Author: TheLagosianMagazine

12th July 2025 | By Peter Omopo  A United States federal court has sentenced Nigerian national, Abiola Femi Quadri, to 135 months (over 11 years) in prison for orchestrating a $1.3 million COVID-19 unemployment and disability benefits fraud scheme targeting the states of California and Nevada. Quadri, 43, who resided in the San Gabriel Valley area of California, was found guilty of submitting more than 100 fraudulent claims using stolen identities to siphon pandemic-related relief funds. He used the illicit proceeds to finance luxury construction projects in Nigeria, including a 120-room hotel, a nightclub, and a shopping mall. According to…

By Peter Omopo  12th July 2025 – Security was visibly heightened at the headquarters of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) in Yaba on Saturday as local government elections got underway across the state. A News Agency of Nigeria correspondent reported a strong deployment of security personnel at the LASIEC office, including a large contingent of police officers, officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS), all stationed in strategic positions around the premises. Access to the LASIEC headquarters was heavily restricted, with roadblocks mounted at both ends…

By Peter Omopo  July 12, 2025 – Officials of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) on Saturday expressed concern over the low voter turnout observed across polling units in the Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area during the local government elections. Despite the early arrival of electoral materials and personnel, most polling units recorded sparse participation from residents, hours after voting officially commenced. At Polling Unit 036, where 56 voters were registered, voting began as scheduled at 8:00 a.m., but only a handful had shown up by mid-morning. “We’ve been here since 8 a.m., but not many people have come…

By Peter Omopo  July 12, 2025 – Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday participated in the ongoing local government elections by casting his vote at Polling Unit 006, Ward E, located at St. Stephens Nursery and Primary School, Adeniji Adele, Lagos Island. The governor arrived at the polling unit with his wife, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, and both cast their ballots at approximately 11:00 a.m. Voting commenced earlier at 8:00 a.m. at the unit, with residents turning out to elect the chairman and councillors for the Lagos Island Local Government Area. The election across Lagos State is being held to…

By Peter Omopo  July 12, 2025 – Former Nigerian diplomats have expressed contrasting views on how the Federal Government should react to the recent United States decision to reduce visa validity for most Nigerian applicants from multiple years to single-entry, three-month visas. The U.S. government announced the new visa policy on Wednesday, affecting non-immigrant categories such as B-1/B-2 (tourism/business), F (students), and J (exchange visitors). This change significantly reduces the validity period previously enjoyed by Nigerians, which ranged from two to five years with multiple entries. According to the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, the policy revision is based on the…

By Peter Omopo  July 12, 2025 | Agency Report – The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has attributed its failure to field candidates in Saturday’s local government elections in Lagos State to internal leadership disputes and delays by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in updating the party’s official records. The elections, conducted across the state’s 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas, did not feature any NNPP contenders — a development the party described as “unfortunate and regrettable.” Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the NNPP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ogini Olaposi, said the…

By Peter Omopo  Saturday, July 12, 2025 – Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has formally petitioned the Senate, urging immediate compliance with a Federal High Court judgment that declared her six-month suspension unconstitutional, excessive, and overreaching. The embattled lawmaker, through her legal counsel, M.J. Numa & Partners LLP, submitted a petition dated July 11, 2025, demanding full reinstatement in line with the court’s ruling delivered by Justice Binta Nyako on July 4. In the judgment, the court held that the senator’s suspension infringed on her constitutional rights and those of her constituents, citing a violation of Section 63…

By Peter Omopo  Saturday, July 12, 2025 – The usually bustling Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and major roads within the Alausa-Secretariat axis of Lagos State were largely deserted on Saturday morning as residents observed movement restrictions imposed for the conduct of the local government elections. A PUNCH correspondent, who monitored the situation firsthand, reported a significant drop in vehicular and pedestrian activity across major transit routes leading into the state capital, including the ever-busy expressway and roads leading to the Alausa Government Secretariat in Ikeja. The quiet streets followed a directive issued earlier in the week by the Lagos State Police Command,…

By Peter Omopo  By Ismaeel Uthman, Bola Bamigbola, and Imoleayo Oyedeyi Saturday, July 12, 2025 A growing wave of political uncertainty has gripped both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State following strong indications that Governor Ademola Adeleke may be planning to defect from the PDP to the ruling APC. Multiple sources within Adeleke’s inner circle, including cabinet members and political aides, confirmed to Saturday PUNCH that the governor had advanced discussions with key APC figures and was weighing a formal defection, though no official date has been set. The rumours, which began…

By Peter Omopo  Saturday, July 12, 2025 – At least 12 Nigerian states, including Lagos, Benue, and Kaduna, failed to meet their first quarter (Q1) revenue targets for 2025 despite collectively spending over N117 billion on debt servicing within the same period, a Saturday PUNCH investigation has revealed. This disclosure is based on an analysis of Q1 2025 Budget Implementation Reports sourced from state government websites and Open Nigerian States, a transparency platform backed by BudgIT for public finance data. The affected states are Abia, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Ekiti, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Lagos, Ondo, and Taraba. Reports for the…