proposals as “the biggest reform to our electoral system since 1969”, when the voting age was reduced to 18.

He estimated that lowering the voting age and introducing automated registration could add as many as 9.5 million new voters.

“Our democracy is in crisis, and we risk reaching a tipping point where politics loses its legitimacy,” he said, expressing his support for the proposed changes.

 

Credit: AFP

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It’s Better For Anyone Holding PDP Down To Quit — Gov. Makinde On Atiku’s Exit

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Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, has said that the departure of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not impact the party’s position.

Abubakar left the PDP on July 14, stating that the party has deviated from its founding principles.

The party, which serves as the main opposition, has been experiencing internal conflict since the 2023 presidential election.

Speaking on Wednesday during the 10th coronation anniversary colloquium of Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade, the Deji of Akure, Makinde said Atiku’s departure will not weaken the PDP’s foundation or momentum.

The governor noted that the PDP would be in a stronger position if those hindering its progress step aside.

“Politics is a game of interest. I don’t think his exit will make any dent on PDP as a party,” Makinde said.

“PDP is an institution. We have freedom of entrance and exit. Anyone who holds PDP down, it is better for such an individual to quit.”

Speculation continues to grow that Makinde may enter the 2027 presidential race.

Abubakar, who is also seeking the presidency, has aligned himself with the opposition coalition to advance his ambition.

Addressing the move by some opposition politicians to adopt the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 elections, Makinde said the coalition does not pose a threat to the PDP.

“I don’t see ADC as a threat to PDP. The goal is about the same. If you are not happy about the tempo and pace of governance, you are free to associate and see what can be done,” he said.

“But one thing we must all realise is that players will come and go, governors will come and go, presidents will come and go, but our state and country will remain.”

Makinde emphasized that traditional institutions are essential to good governance, conflict resolution, and community development.

“Too often, traditional institutions are misunderstood. Some imagine frail old men who have outlived their relevance,” he said.

“Others view them as mere instruments of political endorsement. That mindset must change.

“Traditional institutions are not relics of the past. They are enduring pillars of identity, legitimacy, and communal cohesion.

“Long before Nigeria’s formal administrative systems took root, traditional rulers dispensed justice, upheld values, coordinated local security, and kept communities united.

“Reforming legal frameworks to provide clarity on the roles, rights, and recognition of traditional councils and strengthening our security architecture to formalise community policing strategies rooted in traditional structures.”

Makinde said traditional institutions continue to be the custodians of the grassroots and warned that excluding them from nation-building would be a mistake.

“No wonder politicians continue to seek their blessings and validation,” he added.

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RCCG Pastor Absconds With $8000 Church Money, Abandons Wife, Marries New One

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A pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God has reportedly fled with “$8,000” in church funds, left his wife behind, and married another woman.

Pastor Folu Adeboye, wife of the General Overseer, Worldwide, of the RCCG, disclosed this while speaking at a men’s programme.

She explained in a video monitored by Church Times that the pastor was given the money for mission work in South Africa but instead abandoned his wife and relocated to the United States, where he married someone else.

Adeboye said the incident happened during a visit to Cape Town, South Africa, where she preached at the RCCG parish led by the pastor. The church service was held in a rented space at an eatery.

While she was ministering, a woman entered and began packing chairs, apparently indicating their allotted time was over. Surprised by this, Adeboye asked the pastor what it would cost to get a permanent site.

The pastor, who she said hails from Ekiti State, suggested that “$8,000” would allow them to begin the process by purchasing a used vehicle. He proposed giving the vehicle to a tourism agency to generate returns for acquiring a permanent church building.

Encouraged by the idea, Adeboye gave him the money.

However, the pastor had other plans. After receiving the funds, he travelled to the United States and left his wife behind in South Africa.

She noted that the abandoned woman is now in a distressed state, nearly “running mad.”

Church Times quoted Pastor Adeboye as saying: “RCCG men, what are we going to do? Are we going to continue with such a lying spirit, a deceitful spirit to the God of the kingdom?”

She stressed the need to return to core values of faith and truthfulness. Recalling past hardships, she said: “We must get to the point where we say wherever He leads, we follow. We were in this bush. For three years, there was no light. We went back to the days of the lantern and we were grinding with stone, whereas where we were coming from we had grinding machines, we had washing machines.”

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