Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Peter Omopo The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has confirmed that six passengers sustained injuries on Tuesday after a Kaduna-bound train derailed along the Abuja–Kaduna corridor. The incident, which occurred at about 11:09 a.m. at KM 49 between Kubwa Station and Asham Station, caused panic among commuters but no fatalities were recorded. In a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, the NSIB said a response team had been deployed to the site to collect evidence, engage stakeholders, and commence an investigation into the cause of the accident. “Current information available indicates…

By Peter Omopo  The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Maiduguri chapter, on Tuesday staged a protest against what it described as the “ridiculous” N150,000 monthly retirement benefit for professors under the contributory pension scheme. Addressing journalists after a one-hour demonstration on campus, UNIMAID ASUU Chairman, Dr. Abubakar Mshelia, said the policy amounts to a betrayal of academics who dedicated decades to nation-building. “Professors who have served this country for over 40 years retire on a meagre N150,000 while inflation is above 21 per cent. This is a national disgrace. A nation that treats its intellectuals with such…

By Peter Omopo A passenger train travelling from Abuja to Kaduna derailed on Tuesday morning, leaving several coaches overturned and sparking panic among passengers. The incident occurred shortly after the train departed Abuja around 11 a.m., along the busy corridor linking the Federal Capital Territory to Kaduna. Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with passengers scrambling out of derailed cabins in fear. “It was pure pandemonium. People were running in different directions after the carriages went off track. We are not sure if everyone is safe yet, but we pray all passengers survive,” an eyewitness told PUNCH Online. The Managing…

By Peter Omopo The Nigerian Law School has announced the commencement of applications for admission into the Bar Part II Course for the 2025/2026 academic session. According to a statement signed by the Secretary to the Council and Director of Administration, Ms. Aderonke Osho, and shared via the Council of Legal Education’s official X handle on Tuesday, the application portal will open on Monday, September 11, 2025, and close on Friday, October 31, 2025. The new academic session is scheduled to begin on Monday, February 2, 2026, simultaneously at the Law School’s headquarters in Abuja and its campuses in Lagos,…

By Peter Omopo  The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has dismissed former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi’s claim that Nigeria has become a “killing field” under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Obi, in a post on his X handle on Monday, had alleged that more than 10,000 Nigerians were killed by terrorists, bandits, and criminal gangs in the past two years, citing figures from Amnesty International. Reacting on Tuesday, the Lagos APC spokesman, Mr. Seye Oladejo, described Obi’s statement as “baseless, sensationalist, and a distortion of reality,” insisting that Tinubu’s government had recorded “tangible and verifiable…

By Peter Omopo  Lecturers at the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) on Tuesday joined the nationwide protest organized by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), demanding the implementation of the renegotiated 2009 agreement and improved welfare for university teachers. The protest, which brought academic and social activities across the university’s three campuses to a halt, saw professors and senior lecturers march through the town campus, the annex, and Ikpa Road, carrying placards with inscriptions such as: “Our salaries are too poor,” “Treat lecturers with dignity,” and “Pay us sustainable living salaries.” All examinations scheduled for the day, including Computer-Based Tests,…

By Peter Omopo  The Benue State House of Assembly has suspended its immediate past Speaker, Aondona Dajoh, for three months over allegations of plotting to impeach Governor Hyacinth Alia. Dajoh’s suspension was announced during Tuesday’s plenary after a motion was moved by Terna Shimawua (Kyan Constituency) and seconded by James Umoru (Apa Constituency). Shimawua was among the lawmakers suspended last Friday by Dajoh before the latter resigned his position as Speaker. Presiding over the session, the new Speaker, Alfred Berger, upheld the motion but reduced the suspension from six months to three. The decision was taken without subjecting it to…

By Sola Ojewusi In a rare convergence of political power and literary genius, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva yesterday welcomed Nigerian Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, in Brasília. The encounter unfolded on the sidelines of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to the South American nation, adding a cultural resonance to the corridors of diplomacy. The meeting was more than ceremonial. Soyinka, Africa’s first Nobel laureate in Literature, presented President Lula with a copy of his seminal work Mito, Literatura e o Mundo Africano (Myth, Literature and the African World), a text that has long challenged and enlightened…

By Peter Omopo  The United Nations has raised alarm over the global water crisis, revealing that more than two billion people worldwide still lack access to safely managed drinking water. In a joint report released on Tuesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that progress towards universal access is moving far too slowly, putting billions at heightened risk of disease. The study showed that in 2024, one in four people globally did not have safe drinking water, with over 100 million still relying on unsafe surface water from rivers, ponds, and canals. “Water, sanitation,…

By Peter Omopo  The Federal Fire Service (FFS) has issued a health advisory to prospective recruits, urging them to prioritise physical fitness and mental readiness ahead of the next phase of its ongoing recruitment exercise. In a notice shared on its official X handle on Tuesday, the Service reminded applicants awaiting the shortlist that firefighting demands strength, stamina, and discipline. Candidates were advised to maintain healthy lifestyles by eating well, exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep, and staying calm while waiting for the process to advance. “Hunger is not part of the training syllabus,” the FFS quipped. “We need fit firefighters,…