Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Peter Omopo  Abuja, June 30, 2025 — The Federal High Court in Abuja has denied bail to three detained promoters of the embattled Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX), who are facing allegations of defrauding investors of over $1 billion through a cryptocurrency investment scheme. Justice Emeka Nwite, delivering the ruling on Monday, said the strength of the evidence presented in the affidavits by both the prosecution and defence weighed heavily against granting bail at this stage. The defendants — Adefowora Abiodun, Adefowora Oluwanisola, and Emmanuel Uko — were arrested and detained following an earlier order granted by the court on…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja, June 30, 2025 — More than 50,000 Nigerians have tested positive for tuberculosis (TB) following intensified national screening efforts, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria revealed on Monday. However, a significant number of those diagnosed are yet to begin treatment due to funding shortfalls. The alarming figures were disclosed by Mr. Ibrahim Tajudeen, Executive Secretary of the Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) in Nigeria, during the 11th quarterly meeting of the Ministerial Oversight Committee for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund in Abuja. Tajudeen warned that Nigeria’s progress in TB detection could…

By Peter Omopo  Ibadan, June 30, 2025 — The Students’ Union Government (SUG) of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, has appealed to the Oyo State House of Assembly to halt the implementation of Governor Seyi Makinde’s recent decision to rename the institution after the late former governor, Dr. Omololu Olunloyo. Governor Makinde made the announcement during an interdenominational commendation service held last week at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan, stating that the institution would henceforth be known as Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan. The announcement has since triggered widespread criticism among students, alumni, and stakeholders, who fear that the change could undermine the…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja, June 30, 2025 — Former Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has strongly condemned the police blockade that prevented members of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) from accessing the national secretariat in Abuja on Monday. The incident, which unfolded ahead of a scheduled National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, forced PDP leaders to relocate the gathering to the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in the Central Business District. Addressing journalists shortly after the disruption, Chief George decried the development as an attack on internal democracy and a dangerous sign of…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja, June 30, 2025 — Nigerian musician and internet personality, Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, has defiantly rejected an arrest warrant issued by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), declaring that he will not respond to the agency’s summons. NAPTIP had on Friday declared Okoye wanted over alleged involvement in rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking, urging the public to provide information on his whereabouts. In a video posted to his YouTube channel on Monday, Okoye dismissed the allegations as baseless and accused the agency of attempting to use him for publicity.…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja, June 30, 2025 — Deputy National Chairman (North) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ali Bukar Dalori, on Monday chaired his first National Working Committee (NWC) meeting as Acting National Chairman of the party, following the resignation of his predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje. The closed-door meeting, which is currently underway at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, brings together several key members of the party’s NWC. Party insiders say the session is expected to address recent internal developments, review Ganduje’s resignation, and outline the party’s next steps as it navigates a transitional leadership phase. Ganduje, a former…

By Peter Omopo  Calabar, June 30, 2025 — Clinical lecturers at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) have officially ended their indefinite strike and resumed academic duties, following the resolution of a dispute over the ongoing Vice-Chancellor selection process. The lecturers, under the aegis of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), had downed tools on June 13, 2025, protesting what they described as a deliberate exclusion from the criteria for selecting the institution’s next Vice-Chancellor. According to the aggrieved lecturers, the job advertisement released by the university’s governing council was discriminatory against members of the clinical faculty. In…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja, June 30, 2025 — The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan bail on self-recognition after she was arraigned on Monday over a six-count charge related to alleged cybercrime. The senator, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against her by the prosecution. According to the charge sheet, Akpoti-Uduaghan is accused of making false and defamatory statements against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello. One of the statements cited in the charge alleged that: “Akpabio told Yahaya Bello… that he should…

By Farooq A. Kperogi Please join me to raise a glass to celebrate Hadiza Usman Ma’aji, whom the Senate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has just promoted to the rank of professor. With that vote, she becomes the first woman from northern Nigeria to reach the rank of professor of clinical pharmacy. It’s a milestone that deserves a little song and dance, as Brits say it. I am writing about Professor Hadiza Uman Ma’aji for two very personal reasons. First, she’s the wife of one of my best friends (who has actually been more brother than friend) and former classmate…

By Peter Omopo  Benin City, June 29, 2025 — The Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, has promised to undertake a comprehensive upgrade of the Benin Recreation Club (BRC), vowing that the facility will undergo a complete transformation within the next 12 months. Igbinedion made the commitment on Saturday during the commissioning of a newly remodelled ultramodern lounge at the BRC, which has been named in his honour. Speaking at the event, the elder statesman expressed concern over the current condition of the club, describing it as in dire need of urgent revitalisation. “This place needs a drastic improvement,”…