The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has alleged that over 2753 Igbo property have been demolished in Lagos since 2019.

The organization made the assertion while reacting to the recent Lagos Trade Fair Complex demolition.

Ohanaeze said it is imperative to address these insidious actions perpetrated by the Lagos State Government under the stewardship of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The pan lgbo group therefore demanded an immediate cessation of all demolition activities specifically targeted at Igbo investments within Lagos State, saying that such measures are not merely administrative actions but perceived as a calculated political vendetta designed to systematically dismantle the economic contributions of the Igbo residents in the state.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the factional Deputy- President-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and Chief Chinemeze Ohia, factional national spokesperson, Ohanaeze condemned the recent demolitions of shops and structures at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos.

The statement read: “The recent demolitions blatantly contravene the protections afforded to individuals by the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, particularly Section 40, alongside the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, the UN Convention on Human Rights, and the foundational provisions of the 1978 Land Use Act, which unequivocally requires lawful revocation of Rights of Occupancy, advance notice, and just compensation for affected property owners.

“Independent investigations commissioned by Ohanaeze Ndigbo have revealed alarming violations of the Urban and Regional Development Law of Lagos State. Notably, there was a conspicuous absence of environmental impact assessments or consultations with stakeholders prior to these demolitions.

“Insights obtained from interviews with Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, the Lagos State Commissioner for the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, underscore that the Trade Fair Complex is under the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, thus inherently questioning the legality of state-led demolition actions.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo resolutely calls on Governor Sanwo-Olu to halt these assaults on Igbo properties and investments in Lagos State. We remind the Governor that he was overwhelmingly supported by the Igbo community during his 2019 electoral campaign.

“Since his administration’s commencement, our records reveal that over 2,753 properties—houses, shops, and their valuable contents—have been callously demolished without due recourse to the owners, representing colossal losses amounting to approximately 23 trillion Naira in investments. It is incumbent upon us to confront these issues forthrightly, irrespective of any political sensitivities.

“Our assessments evince a concerning pattern; it appears that the Lagos State Government may be engaging in acts of political retribution against Ndigbo in Lagos, particularly in the wake of the electoral dynamics observed in the aftermath of the 2023 elections.

“The prevailing inflation rate of 23.9% only exacerbates the economic harm inflicted upon Igbo traders, and indications suggest that further demolitions will occur as a means to diminish the Igbo presence prior to the 2027 elections.

“In a passionate plea, we urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene directly in this matter. The President must order an immediate cessation of further demolitions and compel the Lagos State Government to deliver adequate compensation to those affected. Additionally, we advocate for the reopening of the Calabar Seaport, which has languished in disuse for 59 years, and call for the establishment of a new Southeast Seaport at the Azumiri Blue River, in Ukwa East LGA Of Abia State,located a mere 34 nautical miles from the Atlantic Ocean.

“Furthermore, it is imperative that we alert the Igbo community residing in Lagos State to the troubling prospects ahead. Information at our disposal indicates that additional demolitions targeting Igbo properties may occur as early as 2026.

“It is high time for Igbo business owners to evaluate the sustainability of their investments in Lagos and consider reestablishing their enterprises in the Old Eastern Region, particularly the Southeast. The ‘Think Home’ philosophy (Akụ Ruo Ulo) is increasingly seen as the most viable strategy in response to the ongoing demolitions.”

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

A five-year multiple-entry Schengen visa allows travellers to visit any of the 29 Schengen countries repeatedly over five years, as long as each stay does not exceed 90 days within any 180-day period.

Designed for frequent travellers, businesspersons, and those with a strong travel history, the visa offers notable benefits — reducing the need for repeated applications, cutting processing time and costs, and simplifying documentation and interview requirements.

However, approval is entirely at the discretion of the issuing embassy or consulate. Applicants with higher approval chances are usually those who have held multiple-entry Schengen visas for at least two consecutive years within the last three, travel frequently (two or more times a year), and have a clean immigration record with valid documents and no overstays.

Applicants are also required to submit a detailed cover letter justifying their need for long-term travel, provide proof of financial stability, and maintain valid long-term Schengen travel insurance.

Below is the list of 29 Schengen countries currently offering 5-year multiple-entry visas to Nigerian applicants.

1. Austria
2. Belgium
3. Bulgaria
4. Croatia
5. Czech Republic
6. Denmark
7. Estonia
8. Finland
9. France
10. Germany
11. Greece
12. Hungary
13. Iceland
14. Italy
15. Latvia
16. Liechtenstein
17. Lithuania
18. Luxembourg
19. Malta
20. Netherlands
21. Norway
22. Poland
23. Portugal
24. Romania
25. Slovakia
26. Slovenia
27. Spain
28. Sweden
29. Switzerland

The U.S. could see an unprecedented 15,000 churches shut their doors this year, far more than the few thousand expected to open, according to denominational reports and church consultants.

Why it matters:

The unprecedented contraction, expected to continue over the next decade, risks leaving gaps in communities nationwide — particularly rural ones, where churches often are crucial providers of food aid, child care and disaster relief.

The big picture:

The decline of traditional brick-and-mortar churches comes as a record number of Americans (29%) are identifying as religiously unaffiliated, and as 62% identify as Christians — down from 78% in 2007, according to the Pew Research Center.

At the same time, mostly non-denominational megachurches — and evangelical Christianity in general — are an increasing influence on American life, driven by charismatic leaders, sympathetic politicians and social media.

These colliding trends have shaken the nation’s longtime religious footing: There are fewer and fewer communities built around local churches, but rising pressure from conservative citizens and government officials to inject more religion into public schools, settings and institutions.

By the numbers:

The record number of church closings forecast this year stems from struggles many churches face — including retaining full-time pastors, said Thom Rainer, a former president of LifeWay Christian Resources, an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention that provides resources for churches.

In a widely shared Baptist Courier piece, Rainer — a consultant on church health — said that waves of church closings are coming, and that another 15,000 U.S. churches will move from full- to part-time time pastors.

The National Council of Churches estimates that 100,000 U.S. churches across denominations will close during the next several years, confirming Rainer’s analysis.

That would amount to roughly a quarter of the nation’s 350,000 to 400,000 churches today.
Zoom in: Mainline Protestant denominations such as Methodist, Presbyterian and Lutheran represent nearly all the church closings, said Ryan Burge, a political scientist who writes the “Graphs About Religion” Substack.

The closures mark a shift away from once-powerful denominations in the U.S. that brought people of diverse political views together, said Burge, author of the upcoming “The Vanishing Church: How the Hollowing Out of Moderate Congregations Is Hurting Democracy, Faith, and Us.”

Burge said that as a result, many communities are left with empty church buildings that can be difficult to sell because they often are next to historic cemeteries.

The intrigue:

The number of Catholic churches also appears to be declining, partly because of the continuing following from priest abuse lawsuits, said Andrew Chesnut, the Bishop Walter F. Sullivan chair in Catholic Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Baltimore’s Catholic Archdiocese, the nation’s oldest, is slashing its churches by about two-thirds, citing shrinking attendance and aging buildings, according to the AP.

“I think the only ones who have shown some dynamism lately on the American Christian landscape are these non-denominational, usually charismatic megachurches,” Chesnut said.

Evangelical megachurches, however, tend to have fluid memberships despite their growing influence in Republican Party politics, Burge said.

“The large churches have a lot of churn. A lot of new people come in every year, but a lot of people leave too, because they never build strong and deep ties.”

Their success is based on one or two leaders, and a death or scandal can damage or bring an end to that church, he said.

Megachurches could take membership hits in the future if younger Americans feel they’re being forced to accept religion in public spaces, Chesnut predicted.

“I think evangelicals are going to pay the price for so closely hitching their wagon to MAGA,” he said.

“If you’re making kids pray in school, as I’ve learned anytime I make my kids do something, they’ll do the opposite.”

Go deeper: Americans continue to lose their religion as the GOP pushes it

Non-religious ‘nones’ are on the rise, study shows our lawmakers are more religious than we are.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM