Author: TheLagosianMagazine

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,”…

By Peter Omopo  Lagos, June 29, 2025 — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested former international footballer Segun George Hunkarin and four others for their alleged involvement in drug trafficking across Lagos, Kano, and Enugu. In a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the agency disclosed that Hunkarin and his associate, Ntoruka Chinedu, were apprehended in Lagos for attempting to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja. Chinedu, a frequent flyer known for importing clothing from Turkey and exporting local foodstuffs, was arrested on Tuesday, June 24, upon arrival on…

By Peter Omopo  Madina, June 29, 2025 — Saudi Arabian authorities have approved the burial of renowned Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, in the holy city of Madina. The confirmation was made on Sunday by his Principal Private Secretary, Mustapha Junaid, via a post on his official Facebook page. According to Junaid, the burial is scheduled to take place on Monday morning. “Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah. I have received approval to take Aminu Alhassan Dantata from Abu Dhabi to Madina. He will be buried tomorrow morning, by the grace of Allah,” the statement read. Dantata, who passed away…

By Peter Omopo  Uyo, June 29, 2025 — Medical lecturers at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), operating under the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), have embarked on an indefinite strike in protest over the process for selecting the next Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo. The industrial action, which commenced at midnight on Thursday, June 26, 2025, follows resolutions reached during an Extraordinary General Meeting held between June 20 and 25. In a statement issued to the press on Sunday, MDCAN UUTH confirmed the commencement of the strike, stressing that it was total and would…

By Peter Omopo  Tehran, June 29, 2025 — Iran’s top military official has expressed doubt over Israel’s adherence to the recently brokered ceasefire agreement that brought an end to a 12-day military confrontation between the two countries earlier this month. According to a report by the Times of India, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, voiced “serious doubts” about Israel’s commitment to the truce during a nationally broadcast address on Sunday. “We did not start the war, but we have responded to the aggressor with all our power,” Mousavi said. “As we have…

By Sister Ola Ajayi What is Intimacy :Intimacy is a close, personal connection that goes beyond surface interaction, involving the sharing of thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It is marked by trust, vulnerability, and mutual understanding and can be emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual. Let me define what intimacy with God means in the Christian faith: it is a deep, personal connection built on trust, prayer, Scripture, and worship. This relationship fosters spiritual growth, understanding, peace, and purpose. One crucial insight I often share is that no matter how many sermons you hear, how frequently you attend church, serve within the…

By Peter Omopo  Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia – June 29, 2025 President Bola Tinubu arrived in Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia, on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. local time, marking the start of his two-nation diplomatic tour of the Caribbean and South America. Tinubu was received at the Hewanorra International Airport with full military honours by the Governor-General of Saint Lucia, Cyril Errol Melchiades Charles, and Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre. The visit is part of an effort to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between Nigeria and countries in the Caribbean and Latin America. According to a statement issued by Tinubu’s Special…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja, June 29, 2025 — The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) owes the Federation Government a total of ₦6.57 trillion in unremitted royalties, taxes, and dividends as of May 2025, according to a new report by the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC). The FAAC report, titled “NNPC Ltd Payables to NUPRC, FIRS & Federation as at May 2025,” was presented at the committee’s May meeting and obtained on Friday. It details outstanding financial obligations by NNPCL to key federal revenue agencies spanning from June 2023 to April 2025. According to the breakdown, the NNPCL is yet…

By Peter Omopo  Lagos, June 28, 2025 — Passengers arriving Nigeria aboard an Air Côte d’Ivoire flight from Abidjan have expressed outrage and frustration after the airline reportedly failed to deliver their luggage three days after landing. The affected travellers, many of whom had connected from the United States via Ethiopian Airlines, said they boarded the Ivorian carrier in Abidjan for their final leg to Nigeria on Thursday. However, upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, they were informed their bags had not arrived with the flight. The passengers claimed they were not notified in advance that…