Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Sola Ojewusi  A woman convicted of murdering a 14-year-old girl has been executed by firing squad in , a semi-autonomous region of , in a rare instance where the death penalty has been carried out against a woman. The execution took place on Tuesday in , following the conviction of 34-year-old Hodan Mohamud Diiriye for the killing of Saabirin Saylaan, a teenage domestic helper. The court found that the girl died after enduring sustained physical abuse while living in the woman’s household. Saabirin’s death in November last year sparked widespread public outrage and protests in Galkayo, with demonstrators—many of…

By Asiwaju Dele Taiwo Success isn’t handed out. It’s earned through effort, discipline, and persistence. Faith can guide you, but action is what creates results; heaven helps those who help themselves. Every successful person has a story of struggle, failure, and hard work before they make it. Stop waiting for things to happen. Move, work, learn, and stay consistent. Success follows those who take responsibility and push forward. Asiwaju Cares

By Peter Omopo Spanish football giants FC Barcelona have formally withdrawn from the controversial European Super League (ESL) project, leaving Real Madrid as the only club still signed on to the breakaway league. The announcement was made on Saturday through a statement on Barcelona’s official website. “FC Barcelona hereby announces that today it has formally notified the European Super League Company and the clubs involved of its withdrawal from the European Super League project,” the club said. Barca President Joan Laporta had indicated in October 2025 that the club sought to reestablish ties with UEFA, stepping back from the project…

By Peter Omopo The Nigeria Immigration Service has denied reports circulating online that certain regions of the country have been barred from obtaining Nigerian passports, describing the claims as false and misleading. In a statement issued on Saturday, the Service’s Public Relations Officer, DCI Akinsola Akinlabi, said the reports were a gross misrepresentation of ongoing reforms aimed at modernising passport administration nationwide. Akinlabi explained that the temporary disruptions being experienced in some passport offices are part of a phased, government-led migration to a centralised passport production system, and not an attempt to discriminate against any region or group of citizens.…

By Peter Omopo Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, has described education as the most reliable pathway to sustainable development, stressing that his administration remains committed to strengthening educational institutions across the state. The governor made the statement on Saturday at the 5th Combined Convocation Ceremony of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, where he highlighted the role of education in driving personal growth, institutional relevance and long-term socio-economic progress. According to Ododo, his administration’s belief in education as a catalyst for development has informed several targeted interventions at the polytechnic, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, security, staff welfare and student support.…

By Peter Omopo Preparations for the forthcoming Niger Delta Games have gathered momentum as Rivers and Ondo states intensified athlete selection trials ahead of the regional sports festival scheduled to hold later this month. In Rivers State, trials to select athletes who will represent the state are set to conclude on Saturday, February 7, with football activities rounding off the week-long exercise. The trials commenced on Monday, February 2, featuring competitions in chess, table tennis, tennis and scrabble. Handball and wrestling events followed on Tuesday, while volleyball and taekwondo trials were held on Wednesday. Swimming and powerlifting were conducted on…

By Peter Omopo The Lagos State Environmental Task Force has intensified enforcement operations against illegal street trading as part of the government’s ongoing Zero Tolerance Lagos campaign aimed at curbing environmental infractions and improving public safety. In coordinated operations carried out across key locations in the state, traders were dislodged from Ojota Junction, Iyana-Ipaja Under Bridge, and Egbeda Junction for encroaching on highways, obstructing traffic, and endangering road users. The Commissioner for the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed in separate statements posted on his official X account on Friday and Saturday that he personally directed the…

By Peter Omopo The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has expressed deep appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for attending the wedding fātiḥa of his children in Abuja. In a statement shared on his verified Facebook page on Saturday, Matawalle also thanked the President of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, Carlos Vila Nova, noting that his presence added special significance to the occasion. The wedding fātiḥa, which involved Matawalle’s ten children—five daughters and five sons—was held at the National Mosque, Abuja. President Tinubu served as the Wali (guardian) to the brides during the ceremony, a…

By Peter Omopo The Lagos State Government has partnered with the Nigerian Air Force to deploy drone technology aimed at strengthening security surveillance across the state. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the drones, which are fitted with advanced surveillance cameras, will support security agencies by enabling rapid monitoring of vast areas of the metropolis within minutes, far surpassing the coverage possible through conventional ground patrols. According to the governor, the drones will relay real-time video feeds to a central control room, allowing law enforcement personnel to identify suspicious activities and monitor difficult-to-access locations. He noted that the technology will be…

By Peter Omopo The Nigerian Army Finance Corps (NAFC) on Friday held a colourful valedictory parade in Lagos to formally bid farewell to 10 retired generals of the Corps, in recognition of their years of dedicated service to the Nigerian Army. The ceremony took place at the School of Signals Parade Ground in Apapa, Lagos State, and attracted a wide array of serving and retired senior military officers, dignitaries and guests. In a statement issued on Saturday and signed by Lieutenant Colonel Musa Yahaya, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 81 Division Nigerian Army, the event was organised to…