By Modupe Gbadeyanka

On Wednesday, April 8, and Thursday, April 9, 2026, President Bola Tinubu will commission some projects embarked upon by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.

The commissioning would be done during a two-day visit to the nation’s commercial capital, the first official visit to the metropolis by Mr Tinubu.

Though originally from Osun State, Lagos is seen as the home state of President Tinubu, as he governed the aquatic state from 1999 to 2007, and also represented Lagos West senatorial district in the Senate from 1992 to 1993.

Addressing the media on Monday in Alausa, the Commissioner for Information in Lagos, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, said some of the key legacy projects to be commissioned include the Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge, the Lagos State Geographic Information Service (LAGIS) building, and the Lagos Multi-Agency Building in Alausa.

Others are the Lagos Fresh Food Hub in Abijo Ajah, Tolu Schools Complex in Ajegunle and Maracana Stadium, comprising 19 mini-football pitches, built side by side in Ajegunle.

Mr Omotoso said these projects reflect the Mr Sanwo-Olu administration’s commitment to Lagos development and improved living standards of the residents, stressing that the infrastructure was carefully conceived and executed to address the growing needs of our population, ease mobility, stimulate economic activities, and enhance social welfare.

“The presence of Mr President in Lagos at this auspicious occasion further reinforces the strong partnership between the federal government and Lagos State. The planned project unveiling ceremony highlights the importance of continuity in governance and the value of visionary leadership in driving development.

“We are confident that these projects will not only serve the immediate needs of our people but also stand as enduring legacies for generations to come. All the iconic projects represent progress in action and hope for a better future.

“As we prepare for this historic visit, we assure residents of Lagos that all arrangements have been put in place to ensure a smooth, secure, and successful event. We urge the public to cooperate with the authorities, especially in areas where there may be temporary traffic adjustments or security protocols,” he said.

It was gathered that over 500 personnel of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) would be deployed to adequately manage and control traffic during the President’s visit.

The Opebi-Ojota Link Bridge was initiated to address traffic challenges within the Ojota, Maryland, Mende, Opebi, and Allen axes, as the corridor serves as a major route for commuters moving between the mainland and key commercial districts.

The Opebi-Ojota Link Bridge project was originally conceived over two decades by Mr Tinubu when he was the governor of the state. It was revived and officially flagged off in January 2022 by Governor Sanwo-Olu.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has launched an investigation into an alleged data breach involving Remita Payment Services Limited, Sterling Bank, and other entities, as part of efforts to safeguard personal data and strengthen compliance within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, the commission said, in line with its procedures, a Notice of Investigation was duly served on April 1, 2026.

The agency noted that relevant parties and individuals have been providing information to support efforts to address the incident, adding that the investigation aims to ensure data subjects are adequately protected through appropriate technical and organisational measures.

“The investigation by NDPC covers, among others, the types of personal data involved, the nature and scope of the alleged breach, the risk to data subjects, and the mitigation measures taken where a breach is confirmed,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the chief executive of NDPC, Mr Vincent Olatunji, has directed that organisations using digital payment systems without implementing the required technical and organisational safeguards, as mandated under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, will also be examined.

The organisation said this forms part of a broader effort to ensure the integrity and security of Nigeria’s data protection ecosystem.

Data breaches have risen in the last few years, with a 2025 report from Surfshark, a cybersecurity firm, ranking Nigeria third in Sub-Saharan Africa for total breaches since 2004, with 23.2 million compromised accounts.

In September 2024, a hacker identified as Addka72424 released a dataset containing 3.3 billion email addresses, which included 2,555,642 Nigerian accounts. The hacker described it as a “small” experiment to show how much data is freely available online.

This latest development further exposes how cyberthreats continue to evolve, and attackers are constantly adapting their tactics.

The Nigerian government has now launched a national cyber coordination council towards tackling the rising threat.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The pastor in charge of the Celestial Church of Christ at Agonvi Sea Beach in the Sakpo area of Seme border, Badagry, Lagos State, Mr Afolabi Hodonu, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The 45-year-old cleric was apprehended on Thursday, April 2, 2026, alongside his 35-year-old wife, Mrs Success Hodonu, with blocks of skunk weighing about 11kg.

A statement issued on Sunday by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, disclosed that the couple were stopped at the Gbaji checkpoint, and a search of their Honda Pilot SUV led to the recovery of the drugs concealed in hidden parts of their vehicle.

Their arrest followed the apprehension of a fake security agent, Mr Sunday Samuel, 35, at the same checkpoint on Monday, March 30, while conveying 24.5kg of skunk from the Seme border to Lagos.

The statement further disclosed that NDLEA operatives also successfully dismantled a drug trafficking syndicate in high stakes intelligence led operations that lasted three weeks during which cocaine consignments concealed in tins of palm kernel extract heading to the United Kingdom were intercepted and the warehouse where the shipments are packaged raided, while all three layers of the group were unravelled, leading to the arrest of the kingpin.

The breakthrough began on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, when NDLEA officers of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command, Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted 3.10 kilograms of cocaine at the export shed of the airport. The illicit substance was meticulously hidden inside tins of palm kernel extract intended for shipment to the UK.

​Two suspects handling the shipment, Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin, were promptly arrested.

To unravel the sender and the arrowhead of the drug syndicate, a well-coordinated sting operation was carried out on Thursday, April 2, leading to the arrest of Ezemuwo Joel, who operates under a fake identity as Ajayi.

​His arrest provided the link to the syndicate’s head, 52-year-old King Arinze, who was flushed out of a hideout in the Isolo area of Lagos.

He was thereafter taken to his warehouse at 11, Ola Ifa Street, Bucknor, Isolo, where NDLEA operatives recovered 886 tins of palm kernel extract prepared for drug concealment; industrial tools, including a sealing machine, tin openers, paint sprays, 52 grams of cannabis sativa and a pack of hand gloves. Arinze has since confessed to personally draining the oil from the tins to conceal the cocaine.

​In a separate operation in Borno state, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, April 1, intercepted a female drug supplier to bandit groups operating between the North East and Chad, 28-year-old Aisha Adamu. She was arrested along the Gamboru Ngala road in possession of 4.3 kilograms of Colorado, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis.

In Adamawa State, NDLEA officers on patrol along Namtari road, Yola South, on Monday, March 30, intercepted a trailer marked RUW 947 XA transporting 48,000 pills of tramadol. The truck driver, Abdulaziz Ismail Korede, was arrested while a follow-up operation led to the arrest of the recipient, Idris Adamu.

While 60-year-old Idiatu Oladejo was arrested with 15kg of skunk in Isale Osun, Osogbo, Osun state, on Wednesday, April 1, NDLEA operatives, acting on credible intelligence, raided the Itaogbolu forest, Akure, Ondo State, where they recovered 351 kilograms of skunk and its seeds. No fewer than 28,600 capsules of tramadol were seized from a 66-year-old Aminu Usman Gembu when he was arrested at Aliade, Benue state, on Wednesday, April 1.

In Edo State, a suspect, Roland Owie, 37, was arrested on Monday, March 30, following the raid of his warehouse at Egbanke community, Orhionmwon LGA, where 1,378 kilograms of skunk were recovered.

A notorious drug dealer, 40-year-old Ayantola Omodunmomi (a.k.a Iya Elle) was on Wednesday, April 1, arrested at Eleta area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Her arrest follows intelligence and surveillance on how she uses her 11-year-old daughter, Anjola, to deliver illicit drugs to her customers. At the time of her arrest, a 45.6kg skunk was recovered from her warehouse.