• The protesters in Iwo, Osun State ...on Monday.
Christians
in Osun State, especially members of the Osun Baptists Conference, on
Monday protested against the attempted merger of Muslim students wearing
hijab with the Baptists High School, Iwo, under the new education
policy introduced by Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Aregbesola last week inaugurated a new
education policy in Osun, which the governor said had necessitated
re-classification and merger of public schools in the state to reflect
the new education system.
The governor, who expressed worry about
the protest, however, urged the people to cooperate with the school
restructuring, saying the policy was introduced as part of
transformation of the education sector by his government.
Aggrieved Christians armed with Holy
Bible and Hymn books trooped to the Baptists High School as early as
7:30am and dislodged the students and prevented teachers from entering
the school premises.
They said that the merger of the
schools, if allowed to succeed, would obliterate the Baptist heritage
and that they would not allow hijab-wearing students in a school founded
by Christian missionaries.
The Christian protesters defied the
presence of armed security operatives and insisted that they would not
allow the merger to work.
Presiding minister for the 35 Baptist
churches in Iwo land, Rev. Bayo Ademuyiwa, said the church had nothing
against the government’s attempt to equip schools in the state but he
said that the church would not allow any attempt to erase its identity
and heritage.
He said, “Our forefathers and
missionaries sacrificed their lives, resources and everything to
establish schools, reputable schools with morals and values and that is
why the Baptists in Iwo land are here to protect our schools.
“Without any doubt, the Baptists in the
state are known for excellence, decorum and dignity. These virtues are
highly cherished by the Nigerian Baptist Convention and this is the
reason why the Baptists are making these two submissions which are,
“Baptists in Iwo land say no to merger of schools and Baptists in Iwo
land say no to the use of hijab in Baptists schools.
“While we welcome genuine efforts to
provide modern infrastructures and equipments in schools in Osun State,
the Baptists see merger of schools as a step in the wrong direction as
it will rob us of our identity and bring more pains to parents and
students.”
Chairman, Osun State Christian
Association of Nigeria, Rev. Elisha Ogundiya, also said that CAN would
not allow any programme to erase the legacy of the Church.
Ogundiya said, “We have maintained this
stand from inception and we will continue to defend lawfully what belong
to us as Christians in the state.”
“As a major stakeholder in the state,
the leadership of CAN expects the state government to invite us to
discuss this issue without delay. We wish to explain it clearly that at
no time did the new leadership of CAN in Osun held any meeting with the
state government on the issue of merger of schools.”
But the governor, in a statement by his
media aide, Semiu Okanlawon, allayed the fears , promising that the
interest of all groups, organisations, religious and social bodies would
be protected in the ongoing re-classification and reform.
He urged the people of the state to
discountenance and dismiss “any untrue and baseless insinuation” critics
of the government might be spreading across the state.
I saw policemen kill my dad – Six-year-old girl
October 8, 2013 by Eniola Akinkuotu 49 Comments
Mariam and slain father Adeniyi
A
six-year-old girl, Mariam Adeniji, is currently in shock after
witnessing the killing of her father, Rafiu Adeniji, who was allegedly
shot dead by policemen on Sunday.
The little girl, who spoke to PUNCH Metro
while trying to fight back tears, said her father was killed after
challenging policemen over an accident along the Mangoro end of
Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
She said, “My daddy was driving home
when someone hit his car. He went to see the policemen; they just
brought out their guns and shot him. They then ran away.”
Another occupant of the vehicle, Lateef Okesola, who expressed shock at the incident, said it occurred in broad daylight.
He said, “Adeniji, Mariam and I, were
all in his Honda car; Adeniji was driving. We were headed towards Agege
when we saw a white police patrol vehicle with the inscription, OPS
Attack, chasing a commercial bus. So, Rafiu swerved to the side and
allowed the vehicle to pass.
“We continued on our journey but after a
while, we found ourselves behind the same bus. Suddenly, the driver of
the bus applied his brake.”
Unfortunately for Adeniji, he couldn’t
stop his car fast enough as his vehicle was said to have hit the bus
from behind, causing Okesola to sustain a bruise on his head. An
argument was said to have ensued between the bus driver and Adeniji
after the motorist demanded payment for the repair of the bus.
The deceased allegedly told the bus driver to blame the policemen for causing the accident.
“The policemen were parked on the side
of the road and when Rafiu approached them to discuss what had happened,
one of them alighted and shot him in the chest before fleeing.
“It was the sympathisers who gathered,
that flagged down another commercial bus to take us all to the Isokoko
Police Division,” Okesola added.
After obtaining a police report, Adeniji
was taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, where
he was confirmed dead.
Not long after his corpse was taken to
his family home at Oshodi, Adeniji was said to have been rushed to a
private hospital after a sympathiser claimed he saw the corpse move.
However, Adeniji was confirmed dead again at Jericho hospital.
When our correspondent visited Adeniji’s
mother’s home located on Samura Street, sympathisers were seen coming
in droves to condole with his aged mother said to be in her 70s.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Adeniji
was an employee of NAHCO. His colleagues, who came to sympathise with
the family, described him as a hardworking man.
Elder sister of the deceased, Titilayo
Akintunde, described the incident as a nightmare, saying there was a
need for the government to curb the excesses of policemen.
She said, “One wonders why it is those
that are paid to protect lives and property that “continue to add
sorrows to our lives in this country.
“My brother was not a thug. He was
gainfully employed at NAHCO. He had a wife and two children.
Unfortunately, his life was cut short in his prime.
“The case is even more pathetic because
he was killed in the presence of his six-year-old daughter and she has
refused to eat since the incident. It is a sight that she will never
“forget. We want justice for him. Imagine what our mother is going
through right now?”
When contacted on the telephone, the
Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Damasus Ozoani, said, “There
was a shooting in Agege area which led to loss of life. The patrol team
within that area has been arrested and their arms have been taken for
ballistic examination.”
I saw policemen kill my dad – Six-year-old girl
October 8, 2013 by Eniola Akinkuotu 49 Comments
Mariam and slain father Adeniyi
A
six-year-old girl, Mariam Adeniji, is currently in shock after
witnessing the killing of her father, Rafiu Adeniji, who was allegedly
shot dead by policemen on Sunday.
The little girl, who spoke to PUNCH Metro
while trying to fight back tears, said her father was killed after
challenging policemen over an accident along the Mangoro end of
Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
She said, “My daddy was driving home
when someone hit his car. He went to see the policemen; they just
brought out their guns and shot him. They then ran away.”
Another occupant of the vehicle, Lateef Okesola, who expressed shock at the incident, said it occurred in broad daylight.
He said, “Adeniji, Mariam and I, were
all in his Honda car; Adeniji was driving. We were headed towards Agege
when we saw a white police patrol vehicle with the inscription, OPS
Attack, chasing a commercial bus. So, Rafiu swerved to the side and
allowed the vehicle to pass.
“We continued on our journey but after a
while, we found ourselves behind the same bus. Suddenly, the driver of
the bus applied his brake.”
Unfortunately for Adeniji, he couldn’t
stop his car fast enough as his vehicle was said to have hit the bus
from behind, causing Okesola to sustain a bruise on his head. An
argument was said to have ensued between the bus driver and Adeniji
after the motorist demanded payment for the repair of the bus.
The deceased allegedly told the bus driver to blame the policemen for causing the accident.
“The policemen were parked on the side
of the road and when Rafiu approached them to discuss what had happened,
one of them alighted and shot him in the chest before fleeing.
“It was the sympathisers who gathered,
that flagged down another commercial bus to take us all to the Isokoko
Police Division,” Okesola added.
After obtaining a police report, Adeniji
was taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, where
he was confirmed dead.
Not long after his corpse was taken to
his family home at Oshodi, Adeniji was said to have been rushed to a
private hospital after a sympathiser claimed he saw the corpse move.
However, Adeniji was confirmed dead again at Jericho hospital.
When our correspondent visited Adeniji’s
mother’s home located on Samura Street, sympathisers were seen coming
in droves to condole with his aged mother said to be in her 70s.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Adeniji
was an employee of NAHCO. His colleagues, who came to sympathise with
the family, described him as a hardworking man.
Elder sister of the deceased, Titilayo
Akintunde, described the incident as a nightmare, saying there was a
need for the government to curb the excesses of policemen.
She said, “One wonders why it is those
that are paid to protect lives and property that “continue to add
sorrows to our lives in this country.
“My brother was not a thug. He was
gainfully employed at NAHCO. He had a wife and two children.
Unfortunately, his life was cut short in his prime.
“The case is even more pathetic because
he was killed in the presence of his six-year-old daughter and she has
refused to eat since the incident. It is a sight that she will never
“forget. We want justice for him. Imagine what our mother is going
through right now?”
When contacted on the telephone, the
Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Damasus Ozoani, said, “There
was a shooting in Agege area which led to loss of life. The patrol team
within that area has been arrested and their arms have been taken for
ballistic examination.”
I saw policemen kill my dad – Six-year-old girl
October 8, 2013 by Eniola Akinkuotu 49 Comments
Mariam and slain father Adeniyi
A
six-year-old girl, Mariam Adeniji, is currently in shock after
witnessing the killing of her father, Rafiu Adeniji, who was allegedly
shot dead by policemen on Sunday.
The little girl, who spoke to PUNCH Metro
while trying to fight back tears, said her father was killed after
challenging policemen over an accident along the Mangoro end of
Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
She said, “My daddy was driving home
when someone hit his car. He went to see the policemen; they just
brought out their guns and shot him. They then ran away.”
Another occupant of the vehicle, Lateef Okesola, who expressed shock at the incident, said it occurred in broad daylight.
He said, “Adeniji, Mariam and I, were
all in his Honda car; Adeniji was driving. We were headed towards Agege
when we saw a white police patrol vehicle with the inscription, OPS
Attack, chasing a commercial bus. So, Rafiu swerved to the side and
allowed the vehicle to pass.
“We continued on our journey but after a
while, we found ourselves behind the same bus. Suddenly, the driver of
the bus applied his brake.”
Unfortunately for Adeniji, he couldn’t
stop his car fast enough as his vehicle was said to have hit the bus
from behind, causing Okesola to sustain a bruise on his head. An
argument was said to have ensued between the bus driver and Adeniji
after the motorist demanded payment for the repair of the bus.
The deceased allegedly told the bus driver to blame the policemen for causing the accident.
“The policemen were parked on the side
of the road and when Rafiu approached them to discuss what had happened,
one of them alighted and shot him in the chest before fleeing.
“It was the sympathisers who gathered,
that flagged down another commercial bus to take us all to the Isokoko
Police Division,” Okesola added.
After obtaining a police report, Adeniji
was taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, where
he was confirmed dead.
Not long after his corpse was taken to
his family home at Oshodi, Adeniji was said to have been rushed to a
private hospital after a sympathiser claimed he saw the corpse move.
However, Adeniji was confirmed dead again at Jericho hospital.
When our correspondent visited Adeniji’s
mother’s home located on Samura Street, sympathisers were seen coming
in droves to condole with his aged mother said to be in her 70s.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Adeniji
was an employee of NAHCO. His colleagues, who came to sympathise with
the family, described him as a hardworking man.
Elder sister of the deceased, Titilayo
Akintunde, described the incident as a nightmare, saying there was a
need for the government to curb the excesses of policemen.
She said, “One wonders why it is those
that are paid to protect lives and property that “continue to add
sorrows to our lives in this country.
“My brother was not a thug. He was
gainfully employed at NAHCO. He had a wife and two children.
Unfortunately, his life was cut short in his prime.
“The case is even more pathetic because
he was killed in the presence of his six-year-old daughter and she has
refused to eat since the incident. It is a sight that she will never
“forget. We want justice for him. Imagine what our mother is going
through right now?”
When contacted on the telephone, the
Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Damasus Ozoani, said, “There
was a shooting in Agege area which led to loss of life. The patrol team
within that area has been arrested and their arms have been taken for
ballistic examination.”
Christians protest merger of schools by Aregbesola
October 8, 2013 by Femi Makinde, Osogbo 208 Comments
• The protesters in Iwo, Osun State ...on Monday.
Christians
in Osun State, especially members of the Osun Baptists Conference, on
Monday protested against the attempted merger of Muslim students wearing
hijab with the Baptists High School, Iwo, under the new education
policy introduced by Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Aregbesola last week inaugurated a new
education policy in Osun, which the governor said had necessitated
re-classification and merger of public schools in the state to reflect
the new education system.
The governor, who expressed worry about
the protest, however, urged the people to cooperate with the school
restructuring, saying the policy was introduced as part of
transformation of the education sector by his government.
Aggrieved Christians armed with Holy
Bible and Hymn books trooped to the Baptists High School as early as
7:30am and dislodged the students and prevented teachers from entering
the school premises.
They said that the merger of the
schools, if allowed to succeed, would obliterate the Baptist heritage
and that they would not allow hijab-wearing students in a school founded
by Christian missionaries.
The Christian protesters defied the
presence of armed security operatives and insisted that they would not
allow the merger to work.
Presiding minister for the 35 Baptist
churches in Iwo land, Rev. Bayo Ademuyiwa, said the church had nothing
against the government’s attempt to equip schools in the state but he
said that the church would not allow any attempt to erase its identity
and heritage.
He said, “Our forefathers and
missionaries sacrificed their lives, resources and everything to
establish schools, reputable schools with morals and values and that is
why the Baptists in Iwo land are here to protect our schools.
“Without any doubt, the Baptists in the
state are known for excellence, decorum and dignity. These virtues are
highly cherished by the Nigerian Baptist Convention and this is the
reason why the Baptists are making these two submissions which are,
“Baptists in Iwo land say no to merger of schools and Baptists in Iwo
land say no to the use of hijab in Baptists schools.
“While we welcome genuine efforts to
provide modern infrastructures and equipments in schools in Osun State,
the Baptists see merger of schools as a step in the wrong direction as
it will rob us of our identity and bring more pains to parents and
students.”
Chairman, Osun State Christian
Association of Nigeria, Rev. Elisha Ogundiya, also said that CAN would
not allow any programme to erase the legacy of the Church.
Ogundiya said, “We have maintained this
stand from inception and we will continue to defend lawfully what belong
to us as Christians in the state.”
“As a major stakeholder in the state,
the leadership of CAN expects the state government to invite us to
discuss this issue without delay. We wish to explain it clearly that at
no time did the new leadership of CAN in Osun held any meeting with the
state government on the issue of merger of schools.”
But the governor, in a statement by his
media aide, Semiu Okanlawon, allayed the fears , promising that the
interest of all groups, organisations, religious and social bodies would
be protected in the ongoing re-classification and reform.
He urged the people of the state to
discountenance and dismiss “any untrue and baseless insinuation” critics
of the government might be spreading across the state.
I saw policemen kill my dad – Six-year-old girl
October 8, 2013 by Eniola Akinkuotu 49 Comments
Mariam and slain father Adeniyi
A
six-year-old girl, Mariam Adeniji, is currently in shock after
witnessing the killing of her father, Rafiu Adeniji, who was allegedly
shot dead by policemen on Sunday.
The little girl, who spoke to PUNCH Metro
while trying to fight back tears, said her father was killed after
challenging policemen over an accident along the Mangoro end of
Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
She said, “My daddy was driving home
when someone hit his car. He went to see the policemen; they just
brought out their guns and shot him. They then ran away.”
Another occupant of the vehicle, Lateef Okesola, who expressed shock at the incident, said it occurred in broad daylight.
He said, “Adeniji, Mariam and I, were
all in his Honda car; Adeniji was driving. We were headed towards Agege
when we saw a white police patrol vehicle with the inscription, OPS
Attack, chasing a commercial bus. So, Rafiu swerved to the side and
allowed the vehicle to pass.
“We continued on our journey but after a
while, we found ourselves behind the same bus. Suddenly, the driver of
the bus applied his brake.”
Unfortunately for Adeniji, he couldn’t
stop his car fast enough as his vehicle was said to have hit the bus
from behind, causing Okesola to sustain a bruise on his head. An
argument was said to have ensued between the bus driver and Adeniji
after the motorist demanded payment for the repair of the bus.
The deceased allegedly told the bus driver to blame the policemen for causing the accident.
“The policemen were parked on the side
of the road and when Rafiu approached them to discuss what had happened,
one of them alighted and shot him in the chest before fleeing.
“It was the sympathisers who gathered,
that flagged down another commercial bus to take us all to the Isokoko
Police Division,” Okesola added.
After obtaining a police report, Adeniji
was taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, where
he was confirmed dead.
Not long after his corpse was taken to
his family home at Oshodi, Adeniji was said to have been rushed to a
private hospital after a sympathiser claimed he saw the corpse move.
However, Adeniji was confirmed dead again at Jericho hospital.
When our correspondent visited Adeniji’s
mother’s home located on Samura Street, sympathisers were seen coming
in droves to condole with his aged mother said to be in her 70s.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Adeniji
was an employee of NAHCO. His colleagues, who came to sympathise with
the family, described him as a hardworking man.
Elder sister of the deceased, Titilayo
Akintunde, described the incident as a nightmare, saying there was a
need for the government to curb the excesses of policemen.
She said, “One wonders why it is those
that are paid to protect lives and property that “continue to add
sorrows to our lives in this country.
“My brother was not a thug. He was
gainfully employed at NAHCO. He had a wife and two children.
Unfortunately, his life was cut short in his prime.
“The case is even more pathetic because
he was killed in the presence of his six-year-old daughter and she has
refused to eat since the incident. It is a sight that she will never
“forget. We want justice for him. Imagine what our mother is going
through right now?”
When contacted on the telephone, the
Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Damasus Ozoani, said, “There
was a shooting in Agege area which led to loss of life. The patrol team
within that area has been arrested and their arms have been taken for
ballistic examination.”
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