Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Kolawole Omotola Olaide The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced the mother and sister of slain bandit commander Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo to 40 years imprisonment each after finding them guilty of terrorism-related offences. The judgment, delivered by Justice Hauwa Yilwa on Friday, followed the guilty pleas entered by the two women, Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi, on several counts linked to aiding the activities of the notorious bandit leader. According to court proceedings, the convicts were found to have maintained communication with Battujo and provided information that supported his operations while he remained active in the forests. The…

By Kolawole Omotola Olaide Residents of Ekiti State are trooping out today to elect their next governor in what many political observers describe as a defining moment in the state’s democratic journey. With more than one million registered voters expected to participate, Governor Biodun Oyebanji is seeking to achieve a feat no governor in the state’s history has accomplished — winning consecutive governorship elections without interruption. Since the creation of Ekiti State, no elected governor has successfully secured back-to-back victories at the polls. Although former governors Ayodele Fayose and Kayode Fayemi each served two terms, their tenures were separated by…

By Peter Omopo Obafemi Awolowo University has emerged as the overall winner of the 2026 University Duel Competition, outperforming participants from universities across the country in a contest designed to promote academic excellence and digital skills development. The 11-week competition featured 186 students drawn from 62 universities, who competed in categories including Applied Mathematics, Data Analysis, General Knowledge, and Verbal Reasoning. The tournament was aimed at bridging theoretical knowledge with practical digital competencies. Speaking during the presentation of prizes to the winners, the Dean of Student Affairs at Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. J.A. Odedire, commended MTN Nigeria for sponsoring the…

By Peter Omopo United States striker Folarin Balogun has emerged as one of the standout performers at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but his remarkable journey to representing the United States has also drawn attention to the ongoing debate over birthright citizenship in the country. Balogun announced himself on the global stage with a brace in the United States’ emphatic victory over Paraguay in their opening match of the tournament, further cementing his status as a key figure in the co-hosts’ World Cup campaign. However, the 24-year-old forward’s eligibility to play for the United States stems from circumstances surrounding his…

By Peter Omopo The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State and Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, has reaffirmed his commitment to service, inclusive development, and the preservation of Lagos State’s rich cultural heritage. Hamzat made the pledge during a courtesy visit to the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, at the Iga Idungaran Palace on Lagos Island. The visit, described as a symbolic engagement, was aimed at strengthening the long-standing relationship between government and traditional institutions, while underscoring the importance of cultural values in governance and community development. During the visit, Hamzat paid homage to the revered…

By Peter Omopo The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced two women linked to the activities of a notorious terrorist leader, Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo, to 40 years imprisonment for terrorism-related offences. The convicts, Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi, who are the mother and sister of the late terrorist kingpin, were sentenced on Friday by Justice Hauwa Joseph Yilwa after pleading guilty to multiple charges brought against them by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation. Battujo, a notorious bandit leader, was reportedly killed by Nigerian security forces on June 10, 2026, during a military operation in a forest…

By Peter Omopo Nigeria has recorded another impressive achievement on the global technology stage, with a team of 15 students winning multiple awards at the 2026 Huawei ICT Global Competition Finals held in China. The students, drawn from several Nigerian universities, competed in the Network, Cloud, Computing and Innovation categories after progressing through the national and regional stages of the year-long Huawei ICT Academy programme. The participating institutions included Ahmadu Bello University, Igbinedion University, University of Lagos, Federal University of Technology Minna, University of Port Harcourt and Nasarawa State University. Announcing the students’ return, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and…

By Peter Omopo The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has called on refiners, depot owners and petroleum products importers to reduce ex-depot and retail pump prices of petroleum products in line with the recent decline in global crude oil prices. PETROAN National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, made the appeal in a statement issued on Thursday by the association’s National Public Relations Officer, Dr. Joseph Obele. Gillis-Harry said the drop in international crude oil prices presents an opportunity for operators in the downstream petroleum sector to transfer the benefits of lower crude costs to Nigerian consumers through reduced…

The African Women Lawyers Association, Nigeria (AWLAN), Enugu State Branch, has intensified calls for urgent national intervention following the continued captivity of 49 pupils and teachers abducted from Oriire in Oyo State, who are reportedly being held within the Old Oyo National Park. The association, while situating the crisis within a broader child protection framework, warned that the promise of education and sanitation will lose meaning where the safety of lives cannot be guaranteed. It stressed that no right can be fully exercised in the absence of security, particularly for children in learning environments. The development was disclosed in a…

By Peter Omopo The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group) have entered into a partnership aimed at promoting financial literacy and expanding capital market awareness among corps members nationwide. The initiative seeks to equip young graduates with investment knowledge and expose them to opportunities within Nigeria’s capital market as part of broader efforts to encourage financial inclusion, wealth creation and economic participation. The partnership was highlighted during a visit by the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, to the Nigerian Exchange Group in Lagos, where he also participated in the Closing Gong…