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Pensioners in Lagos took their grievances to the state government on Monday as members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme staged a protest at Lagos House in Ikeja.

The retirees were demanding the implementation of approved pension increases and wage awards, alongside the payment of outstanding pension arrears and other benefits they said were still owed to them by the Lagos State Government.

The pensioners gathered at the government premises to draw attention to what they described as delays in receiving their entitlements and to demand urgent intervention from the state authorities.

Protest Turns Tense as Police Deploy Tear Gas

The peaceful demonstration reportedly took a dramatic turn after police officers deployed tear gas at the protesting pensioners.

The action forced some of the retirees to flee the area as the atmosphere at Lagos House became tense.

The use of tear gas against the pensioners also triggered anger among protesters, who questioned why force was used against retirees who had gathered to demand the payment of their legally expected benefits.

Despite the disruption, the pensioners continued to press their demands, insisting that their concerns were centred on pension payments and other outstanding entitlements.

Pensioners Demand Payment of Arrears and Approved Increases

The retirees are seeking the implementation of pension-related increases and wage awards already approved for them, as well as the settlement of outstanding arrears.

They also want the Lagos State Government to address other unpaid benefits and resolve issues they say have continued to affect their welfare.

The protest comes after pensioners reportedly set August 31 as a deadline for the government to pay outstanding pension enhancements and wage awards.

With the deadline now reached, the retirees took their demands directly to Lagos House, hoping to secure action from the state government.

The confrontation with the police has, however, added another layer to the dispute, with the pensioners expressing dissatisfaction over how their demonstration was handled.

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has rejected claims that he agreed to a 60-40 formula for sharing cabinet positions before leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mutfwang said there was never any agreement between him and the APC leadership in Plateau State that required 40 per cent of government appointments to be allocated to members of the party’s Legacy Group.

The controversy followed a recent cabinet reshuffle by the governor, which drew criticism from a faction of the APC known as the Legacy Group and associated with former Governor Simon Lalong.

The group had alleged that Mutfwang’s reshuffle failed to honour an agreement reportedly reached before his defection to the APC. According to the group, the alleged arrangement included a 60-40 sharing formula for government positions.

Mutfwang: No Cabinet-Sharing Agreement Was Made

Speaking during the swearing-in of three newly appointed commissioners at the Government House in Jos on Friday, Mutfwang described the claim as a misconception and insisted that he never promised to divide his cabinet along factional lines.

The governor said his discussions before joining the APC involved sharing party positions rather than government appointments.

“The APC chairman is here; I never made any promise to share government positions since my journey to the APC. I made a commitment to share party positions. I never had an agreement to do a 60-40 per cent cabinet,” Mutfwang said.

His comments were aimed at putting to rest claims that his political move from the PDP to the APC was tied to a pre-arranged formula for distributing cabinet positions.

Governor Points to Legacy Group Representation

Mutfwang also argued that members of the Legacy Group had already received significant representation in both government and the APC structure since his defection.

He pointed to the composition of the APC’s House of Assembly candidates as evidence, noting that 16 of the 24 candidates were members of the Legacy Group, while only eight had crossed over to the APC alongside him from the PDP.

The governor questioned why his administration should continue to operate around divisions between those who were already in the APC and those who joined with him.

“The time has come when we must kill the dichotomy between the governance group and the Legacy Group. We are one big family.”

Mutfwang Says Appointments Should Be Based on Merit

The governor further stressed that appointments under his administration were not supposed to be determined solely by party membership or factional loyalty.

According to him, people who had been in the APC before his defection had also been appointed to government positions because of what they could contribute to the state.

“We have people who have been in the APC, but we bring them into government because we believe they have something to offer, not because they are APC members,” he said.

Mutfwang’s latest comments come amid efforts to ease internal divisions within the Plateau APC as competing political interests continue to push for greater representation in the state government.

The governor’s position is that the party must move beyond the distinction between his political camp and the Legacy Group and work together as one political family.

A Chinese humanoid robot has reportedly completed the 100-metre sprint in 9.32 seconds, recording a time faster than Usain Bolt’s long-standing human world record of 9.58 seconds.

The robot, known as Lightning, achieved the reported time during a preparatory test ahead of the second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, highlighting the rapid progress of China’s humanoid robotics industry.

Lightning Hits 9.32 Seconds in 100m Test

According to reports from China’s state broadcaster CCTV, Lightning reached a peak speed of approximately 14.5 metres per second during the run.

Its reported 9.32-second time is significantly faster than the 9.58 seconds recorded by Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin, a mark that remains the official men’s 100m world record.

The comparison, however, comes with an important distinction: Lightning’s performance was achieved by a machine under conditions that are completely different from those governing human athletics competitions.

Robot Has Already Shown Impressive Long-Distance Endurance

Lightning’s reported sprint performance is not its first major running achievement.

In April, the humanoid robot reportedly won a 21-kilometre half-marathon in Beijing, completing the distance in 50 minutes and 26 seconds.

That performance was also remarkable for a machine of its kind, demonstrating that the robot is being developed not only for short bursts of speed but also for sustained movement over longer distances.

Engineers Modified Lightning’s Legs for Better Performance

Lightning reportedly stands around 1.69 metres tall, with its original legs measuring about 95 centimetres.

Researchers later extended its legs by approximately 10 centimetres, bringing them to around 1.05 metres, ahead of the humanoid robot games.

The modification appears to be part of wider efforts to improve the robot’s running efficiency and performance as Chinese developers continue pushing humanoid machines to become faster and more capable.

Why Lightning’s Record Does Not Replace Usain Bolt’s World Record

Despite beating Bolt’s 9.58-second time, Lightning has not broken the official human 100m world record.

Human athletics records are governed by strict competition and equipment rules established for athletes. A humanoid robot operates under entirely different conditions, meaning its 9.32-second performance cannot be added to the official athletics record books.

Instead, the achievement is better viewed as a demonstration of what modern robotics technology is increasingly capable of achieving.

China Is Betting Big on Humanoid Robots

The development comes as China continues to invest heavily in humanoid robotics and other forms of advanced automation.

Humanoid robots are increasingly being developed for potential applications in manufacturing, logistics, services and consumer environments, with companies looking to make the machines more capable of performing tasks that traditionally require human workers.

Lightning’s performance adds another striking example of how quickly the technology is advancing.

While a robot running faster than the world’s greatest sprinter may sound like science fiction, the reported 9.32-second run shows just how far humanoid robotics has progressed  and how much further the technology could go.

 

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has urged party leaders and members to put the party’s recent governorship defeat behind them and begin working towards a stronger showing in the 2027 general elections.

Oyintiloye made the call on Sunday in Osogbo, where he appealed to APC members to avoid turning the election loss into an internal blame game.

According to him, the party should use the setback as an opportunity to identify its weaknesses, rebuild its structures and reconnect with voters across the state.

Oyintiloye Warns APC Against Blame Game

The APC chieftain said it would be wrong for party members to place responsibility for the electoral outcome on one individual.

He argued that election results are influenced by several factors, including the popularity of candidates, grassroots mobilisation, internal party unity, campaign strategy and the mood of voters.

Rather than looking for someone to blame, Oyintiloye said the party should carry out an honest assessment of what went wrong and determine how to correct its mistakes before the next major election.

He described the current period as one that requires sober reflection, reconciliation and strategic planning.

APC Told to Start 2027 Preparations Immediately

Oyintiloye said the APC cannot afford to spend valuable time on internal disputes when the 2027 elections are drawing closer.

He urged party leaders to begin repositioning the APC across Osun State and work towards securing stronger support for President Bola Tinubu and other APC candidates in the next general election.

He also called for a detailed review of the party’s performance, covering everything from individual polling units to its wider state-level structures.

The review, he said, should help the party understand where it lost support and what needs to change ahead of 2027.

Grassroots Mobilisation Key to APC’s Comeback

According to Oyintiloye, rebuilding the APC in Osun will require more than meetings among party leaders.

He urged the party to return to the grassroots, engage its members and listen carefully to the concerns of voters.

He also advised APC leaders to welcome constructive criticism, saying it is necessary for any political organisation that wants to grow.

However, he warned against criticism motivated by anger, personal grievances or attempts to settle political differences.

Oyintiloye said the party’s immediate priority should be rebuilding trust, strengthening its internal structures and developing a strategy capable of winning back voters.

‘We Cannot Afford to Keep Fighting Ourselves’

The APC chieftain described the governorship defeat as a setback rather than the end of the party’s political prospects in Osun.

He maintained that political fortunes can change and that the APC still has an opportunity to rebuild ahead of the 2027 elections.

His message to party members was therefore focused on unity and action, rather than prolonged arguments over what went wrong.

With the next general election approaching, Oyintiloye said the party must begin its rebuilding process immediately if it wants to convert its recent disappointment into electoral gains in 2027.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State has rejected the latest local government election conducted by the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC), describing the exercise as unconstitutional and legally defective.

The opposition party also alleged that the election was conducted in disregard of existing court orders and warned that the outcome could face fresh legal challenges.

The PDP made its position known during a press conference in Abakaliki on Saturday, where its State Publicity Secretary and spokesperson, Prince Darlington Peter Onwe, accused EBSIEC of failing to provide what the party described as a level playing field for opposition parties.

PDP Alleges Opposition Parties Were Shut Out

According to the party, the election amounted to a “mono-party” exercise because opposition political parties were allegedly prevented from participating effectively.

The PDP argued that local government councils must emerge through a process that allows citizens and political parties to participate freely, pointing to provisions of the 1999 Constitution on democratic governance and grassroots administration.

The party also relied on a Supreme Court judgment concerning the status of democratically elected local government councils and federal allocations, arguing that councils created outside the constitutional framework should not enjoy the same legal recognition.

Party Challenges Two-Year Tenure for Council Officials

The PDP also raised objections to the two-year tenure provided for Ebonyi local government chairmen and councillors under the amended Ebonyi State Local Government Law No. 005.

The party argued that the provision conflicts with the Constitution and relevant judicial pronouncements on the tenure of elected local government officials.

It therefore maintained that an election conducted under what it considers a defective legal framework cannot provide a solid legal foundation for the officials who emerge from it.

PDP Recalls Previous Ebonyi Election Disputes

The opposition party further cited previous court battles over local government elections in Ebonyi.

It recalled that the Federal High Court in Abakaliki nullified the 2022 local government election over alleged breaches of electoral requirements and failure to provide contestants with a level playing field.

According to the PDP, the Court of Appeal in Enugu later affirmed the judgment.

The party also claimed that another election conducted by EBSIEC on July 20, 2024, was subsequently nullified by the Federal High Court in Abakaliki in October 2025.

The PDP said that judgment affected the election of 13 chairmen and 171 councillors.

It further alleged that the court restrained EBSIEC and the Ebonyi State Government from conducting another local government election except in accordance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act.

PDP Threatens Fresh Legal Action

The party maintained that the order remains in force, alleging that it has neither been set aside nor stayed.

It consequently described the conduct of another election despite the alleged order as contempt of court and a serious challenge to the rule of law.

The PDP warned that councils produced through a process it considers unconstitutional could face legal challenges, including possible disputes over access to federal allocations.

The party also pointed to previous disputes in Ebonyi, saying legal battles over local government elections had previously affected the release of funds meant for the councils.

It warned that a similar situation could have consequences for grassroots development across the state’s 13 local government areas.

Opposition Calls for Election to Be Suspended

The PDP called on EBSIEC to suspend the election and comply with existing court orders before conducting any further local government poll.

It also demanded changes to Ebonyi’s local government law, particularly the provision governing the tenure of elected council officials, to ensure that the legislation conforms with the Constitution and relevant court decisions.

The party urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take note of the situation and called on the Ebonyi State Government to comply with all outstanding judicial orders concerning local government administration.

The PDP said it was prepared to challenge the election before a competent court and pursue contempt proceedings against individuals or authorities it believes knowingly acted contrary to subsisting court pronouncements.

For now, the dispute has opened another legal and political chapter around local government elections in Ebonyi, with the PDP making it clear that it does not accept the outcome of the latest poll.

Sheikh Nuruddeen Khalid, popularly known as the “Digital Imam,” has urged Nigerians to make insecurity one of the biggest issues in the 2027 general elections rather than allowing religious differences to dominate political campaigns.

Khalid made the call while reacting to the reported abduction of more than 60 worshippers during Friday prayers in Dekara, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The cleric expressed concern over the continued attacks, killings and abductions across the country, questioning how many more Nigerians would lose their lives before stronger action is taken to address the security situation.

Digital Imam Questions Nigeria’s Response to Killings

Khalid criticised what he described as selective reactions to killings based on the religion of the victims.

According to him, Nigerians sometimes become more vocal when victims belong to a particular religious group, while similar attacks receive less attention when the victims are from another community.

He argued that insecurity should not be treated as a problem affecting only Muslims or Christians because ordinary Nigerians across religious and ethnic lines continue to suffer from violence.

The cleric said the reported abduction in Niger State should serve as another reminder that insecurity remains a serious national concern requiring urgent attention.

2027 Campaigns Should Focus on Security, He Says

Khalid urged Nigerians to use the 2027 elections to demand clear and practical plans from politicians seeking their votes.

Rather than choosing candidates because of their religion, political party or other affiliations, he said voters should examine what each candidate intends to do about the country’s security challenges.

He argued that the ability of political leaders to protect lives and property should be one of the major factors Nigerians consider before casting their ballots.

The Digital Imam further called on politicians who cannot provide credible solutions to insecurity to step aside and allow others with workable plans to take responsibility.

Religion Should Not Decide Who Gets Nigerians’ Votes

Khalid also warned against allowing religious considerations to overshadow the security challenges facing the country.

He maintained that Nigerians should demand accountability from every political candidate, regardless of whether the person is Muslim or Christian, or belongs to a particular political arrangement.

With the 2027 general elections approaching, his message is that security should become a central part of the national political conversation, with voters demanding specific commitments from politicians on how they intend to tackle killings, abductions and other threats to communities across Nigeria.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has deployed personnel to an obstruction affecting traffic flow along the Kano-Zaria Road, as efforts continue to restore normal movement on the busy highway.

The development has prompted a warning to motorists using the route to exercise patience and approach the affected area with extra caution.

FRSC Warns Drivers as Traffic Disruption Continues

The FRSC urged motorists travelling along the Kano-Zaria Road to reduce their speed when approaching the affected section and strictly obey traffic regulations.

Drivers have also been advised to cooperate with road safety officials and other emergency responders working at the scene.

According to the FRSC, personnel are currently assisting with clearing the obstruction and working to ensure traffic resumes its normal flow as quickly as possible.

The agency appealed to motorists not to engage in risky manoeuvres or attempt to force their way through the affected area, particularly while clearance operations are ongoing.

With the Kano-Zaria Road serving as an important route for travellers and commercial vehicles, motorists have been encouraged to remain patient and follow the instructions of officials on the ground until the obstruction is completely removed.

A video circulating online has sparked controversy after allegedly showing suspected high-profile bandit kingpins inside the residence of a Nigerian senator.

The footage was shared on Saturday by Nigerian digital creator D English Alhaji, who claimed the men seen in the video were wanted figures linked to banditry.

However, the identity of the senator whose residence allegedly appeared in the footage has not been disclosed.

Video Shows Men With Nigerian Passports

In the video, the men are seen inside what was described as the senator’s residence. Their faces are clearly visible, while Nigerian passports are also reportedly shown during the recording.

One of the passports displayed in the footage reportedly bears the name Lawal Usman Shehu.

The appearance of the documents has raised fresh questions online, particularly over how the men allegedly came to be inside the residence and the circumstances surrounding their possession of Nigerian passports.

Allegation Yet to Be Independently Confirmed

Despite the claims accompanying the video, the circumstances surrounding the footage remain unclear.

There has been no independent confirmation that the men shown are indeed high-profile bandit leaders or that the location in the video belongs to a serving Nigerian senator.

As of the time of publication, there was also no immediate public statement from relevant security agencies addressing the allegation.

The senator involved, whose identity has not been revealed, has equally not been publicly linked to the allegation through any confirmed statement.

The video is therefore likely to generate further attention as Nigerians await clarification from the relevant authorities on the identities of the men, the location where the footage was recorded and how they allegedly came to be there.