GANUX, Author at SocietyGazette.com

PANDEF hails Tinubu for lifting of Rivers emergency rule

The Pan Niger Delta Forum has hailed the lifting of the state of emergency in Rivers State, effective midnight, Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

In a statement signed by Board members and National Executive Committee members on Thursday, PANDEF commended President Bola Tinubu for rectifying what they described as an anomaly.

The statement was co-signed by Co-Chairmen, PANDEF Board of Trustees, Alfred Diette-Spiff and Obong Victor Attah, National Chairman Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, and National Secretary, Beks Dagogo-Jack.

PUNCH Online reports that Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on the 18th of March, 2025, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Deputy Governor, and members of the state House of Assembly for six months in the first instance.

In place of the governor, the President appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) as Sole Administrator.

However, Tinubu announced the suspension of the emergency rule on Wednesday, stating, “It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State shall end with effect from midnight today (Wednesday).”

The Forum commended Fubara’s unwavering perseverance and “faith in the divine will of Almighty God,” while also commending the Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Odu, the Speaker, and members of the House of Assembly, who were equally affected by the suspension.

“The Board and National Executive Committee of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, the apex socio-political organisation representing the South-South geopolitical zone, joins millions of Nigerians in welcoming the lifting of the state of emergency in Rivers State, effective midnight, Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

“While PANDEF had expressed strong reservations regarding the erstwhile emergency rule, we commend His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for taking this bold step to rectify the anomaly.

“We welcome Governor Siminalayi Fubara back to his elected office and salute his unwavering perseverance and faith in the divine will of Almighty God. We extend similar commendations to the Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Oduah, the Speaker, and members of the House of Assembly, who were equally affected by the suspension,” the statement read.

Addressing Rivers people, the forum declared, “Light has returned to the state and a new glorious dawn has come. A moment in which the bitter pains of the past months will inspire all to rededicate themselves to true mutual forbearance, new alignments and forward movement.”

They urged political leaders and citizens to put the past behind them and work towards the collective good of the state, while pledging to support Rivers’ developmental trajectory under Fubara.

“All hearts and hands must therefore be joined together to put the past behind us and work towards the collective good of the state.

“We look forward to the State’s return to normalcy and the resumption of its developmental trajectory under the leadership of Governor Fubara and his team. PANDEF reiterates its commitment to supporting the government and people of Rivers State in their pursuit of progress and development,” the statement added

20 Years Gap: Edo Lawmaker Gushes Over 2Baba on 50th birthday

Natasha Osawaru, the Deputy Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, has poured glowing tributes on her husband, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, as the Afrobeats legend clocked 50 on Thursday.

In an Instagram post, Osawaru described the music star — who is 20 years older than her — as “the love of my life,” adding that waking up beside him daily was “one of the greatest gifts ever.”

“Happy birthday to the love of my life. You are 50!!!!! Oh wow!!!!!! You spaced me with 20 years and you look younger than I do…

“Innocent Ujah Idibia my husband… words cannot express the joy you’ve brought into my life. My joy is complete with you in it,” she wrote.

The lawmaker and the multi-award-winning singer tied the knot in a private traditional wedding in Benin City in April, barely months after 2Baba ended his long marriage with actress Annie Macaulay-Idibia.

The traditional rites, held at the residence of the Esama of Benin, drew close family and associates but were kept off-camera in a bid to preserve the ceremony’s privacy.

2Baba had earlier, in February, confirmed his relationship with Osawaru publicly, declaring: “Yes, I love her. I want to marry her.”

Tinubu condoles with FIRS, UBA over Afriland fire tragedies

President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep condolences to the families of victims and to the management and staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Service and United Bank for Africa following Tuesday’s fire outbreak at Afriland Building on Broad Street, Lagos Island.

PUNCH Online reports that seven victims have been confirmed dead after the fire incident at the Tower.

The victims were said to have died in hospitals across the state, where they had been rushed to after being evacuated from the high-rise building.

Among the victims are four staff members of FIRS, which occupies the sixth and seventh floors of the Towers.

In a statement signed on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Tinubu commiserated with Afriland Properties Limited, FIRS and UBA over the loss of lives.

He extended sympathy to those injured, who are receiving medical attention.

The statement read, “President Tinubu extends his condolences to the management and staff of Afriland Properties Limited, the FIRS, UBA, and particularly those who lost loved ones in the inferno, and the injured who are currently receiving medical attention.

“The President commends the emergency responders, including the Federal Fire Service, first aiders, medical personnel, and members of the public, for their quick intervention and notes their deep sense of responsibility during the evacuation.

“President Tinubu advises more caution, training, and alertness to avert such emergencies in the future.

“The President prays that God Almighty will receive the souls of the departed and grant quick recovery to the injured.”

PUNCH Online gathered that doctors are battling to save the lives of the remaining victims in the hospitals.

The incident was one of two separate fire incidents that rocked the Lagos Island Business District on Tuesday, which left several others injured and goods worth millions of naira destroyed.

Lagos suspends wetlands reclamation projects over environmental concerns

The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources has ordered the immediate suspension of all reclamation projects across the state.

PUNCH Online reports that reclamation projects are engineered efforts to create new usable land from water-covered areas by filling them with sand, earth, rock, or other material for building construction.

Lagos Commissioner for Environment, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, in a statement personally signed on Thursday, justified the suspension on the basis that many works on wetlands, floodplains, and lagoons are proceeding without the required Environmental Impact Assessment approvals and drainage clearances.

He noted reclamation activities in high-profile areas, including Parkview, Banana Island, Osborne in Ikoyi, Victoria Island Extension, Lekki, Ajah, Oworonshoki, Lagos Mainland, Ikorodu, Ojo, and Badagry.

Wahab warned that unchecked reclamation poses significant environmental and social risks.

He said, “While reclamation may provide space for housing and infrastructure development, it also poses significant environmental and Social risks, including increased vulnerability to flooding, coastal erosion, disruption of livelihood (especially fishing), loss of wetlands and biodiversity, constriction of the Lagoons and their capacity, impairment of water quality, amongst others.

“With the low-lying topography of the State and its fragile ecosystem, the State Government cannot afford to allow this indiscriminate reclamation of the Lagoons, wetlands, and floodplains to continue unabated.

“Consequently, the Ministry is by this Notice directing all Reclamation Projects across the State with or without EIA approval and Drainage Clearance to be SUSPENDED IMMEDIATELY.”

The directive added, “All approved Reclamation Projects across the State must be submitted for proper Documentation and Monitoring, while all on-going and intending ones must be subjected to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process with issuance of Approval Letter and Drainage Clearance from the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.”

The ministry warned that failure to comply will prompt the deployment of machinery to decommission illegal sites.

“Failure to comply with this directive within the next 7 DAYS after this publication shall leave the Ministry with no other option than to deploy appropriate machineries to decommission the reclaimed sites, including excavation and removal of fill, reconnecting of already blocked water channels on the lagoon, and the arrest and prosecution of anyone involved and/or found on the site of the illegality.”

Nigeria’s nightclubs turn restrooms into luxurious selfie spots

With its marbled walls, exposed lightbulbs, and plentiful mirrors, the bathroom at The Library, a nightclub in Lagos, Nigeria, is practically begging patrons to snap a photo.

Then it comes, a message delivered on a gold-framed sign: “No selfies in the restroom… just kidding.”

In Nigeria, bathroom selfies are no joke.

From the buzzing mega-city of Lagos to the stuffy capital Abuja and conservative Kano in the north, bars and lounges are decking out their restrooms—not just to catch up with times but also to bring in new customers.

AFP sent reporters to women’s bathrooms across Africa’s most populous country to document the trend.

Renovations have been made, mirrors rearranged, and lighting adjusted. More is more: Marble and gold, sometimes of the faux variety, are popular design choices.

At Zaza, a nightlife staple, pressing a button on the bathroom wall will summon a complimentary glass of champagne that pops through a small window. It’s all part of a campaign to ease nerves—and draw smiles—among those in front of the mirror.

“The decor plays a huge role, especially for Nigerian ladies. And we try to attract as much as we can,” Johnny Franjeh, assistant general manager of Zaza, told AFP.

Inside, women adjusted the necklines of their brightly coloured dresses, swayed their hips, and batted their fake eyelashes, phones in hand.

The walls are adorned with floral wallpaper and multiple mirrors, allowing for different shooting angles.

From Abuja to Kano

There is something in it for the clubs, as well: the free advertising that comes with so many people posting their selfies to social media—including influencers with massive followings.

One such influencer, known as Comiebarbie, with 100,000 followers on Instagram, admitted that one of the first things she does upon arriving at a trendy locale is to “quickly go to the restroom with my friends so I can take pictures.”

In the smartphone era, the bathroom mirror selfie might be a long-established trend.

But Lagos, a boisterous megalopolis home to more than 20 million people, has found a way to make it an over-the-top novelty—as have quieter places like Abuja, the all-work-and-no-play planned city that serves as the nation’s capital.

Psychedelic-patterned walls adorn the “selfie room,” just off the women’s restroom at A Bar Called Paper, in the upscale Maitama neighbourhood.

“The most important thing I’m looking for is a suitable angle,” said Stephanie, a 26-year-old wearing a sequined, halter-neck dress that reflected endlessly as it bounced across multiple mirrors.

The trend extends all the way up to Kano, the cultural and economic capital of Nigeria’s mostly Muslim, largely conservative north.

At Antika, a lounge popular with the city’s youth, the dresses are looser and less revealing, their sleeves are longer, and patrons’ make-up is more subtle.

But once they make their way to the bathroom, they have plenty in common with partygoers in the south, spending long minutes playing with their reflections in mirrors carefully arranged against tropical wallpaper.

‘We invented that trend!’

Amid the current restroom arms race, there are also rivalries and claims of being first.

“We invented that trend!” Ghada Ghaith, CEO of Rococo, another Lagos haunt, told AFP.

Two weeks before opening, staff from the cabaret bar posted a photo from its bathroom.

“Maybe two hours later… we got like 200 requests for booking,” Ghaith said, with those making reservations mistaking the restroom for the restaurant itself.

It’s easy to understand the mix-up: no toilets were visible in the photo, though a crystal chandelier was.

AFP

BREAKING: Six more deaths confirmed in Afriland Towers fire

At least six additional deaths have been confirmed following the fire outbreak at Afriland Towers, a six-storey commercial building on Broad Street, Lagos Island, Lagos State.

The victims were employees of United Capital, a financial and investment services firm occupying the 3rd and 4th floors of the tower.

The confirmation comes just hours after the Federal Inland Revenue Service announced that four of its staff members also died in the incident on Wednesday evening.

The PUNCH reported that the fire, which reportedly started in the inverter room in the basement around 1:30 pm on Tuesday, sent thick smoke into the air and triggered panic among occupants. Some individuals were seen attempting to escape through windows as emergency responders battled the flames.

Officials of the Federal Fire Service, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and other first responders rescued at least nine persons from the building. Five were revived, while four remained unconscious.

“A total of nine victims have been rescued. Five individuals have been resuscitated. Several others escaped unhurt, while efforts are ongoing to revive the remaining four,” the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement on Tuesday, raising concerns about possible casualties.

In an exclusive statement shared with our correspondent on Thursday morning, United Capital confirmed it lost six members of staff to the tragedy. This takes the confirmed number of deaths from the Afriland Towers fire tragedy to 10.

“It is with profound grief that the Management and Staff of United Capital Plc announce the passing of six of our dear colleagues, following the tragic fire at Afriland Towers on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.

“Our departed colleagues were an integral part of our company and family. Their painful loss leaves an immeasurable void. We extend our deepest and heartfelt condolences to their families, friends, and loved ones, and we continue to hold them in our thoughts and prayers, as well as provide all the support we can to them during this most difficult time.

“We are making preparations for an appropriate memorial service to honour their lives and mark their passing with dignity and solemnity. We thank the emergency services and all those who responded for their valiant assistance at the time of the incident.

“In this moment of untold grief, we stand together in solidarity, drawing strength from one another as we navigate this period. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” the company said.

Emergency responders had earlier confirmed rescuing several occupants after the fire, which was believed to have been triggered by an inverter explosion. While officials have yet to release an official casualty figure, eyewitnesses and internal company sources insist that “not everyone made it out alive.”

Attempts to reach the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the National Emergency Management Agency, and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency for confirmation were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

Lagos begins monitoring schools for compliance

The Lagos State Government, through the Office of Education Quality Assurance, has commenced the monitoring of schools for compliance with standards as students resumed activities this week.

The OEQA spokesperson, Adepeju Adeyemi, said in a Wednesday statement sent to PUNCH Online that the inspection began on Monday across the state for schools below the tertiary level.

The monitoring team, led by the Coordinating Director of OEQA, Remi Abdul, visited several schools, including Dolphin Senior High School, Lagos Island, where the team was received by the Principal/Director, Comfort Agunlejika.

Abdul explained that the purpose of the monitoring was to ensure compliance with the approved resumption date as stated in the Year 2025/2026 Harmonised Academic Calendar.

The PUNCH reports that basic and secondary schools in Lagos resumed on September 15, 2025, for the First Term of the Y2025/2026 session.

According to the approved 2025/2026 harmonised calendar made available to our correspondent, the First Half of the term is scheduled for September 15 to October 31, 2025, with a duration of 34 days. The second half will commence from November 10 to December 19, 2025, with a duration of 34 days. In between the halves are Open Day and Mid-Term Break.

Abdul noted that the monitoring team deployed was also verifying whether school administrators held pre-resumption meetings and whether key teaching and statutory records, such as lesson notes, diaries, and makeshift attendance registers, were in place for the smooth take-off of the new academic session.

“While addressing SSS 3 students, Abdul encouraged them to take their academics seriously, noting that how well they perform this term would determine their transition to higher education. He urged them to read well, stay focused, avoid skipping classes and begin early preparation for their WASSCE examinations,” the statement said.

He also encouraged teachers to remain dedicated and committed to delivering quality education.

Tinubu defends emergency rule declaration, says it’s constitutional

President Bola Tinubu has reminded state governors and Houses of Assembly across the country of the constitutional provision empowering the federal government to declare a state of emergency where public order and safety are under threat.

Tinubu, in a speech on Wednesday, said the provision was an inbuilt constitutional tool designed to restore peace, order, and security in extraordinary circumstances.

“The power to declare a state of emergency is an inbuilt constitutional tool to address situations of actual or threatened breakdown of public order and public safety, which require extraordinary measures to return the state to peace, order and security,” the President said.

He acknowledged that the proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State had not been without opposition, noting that some citizens and groups had challenged the decisions in court.

“I am not unaware that there were a few voices of dissent against the proclamation, which led to their instituting over 40 cases in the courts in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa, to invalidate the declaration. That is the way it should be in a democratic setting. Some cases are still pending in the courts as of today,” Tinubu stated.

The President urged political leaders at the state level to act with a deep sense of responsibility, stressing that good governance can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace.

“I take this opportunity to remind the Governors and the Houses of Assembly of all the States of our country to continue to appreciate that it is only in an atmosphere of peace, order, and good government that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to our people. I implore all of you to let this realisation drive your actions at all times,” Tinubu added.

PUNCH Online reports that under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the President has the power to issue a proclamation of a state of emergency when there is a breakdown of law and order, natural disaster, or any situation that threatens the sovereignty, security, or economic stability of the country.

However, such a declaration must be transmitted to the National Assembly for approval.

Reclaiming our ancestors’ land, ‘African tribe’ defies eviction in Scotland

A self-styled African tribe in Scotland has claimed woodland near Jedburgh in Scotland as ancestral land and set up camp there, despite repeated evictions.

The Scottish Borders Council said sheriff officers had already cleared the group from private land on Tuesday, but not long after, they moved a few metres away onto council-owned property. The council has now launched fresh court proceedings to remove them.

As reported by BBC on Tuesday, the three members of the self-proclaimed “Kingdom of Kubala” were woken by sheriff officers at 08:00 on Tuesday and removed from their original encampment in private woodland.

However, the group, led by Ghanaian Kofi Offeh, 36, who calls himself King Atehehe, alongside Zimbabwean Jean Gasho (Queen Nandi) and American Kaura Taylor (Asnat), quickly re-established their camp over a fence on council land.

Kofi Offeh, who calls himself King Atehehe, is from Ghana. Photo credit: BBC

They insist they are “reclaiming land stolen 400 years ago”, a claim dismissed by the council as unlawful occupation. “We are not trespassers, we are reclaiming what belongs to our ancestors,” Offeh declared.

Deputy leader of the council, Scott Hamilton, confirmed that new legal papers had been filed. “They have rebuffed every opportunity to engage with us. We can help them, but we won’t sit back and let them break the law,” he said.

The eviction order was issued last week by Sheriff Peter Paterson after the group ignored earlier instructions to vacate. Officials and police officers spent nearly 90 minutes dismantling their tents and packing up belongings before the relocation.

The group, which first arrived in Jedburgh in the spring, have attracted a significant online following, with more than 100,000 supporters across TikTok and Facebook.

They previously camped at multiple sites, including hillside land above the town and woodland near an industrial estate, each time facing legal challenges from landowners.

Local officials said the repeated encampments had left owners with “no option” but to seek court-backed eviction orders. Hamilton described the latest move as “disappointing but not surprising.”

Despite mounting legal pressure, the “Kingdom of Kubala” has vowed to remain in Jedburgh, insisting its claim to the land is legitimate and symbolic of its ancestral rights.

The group previously camped on the left of the wire fence and has now moved a few metres to the right. Photo credit: BBC

FULL TEXT: Tinubu ends state of emergency in Rivers, restores Fubara

My Fellow countrymen and, in particular, the good people of Rivers State.

I am happy to address you today on the state of emergency declaration in Rivers State. You will recall that on 18th March, 2025, I proclaimed a state of emergency in the state. In my proclamation address, I highlighted the reasons for the declaration. The summary of it for context is that there was a total paralysis of governance in Rivers State, which had led to the Governor of Rivers State and the House of Assembly being unable to work together. Critical economic assets of the State, including oil pipelines, were being vandalised.

The State House of Assembly was crisis-ridden, such that members of the House were divided into two groups. Four members worked with the Governor, while 27 members opposed the Governor. The latter group supported the Speaker. As a result, the Governor could not present any Appropriation Bill to the House, to enable him to access funds to run Rivers State’s affairs.

That serious constitutional impasse brought governance in the State to a standstill. Even the Supreme Court, in one of its judgments in a series of cases filed by the Executive and the Legislative arms of Rivers State against each other, held that there was no government in Rivers State. My intervention and that of other well-meaning Nigerians to resolve the conflict proved abortive as both sides stuck rigidly to their positions to the detriment of peace and development of the State.

It therefore became painfully inevitable that to arrest the drift towards anarchy in Rivers State, I was obligated to invoke the powers conferred on me by Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to proclaim the state of emergency. The Offices of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and elected members of the State House of Assembly were suspended for six months in the first instance. The six months expire today, September 17th, 2025.

I thank the National Assembly, which, after critically evaluating the justification for the proclamation, took steps immediately, as required by the Constitution, to approve the declaration in the interest of peace and order in Rivers State. I also thank our traditional rulers and the good people of Rivers State for their support from the date of the declaration of the state of emergency until now.

I am not unaware that there were a few voices of dissent against the proclamation, which led to their instituting over 40 cases in the courts in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa, to invalidate the declaration. That is the way it should be in a democratic setting. Some cases are still pending in the courts as of today. But what needs to be said is that the power to declare a state of emergency is an inbuilt constitutional tool to address situations of actual or threatened breakdown of public order and public safety, which require extraordinary measures to return the State to peace, order and security.

Considered objectively, we had reached that situation of total breakdown of public order and public safety in Rivers State, as shown in the judgment of the Supreme Court on the disputes between the Executive and the Legislative arm of Rivers State. It would have been a colossal failure on my part as President not to have made that proclamation.

As a stakeholder in democratic governance, I believe that the need for a harmonious existence and relationship between the executive and the legislature is key to a successful government, whether at the state or national level.

The people who voted us into power expect to reap the fruits of democracy. However, that expectation will remain unrealizable in an atmosphere of violence, anarchy, and insecurity borne by misguided political activism and Machiavellian manipulations among the stakeholders.

I am happy today that, from the intelligence available to me, there is a groundswell of a new spirit of understanding, a robust readiness, and potent enthusiasm on the part of all the stakeholders in Rivers State for an immediate return to democratic governance. This is undoubtedly a welcome development for me and a remarkable achievement for us. I therefore do not see why the state of emergency should exist a day longer than the six months I had pronounced at the beginning of it.

It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State of Nigeria shall end with effect from midnight today. The Governor, His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara, the deputy governor, Her Excellency Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the speaker, Martins Amaewhule, will resume work in their offices from 18 September 2025.

I take this opportunity to remind the Governors and the Houses of Assembly of all the States of our country to continue to appreciate that it is only in an atmosphere of peace, order, and good government that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to our people. I implore all of you to let this realisation drive your actions at all times.

I thank you all.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.