SOUTH-WEST NGR NEWS

KAZEEM AWOJOODU, IBADAN Gubernatorial hopeful and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Aare Olayinka Segelu, has issued a strong but measured response to comments made by fellow aspirant, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, during his recent visit to the His Imperial Majesty, Ikú Bàbá Yèyé, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1. Ajadi, while seeking royal blessings for his 2027 governorship ambition, had stated that he was embarking on a mission “to restore development, unity and prosperity to our people.” But Segelu, in a statement on Wednesday, said such a comment does not reflect the true situation in Oyo State, as development under the current PDP administration is not lost, it is thriving. Segelu, who acknowledged Ajadi’s recent entry into the PDP, commended his visit to the Alaafin but emphasized the need for aspirants to communicate with accuracy, fairness and responsibility.  “While I commend my brother, Amb. Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, for his consultation with th...

Taiwo Afolabi, the Nigerian billionaire, founder and CEO SIFAX Group, is the owner of the 5-star Lagos Marriott Hotel in the GRA area of Ikeja. The Lagos Marriott is embedded in the Mac-Folly Hospitality Limited, which is a subsidiary of Nigeria’s SIFAX Group, and is managed by Marriott International. On the other hand, SIFAX Group is a Nigerian conglomerate with operations spanning maritime, aviation, logistics, oil and gas, and hospitality. Dr. Afolabi established the company in 1988, and through hardwork, he transformed the company from a "modest freight business into one of West Africa’s most prominent integrated service providers," according to Nairametrics. Completed in May 2021, the Lagos Marriott Hotel is sited on a 7,000 square meter and has 251 rooms. It is a seven-storey hotel. It was said to have been designed by G1 Architecture while the construction was carried out by Dori Construction and Engineering. According to reports, prices of rooms range from...

The American government has paused all immigration applications from 19 countries and canceled citizenship ceremonies across the US, citing national security and public safety concerns.  The New York Times reports that the freeze could affect more than 1.5 million people who had asylum applications pending and more than 50,000 who received asylum grants under the Biden administration.  President Donald Trump is also considering expanding the travel ban to more than 30 countries, according to the New York Post.  The new policy memorandum cites last week’s ‘terror attack’ in D.C. where Afghan man Rahmanullah Lakanwal was arrested for allegedly killing one National Guard member and wounding another.  The ban applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, while the restricted access applies to people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan a...

The Ogun state police command has confirmed the abduction of six people by gunmen in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government area of the state. Channels TV reports that the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, revealed that the victims, six marketers of a Lagos-based real estate firm, were kidnapped at Oyebola village. The police commissioner, while confirming the unfortunate incident that occured on Sunday, November 30, said that according to a report from one of the workers, the victims were whisked away during their visit to the area. “So, they brought some marketers from Lagos to come and see the land so that they can have the requisite information to market the land for the members of the public who are interested. It was during their visit to this land that the six people were abducted. It happened on Friday, and the command had been on it since, and we shall definitely ensure that these people regain their freedom’’ the police chief said

B@ndits who k+dn@pped the ojibara of bayagan in ifelodun local government area of kwara state, alhaji kamilu salami, have asked the community to pay 150 million for his release. The monarch was seized on his farm on saturday morning. According to vanguard, the abductors contacted the community early sunday, allowing the monarch to speak with them as proof that he was alive and in their custody. During the call, he pleaded with his people to negotiate with the k+dn@ppers to secure his quick freedom. The traditional ruler reportedly revealed that he was transported on a motorcycle for over five hours through dense forest before reaching the hideout where the gang made the ransom demand. Negotiations had not begun as of the time of the report, as the call was mainly to inform the community of the amount required. The monarch also disclosed that several other persons were abd¥cted from a neighbouring community while he was being taken away. Oba salami was k+dn@pped around 9:30a...

The Nigerian Army has successfully rescued 12 teenage girls abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Mussa District of Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.      The victims, aged between 15 and 20, were kidnapped on 23 November, 2025 while harvesting crops on their family farmlands and were freed on Saturday, 29 November, following a swift, intelligence-led operation by troops of Operation HADIN KAI in the southern Borno axis. The Army in a statement on Saturday night, November 29, said the rescued girls have been evacuated to a secure military facility where they are receiving comprehensive medical care, psychological support and debriefing.    “Upon completion of these processes, they will be formally reunited with their families. Their recovery has brought immense relief to the community, which had been gripped by fear following the abduction,” the statement read.    “The rescued victims include Fatima Shaibu (17), Fatima U...

The Trump administration is intensifying its immigration crackdown, announcing a reexamination of all green cards issued to nationals from 19 “countries of concern.”  This directive from US President Donald Trump follows the recent shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC. Nigeria, recently classified as a Country of Particular concern by the Trump administration, is exempt from the move. Joe Edlow, the director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced the move, stating on X, “At the direction of @POTUS, I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.” The 19 nations identified as “countries of concern” include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. These countries were initially listed in a June presidential ...

Lead pastor of Kingsways International Christian Centre (KICC), Matthew Ashimolowo, on Thursday urged Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu in tackling the country’s security challenges. He praised the president’s commitment to improving security but emphasized that citizen support is crucial for success. Ashimolowo made the comments during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily. The clergyman stressed that Nigerians must back government efforts to combat b+nditry, t+rrorism, and other criminal activities. He said the nation needs a turnaround and called on every citizen to help raise security standards, tap into national talent, and promote Nigeria’s global image. “Every African country admire Nigeria. We are tough, strong, fearless, and bold. With leadership determined to make a difference, Nigerians should stand behind the president and support his efforts,” he said. Ashimolowo also advised that all National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members should rec...

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have made a seizure of Illicit drug worth 6.7 billion naira from a secret warehouse located within a residential estate in Lagos. NDLEA says it is part of its continued offensive action against drug syndicates in a nationwide crackdown aimed at dismantling of alleged opioids cartels. The operation led to the arrest of the alleged baron and five members of his gang. This comes after credible intelligence indicates that the drug trafficking organisation was about distributing over 7.2 million pills of tramadol and 526,200 bottles of codeine syrup  The NDLEA adds, this seizure which could have fueled addiction, crime, and insecurity across the nation, represents a victory for the Nigerian people and a confirmation of the Agency’s commitment to bring to a holt drug supply and use in the country.

The Vatican has issued a strong warning against the rising acceptance of polyamory, firmly reiterating the Catholic Church’s teaching that marriage is defined as a stable, lifelong, and exclusive partnership between a man and a woman. This new doctrinal document, titled “One Flesh – In Praise of Monogamy” and signed off by Pope Leo XIV, was written in response to the growing trend of “various public forms of non-monogamous unions, sometimes called ‘polyamory’ –... growing in the West.” The 40-page document addresses both polyamory, which involves multiple consensual romantic relationships at once, and polygamy (one man with multiple wives), which has been a “pastoral challenge” discussed by Roman Catholic bishops in Africa. The note states clearly that non-exclusive relationships are based on a fallacy:“Polygamy, adultery, or polyamory are based on the illusion that the intensity of the relationship can be found in a succession of faces,” the note declares. “Our age, in fac...

At least 11 persons including a pregnant woman, children and others have been abducted from bandits who stormed Isapa, a community close to Eruku in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara state.   The attack happened barely 24 hours after victims abducted during a church service in Ekuru community last Tuesday were released. DailyTrust reports that the fresh attack, which occurred around 6:00 p.m. on Monday November 24 was carried out by an estimated 20 to 30 bandits. They reportedly fired sporadically as they advanced, forcing residents to flee for safety. An elderly woman was reportedly hit by a stray bullet during the incident. A community leader, who confirmed the development under strict anonymity, said “eleven people were kidnapped, seven of them from the same household. “The victims include a pregnant woman, two nursing mothers, and several young children”, he said. Those abducted were identified as Talatu Kabiru, 20; Magaji, 6; Kande, 5; Hadiza, 10; Mariam, 6...

The UK government has rejected a request by the Nigerian government to deport former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who was convicted of organ trafficking, TheGuardian UK reports on Monday.  Recall that a high-level delegation sent by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with officials at the UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ) on November 10, 2025 to discuss Ekweremadu’s case.  Ekweremadu, 63, is serving a sentence of nine years and eight months after being found guilty in 2023 of conspiring to exploit a man for his kidney. Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, and a co-conspirator, Dr Obinna Obeta, trafficked a young man to London with a view to harvesting his kidney, which they planned to transplant to Ekweremadu’s daughter Sonia in a private unit of an NHS hospital. It was the first conviction for organ trafficking under the Modern Slavery Act. According to The Guardian, the Nigerian government delegation, led by the foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, requested h...

A Nigerian Master’s degree graduate has di3d in the United Kingdom one year after he travelled there to further his education. Hammed, who has a Master’s degree in Business and Management from the University of Plymouth, passed on after his health “deteriorated suddenly from advanced cancer.”  A GoFundMe appeal was created last week by Mariam Ajibola and Mohammed Chaanda for Piety Mosque. The appeal was initially created to seek support for Hammed’s medical care. However, after he passed on suddenly, it was updated to solicit funds for his burial.  According to the organisers, Hammed, a 36-year-old from Ayete in Oyo State, travelled to the UK in September 2024 to begin a Master’s degree.  Despite a cancer diagnosis earlier this year, the organisers said he pushed through to complete his programme. The organisers described him as the last born in a family of four children, “the joyful heart of his home”, cheerful, friendly, and deeply committed to others. ...

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said insecurity in Northern Nigeria remains his deepest concern, stressing that the crisis threatens national progress and stability. The President, represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, stated this during the 25th Anniversary (Silver Jubilee) of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna state today November 22.  In his address titled ‘A Generation Summoned by a Crisis’, President Tinubu acknowledged that his administration inherited multilayered security challenges but now addressing them with renewed urgency. “Nothing troubles me more gravely than the security crisis bedevilling Nigeria, especially Northern Nigeria. Affliction in any part of the country is a setback for every part. We cannot prosper when one limb of the national body is paralysed. The layers and sophistication of the security challenges we inherited are daunting, but what should inspire confidence is the urgency with whi...

The Federal High court in Abuja has dismissed reports claiming there was an ass@ssination attempt on James Omotosho, the judge who convicted and sentenced Nnamdi Kanu.  In a statement released, the chief registrar of the court, Suleiman Hassan, said its attention was drawn to the report posted by a blog. Hassan described the report as “completely false and unfounded”, adding that it is “fake news” deliberately crafted to mislead the public and sow distrust in the judiciary. “The public is advised to treat this publication as fake news and refrain from further dissemination to prevent the spread of misinformation,” the statement reads Justice Omotoso on Thursday, November 20 found Kanu guilty of terrorism offences and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers currently providing security for Very Important Persons in the country. A statement from presidential aide, Bayo Onanuga, said the directive was issued at the security meeting President Tinubu held on Sunday November 23 with the police, Air Force, army chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, in Abuja. Henceforth, police authorities will deploy them to concentrate on their core police duties  According to the Presidential directive, VIPs who want police protection will now request well-armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.  ‘’Many parts of Nigeria, especially remote areas, have few policemen at the stations, thus making the task of protecting and defending the people difficult. In view of the current security challenges facing the country, President Tinubu is desirous of boosting police presence in all communities.  Already,...

Owing to the rising insecurity in some parts of the state and across the country, the management of the Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (PSUBEB) has ordered the immediate closure of all junior and senior schools in the state. In a statement released today November 21, PSUBEB described the decision as a preventive measure to protect students from any unforeseen “security threats”. The board said the closure is temporary but necessary, calling on all local government education authorities, administrators, and community leaders to comply. The statement reads  “The Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (PSUBEB) has directed the immediate closure of schools across the state. Government Junior Model Secondary Schools (GJMSSs) will close effective Saturday, 22 November 2025. Primary and Day Schools will close effective Monday, 24 November 2025. This decision is underscoring the urgent need for preventive action. The Board assures parents, guardians, and s...

The Niger State Government has confirmed the abduction of students and staff from Saint Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area. The assailants stormed the school at about 2am today November 21 and carried out their attack. In a statement released. the Secretary to the Niger State Government, Abubakar Usman, said following prior intelligence, the government orderd the closure of all boarding schools in the area but the Catholic school affected defied the warning and reopened. “The Niger state government has received with deep sadness the disturbing news of the kidnapping of pupils from St. Mary’s School in Agwara Local Government Area. The exact number of abducted pupils is yet to be confirmed as security agencies continue to assess the situation. The state received prior intelligence report indicating an increased threat level in parts of the northern senatorial district. In response to these credible security alerts, the State Government had earlier i...

The bandits that abducted some 38 worshippers at the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Eruku in Ekiti local government area of Kwara State have placed N100 ransom on the head of each abductees. LEADERSHIP gathered that the kidnappers have started contacting the families of the victims who were abducted during a church service on Tuesday. A community leader and Olori Eta of Eruku, Chief Olusegun Olukotun whose four relatives were among the kidnapped victims confirmed this to LEADERSHIP on Thursday. Olukotun, who said he was in the church with five of his family members when the incident occurred, said he and one of his wards escaped the attack around 6:06 p.m through the church’s window. He confirmed that the kidnappers have made contact with the people of the community and are demanding N100m as ransom on each of the 38 victims. “From what we gathered from the kidnappers camp, they (kidnappers) have grouped the victims according to their relations and are now calling our peopl...