Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Peter Omopo The Nigerian Army has published the list of shortlisted candidates for the Short Service Combatant Commission (SSC) Course 49/2026, announcing the commencement of the next stage of its recruitment process. The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Military Secretary (Army), who confirmed that the full list of successful applicants is now accessible on the Army’s official recruitment portal: recruitment.army.mil.ng. According to the statement, all shortlisted candidates are to report to the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Ribadu Campus (Old Site), Kaduna State, on December 1, 2025, for the Selection Board exercise. “Candidates are…

By Sola Ojewusi KINGSTON / NEW YORK — The music world today mourns one of its most enduring voices, Jamaican reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, who has passed away at the age of 81. According to a statement from his family, Cliff died after suffering a seizure followed by pneumonia. A Voice That Carried Jamaica to the World Born James Chambers in St. James Parish, Jamaica in 1944, Jimmy Cliff rose from humble beginnings to become a global ambassador of reggae. His breakout hit came in his teens, and by the 1970s he had made history starring in the film The…

This is why it is important to recognize red flags those early signs that something is not healthy for our spirit, our purpose, or our peace. Whether in friendships, marriages, or within our communities, paying attention to these signs is not an act of fear but an act of wisdom. A red flag can be anything that consistently drains your joy, compromises your values, disrespects your boundaries, or pulls you away from God’s purpose for your life. When God gives you discernment, it is an invitation to protect your heart, not to harden it. Proverbs 4:23 says “Above all else,…

By Sola Ojewusi There are actors who entertain, and there are actors who endure. And then there are a few—very few—who transcend the boundaries of performance altogether, becoming part of the emotional architecture of a nation’s memory. Dharmendra belonged to this rarest category. His passing today, at the age of eighty-nine, feels like the earth has shifted slightly on its axis. Something steady, familiar, and deeply comforting has gone. Dharmendra’s journey through Indian cinema was not merely long; it was rich, textured, and astonishingly diverse. Beginning in the early 1960s with films like Anpadh and Bandini, he introduced a screen…

By Peter Omopo President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) nationwide, directing that the officers be reassigned to core policing duties to strengthen security across the country. The directive was announced on Sunday following a high-level security meeting held in Abuja with service chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services. According to a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, VIPs who require protection will henceforth be guarded by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), not the…

By Peter Omopo The Edo State Special Security Squad has arrested two suspected kidnappers and demolished their operational hideout in the Egbai community of Ovia North-East Local Government Area. The development was disclosed on Sunday in a statement issued by Fred Itua, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo. According to the statement, the suspects were apprehended on Saturday after a “high-level, intelligence-driven surveillance” operation. During their parade, the suspects reportedly confessed to kidnapping one Blessing Nosa, for whose release they collected a ransom of ₦30 million. Authorities said the pair came under intensified scrutiny after they abducted another businessperson…

By Peter Omopo South African authorities have launched an investigation into allegations that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, played a role in recruiting South African men to fight as mercenaries for Russia in the ongoing Ukraine war. Police confirmed on Sunday that the allegations were detailed in an affidavit submitted by one of Zuma-Sambudla’s sisters, requesting a formal probe into her alleged involvement. Zuma-Sambudla, who currently serves as a Member of Parliament for her father’s MK (uMkhonto weSizwe) political party, is accused alongside two others of coordinating the recruitment of at least 17 South African nationals. According…

By Peter Omopo The Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, has honoured the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation and Senator representing Ogun West, Solomon Adeola, with its prestigious Fellowship Award in recognition of his long-standing contributions to educational development in Nigeria. The award was presented during the institution’s 37th convocation ceremony, according to a statement released on Sunday by the senator’s media aide, Kayode Odunaro. Speaking at the event, the Rector of YABATECH, Dr. Ibraheem Abdul, described Senator Adeola—widely known as Yayi—as a consistent advocate for technological education and national development. Abdul noted that the senator had played…

By Peter Omopo The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed speculation surrounding the absence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi at the unveiling of its new national secretariat in Abuja on November 17. Both Atiku and Obi, key figures in the ADC-led coalition ahead of the 2027 general election, were noticeably missing from the high-profile event. Their absence had sparked rumours of internal disagreement, particularly suggestions that Obi boycotted the ceremony because the building previously served as Atiku’s campaign office. However, the ADC leadership has debunked the reports, insisting there is no rift…

By Peter Omopo Prominent leaders from the South-East, including Abia State Governor Alex Otti and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, have renewed calls for dialogue following the conviction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu. Kanu was on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, after being found guilty on seven terrorism-related charges. The court handed him life terms on five counts, 20 years on one, and five years on another, all without the option of a fine. Justice Omotosho also observed that the Kuje Correctional Centre…