SA News

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed the campaign organisation of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s claim that it will defeat President Bola Tinubu in 12 states in the 2027 presidential election, describing it as political bravado unsupported by a credible national structure. The party said Makinde’s camp was confusing participation in an election with the capacity to win, insisting that presidential victories required strong political networks, broad-based alliances and nationwide voter support. In a statement on Sunday, the Lagos APC spokesman, Mogaji Seye Oladejo, likened Makinde’s ambition to an Olympic athlete who expects to win a medal simply by participating in a competition. “Makinde seems to have appointed himself a champion before the race has even begun, confusing the opportunity to contest with the capacity to prevail,” Oladejo said. He questioned the governor’s campaign team’s ability to build support beyond Oyo State, asking what na...

The Enugu State Police Command has arrested three suspects in separate operations and recovered a motorcycle and two tricycles allegedly stolen in Enugu and Warri, Delta State. The command said one of the tricycles was reportedly stolen from where it was parked in Warri before it was recovered by police operatives in Enugu. In a statement on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said operatives of the Nkanu West Police Division arrested a 30-year-old suspect, Ifeanyi Nweke John, on October 17 and recovered a stolen Kymstone motorcycle from him. Ndukwe said the arrest followed intelligence provided with the assistance of neighbourhood watch members. According to the police, the motorcycle owner reported that it was stolen from where he parked it in Uwani, Amakpu-Agbani, on October 16. The suspect allegedly confessed to the crime. In a separate operation on October 16, operatives of the Distress Response Squad arrested a 28-year-old man, Nwaugwuru Nnabuike, along...

Two people have died while two others sustained serious injuries in a road crash involving a commercial bus and a pickup van along the Adekunle–Iyana Oworo corridor in Lagos. The State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed in a statement signed by its Director of the Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, that the collision involved a Suzuki commercial bus with registration number KTU 333 YF and a pickup van. LASTMA operatives immediately mobilised to the scene to coordinate rescue operations, secure the area and facilitate the evacuation of the victims. The agency said its personnel evacuated the two deceased victims and handed them over to the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU), popularly known as SHEMU. The two injured survivors, a man and a woman, were taken to General Hospital, Odan, for urgent medical treatment. LASTMA also handed over the vehicles involved in the crash and the Suzuki bus driver to officers of the Yaba Police ...

By Robert Egbe Two months ago, Nigeria’s tobacco control community made a startling discovery. Two bills seeking to amend the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) 2015 and strengthen its protection of Nigerians, had apparently been compromised. Both bills – HB 1151 and HB 47 – were presented to the public on November 22, 2024, during a public hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services. HB 1151 is a one-page document which proposed stiffer penalties for breaching smoking regulations. HB 47 is a three-page document to address certain defects in the NTCA 2015. But tobacco control advocates found that not only had the four-page amendments been surreptitiously transformed to 31 pages, the proposed amendments publicly discussed during the November hearing were also different from what is now in a new consolidated bill.  Alarmingly, the new proposals remove core protections in the NTCA 2015. They also seek to create a weaker, commercially acceptable regime for...

The Lagos State Taskforce has arrested a dismissed operative, Yahaya Salami, popularly known as Adams, over alleged impersonation and extortion following the circulation of a viral video showing his arrest in Oshodi. The agency said Salami, a former paramilitary operative attached to the Taskforce, was dismissed several months ago over alleged misconduct, including theft, use of a fake identity card and extortion of motorists and traders. Despite his dismissal, the agency alleged that he continued to pose as a serving Taskforce official to carry out unlawful activities. In a statement by its Director of Public Affairs, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, the Taskforce said the suspect was arrested at Oshodi Bus Stop after previous efforts to track him down proved unsuccessful. According to the agency, operatives invited Salami for questioning when they accosted him, but he allegedly refused to comply and resisted arrest. The officers subsequently apprehended him through what the agency described as ...

Princess Damilola Sonayon-James The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the emergence of Princess Damilola Sonayon-James as the deputy governorship candidate alongside Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat as a combination of experience, youthful energy and inclusive leadership. The party said the pairing offered an opportunity to blend Hamzat’s governance experience with Sonayon-James’s professional background, grassroots political experience and interest in community development. In a statement on Saturday, the Lagos APC spokesman, Seye Oladejo, said Sonayon-James brought intellectual depth, professional competence and a commitment to public service to the ticket, urging residents to look beyond her personality and appearance. Princess Damilola Sonayon-James Oladejo highlighted her academic qualifications, including a bachelor’s degree in Business and Human Resources Management from the University of Hull, United Kingdom, and a master’s degree in Social Work, s...