SA News

Late Pelumi Onifade  The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) has told a coroner’s court that it could not identify a body believed to be that of late journalist Pelumi Onifade due to the loss of DNA samples during the 2020 unrest. The hospital, in a report submitted to the court, said all DNA samples at the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre were destroyed when the facility was burnt during the EndSARS protests. The disclosure was made at the resumed hearing of the coroner’s inquest into Onifade’s death on April 7, 2026. However, counsel to Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Mr. Alimi Adamu, challenged the hospital’s claim, describing it as inconsistent with established timelines. Adamu told the court that official records show the DNA centre was burnt on October 23, 2020—one day before Onifade’s death on October 24—arguing that DNA samples later collected from the journalist’s family could not have been among those destroyed. He added that the samples were taken days after ...

  A digital platform dedicated to highlighting positive, uplifting stories and innovations from Nigeria, The Goodnews Naija Podcast has featured entrepreneur and business strategist, Golibe Ilechukwu, in a new episode of its ‘Building in Nigeria’ series. The platform said the episode focuses on entrepreneurship, digital growth, and opportunities for African businesses, highlighting insights from Ilechukwu’s experience in building and scaling ventures. Ilechukwu, founder of Sales School Africa, is known for his work in digital marketing and business development. He has reportedly generated over $10 million in global sales and was recently recognised with the African Choice Award for his contributions to entrepreneurship. According to the podcast producers, the episode explores key issues affecting African entrepreneurs, including marketing misconceptions, challenges of scaling businesses, and the importance of building sustainable sales systems. Producer of the show, Memunat Oladepo...

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on authorities to urgently intervene in the plight of residents of Sukuntuni in Kankiya Local Government Area of Katsina State, following reports of mass displacement caused by threats from suspected bandits. The group raised the alarm in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Executive Director, Ishaq Akintola, describing the situation as dire and requiring immediate government action. MURIC said it had obtained a video showing residents fleeing Sukuntuni and surrounding communities, including Musawa, Chuga and Matazu, after receiving a letter allegedly from bandits. According to the organisation, the letter reportedly demanded 700 cows and 1,000 sheep as ransom to prevent an invation, giving the communities until April 10 as a deadline. The group said the ultimatum triggered panic, forcing residents to abandon their homes in large numbers in search of safety. MURIC in a Save Our Soul (SOS) message  urged the Federal Government to ...

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has appointed the Alara of Ilara Kingdom, Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, as the sixth Chancellor of Lagos State University. Ogunsanwo was formally invested and sworn in on Tuesday at a ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Alausa, with the governor, who is the Visitor to the university, presiding. The event was attended by members of the institution’s Governing Council, management, and traditional rulers. The appointment followed the completion of tenure by the immediate past Chancellor, Gbolahan Elias. Sanwo-Olu said the choice of the Epe monarch was aimed at sustaining the growth and development of the university, describing the appointment as historic. According to him, Ogunsanwo is the first traditional ruler to be appointed Chancellor of the institution since its establishment. He said the appointment reflects the government’s recognition of the role of traditional institutions in governance, social cohesion and moral leadership...

CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on governments at all levels to urgently address what it described as chronic underfunding and policy failures in Nigeria’s health sector, warning that the situation is worsening the country’s disease burden. The group made the call in a statement issued on Tuesday to mark World Health Day 2026. CAPPA said Nigeria has consistently failed to meet the 15 per cent health budget benchmark set under the Abuja Declaration, noting that even approved allocations are often not fully released. It cited figures from the Budget Office of the Federation, stating that only N36 million of the N218 billion allocated to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s 2025 capital budget had reportedly been released. In 2024, it added, N26.552 billion was released out of N233.656 billion earmarked for capital projects. CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the gap...

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 47 suspects and recovered firearms, ammunition, and stolen items in a series of operations aimed at tackling crime across the state. The Commissioner of Police, Tijani Olayiwola Fatai, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Command’s headquarters in Ikeja, where he outlined achievements recorded since assuming office. CP Fatai said the arrests and recoveries were the result of intelligence-led operations and strengthened community collaboration to curb criminal activities including armed robbery, cultism, and fraud. According to him, items recovered include 14 firearms, comprising 10 locally made guns and four pump-action rifles, 96 rounds of ammunition, 29 live cartridges, 14 vehicles, two laptops, 29 mobile phones, and other incriminating materials. The state police boss also said the command recorded no major security breaches during the Easter celebrations, attributing the success to proactive deployment of personnel and strategic ...

NAFDAC DG, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye delivering her welcome address at the event. Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has thrown its weight behind the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) over ongoing efforts to introduce regulations aimed at reducing sodium levels in pre-packaged foods. The endorsement came during a stakeholders’ engagement held in Lagos on April 1, where participants expressed support for measures to curb excessive sodium consumption and address the growing burden of diet-related diseases. CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, commended the Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, for her leadership, assuring that the organisation would continue to support initiatives aimed at protecting public health. He said CAPPA remains committed to advocacy that strengthens regulatory actions, describing sodium reduction policies as necessary s...

By Precious King On a humid Sunday morning in Victoria Island, Lagos, the pews of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Redemption Pavilion Parish filled slowly but purposefully. Politicians sat beside serving and retired security chiefs, exchanging greetings before the arrival of the clergy, family members, and longtime associates in quiet procession. They had not gathered merely to mark the successful retirement of immediate past Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun (rtd), but to bear witness to a career marked by clarity, purpose, and servant leadership. Across speeches, tributes, and personal recollections that morning, a consistent portrait emerged: a leader shaped by discipline, guided by loyalty to structure, and sustained by faith. The officer Tinubu met before Nigeria knew him President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tribute reached back nearly three decades, before national appointments, command postings, and the Inspector-General’s office. He remembered meeting...

A new Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Simeon U. Akpanudom, has assumed duty as the 56th AIG in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos. His assumption of office, which took effect on Monday, marks a leadership transition at the department following the elevation of his predecessor, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, to the position of Inspector-General of Police (IGP). Disu, who served as the 55th AIG of the FCID Annex, was recently appointed IGP by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and confirmed by the Nigerian Police Council as the 23rd indigenous Inspector-General of Police of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Akpanudom, a seasoned officer, was born on August 4, 1967, in Ukana Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. He joined the Nigeria Police Force on May 18, 1992, as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police. Prior to his new appointment, he served as Commissioner of Police in charge of the Anti-Fraud Sec...

CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the Federal Government to significantly increase funding for tobacco control, warning that current budgetary provisions are inadequate to tackle the growing public health risks posed by tobacco use and emerging nicotine products. In a statement issued at the weekend, the organisation urged the government to raise the annual allocation for tobacco control to at least N300 million, with sustained increases in subsequent budgets. It noted that existing funding levels fall short of what is required to effectively implement the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) 2015. The call follows the release of CAPPA’s report titled “New Smoke Trap: New and Emerging Nicotine and Tobacco Products, Youth Exposure and Policy Gaps in Nigeria,” which highlights how tobacco companies are exploiting regulatory gaps to introduce and promote new nicotine products, including electronic cig...

Frank Oshanugor A new book on crime journalism authored by the Editor-in-Chief of Atlanticnewsonline, Mr. Frank Oshanugor, is scheduled for public presentation on Thursday, March 26, 2026. The book, Crime Beat Reporting in Nigeria, will be unveiled at a ceremony slated to begin at 10 a.m. at Osun Hall, Lagos Airport Hotel, located on Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos. The event is expected to attract dignitaries from the security, banking, maritime and other sectors of the economy. Chairman of the Book Presentation Committee, Mr. Emma Nnadozie, who is also the Crime Editor of Vanguard Newspapers, disclosed that the event will be chaired by Dr. Davidson Akhimien, a former military intelligence officer and Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of King David Group of Companies. The book will be presented by industrialist High Chief Richard Ifeanyi Agbapuru, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of RichyGold Group of Companies, while the review will be delivered by Prof. Chijioke Uwasomba of Obafemi...

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has approved a wide-ranging redeployment of senior officers across the Nigeria Police Force, in a strategic move to enhance operational effectiveness and strengthen internal command structures. The Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Placid said in a statement that the postings, which affect Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs), cut across key departments, state commands, and specialised formations. Among the AIGs redeployed are AIG Ado Emmanuel to Research and Planning, Force Headquarters, Abuja; AIG Joseph Eribo to the Department of Armament; AIG Miller G. Dantawaye to the Department of Operations; AIG Henry Ifeanyi Uche to Training and Development; and AIG Olanrewaju Peter Ogunlowo to Police Accounts and Budget. Also affected are AIG Dahiru Mohammed, fdc, now posted to Zone 15, Maiduguri; AIG Dankombo F. Morris to Zone 4, Makurdi; AIG Bello Shehu to Zone 14, Katsina; AIG Ibrahim...

By Humphrey Ukeaja There is a quiet epidemic running alongside Nigeria's more publicised health crises. It does not arrive in sudden outbreaks or make international emergency headlines. It builds slowly, meal by meal, sip by sip, until it arrives as a stroke at the age of 45, a diabetes diagnosis at 38 years, or a hypertension prescription that a household cannot reasonably afford. Non-communicable diseases now account for 29 percent of all deaths in Nigeria. Cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and diet-related cancers are rising rapidly among a population that should be at its most productive stage of life. In these circumstances, the burden falls heavily on working-class and poor Nigerians in both urban and rural communities, many of whom do not realise they are ill until treatment becomes difficult and financially ruinous. It is tempting to largely interpret this crisis through the language of personal responsibility. Nigerians, we are told, must simply eat better....

By Zikora Ibeh One fact is now unmistakable. The Lagos State Government appears determined to empty Makoko of its inhabitants. But for the mass protest organised by the Coalition Against Demolition, Forced Evictions, Land Grabbing and Displacement on January 28, 2026, the historic riverine community might well have been erased with little public scrutiny and even fewer qualms. That demonstration laid bare the depth of grievance simmering across Lagos. Nearly five thousand residents gathered in collective resistance, many of them survivors of forced evictions and illegal demolitions in Owode Onirin, Oworoshoki, Bariga, Ajegunle, Sogunro, and other communities. Makoko itself had become the immediate flashpoint, suffering yet another cycle of destruction. In December 2025, armed demolition teams backed by state authorities entered the settlement under the pretext of enforcing a 30–100 metre safety corridor beneath a high-tension power line. That explanation quickly collapsed under the wei...

Four passengers have died while four others sustained serious injuries in a road accident involving a truck and a commercial minibus along the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos. The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said the crash occurred opposite Beechwood, Shapati, inward Ajah, when a HOWO truck lost control and rammed into a fully loaded Suzuki commercial minibus, popularly known as Korope. According to preliminary findings, the articulated truck veered across the carriageway and collided with the oncoming bus conveying passengers along the busy corridor. The impact led to the instant death of four male passengers, while four others, two men and two women, sustained severe fracture injuries after becoming trapped inside the wreckage of the bus. Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq in a statement said emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene and worked to rescue the injured passengers from the crushed vehicle with assis...

Civil society organisations have called on the Federal Government to introduce mandatory salt limits and front-of-pack warning labels on processed foods to help curb the rising burden of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria. The call was made in a joint statement by the Network for Health Equity and Development, Centre for Communication and Social Impact, and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa to mark World Consumer Rights Day. The groups said Nigeria is facing a growing public health challenge, noting that about 29 per cent of deaths in the country are linked to non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, heart disease and kidney failure. According to them, excessive salt consumption remains a major driver of the crisis, with the average Nigerian consuming about 10 grams of salt daily—almost double the recommended 5 grams set by the World Health Organization. The organisations stressed that under the 2026 theme, “Safe Products, Confident Consumers,” the gover...

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Boltek System Limited, Dr. Joke Sofowora, has congratulated her childhood friend, Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein, the first female Accountant-General of the Federation, on her 61st birthday and the launch of her book and foundation. Sofowora, in a statement on Tuesday, described the celebrant as a woman of extraordinary character whose life has been defined by service, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to uplifting others. Reflecting on their enduring friendship which began in childhood, she recalled that their bond dates back to 1965 when they first met as young girls growing up in the same community. “Our shared upbringing and membership in the Blessed Bomode Oku Society laid the foundation for a lifelong friendship that has continued to flourish over the decades. “We grew up together, attended the same school, Christ Apostolic Grammar School, and shared many dreams together. When she later got married to my cousin, it simply conf...

  The Chief Executive Officer of Razor Media Group, Odita Sunday, has extended his heartfelt congratulations to the Lagos State Police boss, Olohundare Jimoh, on his elevation to the enviable rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG). In a congratulatory message on Friday, Odita described Jimoh’s promotion as well deserved, noting that it is a testament to his dedication, professionalism, and patriotic service to Nigeria. He commended the senior police officer for his exemplary leadership, discipline, and commitment to effective policing, adding that the promotion reflects the confidence reposed in him by the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force and the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu. The Razor Media Group boss expressed optimism that Jimoh would bring his wealth of experience to bear in his new role while continuing to contribute to strengthening security and professionalism within the force. Odita wished the newly promoted AIG greater success and impactful...

By Chidinma Eferebo On the morning of February 21, 2026, officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Polling Unit 115 in Garki, Abuja, arrived early, organised their materials, and waited. By midday, fewer than five voters had appeared. This polling unit was not located in a remote village but in the centre of Nigeria's capital, only three kilometres from Aso Rock, the nation's political seat of power. This scenario, in which democracy appears to be addressing itself, accurately reflects the situation during the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections. The All Progressives Congress (APC) secured five of the six chairmanship seats, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won just one seat in Gwagwalada. However, the most consequential outcome was not the distribution of victories but the voter turnout: only 7.8 percent in the Abuja Municipal Area Council. Civil society groups, opposition leaders, and democratic observers have described this f...