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Artisans Storm Lagos Assembly, Allege Violent Takeover Of Mechanic Village.

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Hundreds of artisans from the Isheri-Idimu Powerline corridor staged a protest on Monday at the Lagos State House of Assembly, raising alarm over attempts to displace them from their mechanic village and threatening their livelihoods.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The protesters alleged that suspected hoodlums, purportedly acting on instructions from the Chairman of the Egbe-Idimu Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Idris Balogun, were attempting to seize the mechanic village along Oladun Road, Isheri-Idimu, for personal gain.

Carrying placards reading “Save Us From Land Grabbers,” “Powerline Belongs to Government, Not Omo Onile,” and “We Demand Competency and Decency at Egbe-Idimu,” the artisans appealed to lawmakers for intervention and protection from persistent harassment.

Speaking on behalf of the artisans, Adeleke Odufeko, chairman of the mechanic village, stated that the land was legally allocated to them by the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation. He emphasized that they had complied with all directives, including avoiding permanent structures and paying annual royalties to traditional rulers in Idimu and Isheri.

Odufeko alleged that tensions escalated when Balogun, a member of a royal family but not a reigning monarch, demanded payments from the artisans, leading to repeated intimidation and arrests. “There is hardly any police station he has not taken us to. Some members were even sent to Ikoyi prison without committing any offence,” he claimed.

Despite a 2024 court order directing all parties to maintain the status quo, Odufeko said violence erupted at the site on November 29, when hoodlums, accompanied by soldiers and police, attacked the village, damaging vehicles and vandalizing shops. Although officials from the Ministry of Transportation intervened, he alleged that the attackers returned, and some were released due to influential connections, leaving the artisans in fear.

Odufeko said the artisans have been prevented from working and that he personally has been targeted due to his leadership role. “We shut down the entire place, and I am being hunted because I am the chairman representing about 10,000 artisans. That is why we came to the Assembly for help,” he said.

In response, Lagos State House of Assembly member representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency, Stephen Ogundipe, assured the protesters that their concerns would be formally presented to the Speaker, Mudashir Obasa. He urged them to remain calm and law-abiding, promising that all relevant parties, including the Ministry of Transportation, would be invited to investigate the matter thoroughly.


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Fresh Leadership Change At LAWMA As Sanwo-Olu Names New MD, Redeploys Officers.

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Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has appointed Olajuwon Akinyemi as the acting Managing Director of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The appointment comes amid growing concerns over the poor management of refuse across the state, with heaps of waste reportedly littering major roads, residential areas and drainage channels.

Akinyemi replaces Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, who was asked to resign following the concerns over the worsening waste situation in Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu also approved the appointment of Dr Tijani Olorunwa as the acting Director of Operations, while Kunle Adebiyi will retain his position as the Executive Director of Finance.

As part of efforts to reform the authority, the state government has also approved the redeployment of several senior LAWMA officials to other departments and agencies within the Lagos State public service.

Under the arrangement, officers on Salary Grade Levels 13 to 17 will be transferred to the mainstream Lagos State Civil Service, local governments and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

However, officials in the Legal Department have been exempted from the exercise to avoid disruptions to ongoing court cases and concession agreements being handled by the agency.

The heads of Landfill Operations, LAWMA Operations and Private Sector Participation Operations have also been temporarily exempted from the transfers for an initial period of 90 days.

Akinyemi, who hails from Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State, is an experienced administrator.

Before his latest appointment, President Bola Tinubu appointed him Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical) of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in 2025.

He had also served in the Lagos State public service, where he held the position of Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical) for UBEC.

Akinyemi previously worked as Director of Administration and Human Resources at the Lagos State Office of Infrastructure.

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2027 Presidency: Donald Duke Declares Readiness To Step Down For Consensus Candidate.

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The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has declared his willingness to support any candidate who emerges as the consensus choice of the opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Duke made the declaration on Tuesday in Abuja during the PRP strategic retreat, where he also condemned what he described as deliberate efforts by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to weaken opposition parties ahead of the polls.

The former Cross River State governor accused the ruling party of using state institutions to frustrate opposition activities.

He lamented that opposition parties were allegedly being denied access to campaign venues while political violence was allowed to persist.

“Indeed, right now in this country, the only party able to campaign is the APC. They’ve locked out every person,” he said.

Duke warned that the growing political hostility could trigger a national crisis. He drew comparisons between the current political atmosphere and developments that preceded the 1966 crisis and the Nigerian Civil War.

He also expressed hope that the 375 judges recently inaugurated to handle election-related cases would uphold integrity and dispense justice without fear or favour.

Meanwhile, the PRP National Chairman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, warned that Nigeria could face serious instability if the rising cases of political violence and intimidation against opposition parties were not urgently addressed.

Baba-Ahmed said attacks on opposition politicians and restrictions on their campaigns could undermine the electoral process, deny Nigerians the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights and plunge the country into deeper political uncertainty.

“We are not scared for the PRP, we are scared for the country,” Baba-Ahmed said when asked about concerns over possible attacks on the party during its campaigns.

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Super Eagles Begin Tanzania Clash Preparations As 17 Players Arrive In Uyo.

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Nigeria have commenced preparations for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying double-header against Tanzania, with 17 players reporting for the Super Eagles’ first training session in Uyo on Tuesday, November 10.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The team’s preparations encountered an early setback after flight scheduling issues at Victor Attah International Airport delayed the arrival of several players on Monday.

However, 10 players arrived on Tuesday morning. They included goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Arthur Okonkwo; Fulham duo Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi; Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, Moses Simon, Akor Adams, Benjamin Fredrick and Alhassan Yusuf.

Seven other players also joined the squad, bringing the total number of available players to 17. They are Bright Osayi-Samuel, Tolu Arokodare, Chibuike Nwaiwu, Samson Tijani, Tochukwu Nnadi, Francis Uzoho and Ademola Lookman.

The remaining seven invited players expected to join the camp are Bruno Onyemaechi, Abdullahi Bewene, Wilfred Ndidi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Taiwo Awoniyi, Moses Usor and first-time invitee Mubarak Suleiman.

Nigeria will welcome Tanzania to Uyo on Friday before travelling to Dar es Salaam for the return fixture four days later.

The Super Eagles have accumulated three points from their opening two matches in Group L. They started their qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Madagascar in Uyo but subsequently suffered a 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau away from home.

Nigeria currently sit second in the group, behind Guinea-Bissau, and will need positive results in both encounters to improve their chances of qualifying for the tournament.

Tanzania, meanwhile, have already secured their place at the 2027 AFCON as one of the co-hosts, leaving just one additional qualification spot available in the group.

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