Osun Election Violence: Group Demands Probe into 29 Deaths, Fadahunsi Threat Claims

By: Michael Mike

The Revolutionary Socialist Movement (RSM) has called for an immediate investigation into the deaths of 29 people reportedly linked to 73 incidents of electoral violence in Osun State ahead of the governorship election, warning that political violence is threatening the credibility and safety of the polls.

The group also demanded a transparent investigation into alleged death threats reportedly issued by Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East Senatorial District, against supporters of the Accord Party in Ilesa.

In a statement issued on Thursday by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Salako Kayode, the RSM described the reported violence as a disturbing indication of the extent to which political competition has degenerated in the state.

The socialist organisation said no politician, regardless of political affiliation or position, should be allowed to use threats, intimidation or violence against opponents without facing the consequences of the law.

“Such threats must not be dismissed as ordinary political rhetoric,” the group said, insisting that the allegations against Fadahunsi should be investigated and that prosecution should follow if they are substantiated.

The RSM called for investigations into all 73 reported cases of electoral violence and the 29 deaths, as well as the prosecution of anyone found culpable for killings, assaults or threats.

It further demanded that security agencies provide protection for voters, candidates and political activists irrespective of their political affiliations, while urging authorities to dismantle the networks of political thugs and armed groups allegedly deployed during elections.

The group warned that allowing political violence to go unchecked could turn elections into contests between rival groups fighting for control of public resources rather than democratic exercises in which citizens freely choose their leaders.

‘Nigeria cannot continue under rule of political gangs’

Beyond the immediate security concerns surrounding the Osun election, the RSM used the statement to launch a broader attack on what it described as Nigeria’s entrenched political establishment.

According to the organisation, successive governments have failed to translate the enormous public resources under their control into meaningful improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

It cited unemployment, insecurity, poverty, inadequate healthcare and poor access to quality education as evidence of what it described as a political system driven more by competition for wealth and power than by the interests of workers and other vulnerable groups.

The RSM argued that workers, farmers, young people, students and traders should not be forced to choose between rival political formations whose leadership, it alleged, is primarily interested in controlling public resources.

It declared that Nigeria required a fundamental restructuring of political and economic power, with public wealth deployed to meet social needs rather than private enrichment.

In a significant political intervention ahead of the Osun election, the group urged voters to consider the African Action Congress (AAC) as an alternative to the established political parties.

The RSM called on workers, youths, farmers, students, traders and other groups it described as oppressed to reject vote-buying, intimidation and political violence.

However, the organisation acknowledged that an election alone would not transform the political system.

It called for sustained organisation and mobilisation after the polls, arguing that citizens must build independent movements capable of holding whoever emerges from the election accountable.

The group said such mobilisation should focus on securing decent employment, living wages, quality education and healthcare, affordable housing, democratic freedoms and greater public control over the country’s resources.

The RSM’s demands include an immediate probe into the reported electoral violence and deaths, investigation of the allegations against Fadahunsi, prosecution of those found responsible, an end to the deployment of political thugs during elections and stronger protection for all participants in the democratic process.

The group also called for an end to what it described as the looting and privatisation of public wealth for the benefit of political elites.

Concluding its statement, the RSM urged the people of Osun to reject what it called the politics of competing political gangs and rally behind what it described as a people’s alternative.

“Vote for the alternative. Vote AAC. Organise. Mobilise,” the group declared, calling for a broader struggle for what it termed “a Socialist Nigeria.”

Osun Election Violence: Group Demands Probe into 29 Deaths, Fadahunsi Threat Claims

Troops Foil Armed Robbery, Clear Highway in Plateau

By Zagazola Makama

Troops of Sector 4, Sub-Sector 41, Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP), have foiled an attempted armed robbery along the Barkin Ladi–Bokkos road in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred at about 9:00 p.m. on August 11, 2026, when troops deployed at the Kurra Junction Check Point responded to a report of suspected armed robbers blocking the highway.

The criminals had reportedly blocked the road in an attempt to rob motorists and other road users.

The troops swiftly mobilised to the location, forcing the suspected robbers to abandon their criminal operation and flee into the surrounding rocky hills.

The troops subsequently cleared the highway and restored the free flow of traffic along the route.

Security personnel have continued to dominate the general area through robust patrols to prevent the criminals from regrouping and to deny other criminal elements freedom of action.

Troops Foil Armed Robbery, Clear Highway in Plateau

Zulum calls for a shift from tractor ownership to modern agricultural services

By: Michael Mike

Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has called for a fundamental shift in Nigeria’s approach to agricultural mechanisation, stressing that the country must move beyond simply purchasing tractors to a more productive and modern, investment-driven agricultural system.

Zulum made the call while speaking at a High-level National Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Mechanisation organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Abuja on Wednesday.

The Governor identified low productivity, limited technology, inadequate investment and weak value chains as major challenges facing Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

He emphasised that mechanisation should be delivered as a service, giving farmers timely access to land preparation, precision farming, irrigation and other modern agricultural technologies.

Commenting on Borno’s agricultural transformation initiatives, Zulum noted that massive investment by his administration in agriculture is central to rebuilding livelihoods and restoring communities affected by insecurity and displacement.

Zulum highlighted a four-pronged approach to agricultural mechanisation in Nigeria, including mechanising agriculture to increase productivity and reduce drudgery, digitalising agriculture to improve precision, intelligence, and efficiency, regenerating agricultural resources to ensure long-term sustainability, and investing in infrastructure, technology, and enterprises that will drive the transformation.

Zulum also called for stronger private-sector participation and innovative financing for local manufacturing and assembly of agricultural machinery, irrigation, renewable energy, storage, processing, value addition and youth- and women-led agricultural businesses.

He emphasised that Nigeria must not simply recreate the agriculture of yesterday, but build the agriculture of tomorrow, which should be modern, smart, climate-resilient, productive and inclusive.

The goal, he said, is to build an agricultural economy capable of feeding the nation, competing globally, creating jobs and delivering sustainable prosperity to rural communities.

The Governor was accompanied by the member of the House of Representatives, Engr Bukar Talba; Commissioner of Local Government and Emirates Affairs, Sugun Mai Mele; CEO/Managing Director of the Borno Investment Company, Mohammed Bukar Umar; and Permanent Secretary, Government House, Mustapha Ali Busiguma.

Zulum calls for a shift from tractor ownership to modern agricultural services