PAY UP OR FACE COURT: Oyo NUJ Drags Akewugbagold Over Outstanding ₦9m Debt

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, has drawn a battle line with prominent Islamic cleric, Alhaji Taofeek Akewugbagold, threatening to drag him before a court of law over his failure to liquidate an outstanding ₦9 million debt owed to the union.

​The decisive ultimatum was issued following the union’s monthly congress held on Saturday at the NUJ Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan. In a communiqué presided over by the State Chairman, Mr. Akeem Abas, the union expressed deep disappointment and exhaustion over what it described as a breach of trust.

​According to the council, Alhaji Akewugbagold was under a strict financial obligation to pay the union a total sum of ₦11 million. However, he has only redeemed a mere ₦2 million, leaving a massive ₦9 million deficit. The union revealed that the cleric had given concrete assurances that the entire debt would be fully settled before the end of April 2026. With that deadline long gone, the congress resolved that it will no longer tolerate further delays and is prepared to deploy the full weight of the law to recover the balance.

​While the brewing legal battle dominated the financial resolutions of the congress, the union also utilized the platform to address critical security and welfare failures plaguing the state.

​Taking a hardline stance on regional security, the Oyo NUJ vehemently condemned the escalating wave of kidnapping and banditry in the state, specifically highlighting the recent, distressing abduction of pupils and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area. The congress demanded that security agencies immediately intensify intelligence and operational deployments to rescue the victims. To permanently combat this lawlessness, the union threw its full weight behind the establishment of state police, urging the relevant authorities to fast-track the legislative and constitutional processes to make it operational.

​The union also turned its radar toward the education sector, slamming the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for its current scheduling system. The congress expressed outrage over the conduct of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) late into the night, labeling it an unsafe practice that severely compromises the security and physical well-being of the students. It demanded that WAEC immediately review its timetables to stop examinations from spilling into dangerous hours.

​Furthermore, the communiqué tackled the reckless proliferation of fake news on social media. The NUJ demanded strict enforcement of Nigeria’s existing cyber laws to curb misinformation, while simultaneously reminding practicing journalists of their professional duty to rigorously verify all information before publication.

​The council concluded by calling on the Oyo State Government to urgently intervene in the visible decay of the Agodi Gate Motor Terminal, while charging all members of the press to maintain absolute objectivity, non-partisanship, and heightened security consciousness in the line of duty.