LASTMA Warns Children, Teenagers Against Using Roller Skate Shoes on Public Roads

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has cautioned children, teenagers and young adults against using rolling skate shoes, wheeled footwear and similar recreational devices on public highways and other vehicular corridors.

The warning was issued by the authority over concerns that using footwear fitted with concealed or retractable wheels on roads could expose users to traffic-related dangers.

According to LASTMA, some users attempt to glide alongside moving vehicles, cross carriageways indiscriminately or manoeuvre through traffic without adequate protective equipment and adult supervision.

The authority noted that public roads are shared by motorists, motorcyclists, pedestrians and other road users, making them unsuitable for recreational activities involving wheeled devices.

LASTMA advised parents, guardians, schools and caregivers to discourage children and other vulnerable road users from using rolling skate shoes on highways, expressways, bridges, service lanes and other areas where vehicular traffic is permitted.

It urged users of such footwear to restrict skating activities to designated recreational areas, private compounds and other safe environments suitable for the activity.

The authority also recommended the use of protective equipment, including helmets, knee pads and elbow pads, when engaging in skating activities.

LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described road safety as a collective responsibility requiring vigilance, discipline and respect for the risks associated with public roads.

He stressed that the protection of human life should remain a priority and that recreational activities should not expose individuals or other road users to unnecessary danger.

LASTMA also urged motorists to exercise caution around children and young people using wheeled footwear, particularly in residential areas, estates and school zones where they may unexpectedly enter traffic.

The authority asked members of the public to report dangerous traffic situations, road obstructions, crashes, vehicle breakdowns and other incidents requiring traffic-management intervention through its toll-free short code, 3367.

LASTMA said it remains committed to promoting responsible road-user behaviour and improving road safety across Lagos State.

The statement was signed by Adebayo Taofiq, Director of the Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA.

Man Cancels Wedding Day Before Ceremony, Cites ‘Irreconcilable Developments’

A man identified as Samuel Isaac Ogbonnaya has announced the cancellation of his wedding to Miss Gift Oriaku, which was scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 19, 2026.

Ogbonnaya made the announcement in a statement shared on social media, informing the public that the planned wedding had been called off due to what he described as “irreconcilable developments that just arose.”

“I sincerely regret and apologize to everyone for any inconveniences this may have caused and I appeal that the public should please bear with me even as I implore your continued prayers and support,” he stated.

He did not disclose details of the developments that led to the cancellation.

The statement also contained a clarification from Rev. Isaac Echechukwu Ogbonnaya, who identified himself as Samuel’s elder brother. The cleric clarified that it was his younger brother, Samuel Isaac Ogbonnaya, who cancelled the wedding, and not him.

“Please it is my younger brother Mr Samuel Isaac Ogbonnaya that cancelled his wedding not me, The Revd Isaac Echechukwu Ogbonnaya,” the clarification stated.

He urged members of the public to be properly informed about the development.

The announcement came shortly before the scheduled wedding ceremony, with Samuel asking for understanding, prayers and support from family, friends and members of the public.

The specific circumstances behind the cancellation remain undisclosed in the statement.

‘Sanctity of Human Life Is Non-Negotiable’ - Tinubu Orders Probe Into 37 Miners’ Deaths

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a full and transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Minna, Niger State.

The President gave the directive on Friday, September 18, 2026, following reports of the deaths of the suspects who were detained during enforcement operations against illegal mining activities in the state.

The operations were carried out around the Lt. Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna, Niger State.

Tinubu, in a statement, said he was deeply concerned by the reported deaths and directed that the circumstances surrounding them be investigated urgently and thoroughly.

“The life of every Nigerian matters,” the President said, stressing that no citizen should lose their life while in government custody as a result of negligence, abuse, inhumane treatment or dereliction of duty.

The NSCDC had earlier confirmed the deaths of some suspected illegal miners in its custody and said the exact cause of death was yet to be established. The Corps said medical examinations would be conducted to determine the cause. Reports subsequently put the number of deaths at 37.

Tinubu stressed that the fact that the deceased were suspected of illegal mining did not remove their right to life, dignity and humane treatment.

He directed the investigation to establish the circumstances of the arrests, the condition of the detainees when they were taken into custody, the conditions under which they were held, the number of people detained at the facility, the medical attention provided to them and the events leading to their deaths.

The President further directed that any official found by the investigation to have contributed to the deaths through action, abuse or negligence should be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

“There must be accountability,” he said.

Tinubu also said the suspension of officers, where applicable, would only be an administrative measure and should not replace a proper determination of criminal responsibility where evidence warrants prosecution.

He directed the Ministry of Interior and the leadership of the NSCDC to cooperate fully with all relevant investigative authorities and warned against any attempt by officials to interfere with the investigation.

The President reiterated that the Federal Government would continue its campaign against illegal mining and other criminal activities but said such operations must be conducted within the law and with full respect for the rights and dignity of persons taken into custody.

He also extended his condolences to the families of those who died and appealed for calm among the affected families and communities.

Tinubu said the government would pursue the truth and take appropriate action based on credible evidence.

“We must never allow the pursuit of one form of illegality to create another. Government must enforce the law firmly, but government itself must obey the law,” he said.

“The sanctity of human life is non-negotiable.”

Adeleke Proscribes NURTW Activities in Osun After Ajagungbade Emir’s Killing

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has ordered the immediate suspension of activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, across motor parks in the state following the killing of Olalekan Oyeyemi, popularly known as Ajagungbade Emir.

Oyeyemi was reportedly shot dead on Sunday in Ile-Ife during a clash involving groups disputing control of a motor park in the ancient city. The killing has heightened tension around the state’s motor parks.

In a statement signed by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke directed the Commissioner of Police to immediately arrest those involved in the killing and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

The governor also ordered warring factions to immediately vacate all motor parks and directed security agencies to restore normalcy and maintain law and order across the parks.

As part of measures to prevent further violence, Adeleke announced the reintroduction of a Park Management System across Osun State.

According to the governor, an Executive Order will be issued to provide legal backing for the new system.

The latest directive comes against the background of an ongoing dispute involving rival factions within the NURTW over control of motor parks in Osun. The state government had previously taken measures to halt NURTW activities in motor parks amid similar tensions.

The governor’s latest measures are aimed at restoring order in the parks and preventing further clashes following the death of Ajagungbade Emir.

Lawyer Inibehe Effiong Faults IGP’s Warning Against Recording Police Officers for Skits

Lawyer Inibehe Effiong has questioned the IGP’s concerns over Nigerians recording police officers while performing their duties.

Legal practitioner Inibehe Effiong has disagreed with the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, over his warning against Nigerians recording police officers for social media skits.

Effiong argued that the concept of content creation was broad and could also apply to the Nigeria Police Force, which operates several platforms for producing and disseminating information.

The lawyer made the remarks on Friday during an interview on Channels Television, while reacting to comments by the IGP concerning the use of police officers in social media content.

Disu had warned Nigerians against recording police officers for skits, describing the practice as “very, very demoralising” to members of the force.

The IGP clarified that his concern was not with citizens’ right to record police officers, but with what he described as turning policemen into sources of social media content.

Reacting, Effiong questioned what should qualify as content creation and whether the defining factor should be financial gain or public enlightenment.

“What is content creation? Is it materials generated and disseminated or published or circulated for revenue generation? Or is it simply posting information for public enlightenment?” he asked.

Effiong argued that the police could also broadly be described as a content-creating institution because of the platforms it operates.

“Because if you examine the phrase content creator and content creation broadly, one can say that even the police itself is a content-creating institution,” he said.

According to him, the Nigeria Police Force operates social media accounts, a website and a radio station through which information is produced and distributed.

He said the distinction was therefore important when interpreting the IGP’s warning about using police officers for content creation.

Effiong questioned whether the warning was specifically directed at skit makers, entertainers and pranksters who produce humorous content for online audiences.

“So when the IG speaks about using policemen for content creation, it is important for us to be cautious,” he said.

Lawyer Questions Police Concern Over Recordings

Effiong also questioned why the police had expressed concern about citizens recording officers while they were carrying out their duties in public.

“The question is, why is the police constantly fidgeting over the recording of their officers in the course of their duties?” he asked.

Disu had cited situations in which police officers were allegedly filmed while eating as part of his concerns about the practice.

Effiong said he had not personally seen evidence suggesting that such incidents were widespread on social media and urged the police to provide examples supporting the concern.

“He cited an instance where he said police officers would be eating and people would be filming them. I haven’t seen that being a practice that is rampant on social media,” he said.

The lawyer maintained that Nigerians have a constitutional right to record law enforcement officers while they are carrying out their statutory responsibilities in public.

“But speaking generally, Nigerians have the right, unmistakably, to record incidents. Not just the police, but law enforcement officers generally, in the course of discharging their statutory responsibility,” Effiong said.

He referred to Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, arguing that the protection includes the freedom to disseminate and propagate ideas and information.

Effiong further argued that such freedom extends to the means through which information is communicated, including mobile phones and other electronic devices.

His comments come amid an ongoing public debate over the boundaries between citizens’ rights to document activities of law enforcement officers and the need to protect the dignity and professionalism of police personnel.

Ogun Family, Government Clash Over Alleged Reallocation of 11-Acre Poultry Farm to Chinese Investor

The Busari family and Ogun State Government have given conflicting accounts over the reallocation of land housing Constancy Farms.

The children of the late Alhaji Ganiyu Busari and the management of Constancy Farms in Fere Village, Jibowu, Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, have appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun and President Bola Tinubu to intervene in a dispute over an 11-acre poultry farm.

The family alleged that the Ogun State Government was attempting to reallocate the land housing their farm to a Chinese-owned company, a development they said had subjected them and their workers to threats and intimidation.

They also alleged that attempts to remove them from the property had resulted in damage to parts of the farm and losses to their poultry business.

However, the Ogun State Government disputed the family’s account, saying the reallocation of the land was lawful.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, said the family’s acquisition of the land had been revoked because they allegedly failed to pay the required assessment fee within the stipulated period.

Akinmade said the government was legally empowered to revoke the acquisition under such circumstances and reallocate the land to another investor willing to meet the required financial obligations.

“The truth is that the land was acquired by this family some years back, but they failed to pay up the acquisition fees that the government asked them to pay within the stipulated time,” Akinmade said.

He added that the new investor had, as part of what he described as a gesture of goodwill, constructed a new poultry pen for the family on the reallocated land.

According to him, the family had refused to relocate and instead resorted to the media to criticise the government.

Family Disputes Government’s Account

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, one of the late Busari’s children, Azeez Busari, alleged that officials of the state government and representatives of the Chinese company had been pressuring the family to vacate the property.

Busari maintained that the family possessed documents relating to the acquisition of the land and had commenced payment of the assessed fees.

He said the dispute dated back to 2023, when representatives of the Chinese company approached the family over a request for four acres and an additional plot of land to create an access route to another parcel of about 40 acres owned by the company.

According to Busari, the family agreed to release the requested portion, leaving approximately 11 acres for the poultry farm.

He alleged that in 2025, the Ogun State Surveyor-General, Oladele Ewulo, informed the family that the remaining land had been reallocated to the Chinese company and that they were expected to vacate the property.

“We asked him if the government now does double allocation, but he said nothing,” Busari alleged.

He further said the family had documents relating to the land assessment that were duly signed by the state government and that payments had already commenced.

Busari said the family subsequently requested official documents confirming the alleged reallocation but had not received them.

He also alleged that some individuals demolished part of the farm’s perimeter fence earlier in 2026.

Family Says Farm Is Worth Over N1bn

According to Busari, the poultry business represents an investment of more than N1 billion and has facilities capable of accommodating about 27,000 laying birds and a 10,000-capacity rearing pen.

He said the farm provides direct and indirect employment to several people and represents a major family investment built over time.

“It’s our father’s legacy, it’s a community to us, and we don’t have anything else that we can do apart from this poultry business,” Busari said.

He questioned the alleged decision to favour a foreign investor over a local agricultural business, particularly because the Chinese company was also involved in poultry production.

“How can the same government that claims to be encouraging us to go into agriculture be backing foreign investors to undermine local investors and send us packing for no just cause?” he asked.

Busari appealed to Governor Abiodun and President Tinubu to intervene, saying much of the family’s investment had been financed through loans and that losing the farm could have significant financial consequences.

Another family member, Olatunji Busari, also appealed to the state government to allow the family to continue operating the farm.

“We don’t want any re-allocation. We don’t want anything that will destroy our business,” he said.

He described the farm as a family legacy that had been developed with borrowed funds and appealed to Governor Abiodun to intervene.

The dispute remains centred on the validity of the family’s land acquisition, the payment of assessed fees and the circumstances surrounding the government’s decision to reallocate the property. The two sides have presented conflicting accounts of the matter.