Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Peter Omopo  Ijebu Ode, July 19, 2025 — Traditional worshippers in Ogun State have accused the state government of undermining long-established customs by allegedly using coercive tactics to prevent the performance of traditional burial rites for the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona. The traditionalists, led by the Coordinator of the Traditional Worshippers Association of Ogun State, Chief Ifasola Opeodu, expressed their outrage over what they described as government overreach, particularly the deployment of security personnel to enforce the Obas and Chiefs Law of 2021, which allows monarchs to be buried according to their religious beliefs. The…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja, July 19, 2025 — The Federal Government has maintained that Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), must stand trial on terrorism-related charges. At a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday, the government’s lead counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, urged the court to dismiss Kanu’s no-case submission, insisting that sufficient evidence had been presented to warrant a full trial. Kanu is facing a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism, brought against him by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. The charges stem from a series of broadcasts…

By Peter Omopo  Osogbo, July 19, 2025 — Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East Senatorial District, has officially resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ending his long-standing association with the party. In a resignation letter dated June 12, 2025, and addressed to the PDP Ward 4 Chairman in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State, Senator Fadahunsi attributed his decision to the “irreparable, irreconcilable differences and protracted legal battles” that have engulfed the party since the 2023 general elections. The letter, obtained by Punch Online, revealed that the senator reached the decision after extensive consultations with his political associates,…

By Peter Omopo  Kaduna, July 19, 2025 — The Kaduna State Police Command has banned a planned rally in honour of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, which was scheduled to take place in the state on Saturday. According to a statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, the decision was taken based on credible intelligence indicating that criminal elements intended to infiltrate the rally to incite violence and disrupt public order. The police stressed that all politically-motivated gatherings remain suspended across the state until the official commencement of political activities as stipulated by…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja | July 18, 2025 — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Muhammad Babangida, son of former military President Ibrahim Babangida, as Chairman of the restructured Bank of Agriculture, alongside seven other key appointments across federal agencies. According to a statement released by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the appointments reflect the President’s commitment to revitalising key institutions and advancing good governance. Muhammad Babangida, 53, brings to the role a wealth of private sector and academic experience. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a…

By Peter Omopo  Accra, Ghana | July 16, 2025 — Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Nigerian leader, Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a “redoubtable patriot” and “staunch African integrationist,” whose influence reached far beyond the borders of Nigeria. In a statement released on Tuesday morning following confirmation of Buhari’s death in a UK hospital on July 13, President Akufo-Addo said he joined millions across Africa and the world in mourning and celebrating the life of a man he called a “good friend and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja | July 17, 2025 — The Northern Youth Frontiers (NYF) have commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his “exemplary leadership” and unifying gestures during the funeral arrangements of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away in London on July 13. In a statement released on Tuesday by the National Coordinator of the NYF, Sama Musa, the group praised President Tinubu for what they described as a “dignified and respectful farewell” to the late former president. They particularly highlighted Tinubu’s declaration of a one-day national holiday and the order to fly the national flag at half-mast for…

Abuja | July 17, 2025 By Peter Omopo The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has revealed that soldiers of Operation Safe Haven rejected a ₦13.7 million bribe offered by terror suspects during a military operation in Plateau State. Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, praised the troops for their professionalism and integrity, describing their conduct as “commendable and exemplary.” Kangye said the soldiers were responding to a distress call on July 9, 2025, when they intercepted a suspicious vehicle riddled with bullet holes along the Jos–Sanga Road. “The suspects…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja | July 17, 2025 The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has firmly responded to recent comments by the Turkish government alleging that members of the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO) are operating in Nigeria under the cover of educational and healthcare institutions. Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, emphasized that Nigeria is a sovereign nation capable of making independent decisions, especially on matters of national security and counterterrorism. “Nigeria is an independent, sovereign nation that can think and act for itself,” Kangye said. “We cannot take…

By Peter Omopo  July 18, 2025 | Abuja President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the renaming of the University of Maiduguri in Borno State to Muhammadu Buhari University, in honour of the late former president, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), who died on Sunday, July 13, at the age of 82. The announcement was made on Thursday at the Aso Rock Villa, during a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) session convened to pay tribute to the late Nigerian leader. “May we now adopt the University of Maiduguri as the Muhammadu Buhari University,” President Tinubu declared at the close of the session,…