Thousands Of Jubilant Migrants Arrive In Austria From Hungary

Some Austrians cheered as busloads of migrants pulled up on their border with Hungary early Saturday -- and weary passengers clutching children streamed toward them.

The passengers carried their meager belongings in backpacks as they exited the vehicles in the rain.

They walked on foot over the border to Nickelsdorf, in Austria's Burgenland state, where applause broke out among groups welcoming the convoys of buses with food.

The Austrian Red Cross also provided medical supplies and warm blankets.

About 4,000 migrants have crossed into Austria in the first few hours of Saturday, and an additional 6,000 or so who are still in Hungary are expected to come over, said Deputy Chief of Burgenland State Police Werner Fasching.

There are only enough beds for 600 people in and around the border town of Nickelsdorf, and the bulk of the refugees are being sent to the Austrian capital, Vienna, via trains and buses, he said.

"We are trying to move as many as possible in the direction of Vienna," Fasching said. There the migrants will receive food, drink and, if needed, medical care. Some who wish to continue on to Germany will be permitted to do so.

Their arrival in Austria caps an emotional week for the migrants, many of whom had walked for hours before they got into dozens of buses provided by the Hungarian authorities.

In light of the acute situation, Austrian and German officials agreed to allow thousands of migrants into their countries, Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said.

Chaotic scenes erupted Thursday as trains packed with Syrian refugees were halted at a station outside the Hungarian capital of Budapest.

Police gathered at the side of the track as the trains abruptly stopped at Bicske. But families hoping to travel to Austria or ultimately Germany refused to get off despite suffocating heat and limited food.

Hungarian authorities wanted to send them to a nearby holding camp, but -- fearing that once there they would be badly treated and unable to continue their journey north -- the migrants refused.

After a standoff lasting more than a day, hundreds set off on foot Friday along the train tracks toward Austria.

Hungary sent buses to pick them up as throngs walked for hours in hopes of reaching the Austrian border about 100 miles away.

About 300 more at Bicske station agreed to go to the nearby refugee camp, according to a Hungarian government statement.

Amid the chaos, the U.N. refugee agency said a 50-year-old man had died Friday in Bicske. Initial reports suggest he fell and hit his head on the tracks while trying to run away from police, said Montserrat Feixas Vihe, the UNHCR's Central Europe representative.

More than 1,000 other refugees set off on foot from Budapest's main Keleti station -- where they had been waiting for days to travel onward to Western Europe -- and walked for hours beside a highway. They also were picked up by buses, as were those still at the station.

Over the past week, Keleti station had become a focal point of the crisis engulfing parts of Europe as an unprecedented wave of people -- mostly refugees fleeing conflict in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan -- seek to reach Northern and Western Europe.

By Friday night, it was empty.

In a sign of a rushed departure, many belongings were left scattered in the station -- single shoes, bedding, children's toys. A couple of young local men kicked and picked their way through what was left behind.

Even as the refugees were still boarding buses and waiting to depart, cleaners were clearing the train station.

The refugees on the buses were exhausted but relieved to be on their way, though some expressed doubt that they would actually be taken as far as Austria. "Are they taking us to border?" one man asked suspiciously.

Once in Austria they plan to head to various parts of Europe -- Germany, Italy, Sweden were among the destinations they named.

Christian Stella, a police commander at the Austrian border, said those refugees who request asylum in Austria are being taken to the Nova Rock stadium in Nickelsdorf.

Those who want to go on to Germany are either being put on special trains to Vienna from Nickelsdorf train station, or are bussed directly to Vienna from the border crossing, he said. About 2,500 people had been processed by around noon.

Austria's Interior Ministry has warned on its website that it is illegal for private individuals crossing into Hungary to pick up migrants and ferry them back to Austria.

The ministry has, however, asked for Austrian citizens and companies to lend the government land on which to put temporary accommodation for refugees.

Despite finding itself on the front lines of the migrant crisis, Hungary is more a transit point than a destination on a long journey to wealthier nations such as Austria and Germany, where the refugees hope to claim asylum.

Speaking to reporters before a meeting of EU foreign ministers Saturday in Luxembourg, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto defended his country's response.

"What has been happening in Hungary are two things -- first, the failed migration policy of the EU, and the second one is series of some irresponsible statements made by European politicians," he said.

Szijjarto also accused the migrants of exacerbating the situation by failing to cooperate.

"Actually, people, families and the migrants became more and more aggressive, refusing cooperation with Hungarian authorities, not willing to be registered, not willing to be fingerprinted, not willing to be photographed. They have refused to go to the refugee stations where basic supplies would have been ensured for them."

In setting off on foot along the country's main railway line and highway, they then triggered an emergency situation, he said.

"That is why we have decided to send buses and deliver them to the Austrian border where they wanted to go."

Under European law, those seeking asylum are approved in the country where they first registered, and most migrants prefer to file paperwork in Western European nations, which have better programs set up to help refugees.

Still, Hungary has been inundated with 140,000 asylum applications since January, and there have been about 2,000 new arrivals daily, U.N. refugee agency spokesman Babar Baloch said.

Hungarian authorities have said under EU legislation, they can't allow people to travel internationally without the proper documentation -- a valid passport, a ticket and any necessary visas.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with other EU members Thursday to figure out how to cope with the emergency.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Belgium, alongside European Parliament President Martin Schulz, Orban said the situation was not of his country's making.

"The problem is not a European problem; the problem is a German problem," he said.

Germany's government said last month it expected up to 800,000 asylum seekers to come this year -- four times more than in 2014. But Orban said German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that they must be registered before leaving Hungary.

"All of them would like to go to Germany; our job is only to register them," Orban said.

Without strict border controls, EU migrant quotas are "an invitation" for migrants to come, he said. "Turkey is a safe country, why don't you stay there?" he said, adding that migrants who reach Serbia should also stay put.

Hungary's right-wing government has faced criticism for erecting a barbed-wire fence along its more than 100-mile long border with Serbia in a bid to prevent migrants crossing illegally.

But Orban said his country was just trying to enforce EU rules.

"Don't criticize Hungary for what is being done. Let Hungary do the job as it is written in the European regulations," he said.

While European leaders struggle to come up with a coherent plan, the men, women and children caught up in the crisis continue to suffer.

Vacationers Rescue Syrian Man

Sandra Tsiligeridu was cruising back to the Greek holiday island of Kos with family and friends last Thursday when she spotted something out of place in the sea up ahead.

A pair of hands appeared to be waving at her from the deep-blue waters of the Aegean Sea.

Maybe it was a diver; maybe it was someone else. Tsiligeridu's husband Dimitris eased up on the controls of their twin engine motor boat and veered left in order to avoid him.

But as they got closer, Tsiligeridu realized something terrible was happening, and she screamed at Dimitris to turn around.

What she saw next would stay with her forever.

There, bobbing up and down in the choppy waters, was a half-conscious man clinging desperately to a lifejacket.

"The waves were massive," Tsiligeridu, a former model and actress, told CNN. "When we got close, we saw a person in a horrible state."

Tsiligeridu says she suppressed her fear of big waves and let her reflexes kick in. Leaning over the edge of the boat, she grabbed the man's hand, and her friends helped pull him out of the sea and onto the deck.

"He was so weak that he couldn't even stand or walk," she recalls. "The only thing he managed to say was that he was from Syria."

Nigeria: 14 Die In Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Fourteen persons died and many others were injured at Ogunmakin on the Lagos – Ibadan expressway in two crashes.

The crash on Wednesday  night, involved a trailer carrying 27 people as well as cows and another trailer with registration number XE 444 KTU.

Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC), Ogun state Command officials and the police battled for hours to rescue the victims, a witness told The Nation.

According to Ndidi Frederick-Imo, Deputy Route Commander and AG Zonal Public Education Officer of the FRSC,  20 persons were injured and rescued alive; 10 others were confirmed dead at the  Ifeoluwa Hospital in Ogunmakin.

Another accident, which also occured in Ogunmakin yesterday morning left four persons dead and 10 others injured.

The  accident  involved a diesel tanker loaded with petrol coming from Lagos and marked MKA 338 ZB and a luxury bus  with registration number AAA 656 XN coming from Abuja. They crashed into each other.

The FRSC officials and policemen rescued 50 people from the scene.

Ten passengers were injured. The four who died were evacuated to Fakoya mortuary, Sagamu.

Frederick-Imo said following the dangers associated with night travel,  the FRSC’s Assistant Corps Marshal( Zone 2 ) Lagos, Nseobong Akpabio, has warned Nigerians to desist from embarking on night travels by road.

He said: “We all know that night traveling at night is extremely dangerous and should not be encouraged by families and companies because night driving is fraught with more dangers than daytime driving due to poor visibility, drivers’ fatigue and other associated human errors.

“The Assistant Corps Marshal, Nseobong C. Akpabio (MON) enjoins the motoring public to be more careful on the road as the latest crash was due to loss of control and over speeding.

“Drivers should ensure that their vehicles are in good working condition including brake lights, reverse lights, turn signals and any functioning lights.

“We completely discourage all Nigerians from travelling at night irrespective of the emergency, in view of its associated dangers /consequences.

“And all patrol teams have been briefed to carry out strict enforcement on all corridors and impound all non-road worthy vehicles and test drivers who are susceptible to driving vehicles under the influence of alcohol or drugs and anyone arrested to be prosecuted.

“Fathers, mothers, brothers, family members as well as companies and organisations to warn their relatives and staff not to embark on night journey as no amount of money or insurance can replace one’s life once lost.”

Islamic Militants Destroy Ancient Tombs In Syria

 Islamic State militants destroyed three ancient tower tombs in the central city of Palmyra in the last few days, a Syrian government official said Friday.

Tower tombs, built on high grounds, are a particular feature of the Roman-era ancient caravan city.

Maamoun Abdulkarim, the head of the Antiquities and Museums Department in Damascus, said Friday the militants destroyed the tower tombs, including the Elahbel tower that dates back to the 103 AD, 10 days earlier. Abdulkarim said his information was based on witness accounts and satellite images provided by the Boston-based American Schools of Oriental Research.

In a report issued Thursday, the ASOR Syrian Heritage initiative said the IS group has destroyed seven tower tombs since the end of June over two phases. The last round of destruction occurred between August 27 and September 2, including the destruction of the Tower of Elahbel, the most prominent example of Palmyra's distinct funerary monuments. Earlier, the Tomb of Iamliku and that of Atenaten were also destroyed.

"Collectively, the damage to these tombs is not confined to a single area within the Valley of the Tombs, but instead it is distributed throughout various locations, leaving some towers destroyed and others still standing," the report said, showing a sequence of satellite imagery with the sites before and after the damage. "The reasoning for this differentiation is unknown."

The militants claim ancient relics and sites of worship promote idolatry. They have already destroyed more modern-day Islamic cemeteries and shrines in the city.

The militants had already destroyed on Sunday the two-millennia-old temple of Bel in the city, confirmed by U.N. satellite images. The smaller Temple of Baalshamin was also destroyed days before, and the group posted images of the damage.

In the most detailed report on the recent damage wrought by the IS group, the ASOR Syrian Heritage Initiative report confirmed the destruction of the smaller temple with satellite images. The report, through the satellite imagery, said the temple of Bel was severely damaged with only the front gateway to the inner sanctuary still standing. The temple's colonnades were still standing, the report said.

Nigeria President lives an austere and Spartan lifestyle

A statement released by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu said:

 ”Documents submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) show that the retired General has indeed been living an austere and Spartan lifestyle, contrary to what many might expect of a former Head of State of Nigeria and one who has held a number of top government positions, such as governor, Minister of petroleum and the head of the Petroleum Development Trust Fund (PTDF).

“The documents submitted to the CCB, which officials say are still being vetted and will soon be made public, show that prior to being sworn in on May 29, President Buhari had less than N30 million to his name. He also had only one bank account, with the Union Bank. President Buhari had no foreign account, no factory and no enterprises.

“He also had no registered company and no oil wells.

“The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) who had been a successful lawyer before his foray into politics declared a bank balance of about N94 million and 900,000 United States Dollars in his bank accounts.

“President Buhari declared however that he had shares in Berger Paints, Union Bank and Skye Bank.

“This is entirely unlike what one might expect from a former head of state of a country like Nigeria.

“The documents also revealed that President Buhari had a total of five homes, and two mud houses in Daura. He had two homes in Kaduna, one each in Kano, Daura and in Abuja. One of the mud houses in Daura was inherited from his late older sister, another from his late father. He borrowed money from the old Barclays Bank to build two of his homes.

“President Buhari also has two undeveloped plots of land, one in Kano and the other in Port Harcourt. He is still trying to trace the location of the Port Harcourt land.

“In addition to the homes in Daura, he has farms, an orchard and a ranch. The total number of his holdings in the farm include: 270 head of cattle, 25 sheep, five horses, a variety of birds and a number of economic trees.

“The documents also showed that the retired General uses a number of cars, two of which he bought from his savings and the others supplied to him by the federal government in his capacity as former Head of State. The rest were donated to him by well-wishers after his jeep was damaged in a Boko Haram bomb attack on his convoy in July 2014.

“As revealed by the same forms, highlights of the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo’s asset declaration include; his four-bedroom residence at Victoria Garden City, Lagos and a thtree-bedroom flat at 2 Mosley Road, Ikoyi. The Vice President also has a two-bedroom flat at the popular Redemption Camp along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and a two-bedroom mortgaged property in Bedford, England. Aside from these, the Vice President has no other landed properties on the form.

“Apart from his law firm, known as SimmonsCooper, the Vice-President also declared shareholding in six private companies based in Lagos, including Octogenerium Ltd., Windsor Grant Ltd., Tarapolsa, Vistorion Ltd., Aviva Ltd. and MTN Nigeria.

“According to details shown on the form, the Vice-President has about ninety four million naira, nine hundred thousand US dollars and nineteen thousand pounds in Nigerian Banks with the foreign currencies kept in local domiciliary accounts. His personal vehicles are one Infinity 4-Wheel Drive SUV, one Mercedes Benz and a Prado Jeep.

“As soon as the CCB is through with the process, the documents will be released to the Nigerian public and people can see for themselves.”

The Fifth Schedule (part 1) of the Constitution (Code of Conduct for Public Officers) Sub section 11. (1), says:  Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, every public officer shall within three months after the coming into force of this Code of Conduct or immediately after taking office and thereafter –

(a) at the end of every four years; and

(b) at the end of his term of office, submit to the Code of Conduct Bureau a written declaration of all his properties, assets, and liabilities and those of his unmarried children under the age of eighteen years.”

While it is not mandatory for the assests declared to be made public, the president and vice president have chosen to make their declaration public in line with transparency and accountability.

Before now, only the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua among other leaders had publicly declared his assets.

Victim Of Europe's Refugee Crisis

The 3-year-old lies face down, his head to one side with his bottom slightly up -- the way toddlers like to sleep.

But the water is lapping around his face and his body is lifeless.

The boy, in a red T-shirt, blue pants and tiny shoes with Velcro straps, was one of 12 people who drowned off Turkey and washed up on a beach Wednesday.

A photo of him lying alone and being approached by an official has been shared widely around the world, often with the Twitter hashtag #KıyıyaVuranİnsanlık or "Flotsam of Humanity" in Turkish.

MH17: Errors Expose Russian Propaganda Recording of CIA agents Conspiring To Bring Down Flight

As tales of high-stakes espionage go, it is a bit more Carry On Spying than John le Carré. An audio recording purporting to be two American CIA agents conspiring to bring down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has been ridiculed online, after a series of embarrassing errors exposed it as poorly made Russian propaganda.

The seven-minute recording is presented as being a series of bugged telephone conversations between two secret operatives, but the stilted greetings and cumbersome dialogue suggest that both men are reading from a script and are unfamiliar with the English language.

One of the two “spies” speaks in an affected US accent, while the other sounds British for half of the recording before becoming increasingly American as it progresses. At the end of their first conversation, both men say “Luck!” to each other – a common farewell in Russian.

The recording, which was released by the Russian tabloid newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda earlier this week, is said to feature two men called David Hamilton and David L. Stern, speaking about three weeks before MH17 was shot out of the sky over eastern Ukraine. But it was immediately dismissed as poor-quality propaganda created by the country’s security service, the FSB.

Flight MH17 crashed on 17 July last year, killing all 298 people on board. Ukraine and some western governments have accused pro-Russian rebels of shooting it down, suggesting that they could have used a Buk missile system supplied by Vladimir Putin’s regime. Earlier this week, fragments of a Buk system were found at the crash site by air investigators.

But in the recording, the two men can be heard referring to “orders” from their leaders to implicate the separatists in the plane crash. They also discuss a possible Plan B of placing a bomb inside the aircraft. The implication is that the tragedy was in fact an inside job carried out by the west to embarrass Russia.

The social network site LinkedIn features a profile of a Mr Hamilton who works as an international affairs consultant and as an adviser to the US Agency for International Development, while a profile for a Mr Stern states he is a freelance journalist based in Ukraine who has worked for the BBC. Another David Hamilton listed on the business networking website appears to have been a defence industry analyst with the CIA between 1997 and 2000.

A video of the recording has already been viewed almost 100,000 times on YouTube, but many of the internet users commenting underneath are brutal in their analysis, with one giving it “three out of five spy stars”.

Another wrote: “This is the dumbest thing I have heard in a long time. For the non-English speakers this might sound convincing, but when a native English speaker listens to this it is easy to hear they are reading a script.”

Another user added: “I don’t know what’s worse, that the FSB is so incompetent they’d make such a ridiculously scripted video that anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of English can understand is fake, or that they have such a low opinion of the intelligence of the average Russian, that they thought this would be enough to convince them.”

China: Evacuation Ordered Over Fears of Chemical Contamination In Tianjin

Chinese authorities have evacuated thousands of people from three kilometres around the site of deadly explosions in Tianjin after discovering sodium cyanide among other toxic chemicals.

The exclusion zone was brought in on Saturday, three days after the blasts that killed at least 85 people.

At least seven smaller blasts were recorded yesterday, including in a car park next to the explosion site, as firefighters continued to tackle blazes across the port area.

Chinese authorities have evacuated thousands of people from three kilometres around the site of deadly explosions in Tianjin after discovering sodium cyanide among other toxic chemicals.

The exclusion zone was brought in on Saturday, three days after the blasts that killed at least 85 people.

At least seven smaller blasts were recorded yesterday, including in a car park next to the explosion site, as firefighters continued to tackle blazes across the port area.

But this morning, the official Xinhua news agency confirmed that the exclusion zone had been introduced “for fear of chemical contamination”.

Photographs showed government chemical warfare specialists at the still smouldering site wearing protective clothes and gas masks.

The explosions at a warehouse in the port city of Tianjin were so huge they were picked up as a bright white spot by the Japan Meteorological Agency’s satellitesThe state-backed People’s Daily newspaper tweeted that they had sent to handle “toxic sodium cyanide” discovered in the devastated port area.

The compound is among the most rapidly acting poisons known when ingested or inhaled, and an oral dosage as small as 200mg can be fatal.

At a news conference on Thursday, Wen Wurui, a senior environmental official, had played down the threat of contaminated air and claimed emission readings had dropped to safe levels.

Meanwhile, the Tianjin Internet Police issued a warning that anyone spreading “rumours” about the disaster and its effects would be “severely dealt with according to the law”.

Comments criticising the emergency response on social media were deleted by authorities and blogs sharing news were shut down.

Today’s exclusion zone was brought in as angry relatives of around 25 missing firefighters stormed a government news conference, demanding information on their loved ones.

“We have gone to each and every hospital by ourselves and not found them,” said Wang Baoxia, whose elder brother has not been seen since he left to fight Wednesday’s fire.

“There is no government official willing to meet us. Not even one.”

State media reported the rescue of a survivor this morning but hopes are fading for dozens of people who are still unaccounted for.

Firefighters had been called to a warehouse storing toxic chemicals 40 minutes before the explosions started at around 11.30pm local time on Wednesday.

Two huge blasts, including one with the force of 21 tons of TNT, came just 30 seconds apart. They were so large they could be seen from space and were registered by earthquake sensors.

Ruihai International Logistics had reportedly been storing chemicals including sodium cyanide, toluene diisocyanate, ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate and calcium carbide.

"I do feel a bit afraid," said construction worker Li Shulan, when asked about the air quality. "It definitely doesn't feel good. As you can see our boss is making us wear masks."

About 6,300 people have been displaced by the blasts and around 720 people were injured, including 33 who are in a serious condition.

China's Tianjin Port On Fire

TIANJIN, China (AP) — Rescuers pulled out a firefighter who was trapped for 32 hours after responding to a fire and huge explosions in the Chinese port city of Tianjin as authorities moved forward gingerly Friday in dealing with a fire still smoldering amid potentially dangerous chemicals.

A rapid succession of explosions late Wednesday — one equal to 21 tons of TNT — killed at least 50 people, injured more than 700 and left more than a dozen firefighters missing. They were sparked by a fire at what authorities said were shipping containers containing hazardous material. They struck a mostly nonresidential warehouse district late at night — otherwise the death toll could have been much higher.

However, the toll included at least 17 firefighters among the more than 1,000 sent to respond to the disaster. Firefighters initially responded to a fire at the warehouse and many of them apparently were killed by a series of explosions triggered 40 minutes after the fire was reported. An additional 13 firefighters are missing, officials said.

"Reinforcements had just arrived on the scene and were just getting to work when the explosions occurred and therefore there was no chance to escape, and that's why the casualties were so severe," Tianjin Fire Department head Zhou Tian said at a news conference early Friday. "We're now doing all we can to rescue the missing," Zhou said.

One firefighter was pulled from the zone at about dawn Friday and brought to a hospital, where he was being treated for face, chest and feet injured, the state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Authorities have publicly assured a skeptical public that the blasts have not contaminated the air but have been relatively reticent about other concerns raised, such as whether residences were too close to the warehouse and whether firefighters may have sparked the blasts by spraying water on volatile chemicals.

Many Tianjin residents weren't taking any chances, and could be seen Friday wearing air-filtering masks.

"I don't usually wear a mask but I don't quite trust what the government says," said Ma Wiehan, wearing a mask while walking with her 6-month-old daughter. "I'm doing this for my child."

One report in the Chinese press suggested that water used by first responders may have come into contact with a chemical that explodes on contact with water, but an official also is quoted as saying the first wave of firefighters could not have sparked the blasts.

Many of the fire trucks seen at the site hours after the blasts use a kind of firefighting foam.

Authorities have not said what caused the explosions, saying only that they originated at the warehouse owned by Ruihai International Logistics. Its website says the company is authorized to handle chemicals ranging from flammable gases and liquids, including compressed natural gas and ethyl acetate, to chemicals that explode on contact with water, including sodium cyanide and calcium carbide.

However, the warehouse was a transit point and authorities have no clear picture of what was there at the time of the blasts. Records at the site were destroyed in the disaster meaning that authorities must rely on customs documents, said Gao Huaiyou, deputy director of occupational safety in Tianjin.

City officials so far have confirmed only that calcium carbide, potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate were at the warehouse.

Zhou said further firefighting efforts must go slow because of the potentially complex mix of chemicals at the site.

"Many types of different materials with different characteristics are mixed together and could at any time result in a chemical reaction or explosion," Zhou said.

In an interview with the Shanghai-based publication The Paper, a fire official at the Ministry of Public Safety, Lei Jinde, is quoted as confirming that the first wave of firefighters used water to cool down areas on fire. When asked whether he knew there was calcium carbide was at the warehouse, he said yes and that firefighters would not have sprayed water on the substance.

When asked whether initial firefighter response could have sparked the second blast, Lei said "No. The response procedure must have been scientific."

On the day after the blasts, Tianjin's environmental protection chief Wen Wurui told a news conference that there had been no apparent contamination of the air, based on samples taken at five air monitoring stations throughout the city. He also said all waterways leading from the disaster site to the sea had been sealed to contain any potential water leaks.

Nigerians Mourn As Ife Chiefs Announce Ooni’s Death

Tradition had its way yesterday, with the Ife Traditional Council breaking the news of the death of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Olubuse II.

He was 85.

The announcement ended three weeks of denial by the chiefs, who had insisted that the frontline royal father was hale and hearty – contrary to the news of his death in the media.

The development attracted condolences and tributes from prominent Nigerians, including President Muhammadu Buhari, Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, among others.

Buhari, who expressed sadness over the news of the transition of Oba Sijuwade, said the late monarch’s place in history was assured.

Aregbesola, who was the first to be briefed by the Ife chiefs, said the era of the late Ooni brought prestige, honour and dignity to the traditional institution, describing him “as a study and model in royalty.”

Commiserating with the members of the Oba’s immediate family, the Yoruba race and the country, the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation said it was taking solace in the fact that the Ooni lived well and left a precious heritage worthy of emulation.

In line with tradition, the chiefs, led by t he Obalufe, Solomon Omisakin, were at the Osun State Government House in Osogbo to break the news of Ooni’s death to Aregbesola.

Obalufe told the governor that Oba Sijuwade has joined his ancestors.

 The Obalufe explained that the delay in announcing Ooni’s death was due to strict adherence to Yoruba tradition.

But he said it was imperative for the council to lay to rest the rumours on the death of Oba Sijuwade, adding that the announcement of the monarch’s death could not be made in the market place or in a social gathering.

The Obalufe solicited for the cooperation of the governor and the state government for peace and progress of Ife Kingdom and Yorubaland.

He said: “We, the chiefs in Ife Traditional Council have come here to brief you the governor and the government of Osun about the passing on of our Royal Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Ooni of Ife.

“The breaking of the news of the death of the king must follow traditional ways and rites. That is why it is coming at this time.  The news of the transition to glory of any Yoruba monarch is not pedestrian news that one can just announce at a market place or a social gathering.

“The announcement of the death of a great man like our royal monarch is great news that must be announced in a grand style.  On behalf of the entire Sijuwade family, the Ife Traditional Council and the entire Ife indigenes, we hereby announce the passing on to glory of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse the II.”

The late monarch’s first, son Prince Adetokunbo, also announced the demise of his father, stating that his remains would be buried tomorrow by 10am.

Adetokunbo, who was in the entourage of the chiefs, told the governor that the body of the late monarch will be flown in from London, where he died, today ahead of tomorrow’s interment.

Responding, Aregbesola recounted the last message he received from the late monarch on his medical trip abroad on July 23.

The governor described Oba Sijuwade as a monarch, who during his lifetime, did everything humanly possible to promote the Yoruba tradition across the globe.

According to the governor, it should be on record that during his time, he showcased and left the traces of Yoruba tradition everywhere he visited.

Aregbesola, who had promised to wait for the news on the demise of the Ooni before making public the last telephone conversation between him and the late Ooni made good his promise.

Quoting from the text message verbatim, the governor said: “I am still not feeling good. So, I am travelling abroad for further medical treatment this week.  I place you and your government in the hand of God and under His continuous guidance.”

The governor further said: “This was the last conversation I had with the late monarch. We dearly miss his charisma, demonstration of loyalty and his position as a rallying-point for all Yoruba people and a bridge-builder across all ethnic groups in Nigeria.

“ Indeed, he was a great man and he left an indelible mark on the sand of history, not only in Yorubaland, Nigeria but across the world.”

In a statement after the chiefs broke the news to him, the governor said in a statement: “I, Governor Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, join other sons daughters of Osun to mourn the translation of this highly celebrated monarch, whose era brought prestige, honour and dignity to traditional institution in our clime, his reign brought tremendous development and increased global attention to his domain.

“Ooni Sijuade was a study and model in royalty. He embodied the best in traditional pomp and pageantry. He exalted the place of the royalty among our people. His contributions towards maintaining a place of pride for the Yoruba race on the world is huge.

“A sad loss though, we are, as a people, consoled by the fact that our Imperial Majesty lived a fulfilled life; one happily hallmarked by the great impact on his subjects, the entire state, region and nation.

“On behalf of my family, the great people of the Land of the Virtuous, I extend our heart-felt condolences to the immediate royal family of Oba Sijuade, the ruling houses of Ile-Ife, all the princes and princesses of Ile Ife, royalties far and near, and Yoruba people of the world.  Ajanaku sun bi Oke, Erin Wo.”

 Earlier at Ile-Ife, traditional rites leading to the formal announcement of the final passage of the Ooni were performed by some traditional chiefs in the ancient town.

Very few people and vehicles were seen on major streets of Ile-Ife, from Sabo to Moore, Ilode, Enuwa, Iremo, Lagere to Ibadan Road.

 Markets, shops, banks were under lock and key. Only few filling stations opened for business.

Along the Old Ede Road at the Obafemi Awolowo University Campus area, students of the institution remained on campus in compliance with an order from one of the Ife High Chiefs that there would be restriction on movement between 9am and 4pm yesterday.

Few minutes after ten in the morning,  about eight traditional chiefs, known as the “Isoros’ in white garments were seen with one of them carrying a clay pot at Enuwa Square, few metres away from the palace.

They marched in a procession to and fro outside the palace gate.

 The tradition cutting of the leaves of some trees within the palace was later done by the chiefs, it was learnt.

The leaves’ cutting preceded the trip by the Ife chiefs to Osogbo.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, President Buhari expressed sadness over the Ooni’s transition.

He extended condolences to the late Ooni’s family, his friends, associates and subjects, as well as the government and people of Osun State.

The statement reads: He (Buhari) joined them in mourning the revered traditional ruler, who will be long remembered and celebrated for his worthy service, over more than three decades, as the chief custodian of the traditions of the Yoruba and his invaluable contributions to the sustenance of the cultural heritage of his people within and outside Nigeria.

“President Buhari believed that Oba Sijuwade’s place in posterity has already been assured by his long and worthy service to his people and country as well as his notable contributions to the development of his community, state and country as a leading businessman, administrator and inspirational traditional ruler.

“As they mourn his passing, President Buhari urges the Ooni’s family, friends, associates and subjects to be consoled by the knowledge that he lived a very fulfilled life, and has left worthy legacies for his successors to build upon.”

He prayed that God Almighty will comfort all who mourn Oba Sijuwade and bring forth a worthy successor to take his place on the ancient throne of Ile-Ife.

In a statement by its Executive Director, Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation said the passage of the monarch came as a shock.

“The statement reads: “We received with shock and utter dismay, news of the sudden departure from this earthly realm of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II, the Ooni of Ife, after 35 glorious years on the throne of his ancestors.

“Kabiyesi ascended the throne better prepared than most for the uniquely critical leadership role of the Ooni in Yoruba land. He had a formidable geo-political and social network, nationally and internationally. He possessed considerable material wealth. And he possessed ample personal attributes of kindness, generosity and tolerance, amongst many others, to make his reign the outstanding success that it turned out to be.

“We commiserate with the members of Kabiyesi’s immediate family, the entire Yoruba race at home and in the Diaspora, and indeed, our nation Nigeria. We take solace in the fact that he lived well and has left a precious heritage of which we can be forever proud. May his great and kind soul rest in perfect peace.”

The senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Babajide Omoworare, Senator Felix Ogunwale, Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam and Chief Abiola Ogundokun, also mourned and commiserated with the family.