Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Peter Omopo | September 14, 2025 Canada has denied 1,596 asylum applications filed by Nigerian nationals so far in 2025, fresh figures from the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) reveal. According to data updated as of August 21, Nigerians submitted 3,548 claims this year, of which 2,292 were approved — representing an acceptance rate of about 65 per cent. This marks an improvement compared to previous years, when cumulative rejections exceeded 13,000. A report by Maple Crest Law, a Canadian immigration practice, earlier estimated that Nigerians were among the top asylum seekers in early 2025, alongside citizens of Mexico,…

By Peter Omopo | September 14, 2025. The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has criticised the Dangote Refinery’s plan to slash petrol prices, warning that the move could destabilise the downstream sector and unfairly burden local businesses. Dangote Refinery had announced that from Monday, petrol prices would drop from ₦865 to ₦841 per litre in Lagos and the South-West, and ₦851 in Abuja, Edo, and Kwara, alongside the rollout of its direct distribution scheme. In a statement issued on Saturday, DAPPMAN’s Executive Secretary, Olufemi Adewole, described the refinery’s repeated price cuts as “strategically timed” to disrupt…

By Peter Omopo | September 14, 2025. The Southern Caucus of former federal legislators has formally endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for re-election in 2027, pledging its full support for his administration’s ongoing reforms and development agenda. The endorsement was announced after a consultative meeting of the caucus, where members commended Tinubu for what they described as his “courageous leadership” in steering Nigeria through economic and security challenges. Speaking on behalf of the group, the caucus chairman said the former lawmakers were united in their conviction that Tinubu’s policies under the Renewed Hope Agenda are laying the foundation for long-term…

By Sola Ojewusi  In the pantheon of African highlife music, few names shine as brightly as Chief Dr. Oliver Sunday Akanite—fondly known to the world as Oliver De Coque. The maestro, with his magical guitar strings and philosophical lyrics, enthralled audiences across Nigeria and beyond, defining a generation with his unique brand of Ogene Sound Super of Africa. From “People’s Club of Nigeria” to “Nnukwu Mmanwu” and “Ana Enwe Obodo Enwe,” his songs carried the heartbeat of the Igbo people while etching a permanent place for highlife music in Africa’s cultural firmament. But today, 16 years after his passing, the…

By Oluwabukola Raji Oworonshoki community in Lagos has been thrown into confusion following a series of midnight demolitions that residents claim were carried out under questionable circumstances. According to eyewitness accounts, bulldozers moved in under the cover of darkness, pulling down buildings without clear warnings. Families woke up to find their homes and businesses reduced to rubble, with many left stranded in the process. Frustrated residents took their grievances to the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABSCA), where they met with the General Manager, Gbolahan Oki. Sources at the meeting allege that Oki initially said he was unaware of the…

By Peter Omopo | September 13, 2025 Supporters of President Bola Tinubu have pushed back against growing calls on social media urging Nigerians to stage protests inspired by recent youth-led demonstrations in Nepal. The Nepali uprising, driven largely by Generation Z activists, toppled the country’s prime minister after weeks of unrest over politicians’ lavish lifestyles. Protesters defied curfews in Kathmandu earlier this week, setting fire to government buildings including the Supreme Court and parliament. The violence marked Nepal’s deadliest political crisis in years. In Nigeria, some activists and online commentators drew parallels with local grievances. Juwon Sanyaolu, leader of the…

By Peter Omopo | September 13, 2025 A three-storey building under construction collapsed on Friday night at 333 Borno Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos State, trapping several people beneath the debris. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday, noting that the collapse occurred at about 8:30 p.m. “While eyewitness accounts vary, with some saying six people were trapped and others reporting five, emergency responders have so far rescued four adult males alive and taken them to the hospital for treatment,” the agency said. Teams from NEMA, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the…

By Peter Omopo | September 13, 2025 The Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, has described the ongoing Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway as a transformative project that will expand trade, investment, and connectivity across Nigeria and West Africa. Goronyo made the remarks on Saturday during an inspection of the construction work in Sokoto and Kebbi states, alongside the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi. Commending President Bola Tinubu for sustaining infrastructure development despite economic headwinds, the minister said the superhighway would serve as a strategic link from Illela International Market in Sokoto through Kebbi, Niger, and other states, terminating in Badagry,…

By Peter Omopo, Osogbo | September 13, 2025 Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has directed the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Dosu Babatunde, to take immediate steps to address the lingering crisis surrounding the stool of Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, following the conviction of Oba Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede in the United States. Oba Oloyede, the 27th Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, was recently sentenced to more than four years in prison by a U.S. court for COVID-19 loan fraud. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, the monarch and a co-conspirator illegally obtained pandemic relief…

By Peter Omopo | September 13, 2025 The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has convicted 46 motorists for various traffic offences during a Mobile Court session in Calabar on Friday. The court, presided over by Magistrate Abigail Asuquo, tried cases ranging from attempts to bribe marshals to overloading of vehicles and driver’s licence violations. According to a statement by FRSC spokesperson, Olusegun Ogungbemide, ten offenders who attempted to bribe marshals on duty were fined ₦10,000 each, while another ten were fined the same amount for overloading. The court also imposed fines totalling ₦80,000 for driver’s licence infractions. Eighteen other motorists…