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President Bola Tinubu Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the Federal Government and state governments to strengthen democratic governance and improve living conditions as Nigeria marks its 66th Independence anniversary. In a statement issued and signed by its Media and Communications Officer, Robert Egbe, CAPPA said the anniversary should provide an opportunity to assess Nigeria’s progress since independence and address challenges affecting citizens. The organisation acknowledged the resilience of Nigerians and the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999, but said the success of democracy should also be measured by citizens’ access to security, economic opportunities, basic services and accountable public institutions. CAPPA said many households were still facing poverty, food insecurity and pressure on their incomes despite government efforts focused on economic reforms and stabilisation. It cited figures attributed to the International ...

Dr. Seyi Jakande The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council, is set to honour the Chairman of Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Dr. Seyi Jakande, for his leadership and development initiatives in Ilupeju and Mushin. The award, according to the NUJ Lagos State Council, is in recognition of Jakande’s performance and contributions to the development of the LCDA since he assumed office less than a year ago. The council in a statement signed by the Chairman of the Press Week Committee, Wale Akodu, and Secretary, Moses Omorogieva, said the honour also recognises Jakande’s commitment to public service and efforts to sustain the legacy of his late father, former Lagos State Governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, whose administration was associated with people-oriented policies and social development programmes. Since assuming office, the younger Jakande has introduced several initiatives targeting the welfare and living conditions of residents, particularly ch...

The Orile-Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA) has held its preliminary 2026 Spelling Bee Competition, with pupils and students from schools across the council area competing for top positions. The competition, held on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at the council secretariat, was organised to promote learning and healthy academic competition among pupils and students. Speaking on behalf of the Chairman, the Secretary to the Local Government, Hon. (Dr.) Sunday Ladipo, congratulated the participants and urged them to remain focused and not be discouraged by mistakes during the competition. He also commended parents and teachers for their contributions to the education of the children, assuring that the administration would continue to prioritise education in Orile-Agege. The Chairman, Hon. Akinola Abiodun Idowu, in his closing remarks, disclosed that some students were already undergoing vocational skills training. He added that the council was planning to collaborate with schools ...

Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the International Press Centre (IPC) have raised concerns over what they described as poor compliance by public institutions with Nigeria’s Freedom of Information Act, 2011, more than 15 years after its enactment. The organisations said delays, wrongful denials, inadequate record-keeping and a culture of secrecy within public institutions were undermining citizens’ ability to access reliable information and hold government accountable. They made the observations in a communiqué issued at the end of a multi-stakeholder conference held in Lagos on September 28, 2026, to commemorate the International Day for Universal Access to Information. The conference, organised by MRA and IPC, was themed, “Freedom of Information in the Age of Disinformation: Why Transparency Matters More Than Ever.” The event brought together journalists, media professionals, civil society organisations, lawyers and other stakeholders to examine the implementation of the FOI Act and the ...

“From Speaking Yoruba to Thinking in Yoruba”—Lagos APC Challenges Rhodes-Vivour to Go Beyond Television Politics Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour By Hon. Seye Oladejo, Lagos APC Spokesman Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour’s latest outing on Politics Today was revealing-not necessarily because of the familiar catalogue of criticisms against Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, but because Candidate Rhodes-Vivour inadvertently provided Lagosians with another subject for reflection. Earlier on live television on Arise TV, Rhodes-Vivour proudly disclosed that he recently engaged a Yoruba language teacher to learn Yoruba. Good. We welcome the development. After all, there is nothing wrong with learning the language of the people one seeks to govern. Indeed, it is commendable. But it does raise one rather obvious and curious question: If a man aspiring to govern Lagos is only now taking lessons in the language, how deeply has he engaged with the culture, worldview, history, traditions and everyday aspirations of the people h...

The Executive Chairman of Agege Local Government, Hon. Abdul-Ganiyu Vinod Obasa (middle) with the Silverbird Group delegation. The Executive Chairman of Agege Local Government, Hon. Abdul-Ganiyu Vinod Obasa, has called for strategic partnerships to improve residents’ quality of life and stimulate socio-economic development in the area. Obasa said the era when Agege was associated with violence and civil disobedience was over, attributing the change to what he described as inclusive governance and people-oriented programmes. He spoke while receiving a delegation from the Silverbird Group, led by its Chief Creative Officer, Jacob Akinyemi Johnson, at the council secretariat. The delegation formally invited the council chairman to the 20th anniversary of the Silverbird Man of the Year Award scheduled to hold at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, in November. Obasa said his administration, inaugurated in December 2025, had completed 20 roads, inaugurated 17 blocks of modern classrooms ...

Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has warned the Federal Government against making fortification of bouillon cubes mandatory, saying the policy could undermine efforts to reduce diet-related diseases in Nigeria. CAPPA issued the warning in a statement on Tuesday, September 29, to mark World Heart Day, observed annually on September 29. The organisation said Nigeria was facing an increasingly unhealthy food environment, with ultra-processed foods becoming more prominent in everyday diets and being aggressively marketed across communities. This year’s World Heart Day theme, “Don’t Miss a Beat,” focuses on recognising hidden, overlooked or dismissed signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease early. CAPPA said its Junk on Our Plates report, based on monitoring conducted across seven states, documented the use of advertising, cultural imagery, celebrity endorsements, pricing strategies and product placement by food and beverage companies to promote products ...

The Lagos State Police Command says it arrested 32 suspects and recovered 43 vehicles, firearms, ammunition, cash and other exhibits during various operations across the state in September 2026. The Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, disclosed this during a press briefing in Ikeja on the Command’s achievements for the month. According to him, the recovered items included five pump-action guns, five locally made pistols, 20 live ammunition and cartridges, 15 expended ammunition, two cutlasses, suspected criminal charms, ₦2.5 million cash, as well as vehicle parts and tools. In another operation, the CP said a 32-year-old Ojo Azeez was arrested during a patrol along Oko Oba Road after suspected hoodlums allegedly fled on sighting the police. A locally made cut-to-size pistol, radiator, car jack, engine block and a bag containing vehicle spare parts and tools were recovered. He said a 29-year-old Ezekiel Sunday Obi was also arrested in connection with an alleged armed robbery at Gho...

Sergeant Johnson Okediji The Lagos State Police Command has reported the death of Sergeant Johnson Okediji, who was allegedly knocked down and dragged under a vehicle during a stop-and-search operation at Olugbede Street, Egbeda, on September 26. The Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, disclosed this during a press briefing in Ikeja on Monday. According to the Commissioner, police officers had signalled a Lexus ES 350, driven by 21-year-old Olumide Olusola, to stop. The driver initially stopped but allegedly sped off as Sergeant Okediji approached the vehicle. The officer was reportedly dragged for several metres before the driver was eventually arrested. He sustained multiple fractures and serious head injuries and was taken to hospital before being referred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His remains have been deposited at Mainland Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy, while the vehicle has been recovere...

A 25-year-old newlywed businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for allegedly attempting to traffic 72 wraps of cocaine to Portugal. Chukwulobelu was intercepted at the airport’s departure hall on Thursday, September 25, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal via Addis Ababa. The Agency, in a statement signed by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja,Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, September 27, 2026, said the suspect had ingested the cocaine and was subsequently placed under excretion observation, during which he egested all 72 wraps of the Class A drug. The suspect reportedly told investigators that he was into car decoration business at the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, Lagos, before relocating to Portugal in May 2023. He said he returned to Nigeria recently and got married on September 13, but allegedly resorted to drug traffick...

The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has criticised Nigeria’s position at the 81st United Nations General Assembly, accusing the Federal Government of failing to sufficiently address the Palestinian question. In a statement on Saturday, MURIC Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, also faulted Nigeria for not joining delegations that walked out of the UN General Assembly hall during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address on September 24. Dozens of delegations left the chamber as Netanyahu began his speech, in a protest over Israel’s military actions and the situation in Gaza. Reports put the number of delegations that walked out at 77. MURIC alleged that Nigeria failed to include the Palestinian question in its position paper at the General Assembly and described the country’s conduct at the event as regrettable. The group also criticised Nigeria’s decision not to participate in the walkout, urging the Nigerian human rights community to speak out on what it described a...

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the St. Gregory’s College Old Boys Association in recognition of his career in public service and policing. Disu was honoured on Saturday, September 26, 2026, alongside the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Olayemi Cardoso, at a grand reception held in Lagos. The award recognised the IGP’s more than three decades of service to the Nigeria Police Force, as well as his professional accomplishments since completing his secondary education at St. Gregory’s College in 1985. According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, the recognition highlighted Disu’s career in frontline policing, criminal investigation, intelligence operations, international peacekeeping and senior command responsibilities. Disu joined the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1992 and has served in several operational and leadership positio...

Operatives of the Oyo State Police Command have arrested a suspected armed robber and recovered a locally made pistol and a live cartridge during an intelligence-led stop-and-search operation along the Ibadan-Ife Road. The operation was conducted at about 5:30 p.m. on September 25, 2026, near Ajia Junction, by officers attached to the Command’s Safer Highway Patrol. According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, operatives intercepted a white Mazda bus travelling from Ibadan towards Ondo State and subjected it to a search. One of the passengers, identified as Emmanuel Kingsley Odoh, was subsequently arrested after the firearm and ammunition were allegedly found in his possession. The recovered pistol and cartridge have been secured as exhibits, while the suspect was taken into custody for further investigation. The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, directed that the case be transferred to the Violent Crime...

A 54-year-old primary school teacher, Garba Suleiman, has been arrested by the Adamawa State Police Command over the alleged defilement of a 10-year-old girl in Yola South Local Government Area. Suleiman, a resident of Damare, Yola South, was arrested following a complaint lodged by the victim’s family at the Yola South Divisional Police Headquarters. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, in a statement said preliminary investigation indicated that the suspect allegedly lured the minor and had unlawful sexual intercourse with her. He added that the victim had been taken to a hospital for medical examination. The Commissioner of Police, CP Kabir Umar Hassan, ordered the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Yola, for discreet investigation and prosecution. The Commissioner condemned all forms of gender-based violence and assured the public that the matter would be thoroughly investigated. He also urged parents and guardians...

By Olamide Martins Ogunlade Nigeria’s new mineral-investment framework with the United States has been presented as an opportunity to unlock an estimated $700 billion in mineral resources and move the country beyond the export of raw materials.  On September 24, 2026, on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York City, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau signed the framework. It focuses on geological data and exploration, mineral development and processing, infrastructure, and technical capacity, with the stated goal of strengthening local mineral value chains. The event might signal partnership. But celebration should not replace scrutiny. The central question is simple: will Nigeria become the industrial beneficiary of its mineral wealth, or merely the territory that supplies another country’s critical-minerals strategy? Nigeria’s colonial mining history makes this questi...

Atiku Abubakar                         Seye Oladejo By Hon. Seye Oladejo, Lagos APC Spokesman Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has announced that 2027 will be his final presidential outing. In his own words, this is his “last attempt” at the presidency. That admission provides an important lens through which Nigerians should examine the increasingly frantic political manoeuvres surrounding his latest bid. There is nothing wrong with ambition. There is nothing wrong with contesting an election. But when a politician describes a particular election as his final opportunity to achieve a lifelong ambition, Nigerians are entitled to examine whether the campaign is being driven principally by a compelling national agenda or by the urgency of one man’s political endgame. And increasingly, the signs point to the latter. THE IMAGE-LAUNDERING OPERATION One of the more revealing developments is Atiku’s decision to engage Kenneth ...