The Chairman of the National Association of Non-Academic Staff of Universities, OAU branch, Mr Wole Odewumi, said the management of the university had shut the garden.

He explained that the veterinary technologist was attacked by the lion while he was attempting to free a woman, who was first attacked by the lion.

Odewumi said, “I spoke to some of his colleagues, and they told me what happened. The lion attacked a woman first. The woman is also a staff working at the zoo.

“The deceased intervened to free the woman from the lion. He must have assumed that the lion would recognise him. His intervention to free the woman must have infuriated the animal. The lion left the woman and attacked him squarely.

“After he was freed from the lion’s grip, they rushed him to the health centre on campus here. He however died before he got there. But the second person that was attacked, a woman, is still on admission receiving treatment presently.”

Odewumi also said a mourning procession was held on the campus on Tuesday in honour of Olawuyi while the management of the university met with his family.

He said, “We held a mourning procession in honour of the deceased this morning and members of the management addressed us after that sober event.

“All unions on campus joined the procession. The management promised to take necessary action. There will be a committee that his union will also have a representative in, that will work on the issues raised. I have visited the scene. The zoo has been locked up. It is officially locked up.

“The management will not want anybody to go there for now. Some members of the family of the deceased were around and we handed them over to the management.”

Going by the information on the Curriculum Vitae of the deceased, the 59-year-old Olawuyi born on  December 22nd, 1965 would have exited service in 2025.

The management of the institution had in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olanrewaju, on Monday, explained that members of staff who were at the scene of the incident did everything within their power to rescue the deceased, but could not, as the animal held him and mauled him.

According to a video recorded at the scene, the lion was later shot dead by a security operative working with the school, as the mangled remains of the late Olawuyi soaked in blood were laid at the entrance to the garden.

Obasanjo gave the commendation on Sunday while speaking at the 16th Harvest Anniversary and Thanksgiving Service held at the Love of Christ Generation Church C&S in Victoria Island, Lagos State.

The event was attended by the Ooni of Ife, His Majesty, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi; the Publisher of Ovation Magazine, Aare Dele Momodu; Osun State House of Assembly Speaker, Adewale Egbedun and members of the Osun House of Assembly; and top political and traditional rulers,

Obasanjo cited the governor as an example of a leader who is not ashamed to praise God despite occupying the highest office in the state, explaining that dancing and working for God and the people are things to be proud of.

“Mr. Governor, they call you a dancer. But you are dancing to praise God. And I heard you are working hard for your people,” Obasanjo who spoke in Yoruba language was quoted as saying in a statement signed by Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Sunday

“Dancing to praise God is praiseworthy, especially with the reports of good developments happening in Osun State.

“God, whom you are praising, will shower His blessings on your state and government. I associate with you. Again, I learnt you are a listening leader. They said you take advice from the young and the old. I am happy to hear that.

“I call on His Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, and other royal fathers to support the governor to deliver more. Mr. Governor, continue to work closely with traditional rulers, elders, and stakeholders of your state.

“I charge Kabiyesi Ooni to always host close-door meetings with the governor. God whom the governor is praising will continue to support him. He will not fail,” Obasanjo said.

Speaking at the event, Adeleke said his habit of praise and worship was to celebrate the owner of heaven and earth, saying “I am never ashamed to hold unto God through song and dance.

“Several men and women of God predicted my governorship. I am here to praise God for the prophecy that has come to pass. My convenant with God is to come back to thank and praise him.

“I do this in several places of worship. My covenant with God is also to truly deliver dividends of democracy to my people. In 100 days in office, I did what many could not achieve in four years.

“We reformed the public service, attended to workers’ welfare, constructed and reconstructed over 40 kilometres of roads, and implemented free medical surgeries with more than 40,000 beneficiaries.

“We are working on super overhead bridges to ease connectivity. We are reforming the education sector. We are building up our agriculture sector. I am working to make Osun State a reference point.

“I seek your prayers. I solicit your support. We are committed to God and the people.”

Also, at the exercise held within the premises of Ataoja School of Science, Osogbo, the trainees were engaged in the area of inter-agencies relations, to better position them for the task of assisting in crime prevention.

Addressing the participants at the closing session of the training on Monday, the National Provost, NHFSS, Kehinde Ogunlade, harped on the importance of training for security volunteers to keep them abreast of their duties.

Speaking in a similar vein, Osun Commander of the NHFSS, Ahmed Nureni, said the participants were trained by officers from the Osun State Command of Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Immigration Service.

Nureni further said, “We have 1,200 hunters that came from all parts of Osun State for the 4-day training. Officers of the Nigeria Police Osun State Command, NSCDC, DSS, and the Immigration Service were here to train our men on their responsibilities.

“The participants were separated into different groups and the trainers took them through different aspects of our job.

“More importantly, they were trained on how to relate with conventional security organizations to achieve maximum results in keeping the environment safe for residents of the state. We also had training on intelligence gathering.

“We hope to keep doing this regularly. It is part of our plans for hunters in this state. We know every part of the state and the forests around. We have resolved to contribute our quota by assisting conventional security organizations but we can’t do it without acquiring relevant knowledge.”

Adesola’s sentence was pronounced at the sitting of the court on Wednesday by Osun State Chief Judge, Adepele Ojo.

The judge had pronounced her guilty of conspiracy to fabricate evidence and conceal the fact that the deceased lodged at the facility before he died during the court sitting on Tuesday.

But due to pleading for leniency of the court by her counsel, Okon Ita, and the prosecution, Fatimo Adesina, the judge delayed her sentencing till Wednesday.

The hotel owner, Dr. Ramon Adedoyin, and two of his staff, Adeniyi Aderogba and Oyetunde Kazeem had been earlier sentenced to death by hanging.

The court found them culpable in the death of Adegoke, who arrived at the hotel on November 5, 2021, but was later found buried in a shallow grave along Ife-Ede, by police detectives, days after he has declared missing.

Both Adesina and Adesola’s counsel had urged the court to consider the age of the defendant and the circumstances under which she acted and treat her case with leniency.

Justice Ojo in her judgement, said she took notice of the plead for leniency for the defendant and the provision of Section 411 of the Constitution.

She said, “I have considered the passionate plea of the 7th defendant and the submission of the prosecution on the need to temper justice with mercy. I have observed and considered the sober disposition of the 7th defendant in court throughout the trial.

“I am equally mindful of the circumstances surrounding the case of the 7th defendant. I am not unmindful of the provisions of the Section 411 2(b) of the law. I hereby sentence you Adedeji Adesola to 2 years imprisonment starting from the first day of your arrest.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared that Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party polled 403,371 votes, to defeat then-incumbent governor Adegboyega Oyetola, of the All Progressives Congress, who got 375,027 votes.

But Oyetola and the APC rejected the result of the poll and headed for the tribunal.

The governorship election in the state was held on July 16, 2022.

In its January 27, 2023 majority verdict, the Justice Tertse Kume-led tribunal annulled Adeleke’s victory and declared Oyetola the winner of the poll.

The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Mohammed Lawal, held that the appeal lodged by Adeleke to challenge his sack by the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal was meritorious.

The court also held that the sum of N500,000 is awarded as a cost against the All Progressive Congress and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.

During the ruling, the justice resolved that the preponderance of proof that there was over-voting in the elections rested on the petitioner.

The court also maintained that “the party alleging non-compliance with the electoral act must prove its case without merely relying on the weakness of the other party.”

Delivering judgment, Justice Mohammed Shaibu overruled the judgment of the governorship election tribunal that nullified the outcome of the July governorship polls.

The three-man panel revoked the tribunal’s order which directed that a Certificate of Return be withdrawn from Adeleke and issued to his predecessor and All Progressives Congress candidate, Oyetola.

The Osun tribunal had annulled Adeleke’s victory and affirmed Gboyega Oyetola of All Progressives Congress as the authentic winner of the poll.

the Independent National Electoral Commission had returned Adeleke as the winner of the poll.

INEC said Adeleke polled 403,371 votes to defeat then-incumbent Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the APC, who got 375,027 votes

But Oyetola and the APC rejected the result of the poll and headed for the tribunal.

In its January 27, 2023 majority verdict, the Justice Tertse Kume-led tribunal annulled Adeleke’s victory and declared Oyetola the winner of the poll.

However, a minority judgment by Justice B. Ogbuli affirmed Adeleke as the winner of the poll.

Displeased, Adeleke and the PDP headed for the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal heard the appeal on March 13 and reserved its judgment.

But the court of Appeal on Friday set aside the tribunal judgement.

The appointment was contained in a letter signed by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu in Osogbo on Wednesday by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Sola Lawal.

According to the letter, the appointment was for a single tenure of five years with effect from 21st November 2022 and is in line with Federal Polytechnic Act as amended (2019).

Lawal, in a statement containing the resume of the new Rector, further said Man-Yahaya was the immediate past Deputy Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State.

“He was Educated at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, where he obtained his B. Eng. in Computer Engineering in 1994, MSc. Telecommunications Engineering in 2008 at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and PhD. Wireless and Control Engineering in 2014 also at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

“Dr. Sani Man-Yahaya joined the service of the Federal Polytechnic Bida in 1996 and served in various capacities in the institution before he became a Chief Lecturer at the same Institution,” the statement concluded.

Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel, in his judgment, said the election was held in contravention of Sections 29 & 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The Peoples Democratic Party had approached the court asking it to stop OSIEC from going ahead with the planned polls.

Other respondents in the matter include INEC, APC and its then chairman, Adeboyega Famoodun.

The Sector Commander, Mr Paul Okpe, made this disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Osogbo.

Okpe said that his officers and unit commanders swung into action when the information got to him about the protest which had resulted in gridlock, preventing easy movement of vehicles.

He said that the blockade had been removed and that motorists are plying the routes without any inconvenience.

According to him, the command’s unit commanders and other sister security agencies are present at the scene of the protest to ensure there is no more gridlock and breakdown of law and order.

Okpe, however, said that the command would monitor the situation to ensure that there was no more blockage across Osun for easy vehicular movements.

NANS on September 13, led students within the South-West region to protest the long-running Academic Staff Union of Universities strike, which had lasted for six months.

The protesting students in their hundreds had earlier thronged the highway and blocked the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Shagamu Interchange on Tuesday.

According to the governor, the election was fraught with certain irregularities.

He also said that Adeleke ought not to have been declared winner as he was not qualified to have contested the election in the first place, having submitted forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commision.

Adeleke was returned elected by the INEC, after defeating his closest challenger, Oyetola, and 13 other candidates, scoring a total of 403, 371

Oyetola got 375, 027 votes and won in 13 Local Government Areas of the state to come second in the election.

A member of Oyetola’s legal team, Kunle Adegoke (SAN) said the governor has assembled 50 lawyers including 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria, listing 13 grounds on which premises Adeleke should be disqualified.

Other key members of the legal team included Prince Lateef  Fagbemi (SAN), Chief Akin Olujumi (SAN), Prince Biodun Layonu (SAN/, Muritala Abdulrasheed (SAN).

Adegoke said the election in many 749 polling units were fraught with irregularities.

The legal team, he said, have established by the petition that the election in those 749 polling units across 10 Local Governments in Osun State was characterized by irregularities pertaining to over voting.

Adegoke said, “We have nothing less than 50 lawyers, including 10 SANs that we cannot list all of them, so we have listed about 20 lawyers in the petition. We have 13 reliefs. What we are contesting is that the election is fraught with certain irregularities by which the person declared winner ought not to have been declared and the petitioner, Alhaji Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola ought to have been declared the winner on the ground that Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke was not qualified to have contested the election in the first place, having submitted forged certificate to INEC.

“The second is that the election in 749 polling units was fraught with irregularities and the election in those units ought to have been nullified. All the polling units mentioned are in 10 Local Governments, out of 30.

“So, if the election in those units is nullified and the votes are cancelled, then Alhaji Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola will have comfortable requirements of the constitution to be declared winner of the election.

Asked when the trobinal would commence sitting, Adegoke said he does not know.

“We don’t know yet but now that we have filed, it is expected that once the PDP is served, their lawyers will file their own defence then we will file a reply to their defence. That is when the tribunal will be able to give a date.

Except if either of the two parties have an application that requires urgency, only then can the Tribunal have an emergency sitting but as of now nobody knows the date”, he said.

Adegoke had on July 19 said that Oyetola may line up over 50 lawyers to contest the declaration of Adeleke as winner.

He had said, “We are still reviewing documents and the legal team is actually working. In an election of this nature, the documents will be so many; so it is important to look at them critically before we take a decision and that is exactly what we are working on right now.

“Dr Biodun Layonu (SAN), is the leader of the team. The legal team is not complete yet because there are so many others that will still come in.

“In the meantime, the two members of the legal team we can reveal is Dr Biodun Layonu and Kunle Adegoke. Others that may come in are people, we may not know but as soon as we are ready to move, we will notify the press.

“The membership can’t be determined as many lawyers are interested in joining the team. You know election petition is a special case. So, we allow as many lawyers that are interested to come in. We may run into 50 or more membership.”

When contacted for reaction, the Chairman, Media Management Team of Osun PDP, Prince Diran Odeyemi, said the party was not losing sleep over the petition.

According to him, many of APC leaders that were saying that the result of the election should be challenged before the tribunal, lost election in their wards, saying APC should have adopted the spirit of sportsmanship regarding the result of the poll.

“It is so unfortunately that APC did not believe in the spirit of sportsmanship. We would have expected them to congratulate Adeleke. Many of them, who are championing the cause of tribunal lost in their polling units and their wards.

“We wonder what they want to take to the Tribunal now. We are not afraid or losing sleep, Oyetola can’t win. We will meet them at the tribunal. Regarding the allegation of forged certificate, there is nothing like that. They are only looking for an avenue to come back to government through the backdoor. PDP is thorough political party that look at all the certificates presented by the candidates,” Odeyemi concluded.