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Lagos women plan nude protest over ancestral home destruction

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Women from the Ilaje community in Lagos State have threatened to stage nude protests over what they described as the continuous destruction of their ancestral homes.

Hundreds of protesters under the aegis of Egbe Omo Ilaje stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja, on Tuesday, despite heavy rainfall, demanding urgent intervention from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa.

Holding placards, the protesters accused some traditional rulers in the state of turning into “land grabbers” and masterminding the demolition of Ilaje settlements.

An elderly protester, who gave her name as Ifagbemi, vowed that she and other women would stage a nude demonstration to compel monarchs and others to let the Ilaje people live peacefully in their communities.

She said, “We are the founders of Lagos. We hailed from Ilaje before settling in Ebute-Ero, which was then known as Olobun. Should the government fail to meet our demands, we, women, will organise a nude protest and storm the palace of these monarchs. We want the government to come to our aid.”

The President-General of Egbe Omo Ilaje Worldwide, Rafael Irowainu, also alleged that some monarchs in the state were hiding under the name of President Bola Tinubu to justify the unlawful destruction of people’s homes.

“We have come here today to report some royal fathers who have turned themselves into land grabbers. I’ve never seen anywhere else where royal fathers become lawless, except in Nigeria.

“They claim President Tinubu sent them, but I assure you he did not. They are only using his name to carry out fraudulent activities,” he said.

Irowainu further alleged that some monarchs involved are not indigenes of Lagos but hail from Osun and Ekiti states.

“None of these monarchs created Lagos. They suppress us because of their political advantage. How will a king, who is supposed to uphold justice, just wake up one day and demolish people’s homes?

“We are here to vent our grievances and submit our petition to the governor and the Speaker. We are the bona fide indigenes of Lagos. We are Yoruba, not aliens in this state.”

He warned that demolitions without legal backing would only worsen insecurity in the state.

“When you chase people out of their ancestral homes without any court order, you are creating more criminals.

“The governor should tell the Obas to desist from selling our lands. We want everyone whose houses and properties were destroyed to be compensated,” said Irowainu.

Another protester, Wole Adewusi, said, “We are calling on Sanwo-Olu to save our souls. Some Lagos Obas have turned themselves into land grabbers. Houses are being demolished, properties burnt, and landlords rendered homeless. Our wives and children are suffering.”

Similarly, the Lagos State Chairman of Egbe Omo Ilaje, Prince Oluwajimusu, also condemned the alleged injustice.

He noted, “There is no way you will write the history of Lagos without mentioning Ilaje as one of the first settlers. What is happening is unethical and unjust to the entire Ilaje nation. We will decide our fate in 2027. We are not slaves.”

The protest comes weeks after the group raised concerns over the renaming of Ilaje Street in Bariga after music legend King Sunny Ade, which they described as another attempt to erase their heritage.

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Uganda reaches agreement with US Govt to take in migrants

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Uganda has entered an agreement with the United States to take in nationals from third countries who may not get asylum in the U.S. but are reluctant to return to their countries of origin, the foreign affairs ministry said on Thursday, August 21.

President Donald Trump aims to deport millions of immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally, and his administration has sought to increase removals to third countries, including by sending convicted criminals to South Sudan and Eswatini.

“This is a temporary arrangement with conditions including that individuals with criminal records and unaccompanied minors will not be accepted,” Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said in a statement.

Waiswa added that Uganda would prefer to receive people from African nationalities under the agreement.

“The two parties are working out the detailed modalities on how the agreement shall be implemented,” he said.

On Wednesday, another Ugandan foreign affairs official had denied a U.S. media report that the East African country had agreed to take in people deported from the United States, saying it lacked the facilities to accommodate them.

Uganda, a U.S. ally in East Africa, also hosts nearly two million refugees and asylum-seekers, who mostly hail from countries in the region such as Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Sudan.

In July, five immigrants from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen and Cuba, who Washington said had been convicted of serious crimes, were flown to Eswatini, where they are now in a high-security prison. The deportations are being challenged by a group of Swazi and southern African NGOs, with a high court hearing scheduled for Friday.

Also in July, eight men from various countries were deported by the US to South Sudan, via Djibouti, where they were held for weeks in a shipping container. Meanwhile, more than 250 Venezuelans were repatriated to Venezuela after being sent to a notorious El Salvador prison in March without due process.

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FRSC rewards officer for rejecting 104 bribes in one month

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The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has honoured Assistant Route Commander Babatunde Owoeye of the Osun State Sector Command for his exemplary integrity in July 2025.

The commendation was held during a ceremony on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at the Osun State Command headquarters.

Records show that Owoeye rejected bribes from traffic offenders on 104 separate occasions.

He also turned down bribe attempts 18 times in May and 38 times in June, reflecting a consistent commitment to ethical conduct in service.

Speaking during the ceremony, Sector Commander Leye Adegboyega lauded Owoeye, stating that his conduct mirrors the FRSC’s long-standing policy against corruption and extortion among its personnel.

Adegboyega added that the recognition aligns with the anti-corruption agenda of the Corps Marshal, Sheu Mohammed, as well as the commission’s broader efforts to promote professionalism and accountability.

“For his exceptional integrity, Assistant Route Commander Babatunde J. Owoeye has been awarded a commendation and a cash gift of N250,000. He recorded 104 ‘Attempt to Corrupt Marshal on Duty’ (ACS) cases in July alone — a feat that is unprecedented in the command’s history,” Adegboyega said.

The FRSC reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on bribery and assured the public that honesty and discipline within its ranks would continue to be recognised and rewarded.

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Africa could become a renewable superpower – UN chief

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United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has called for greater investment in green energy across the Africa, saying the continent has everything it takes to become a “renewable superpower.”

Speaking at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), Guterres stressed the need to mobilize finance and technology to ensure Africa’s natural wealth benefits its people and to build a thriving renewable energy and manufacturing base.

“Green power in Africa lowers energy costs, diversifies supply chains, and accelerates decarbonization for everyone,” he said.

Guterres warned that mounting debt should not hinder development and urged increased concessional finance and greater lending capacity from multilateral development banks.

He added, “Africa has everything it takes to become a renewable superpower, from solar and wind to the critical minerals that power new technology.”

The conference brought together African leaders and Japanese officials, with discussions on clean energy, economic partnerships, and long-term investment opportunities.

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