Category: Nigerian Tribune

The Kano State Police Command has arrested a 35-year-old man, Adamu Musa, for allegedly impersonating a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) and defrauding unsuspecting members of the public.

Musa, of Kureken Sani Quarters, Kano, was arrested on 1 September 2026, at about 7:30 p.m. by operatives of the Panshekara Police Division following credible intelligence received from the 52 Police Mobile Force (PMF), Challawa.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, preliminary investigations showed that the suspect allegedly specialised in defrauding people by posing as a senior police officer with influence over recruitment, postings and transfers.

The statement said the suspect allegedly used edited photographs and AI-generated images showing him alongside senior strategic commanders of the Nigeria Police Force to convince his victims that he had connections within the force.

He allegedly used the images and names of senior officers to promise victims police recruitment slots, transfers and postings in exchange for money.

A search of the suspect’s premises led to the recovery of one pair of black jacket uniform, two pairs of black shoes, one camouflage uniform, one blue uniform top and N300,000 cash.

The Police Command said the suspect remains in custody and would be charged to court after the completion of investigations.

The Command warned members of the public against fraudsters and impersonators who exploit photo-editing and artificial intelligence technology to create fake images with senior police officers.

It stressed that recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force is completely free, warning that no police officer is authorised to demand money for recruitment or posting.

The Command urged residents to verify the identity of anyone claiming to be a police officer, particularly individuals wearing police uniforms while soliciting money, and to report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station.

The Command said it remained committed to protecting lives and property and ensuring that individuals who abuse the image and uniform of the Nigeria Police Force are brought to justice.

As families prepare for the 2026/2027 academic session, the Treasured Points of Light Foundation has provided school materials and other essentials to more than 250 children in Akinjole Town, Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The initiative, held on Tuesday at the Palace of the Baale of Akinjole Town, formed part of the foundation’s annual Back-to-School Outreach, which is designed to ease the financial burden on families and encourage children to return to school with confidence.

The beneficiaries, drawn from various communities in Akinjole, included children from kindergarten to senior secondary school levels. They received school bags, exercise books, stationery, textbooks, school shoes, sandals, water bottles, food flasks and lunch boxes, alongside refreshments.

The event also featured interactive and educational activities aimed at making learning enjoyable for the children.

One of the foundation’s members, Mrs Odunbosi Taiwo, coordinated a musical alphabet game in which the children were divided into two groups and challenged to sing songs beginning with letters announced by the coordinator from A to Z. The group with the highest score received gifts.

Speaking during the programme, another member of the foundation, Mrs Oluwaseun Modupeola, urged the children to take their education seriously, stressing that education was not limited to classroom attendance but also instilled knowledge, discipline and the structure required to achieve their aspirations.

She encouraged the beneficiaries to develop a lifelong commitment to learning and make good use of the opportunities provided through education.

Speaking with journalists, the foundation’s Director of Logistics and Planning, Dr Damilola Ibigbami, said the Back-to-School Outreach had been organised annually for about eight years as part of the foundation’s commitment to supporting children and families.

Ibigbami noted that the rising cost of educational materials had made it increasingly difficult for many parents to adequately prepare their children for a new academic session.

‘Things have really become more expensive by the day-school bags, school shoes, stationery, books, and all that. We came here with a little token of all these items for these children, just to help reduce the financial burden on their parents and encourage them to return to school,’ she said.

According to her, the foundation initially registered about 250 beneficiaries, but the number of children who turned up exceeded expectations.

She said volunteers, however, made efforts to ensure that the additional children were also accommodated.

Addressing the children, Ibigbami urged them to remain focused on their studies, describing education as a critical foundation for achieving their aspirations.

‘Education is not a scam. Education will always give you a structure; it will always help you to achieve your destiny. If you embrace education and focus on your studies, the sky will be your starting point,’ she said.

Ibigbami attributed the success of the outreach to the contributions of volunteers, partner organisations and donors, while appealing to individuals and corporate organisations to support the foundation so that it could extend the initiative to more communities.

The Baale of Akinjole Town, High Chief Saheed Akinjole, described the intervention as unprecedented in the community.

The traditional ruler said although he had previously supported children in the community with school uniforms, bags and sandals, the scale of the foundation’s intervention was significantly larger.

He said the excitement among the children and their parents showed the importance of the initiative, particularly at a time when many families were struggling with the rising cost of education.

High Chief Akinjole expressed appreciation to the foundation and its sponsors for bringing the programme to the community, praying for greater success and capacity for the organisation to expand its humanitarian activities.

Also speaking, the Baamowe (General Secretary) of Akinjole Town, Engr. Debi Kolawole Emmanuel, commended the foundation for what he described as a major intervention in the lives of children and families in the community.

Emmanuel said the programme was the largest outreach of its kind in the area, adding that it had provided hope and relief to families preparing their children for the new academic year.

‘A lot of people who did not even have hope had hope today. They went home with school materials and textbooks, relieving stress for their parents. This is the kind of programme where people should invest their resources to touch lives and invest in the future,’ he said.

For parents, the intervention came at a critical period.

One of the beneficiaries’ parents, Mrs Adeshina Adejoke, said she had been concerned about replacing some of her children’s school items, including books, bags, sandals and water bottles, which had become damaged.

She expressed gratitude to the foundation, saying the materials had eased some of the financial pressure on her family and would enable her children to resume school better prepared.

For one of the child beneficiaries, the outreach carried an even deeper significance.

The girl, who told journalists that she had lost her father and that her mother could not afford all the educational materials required for the new session, said receiving new exercise books and school shoes brought her immense joy.

She said the items would enable her to return to school better prepared and with renewed confidence.

The Treasured Points of Light Foundation’s eight-year Back-to-School initiative has thus gone beyond the distribution of educational materials, offering practical relief to families while giving children a renewed sense of dignity, hope and excitement as they prepare to return to the classroom.

President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) over a purported anti-North statement allegedly attributed to him and circulated on social media.

The latest development was contained in a statement issued by his Special Assistant, Mr Jackson Udom.

In a letter signed by Akpabio’s Chief of Staff, Chinedu Akubueze, the Senate President urged the DSS to urgently investigate the ‘creation and coordinated dissemination’ on Facebook and other digital platforms of what he described as a false, inflammatory and divisive statement attributed to him.

The alleged statement, circulated alongside Akpabio’s photograph and designation, read: ‘Northerners, you will be the ones to suffer the most if you allow Tinubu to lose the election.

Akpabio denied making the statement, saying: ‘The President of the Senate did not make this statement. No date, venue, speech, interview, video, audio recording, official statement or credible news report has been produced to authenticate it.’

He further said the graphic carried no identifiable publisher’s mark or verifiable source, alleging that it appeared to have been deliberately manufactured and presented as an authentic quotation.

According to the letter, the material was intended to deceive the public, provoke regional resentment against Akpabio and portray him as threatening the people of Northern Nigeria.

The document identified Abdullai Musa, who allegedly posted the graphic in a Facebook group named ‘Sheik Muhammad bin Uthman Group 24,’ as one of the earliest traceable amplifiers of the material.

It also named Uzoma Chilaka, whose Facebook post allegedly reproduced the graphic alongside commentary credited to Boniface Uzoma Chilaka, and Engineer Ibrahim Umar Ammar, whose verified Facebook account subsequently reproduced the graphic and substantially similar commentary.

It stressed, however, that the individuals named should not be presumed guilty before investigation, describing them as ‘material persons of interest’ because of their alleged early and substantial roles in circulating the material.

It said their publication records, devices, communications, and the provenance of the image could help investigators identify the graphic’s designer, original uploader, sponsors, intermediaries, and distribution network.

Akubueze therefore urged the DSS to investigate the matter in accordance with the law and establish those responsible for creating and circulating the alleged fabricated statement.

Women, why do they push men so?

Men, why do they let women push them so?

Is it low self esteem or pure evil?

She is flat-chested.

He is not muscular.

Her waist has disappeared.

He has no six-pack.

Indeed, he has only one party-pack.

She’s too frontally endowed.

Her backside cannot be used to play badminton.

He is too big down there.

He’s just a bit bigger than a thumb.

Ah, what am I going to do with you guys?

Must we taunt each other to death?

When vanity books an appointment with the surgeon, Death sometimes gets invited too. Another death has occurred because someone or many someones goaded and pushed a man to increase the length and breadth of his thing, via surgery, from thumb size to plantain size. Oh lordy!

Seriously, there are some things in life that should come with a warning:

‘Please, think again.’

Buying a red dress? Think again if you cannot afford it.

Marrying a man because he has a Range Rover? Think again, what if the Range Rover belongs to his friend.

Taking a second wife because the first wife is now smarter than when you married her. Think. Think. THINK!

But apparently, when it comes to the human body and certain sizes of some body parts, some people simply don’t wanna think at all.

They see a stomach and say, ‘Tuck it.’

They see a backside and say, ‘Lift it.’

They see a breast and say, ‘Increase it.’

They see a penis and say, ‘Enlarge it.’

And somewhere in the background, the poor body is screaming:

‘Madam! Sir! What exactly was wrong with me?’

This week, we have been reminded in the most brutal way possible that cosmetic enhancement is not always a harmless appointment at the beauty salon.

British-Nigerian businessman and influencer Igho ‘Tiny’ Ubiribo, 43, died in Bangkok after undergoing a penile enlargement procedure. According to evidence reported from a London coroner’s inquest, about 40ml of hyaluronic acid and lidocaine had been injected into his penis. Afterwards, he developed chest pain and collapsed. He was taken to hospital, but could not be revived after prolonged CPR. The coroner concluded that he died from a pulmonary embolism caused by the filler procedure, and post-mortem examination reportedly found material consistent with the filler in his lungs.

Just pause there.

A man went looking for a bigger penis and ended up in a celebrity coffin.

That sentence is painful to write. A mother carried him in her body for nine months. So, how did ‘ordinary filler’ kill him? Maybe the human body is not designed to accommodate filler like the body of a car about to be painted.

History shows that from ancient times, men in parts of Africa and Asia used weights, stretching and other painful methods to enlarge the penis. Later centuries brought herbs, manual exercises and mechanical devices, as the pursuit of greater size persisted across cultures. Modern medicine has merely changed the instruments: vacuum pumps, surgery, implants and injectable fillers have replaced-or supplemented-the old weights and stretches.

Medical liiterature already tells us that injectable genital fillers can, in rare cases, cause catastrophic complications. A published forensic case told of a 56-year-old man who died after penile enlargement with a hyaluronic-acid product; investigators found the injected material in vessels in his lungs. Another study of genital aesthetic filler complications documented pulmonary embolism and reported seven deaths among the cases reviewed.

However, this is not an argument against every cosmetic procedure.

It is an argument against taking surgery as casually as changing your hairstyle.

Because surgery is surgery, whether it is BBL or open-heart, even when the surgeon calls it ‘a little enhancement.’

Look at how the BBL took over our backyards.

If the penis enlargement story is the new shocker, the Brazilian Butt Lift, popularly called BBL, has been giving medical professionals sleepless nights for years.

The idea sounded innocent in the beginning.

‘Take fat from where I don’t want it and put it where I want it.’

Ah!

If only the human body were a piece of furniture.

Unfortunately, fat can enter blood vessels and travel to the lungs, causing a potentially fatal fat embolism.

A major CDC investigation into cosmetic-surgery deaths among U.S. citizens in the Dominican Republic found 93 reported deaths between 2009 and 2022. In 24 fatal cases from 2019-2020 for which detailed medical records were available, liposuction had been performed in every case, gluteal fat transfer in 22, tummy tuck in 14 and breast augmentation in 11. Autopsies attributed 11 of 20 deaths to fat embolism and seven to pulmonary venous thromboembolism.

Now, before all the women carrying beautiful bottoms start cancelling their lives, let us be medically fair.

BBL is not a death sentence.

Modern safety measures, including techniques designed to keep fat in the safer superficial layer and the use of ultrasound guidance, have improved safety considerably. Recent research has found very encouraging safety results with ultrasound-guided techniques.

The point is simply this:

A BBL is surgery, not divine intervention.

You cannot enter a clinic at 10 a.m. with the body God gave you and assume you will automatically leave at 2 p.m. with the body Instagram promised you.

And then there is the tummy tuck

Ah, the famous tummy tuck.

The stomach that has survived pregnancy.

The stomach that has survived age.

The stomach that has survived amala, pounded yam, rice, shawarma, chin-chin, Christmas and three decades of Nigerian parties.

Suddenly one morning, its owner looks in the mirror and declares:

‘This stomach must go.’

Fine.

But abdominoplasty is major surgery.

The CDC data mentioned earlier found tummy tucks in 14 of those 24 fatal cosmetic-surgery cases examined for 2019-2020. Again, that does not mean tummy tucks routinely kill people. It means serious complications can occur, particularly when major procedures are combined. And therein lies another problem.

‘Since I’m already under anaesthesia…’

This sentence has probably caused more trouble than some Nigerian politicians.

‘I’ll do the tummy.’

‘Since I’m already there, do the breasts.’

‘Since the breasts are being done, add the backside.’

‘And while you’re at it, remove the fat from my thighs.’

Madam, are you renovating a human being or renovating a three-bedroom bungalow?

Medical investigations have found that an average of three cosmetic procedures were performed on each of the 24 fatal cases earlier mentioned.

The body does not care how much money you have.

The anaesthetic does not know you have 200,000 Instagram followers.

Your lungs do not care that your surgeon is popular on TikTok.

Your blood vessels have never heard of ‘influencer.’

Your heart does not become stronger because you paid in dollars.

Biology remains stubbornly democratic.

Liposuction is not exactly a vacuum cleaner.

There is something psychologically funny about the phrase ‘liposuction.’

It sounds like someone is going to attach a pipe to your stomach and suck out the excess pepper soup.

No.

It is a surgical procedure.

And although liposuction is widely performed, it carries risks including bleeding, infection, blood clots, fat embolism, fluid problems and anaesthetic complications.

In that CDC investigation, liposuction was present in all 24 of the detailed fatal cases examined. That does not mean liposuction is inherently deadly. I am still struggling with a ‘nearest in meaning ‘ word or expression for that innocent-sounding procedure. But while we are searching, let us agree that

‘common’ is not the same thing as ‘risk-free.’

Paracetamol is common.

Driving is common.

Pregnancy is common.

Life itself is common.

Yet we still take precautions.

Cosmetic surgery may sound common in 2026 but it is still deadly. Oh, that word again.

I hear some people have moved further down the road to industrial silicone. That is where desperation can become downright frightening.

There have been cases of people receiving injections of substances that were never intended to be injected into the human body for cosmetic purposes.

Silicone.

Unknown fillers.

Unregulated products.

Mystery mixtures.

Some people hear:

‘It is cheaper.’

All that body hears:

‘Prepare your obituary.’

Unapproved injectable substances can cause infection, tissue damage, inflammation, vascular complications and embolism.

The cheapest cosmetic procedure can become the most expensive funeral you ever plan and death does not give refunds.

The problem is not beauty. Yes, I am old school but there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to look good.

People have been decorating, modifying and enhancing their bodies since humanity discovered mirrors. Women wear makeup.

Men grow beards. People lose weight. I’m working on mine. People whiten teeth. Maybe I should too.

People have breast surgery after cancer.

People undergo reconstructive surgery after accidents.

There are legitimate medical and psychological reasons for cosmetic procedures.

The problem embarrassment begins when insecurity meets an irresponsible practitioner and a patient who has thrown caution to the winds.

Before you travel to another country to reduce or augment any body part because somebody on Instagram says, ‘My doctor is the best,’ ask questions.

Who is the doctor?

What are his or her qualifications?

What exactly is being injected?

Is the substance approved for that use?

What are the complications?

What happens if something goes wrong?

Where will you receive emergency care?

Who will look after you afterwards?

And perhaps the most important question:

‘What happens if I decide not to do this?’

Because sometimes the answer is wonderfully simple:

Nothing.

You go home.

You eat dinner.

You sleep.

You wake up the next morning.

And your backside is exactly where it was yesterday.

Your tummy is still there.

Your breasts are still yours, safely sitting or standing.

And, gentlemen, your penis has not suddenly become a national emergency.

Before you enlarge, lift or tuck it

Please remember something vanity never tells us: the body is not a tokunbo car.

You cannot keep changing parts of it simply because you feel like.

Today it is enormous buttocks.

Tomorrow it is tiny waists.

Next week it is six-pack abs.

After that, some social-media genius will announce that the fashionable thing is a completely different shape.

Will you keep cutting up yourself every time Instagram changes its mind?

Guys, please listen carefully.

Stop measuring your masculinity with a ruler.

If your entire confidence is sitting inside a measuring tape, perhaps the problem is not your penis.

Perhaps the problem is the measuring tape.

Because what happened to Tiny Ubiribo is a particularly cruel lesson: a procedure intended to enhance one part of the body ended up causing a life-threatening complication in another part of the body – his lungs.

That is the wicked irony of cosmetic surgery.

You can go to the doctor because you don’t like your body and leave with no body to complain about.

So before you enlarge it…

Before you lift it…

Before you tuck it…

Before you suck it…

Before you fill it…

Before you cut it…

Before you implant it…

Stop. Think.

Ask the doctor the questions your vanity doesn’t want to hear.

Ask about the risks.

Ask about the qualifications.

Ask about the emergency plan.

Get an independent medical opinion.

And if the answer is, ‘Don’t worry, nothing can go wrong,’

please worry.

Because in medicine, the person who tells you that nothing can go wrong is probably the person you should not let touch you.

Beauty is lovely.

Confidence is wonderful.

Looking good is delicious.

But being alive is still the finest cosmetic treatment available.

After all, what is the point of having the perfect backside if nobody can sit behind it at your funeral? Before you go under the knife, ask yourself this critical question:

‘Is this body part really worth dying for?’

If the answer is no-

Go home.

Your mirror will survive the disappointment.

And so, hopefully, will you.

PRESIDENT and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has declared that the forthcoming Initial Public Offering (IPO) of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is deliberately structured to ensure that ordinary Nigerians can easily participate in the ownership of one of Africa’s most strategic industrial assets.

Dangote stated that the refinery’s public offering is ‘for the people,’ stressing that significant efforts have been made to simplify the share purchase process so that investors from all walks of life can become shareholders.

According to him, the vision behind the offering goes beyond raising capital. It is aimed at democratising wealth creation and allowing Nigerians to participate directly in the success of a company that is redefining the continent’s energy landscape.

‘This refinery belongs to Nigerians and Africans. It was built to transform our economy, create prosperity, and secure our energy future. We want the people to share in that success. That is why we are making the IPO process simple, transparent, and accessible. Anyone with a Bank Verification Number (BVN) will be able to invest and become a co-owner of this world-class refinery,’ Dangote said.

He explained that technology-driven subscription channels are being deployed to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy and make participation easier for both first-time and experienced investors.

The billionaire industrialist noted that the simplified framework would enable civil servants, artisans, traders, professionals, young entrepreneurs, cooperative societies, pension contributors, and Nigerians in the diaspora to subscribe seamlessly to the offer.

‘Historically, wealth has often been concentrated in the hands of a few. Our objective is different. We want to create opportunities for millions of Nigerians to benefit from the value being created by this refinery. This IPO represents a unique opportunity for people to own part of an enterprise that is already transforming Africa’s refining industry,’ he said.

Dangote emphasized that broad-based ownership remains one of the most effective mechanisms for deepening the Nigerian capital market while promoting inclusive economic growth.

He recalled how previous public offerings by Dangote Group companies created wealth for thousands of investors through capital appreciation and dividends, expressing confidence that the refinery’s long-term growth prospects would create substantial value for shareholders.

The industrialist further stated that making the refinery accessible to retail investors aligns with his long-held belief that national economic development should be accompanied by widespread citizen participation.

‘People should not only benefit as consumers of refined petroleum products; they should also benefit as owners. We are creating a pathway through which everyday Nigerians can participate directly in the growth story of this refinery,’ he added.

Market analysts have described the planned listing as one of the most anticipated capital market transactions in Africa, given the strategic importance of the refinery to regional energy security, industrialization, foreign exchange generation, and economic development.

With a capacity of 700,000 barrels per day, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is the world’s largest single-train refinery and has significantly strengthened Nigeria’s domestic refining capabilities while expanding exports of refined petroleum products across Africa and beyond.

Dangote reaffirmed the company’s commitment to transparency, strong corporate governance, and sustainable shareholder value, noting that further details about the offer structure, subscription channels, and participation guidelines would be communicated to the public through the appropriate regulatory and market channels.

‘The refinery is more than an industrial project. It is a symbol of what Nigerians can achieve. We are now opening the doors for millions of people to become part of that journey,’ he said.

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has called for a technology-driven electoral system that would allow every Nigerian to cast, verify and track a ballot, declaring that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has failed to inspire confidence in the country’s elections.

‘INEC has failed. It is a monumental failure. There’s no gainsaying about it,’ Duke said during an interview.

He said widespread distrust of election results had discouraged millions of Nigerians from voting because they believed their participation would not influence the outcome.

‘The results you get from the polls often don’t reflect the views of the people.

‘So there’s disenchantment with the system, both by the contestants and the public. Most people don’t vote because they believe their votes don’t count.

‘And in a world where technology is so advanced, it’s a shame that we couldn’t devise a system that makes your votes to count,’ he said.

Duke added that available technology could ensure that every ballot was counted and independently verified, questioning why Nigeria continues to use an electoral process susceptible to manipulation.

‘The system in the world today, the technology that is available, can ensure that each vote is not only counted but verified,’ he said.

‘Technology exists. People are going to space and all that; we’re still doing this manual thing that can be manipulated. There’s no excuse for it.

‘The sincerity of purpose is not there.’

He contrasted the continued reliance on manual elections with the ease with which Nigerians transferred money electronically to people living in distant communities.

‘Technology is so advanced. We send money around to our villages, to our relatives in villages, and they get the money. But when it comes to voting, it is not safe anymore. What are we talking about?’

The former governor recalled INEC’s postponement of the 2019 general election only hours before voting was scheduled to begin, describing it as an assault on the resources and integrity of Nigerians.

‘I had to write to Professor Yakubu, the immediate past chairman, when, four hours to voting, the elections were postponed. Prior to that, he had said he was ready for the elections, that the papers, the materials, everything was in the state capitals.

‘How do you explain postponing an election four hours to voting?,’ he asked.

Duke said political parties had already deployed agents to more than 180,000 polling units and committed billions of naira before the postponement was announced.

‘You know that all the polling agents have been given allowances running into billions. There are over 180,000 polling units across the country.

‘You’re going to probably have two polling agents per booth. So, you’re talking about more than 300,000 people involved. You’re not going to give each one of them less than N10,000.

‘So you’re postponing four hours to it. Only the party in power has the muscle to raise that sort of money for a rerun.’

He stated further that last-minute election postponements were not peculiar to the All Progressives Congress (APC), recalling that a similar shift occurred under a previous Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration.

‘Now, this is not unique to the APC. It was under an APC government and they appointed the chairman. The PDP did it, but theirs was better; I think it was a week to the elections that they postponed it.

‘It was for the same flimsy excuse of harmattan. Harmattan occurs every year at the same time. Bad roads have been with us.

‘But you, the chairman, had said specifically that the ballot papers and election materials had all been fully distributed and were at the various state capitals.

‘So it is so nonsensical. In fact, it’s insulting to the integrity of Nigerians to make that sort of statement.’

Duke said an unreliable electoral system had weakened democracy, encouraged voter apathy and handed incumbents an overwhelming advantage.

‘We don’t have a system of government that ensures that your vote counts. So we don’t have a democracy. We are pretending democracy,’ he stated.

He warned opposition presidential aspirants that they could not defeat an incumbent while pursuing separate ambitions.

‘Do you think you can defeat the incumbent, with all its power and its known application of power, while being divided?’ he asked.

Duke urged opposition leaders to identify and support the candidate best equipped to deliver good governance, rather than allow personal ambition to destroy their collective objective.

‘We all can’t be president. I have dreams of what it would be like for me to be president, but only one person is going to get there.

‘So I’m better off being part of a team than not being there at all. I’m tired of gripping from outside. I don’t want to be the spectator in the stands watching the field.

‘I want to be on the field and say: let’s play together.’

He described the 2027 election as pivotal and warned that Nigeria could not sustain its present trajectory for another four years.

‘There’s a future if we want it, and there’s business as usual if we also want it,’ Duke said.

‘It’s in our hands. We can determine if we want to go forward or remain as we are. If we remain as we are, we’re not going forward; we’re regressing.’

British Airways (BA) has explained why over 100 of their flights were diverted, describing it as an incredibly frustrating experience .

The airline announced in their verified X account on Tuesday, stating that the airline is doing all they can to minimise their customers’ inconveniences.

They attributed the issue to National Air Traffic Services (NATS) the organisation responsible for providing Air Traffic Management (ATM) services in the United Kingdom

‘While NATS informed us that their Air Traffic Control (ATC) system fault has been resolved, the severity of the issue means there will be a significant knock-on impact on our customers and colleagues’

‘We were forced to divert more than 100 flights on Tuesday afternoon, inconveniencing tens of thousands of customers. This incident was out of our control and is an incredibly frustrating experience for our customers and colleagues, with a number of our aircraft and crews out of place’.

The airline assured they are doing everything to keep their customers updated and to make arrangements for those who wish to continue their journeys.

The airline further advised those who wish not to travel on Tuesday or Wednesday to move their flights for free up until Friday, 11th September, 2026.

Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has declared what he described as a ‘small state of emergency’ in waste management, following mounting concerns over indiscriminate refuse disposal and delays in the evacuation of waste across the state.

Sanwo-Olu made the declaration on Wednesday during an inspection of the Olusosun landfill in Lagos, where he reviewed ongoing efforts to improve waste collection, disposal and processing in the state.

The governor said the state had in recent weeks witnessed pressure on its waste collection system, resulting in refuse being dumped indiscriminately in various parts of the metropolis.

He said the emergency response was aimed at understanding the challenges confronting the system and implementing immediate measures while longer-term infrastructure was being developed.

‘We’re here for ourselves to see what is the problem, what is happening, and for us to clearly be able to declare what we will call a small state of emergency, just so that we can get out of this very unpleasant situation,’ Sanwo-Olu said.

The governor said the state was working to increase the capacity of Olusosun to receive between 350 and 450 trucks daily, compared with its current capacity of about 250 to 350 trucks.

He explained that the increase would be achieved by expanding the number of tipping points at the landfill from the existing two or three to four or five, thereby improving the turnaround time for waste trucks.

According to him, the objective is to ensure that trucks do not spend several hours, or an entire day, waiting to discharge waste at landfill sites.

Sanwo-Olu said the state was also working to reactivate additional waste disposal locations, including Solu 3 in Alimosho, Iwulepe in Ikorodu, Oke Osho in Epe and Erikitte in Badagry.

He said work on the road serving Solu 3 would commence with road stabilisation and grading, with completion expected within two to three weeks.

The governor added that stabilisation work would also be undertaken at Iwulepe and Oke Osho, expressing optimism that four active dump sites would be operational within about six weeks, alongside the Badagry facility.

‘This will enhance and improve the turnaround of the trucks on the various roads so that they don’t need to come to the dump site and spend one day, spend 12 hours for them to be able to pick,’ he said.

On the shortage of functional waste collection equipment, Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the state government had ordered 160 new compactor trucks.

He said the shipment of the trucks was expected to begin soon, adding that the equipment would increase the capacity of the state to evacuate waste from homes and roads to disposal sites.

The governor said additional compactor trucks would also be procured by Zoomlion, while the state would acquire landfill compactors to improve operations at disposal sites.

Beyond the immediate measures, Sanwo-Olu said the state was implementing a long-term waste management infrastructure programme in partnership with Zoomlion.

He said a 2,400-metric-tonne transfer loading station was being developed at Olusosun, with another of the same capacity planned for Solu 3.

According to him, the stations will receive compacted waste before transferring it to material recovery facilities for further sorting and processing.

He said two material recovery sites were being developed at Oke Osho in Epe and Erikitte in Badagry.

Sanwo-Olu said the projects represented investments worth tens of millions of dollars and were expected to provide a long-term solution to waste generation, disposal and conversion in Lagos.

He said physical development on the projects should be visible by the end of the year, while the facilities were expected to become operational between the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter of next year.

The governor also disclosed that the state government and operators under the Private Sector Participation (PSP) scheme were reviewing the structure and capacity of waste collection operators.

He said the PSP operators had agreed to ‘purge themselves’ by identifying operators with the capacity, knowledge and financial strength to continue operating in Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu said the exercise would be conducted alongside an independent review by the state government to determine the actual number of effective PSP operators.

‘We just don’t want to have 800 PSPs when it is actually only 400 that is effective, or have a number that we’re just carrying the number, and 20 or 30 or 40 of that are not effective,’ he said.

He added that PSP operators had also committed to procuring more compactor trucks, while the state government would explore financing arrangements to de-risk their investments and prevent operators from becoming financially distressed.

The governor, however, appealed to residents and property owners to pay for waste collection services, stressing that effective waste management required shared responsibility between government, operators and residents.

He criticised the practice of demanding waste collection services without paying for them, describing it as unfair to operators providing the service.

Sanwo-Olu said the government and PSP operators would improve service delivery while residents would also be expected to meet their obligations by paying for waste collection.

He said the combination of immediate operational measures, additional equipment, more disposal sites and the planned transfer and material recovery facilities would help address the current waste management challenges confronting Lagos.

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday denied making a statement indicating that Northerners would be made to suffer dearly if President Bola Tinubu loses the 2027 presidential election.

Akpabio, in denying the statement linked to a purported Facebook post by one Engr. Ibrahim Umar Ammar, described it as ‘a fabrication.’

Akpabio’s reaction was conveyed through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Honourable Eseme Eyiboh, in Abuja on Wednesday, in which he challenged the poster to back up his claim.

According to Eyiboh, the controversial Facebook post reads: ‘We will make sure Northerners suffer from January to May if Tinubu loses the election.’

Denying that the Senate President ever made such a statement, Eyiboh wrote: ‘There is no video, audio recording, speech, interview, press release, transcript or credible news report in which those words were uttered by him.

‘A photograph carrying words placed beneath it is not evidence; it is merely an allegation wearing typography.’

Eyiboh specifically challenged Umar Ammar, whom he alleged identified with the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation and was the Coordinator of ADC-NYAF, Kano State, to produce the original material where Akpabio allegedly made the statement.

He also noted that if Ammar merely reposted the material, he should identify its original source and provide the publication from which he obtained it, adding that those responsible for creating or disseminating the alleged fabrication should be identified and penalised according to due process.

Eyiboh described the purported quotation as ‘calculated incitement’ aimed at creating fear and hostility between Northern Nigerians and the President, stressing that political contests should be based on ideas, records and credible alternatives rather than fabricated statements.

He also cited Akpabio’s political relationships and legislative record as evidence against the allegation, noting that the Senate President has northern political allies and aides and works closely with the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, who hails from Kano State.

As proof of Akpabio’s support for the North, he recalled that the National Assembly, under his leadership, passed legislation establishing the North-West Development Commission, the North-Central Development Commission and other laws establishing a Federal Polytechnic in Rano, Kano State, and a Federal University of Health Sciences in Tsafe, Zamfara State.

He further noted that Akpabio visited Borno State following the devastating Maiduguri floods, while the National Assembly provided financial assistance to victims. He added that the Senate had also supported legislation on student loans, minimum wage, security, education and economic development.

Eyiboh urged Nigerians not to circulate the alleged quotation without primary evidence, saying: ‘The burden of proof rests squarely upon those making and circulating the allegation.’

He called on political parties to ensure that the 2027 contest remained truthful and responsible, warning that ethnic divisions should not be exploited for electoral advantage.

An experimental drug developed with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) has shown early signs that it could reduce markers of biological ageing while treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a serious lung disease.

The drug, rentosertib, was developed by biotechnology company Insilico Medicine using AI to identify its target and design the molecule. It was initially developed as a treatment for IPF, a progressive disease that causes scarring of the lungs and a decline in lung function.

New findings from a Phase IIa clinical trial, published in Nature Biotechnology, suggest that rentosertib may also influence biological-age markers.

Researchers analysed blood-protein data from 42 patients who participated in the trial and assessed their biological age using six independently developed proteomic ageing clocks. All six models showed a reduction in predicted biological age among patients treated with rentosertib.

The findings have generated interest because rentosertib is not simply an existing drug being repurposed for ageing. Its target, TNIK, was identified using AI-driven research into ageing and disease biology, while the drug molecule itself was designed using Insilico’s generative AI platform.

Researchers say the results point to the possibility of developing medicines that could address both age-related diseases and aspects of the ageing process.

However, the findings do not mean that a drug capable of slowing or reversing human ageing has been developed.

The biological-age results were based on ageing clocks that estimate biological age from patterns in proteins in the blood. Such measurements are different from chronological age and do not yet establish that a person will live longer, remain healthier for longer or have their ageing process permanently reversed.

The study was also small, with only 42 participants included in the ageing-clock analysis, and the researchers say further work is needed to determine the clinical significance of the findings.

Rentosertib’s development has so far focused primarily on IPF. In the Phase IIa trial, published in Nature Medicine, 43 patients were evaluated across different doses of the drug and a placebo group over 12 weeks. The study reported dose-related improvements in forced vital capacity, a key measure of lung function.

The drug works by targeting TNIK, a protein that Insilico researchers identified as being involved in fibrosis and ageing-related biological processes. By inhibiting TNIK, researchers hope to reduce the processes that contribute to lung scarring.

Insilico has now moved rentosertib into Phase III clinical development for IPF. The company announced the start of the late-stage trial in July 2026 after reporting encouraging Phase IIa results and manageable safety and tolerability.

The latest findings have also highlighted a broader role for AI in drug discovery.

Rather than relying entirely on conventional trial-and-error approaches to identify potential drug molecules, researchers can use AI systems to analyse biological data, identify potential drug targets and generate molecules designed to interact with those targets.

Insilico said its rentosertib programme moved from target identification to preclinical candidate nomination in about 18 months, illustrating how AI could accelerate parts of the drug-development process.

Experts caution, however, that AI remains a tool rather than a replacement for clinical research. Drugs still have to pass through laboratory studies and increasingly rigorous human trials to establish their safety and effectiveness.

For now, the rentosertib findings represent an early but potentially important development in longevity research. The immediate question is whether the reduction in predicted biological age observed in a small group of IPF patients will translate into meaningful improvements in health and longevity in larger, longer-term studies.

With Phase III testing now underway for its lung-disease indication, researchers will have an opportunity to gather more evidence about the drug’s safety and effectiveness. Whether its apparent effects on biological ageing can ultimately be confirmed remains an open scientific question.