Author: Abimbola Daniels

THE Oba of Lagos Oba Rilwan Akinlu has appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He was speaking when the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Senator Oluremi Tinubu paid him a visit at his Iga Idugaran  palace in Lagos He noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu means well for the nation as he is a man who  is grassroots focused. “ All that I am saying and appealing is that we should pray for Nigeria and the president. We should be patient. Everything good needs prayers”. Oba of Lagos also…

THE Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), in collaboration with Vintage Press Limited, publishers of Nation newspapers, is organising one-day colloquium on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, to celebrate Prof Olatunji Dare, who clocks 80 years same day. In a statement by NGE President, Mr. Eze Anaba and the General Secretary, Dr Iyobosa Uwugiaren, on Sunday, the professional body of editors and media executives, said that the event will start at 12noon, at Radisson Hotel, Isaac John Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos. With “Dare @ 80: Same Craft, Changing Times – The Columnist as Societal Conscience”, as theme, the colloquium will feature Chief…

GOVERNOR Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, on Sunday, flagged off re-introduction of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in the state, barely seven years after the campaign was cancelled. This newspaper reports that in November 2016, Ambode cancelled the sanitation exercise, which was held between 7am and 10am on the last Saturday of every month. Ambode’s Commissioner for Information, Steve Ayorinde,  had explained that considering the status of Lagos as a megacity, it was no longer appropriate to restrict movement for three hours. Ayorinde said the government approved the cancellation for “a robust review of the environmental laws and procedures in…

THE Federal Government has rerouted the ongoing demolition intended to pave the way for the ongoing Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, which could have seen nothing less than 2000 homes in the Okun-Ajah Community in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, pulled to the ground. This was revealed in a letter of appreciation dated July 5th and signed by the Baale of Okun-Ajah, Chief Sikiru Olukosi and Secretary, Kamorudeen Balogun, where the community appreciated the willingness of the Federal Government to consider and act up to their concerns. The community expressed their gratitude to President Bola Tinubu and the Minister…

THE Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development, Sadia Umar-Farouk, to account for payments of N729bn to 24.3 million poor Nigerians for six months. The court also ordered the former minister to provide the list and details of the beneficiaries who received the payments, the number of states covered and the payments per state. The judgment was delivered last month by Hon. Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu following a Freedom of Information suit number: FHC/L/CS/853/2021, brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). This was disclosed in a statement…

NOVA Bank, formerly known as NOVA Merchant Bank, has officially commenced operations as a National Commercial Bank, as the bank opened its first commercial banking branch at 18, Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island. This follows the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) approval of the final license for the Bank to commence operations as a National Commercial Bank. Apart from the newly opened branch in VI, the Bank announced that additional branches in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano, will follow shortly. Speaking on the commencement of its commercial banking operations, Chairman and Founder of NOVA Bank, Mr. Phillips Oduoza, emphasised…

THE Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Adegoke Fayoade, has ordered the immediate commencement of an orderly room trial of police officers seen in a viral video assaulting a suspect who was resisting arrest. Police spokesman in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin, in a statement on Wednesday described the actions of the officers as “unprofessional and unethical”. It was gathered that policemen from the Alausa Division of the Lagos State Police Command stormed Makinde Odewale Street in the Oregun area of the state on Tuesday to arrest some suspected drug users and dealers. “They, however, met stiff resistance leading to serious…

SEVEN persons have been rescued in a two-storey building that collapsed at 12 Cameroun Street off Ewenla in the Mushin area of Lagos State on Wednesday. A statement by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said upon arrival of the LRT at the scene of the incident, it was discovered that the said building was newly constructed. The seven people- three females and four males rescued, and have been taken to a nearby hospital for treatment as of the time of filing this report. The agency said its rescue team have searched the rubble…

THE family of the late former Chief Executive of e-commerce giant, Konga, Nick Imudia, has refuted reports that he killed himself, stating that investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of his death. The family, in a statement, dismissed reports that Imudia had made farewell calls to his brother and daughter, leaving instructions before his passing, describing these claims as untrue. Leadership Newspaper reports in a statement signed by Dr. Anthony N. Imudia on behalf of the family, the family condemned the reportage of the news of the former Konga CEO’s death whilst the family was in the hospital trying…

FORMER Chief Executive Officer of Konga, one of Nigeria’s e-commerce giants, Nick Imudia, has reportedly died by suicide. Imudia was said to have committed the act by jumping from the balcony of his apartment in the Lekki area of Lagos State on the evening of Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Before his death, the businessman reportedly made a call to his United States-based brother to give him instructions on how to distribute his wealth and also called his young daughter to inform her that he would always be there for her. According to a post on an online platform, TheWill, friends,…

A FIRE broke out this afternoon at a section of the Dangote Refinery, located near Lekki, Lagos. Emergency services responded swiftly to contain the incident, and according to initial reports, no injuries have been sustained. The cause of the fire is currently unknown, and investigations are underway to determine the extent of the damage and what led to the incident. Responding to the fire incident in a statement by Dangote, signed by Anthony Chiejina, the Group says, “We have swiftly contained a minor fire incident at our effluent treatment plant (ETP), today Wednesday 26th of June. “There is no cause…

AN inferno has engulfed the headquarters of Christ Embassy Church located in Oregun area of Ikeja, Lagos State. An eye witness confirmed this to News Point Nigeria. Multiple videos on X have also shown the massive edifice being destroyed by fire. The fire which broke out early hours of Sunday caused a significant damage to the church property, sending shock waves throughout the immediate community and beyond. Officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service are also said to have arrived at the scene to try and put out the fire. The area has been cordoned-off by the police…

A POLICE Inspector has been killed by suspected naval officers in Okokomaiko area of Ojo Local Government Area in Lagos State The Inspector and four of his colleague were said to be on routine patrol along Igbo-Elerin area of Ojo when the incident occurred. Our correspondent learnt that trouble started after the policemen accosted a commercial motorcycle rider and his passenger along Igbo-Elerin over traffic offence. The commercial motorcycle rider, who was dressed in mufti, was carrying a passenger when the policemen stopped the bike. The rider and his passenger who claimed to be naval personnel allegedly resisted arrest. An…

NO fewer than 37 deaths have been recorded in the current Cholera outbreak, which has hit 30 states, including Lagos and Ogun. The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, in a statement on Thursday by the Director of Public Affairs in the state Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, said the state had recorded an additional six cholera deaths as against the previous 15. She said cholera cases had risen to 401 in the state. On her part, the Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, told one of our correspondents that the state…

POLICE authorities in Lagos State on Tuesday said they have rescued three Fouani brothers whisked away in their boat by gunmen in the nation’s commercial hub. Five victims in total- three Lebanese, the boat captain, and his assistant, were rescued in the Orugbo Iddo Area in Epe, Lagos. The police spokesperson in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin, explained that the victims were rescued last night. “Our Marine Police with the support of the Nigerian Navy brought them to shore. Thereafter, our tactical team in the area took them home on Banana Island in the early hours of today,” he said. Hundeyin,…

THE Lagos State Police Command says it is intensifying efforts in the search for the Managing Director of Fouani Nigeria Ltd, Mohamed Fouani, and his three brothers – Abbas Fouani, Youssef Fouani, and Amtal Fouani – kidnapped along the Lagos waterway on Friday evening. The Lagos Police Command Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Bundeyin, who spoke with Channels Television via telephone, explained that the Command is exploring all avenues to rescue the victims unhurt. There are reports that the kidnappers had called to request $1.5 million as ransom to free the victims. The victims were kidnapped around the Falomo Bridge, in…

THE 10 Nigerian teenage girls allegedly trafficked to Ghana for prostitution have returned to Nigeria, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has disclosed. The Chairman of the Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who made the disclosure in a post on her X handle, said the girls who were rescued in Ghana arrived Lagos at about 9:55 pm on Friday. According to her, the girls who are mainly from Imo State were accompanied by representatives of Imo State government. The NIDCOM Chairman added that the girls were handed over to National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and their respective…

GUNMEN on Friday, abducted the Managing Director of Fouani Company, which represents LG and Hisense, along with three Lebanese while travelling by boat in Lagos. Although the names of the victims have not been ascertained, it was learnt that they were abducted around Falomo Bridge while traveling from Apapa to Victoria Island. A source familiar with the incident, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of its sensitive nature, told this newspaper that the kidnappers had reached out, demanding ransom. “Yesterday (Friday) evening, the Managing Director of Fouani company (LG and Hisense) and three Lebanese were kidnapped around Falomo Bridge…

THE founder of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has revealed that both local and international criminal organisations, which he described as “mafia”, made repeated attempts to sabotage his $19bn refinery project located in Lagos. Speaking at the Afreximbank Annual Meetings, Dangote likened the oil cartels to a mafia stronger than the drug mafia hell-bent on maintaining their grip on the industry. “Well, I knew that there would be a fight. But I didn’t know that the mafia in oil, they are stronger than the mafia in drugs. I can tell you that. Yes, it’s a fact,” he said. Dangote, who described…

AT the Africa Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF), taking place in Namibia in June, Alain Sebah, President, Golden Tulip Afrique Francophone & East Africa (GTAF), and Dupe Olusola, Managing Director and CEO, Transcorp Hotels Plc, will both receive awards recognising their professional accomplishments. Alain will receive the Outstanding Contribution Award and Dupe the Leadership Award. Dupe became Managing Director and CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc during the COVID-19 pandemic when occupancy fell to just 5%. She led the company back to profitability faster than most of the world’s hospitality companies, with the share price growing over 600% in 2023. Under her…