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EndSARS Anniversary: Youths protest in Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Benin, Osogbo, others

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Youths across the country braved the warnings issued by the various state commands of the Nigeria Police against street protests on Wednesday, as they trooped out in large numbers, staged rallies, protests, processions and converged on various locations across the country in commemoration of the first year anniversary of the October 20, 2020 incident at the Lekki tollgate, Lagos.

Undeterred by the large presence of security agents the Lekki tollgate, protesters began to trickle in from about 8.00 a.m., with the police initially arresting the first few arrivals.

However, the organisers of the #EndSARS memorial, including popular Nigerian rapper, Folarin Falana (Falz) and comedian, Mr Macaroni, made good their words on staging an #EndSARS memorial car procession when, at about 8.30 a.m, about 150 vehicles and motorcycles blaring horn unabatedly swooped on Lekki tollgate.

For hours, the convoy ran circles around the tollgate with drivers and occupants of the vehicles holding Nigerian flags while chanting #EndSARS, #EndSWAT, #EndPolicebrutality among various other messages to the Nigerian authorities.

Among their messages were calls on the Nigerian government to release those arrested in the wake of last year’s #EndSARS protests, an end to police brutality which they noted had persisted, an end to bad governance with lamentation about the high cost of living and call for equity and justice in the Nigerian system.

From several rounds of motorcade procession around the tollgate, the protest moved to vehicles staying at a point with protesters coming out to voice the messages on the occasion of the first year anniversary of the #EndSARS protests.

Obviously overwhelmed by the large turnout, security operatives battled to prevent the protesters from forming a crowd at the tollgate.

With the protesters staying resolute and the atmosphere becoming tense, security operatives resorted to shooting teargas canisters, as people ran in different directions.

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Throughout the day, there was huge presence of armed police officers stationed especially at areas that served as protest grounds for last year’s #EndSARS protests.

As a result of the security presence, residents and shop owners went about their normal businesses without disruptions.

Police describe 10 arrested protesters as miscreants

However, no fewer than 10 people were arrested as the armed policemen described them as ‘miscreants,’ saying that apart from defaulting on the agreed modalities between the organisers and the police for the conduct of the exercise, some of them were arrested with weapons.

The police also said the arrested journalist, Bisola Alawode, could not provide any form of identification at the venue but was later released on the order of the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu.

Odumosu said, “We agreed that they should keep moving. Any vehicle that is abandoned, we will take them from here to protective custody.

“We arrested some people now with machetes. These are miscreants. Today is a working day. I called Tope who is one of the leaders, and he said by 10.00 a.m., they had left. I spoke with their leader who represented them at the panel, and he said they had left.

“Those cannot be protesters but hoodlums and that is why they were chased away so that peaceful citizens can go about with their lawful businesses.”

Youths rally in Ibadan, Akure, Abuja, Yola, Benin, Osogbo

The experience was same in other state capitals like Ibadan, Aba, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Enugu, Yola, Benin, Jos, Osogbo, Asaba, Ilorin and Abuja, the FCT, among others.

In Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, scores of protesters moved around major streets, especially Iwo Road and Agodi before converging on the Oyo State government secretariat. Detachments of armed anti-riot policemen were stationed at strategic areas, including Mokola Roundabout, Sango, University of Ibadan, Agbowo junction, Dugbe and Secretariat to prevent breakdown of law and order.

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In Akure, the Ondo State capital, youths held a peaceful memorial possession. Marching through the streets of Akure, in the presence of security agents, they walked through Oba-Adesida road, through NEPA roundabout and to the police headquarters in Igbatoro, where they tabled their demands to the government through the Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami.

The protesters decried that the Nigerian government had failed to address all the issues which led to the EndSARS protest, a year after. Tope Temokun, who led the protesters, bemoaned that one year after, no one had been brought to justice for the torture, violence, and killings of peaceful protesters.

Similar processions rocked the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as protesters marched round the city.

The protest in Abuja started at the National Assembly but the protesters were denied access and chased away by the police and other security operatives.

Led by Omoyele Sowore, they, thereafter, moved round the town before converging on the Unity Fountain.

Earlier, one Adamu Kabiru had led a counter-protest to describe the Lekki tollgate incident as a hoax and “#ENDSARS as insurrection.

A social group, Take It Back Movement, led a peaceful commemorative rally in Yola, Adamawa State.

Leading the protest, Mr Tony Gompwel said Nigerian youths were resolute in their demand for justice and improved democracy.

In Osogbo, the Osun State capital, youths marched round the Ita-Olokan area, and condemned those in government of maladministration.

The protest recorded an incident where a journalist attached to Daily Post, an online publication, Sikiru Obarayese, was beaten up by police personnel for recording the activities.

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He was later arraigned at an Osogbo magistrates’ court sitting. While arraigning him before the court, he was alleged to have breached the peace by taking a video recording of a divisional police officer and assaulting him, contrary to sections 249(5) and 356 of the Criminal Code Cap 34. Laws of Osun State.

Obarayese, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and the police prosecutor, Adeoye Kayode, prayed the magistrate to withdraw the case, citing order from the commissioner of police.

The presiding magistrate, A. O. Daramola, granted the request and struck out the case.

Speaking on the arrest, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, said: “The officers who arrested him didn’t know he is a journalist. It was later that they knew. The commissioner of police has intervened and he has been released.”

Also, Edo youths, in their hundreds, gathered at the popular Oba Ovonramwen Square, popularly called Ring Road, Benin City, where they demanded for automatic employment for the victims of the protest in the state and the implementation of the report of the judicial panel that was set up by the state government.

In addition, they also requested that all those being held in various police detention cells, having been arrested in relation to the 2020 protest, be released unconditionally.

Unlike the chaos that characterised the 2020 protest, the Wednesday commemorative gathering was peaceful, though security personnel drawn from the Nigerian Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and members of local vigilante were on ground to ensure peace while members of the Public Works Volunteers (PUWOV) controlled traffic while the protest lasted.

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Two Oyo commissioner, special adviser resign

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Two senior officials in the Oyo State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning have resigned their appointments from Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.

The officials are Ayobami Ojo, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, and Simeon Oyeleke, the ministry’s Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning.

In separate letters dated November 2, and addressed to Mr Makinde, both officials said their resignations would take effect immediately, while thanking the governor for the opportunity to serve but did not give specific reasons for their decisions.

In his letter, Ojo referred to his appointment letter dated 22 June 2026 and formally announced his resignation as commissioner.

“With reference to your letter dated 22nd June, 2026 (SP.S.662/2/VOL.IV/192), I respectfully write to formally resign my appointment as Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, with effect from today, 2nd November, 2026,” he wrote.

He described his time in government as an honour and said he appreciated the opportunity to serve the state.

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Oyeleke also tendered his resignation with effect from 2 November.

In his letter, he thanked Mr Makinde for the confidence reposed in him and the opportunity to contribute to the administration’s policies and development programmes.

He also expressed appreciation for the governor’s leadership, support and encouragement during his time in office.

“I remain grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this administration and to have contributed to its laudable achievements. I also remain committed to the peace, progress and development of Oyo State,” he wrote.

The latest resignations come amid a series of exits of political appointees and other officials from the Makinde administration in recent months.

It would be recalled that Segun Ogunwuyi resigned as the governor’s chief of staff on 12 October, a position he had held since July 2021. His resignation took immediate effect, although he did not state a reason for his departure.

A few hours after Ogunwuyi’s departure, Makinde appointed Bashorun Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, as his replacement.

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On the same day, Tara Adefope, the Director-General of the Oyo State Due Process Office, also resigned from her position, while in late October, Kabiru Salami, the governor’s Executive Assistant on Security Coordination, also tendered his resignation.

Other officials who have left the administration include Funmi Arulogun, a Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, who resigned in August, citing personal and political considerations.

Babatunde Oduyoye, a member of the Oyo State Advisory Council, also resigned in July, while Fatai Owoseni, a former Commissioner of Police who served as the governor’s Special Adviser on Security resigned in May.

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Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: Campaigns: OK Movement insists on independence

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1. The OK (Obi/Kwankwaso) Movement has declared that it will maintain its independent identity while mobilising support for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its candidates ahead of the 2027 general election. 

Movement’s leader John Ughulu said the group remained committed to its original mission of securing the election of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and erstwhile Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Speaking in an interview, Ughulu dismissed suggestions that the movement’s decision to campaign independently would undermine its support for the NDC, insisting that the focus should be on achieving a common  political objective.

2. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid got a big boost at the weekend with endorsements from across the country. His achievement, the need for consolidation, national cohesion, and other reasons were adduced for the show of solidarity. The presidential election is billed for January 16, 2027

3. The Federal Government has vowed to crack down on inflated public contracts and procurement violations, warning heads of government-owned agencies, corporations, councils, authorities and commissions that they risk sanctions for breaching procurement regulations. The government raised the alarm over contract awards that exceed approved price benchmarks.

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4. The African Democratic Congress has rescheduled its presidential campaign kick-off in Sokoto State to Wednesday, November 4, despite alleging threats, attacks on its members and attempts by the state government to frustrate the event. The party said its decision to proceed with the campaign was a demonstration of its determination to exercise its constitutional rights despite what it described as growing political intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

5. Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised four leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province, including two Arabs, a commander and several of their foot soldiers in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. The Army said they were neutralised on October 31, 2026, by combined troops of the Joint Task Force deployed to Kukawa following a massive ISWAP terrorists attack on their locations.

6. United States President, Donald Trump, has agreed to grant an immediate visa to the mother of a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy shot dead in New York, following a request by the city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani announced the development on Saturday after speaking with Trump, saying the visa would allow the teenager’s mother to travel to the United States and attend her son’s funeral.

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7. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two Nigerians based in Europe after they allegedly ingested 200 wraps of cocaine weighing 3.46kg while attempting to travel from Abuja to Paris, France. The suspects, identified as Aliocus Odife and Sam Blackborn, were arrested on Wednesday during the outward clearance of an Air France flight, AF 832, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

8. Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 100-level female student of Plateau State University, Bokkos, while another person sustained injuries during an attack on off-campus student residential areas in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. It was learnt that the incidents, which occurred on Saturday evening at about 8:40pm, had heightened concerns over the safety of students residing outside the university campus.

9. An early-morning fire outbreak at the weekend destroyed no fewer than 110 buildings and structures at Kofar Ruwa Timber Market in the Kano metropolis. The Kano State Fire Service, while confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, said the inferno razed 75 permanent buildings and 35 temporary structures across different sections of the market.

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10. The immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has declared his readiness to align with President Bola Tinubu or former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election, while ruling out support for the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi.

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Relief as suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa tested negative

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that there are currently no laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola  in Adamawa.

The NCDC had on Saturday said that there were two suspected cases of Ebola in the north-east state, adding that the individuals had been isolated while contact identification was ongoing.

But in a statement on Sunday, the director-general of NCDC, Jide Idris,
said samples collected from the two individuals, who had symptoms suggestive of Ebola, tested negative after two rounds of testing.

“The report was received by the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in the early hours of 30 October 2026, following the identification of two individuals presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola, requiring further investigation,” the statement reads.

“Hence the alert that was released early this evening. The individuals have been isolated, and appropriate public health measures have been initiated.

“Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness. Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing.”

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Idris commended the Adamawa health commissioner and his team for their “proactive approach”, adding that the NCDC was working closely with the state government to investigate the report of suspected Ebola cases.

“Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa state,” he said.

“The index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory remains the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria to date.”

He urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information or speculating about the situation.

“The public is encouraged to obtain information from official government and public health communication channels,” he said.

Idris described Ebola as a serious infectious disease that requires prompt identification, appropriate clinical management and effective infection prevention and control measures.

“Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly following relevant exposure, should seek immediate medical attention and inform healthcare workers of any relevant travel or contact history,” he said.

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“Individuals should avoid self-medication and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.”

Nigeriaconfirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20, after a 42-year-old Swiss woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja.

The patient, who had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, was subsequently isolated and treated by Nigerian health workers.

On Monday, the federal governmentevacuated the patient to Switzerland aboard a medical plane.

Her husband, who was identified as a close contact, was also evacuated to Switzerland.

Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious and communicating, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.

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