General
LASTMA Official, Driver Beaten Black and Blue
By Punch
There was pandemonium on Wednesday at the Costain area of Lagos State as an official of the Lagos State Management Authority and a bus driver were reportedly beaten to a pulp.
Punch Metro learnt that officials of LASTMA had allegedly apprehended the bus driver at the Costain bus stop, for allegedly violating a traffic rule.
It was alleged that an argument ensued between the driver, his conductor and the officials.
In the ensuing scuffle, a LASTMA official allegedly punched the driver and he slumped.
A mob was reported to have barricaded the road in protest as the driver lay on the floor, foaming in the mouth.
The mob reportedly vandalised a LASTMA patrol car which drove into the protesters at the time, beating up the officials.
They were said to have mobilised and also attacked the LASTMA office in the area and vandalised vehicles in the yard before the intervention of policemen from the Iponri division.
A witness, Ibrahim Adisa, said the incident happened around 9am.
He said, “We saw that the LASTMA officials held the bus driver at the junction for breaking traffic rule. The man did not release the vehicle to them, which started an argument. The driver and the conductor then started fighting the LASTMA men.
“One of the LASTMA officials put his hand in the pocket and brought out a ring which he used to hit the driver. The man fell and started foaming in the mouth. The officials then took his bus into their yard and left him on the ground.
“A mob barricaded the road and vandalised a LASTMA patrol car that came in that time. They beat up all the officials in the car. After that, they carried the man’s body into the LASTMA’s office and chased out the workers.”
Punch Metro learnt that the driver was later taken to a hospital after the police arrived to quell the unrest.
A motorcycle rider said the situation would have been worse but for the intervention of the police.
“Traffic was at a standstill and the hoodlums were looking for LASTMA officials or any government official to attack,” he added.
As of 3pm when our correspondent left the area, no traffic official was in sight as police patrol vehicles mounted surveillance in the area.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident, adding investigations were ongoing.
She said, “Yes, I can confirm that LASTMA officials impounded a vehicle and the driver and his conductor engaged the LASTMA officials in fisticuffs, which led to two losing consciousness. The two are the driver and a LASTMA official. They were both rushed to the hospital where they are currently recuperating. Investigation has commenced into the matter.”
The spokesperson for LASTMA, Mr Mahmud Hassan, in a statement, denied that the driver was beaten by an official of the agency.
He explained that some hoodlums, who were attempting to free the driver’s bus, invaded the premises of the agency and vandalised vehicles.
He said, “The commercial bus was apprehended for illegal picking and dropping of passengers in the Costain area. The commercial bus was subsequently taken to the nearest yard of the agency at Iponri for booking.
“However, in a bid to circumvent the law and retrieve the vehicle from LASTMA’s yard, the driver mobilised friends and hoodlums, who attacked the Iponri office of the agency. They injured our personnel and damaged vehicles in the yard. However, when the driver’s action did not yield the desired result, he stripped himself naked and created a scene in order to draw the sympathy of unwary members of the public.
“When the act failed, his friends and hoodlums put him in a wheelbarrow with a clear intention to cause commotion and breakdown of law and order.”
Hassan said two of the hoodlums had been arrested and would be arraigned in court.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Bashir Braimah, according to the statement, said no amount of violence would make the agency to shy away from its statutory responsibility.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that the latest United States airstrikes on Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) targets in northwest Nigeria were conducted at the request of the Nigerian government.
According to reports, the US struck at ISWAP targets in Jabo, Sokoto State, on Christmas night.
The ministry described the operation as a product of established counterterrorism cooperation between both countries.
In a press statement issued on Friday, the Ministry said the strikes were “undertaken following formal engagement and with the full knowledge and coordination of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
“The Government of Nigeria wishes to clarify that the airstrikes conducted by the United States against Islamic State elements in parts of northwest Nigeria were carried out at the request of Nigerian authorities and in line with existing bilateral security cooperation frameworks,” the statement said.
The Ministry stressed that Nigeria “remains firmly in control of all counterterrorism operations within its sovereign territory,” adding that international partners only provide support “where such assistance aligns with Nigeria’s national security objectives.”
According to the statement, the strikes form part of Nigeria’s broader strategy to “degrade terrorist capabilities, disrupt logistics networks, and protect civilian populations from violent extremist threats.”
The Foreign Ministry further emphasised that the federal government “will continue to work with trusted international partners to confront terrorism, banditry, and transnational criminal networks that threaten national and regional stability.”
Reacting to concerns around sovereignty, the Ministry said:
“At no time was Nigeria’s sovereignty compromised. All actions were conducted with due respect for Nigeria’s laws, institutions, and command structures.”
The statement also cautioned against mischaracterising Nigeria’s security challenges, noting that extremist violence “has affected communities across religious and ethnic lines and should not be framed in sectarian terms.”
Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to a multi-layered response combining military operations, intelligence sharing, community engagement, and socio-economic interventions, adding that counterterrorism efforts remain focused on protecting lives and restoring stability.
The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said the strikes were carried out in Sokoto State and that multiple militants were killed.
US President Donald Trump described the strikes as “powerful and deadly,” saying they were directed at Islamic State militants responsible for violent attacks on Christians in Nigeria.
The Nigerian government has clearly denied that only Christians are affected by the killings, saying the terror spread across all faiths.
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned that “more to come” as part of sustained efforts against extremist groups.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The United States government gave some terrorists in Nigeria a Christmas gift that sent many of them to the great beyond.
On Thursday, December 25, 2025, the United States President, Mr Donald Trump, directed his country’s military to launch air strikes on camps of members of the dreaded Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Sokoto State.
According to Mr Trump, the military action, which he threatened to carry out a few weeks ago if the Nigerian government does not stop the killing of Christians in the country, occurred on Thursday night.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.
“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.
“Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical islamic terrorism to prosper. May God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all, including the dead terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
In a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Department of War of the United States posted the below video of the air strikes;
https://twitter.com/DeptofWar/status/2004351717131903272
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The presidency has reacted to speculations that Mr Femi Gbajabiamila has been removed as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
It was alleged that Mr Gbajabiamila has been replaced with the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
Mr Muri-Okunola went to Abuja to take up this role after leaving as the Head of Service of the Lagos State Civil Service.
Reacting to the reports on social media on the purported removal of Mr Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the presidency said no such change has been made.
In a statement signed on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, members of the public were advised to disregard the report as “there is absolutely no truth to this story.”
“The Chief of Staff remains in his position. The Principal Private Secretary likewise remains in his role. Hakeem Muri-Okunola has not replaced Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff.
“The viral claim is a fabrication by mischievous purveyors of fake news whose sole aim is to create disharmony within the government.
“We reiterate that news media should always verify their information before publishing or sharing on social media,” the statement said.
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