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Cameroonian Soldiers Detain Nigerians in Bakassi Over Officer’s Kidnapping
Tensions have risen in the Bakassi Peninsula as Cameroonian soldiers detained several Nigerians following the October 1, 2024, kidnapping of Divisional Officer Ewane Roland and another official, Etongo Ismaeil, by gunmen using a flying boat.
According to Eniola Alabo, a former chairman of the Yoruba community in the region, Cameroonian authorities blamed Nigerians for the abduction and conducted raids, detaining individuals and firing shots to intimidate residents. Detained Nigerians included Iseoluwa Eniola, Feran Ajimosun, and others.
The situation escalated when South-West Governor Bernard Okalia visited the area on October 8, declaring a lockdown and ordering residents to produce Roland within 72 hours. The lockdown left many Nigerians unable to work or access food, forcing some to defy the order after weeks of hardship.
In retaliation, Cameroonian soldiers raided Idabato again in mid-November, arresting more Nigerians and injuring others. Churches, which had reopened, were targeted, and pastors, including Adeleke Omoniye and Etim Asuquo, were arrested.
Nigerian community leaders have urged the government to intervene, as fears grow over safety and economic disruptions in the region
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“You Can Still Have Subsidy Without Long Queues” — Rufai Oseni Speaks On Subsidy
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
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Sanwo-Olu Speaks on Lagos’ Power Challenges and the Need for Change
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
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Sanwo-Olu Declares August 20 Public Holiday in Lagos for Isese Festival
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
