Storytimes Newspapers

 A devastating fire has completely razed a six-room residential bungalow at Block D5, Ifedapo Estate, in the Amuloko area of Ibadan, Oyo State capital, destroying properties estimated to be worth millions of naira. The incident occurred recently, with the Oyo State Fire Services Agency responding to the scene. Officials attributed the outbreak to an unattended source, though exact details on the cause remain under investigation. No casualties were reported, but the blaze left the occupants homeless and caused significant material losses, including household items, electronics, and personal belongings. Eyewitnesses described the fire spreading rapidly through the wooden and block structure, overwhelming initial containment efforts before firefighters arrived. The affected family has appealed for assistance from the government and public-spirited individuals to rebuild and replace essential items. This latest fire adds to concerns over recurring incidents in residential areas of Ibad...

  A Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has ignited intense debate across Yorubaland by asserting that the era of the ancient Oyo Empire's dominance is firmly in the past, and no contemporary Yoruba monarch holds supremacy over others. In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, January 17, 2026, Ajayi attached a photograph of the current Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, while emphasizing the need for modern traditional rulers to prioritize collaboration over claims of hierarchical superiority. “We are no longer in the era of the Oyo Empire,” Ajayi wrote. “Rome and the United Kingdom, that once ruled more than half of the world as empires, can no longer claim sovereignty over their former colonies. Times have changed. We are now in a new world.” He further stated: “Oyo Empire now belongs to history and the whole of what we now know as Yorubaland was never under the rule of the Alaafin.” Ajayi urged Yoruba mon...