Tinubu’s daughter speaks on his 2023 presidential ambition

Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, says her father is fit to govern Nigeria.

She said this amidst concerns raised about the health of her father, who in January told President Muhammadu Buhari that he would like to succeed him.

In October last year, Tinubu underwent a knee surgery and physiotherapy in London.

Commenting on her father’s chances, Tinubu-Ojo, who is the grand patron of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu Support Group, said he is the right choice for Nigerians, even if APC drops its zoning formula.

She said the crisis rocking the party and its convention would not deter the party from victory in 2023.

Folashade Tinubu-Ojo said, “Everybody can say whatever they like. Even vehicles break down. He (Tinubu) was down for some time. He was taken care of; now he is healthy. It’s very obvious, we can see it. I believe strongly the convention is going to hold on the 26th of March, In sha Allah (God willing).” (Daily Trust)

•Folashade Tinubu-Ojo

Two soldiers, seven civilians killed in Edo over land disputes

No fewer than nine persons including two soldiers and seven civilians were reportedly killed over land tussle in Obayantor Community, off Benin-Sapele Road, Benin City.

One of the youth leaders of the community told our correspondent that before escaping to Benin, he counted nine lifeless bodies, including that of two soldiers and seven civilians at a community centre, adding that the entire community has been deserted since last Saturday.

According to him, “Our community is currently under siege over land disputes as two soldiers and nine civilians have been killed as a result of the situation. Right now, more than two hundred soldiers have taken over our communities.

“More than a hundred people have escaped from the clash with bullets wounds with other communities in the neighbourhood abandoning their homes,” he said.

Those involved in the current clash are not immediately known as the Obayantor community has been notorious for violent clashes over who superintendent over sales of lands.

When contacted, the Edo state Police Public Relations Officer, Bello Kontongs said, “it was a military operation and as such, the police don’t have any information on that but once we have it, you will be notified immediately.”

But the Nigerian Army 4, Brigade, Benin on Monday said that the Brigade never carried out a reprisal attack in the community, rather it said that the brigade only carried out operations in the community based on intelligence from the Department of State Service (DSS).

The Brigade’s Public Relations Officer, Capt. Yemi Sokoya said that against some reports making the rounds, soldiers were not in the community because of reprisal, adding that the personnel of the brigade were guided by rules of engagement and code of conduct for internal security.

He further explained that the brigade got a report from the DSS about hoodlums disturbing the community, and of weapons being stocked up which “we found out that it was true, and as soon as we got there, some of the hoodlums engaged the troop.

“However, even if there was a communal issue before now, with what is happening in the country today if you are a commander and you are told people are stockpiling weapons somewhere, you will go there and ensure that those weapons are seized, confiscated and those involved arrested.

“I think that is the right thing to do and that is exactly what the commander did. The issue of communal crisis is not part of why we went there. It was basically on the report that hoodlums in that community are stockpiling weapons and terrorising the community,” he said.

He disclosed that in the course of the operations, some weapons which include two AK-47 rifles, three English pump Action guns, one double barrel, 32 cartridges, five mobile phones and an ID card belonging to the state vigilante were recovered by the soldiers. Courtesy (excluding headline) Daily Independent