2016 Yoruba Royal Icon Awards: Yoruba Council of Youths set to Honour Obasanjo, Atiku, Tinubu, others

Aremo (Barrister) Oladotun Hassan, Convener, Founder/President, Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide

Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide under the leadership of Aremo (Barrister) Oladotun Hassan, Founder and President of the group is set to honour eminent Nigerians at this year edition of Yoruba Royal Icon Awards slated for 12^th August, 2016 at Agboola Odeyemi Hall, Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

According to a statement made available to Prestige Online and signed by the Convener, Aremo (Barrister) Oladotun Hassan, award recipients include: Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Aare Agbakin O’odua; National Leader of APC,  Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Aare Ona Kankanfo O’odua; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, Aare Atunluse O’odua;  National Legal Adviser of APC, Dr. Muiz Banire, Aare Atunluse O’odua; Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, Aare Asoju O’odua; Erelu of Lagos, Yeye Arewa O’odua; Yeye Folorunsho Alakija, Yeye Oge O’odua;  Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Aare Atunluse O’odua; Afro hip pop artiste, Olamide, Pride of O’odua; Chief Obosa, Alejo O’odua.

 President Muhammadu Buhari is expected as Special Guest of Honour, while guest speakers are Yinka Odumakin and Otunba Gani Adams. Host,  Dr. Raymon Adedoyin; Chief Host, Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Distinguished Royal Guest of Honour, Oba Lamidi  Atanda Olayiwola adeyemi III, Alaafin of Oyo; Grand Host, Ooni adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, The Ooni of Ife.

According to the statement the awards is part of  ‘Yoruba Peace Summit 2016’ in commemoration of the 5^th edition of the Yoruba Youths International Conference, festivals and Awards which coincidentally falls on 12^th August, 2016 which is worldwide known as International Youths Day.

On   13^th of August, 2016 the palace of Ooni of Ife will play host to another programme tagged ‘Isokan Yoruba’.

On the real reason the programme was put together, Aremo (Barrister) Oladotun Hassan stated that: “In consonance with the noble objectives and vision of Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide, we strongly believe in our togetherness and commonness as an indissoluble nation under Eledumare to proffer immediate solutions to our hydra headed state of affairs and over all development of Nigeria, especially on the need to promote the slogan of ‘Isokan Yoruba’ at all levels of social strata from our traditional institutions,  political space, religious beliefs and socio-economic involvements.

“Yoruba land is our common patrimony and we owe ourselves the unalloyed duty of care to safeguard her from cultural extinction and imminent total collapse of her pride as the leading light of the entire black race on earth. The onus lies in our optimism, dedication, unity, tolerance and peacefulness. Hence the need for the unanimous resolution and urgent convocation of ‘Yoruba Peace Summit 2016’ in commemoration of the 5^th edition of the Yoruba Youths International Conference, festivals and Awards”.

Suspected car thief in Lagos RRS net

Operatives of Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command on Tuesday, July 12, 2016, nabbed, Benjamin Michael, 27, for attempting to remove a Mercedes Benz A-Class with the registration number UB 202 AAA from the park at a popular night club (name withheld) in Ikeja. The suspect, who hails from Ughelli in Delta State, was arrested after the Policemen prevented the angry mob from carrying out jungle justice on him when they sighted him entering the car. The suspect, who had sustained various degrees of injuries on his head before the arrival of RRS operatives, was taken to the hospital for medical attention by the police. Upon his arrival at the RRS’ headquarters, he confessed that his plan was to steal the vehicle and take it out of Lagos to a neighbouring country to sell. "I took a wrap of Indian-hemp before I went to the club that night. On getting to the club, I was looking for a car whose door was not locked. Then, I started opening all the vehicles parked at the club's parking space one after the other. I discovered that the car in question was not locked, which gave me free entry into it. I entered the car quietly with the aim of removing it from where it was parked and take it out for sale,” he disclosed. The suspected criminal said that he was unaware that some people were seeing him while entering the vehicle. He added: As I entered the car, I saw a group of men coming towards me. I still pretended as if the car was mine. When they got to my side, they asked me if the car was mine. Unknowingly to me, the owner of the car was with them. I confidently told them the car belonged to me. They dragged me out of the vehicle and started beating me. If not for the timely intervention of the RRS officers, they would have killed me that night".  It was gathered that the Policemen who were on their routine patrol along the axis, rescued the suspect when he was about to be set ablaze by the enraged youth. While confirming the arrest, the spokesperson of Lagos State Police Command, Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmus, said that efforts were in progress to arrest his colleagues. "The suspect would be charged to court upon completion of our investigations. My advice to every vehicle owner is to ensure that your vehicles are parked in a secured place and properly locked to prevent car thieves from taking undue advantage of such negligence," she added.

Killing of Another Nigerian, Emmanuel Chidi Nnamdi in Italy is Disheartening, says Dabiri-Erewa

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has described as disheartening the killing of yet another Nigerian, Emmanuel Chidi Nnamdi, in Italy.
In a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Dabiri-Erewa condemned in totality the murder of an asylum seeker by an Italian football hooligan, who reacted to racial insults against his partner.
Dabiri-Erewa said the painful killings and gruesome murder of innocent Nigerians by other nationals in their homeland was disturbing and depressing to the people and government of Nigeria.
She said: “This is disturbing, coming barely few days after another Nigerian teenager, Fola Orebiyi, was stabbed to death in London. This is totally unacceptable.”
“Even though, the culprit had been arrested by the Italian authorities, a thorough investigation should be carried out on why innocent Nigerians were subject of attacks by their host countries.”
Dabiri-Erewa commiserated with the family of Nnamdi, particularly the fiancée, who witnessed the brutal killing of her lover, and assured them that Nigeria would monitor the dispensation of justice on the matter.
She reiterated President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to citizen’s diplomacy and protection of Nigerians wherever they may be.
It was reported that an Italian football hooligan, Amedeo Mancini, has been arrested and charged with murder after beating to death Nnamdi, 36, who reacted to racial insults against his partner.
Nnamdi allegedly got into a fight on Tuesday after the man called his 24-year-old girlfriend, Chinyere, a “monkey”.
He was taken to hospital in a comatose state and declared dead on Wednesday in the central Italian town of Fermo, some 170 kilometres north-east of Rome, near the Adriatic coast.
The accused is a supporter of 4th league team, Fermana, and had been banned from the local stadium because of his violent behaviour.
The incident led Interior Minister, Angelino Alfano, to travel to Fermo to chair a meeting with local police.
Alfano said it was a “day of infinite sadness”, while Prime Minister Matteo Renzi wrote on Twitter: “Against hatred, racism and violence.”
Comunita di Capodarco, the Catholic charity that was giving shelter to the couple, issued a statement giving a version provided by Chinyere.
She said the man put his hands on her, triggering Nnamdi’s reaction.
“A fight broke out, a street sign was pulled from the pavement, there were heavy blows and one, probably fatal, hit the young Nigerian on the back of the neck. Once on the floor … the young man was hit repeatedly,” the Comunita said.
The couple left Nigeria to flee from the terrorist group Boko Haram, their hosts said.
Chinyere travelled while pregnant, but fell ill during the sea crossing to Sicily and lost her baby, probably as a result of beatings suffered in Libya, they added.
Father Vinicio Albanesi, who leads the community that sheltered the couple, said the people who attacked the asylum seekers were the same who earlier this year planted bombs in front of four Catholic churches in Fermo.
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