• Awujale stool protesters, Friday 23 January, 2026.

A peaceful protest broke out on Friday in Ijebu Ode over alleged plans to impose the next Awujale of Ijebuland.

The protesters marched through Awujale Palace Road on their way to the Ijebu Ode Local Government Secretariat to register their displeasure over the development.

Earlier, the Ogun State Government, on Tuesday, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, halted the Awujale selection process following a flood of petitions received from security agencies and other stakeholders.

The nominees for the stool were mandated to report to the Department of States Security (DSS) office in Ogun State.

Tension gripped Lekki Palm Estate on Thursday morning following an attack by a group of suspected miscreants who claimed they were acting on the directives of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, and Oba Olumegbo.

Eyewitnesses said that the individuals stormed the estate and invoked the monarchs name while carrying out their actions, a development that immediately caused panic and concern among residents.

As at the time of filing this report, the claim that the group was sent by the Oba’s could not be independently verified.

Efforts to obtain clarification from official palace sources were still ongoing.

The situation attracted the prompt response of security operatives, with officers of the Lagos State Police Command arrested some of the suspects.

Police authorities have since launched investigations to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and the authenticity of the claims made by those involved.

Residents have called on relevant authorities to swiftly address the matter and ensure the continued safety of lives and property within the estate.

The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has declined to set up a judicial panel to investigate Governor Siminalayi Fubara, citing a court order.

The Rivers State House of Assembly had requested that Amadi set up a seven-member panel to probe Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, over allegations of gross misconduct.

However, in a letter dated January 20, and addressed to the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, the chief judge cited two court orders barring him from receiving, forwarding, or considering any requests to form such a panel.

The judge stated that the orders were served on his office on January 16, 2026 and remain in force.

The chief judge emphasised that constitutionalism and the rule of law require all authorities to obey subsisting court orders, irrespective of their perception of the orders’ validity.

He referenced legal precedents, noting that in a similar case in 2007, the Chief Judge of Kwara State was condemned for ignoring a restraining court order when setting up an investigative panel, a decision later voided by the Court of Appeal