The Concerned Citizens Leadership Integrity and Transparency Advocacy Initiative (CLITAAI) has raised alarm over the alleged unlawful arrest and continued incommunicado detention of Mr. Owolemi Emorioloye, who was arrested on Thursday, January 15th at Igbokoda, Ondo State, by operatives of a security agency.

This is contained in a statement jointly signed by Mr Adebayo Johnson and Mr Daniel Ikuesan, CLITAAI, Chairman and Secretary respectively.

As at the time of this statement, his whereabouts remain unknown, with no official information on the reason for his arrest.

Eyewitness accounts recounted that armed operatives, who arrived in two Hilux vehicles, arrested Mr. Emorioloye and whisked him away to an undisclosed location.

Credible information suggested that the arrest may have been carried out by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Disturbingly, Mr. Emorioloye has been denied access to his family and legal counsel, in clear violation of his fundamental rights.

In a video currently in circulation, the wife of Mr. Emorioloye, Mrs Ajoke Emorioloye, together with his mother, openly allegedly accused the Minister of Interior, Mr. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the Ondo State Representative on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Otito Atikase, of allegedly instigating the arrest.

These allegations are claims made by the family and are yet to be officially confirmed.

It would be recalled that Mr. Emorioloye has been outspoken in questioning and exposing issues surrounding the credentials and Curriculum Vitae of the Honourable Minister of Interior, raising grave concerns that this arrest may be retaliatory and intended to silence dissent.

Speaking on behalf of CLITAAI, the Chairman, Mr. Adedayo Johnson, described the arrest as “a dangerous descent into lawlessness,” while the Secretary, Comrade Ikuesan Daniel, warned that continued silence by the authorities could erode public confidence in democratic governance.

CLITAAI therefore demands the immediate release of Mr. Emorioloye or his prompt arraignment before a court of competent jurisdiction, as required by law.

The organization further calls on the DSS, the Federal Government, the National Human Rights Commission, and the Nigerian Bar Association to urgently intervene.

The group added that Nigeria must not become a country where citizens are arrested without due process, held incommunicado, or punished for exercising their right to free expression.and that the rule of law must prevail.

Operatives of the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS), in collaboration with members of the Odo-Ilepa community, have apprehended a notorious five-man criminal gang involved in motorcycle snatching, bag snatching, and armed robbery in Akoko North East Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The arrest, which followed credible security intelligence, was coordinated through the office of the Executive Chairman of the local government, Alhaji Mohammed Mutiu Olawale, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the security architecture of the area.

Speaking on the development, Olawale said the successful operation reflected his administration’s proactive approach to crime prevention and community-based security management.

He recalled that in 2025, his administration procured and distributed motorcycles to the Odo–Ilepa community and the Nigeria Forest Security Service to enhance mobility, improve response time, and boost operational effectiveness in combating criminal activities across the local government.

According to him, the deployment of the logistics played a critical role in the successful apprehension of the suspects.

The arrested suspects have since been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force at the Okegbede Division for thorough investigation and prosecution in accordance with the law.

Olawale stressed that the arrest sends a strong warning to criminals that Akoko North East would not serve as a safe haven for lawbreakers.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the protection of lives and property, pledging sustained collaboration with security agencies and community stakeholders to ensure lasting peace and security in the area.

The council chairman also commended the Nigeria Forest Security Service and the Nigeria Police Force for their professionalism, vigilance, and dedication to duty, assuring residents of continued efforts to build a safer Akoko North East.

No fewer than five persons have reportedly lost their lives in a tragic road accident that occurred on Friday along the Etikan axis of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

According to a report by Ondo South TV, the victims were said to be returning from Araromi Beach in Ilaje when the fatal crash occurred.

Eyewitnesses attributed the incident to overspeeding, noting that accidents frequently occur along the stretch of the road, especially during festive periods.

Some residents described the area as a recurring accident spot, calling for urgent intervention by relevant authorities.

As of the time of filing this report, no official statement had been released by the police or other emergency agencies regarding the incident.

Efforts to obtain confirmation from security agencies were unsuccessful.

….No life lost, no church attacked during incident – Police Commissioner.

Following the New Year’s eve attack on the Ipele police station in Owo Local Government Area, Ondo State Governor, Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has directed intensified patrols across communities and forest areas, stressing that security remains a 24-hour responsibility, particularly during festive periods.

The Governor spoke on Thursday after an emergency meeting with the heads of security agencies at the Presidential Lodge of the Government House in Akure, where he reviewed the response to the attack and measures to prevent its recurrence.

He explained that the attack occurred late on Wednesday night while many residents were attending night services to usher in 2026.

The Governor said that upon receiving the report, he immediately contacted the police and the Brigade Commander of the army, instructing that security personnel be deployed to support officers on patrol and protect residents.

Governor Aiyedatiwa noted that security operatives, including members of the Joint Operations Task Force and Amotekun Rangers, were already on patrol throughout the state and in forested areas.

Their rapid mobilisation, he said, ensured that the attackers, who gained access to the police station and discharged an explosive, were unable to harm anyone.

“Somehow they were able to breach security, but the swift response of the security agencies helped greatly to curtail the situation. Nobody lost their life,” the Governor said.

The Governor said that only the police station was damaged. All officers survived and were able to rejoin their colleagues on patrol to prevent further criminal activity.

He added that the emergency meeting with security chiefs focused on reviewing the incident, assessing the security response, and ensuring that similar acts do not happen again.

Also speaking, the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, said the governor convened the emergency session with the heads of the police, military, DSS, Civil Defence and Amotekun to assess the situation and activate strategies to apprehend the perpetrators.

Lawal dismissed reports circulating on social media suggesting casualties or attacks on churches, affirming that no lives were lost and no church was affected.

He added that investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of damage, including items looted from the police armoury, cautioning that it is premature to label the incident as a terrorist attack until arrests are made.

“It is too early to conclude that they were terrorists. Once investigations are complete and arrests are made, we will identify those responsible,” the commissioner said.

Lawal reassured residents that Ondo State remains one of the safest states in Southern Nigeria and urged citizens to remain calm and maintain confidence in the security agencies.

Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan,
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State.
January 1, 2026.

A Magistrate Court in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has ordered the arrest of the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Seun Osamaye, over an alleged assault on a Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Temitope Alphonso.

According to the charge, the alleged assault occurred at the premises of the Ministry of Women Affairs while Chief Magistrate Alphonso was on an official engagement with the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, in the presence of ministry staff.

In an affidavit attached to the charge, Magistrate Alphonso stated that the incident followed a judgment she had earlier delivered which was unfavourable to the commissioner. The affidavit alleged that the commissioner responded by verbally abusing and physically assaulting the magistrate.

Part of the affidavit reads:

“That when I asked her to stop cursing, the defendant told me to shut up and said I was just a mere Magistrate, adding that even the Chief Judge of Ondo State cannot open his mouth when she is talking.”

“The defendant further warned me to watch my back, claiming she had all the apparatus to make me go missing if I was not careful. She beat her chest while making the threat.”

“She also stated that by the time she was finished with me, the Governor of Ondo State would not be able to rescue me, let alone the Chief Judge.”

At the hearing of the case today, the commissioner reportedly failed to appear in court. Her counsel, Barrister Adewusi, informed the court that she was receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Ilara-Mokin and requested a stand-down to allow time to present evidence of her hospitalization.

Magistrate Damilola Sekoni stood down the matter for one and a half hours, after which he ruled that the commissioner must appear in court or face legal consequences.

Upon resumption, a medical report was presented by the defence, but it sparked controversy as the prosecuting counsel challenged its authenticity.

In his ruling, Magistrate Sekoni rejected the medical report, describing it as unsatisfactory because it failed to confirm that the commissioner was admitted or medically unfit to attend court. The document did not include key details such as the date and time of admission, prompting the prosecution to describe it as hastily prepared and possibly forged.

Citing what he described as the commissioner’s disregard for the authority of the court, Magistrate Sekoni ordered her arrest and remand in prison custody. The case was adjourned until January 12.

As of the time of filing this report, the Ondo State Government had yet to issue an official response.

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