Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Sola Ojewusi I am deeply honoured to celebrate my former boss, mentor and guiding light, Aare Dele Momodu as he celebrates another milestone. At 65, Aare Dele Momodu stands as a towering figure in Nigeria’s media, political, and cultural landscape—a rare blend of charisma, courage, intellect, and influence. He is a man of many seasons: journalist, publisher, politician, social commentator, NADECO chieftain, human rights activist, pro-democracy advocate, and friend to both kings and commoners. He is Nigeria’s most travelled journalist, one of the most flamboyant and yet most down-to-earth public figures, a bridge between power and the people, and,…

By Peter Omopo  A Federal High Court in Kaduna has convicted and sentenced a social media content creator, Muhammad Kabir, for abusing and mutilating the Nigerian currency in a video posted online. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed the conviction in a statement released on Thursday. Kabir, known on TikTok and Instagram by the handle @youngcee0066, was arrested on May 13, 2025, in the Tudun Wada area of Kaduna State. According to the EFCC, Kabir appeared in a video where he was seen spraying naira notes on the ground, stepping on them, and making provocative statements in Hausa.…

By Peter Omopo  The Lagos State Government has announced new working hour restrictions for construction sites across the state, limiting operations to between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays. Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Oluyinka Olumide, disclosed the directive on Thursday during a media briefing in Alausa. He stated that the regulation is aimed at ensuring environmental safety, reducing risks of building collapse, and promoting public well-being. “All those involved in building construction within Lagos State must strictly adhere to the new work schedule,” Olumide said. “Relevant government agencies will enforce compliance.” He added that while…

By Peter Omopo  In a bid to ease overcrowding in correctional facilities across Ogun State, the Chief Judge, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, on Thursday ordered the release of 67 inmates from three custodial centres. The inmates were freed during a jail delivery exercise held at the Oba Custodial Centre. According to Justice Dipeolu, 35 inmates were released from Sagamu, 20 from Oba, and 12 from the Ibara facility in Abeokuta. Addressing journalists, the Chief Judge explained that the periodic review and release of inmates is part of her constitutional responsibility to ensure the justice system does not unduly punish individuals awaiting…

By Peter Omopo  Tensions flared in Osun State on Thursday as members of the Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria (LECAN), Osun chapter, staged a protest against the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), accusing its staff of unethical practices and customer exploitation. The protesters, who marched through the Osogbo/Ibokun road, carried placards with messages such as “Band is a fraud,” “Enough of IBEDC Exploitation on Transformers,” and “Make meters available to all customers,” demanding an end to what they described as oppressive practices by IBEDC officials. Speaking to journalists, the state chairman of LECAN, Kayode Adebayo, alleged that IBEDC staff…

By Peter Omopo  Tension has gripped the Okoloke community in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State following the abduction of a first-class traditional ruler, Oba James Dada Ogunyanda, by unknown gunmen in the early hours of Thursday. According to eyewitness accounts, the attackers stormed the monarch’s palace around 2:00 a.m., overpowering palace guards before abducting the royal father and fleeing to an undisclosed location. The incident has plunged the community into shock and fear, with concerned residents gathering at the palace to offer prayers and call for swift government intervention. No contact has yet been made by the…

By Peter Omopo  Brazilian state oil giant, Petrobras, is eyeing a return to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector with a renewed interest in frontier deepwater exploration, according to the Presidency. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday. He said Petrobras, which previously exited its operations at Nigeria’s Agbami field, is now actively engaging Nigerian authorities as both countries prepare for the 2025 Nigeria-Brazil Strategic Dialogue Mechanism (SDM). The development was confirmed during an interministerial review meeting held at the Presidential…

By Peter Omopo  The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, has confirmed that technical errors affected the scores of some candidates in the recently released 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results. Addressing a press conference on Wednesday at JAMB headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, Oloyede acknowledged the public outcry that followed the release of the results on May 9, noting that the concerns prompted an immediate audit of the UTME process. He described the situation as “an easily avoidable error” that cast a shadow over what had otherwise been considered one of the board’s…

By Peter Omopo  The Federal Government has approved two major power infrastructure projects in Oyo State, aimed at strengthening the national grid and improving electricity access across the region. According to a statement issued on Wednesday by Bolaji Tunji, media aide to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, the approvals were granted during Monday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting. The projects include the revitalisation and concession of the Ikere Gorge Hydropower Plant and the construction of a new high-capacity substation in Ibadan. The new substation is to be sited in the Lalupon/Ejioku area of Lagelu Local Government and is expected…

By Peter Omopo  The National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted a provisional licence for the establishment of the Benue State University of Agriculture, Science and Technology, making it the second state-owned university in Benue State. The licence was formally presented on Wednesday by the NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, to the state’s Deputy Governor, Samuel Ode, who represented Governor Hyacinth Alia at the ceremony in Abuja. According to Ribadu, the new university, to be located in Ihugh, Vandeikya Local Government Area, brings the number of state-owned universities in Nigeria to 68, and the total number of universities in the…