Former Chief of Staff to the Ogun State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency, Dr. Oluwatoyin Emmanuel Taiwo, has condemned the alleged killing of Mr. Owolabi Oniyiku at a police checkpoint along the Atan-Ita/Ifonyintedo axis of Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Taiwo described the incident as “condemnable and very sad,” calling for an urgent, transparent and thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the death and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.

Oniyiku was reportedly shot at a police checkpoint, an incident that subsequently triggered tension in the community and the reported burning of two police stations by youths.

While condemning the alleged killing, Taiwo also condemned the destruction of police facilities, stressing that neither alleged abuse of power nor public anger should be allowed to result in further loss of lives or destruction of property.

He called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Ogun State Commissioner of Police to immediately get to the root of the matter, identify the officers involved and take appropriate action where wrongdoing is established.

“The circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Owolabi Oniyiku must be thoroughly investigated and the truth established. If any police officer is found to have acted unlawfully, such an officer must face the full force of the law,” Taiwo said.

He said justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done, particularly against the backdrop of concerns among residents of border communities over alleged harassment and unprofessional conduct by some security personnel.

Taiwo urged the police authorities to review security checkpoints and operations along the Ipokia border corridors, noting that while such measures are necessary to protect lives and property, they must operate within the law and under clearly defined rules of engagement.

He said legitimate motorists, commercial motorcyclists and residents should be able to move freely without fear of unnecessary harassment, intimidation or extortion.

The APC candidate expressed concern over reports suggesting that the incident might not be isolated, saying allegations of previous police-related killings in the area made it necessary for the authorities to examine whether there were systemic problems requiring immediate intervention.

He, however, appealed to youths and residents of Ifonyintedo and neighbouring communities to remain calm and resist actions capable of further escalating tension.

“Violence cannot be the answer to an alleged abuse of power, just as alleged misconduct by security personnel cannot be excused because of the difficult security environment in which they operate,” he said.

Taiwo sympathised with Oniyiku’s family, particularly his wife and newborn child, describing the circumstances surrounding his death as devastating.

He urged community leaders, traditional institutions, youth organisations and security agencies to work together to restore peace and confidence in the affected communities.

He also called on the police authorities to communicate clearly with the deceased’s family and the community on the progress and outcome of the investigation.

According to him, a credible investigation would not only provide justice for the deceased but also help restore public confidence and prevent similar incidents from recurring.

Taiwo maintained that there must be no cover-up or impunity, stressing that security personnel who discharge their duties professionally must be protected, while anyone found to have violated the law must be held accountable.

“Mr. Oniyiku’s family deserves justice. The people of Ifonyintedo deserve answers, and the authorities must ensure that the truth is established,” he said.

He called on all stakeholders to pursue justice through peaceful and constitutional means, while urging security agencies to act swiftly to prevent further escalation.

Taiwo said the sanctity of human life must remain paramount and that residents of Ipokia should not have to live with the fear that an ordinary journey on their roads could become a matter of life and death.

A United States District Court in Manhattan has nullified the Donald Trump administration’s policy suspending the processing and issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, including Nigeria.

In a ruling delivered on Friday, U.S District Judge, Jeannette Vargas, described the January directive by the State Department as patently unlawful and said it exceeded the statutory authority of Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.

The policy, which took effect on January 21, had barred immigrant visa issuance to nationals of 75 countries on the grounds that they posed “a high risk for becoming a public charge” and relying on U.S government cash assistance.

Affected countries are: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, DR Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Republic of Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Yemen.

President Donald Trump had early in the year, published a list of welfare dependent rates among immigrants, noting that about 33.3 per cent of Nigeria immigrants households received some form of public assistance.

According to the directive, older or overweight applicants can be denied, along with those who had any past use of government cash assistance or institutionalisation.

But delivering the judgement, Judge Vargas, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, held that the suspension ran afoul of federal immigration law, which expressly removed authority over consular processing of immigrant visas from the Secretary of State.

“The policy, which categorically prohibits the issuance of immigrant visas based upon the nationality of the applicant, represents a direct abrogation of this statutory scheme,” she wrote.

The suit was filed by immigrant rights groups, Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, alongside U.S citizens sponsoring family members and visa applicants from the affected countries.

The State Department had, in a cable sent to U.S missions in January directed consular officers to refuse applicants whose visas were “print-authorized” but not yet printed.

It said the suspension was part of a full review to ensure the highest level of screening and vetting and to prevent foreign nationals from exploiting U.S welfare systems.

“Applicants from these countries are at a high risk for becoming a public charge and recourse to local, state and federal government resources in the United States,” the cable stated.

Principal Deputy Spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, had defended the move, saying: “The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generousity of the American people.

“Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”

President Trump has, since returning to office in January, pursued an aggressive immigration crackdown aimed at improving domestic security.

The political rhetoric ahead of the 2027 presidential election took a sharper turn weekend.

This is just as Nyesom Wike, Federal Capital Territory Minister, vowed to keep pressure on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.

The duo are the two leading opposition figures challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the nation’s number one job.

Wike is backing Tinubu’s re-election despite remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said he was not interested in making his political opponents comfortable as the contest gathers momentum.

“My business is to make them not feel well all day, because they will be having high blood pressure. I guess that is my job, to make them have high blood pressure,” he said in Abuja.

The minister’s remarks underscored the increasingly combative nature of the 2027 contest, particularly as Atiku and Obi remain central figures in efforts to build an alternative political platform against the ruling party.

Wike, however, questioned the capacity of the opposition to mount a formidable challenge, pointing specifically to the prolonged crisis within the PDP.

He said the party would ordinarily have been regarded as Nigeria’s principal opposition force, but its internal divisions had prevented it from occupying that position effectively.

“Who is the opposition leader? Ordinarily, it would have been PDP, but because of the crisis we have had, you can’t see a formidable party that you will call the leading opposition party,” Wike said.

His comments came against the backdrop of his increasingly open support for Tinubu.

The development place Wike at odds with Atiku, who is now seeking the presidency on the platform of the African Democratic Congress.

Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the Labour Party platform, is also positioning himself for another presidential bid in 2027.

Wike said the personal reaction of either politician to his attacks was irrelevant to him.

He argued that political contests were inherently adversarial.

“When you are having a contest with somebody, your business is not to make him feel well. Your business is to make sure that you beat him thoroughly,” he said.

The former Rivers State governor has recently intensified his criticism of Atiku, particularly over the former vice-president’s pledge to restore petrol subsidy if elected president.

Wike had described Atiku as “confused” over the promise.

He said that the presidential contest could drive politicians to make whatever promises they believe could secure electoral support.

His rivalry with Obi also predates the current 2027 alignment.

In October 2025, Wike dismissed Obi’s presidential ambition, referring to him as a “social media presidential candidate”, in another public attack that drew attention to the growing hostility between the two politicians.

Wike’s latest comments suggest that his role in the 2027 political contest will extend beyond his responsibilities as FCT minister, with the former governor openly positioning himself as a campaigner against opposition presidential contenders.

He said he would not hesitate to intensify his political attacks if he believed Atiku and Obi were already under pressure.

“In fact, if I knew how they feel now, I would add more crises for them,” Wike said.