President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Lagos after ending his working vacation in France, the Presidency has confirmed.   Tinubu arrived at the presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, on Tuesday, September 29, where Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other dignitaries received him. His arrival was also confirmed by the President’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Olusegun Dada, who posted on X: “Landing. Welcome home Mr President!” Tinubu left Abuja on August 30 for a working vacation, travelling first to London before moving to Paris. The Presidency had earlier announced that his stay abroad had been extended by a few days. During his time in France, Tinubu held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré as part of engagements the Presidency described as investment-focused. According to a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu will remain in Lagos for several days for strategic meetings with political leaders and associates ahead of the 2027 elections. The Presidency said the President chose to return through Lagos to honour the memory of the late Chief MKO Abiola, who was widely recognised as the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. Tinubu is also expected to attend the premiere of a film honouring Abiola at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre in Iganmu on October 1, Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day. The President is expected to return to Abuja after completing his engagements in Lagos.

An Edo State Special Criminal Court has sentenced four people to death for their involvement in the kidnapping of a woman at the Vegetable Market, off Airport Road in Benin City.   Justice Aigbona Momodu delivered the judgment on 11 counts involving kidnapping, conspiracy, armed robbery, cultism and unlawful possession of firearms, according to a report by Channels Television. The convicts were identified as Marvelous Isaac, 32; Wisdom Michael, 36; Rufus Emete Michael, 30; and Gift Raphael, 27. The court sentenced the four defendants to death on several counts. They also received various prison terms on other counts, including seven years and 10 years, while Isaac was additionally sentenced to life imprisonment on one count. The case followed the abduction of a woman who was at the vegetable market with her husband and children when armed men reportedly abducted her. A woman who witnessed the incident later described the incident in an online video, saying she had helped the victim’s children during the incident. The kidnapping was subsequently confirmed by the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem. The court also ordered the confiscation of a pump-action rifle, two unexpended cartridges and two expended cartridges recovered in connection with the case. The exhibits were ordered to be handed over to the Edo State Police Command’s State Criminal Investigation Department for destruction within 30 days. The Special Criminal Court was established under the directive of Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo to handle kidnapping and cultism-related cases, according to the report.

Residents of Osogbo, Osun State, on Tuesday looted a warehouse belonging to the operators of the Global Food Initiative after the organisation allegedly disappeared with money paid for discounted food items.   The incident occurred at the organisation’s Odi-Olowo office, a day after residents who had paid for food products gathered at the premises, waiting for the operators to resume operations. Several residents had paid substantial sums for food items offered at prices below prevailing market rates. One resident, identified as Mistura, said she paid N300,000 for 11 bags of rice at N27,000 per bag. She said the same quantity would have cost about N605,000 at the prevailing market price of N55,000 per bag. Another resident, Olamide, said she paid N1.2m for various food items intended for her stepdaughter’s forthcoming wedding. Residents reportedly remained at the premises on Tuesday despite pleas from the building owner to allow security operatives to identify the scheme’s operators and explore ways of recovering the money paid by customers. However, at about 4pm, some people forced their way into the warehouse and began taking food items, including bags of rice, noodles and groundnut oil. The looting continued despite heavy rainfall, while a small number of police officers struggled to control the crowd. Security agents reportedly fired canisters to disperse the residents as the situation remained tense. The development followed an earlier report by PUNCH Online on Monday about growing tension in Osogbo after operators of the cheap food scheme reportedly disappeared, leaving customers who had made payments stranded.

Morocco has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s first woman prime minister, marking a historic moment in its political history.   King Mohammed VI named the 50-year-old politician on Tuesday and tasked her with forming a new government, following the victory of her Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) in last week’s parliamentary election. The PAM won 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, ahead of the National Rally of Independents with 66 seats and the Istiqlal Party with 65. The Justice and Development Party secured 54 seats. However, the PAM fell short of the 198 seats required for a parliamentary majority, meaning El Mansouri will need to form a coalition with other parties to establish her government. El Mansouri, a lawyer, has served as Morocco’s minister responsible for national planning, urban planning, housing and urban policy. She has also served as mayor of Marrakesh, becoming the first woman to hold that position in 2009 before returning to office in 2021. Her appointment comes as Morocco faces pressure over unemployment, living costs and social disparities, particularly among young people. During the election campaign, El Mansouri said young Moroccans were experiencing a crisis and called for concrete measures to restore their confidence in the future. Her government will also oversee major preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal. The parliamentary election recorded turnout of about 38 per cent, one of the lowest levels in Morocco in recent decades. The vote followed youth-led protests over healthcare, education, employment and living conditions.