Image credit : THE WHISTLER

The father of a two-year-old boy abducted by bandits from a primary school in Oyo State has narrated that his two years old son is still showing signs of psychological trauma weeks after he regained freedom.

The child was among 39 pupils and six teachers kidnapped when armed bandits attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, L.A. Primary School and Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esienle, in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026.

The victims were released on July 10 after spending 56 days in captivity.

They were later taken to the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital for medical evaluation and psychological assessment before reuniting with their families.

In a chat with THE WHISTLER, the boy’s father, Sikiru Abiodun, said his son had not been the same since he returned home.

“My son is showing some strange behaviours.

Before he was abducted, if he wanted to sleep, he would just go and sleep by himself. But since he came back, anytime he wants to sleep, he starts crying and won’t stop until we hug or carry him,”Abiodun said in Yoruba.

The farmer also said the child now becomes unusually distressed whenever he is scolded.

“Anytime he’s doing something or wants something and we shout at him, he starts crying. He was not like that before,” he said.

Despite the changes in his son’s behaviour, Abiodun said the family remained grateful that the boy returned alive.

•Prince Adeyemi Matthew Adeniyi

The embattled Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Adeyemi Matthew Adeniyi, has revealed that he personally lobbied officials of the Budget Office to secure the inclusion of the controversial agency in the 2026 Federal Government budget.

Adeniyi made the claim in an interview with social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, in a video released on Instagram after his arrest.

The alleged agency, which the Federal Government has described as non-existent, was allocated about ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act, triggering widespread controversy and ongoing investigations.

In the interview, Adeniyi denied implicating the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, insisting he had never met him in person.

According to him, he first approached the Budget Office in December 2024 to seek the agency’s inclusion in the 2025 budget but was informed that the appropriation process had already closed.

” I submitted the letter and everything I wanted, but I was told it was already late,” he said.

He claimed officials later advised him that the proposal would instead be considered for the 2026 budget and that he maintained contact with them throughout the process.

Adeniyi further alleged that a female official introduced him to the Director-General of the Budget Office, who later referred him to another senior official to continue discussions on the proposal.

He maintained that although efforts were made to include the agency in the 2025 budget, it was eventually deferred to the 2026 appropriation.Asked whether he paid any official to facilitate the process, Adeniyi denied offering bribes, saying he only promised to assist with employment opportunities once the agency became operational.“I did not pay anybody. The only thing I promised was that if I started employing people, I could help them with employment opportunities,” he said.

Source: The Star

•Bello Bodejo

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday admitted Bello Bodejo, the National President of Miyetti Allah Kauta Kore, to N2 billion bail with two sureties in the like sum.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling on Bodejo’s bail application, ordered that one of the sureties must present three years of tax clearance before the court and must reside in Abuja.

Justice Ekwo also ordered that the second surety must have land worth N2 billion in Abuja.

The judge equally ordered Bodejo to drop his international passport with the registrar of the court and not travel outside the country without leave of the court.

The judge agreed that the offence with which the defendant was charged was bailable, and the court has the discretionary power to exercise this in his favour.

The judge adjourned the matter until Oct. 5, Oct. 6 and Oct. 7 for commencement of trial.