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US warship enters Panama canal and now heading towards Caribbean

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A US guided missile cruiser, the USS Lake Erie, crossed the Panama Canal from the Pacific to the Caribbean on Friday night, August 29, as part of the Trump administration’s deployment of warships near Venezuela’s coast.

AFP reporters observed the 567-foot-long vessel, which displaces 9,800 tons, passing through one of the canal’s locks at around 9:30 p.m. local time before heading east toward the Atlantic. The ship had been moored for two days at the Port of Rodman near the Pacific entrance of the canal.

Washington has framed the naval deployment in the southern Caribbean, near Venezuelan territorial waters, as an anti-drug trafficking operation. US authorities have accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading a drug cartel and recently doubled the bounty for his capture to $50 million.

“I didn’t know the ship was going to pass… I was surprised,” said Alfredo Cedeno, a health technician who photographed the cruiser.

Caracas has responded by deploying 15,000 security forces to the Colombian border and announcing patrols of its territorial waters using drones and navy ships. Maduro also claimed he had mobilised more than four million militia members in response to what he described as US threats.

The deployment comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Caracas, but the US has made no public threat to invade Venezuela. Observers say the movement of the USS Lake Erie is intended to demonstrate US naval capability and readiness in the region while supporting anti-narcotics operations.

The cruiser, which is based in San Diego, California, is one of several warships the US has positioned near Venezuela, signalling a firm stance on drug trafficking concerns while testing Caracas’ military response.

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Lagos is a no-man’s land, Bwala defends FG’s investment

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The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has described Lagos State as a “no-man’s land” and the pride of Nigeria’s economy.

Bwala, who spoke on the Daybreak programme on Arise Television on Wednesday, argued that the concentration of federal projects in Lagos should not be seen as favouritism but as investment in the country’s commercial hub.

He said, “Let me tell you why Lagos State is different. Lagos State is a no-man’s land. In the last election, the President who comes from the South-West did not win Lagos. That tells you the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos State.

“The richest man in Africa is a northerner. His business is not in Kano, it’s in Lagos. Almost every rich man that you know in Nigeria has business undertaking in Lagos and the Nigerian people are represented in Lagos.

“If not because probably the majority of the people are Yoruba speaking, you will wonder whether Lagos indeed is from the South-West.”

Comparing Lagos with other global economic centres, he added, “ London has more investment than the entire states in England put together. New York has more infrastructure and investment than the rest of the United States, including California. Paris has more investment.

“So in every country, wherever you find the commercial nerve of that country, you are likely to see the need to put infrastructure in place in order to boost the economy. Whatever Lagos benefits, the country benefits.”

Bwala insisted that the N3.9 trillion worth of federal projects reportedly allocated to Lagos in two years was justifiable, stressing that Lagos remained Nigeria’s hub of commerce and a beacon of economic growth.

“So the idea that you put more in Lagos than in other states or the federation should be put into a proper context. Lagos is a no-man’s land. Lagos is the hub of Nigeria. Lagoss is the pride of the country,” Bwala stated.

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Court orders two DNA tests on Mohbad’s son

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The Magistrate Court in Ikorodu has directed that two Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) tests be carried out on Liam Aloba, the son of late Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.

Magistrate Adefisoye Sonuga issued the order on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 while ruling on an application filed by the singer’s father, Joseph Aloba, who sought a paternity test.

The late Mohbad’s wife, Omowunmi Cynthia Aloba, was listed as the respondent in the application brought under the Family Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) 2012 and the Magistrate Courts (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009.

The application requested that samples be taken from the remains of the deceased at the Military Hospital in Yaba for use in conducting the tests, either within Lagos or in another recognised facility outside the state.

It further sought approval for a separate test to be conducted abroad at the applicant’s expense.

In court filings, Aloba argued that uncertainty about Liam’s paternity made it necessary to conclusively settle the matter, stressing its importance for maintenance obligations and the child’s welfare.

At the hearing, Aloba was represented by Augustine Adegbemi from the chambers of Dr Wahab Shittu (SAN) & Co., while Kabir Akingbolu appeared for the respondent. The application was moved without opposition, leading the magistrate to grant the request.

The court directed that the tests be conducted in accredited hospitals in Nigeria and abroad, with both parties or their representatives present during sample collection.

The matter was adjourned to November 11, 2025, for further proceedings.

The 26-year-old singer died on September 12, 2023, after sustaining an injury on the back of his right arm.

He was treated and given an injection at his Lekki home by a nurse, and d!ed shortly after he developed a sudden convulsion. He was buried the following day.

Following a massive public outcry, the body was exhumed on September 21, 2023, for an autopsy on the orders of the Lagos State Government.

The findings in that autopsy concluded on April 29, 2024, showed that the cause of death couldn’t be ascertained as the internal organs were already “in a state of moderate to severe decomposition”.

The second autopsy was ordered by the Coroner in June 2024, after the deceased’s family made an application for an independent review.

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Eid-ul-Mawlid: FG declares Friday Sept. 5 public holiday

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The Federal Government has declared Friday, September 5, 2025, a public holiday to mark Eid-ul-Mawlid, the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Magdalene Ajani, announced this in a statement released on Tuesday, September 3.

According to the statement, the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, extended warm greetings to Muslims in Nigeria and across the world.

He urged the Muslim Ummah to emulate the Prophet’s virtues of peace, love, humility, tolerance and compassion, stressing that these values are crucial to building a united and progressive nation.

The minister also called on Nigerians of all faiths to use the occasion to pray for the peace, security, and stability of the country while supporting government efforts toward national harmony and sustainable development.

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