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Grade A Customary Court, sitting in Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has asked a couple, Kayode and Michelle, to go their different ways on account of irresponsibility, clubbing and excessive drinking.

Kayode stated that Michelle had proved to be irresponsible from the first day of their marriage, adding that she lacked all the virtues he expected to see in a woman.

The plaintiff explained that he and the defendant had been together in their marriage for five years, but that they had nothing to show for it.

According to Kayode, Michelle had been unable to conceive, despite various efforts and measures taken in an attempt to have a child.

He added that, to his chagrin, his wife, instead of being sad for not having a child, went clubbing.

The plaintiff added that the defendant went to club every day and always got drunk.

Kayode explained that the more he tried to make Michelle see reason, the worse she became.

The plaintiff stated that he could no longer bear the embarrassment caused by his wife’s behaviour.

He thus prayed that their union be dissolved.

Michelle refused to make an appearance in court despite been served court summonses.

Kayode, in his testimony, said, ‘My wife and I got married in April 2020 and I paid N25, 000 as her bride price.

‘My wife began behaving irresponsibly from the outset of our marriage.

‘I discovered she lacked the qualities and virtues I had expected in a wife.

‘I waited anxiously for months, hoping that she would conceive, but she did not.

‘We explored various options, both orthodox and spiritual, but all our efforts proved futile.

‘I expected to see my wife in a somber mood, but, to my chagrin, this was not so.

‘My wife took to clubbing.

‘She spends her days at clubs drinking herself to stupour.

‘The more I complain, the worse she has become.

‘My lord, I can no longer stomach my wife’s shameful behaviour, which was why I came to court.

‘I pray this honourable court to dissolve our wedlock.’

The president of the court, Mrs S.M. Akintayo, stated that both parties had a valid customary marriage because the bride price was paid.

She added that it was obvious and convincing through the plaintiff’s evidence which was not contradicted that both cannot live together any longer as husband and wife.

Akintayo added that their relationship had obviously gone sour.

She further said that the plaintiff had proved his case and entitled to the relief sought from the court.

Ruling, Akintayo declared their union dissolved.

According to her, both parties cease to be husband and wife.

They have been outlawed, but they have not disappeared. Across Lagos, scavengers still roam streets and communities at almost all hours, combing neighbourhoods for scraps, even as allegations of theft and vandalism increasingly trail their activities. Worried residents say their continued presence is giving them sleepless nights, while communities are resorting to their own security measures to keep them out. Dayo Ayeyemi and Francis Iwuchukwu report on the growing concerns over scavengers in Lagos and the apparent difficulty in enforcing the government’s ban.

In January 2025, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly resolved to curb manhole theft and the illegal activities of scavengers in the state.

The lawmakers made the resolution while debating a motion titled, ‘Motion to Curb the Activities of Scavengers and Manhole Theft in Lagos’, moved by Hon. Gbolahon Yishawu (Eti-Osa 2).

According to the lawmakers, if the menace of scavenging and manhole theft is not checked in the state, it could lead to an increase in accidents and blockage of drainage systems.

The House, therefore, called on the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, to sanction scavengers and cart pushers in order to curb their nefarious activities.

The lawmakers also called on the state government to enforce all relevant environmental laws, stating that there were sufficient laws to curtail such illegal acts in the state.

Interestingly, events and developments within the city in the past few months regarding the activities of scavengers are making it increasingly imperative for the state government to act on the lawmakers’ resolution and save residents and public infrastructure from what some have described as a ‘disaster waiting to happen’.

Investigations by Saturday Tribune, for instance, revealed that scavengers have, of late, become increasingly daring. A common sight in the city, they parade and stroll through virtually every nook and cranny, looking for empty cans, disused iron rods and used PET bottles. It is generally believed that they collect these items for sale as scrap to those in the recycling business as a means of earning a livelihood.

But, of late, residents have become wary that the ranks of these seemingly ‘innocent’ scavengers are being infiltrated by criminal elements. Reports regarding the activities of some of them in the past few years show that they are increasingly taking advantage of unsuspecting residents and even compromising public infrastructure under the guise of scavenging.

Their searches have, of late, gone beyond empty cans, disused iron rods and PET bottles. Some allegedly steal residents’ belongings, especially when residents let down their guard, and also vandalise public facilities.

And tales of such incidents abound. For instance, no fewer than 1,800 manhole covers have reportedly been stolen along the Lagos section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway between January and August 2026, while over 4,000 manholes were said to have been vandalised across various local government and local council development areas in the state.

Residents are not spared either.

‘There was a time one of the slabs, made of heavy steel, which we used to cover our culvert to enable us to drive into the compound, was picked by these guys,’ Hakeem, a resident of Olorunto in Oke Odo Local Council Development Area of the state, complained to Saturday Tribune.

According to him, residents only discovered that the item was missing long after it had been stolen since it was not the only slab there. He expressed shock that a slab that heavy could be stolen without anybody noticing.

For Segun Odunewu, the Public Relations Officer of Abesan Estate, residents of the estate are conscious of the nefarious activities of some of these people and have deployed strategies to check them.

According to him, while the estate authorities could not restrict anybody from entering the estate, the movement of such individuals could, however, be restricted within it.

‘Those people steal a lot. And what we have done is to divide the estate into sectors. That means while anybody, including the scavengers, can walk on the major roads within the estate, they are, however, not allowed to move into the zones, that is, go near the buildings where people reside. Such steps have become imperative because those people are capable of doing anything.

‘We’ve heard different reports about them, and we believe if they could damage government bridges all in the name of extracting iron rods, that means they are capable of doing anything,’ he stated.

Besides, he added, the estate had also put up banners at strategic locations, warning scavengers that they were unwanted guests within the estate.

The Chairman of Olorunto Landlords Association, Mr Matthew Ajala, also expressed concerns over the activities of the scavengers. According to him, the community had also placed banners outlawing the activities of such people on its streets.

‘They no longer come to our street and the entire community because every street has such a banner at its entrance and exit, and they have no choice but to obey. Sometimes, they make the mistake of entering the street and once we draw their attention to the banner, they take to their heels,’ he added.

While Mr Rasheed Okoya threw his weight behind the steps taken by the various communities to secure their domains from scavengers, he, however, expressed regret that the situation had degenerated to that level.

Rasheed, an electronics technician, stated that scavengers used to be his major means of disposing of unused items in his shop in the past.

‘Before things suddenly took this negative turn, they used to come to my place and help me clear the shop of disused radios, TV sets and other electronic accessories, and even pay a token to me for doing that. Unfortunately, the thieves among them have succeeded in shutting society’s door against the innocent ones,’ he added.

Disaster waiting to happen

Decrying the activities of scavengers and the vandalisation of bridge components, an expert in the nation’s built environment, Kunle Awobodu, urged the state government to be more proactive in preventing the destruction of public facilities by scavengers operating across the city.

He pointed out that bridge underpasses in Lagos were gradually being converted into rooms, with people living and paying rent there, citing the Opebi, Ikoyi and Yaba bridges.

He said: ‘For instance, we have a flurry of activities going on daily below the Opebi Link Bridge. People have turned the bridge underpass into rooms, and these rooms are controlled by street urchins.

‘Government has not been paying attention to those activities. During the regime of Fashola, he ensured every bridge underpass was beautified so as to prevent it from becoming a den of criminals because, then, most of those places were criminals’ hideouts. They were renting the bridge underpasses to people to sleep under the control of area boys.

‘Vandalism by scavengers is all over the place. Most of the aluminium rails on the Third Mainland Bridge have been stolen. They sold them as scraps. It’s a criminal issue that the police should be involved in,’ he added.

According to him, many of those bridge underpasses are being managed by ‘baales’. He, therefore, urged the government to factor the baales into the security architecture to enable them to monitor and guard the bridges against the activities of vandals.

Also speaking to Saturday Tribune on the issue, another expert, Engineer Oyenuga, noted that besides the financial loss, it was painful to see infrastructure on which Nigerians depend being vandalised.

He described the vandalisation of bridge support systems as a ‘disaster waiting to happen’.

‘If one of the pillars fails, it will transfer more loads to other pillars, which may be too heavy for them to carry, leading to total collapse,’ he said.

Apart from this, he said the collapse of a bridge would be a huge loss to the country, estimating that it could cost more than N6 billion to build a new structure if a bridge failed.

He called on the government to make public declarations about the health of bridges and other public infrastructure in the country so as to determine the extent to which some of those facilities had been compromised.

Existing laws sufficient to handle criminal acts – SAN

Giving a legal perspective to the issue, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Solo Akuma, argued that Nigeria does not require new legislation to address criminal activities allegedly perpetrated by some persons under the guise of scavenging.

According to the legal expert, existing criminal laws are sufficient to deal with offenders.

Speaking on how best to address the growing concerns surrounding scavenging, Chief Akuma noted that although many scavengers legitimately depend on the activity for their livelihood, a fraction of persons involved in the trade allegedly engage in theft, vandalism and the destruction of government and private property.

The senior lawyer declared that it was important to distinguish between legitimate scavengers who search dump sites for recyclable or valuable materials and criminal elements who allegedly exploit scavenging as a cover for unlawful activities.

Akuma said: ‘Some people have found scavenging as a means of livelihood, and there are those who are not criminals among them, who go to dump sites to search for anything valuable they can sell to make a living.’

However, the SAN expressed concern over what he described as a fraction of persons who allegedly abandon legitimate scavenging and instead break into people’s premises, damage public facilities and steal government or private property for resale.

Chief Akuma explained that existing provisions under the Criminal Code and Penal Code already provide legal mechanisms for prosecuting offences such as theft, burglary and destruction of property.

He contended that the major challenge was not the absence of adequate laws but the need for security agencies to be more proactive in preventing and responding to criminal activities.

The senior legal luminary maintained that effective intelligence gathering, surveillance and policing could help security agencies identify and arrest persons allegedly involved in criminal acts linked to scavenging before such activities become widespread.

According to Akuma: ‘If the security agencies are proactive, they’ll be able to arrest the criminals and then deal with them according to law.’

According to the SAN, failure by relevant authorities to act promptly could allow criminal elements operating under the guise of scavenging to continue their activities unchecked.

However, the senior lawyer called for improved monitoring and protection of government facilities and other public assets rather than the enactment of fresh legislation specifically targeted at scavengers.

‘The proper thing to do is not to crave new legislation but to call for proper monitoring of government and policing of government assets so that people will not interfere with them,’ he said.

Akuma maintained that anyone found destroying or damaging government property or the belongings of private citizens in the name of scavenging should be arrested, investigated and prosecuted in accordance with existing laws.

The lawyer stressed that while legitimate scavengers should not be automatically criminalised, those who engage in theft, vandalism or other criminal conduct must be held accountable.

When contacted, Director of Public Affairs of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Kunle Adeshina, disclosed that the activities of scavengers and cart pushers remained outlawed in the state.

The response followed a query by Saturday Tribune on the position of the ministry on scavengers and the number of culprits arrested so far following the recent vandalisation of the Festac-Alakija Bridge in Lagos.

He added that the decision to outlaw their activities in the state stemmed from concerns expressed by residents and the danger their activities pose to public infrastructure.

Soothing as the ministry’s assurance to the public may be, residents of the state are still concerned that the government’s directive in this regard is not being obeyed.

‘The development is giving us sleepless nights. We still see these people at any time of the day, even till the unholy hours of the night, despite their activities being outlawed. We are wary of the security implications of their actions for our well-being, and that is why we want the government to act decisively now,’ said a resident of Agbelekale, a community in Agbado Oke Odo Local Council Development Area of the state, who did not want his name in print for security reasons.

The Association of Resident Doctors at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, has proceeded on a five-day warning strike to demand better working conditions.

This was contained in a communique issued and signed by the President, Dr Olanipekun Quadri, and the General Secretary, Dr Olorunfemi Solomon, and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta on Saturday.

The ARD said several demands by the Association, bordering on welfare and security issues, and the excessively porous situation at the Emergency Treatment Room (ETR) remained unresolved over time by the hospital management.

The Association clarified that the declaration of a warning strike shall not withdraw, suspend, replace, or otherwise invalidate the ongoing 21-day ultimatum previously issued to Hospital Management.

It called for immediate deployment of adequate armed security personnel to strategic, vulnerable and high-risk locations within the hospital premises, particularly areas identified as requiring enhanced security.

It also demanded immediate strengthening of security at the ETR, with adequate personnel and effective access control to prevent the unauthorized influx of patients’ relatives and other persons.

Other demands of the Association included

Immediate provision of adequate and functional lighting across the hospital premises, with particular attention to poorly illuminated areas used by healthcare workers during night duties.

The Association called for installation and activation of functional CCTV cameras within the ETR, with appropriate coverage of other identified high-risk areas of the hospital, to strengthen security, accountability and incident investigation, among others.

The Association noted with concern the recurrence of assaults and other forms of aggression against doctors and other healthcare workers within the hospital premises, thereby creating an unsafe and increasingly hostile working environment.

Nigerian Tribune’s Northern Bureau Chief, MUHAMMAD SABIU, engages the spokesperson of the Middle Belt Forum, Luka Binniyat, on security in the North, the coming elections, and why the forum is backing the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), over his statement on Nasir El-Rufai. He also said it is the turn of the Middle Belt to produce the president in 2031.

For someone who is reading you for the first time, can you please introduce yourself?

Yes. My name is Luka Binniyat. I am from Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna, and I am the National Spokesman of the Middle Belt Forum. I am also the Joint Spokesman of the Southern and Middle Belt Leadership Forum.

You are from Kaduna, not from the North Central, yet you speak for the Middle Belt Forum. How did that come to be?

Let me try to define what the Middle Belt is so that Nigerians will not confuse the Middle Belt with the six states that make up the North-Central geopolitical zone. The Middle Belt is made up of all the ethnic nationalities, over 300 of them, that are not Hausa, Fulani, or Kanuri. It doesn’t matter whether they are Muslims or Christians. So, if you are from the 19 Northern states plus Abuja, and you are not Hausa, you are not Kanuri, or you are not Fulani, it invariably means that you fall under what we call the Middle Belt.

So, the Middle Belt Forum is the socio-political body that represents the interests of all these ethnic groups. The Middle Belt Forum was formed in 1954 because we were clamouring to be out of the arrangement of the defunct Northern Protectorate. We felt that the core North and we do not share the same values, do not share the same history, and do not share the same identity.

The feudal system that the colonialists arranged, which put us under their subjugation, was unacceptable to our founding fathers. So, the Middle Belt Forum was formed around that time in 1954.

On whether I came on board – since the present EXCO came on board: Yes. I was actually elected as the Kaduna State Chapter Chairman of the Middle Belt Forum in July 2024. The National Headquarters felt that I was very vibrant and that they didn’t have a spokesman who was getting visibility, so they brought me to join them as the National Spokesman of the forum.

What I can categorically say has been an achievement is that we have been able to bring to the conscience of Nigerians that the North is not actually monolithic, that the North actually has other ethnic nationalities that do not belong to the Arewa North, and that the Middle Belt itself cannot be limited to the North-Central geopolitical zone.

We try to enlighten people that the Middle Belt includes Southern Kebbi, Southern Kaduna – I’m the National Spokesman of the Middle Belt Forum and I’m from Southern Kaduna. The President of the Middle Belt Forum himself, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, is from Southern Borno; he is from Chibok, Chibok Local Government. So, the Middle Belt is bigger than the six states that make up the North-Central geopolitical zone. We are in Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe, even parts of Southern Yobe, Southern Bauchi, and the core six states of the North-Central – which includes, of course, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Niger, and the rest – are all part of the Middle Belt.

So, we have tried to sensitise Nigerians that the real majority in the North are not even the Hausa-Fulani and Kanuri. No, there are so-called minorities – the people that have been branded as minorities, which is an abnormality. Because when it comes to the number of human beings, that is population, and land size, the 19 Northern states plus Abuja is about 732,000 square kilometres, and the Middle Belt region has over 500,000 square kilometres of that land.

We believe that in a free and fair census exercise, there is no way you will tell us that these people who cover this area are a minority. When you aggregate our numbers, we are actually a majority. I agree that if you separate us as individuals, we are all minorities, but if you put the people of the Middle Belt together, we are actually the majority in Northern Nigeria.

That is what we have been able to bring to the conscience of the people. Then, the Middle Belt Forum has also tried to intervene in some intra-ethnic clashes – in Taraba between the Tivs and the Jukuns, in Adamawa between the Jukuns and another tribe. We have tried to see how they can cease fire.

We have also tried to expose the oppression and the killings that have been affecting our people under this very bizarre state of insecurity, both by Boko Haram and by the so-called Fulani bandits. We have raised our voices very loudly.

Then, we have also been able to speak as one voice and vote as a bloc in the 2023 presidential election. That actually showed the Middle Belt went for Peter Obi, and we believe that the results were manipulated against him. So, the Middle Belt is coming out under this EXCO as a formidable bloc, and we are going to take a position very soon on the direction to go in the presidential election of 2027.

All right. The Middle Belt Forum recently seems to be backing the Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Musa, over his recent allegations against the former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai. Don’t you think that as a Federal Minister, he shouldn’t have made such a remark or statement?

In fact, we expected him to say even more than that, because what El-Rufai is being charged with now is a very small allegation compared to the weighty things that he did against humanity. So, we were even disappointed that the Minister could not say much more than he said about El-Rufai.

So, we stand by him, and we believe that if it was another party that had won the presidential election and the gubernatorial election in Kaduna State, El-Rufai would have since been brought to justice and charged for crimes against humanity.

So, what Christopher said is true. And Christopher was talking about ‘my people’-when he said ‘my people’, he was not talking particularly about the people of Southern Kaduna; he was talking about every resident of Kaduna State, because that is his state of origin. So, I know that he is not flippant; he is not a man that will just come out and say things that he cannot substantiate.

We are very excited that if El-Rufai’s family eventually goes to court, there will be a plethora of witnesses to affirm what the Minister has said. Being part of the government, I believe he also has a lot of evidence that he can bring to defend himself.

Okay, looking at the scenario as it is now in the southern part of the state, can we say that the people of Southern Kaduna are happy?

Yes. As an indigene of Kaduna State and a son of Southern Kaduna, I want to say with all sense of responsibility that the killings in Southern Kaduna have drastically reduced. What has not stopped is kidnapping, but the invasion of communities and the burning down of houses have drastically reduced, almost by 90%.

And then, the Governor himself is very restrained in his utterances – his utterances are those that bring unity, his actions are those that bring unity. He seems to have been able to assure the people of Southern Kaduna that he is a team player. He still has a lot of shortcomings that he can work on, but the violence has drastically reduced. What we are still insisting on is that the kidnapping that is still ongoing should be stopped, and those that are in the custody of the bandits should be rescued. But it is far, far better than when El-Rufai was in power.

All right, then. I want to ask you about the relationship with other blocs, like the Arewa Consultative Forum, Afenifere, and others. What is your relationship with them? Because, you see, ordinarily, I don’t think you can exist as an island. So, do you have any collaboration or any agreement with these other blocs – your forum, the Middle Belt Forum?

Yes, yes. In 2023, Afenifere, PANDEF, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and the Middle Belt Forum took a unilateral decision that the presidency of Nigeria should be rotated to the South from 2023 to 2027. We stood by our position, and as the voting went, it affirmed that a Southerner was finally chosen. We are still maintaining that the presidency should still be retained in the South in 2027. We are still standing by that position up till now.

Now, the understanding that we have with these groups is that having supported them to produce a president for those eight years, if the presidency is eventually rotated to the North in 2031, it is a Middle Belt person that will become the presidential candidate of all the political parties.

We have started another round of talks, and we are mobilising credible candidates from the Middle Belt. It doesn’t matter whether he is a Muslim or a Christian – he could be a Nupe man, he could be an Alago man, he could be an Eggon person – we don’t care whether he is a Muslim or a Christian. But the presidency in 2031 must be returned to the Middle Belt, because we have never had an elected president, apart from Gowon who came to power through a coup. We have not produced an elected president, and given the statistics that I have given you about our size and our population, we think it is just fair and appropriate that a Middle Belter should take the presidency in 2031. That’s the agreement that we have with these other groups, and that’s the relationship that is keeping us together as a group of vulnerable people.

All right. Finally, what is it that I did not ask you? What do you want to say that I did not ask? I have given you this for free. What do you want to comment on?

Well, as a final word, I want to say that our biggest worry now consists of two things: the state of insecurity in Nigeria is becoming very worrisome. We want the Federal Government to tackle it head-on, and there is a small solution: we say the government should facilitate and supervise communities to be able to defend themselves by giving them light weapons that are approved by law.

If every community, for example, is able to have four AK-47s – every community – we believe that we are going to take care of this insecurity once and for all, and it can be done in a supervised manner. Or you give us these shotguns that use cartridges, plenty of them, we will be able to take care of these wicked people.

So, that is our worry now. We have hundreds, if not thousands, of people that are still in the captivity of both Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorist groups and the so-called bandits. So, we are very unhappy that our communities are subjected to this condition – not only our communities, even in the Southeast, there are still pockets of violence there, armed groups that have become lawless, you know…

The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) has officially announced that elections into the 27 Local Government Area Chairmanship positions and 305 Ward Councillorship positions in Imo State will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2026.

In a statement issued on Friday endorsed by the ISIEC Chairman, Chief Charles Ejiogu, he said that the elections will be conducted across 4,758 polling units in the state.

The Commission said the election date is in line with its 360-day Notice of Election issued on September 18, 2025, pursuant to Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, as amended.

ISIEC also disclosed that consultations with critical stakeholders are ongoing.

He urged all registered political parties to take note and make the necessary preparations.

Meanwhile Governor Hope Uzodimma has approved the appointment of of 27 Local Government Prosperity Cordinators and 305 word Properity Officers.

This was announced through a letter issued by the Special Adviser/Chief Political Adviser to the Governor on Political Affairs, Chief Perry Opara.

The European Union has expressed interest in investing in water transportation linking Lagos-Ikorodu with Ajaokuta in Kogi, as part of efforts to ease pressure on Nigeria’s road infrastructure.

The development followed a visit by an EU delegation led by Mr. Massimo De Luca to the Kogi State Government House in Lokoja.

Receiving the delegation on behalf of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo was the Deputy Governor, Comrade Joel Salifu, who welcomed the proposed investment and assured the visitors of the state government’s readiness to support credible investors.

De Luca explained that the proposed waterway project was designed to facilitate the movement of bulk goods through inland waterways, thereby reducing congestion and pressure on Nigeria’s roads.

He disclosed that the project would involve SeaLink and other local and international financial partners, including NEXIM Bank and European financial institutions.

According to him, other major companies could also join the initiative as the project expands.

As part of the investment proposal, the delegation requested 50 hectares of land in Kogi State, complete with the necessary Certificate of Occupancy, to establish an operational base for the project.

Responding, Deputy Governor Salifu said the state government would give the proposal due consideration, stressing that Kogi remained open to genuine investments capable of contributing to economic growth and development.

He explained that the request would be subjected to the appropriate government procedures, including consideration by the Kogi State Economic Council, before any final decision was reached.

The Deputy Governor further said he would present the land request to Governor Ododo for consideration, assuring the delegation that the government would communicate its official position after completing the necessary consultations.

Former lawmakers under the banner of the ‘South West Agenda for Asiwaju, SWAGA, are set to launch a fresh mobilisation campaign for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, in 2027.

According to a statement by the SWAGA Lagos Steering Committee, signed by Hon. Afis Olaseinde Kasumu for the Steering Committee, the group will formally inaugurate its zonal, local government (LG) and Local Council Development Area (LCDA) structures at the Eko FM Multi-Purpose Hall, LTV Compound, Coca-Cola Bus Stop, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja.

The initiative, tagged ‘LAGOS SWAGA 2.0: Consolidating Grassroots Mobilisation and Deepening Political Engagements for the RENEWED HOPE AGENDA,’ is aimed at expanding the group’s political structures and grassroots mobilisation across Lagos State.

The group said it would campaign for the re-election of Tinubu, as well as the emergence of Hamzat as the next governor of Lagos State to succeed the incumbent, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in 2027.

SWAGA said it was the first pressure group to mobilise support for Tinubu’s presidential ambition ahead of the 2023 election and was now seeking to build on that effort through renewed grassroots mobilisation.

It said the new initiative was designed to strengthen its structures at the grassroots and ensure that the policies, programmes and achievements of the Renewed Hope Agenda were effectively communicated to citizens.

‘Since its inception, SWAGA has been at the forefront of championing visionary leadership and political inclusion. Building upon the monumental successes of its initial phases, SWAGA 2.0 shifts its focus towards deepening community engagement, fostering inclusive governance, and creating a unified front ahead of future political milestones,’ the statement said.

The event is expected to be chaired by the Lagos State SWAGA chairman, Hon. Mosuru Owolabi.

Other personalities expected at the event include Hon. Funmilayo Tejuoso and Hon. Remi Adebowale, a former Special Adviser on Civil Engagement to the Lagos State Governor.

A major highlight of the event will be the swearing-in of newly appointed zonal coordinators and local administrators, comprising former legislators who served at both the Lagos State and federal levels.

The group said the coordinators and administrators would be responsible for driving its advocacy, mobilising communities and serving as links between its leadership and the electorate across the 57 local government areas and LCDAs in Lagos State.

Serving and former federal and state government functionaries, political leaders, party stalwarts, community influencers and grassroots mobilisers from across the South-West region are also expected to attend the event.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mourned the passing of elder statesman, renowned businessman, and former Governor of the old Gongola State, Bamanga Tukur, who died at age 90.

President Tinubu in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, Information and Strategy, described the passing of Tukur, the Tafidan Adamawa, as the end of a remarkable chapter in Nigeria’s political and economic history.

The President said Tukur was a towering figure whose distinguished career spanned public administration, governance, industry, politics and pan-African business leadership.

The late Tukur rose to national prominence as General Manager of the Nigerian Ports Authority from 1975 to 1982, where he helped modernise port operations and improve Nigeria’s maritime sector.

President Tinubu recalled Tukur’s colourful foray into politics during the Second Republic, which led to his election as Governor of the old Gongola State (now Adamawa and Taraba States) in 1983.

In his tribute, President Tinubu further described the deceased as ‘urbane, generous and deeply rooted in the values of integrity and service that the Adamawa Emirate and the nation hold dear. He was a man of big ideas and bold enterprise who believed in Nigeria’s limitless potential. Nigeria will sorely miss his wise counsel and fatherly guidance.’

‘The President extends his heartfelt condolences to the Tukur family, to the Fombina Emirate of Adamawa, the Government and people of Adamawa State, and to the entire political and business communities in Nigeria and across Africa.

‘He prays that Almighty Allah will forgive Alhaji Tukur’s shortcomings, grant his soul Aljannah Firdaus, and comfort all who mourn this irreparable loss.’

The deceased distinguished himself in the private sector as Chairman of BHI Holdings and the DADDO Group of Companies, conglomerates with interests in manufacturing, agriculture, logistics and trading, and served as Federal Minister of Industries under the administration of General Sani Abacha from 1993 to 1995.

On the continental stage, Alhaji Tukur was an eloquent champion of Africa’s economic renaissance. As Executive President of the African Business Roundtable and Chairman of the NEPAD Business Group, he was a relentless advocate for intra-African trade, private sector-led growth and sustainable development.

Tukur was the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from March 2012 to January 2014.

Nigeria’s tourism development, promotion and destination marketing efforts are set for a new phase of strategic cooperation with China following a high-level meeting between the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Ola Awakan, and the President of the China Tourism Academy (Data Centre of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism), Dai Bin, in Beijing.

The meeting focused on strengthening Nigeria-China tourism relations, with particular emphasis on developing the Chinese tourism market for Nigeria, leveraging tourism intelligence and traveller trends, and positioning Nigerian destinations to attract a greater share of China’s outbound tourism market.

Speaking during the meeting, the NTDA DG highlighted the need for a structured China-Nigeria Tourism Market Development Programme which would enable Nigeria to have a better understanding of Chinese outbound tourism patterns and develop tourism products and destination-marketing strategies tailored to the Chinese market.

Awakan also called for enhanced technical and capacity-building cooperation in destination development, tourism data and research, standards, and institutional capacity development for the NTDA and state tourism agencies.

According to him, greater collaboration should also facilitate investment and business exchanges by creating pathways for Chinese tourism investors, operators and hospitality businesses to access investment-ready tourism opportunities in Nigeria. Awakan reiterated the interest of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu in diversifying the country’s economy through tourism.

The President of the China Tourism Academy commended Awakan for what he described as transformative initiatives within Nigeria’s tourism ecosystem. Dai Bin noted that Nigeria is endowed with abundant cultural and historical tourism resources and expressed the Academy’s commitment to building a strategic partnership with the NTDA to support the realisation of its mandate.

Dai Bin stressed the importance of improving Nigeria’s image and visibility among Chinese travellers and tourism operators, noting that a better understanding of Nigeria would help strengthen tourism exchanges between both countries.

‘Nigeria’s image needs to be promoted in the minds of the Chinese people for our operators and tourists to understand your country better. We need to create more exchange programmes in education, training and businesses,’ he said.

The China Tourism Academy also expressed its readiness to work with the NTDA towards facilitating the establishment of a Nigerian International Tourism Promotion Centre in China. The proposed centre is expected to strengthen the strategic partnership, promote Nigerian destinations and tourism products, and deepen market understanding between Nigeria and China for both inbound and outbound tourism.

The meeting was attended by the Director of the Department of International Exchange and Finance at the China Tourism Academy, Dr. Yang Jinsong, alongside other senior management officials of the Academy.

The engagement, which formed part of Awakan’s working visit to China and his participation in a seminar on Climate Action and the Sustainable Development Goals for Developing Countries, facilitated by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, also showed Nigeria’s growing efforts to expand international tourism partnerships, attract tourism investment, strengthen destination marketing and position the country more strategically within the global tourism marketplace.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Saturday reinforced its commitment to national security and operational excellence through the conduct of its Third Quarter Route March Exercise across formations and units nationwide.

This was contained in a statement made available to news men in Abuja by the Spokesperson of the Service Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame

According to the statement, the exercise which was held simultaneously at NAF locations across the county forms part of ongoing efforts to maintain a highly fit, resilient, and combat-ready force capable of responding effectively to contemporary security challenges.

Speaking at NAF Camp Abuja on behalf of the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, the Chief of Operations, Air Vice Marshal Precious Amadi, stated that the exercise reflected the NAF’s determination to sustain a high level of operational readiness in support of ongoing efforts to combat terrorism, insurgency, banditry, and other threats to national security.

The statement further added that he noted that physical fitness, mental resilience, discipline, and teamwork remain critical enablers of mission success across all theatres of operation.

It added that Air Marshal Aneke emphasized that the quarterly route march is a strategic initiative designed to prepare personnel for the physical demands of military operations while fostering cohesion and esprit de corps across the Service. He added that the initiative complements the NAF’s broader efforts to enhance combat effectiveness through continuous training, capacity development, and personnel welfare programmes.

According to it, the Chief of the Air Staff further commended officers, airmen, airwomen, and civilian personnel for their dedication and professionalism, urging them to remain vigilant and steadfast in the discharge of their duties.