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In Nigeria, and across much of Africa, the plight of sickle cell warriors continues to face uncertain times. Beyond the need for a structured health insurance framework, there remains a critical gap in public awareness, one the Mzigo Film Project is determined to bridge.

Produced by actor and filmmaker Emmanuel Ikubese, Mzigo leverages the power of film and storytelling to drive sickle cell advocacy across the continent. At a private screening held at Jewel Aeida, guests were deeply moved by the emotional journey of Uchenna (Emmanuel Ikubese) and Ikunda (Elizabeth Michael), the lead characters.

The film narrates the ordeal of two lovers who choose to marry despite their genetic incompatibility, only to face the devastating realities that follow.

Speaking during an interview, Ikubese revealed that Mzigo was inspired by a personal tragedy involving a relative.

‘Living with sickle cell in this part of the world comes with a lot of burden. We’ve been shortlisted for awards and international film festivals, but beyond that, our goal is to use ‘Mzigo’ as a tool for advocacy, to challenge myths, promote education, and change false narratives surrounding sickle cell.’ he added.

The Police Command in Niger, says it has arrested ten people for thuggery and recovered dangerous weapons in Minna and Kontagora Local Government Areas of the state.

This is contained in a statement by the command’s Public Relations officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, on Saturday in Minna.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the arrest was in continuation of the command’s clampdown on thuggery and other vices in the state.

The spokesperson said on Oct. 23, at about 2.30 p.m., police operatives attached to ‘A’ Division, Kotangora, conducted a sting operation at Tudun-Wada area of Kotangora, where three suspects were arrested.

According to him, the suspects are: Abdullahi Abdullahi, 22, Fahad Abubakar, 19, and Nasiru Aliyu, 28, all of Tudun-Wada area, Kotangora.

He explained that the suspects were arrested with a large quantity of suspected cannabis, two knives, and a pair of military trousers, noting that investigation was ongoing.

In another development, he added, the operatives attached to Central Police Station Minna, on Oct. 21 and 23, raided some hideouts within Minna metropolis, covering areas such as; Angwan-Sarki, Kuta road, Sabon-Gari, Ogbomosho area, Baida and parts of Makera.

‘The operation led to the arrest of some suspects; Hamza Dauda, 28, from Angwa/Dani, Hussain Sanda, 25, of same address, Sani Hassan, 22, from Sabon/Gari and Danlami Garba, 25, of same address.

‘Others are: Saidu Hassan, 19, from Baida, Musa Umar, 21, from Limawa and Hassan Usman, 25, from Angwan/Sarki,’ he revealed.

Abiodun said the suspects were also arrested with suspected cannabis, shisha pots/pipes and other illicit substances, adding that they have been charged to court on Oct. 24.

WAFCON qualifier: Ihezuo, Okoronkwo on target for Super Falcons

The Super Falcons cruised to a dominant 2-0 victory over the Republic of Benin in the first leg of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers on Friday.

Goals from Esther Okoronkwo and Chinwendu Ihezuo in the first half handed Nigeria the win at the Stade de Kégué in Lomé, Togo.

The Falcons started the match on the front foot, creating several chances early on, forcing the Beninese goalkeeper into multiple saves and even striking the crossbar.

Their pressure paid off in the 24th minute when Chinwendu Ihezuo broke the deadlock with a delightful lob over the goalkeeper after a precise upfield pass from Deborah Abiodun.

Nigeria maintained control and continued to push for a second goal, showing attacking intent and composure despite some resilient defending from the hosts.

Esther Okoronkwo doubled the Super Falcons’ advantage just minutes before halftime, finishing smartly after another superb assist from Deborah Abiodun.

Benin came out stronger in the second half, showing more determination as they looked to halve the deficit in front of their home fans.

However, the Falcons maintained their composure and dominance, keeping firm control of the game to deny the hosts any chance of a comeback.

A new agricultural platform, Farmlinkup, has been launched to connect farmers, consumers, and industrialists across Nigeria and beyond.

The founder, Omoyele Omonira, explained that the platform is designed to empower farmers by providing a marketplace to showcase and sell their produce, while also connecting consumers to fresh and nutritious farm products.

Speaking at a briefing in Ibadan, Omoyele noted that the platform is a farmers’ hub which ensure farmers sell their products faster, noting that most agricultural products are perishable products, which often cause huge loss to effort put into production by the farmers, if not sold early enough.

He said the platform will help reduce market inefficiencies, promote youth inclusion in farming, and advocate for government incentives and soft-loan support to foster a thriving agricultural sector.

With features like logistics coordination and transparent pricing, Farmlinkup aims to revolutionise the agribusiness value chain and digitize agriculture.

Omoyele emphasised the importance of empowering Nigerian youths to thrive in agribusiness and called for partnerships with government and private firms to promote the agricultural sector through seminars and trainings for farmers.

He also expressed optimism about the platform’s potential, stating that Farmlinkup could make Africa the food basket of the world within the next five years.

He stated that the platform which have over 50, 000 subscribers, encourages consumers and all citizens through the patronage of nutritional, fresh from farm products, agricultural equipments and services.

He added the organisation which was recently honored in recognition of his contributions to the agricultural sector, by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Oguwusi, during the Oodua Special Recognition Award, OSRA, was created as a marketplace for farmers where they can link up or project their farm produce and services to the world.

He further added that the platform is also meant to bring together agric entrepreneurs, farmers and industrialists in need of farm produce or equipment within and the country and beyond together.

Omoyele however noted that the initiative is an avenue to create a space for younger generations to go into agriculture.

While seeking partnership with government and private firms in promotion of the agricultural sector through seminars and trainings for farmers, he urged Nigerian farmers and other farmers in africa to join in a bid to boost their profit margins.

‘We are revolutionising the agricultural system whereby a farmer can take pictures of his farm produce and upload, put his phone number and address and anybody in need of the product will call such a farmer for it to be delivered.

‘This platform is an online marketplace that brings together farmers, service providers, and consumers across Nigeria. Its core mission is to  link up the farmers, agricultural service providers and the consumers, creating a seamless, secure space where producers can showcase and sell fresh, nutritious produce while buyers enjoy transparent pricing and easy access

‘Beyond commerce, Farmlinkup seeks to  revolutionise  the agribusiness value chain, promotes youth inclusion in farming, offers tools for logistics coordination, and advocates for government incentives and soft-loan support to foster a thriving, digitally-enabled agricultural sector.

‘In essence the platform aims to digitise agriculture, reduce market inefficiencies and empower Nigerian youths  to thrive in agribusiness 

‘We are seeing farmlinkup in the next five years as a platform which will ensure africa is the food basket of the world,’ he explained..

The most senior official of Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Elias Omonayajo, who is currently administering the affairs of the agency, recently led other personnel to control traffic and proffer a better solutions to the gridlocks at Ewekoro on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway in Ogun.

The ever-busy expressway, it was gathered, has been totally locked-down leaving hundreds of vehicles and trucks stuck in stampede for some days now due to the ongoing road construction by Craneburg Construction Company.

This issue has raised concerns as road users both drivers and commuters groaned in pain over the stress they have been going through on the highway.

When reporters visited the axis on Tuesday, vehicles and trucks were on standstill.

But hope was, however, rekindled when TRACE officials took over with the deploying advanced traffic management techniques in collaboration with the Construction Company and Lafarge Cement Plc, to ensure effective traffic management is guaranteed in addition to zero tolerance to disobedience to traffic rules and regulations by motoring public.

In his words, Cdr. Omonayajo said: ‘The gridlock has been on for about three (3) days due to the ongoing reconstruction work on both sides of the expressway, but TRACE is here to control and manage the traffic for orderliness to prevail.’

Actress Regina Daniels has finally spoken out after a viral video emerged, sparking widespread speculation about her well-being and marriage to Senator Ned Nwoko.

The video, which trended online, appeared to show Regina in distress, alleging she was a victim of domestic violence.

In response to the allegations, Senator Nwoko fired back, accusing Regina of struggling with substance abuse and exhibiting aggressive behavior.

Regina shared a video on Instagram story, seemingly putting the rumors to rest.

The new footage shows Regina looking calm and cheerful on a private jet, surrounded by several individuals.

Popular gospel singer, Tope Alabi, has opened up on the divine circumstances that led to her marriage to music producer, Soji Alabi.

In an emotional recount, the award-winning singer revealed that their love story was never planned but rather orchestrated by God through a series of unexpected events that began during her early years as a movie soundtrack artist.

The union has gone ahead to stand the test of time and remained strong for nearly 25 years.

‘I was already recording soundtracks for movies at that time,’ she recalled. ‘I remember being paid N200,000 by Highwaves Video Mart to record an album. When I got to Soji Alabi’s studio, I was told he no longer worked there and no one knew his whereabouts.’

Determined to deliver on the project, Tope said she proceeded to another studio owned by Soji’s former boss, confident that they could replicate his sound quality. But after completing the album and submitting it to the client, she was met with rejection.

‘Highwaves rejected the music, saying it was of low quality and didn’t meet the standard they knew me for,’ she said. ‘I was so disappointed. I decided to return to Soji’s old studio to ask for his home address, hoping to find him and beg for his help. To my surprise, I met Soji there. I told him I had been looking for him and explained everything that happened.’

According to the gospel star, Soji immediately offered to help, but with a much smaller budget. ‘He asked if I could raise N20,000 instead of the N200,000 I was originally paid. I told him I had nothing on me, and we eventually worked out the project with just N10,000,’ she recounted.

At that time, Tope said her relationship with Soji was strictly professional. She was in an abusive relationship and had no romantic connection with him.

‘I was already living with my ex-partner, who physically abused me at will, but Soji was just a working acquaintance,’ she said. ‘It was after I left that abusive marriage that Soji and I became close as friends. He would take me out for movies, restaurants, and also look after my daughter. From there, we grew so close and eventually got married a year and a half later.’

As preparations for the 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State gather momentum, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has inaugurated its ad-hoc delegates ahead of the party’s primary election.

The seven-member Congress Committee, chaired by Senator Abdul Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central in the National Assembly, conducted the inauguration on Friday at the PDP Secretariat in Ajilosun, Ado-Ekiti.

The ad-hoc delegates, drawn from the 177 wards across the state’s 16 Local Government Areas, comprise three members per ward-two males and one female.

Addressing party leaders in Ado-Ekiti Senator Ningi explained that the primary duty of the ad-hoc delegates is to ensure a transparent, credible, and well-documented primary process.

He cautioned members against internal wrangling and urged unity among aspirants in order to reposition the party for victory in 2026.

According to him: ‘We want to reposition the Peoples Democratic Party, and that means we must follow the rules and avoid anything that could run foul of the law.

‘This exercise is not about any particular aspirant; it’s about building a strong foundation for the PDP in Ekiti once again.’

He stressed that the PDP remains a national party that transcends personal interests and ethnic boundaries.

‘This is not a personalised party. It’s a Nigerian party that has given opportunities to all – from a minority like Goodluck Jonathan to a Yoruba and a Hausa leader. That’s why some of us have remained steadfast since 1998,’ he noted.

While emphasising sacrifice and service, Ningi said the exercise must be devoid of acrimony, adding that the committee’s sole mission is to rebuild and strengthen the PDP in the state.

‘Ekiti is not under PDP rule today. There’s no governor or senator here. What we have is sacrifice and commitment to the people. Our goal is to lay a new foundation and ensure that every delegate represents the collective interest of the people,’ he stated.

He charged members to close ranks, avoid internal divisions, and work together as one family to return the party to power in 2026.

Ekiti PDP chairman Hon. Tunji Odeyemi, described the inauguration of the ad-hoc delegates as a crucial step toward a credible and successful primary election.

‘Transparency is key. When you look at the calibre of people sent from Abuja, you’ll see integrity at work. This congress is open, fair, and free from corruption,’ Odeyemi assured.

He disclosed that all ward results were duly vetted, signed, and documented to guarantee credibility, adding that the party was determined to set a new record in internal democracy and restore the people’s confidence.

‘We are opening a new chapter in Ekiti PDP. With unity and support from our national leaders, we will build a strong structure capable of reclaiming the Government House,’ he affirmed.

In the first half of this year, Lagos State lost about 65 people to disasters, and if you look at the trend, its building collapse has often been responsible for a good number of the avoidable deaths. What could have been responsible for this?

When you are looking at it, you have to look at it holistically. You have to look at the number we saved, the mortalities. You will discover that mortalities associated with collapsed buildings have greatly reduced. And if you look at the ethology of the collapsed building in Lagos State, you will discover that it is due more to human-made factors. What do I mean by human-made? It is because people do not keep to the rules and regulations. There are clear building codes in Lagos. There are ministries that are responsible for ensuring that our buildings do not collapse, but you will discover that a lot of people flout the order. A lot of people flout building codes, and the most interesting thing to us, which is pathetic, is that they will be constructing buildings at night. They will be constructing buildings at weekends when they know that enforcement personnel are not on the ground, and you will discover that this is what they are doing; they don’t realise that safety and emergency management are everyone’s business.

I’m an emergency responder. The agency that is responsible for building in Lagos, like LASBCA, will have more to say on this; even the Ministry of Physical Planning will have more to say.

I have cause to see you twice or more on TV at night at the disaster scenes. How difficult is this?

Well, we have been doing this for over two decades. Initially, it was difficult, but now, it is part and parcel of us. We work 24 hours, and we ensure the safety of life and property. We are passionate about what we are doing, and our scorecard is in the hands of the people, the hands of the chief incident commander in Lagos State, the governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu. And when you are privileged to be put in that position, you do everything humanly possible to ensure the safety of lives and property.

The major challenge of emergency responders like LASEMA is the crowd. Most often, they impede rescuers from managing disasters and emergencies. How are you coping with this?

It is not an easy thing, I must confess to you, and it boils down to the orientation and the attitudes of our people. Some, during the emergency, are there to loot instead of assisting the victims. Some are there because they are reacting spontaneously to an emergency on the ground. They don’t have the technology, they don’t have the experience, they don’t have what it takes or the knowledge to handle any form of emergency. They just realise that there is a fire, an emergency, or a life-threatening situation, and they move in. Some will be taking pictures, while others will be sending mixed signals on all the social media platforms. It is a pathetic situation, and it boils down to orientation; it boils down to how we value one another, how we value ourselves.

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Crowds always impede emergency and disaster management because they won’t allow us to work properly, they won’t allow us to put our machinery or equipment to work, and they will be impeding our activities, so it is not something we encourage.

However, there are emergency responders that are responsible for handling the crowd control, that is, the Neighbourhood, the police, and the civil defence; they play an active role in ensuring they handle the crowd during any emergency.

One thing I have noticed is that during any disaster, most often than not, emotion runs high. Was there a time your life was threatened in the course of doing this job?’

Yes, people threaten us, but we are the unsung heroes; we know we are serving humanity, and it is not about people praising us. They don’t praise the kind of job we are doing, but you know, you should put your best to ensure the protection of lives and property.

I can recall that during the 21-story building collapse in Ikoyi, a lot of people were trapped there. While we were being strategic in ensuring that we rescue those who were trapped, people were abusing us, people started saying a lot of things, but we know we must not listen to them; we must be disciplined and focused.

In all the jobs you have done, which of them would you regard as the most difficult?

Well, moving to the Northeast, being inside a military helicopter is a very, very challenging situation. Trying as much as possible to help the IDPs, during the insurgency in the Northeast, was very very challenging because the language barrier is there, because you want to do a lot of things, you want to ensure you put a lot of things in place, and you will be flying from one place to the other, where we have bandits on ground, very very challenging.

I thought the agency was restricted to Lagos.

When I was a special adviser in the Presidency, I encountered all these. I performed that role, I was a Special Adviser on Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency.

Most agencies often complain that the non-availability of equipment hampers their performance. How equipped is LASEMA to realise its mandate?

LASEMA is well-equipped, really, but we can still have more. When you are talking about a situation where you are handling emergencies all over Lagos State, you will still need more equipment, but Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu is doing the best for us to have equipment.

Is LASEMA collaborating with the private sector?

We do. We have an MOU with the private sector. Like Julius Berger, like the private sector that assists in the construction of roads, we have an MOU with them, and they always assist us.

Despite the efforts of the government in making compliance with some regulatory codes, there is a challenge of enforcement in Lagos. There was a building collapse in the Ikotun area of Lagos where many Nigerians and foreigners died, yet nothing happened, and the building was still constructed..*

The case is in court. When a case is in court, you don’t do anything until the court process finishes.

I remember that former Lagos Governor, Akinwumi Ambode, equipped LASEMA. How intact is this equipment right now?

We have been using that equipment.

How responsive is the agency to disasters?

The agency normally responds to disasters swiftly, promptly and in a well-coordinated way, and we work hand in hand with all other stakeholders.

Where are we seeing the agency in 2030?

You can see the agency yourself. Last week, we had the SEMA conference, where all the 36 states’ SEMA converged on Lagos, and you could see them commending the efforts of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu in Lagos. We are moving a step forward. Right now, we have a command control centre. We are building an institute on disaster management, where we hope to build capacity, and where we are going to start ensuring that we have an emergency and security cadre.

While disasters such as earthquakes and tremors are not rife in this part of the world, if they happen, does your agency have the capacity to manage such a disaster?

We have the capacity, we have the personnel, we have the geography, geology and GIS personnel.

Rapper and singer Zlatan Ibile has revealed how a failed maths exam led to his music pursuit.

In a recent interview with Nandi Madida on Apple Music 1, Zlatan also disclosed that his new album, ‘Symbol of Hope’, is driven by his desire to inspire others who come from difficult backgrounds.

He spoke about how he used to listen to music before considering a career in the industry, and how he was inspired by artists who rose to fame from nothing.

Zlatan said: ‘I used to listen to music before I even knew I was going to make music. I was already a fan of so many artistes and saw them as symbols; people whose lives changed from nothing to something. Now, being in this position myself, I see how my music inspires others not to give up. I get so many messages from people who tell me my songs keep them going. That’s why I decided to call the album ‘Symbol of Hope’. It’s my way of saying, ‘If I can do it, you can too.”

Zlatan further revealed that his path to music was unexpected, as he initially wanted to attend university but failed to gain admission due to poor grades in mathematics and accounting.

‘I was supposed to go to university in 2011 or 2012, but I didn’t have my complete papers. My dad is a pastor, and I used to play drums in church, but I never thought I’d become an artiste. When I failed my exam, I started going to the studio with a friend. The first song I recorded was rubbish, but when I played it for my siblings, they made me feel like Jay-Z that day,’ he said.

However, this setback, he said, led him to pursue music, and he eventually won a rap competition that changed his life.

‘I didn’t even believe anyone could win a car through music. Out of 140 contestants, I won. I was just 19, and it was only three weeks into school. That was when I started taking rap seriously. I was writing every day and night. That moment changed my life’, he added.

He also reflected on creating his globally recognised dance move, Zanku, which has become a signature part of his brand.

He said: ‘That’s Africa to the world. The most interesting thing is that I attached my name to it. There’s no way you’ll mention Zanku without mentioning Zlatan. Growing up, I always wanted to have my own dance move, and when it happened, it went viral globally’.