Africa’s biggest corporate supporter of culture, Globacom, is commemorating the life and legacy of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, at this year’s Ojude Oba Festival, marking the 21st consecutive year of its sponsorship of the cultural event.

This year’s edition, themed “Ojude Oba 2026: Celebrating the Legacy of Oba Sikiru Adetona,” is taking place at the Festival Pavilion opposite the royal palace in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

The celebration pays glowing tribute to the remarkable accomplishments of the late monarch, who transited on Sunday, July 13, 2025, after an illustrious reign spanning 65 years.

The departed monarch ascended the throne on April 2, 1960, and during his reign, the profile and prestige of the Ojude Oba Festival grew tremendously, making it one of Africa’s most celebrated cultural events.

In a statement issued in Lagos, Globacom posited that Oba Adetona’s unwavering dedication to preserving and promoting Ijebu culture, traditions, and values was a major factor behind the company’s continued support for the festival.

According to the company, “This year’s celebration goes beyond our traditional role as sponsor over the past two decades. It is an opportunity to honour the exceptional legacy of the revered monarch, Oba Adetona, whose vision and commitment elevated Ojude Oba to its present status.”

Globacom recalled that the late Awujale played a pivotal role in transforming the festival into a unifying platform that brought together Ijebu sons and daughters from across the world, regardless of religious affiliation.

This inclusive vision and royal leadership, said Glo,  inspired the company to begin sponsoring the festival 21 years ago. Over the years of Globacom’s sponsorship, Ojude Oba has evolved into a globally recognized cultural celebration, attracting thousands of visitors and dignitaries from within and outside Nigeria.

The company reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining its support for the festival as part of its broader objective of showcasing Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage to the world.

The Defence Headquarters has said the recent kidnap incident in Oyo State was carried out by terrorists displaced from other parts of the country following intensified military operations.

The military high command stated this on Thursday while reacting to what it described as “mischievous and misleading publications” surrounding comments credited to the Defence Headquarters on the classification of terrorists and criminal elements operating in the South-West.

In a statement signed by the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Michael Onoja, the DHQ said the attackers behind the Oyo abduction were members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad terrorist group displaced by sustained military offensives across the country.

“The recent incidence of kidnap in Oyo State was clearly perpetrated by terrorists of the JAS Group that have been dislodged from other parts of the country due to high-intensity operations being conducted all over,” the statement read.

Tragedy struck at the Ogbunabali area of Port Harcourt after a vehicle reportedly crashed into a residential compound along the Eastern Bypass, killing three children belonging to the same family and leaving others injured.

The bereaved mother, Amarachi Promise-Amadi, is now demanding justice over the death of her children, alleging reckless driving and negligence in the handling of the victims after the incident.

The fatal crash, which occurred around 8:30pm on May 15, reportedly happened when a car veered off the road and rammed into the family’s residence, where the children were gathered outside the compound.

Speaking on Wednesday with journalists amid tears and grief, Promise-Amadi said she had briefly stepped out to answer a phone call moments before the tragedy occurred.

According to her, the victims included her three children aged 3, 4 and 10 years, who died as a result of injuries sustained during the impact. She added that her domestic staff and another daughter also sustained serious injuries in the crash.

The distraught mother alleged that the vehicle involved in the incident was occupied by a young man and his girlfriend, claiming that the latter was being taught how to drive when the accident occurred.

She described the incident as avoidable and accused the occupants of reckless conduct that led to the loss of innocent lives.

Promise-Amadi further alleged that immediately after the crash, the female driver and her boyfriend attempted to flee the scene but were stopped by residents and members of the community who gathered in the area following the loud impact.

According to her, the intervention of residents prevented the suspects from escaping before security operatives later arrived at the scene.

The grieving mother also accused medical personnel at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital and other health facilities of negligence, alleging that the injured victims were denied prompt emergency medical attention after they were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

She claimed that delays in medical response worsened the condition of the injured survivors, adding that the family had to struggle to secure urgent care during the critical moments following the crash.

Promise-Amadi called on the Rivers State Police Command to carry out a thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

She urged the authorities to ensure that all those responsible are prosecuted in accordance with the law, stressing that justice must be served for her deceased children.

“I want justice for my children. They were innocent and did nothing wrong. The matter should not be swept under the carpet,” she said emotionally.

Residents of the Ogbunabali community who witnessed the aftermath of the incident described the scene as horrific, saying the crash caused panic and confusion in the neighbourhood.

Some residents blamed excessive speeding and reckless driving along the busy Eastern Bypass corridor, calling on authorities to strengthen traffic enforcement and road safety measures in the area to prevent future tragedies.

As of the time of filing this report, the Rivers State Government, as well as the State Police Command, had yet to issue an official statement on the incident or confirm whether any arrests had been formally made in connection with the case.