Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos Paralyzed As The Blind Community Protests Over School Closure

Activities around the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos were disrupted on Monday as hundreds of visually impaired people and other physically challenged persons staged a protest over the closure of Farm Craft, a government-run school for the blind.

The protesters, armed with a banner of the Farmcraft Centre for the Blind, blocked major access roads to the airport, causing significant traffic gridlock and halting movement for passengers and airport staff.

The protest has held the airport operations to ransom, as this led to many passengers missing their flights.

Passengers with luggages were seen trekking long distances to catch up with their flights.

According to the protesters, the protest was an attempt to draw President Bola Tinubu’s attention to the plight of disabled students whose education has been stalled for nearly two years.

They added that the protest had drawn over 500 participants, with more reportedly arriving from different parts of Lagos.

The protesters vowed to remain at the airport until they received a concrete response from the government regarding the reopening of their school.

A leader of the protest, who identified himself simply as Mr. Dolor, narrated efforts that had been put in place to secure the reopening of the school before they resorted to the protest.

“You can see the blind and disabled people; they are angry. A lot of Nigerians see them as beggars, but now they have their own school, a school that gave them dignity, and it has been shut down without reason for almost two years,” he said.

Dolor said the school in question is located in the Isheri area of Lagos with branches across the state.

The protesters say they have made repeated appeals to both state and federal authorities through official letters and delegations, but have received no response.

“This is why we are here,” Dolor said.

He added, “We know not every message reaches the President, but this one, with the whole airport affected, will surely get to him.”

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Obiageli Orah, warned passengers and other airport users of heavy traffic, urging commuters to seek alternative routes and confirm their flight schedules with airlines.

The statement reads, “This is a travel advisory for passengers and commuters to/from Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

“Due to an ongoing protest by the Farmcraft Centre for the Blind, traffic congestion is currently impacting access roads to the airport.”

The authority apologised for the inconvenience caused and advised travellers to remain patient and stay informed through official channels.

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NDLEA Arrests Popular Pastor In Lagos For Drug Trafficking

After months of fleeing abroad to evade arrest, the founder and General Overseer of The Turn of Mercy Church, Prophet Adefolusho Aanu Olasele (alias Abbas Ajakaiye), has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for masterminding multiple shipments of illicit drugs into Nigeria.

Prophet Adefolusho was arrested at his church located in Okun Ajah, Ogombo Road, Lekki area of Lagos on Sunday, 3rd August 2025, by NDLEA officers who waited for him all day to conclude the Sunday worship service in the evening before moving in on him the moment he stepped out of the church premises.

The arrest came after he had evaded arrest twice and fled to Ghana to hide since June when operatives of the agency started trailing him following the seizure of two shipments of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis linked to him, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesman said in a statement on Sunday.

The first seizure of 200kg of the psychoactive substance was made at Okun Ajah beach on 4th June 2025, while another consignment of 700kg of the same substance was recovered from his delivery van on 6th July 2025.

In his statement, he admitted ferrying the illicit consignments through the waterways from Ghana into Nigeria, adding that he had fled to the West African country to hide after he escaped arrest twice in the recent past.

In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Thursday, 7th August, raided an apartment at Kishi House 11 Layi Ajayi Bembe Street, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, where they arrested a suspect Benjamin Udo Ukoh and recovered 32 pouches of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis with a total weight of 15.63kg.

In like manner, commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities among others in the past week.

These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Mind City College, Saki, Oyo; Gwagwarwa Primary School, Nasarawa LGA, Kano; officers of the Nigerian Army 241 Recce Model Battalion, Nguru, Yobe; members of Engine Grinders Association, Gboko, Benue; while the Ekiti State command of NDLEA paid WADA advocacy visit to the Nigerian Correctional Service in Ado Ekiti, just as the Anambra State command of the Agency paid a similar WADA advocacy visit to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly.

While commending the officers and men of the Lagos, Nasarawa, Gombe, Kano, and Edo Commands for the arrests, seizures and their dexterity, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.

 

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NNPC Sanctions Pump Attendant In Ikorodu For Defrauding Customer

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Retail Limited has sanctioned staff at one of its filling stations in Ikorodu, Lagos, after a pump attendant was caught on video allegedly attempting to swindle a customer.

A man, in a viral video, had confronted the attendant for selling petrol below the amount paid by the customer.

In a statement via its official X handle on Friday, the company said the video, which has been circulating on social media, prompted an immediate investigation that confirmed the incident took place at its Ikorodu outlet.

Describing the conduct as “unacceptable” and contrary to its values of integrity, transparency and customer service excellence, NNPC Retail said it had taken decisive action in line with its sanction grid.

“The pump attendant involved has been disengaged, the station manager suspended, and a formal warning letter issued to the dealer,” the statement read.

The company thanked the public for its vigilance and urged customers to continue reporting such incidents via the customer service numbers and email addresses displayed at its stations.

It also promised to maintain strict enforcement of compliance with operational standards across its network nationwide.

 

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Rebranding: 9mobile Is Now T2

Nigerian telecoms operator 9mobile has rebranded to T2 as part of a strategic push to revive its market position, expand its reach, and compete more aggressively in the country’s fast-growing digital economy.

The move marks the “Transformation” stage of the company’s four-phase recovery plan: Stabilisation, Modernisation, Transformation, and Growth, which was introduced following the 2023 acquisition of 9mobile by Lighthouse Telecoms, led by businessman and investor Thomas Etuh.

Since the takeover, the operator has overhauled its leadership team, reconstituted its board, and signed a landmark three-year national roaming agreement with MTN Nigeria in July. The deal, the first of its scale in the market, has allowed 9mobile subscribers to roam seamlessly on MTN’s nationwide network, improving coverage, capacity, and service quality in areas where 9mobile’s own network had been limited.

At the unveiling of the new brand identity in Lagos on Friday, Chief Executive Officer Obafemi Banigbe said the rebrand represented “a total evolution of who we are, why we exist, and how we deliver value” rather than a cosmetic exercise. “T2 is a symbol of our renewed commitment to innovation, resilience, and a deepened focus on customer experience,” he noted in a statement.

Etuh described the transition as a “rebirth” for the company after years of legal and operational challenges, crediting “faith and love for country” as his motivation for acquiring the business. He thanked the Nigerian Communications Commission and the company’s customers for their patience during a period marked by multiple litigations and operational difficulties.

“To our amazing customers, please accept my profound gratitude for believing in us,” he said. “We are rising together again. Together, with you, we are reclaiming all lost grounds.”

The Minister for Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, welcomed the rebrand but urged the company to translate it into concrete service improvements.

“Let this rebrand be more than a change of colours or new logo,” he said, calling for a “renewed commitment to innovation, to service excellence and to the millions of Nigerians whose lives and businesses depend on your network every single day.”

The Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, representing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said T2’s focus on digital innovation aligned with the state’s ambitions for a robust and inclusive digital economy.

The transition to the T2 identity will be rolled out in phases to ensure uninterrupted service, with the new brand anchored on four pillars: Speed, Smart Living, Digital Lifestyle, and Trust. The company aims to position itself as a bridge between connectivity and culture, infrastructure and impact, as Nigeria’s telecoms market enters a new decade of transformation.

 

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