A luxury handbag reportedly carried by Margaret Obi, wife of the 2027 Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has ignited a firestorm on social media.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

A strike action by commercial bus drivers has left numerous commuters stranded along the Iyana-Ipaja and Iyana-Iba corridors of Lagos. The drivers initiated the industrial action in protest against what they term as persistent and escalating extortion by various regulatory and law enforcement agencies.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to reports, the drivers ceased operations on the specified routes due to unceasing demands for illegal levies by officials from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), commonly referred to as “agbero.”

Speaking with the press, several affected drivers voiced their frustration, characterizing the daily extortion as an untenable burden on commercial transport operators.

The drivers specifically alleged that LASTMA officials frequently impound their vehicles for minor or varied infractions, sometimes holding them for an entire day. This practice results in substantial financial losses for both the vehicle owners and the drivers themselves.

They emphasized that such enforcement actions severely compromise their ability to operate profitably, as the forced loss of valuable operating hours directly translates to diminished daily income.

The drivers stated that their decision to withdraw their services was a necessary measure to publicly highlight their grievances and pressure the relevant authorities to intervene and halt the persistent extortion that is negatively impacting their livelihoods.

Following enhanced security measures implemented by the Kaduna State government, approximately 500,000 hectares of farmland previously seized by bandits have been successfully reclaimed, allowing farmers to safely return to their lands.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

This update was shared by the state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, during a gala night held for the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel as part of their annual retreat in Kaduna. Maiyaki detailed how rural communities had previously lived under the heavy control of bandits who dictated agricultural routines, levied taxes, and even collected dowries.

To turn the tide, the administration combined kinetic strategies with non-kinetic efforts, empowering local stakeholders such as traditional authorities, religious leaders, and youth groups. According to Maiyaki, these initiatives—alongside early warning systems—helped neutralize 70 out of 75 detected security threats between 2023 and early 2026, successfully averting potential communal and religious crises.

The bolstered security climate has further allowed the government to heavily scale up its focus on agriculture, driving budgetary allocations up from ₦1.4 billion in 2023 to more than ₦100 billion by 2026. This funding has driven free fertilizer distribution programs, which have dramatically increased maize yields from a meager three bags per hectare up to 22 bags, ultimately working to curb food insecurity across the region.

The retreat itself, themed “2027 General Elections: Navigating Legal, Security and Ethical Challenges in the Media,” was highlighted earlier by the Chairman of the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel, Murtala Adewale.