Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, has announced Abimbola Akeem Owoade as the new Alaafin of Oyo.

The announcement was made in a statement issued on Friday by Sulaimon Olanrewaju, his chief press secretary.

Owoade’s appointment comes over two years since the death of Lamidi Adeyemi who was Alaafin from 1970 to 2022.

The Government of the United States of America, USA, has repatriated the sum of $52. 88 million it said was traced to former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Madueke.

The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Richard M. Mills, Jr, led a delegation that executed the Assets Return Agreement at the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters in Abuja, on Friday.

Signing the agreement on behalf of the Federal Government, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, disclosed that the $52.88m arose from the forfeiture of Galactica assets, linked to the ex-Minister and her associates.

The AGF maintained that the development was not only a testament to the unwavering commitment of both nations to fight corruption but also signified the commitment of the USA to facilitate restitution and support integrity and accountability in governance.

“Measures have also been put in place to ensure that the repatriated funds are not only disbursed but also utilized transparently and accountably by the World Bank and IIJ, with periodic reports to be forwarded to Nigeria and the US on the implementation of the projects.

“This robust framework will guarantee that the funds are effectively used for the full benefit of the Nigerian people in line with UNCAC and the Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) principles,” the AGF added.

A video showing an official of the Edo state Public Response Safety Team (PRST) wrestling with a bus driver to take over the steering wheel has surfaced on social media.

In the video, the PRST official is seen violently struggling to take over the steering wheel of a moving vehicle from a bus driver, as passengers were heard pleading with them to bring the vehicle to a stop.

However, in a statement on Thursday, Kelly Okungbowa, the coordinator of PRST, said the official involved in the incident has been sacked.

Okungbowa, who apologised for the conduct of the official, said he was relieved of his duty to serve as a deterrent to others.

“First of all, I want to apologise to the general public for the conduct of our officer in that viral video. There is no perfect society, and the person that erred in that video has been sacked to serve as a deterrent to every member of the commission,” the statement reads.

“I wish to tell the drivers that we are not their enemies, but their friends. Ours is to make sure that we do what is right by ensuring that there is order in Edo state, most especially in Benin City.

The PRST coordinator condemned the driver for taking the official to an unknown destination, causing him to resort to “self-help” during the incident.