Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Peter Omopo  A coroner in South Wales has attributed the tragic drowning of 15-year-old Nigerian teenager, David Ejimofor, to inadequate safety measures at Aberavon Beach in Neath Port Talbot. David died on the evening of June 19, 2023, after jumping from a breakwater into the sea. The inquest into his death, held on Tuesday, concluded that a “lack of effective deterrents” played a significant role in the incident. Coroner Edward Ramsay, delivering his verdict, noted that while David had received some swimming training, his ability was insufficient to cope with the conditions at the beach. “Despite the frantic efforts…

By Peter Omopo  President Bola Tinubu has placed the $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project among his administration’s top priority infrastructure initiatives, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim revealed on Wednesday. Speaking at the executive session of the African Parliament Union in Casablanca, Morocco, Ibrahim, who represents Nigeria at the gathering, said the President is committed to reviewing and reviving abandoned projects, with the transcontinental pipeline taking centre stage. The ambitious project, which spans approximately 5,660 kilometres, is designed to transport up to 30 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually. The pipeline will run through 13 African countries, including Nigeria, Benin, Togo,…

By Peter Omopo  The South-East Caucus in the House of Representatives has called for the cancellation of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), citing widespread irregularities and what it described as a “catastrophic institutional failure” by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). Leading the charge is Hon. Iduma Igariwey, who made the demand during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday. Igariwey argued that the credibility of the examination had been compromised, leaving many candidates who prepared diligently unable to sit for the test under fair conditions. “The whole thing has lost its integrity. It has…

By Peter Omopo  The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has raised alarm over the growing role of gold and critical mineral demand in fuelling crime, corruption, and instability across Africa. In a new report released on Tuesday in Vienna, titled “Minerals Crime: Illegal Gold Mining, Part Two of the Global Analysis on Crimes that Affect the Environment,” the UN agency detailed how organised criminal networks, corporations, and individuals are increasingly involved in illegal gold mining and mineral trafficking. The report highlighted that while most gold mining activities take place in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and…

By Peter Omopo  Workers of the National Assembly Service Commission have called for their return to the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), nearly two years after being exempted through a law establishing a separate pension board. The demand was presented on Tuesday during a stakeholder engagement session organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Pensions in Abuja. The session focused on the ongoing review of the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014. In a memorandum submitted to the committee, the Clerk of the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, revealed that the Service had reconsidered its withdrawal from the CPS and now seeks…

By Peter Omopo  Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has raised alarm over the presence of Boko Haram informants within the Nigerian political class, military ranks, and local communities, accusing them of aiding the insurgency. Speaking during an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central on Wednesday, Governor Zulum vowed to strengthen the state’s intelligence apparatus and deal decisively with saboteurs. “We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian armed forces, within the politicians, and within the communities,” Zulum said. “What we shall do is to strengthen our intelligence and deal with them ruthlessly.” He also criticized the politicisation of national security…

By Peter Omopo  Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has directed all 20 commissioners in the state to publicly present their achievements over the past two years, in a move aimed at promoting transparency and accountability in governance. The directive was confirmed on Wednesday in Jos by the Commissioner for Youths, Musa Ashoms, who told PUNCH Online that the initiative forms part of the administration’s commitment to performance evaluation and responsible governance. “Yes, the governor gave the approval. This is part of routine governance to ensure that commissioners report on what they have done since they were given the mandate. You…

By Peter Omopo  The Federal University of Transportation, Daura, Katsina State, has announced plans to send its students abroad for practical training in a bid to enhance their academic experience and align with global standards in transport education. Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Umar Adam, made the disclosure during a media briefing in Daura on Wednesday. He said the initiative is part of the university’s collaboration with the Chinese company handling its construction and development. According to Adam, the plan involves adopting a “3+2” academic model where students will spend three years studying theoretical components in Nigeria before proceeding to…

By Peter Omopo  Former Governor of Jigawa State and ex-National Secretary of the defunct Social Democratic Party, Sule Lamido, has revealed that he confronted then-President Goodluck Jonathan over remarks he made in the aftermath of the 2010 Independence Day bombing near Eagle Square in Abuja. In his newly released autobiography, Being True to Myself, Lamido disclosed that he was deeply troubled by Jonathan’s public statement suggesting that “his people” were not responsible for the blast—a comment made before any official investigation had begun. The October 1, 2010, bomb attack, which occurred during Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary celebrations, was later linked…

By Peter Omopo  Former Governor of Jigawa State and ex-National Secretary of the defunct Social Democratic Party, Sule Lamido, has revealed that the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua disregarded his counsel and openly acknowledged the massive irregularities that marred the 2007 presidential election. Lamido made the disclosure in his newly released autobiography Being True to Myself, published on May 13, where he detailed a key moment in the early days of Yar’Adua’s administration. According to Lamido, during preparations for the late president’s first National Council of State meeting, he had advised Yar’Adua to rephrase the introduction to a memo on…