Category: New PM

Tragedy struck on Friday evening at the Alapoka axis of the Papalanto-Ilaro Road in Ogun State when a Dangote Cement truck lost its brakes and rammed into a tricycle, killing all five occupants instantly.

The fatal accident, which occurred around 8:25 p.m., involved an unregistered tricycle and a Dangote truck bearing the number plate GRZ 767 XA. According to Babatunde Akinbiyi, spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), the truck driver failed to notice he had collided with the tricycle until it was too late.

‘The impact was so severe that the tricycle was crushed under the truck’s tyre, killing the five passengers on the spot,’ Akinbiyi said.

A rescue team led by the Acting TRACE Head, Adedayo Omonayajo, and the Ilaro Divisional Commander, Salako Idowu, was deployed to the scene. However, tensions escalated as angry residents attempted to attack the team. The situation was brought under control with the intervention of the Amotekun Corps and other security operatives.

The remains of the victims were evacuated and taken to the morgue by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

The Nigerian naira fell sharply against the United States dollar at the close of trading on Friday, ending the week on a disappointing note after days of positive performance.

According to official data released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the naira depreciated to ?1,465.68 per dollar at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM), compared to ?1,455.25 per dollar recorded on Thursday.

This represents a ?10.43 drop in value within a single day, signaling renewed pressure on the local currency after a brief period of recovery.

The decline comes after the naira had shown strong momentum earlier in the week, gaining steadily for four consecutive days due to improved dollar supply and increased investor confidence.

However, market analysts suggest that renewed demand for foreign exchange by importers and corporate entities toward the weekend may have triggered the latest round of depreciation.

At the parallel (black) market, the naira remained stable at ?1,485 per dollar on both Thursday and Friday, suggesting that traders are maintaining a wait-and-see approach as the market adjusts to recent policy measures introduced by the apex bank.

Despite Friday’s decline, the naira still recorded a slight improvement on a week-on-week basis, appreciating by ?14.98 when compared to the ?1,480.66 per dollar exchange rate recorded on Friday, September 27, 2025.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s external reserves have continued to grow, standing at $42.40 billion as of October 2, 2025, up from $42.33 billion just three days earlier.

Analysts view this steady rise in reserves as a positive sign, reflecting improved foreign inflows and potential stability for the foreign exchange market in the coming weeks.

Experts have continued to urge the Central Bank to sustain its monetary tightening measures and enhance transparency in the forex market to restore full confidence among investors and businesses.

They also emphasized the need for Nigeria to boost local production and reduce dependence on imports, which remains one of the major factors driving dollar demand.

While the week ended with a slight setback for the naira, economists remain cautiously optimistic that the local currency could regain strength if foreign inflows continue to rise and market reforms are fully implemented.

As the countdown to the January, 2026 effective take off of two landmark Tax Reform laws gathers steam, wrong narratives and misconceptions about aspects of the new tax laws have also been on the increase. While some of the misconceptions are borne out of innocent ignorance, others are mostly from a place of political mischievousness. In this Explainer I will be addressing the misconceptions around the income tax provisions in the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025.

Over the past couple of months, I have noticed the following misconceptions and wrong narratives around the issue of income tax, many of which emanate from individuals or businesses who have clearly been evading income taxes: my

1. Nigerians pay higher income taxes from January 1, 2026

2. Money in individual bank accounts would be automatically taxed by the government

3. Federal government is desperate to raise revenue by taxing the income of Nigerians heavily.

4. Tax laws will stifle productivity

I will briefly touch on each of these misconceptions, providing clarifications in layman terms.

1. HIGHER OR LOWER INCOME TAXES FOR INDIVIDUALS?

The reality is that the income tax paid by MAJORITY of Nigerians will reduce following the new personal income tax provisions in the Nigerian Tax Act, 2025 that exempted individuals earning N800,000 and below per annum from paying income tax. What this means is that Nigerians earning minimum wage or below will pay zero income tax.

I understand some will argue that minimum wage is N70,000 per month, which translates to N840,000 per annum and ordinarily means a minimum wage earner still has N40,000 above the N800,000 exemption threshold that is subjected to an income tax of 15% under the new tax law. That is correct, but here is the catch, there is what is called TAXABLE INCOME and is not necessarily equivalent to the total income of an individual.

Taxable income is simply the part of the total income that can be taxed after allowable deductions have been made. Under the NTA 2025, you can deduct the following from your GROSS income to get your TAXABLE income:

a) NHIS contribution (5% of salary for most employees)

b) Annual rent (corresponding to 20% of the rent up to a maximum of N500,000)

c) National Housing Fund deduction (2.5% of gross pay)

d) Employee Pension contribution (8% of employee salary)

e) Life insurance premium for you and your spouse

In other words, a minimum wage earner claim some or all of these deductions and these will certainly drive down the taxable income within the exemption threshold of N800,000 per annum.

Let us do a practical calculation for an individual earning N70,000 monthly (minimum wage) who pays an annual rent of N200,000 in addition to NHIS, NHF and contributory pension deductions.

His gross annual income = N840,000

Pension contributions = N67,200

NHF deduction = N21,000

NHIS deduction = N42,000

20% of Annual Rent = N40,000

By the time you make these allowable deductions from the N840,000 gross income, the individual’s TAXABLE INCOME becomes N710,800. This falls well within the exemption threshold which means the individual will not pay any income tax.

If an individual earns N80,000 monthly, and we use similar deductions for NHIS, NHF and CPS while raising annual rent to N300,000 with 20% amounting to N60,000, the individual will still be exempt from paying income tax as the taxable income would be N799,200 – within the N800,000 tax exemption threshold. Even when we calculate for an individual earning an annual gross income of N1.2m, the individual may even fall within the tax exempt status depending on the deductions he or she claims or at worst the individual may just be taxed an effective tax rate of 2.5% under the new law as against 4.6% under the old law.

The tax band is progressive in nature and only makes the rich with reasonably much higher annual gross income to pay a little more than before, which is a fair system. Although, depending on the deductions they may claim, they can end up paying lesser income tax than before. This in itself opens a lot of opportunities for the economy especially the life insurance sector as well as the health sector since one can actually sign up for health insurance and/or life insurance in order to pay lesser income tax while at the same time benefiting from quality all-round cheaper healthcare offered by the NHIS for the family.

Below is a demo tax calculation for an individual earning an annual gross income of N50 million. The individual lives in an apartment he purchased with a bank loan of N80 million at an annual interest rate of 27% with a five year tenor, making his annual interest payment to be approximately N4.32 million. This particular individual also makes N5 million contribution towards his pension and another N2.5 million NHIS contribution that covers himself, his spouse and four kids.

After deducting N5 million pension contributions, N2.5 million NHIS contribution and N4.32 million interest payment, his taxable income out of the N50 million gross income becomes just N35.18 million. However, this N35.18 million is not taxed a flat rate of 23% (under the old law, income above N3.2 million is taxed a flat rate of 24%), rather it is progressive – the first 800k is 0%, next N2.2m is taxed at 15%, next N9m is taxed at 18%, next N13m is taxed at 21% while the next N25m is taxed at 23%.

The income tax of this individual under the new tax laws is N7.02 million, which is basically 14.0% of his gross income – just 1.1% higher than his effective tax rate under the old laws. This is still by far very fair when you consider what is obtainable in many other countries of the world where effective tax rate can get to as high as 60% of taxable income.

2. WILL INCOME TAX BE AUTOMATICALLY DEDUCTED FROM BANK ACCOUNTS?

The simple answer is NO. Taxes would not be automatically deducted from the bank account of Nigerians.

This misconception is probably because of the provisions in section 29 of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act which mandates banks and other financial institutions to furnish the tax authority on a quarterly basis information (name and addresses) about their customers with cumulative monthly transactions of N25 million and above for individuals or N100 million and above for a body corporate. Even though the information will help a tax authority know those ELIGIBLE taxpayers evading taxes, the provision does not amount to automatic deduction of taxes from the accounts.

Crucially, if your monthly cumulative transactions as an individual does not amount to N25 million and above or from N100 million for corporate bodies, this provision does not concern you in any way. Only about 5% of the population have bank accounts that have more than half a million in them. So, in essence, more than 90% of Nigerians, which includes all the poor and vulnerable people in Nigeria are not affected by this provision.

3. IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DESPERATE TO RAISE REVENUE BY TAXING THE INCOME OF NIGERIANS HEAVILY?

Again, the simple and short answer is NO!

The reforms in the income tax laws are not particularly meant for the federal government to raise more revenue by taxing Nigerians heavily, the reverse is actually the case. The tax laws are meant to relieve poor Nigerians of tax burden. Meanwhile, the greatest beneficiary of personal income tax revenues are the states because Section 3(2) of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act confers jurisdiction on the state tax authority in respect of tax on the income, profit or gains of individuals residing in a state. Therefore, personal income tax is part of the IGR sources of state governments.

The FG only retains income taxes from personnel of the armed forces and personnel of the Nigerian Foreign Service in addition to non-residents (those not living in Nigeria) who derive income or profit from Nigeria. Under the new tax laws, the FG has even exempted members of the armed forces from paying income tax. So, the federal government cannot raise revenue from the income of civilians living in Nigeria as that is the exclusive preserve of the states.

Also, the fact that the tax laws exempted Nigerians earning below N800,000 per annum from income tax shows that the tax laws are not necessarily about raising revenues but reducing tax burden on Nigerians so that they can have more disposable income. The tax laws simply tried to focus on increasing tax compliance by the high income earners with the state governments being the ultimate beneficiary in any case.

4. WILL THE TAX LAWS STIFLE PRODUCTIVITY?

Definitely NOT!

The new tax laws are primarily meant to boost productivity and not stifle it. This is not difficult to prove. First, the wide range of exemptions for both individual taxpayers and small businesses clearly indicates an intention to bring relief to low income individuals and small businesses. Section 56 of the Nigeria Tax Act pegs the income (profit) tax rate for small businesses at 0%.

In section 147 (page 331) of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, a small company is defined as a company with an annual gross turnover of N100m or less and with total fixed assets not exceeding N250m. This is basically 90% of businesses in Nigeria. A tax law that exempts over 90% of businesses in the country from paying profit tax cannot be stifling productivity under any circumstances!

In fact the same section 56 of the Nigeria Tax Act pegs the profit tax rate for larger companies at 30% with a proviso that this rate shall be REDUCED to 25% from a date to be determined in an order issued by the President on the advice of the National Economic Council. This provision was a compromise position reached to allay the fears of the Nigerian Governors Forum who felt the initial proposal to progressively reduce CIT for large companies to 25% by 2030 would likely reduce revenue inflows into the federation account since CIT revenue is shared by the three tiers of government.

The provision allows the eventual rate reduction to happen when the states (who are represented in the National Economic Council) are confident that such a reduction will not adversely impact on the federation revenue inflows. The Council will then advise the President to proclaim the order reducing CIT to 25%. If the new tax laws were to be anti-productivity, the company income tax rate would have been jerked up to above the 30% rate in the old Income Tax law.

CONCLUSION

From the foregoing, it is evidently clear that the income tax provisions in both the Nigeria Tax Act and the Nigeria Tax Administration Act are people-friendly, business-friendly, pro-poor and formulated to stimulate productivity by reducing the amount of money businesses pay as profit taxes or eliminating the profit tax entirely for small businesses. It is important that states through their tax authorities massively educate residents on the correct provisions of the tax laws especially as it pertains to income taxes.

As I conclude, I must emphasise that tax is an obligation that citizens owe their country. There is no valid excuse for any ELIGIBLE taxpayer, especially those who are not classified poor, to shy away from paying their fair share of taxes. This also applies to eligible corporate taxpayers. The new tax laws makes tax evasion more difficult and will bring many eligible taxpayers, hitherto avoiding taxes, into the tax net. As more high networth individuals and entities are captured in the tax net, they will have more motivation to demand for accountability from elected and appointed leaders across the three tiers of government who manage these tax revenues. This is potentially a very good news for accelerated national development.

Police said they have initiated investigations investigations into viral videos showing officers of Lagos Command tear-gassing students in Alakuko and an accident in Ikorodu injuring two people.

The command confirmed the probe in a statement posted on its X handle @LagosPoliceNG on Friday.

According to the post, Lagos Commissioner of Police, Mr Olohundare Jimoh has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), to conduct a thorough investigation into both incidents.

Jimoh condemned the unprofessional conduct seen in the Alakuko video, stressing that misuse of power and overzealousness by officers would not be tolerated.

He urged representatives of the victims in the Ikorodu accident to come forward with information to establish the facts and ensure justice.

The command assured the public that due process would be followed and any officer found culpable would face disciplinary action.

The Lagos police Command also reaffirmed their commitment to accountability and professionalism, urging residents to remain calm as investigations progress. (NAN)

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday reiterated his administration’s commitment to religious inclusiveness and fairness, assuring Christian communities in Northern Nigeria of equal treatment under his leadership.

The President gave the assurance during a meeting with Christian leaders at the headquarters of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Jos, Plateau State, where he also joined in paying tribute to the late Madam Lydia Yilwatda, mother of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Professor Nantawe Yilwatda. She passed away at the age of 83.

Addressing the gathering, President Tinubu emphasised his mission to unite Nigerians across religious and ethnic divides.

‘I have a mission to unite this country, ensure its prosperity, and we are making progress,’ he declared.

He drew on his own family background as proof of his commitment to religious harmony, noting that he was raised in a Muslim household but is married to a Christian pastor, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

‘I have never forced her to change her religion,’ the President said, urging the clergy to maintain faith in his administration’s efforts to balance Nigeria’s diverse interests.

The President also reaffirmed his government’s determination to tackle insecurity, pledging decisive action against terrorism, banditry, and the persistent farmers-herders clashes.

‘We are defeating bandits, and we will defeat them. We will deal with them and combat the farmers-herders clashes,’ he assured.

Tinubu further highlighted ongoing economic reforms, stressing that his policies are designed to benefit all Nigerians regardless of faith or region.

At the funeral prayers, the President described Madam Yilwatda as a devoted mother and humanitarian whose life of service and resilience was an inspiration.

Reflecting on his past political journey in Jos, Tinubu recalled meetings held in the city during the Social Democratic Party (SDP) era, when crucial decisions were made regarding the late Chief MKO Abiola’s presidential candidacy.

‘Today, I am grateful to God that I am alive to return as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to bid farewell to the mother of this community,’ he said.

APC National Chairman Professor Nantawe Yilwatda paid an emotional tribute to his mother, describing her as a hardworking woman who endured chronic illness for 47 years while raising her family and helping others.

‘My mother worked tirelessly despite her health condition, always supporting us and extending humanitarian assistance,’ he said, thanking President Tinubu for standing by his family.

Reverend Dr Amos Mohzo, President of COCIN, expressed appreciation to Tinubu for appointing Northern Christians to strategic positions, including Senator George Akume as Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Yilwatda as APC Chairman.

He praised the government’s efforts against insecurity in Plateau and Benue States but appealed for more support for conflict victims in Benue and the safe return of Christian communities displaced to Cameroon from Borno and Adamawa during insurgent attacks.

Mohzo assured the President of the church’s support in achieving his Renewed Hope Agenda.

The funeral attracted an array of political leaders and dignitaries, underscoring the significance of the occasion. Attendees included Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum AbdulRazaq Abdulrahman, several APC governors, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, and multiple ministers.

Others present were the current SGF George Akume, his predecessor Boss Mustapha, former governors Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Adamu Mu’azu (Bauchi), Fidelis Tapgun (Plateau), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), and Rochas Okorocha (Imo).

Also in attendance were members of the APC National Working Committee, federal lawmakers, former House Speaker Yakubu Dogara, and senior officials from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

Ondo governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has urged people of Ekiti to re-elect Biodun Oyebanji, his Ekiti counterpart, for a second term in office.

He said this will ensure continuity of what he described as Oyebanji’s ‘people-oriented policies and programmes’ that have transformed Ekiti state in the last three years.

Aiyedatiwa , who described Oyebanji as a dependable leader, said a second term would avail the governor the opportunity to deepen the people-oriented programmes that had touched lives across the state.

The Ondo State Governor made the appeal on Friday during the funeral ceremony of Chief Mathew Okunola, father of Justice Oyebisi Omoleye of the Court of Appeal, held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Ikole Ekiti.

Aiyedatiwa also urged Ekiti people within and outside the state to intensify prayers for the progress and development of the state under Oyebanji till 2030.

‘Please continue to support Oyebanji because he has performed excellently and if given another chance, he will do more.

‘This our work is a big one and we cannot do it alone, that is why I am requesting for all your support.

‘The things we are doing are not what can happen within one month, it will take a while, every one wants it to get to them immediately and it is not possible. Just be patient with us,’ Ayedatiwa said.

While commiserating with Justice Omoleye and her family on the death of their patriarch, the governor described the deceased as a highly respected community leader.

He prayed for repose of the soul of the deceased, and urged the family to uphold his legacy of integrity and service.

‘The deceased did well and that is why we see everybody here today.

‘Those of us alive at this time, let us do well in whatever position we occupy, let us put in our best just as my brother Oyebanji, is putting in his best and am also trying my best in my state,’ the governor said.

Earlier, Oyebanji described the deceased as a trail blazer and an achiever in several fronts.

He said the late Okunola would be remembered for his dedication to community development and positive influence on the Ikole traditional Council, Church, and society at large, where he served with distinction in different capacities.

Oyebanji, while commiserating with family of the deceased, urged them to take solace in the fact that the deceased lived a fulfilled life that impacted on the lives of many.

In his homily, the Vicar in charge of St Silas Anglican Church, Omuo Ekiti, Ven. Ajao Mathew, described the late Okunola as a true lover of God and His work.

He said that Okunola lived his life in the service of the Church and humanity.

The burial ceremony was attended by dignitaries from across the country.

Mr Olayemi Cardoso, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria has said the reforms being carried out by the bank are aimed at stabilising the economy, restoring confidence and bringing inflation down to single digits in the medium term.

Cardoso said this while taking questions during a fireside chat at his inaugural lecture series at the Lagos Business School (LBS).

The lecture had the theme ‘Next Generation Leadership in Monetary Policy and Nation Building’ and marked the launch of the CBN Governor’s Lecture Series.

The lecture had in attendance students from various tertiary institutions, members of academia, bankers and industry experts.

Cardoso explained the challenges of stabilising the nation’s economy and how hard work and credibility had helped CBN to redirect the nation’s economy on a positive growth path.

He explained ongoing reforms and achievements in the last two years geared toward stabilising the economy and restoring investor confidence.

‘The idea is to ensure that in the medium term we achieve single-digit inflation,’ he said.

He said interest rates and the foreign exchange market were areas of concern for everyone, adding that, at one point in time, the foreign exchange market had multiple challenges.

He explained the crisis of access to foreign exchange when he assumed office two years ago and efforts through necessary and stringent reforms that restored sanity, transparency and credibility.

He said credibility is at the heart of any central bank to win people’s trust and investor confidence, while listing some benefits of the reforms, including the ability of citizens to use Naira debit cards abroad.

Cardoso said when he promised to clear verifiable FX backlog estimated at over seven billion dollars, the feat was a daunting task which credibility, transparency and resilience helped him to achieve.

He said promises must be kept for people to keep trusting the nation’s economy, adding that people invest where there is integrity, credibility and trust, and that transparency and credibility restored sanity and attracted foreign investors.

Cardoso said during his tenure the apex bank began publishing financial statements, a practice that had been suspended for several years.

‘For years, the financial statements of the Central Bank had not been published. We have gone ahead to publish it. It’s on our website,’ he said.

He also explained how CBN used technology to eliminate sharp practices, citing adoption of a new electronic matching system, which made market activities open and transparent.

According to him, beyond macroeconomic stability, vision building involves creating opportunities for young people, in particular areas like financial inclusion and support for small and medium-scale businesses.

Cardoso said he was not seeking to praise himself but urged Nigerians to read positive comments of various local and international rating agencies about the efforts of the bank under his leadership.

Earlier, while delivering his keynote, he insisted that the CBN is building an institution that can be trusted, while urging the youths to embrace credibility.

Cardoso said the inaugural lecture initiative was aimed at deepening public understanding and strengthening the transmission of monetary policy.

The governor said the country’s most important asset is its next generation, which forms the largest demographic comprising more youths who must be groomed to drive the nation’s future development and growth.

He said when he assumed office as governor in 2023, Nigeria’s economy faced formidable headwinds with high inflation rates, depleted external reserves, low investor confidence, and nearly every macroeconomic indicator under pressure.

Cardoso said he tackled inflation with tightening policy aggressively, raising rates by more than 800 basis points and strengthening liquidity management.

He explained other reforms including strengthening reserves, now standing above 42 billion dollars, and new channels for diaspora remittances and investments.

‘On financial inclusion, we expanded mobile and agency banking to underserved communities, raising access from 56 per cent in 2020 to over 64 per cent in 2025, and commenced the recapitalisation of banks to ensure a stronger, more resilient financial system,’ he said.

He said the nation’s inflation, which peaked at almost 35 per cent, moderated to about 20 per cent, adding that real GDP expanded by 4.2 per cent in the second quarter, signaling a re-emergence of growth momentum.

The apex bank boss also explained the future of digital payments, credit, savings, investment and others being redefined by fintech and digital platforms.

Prof. Olayinka David-West, Dean, Lagos Business School (LBS), Pan-Atlantic University, delivering a welcome address, explained the role of the institution since inception in 1991.

She praised the partnership with the CBN governor to foster thought leadership, policy engagement, and in-depth discourse between town and gown.

Following his conviction and 50-month prison sentence for transporting people for prostitution in the United States, Hip Hop legend Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs faces one of the darkest chapters of his life. Once celebrated as a global music and business icon, his reputation now hangs in the balance.

Here are 15 things to know about the fallen star:

Early Life: Born Sean John Combs on November 4, 1969, in Harlem, New York, Diddy grew up in Mount Vernon, raised by his mother after his father was killed when he was just two years old.

Education and Hustle: Combs attended Howard University, where he majored in business. Though he left before graduation, his time there shaped his drive and ambition.

Music Industry Breakthrough: Diddy began his career as an intern at Uptown Records, quickly rising through the ranks before launching his own label.

Bad Boy Records Legacy: In 1993, he founded Bad Boy Records, propelling artists like The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, 112, and Mase to global fame.

Hitmaker Extraordinaire: As Puff Daddy, Diddy released several chart-topping singles. His 1997 tribute to The Notorious B.I.G., ‘I’ll Be Missing You,’ dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for 11 weeks.

The Business Mogul: Beyond music, Combs built a vast business empire, investing in brands like Cîroc vodka, DeLeón tequila, and AquaHydrate, with his net worth once estimated at over $800 million.

Fashion Influence: In 1998, he launched the Sean John clothing line, which redefined urban fashion and earned him the CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year award in 2004.

Television and Media Expansion: In 2013, Combs co-founded Revolt TV, a music and lifestyle network designed to amplify Black culture and creativity.

Multiple Reinventions: Known for frequently changing his stage name – Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy, Diddy, and Love – his identity shifts became part of his enduring brand.

Lavish Lifestyle: Diddy was famous for his extravagant ‘White Parties,’ luxury mansions, and celebrity-filled gatherings that defined the hip-hop elite lifestyle of the late ’90s and early 2000s.

Legal Troubles: His career has long been marred by controversies – from nightclub shootings in 1999 to multiple civil lawsuits alleging abuse, violence, and misconduct.

Criminal Conviction: In July 2025, Combs was found guilty of transporting individuals for prostitution and was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison in New York on October 3, 2025.

Courtroom Apology: During his sentencing, Diddy publicly apologized to his family, fans, and victims, admitting that ‘power and fame blinded him to the consequences of his actions.’

Public Reaction:

The conviction sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry, with many fans expressing disappointment while others called it a long-overdue reckoning.

Legacy in Question: Once hailed as a symbol of Black excellence and innovation, Combs’ influence on music, fashion, and business now stands overshadowed by scandal leaving his legacy deeply tarnished.

From chart-topping success to a federal prison sentence, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ story is a powerful reminder of how fame, fortune, and unchecked excess can ultimately lead to a dramatic fall from grace.

Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were the stars of the show as Arsenal cruised past West Ham United on Saturday, marking Mikel Arteta’s 300th game in charge with a dominant 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

Rice opened his account for the season against his former club, finishing neatly after Eberechi Eze’s shot was parried by Alphonse Areola. The goal came shortly after captain Martin Odegaard was forced off with an injury, the third straight home game the midfielder has failed to finish.

Despite the setback, Arsenal maintained full control of the match. Their attacking intent was clear from the start, with Arteta fielding an adventurous midfield of Rice, Odegaard, and Eze, showing the depth of a squad strengthened by a £250m summer overhaul.

The Gunners sealed victory in the second half after Jurrien Timber was brought down by El Hadji Malick Diouf inside the box. Saka, making his 200th Premier League appearance, calmly converted the resulting penalty, his 55th league goal for the club.

The win sent Arsenal to the top of the Premier League table, overtaking Liverpool ahead of their clash with Chelsea later in the day.

For West Ham, new boss Nuno Espirito Santo is still searching for his first win. His side showed flashes of discipline and organisation but were ultimately second best against a superior Arsenal team.

Niclas Fullkrug went close from a corner, while Lucas Paquetá fired over the bar, but the visitors rarely threatened Guglielmo Vicario’s goal.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) FCT Command says it apprehended more than 250 commercial vehicles in just two days for overloading, as it begins full enforcement of safety regulations in the territory.

The FCT Sector Commander, Corps Commander Felix Theman, disclosed this in a statement signed by the Command’s Public Education Officer, Mrs Helen Ntaji, on Saturday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the enforcement, which started on Oct. 2, specifically targeted the practice of carrying two passengers in the front seat of taxis.

Theman said that the two-day figure demonstrated the scale of violations in the FCT, in spite months of sustained engagement and education to transport unions.

He explained that his top priority since assumption of office had been restoring passenger dignity and safety, noting that enforcement was the most civil way to ensure compliance.

According to him, overloading makes the use of seatbelts impossible, weakens vehicle suspension and tyres and limits driver control in emergencies.

Theman added that the command’s operation was being carried out in collaboration with mobile magistrate courts to ensure immediate prosecution of offenders.

He said that full activation of mobile courts across the FCT would begin on Oct. 6 to intensify the enforcement.

The commander also warned drivers operating vehicles below minimum safety standards to upgrade them or risk outright impoundment.

He hinted that transport unions had pledged full support for the initiative and urged passengers to cooperate to protect their rights to safe and dignified transportation.