Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Kolawole Omotola Olaide It was a day of tears, laughter, music, colour and thanksgiving in Ikorodu, Lagos State, last Friday, September 11, 2026, as family members, friends, church members, associates and well-wishers gathered in their hundreds to bid a final farewell to the late Reverend Ibikunle Oni. But while the occasion marked the physical departure of a beloved patriarch, clergyman and community figure, it was anything but a sombre affair. In the characteristic tradition of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria, where the passage of an accomplished elder is often transformed into a celebration of a life well lived,…

By Sola Ojewusi  September 16, 2026 Nigeria’s theatre and film industry has been plunged into mourning following the death of veteran international actor and film executive, Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, at the age of 84. Jacobs died on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, bringing to an end a remarkable acting career that spanned more than five decades across theatre, television and film. His death was announced by his family through a statement shared on social media by his son, Olusoji Jacobs, and his wife, veteran actress Joke Silva.  The family described the celebrated actor as “The…

By Jimmy Fatunbi Security agencies have intensified surveillance around schools, NYSC orientation camps, places of worship and other vulnerable locations following intelligence of plans by terrorists to launch coordinated attacks across the country. The Nigeria Police Force, in a security alert circulated to formations nationwide, said the planned attacks could coincide with the resumption of the 2026/2027 academic session. According to the alert, intelligence available to the Department of Operations indicated an “increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks” on schools, places of worship, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable targets. The communication was circulated to Assistant Inspectors-General…

By Jimmy Fatunbi The Osun State Police Command has recovered another corpse from the premises of the Mayfair Motor Park in Ile-Ife, bringing the death toll from Sunday’s shooting incident at the park to two. The development came as the remains of Olalekan Oyeyemi, a chieftain of the Accord Party in Osun State popularly known as Emir Ajagungbade, were buried on Monday at his newly completed residence in the Agunbelewo area of Osogbo. Oyeyemi was reportedly shot dead on Sunday during a clash involving him and a group led by another leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers,…

By Jimmy Fatunbi Five Nigerians based in South Africa who were extradited to the United States on September 11 over alleged wire fraud and money-laundering offences could face a combined maximum sentence of up to 100 years in prison if convicted. The defendants are expected to appear before US District Judge Michael Shipp at the federal court in Trenton, according to a statement issued on Monday by the United States Department of Justice. The suspects were extradited following allegations that they defrauded American women of more than $6 million through online romance scams. They were initially arrested in Cape Town…

By Sola Ojewusi The death of Alhaji Bamanga Muhammad Tukur at the age of 90 has removed from Nigeria’s political and economic landscape one of the few men whose public career traversed several defining eras of the nation’s post-independence history. From public administration and the management of Nigeria’s ports to elective politics, state governance, federal ministerial office, private enterprise and the leadership of major African business organisations, Tukur’s career reflected the changing fortunes and aspirations of Nigeria and the African continent over more than five decades. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in mourning the elder statesman, described his passing as the…

By Peter Omopo Political activities ahead of the 2027 governorship elections have intensified across Nigeria following the formal commencement of campaigns, as candidates and political parties unveil policy proposals aimed at winning the support of voters. The campaign season officially opened on Wednesday, September 9, with candidates focusing their messages on issues including insecurity, agriculture, education, healthcare, workers’ welfare and economic development. Across the North West, South West and South East, political parties have begun presenting their programmes while appealing to voters and calling for peaceful, issue based campaigns. Security, economic hardship and the delivery of essential social services are…

By Peter Omopo First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has described agricultural mechanisation as critical to attracting more young Nigerians to farming, empowering women and strengthening Nigeria’s food security. Tinubu made the remarks on Wednesday at the National Colloquium on the Role of Women and Youth in Advancing Agricultural Mechanisation in Nigeria, held at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja, where the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security unveiled the Agri360 Mechanisation Training Initiative. The First Lady, who was represented at the event by the wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima, also commended the ministry for launching the programme,…

By Peter Omopo At least 14 people have been killed and 11 others injured after an explosion at a temporary weapons depot in northern Syria’s Idlib province. The blast occurred on Wednesday at Burj al Nimra village near Sarmada, where weapons and remnants of war from Syria’s long running conflict were reportedly being stored. Thick smoke reportedly engulfed the area after the explosion, while a fire continued to burn at the site for several hours. Efforts by emergency and firefighting teams were complicated by a series of secondary explosions, preventing responders from immediately bringing the blaze under control. Syria’s Defence…

By Kolawole Omotola Olaide Adoke The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has stepped up its monitoring of terrorism financing activities, placing greater supervisory attention on measures designed to prevent criminal networks and other illicit actors from abusing the country’s financial system. The apex bank disclosed the development in a statement signed by its Acting Director of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations Department, Hakama Sidi-Ali. The CBN explained that its strengthened supervision would focus on how financial institutions identify and manage terrorism-financing risks. Particular attention will be given to transaction monitoring, the enforcement of targeted financial sanctions and the reporting of…