Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Peter Omopo Bamako | October 27, 2025 — A court in Bamako, Mali’s capital, on Monday sentenced former Prime Minister Moussa Mara to two years in prison, with one year suspended, after finding him guilty of undermining the credibility of the state and opposing legitimate authority through a social media post expressing solidarity with political prisoners. Mara, who served as Mali’s prime minister between 2014 and 2015, has been detained since August 1 following his July post in which he revealed that he had met with detained political figures and pledged to seek justice for them. During Monday’s proceedings…

By Peter Omopo Kaduna | October 27, 2025 — Court activities across Kaduna State were brought to a standstill on Monday as members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) commenced an indefinite strike to demand the implementation of judicial financial autonomy and payment of outstanding entitlements. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all levels of courts — including the Federal and State High Courts, Upper Shari’a Courts, Customary Courts, and Magistrates’ Courts — were under lock and key, with banners at their entrances reading: “JUSUN Kaduna State Chapter Embarks on Strike.” At the Shari’a Court, Magajin…

By Peter Omopo Washington D.C. | October 27, 2025 — Air travel chaos deepened across the United States on Sunday as more than 8,000 flights were delayed due to a worsening air traffic controller shortage caused by the ongoing federal government shutdown, now stretching into its 26th day. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) faced staffing shortages at 22 air traffic control centers on Saturday — one of the highest numbers since the shutdown began on October 1. He warned that the disruptions could persist or worsen in the coming days if Congress fails…

By Peter Omopo Abuja | October 27, 2025 — The detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on Monday abandoned his earlier plan to call witnesses in his ongoing terrorism trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Kanu, who is facing seven counts of terrorism-related charges filed by the Federal Government, appeared before Justice James Omotosho, where he informed the court that he no longer intended to proceed with his planned defence. At the previous sitting on Friday, Kanu had requested an adjournment, citing his inability to access his case file, which he said…

By Peter Omopo October 27, 2025 | Yaoundé — Cameroon’s long-serving President Paul Biya, aged 92, has been declared winner of the country’s October 12 presidential election, securing a controversial eighth term in office with 53.7 percent of the vote, according to results announced by the Constitutional Council on Monday. His closest challenger, former minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary, finished second with 35.2 percent, despite insisting last week that he had won the poll and calling for nationwide demonstrations to “defend the people’s choice.” The declaration followed a tense weekend marked by violent protests in Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital, where four…

By Peter Omopo October 27, 2025 | Yaoundé — At least four people were confirmed dead on Sunday following violent clashes between security forces and supporters of Cameroonian opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who claims victory in the country’s disputed presidential election. The violence erupted in Douala, Cameroon’s largest city, a day before the Constitutional Council is expected to announce the official results of the October 12 presidential poll. Tchiroma, who mounted a serious challenge to President Paul Biya’s 43-year rule, had called on his supporters to march peacefully despite a government ban on public gatherings. The 74-year-old opposition figure…

October 27, 2025 | Abuja — The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has arrived in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to participate in the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS) and Mayors’ Forum, a global platform for city leaders and policymakers. His arrival was confirmed in a statement released on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka. According to the statement, Wike was received at the airport by the Consul General of Nigeria in Dubai, Zayyanu Ibrahim, alongside senior officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) who had arrived…

In Lagos, the city of cities, where taste rules, Heineken proudly celebrates ten years of partnership with Heineken Lagos Fashion Week (LFW), a collaboration that has championed African fashion and shaped Lagos’ cultural narrative on the global stage. The festivities of Heineken’s Lagos Fashion Week kicked off with an exclusive press cocktail held at Nomaada, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday, the 24th of October. The evening brought together designers, media personalities, and cultural tastemakers in a relaxed setting to toast to Heineken’s decade-long partnership and to set the stage for the highly anticipated 15th anniversary edition of Heineken Lagos Fashion…

By Peter Omopo | Ilorin Former Kwara State lawmaker and prominent figure in the 2019 Otoge movement, Hon. Saheed Popoola, has accused Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of failing to secure the state, alleging that banditry and insecurity have worsened under his administration. Popoola, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the accusations during his formal defection rally held in Offa on Sunday. He claimed that under AbdulRazaq’s leadership, Kwara had witnessed an alarming rise in kidnappings and killings — a trend he described as “unprecedented since the state’s creation in 1967.” “We…

By Peter Omopo | Ilorin President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inaugurated seven newly completed projects at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) as part of the activities marking the institution’s 40th convocation ceremonies. The projects, spread across different faculties and departments, include the Faculty of Social Sciences Building, a block of four lecture halls for the Faculties of Social and Management Sciences, the Department of English Drama Studio in the Faculty of Arts, and the renovated Blocks 1–10. Others are the renovated Department of Geography and Environmental Management Building, the remodelled UNILORIN Innovation Hub, and the Technical Entrepreneurship Centre Road. Speaking…