The Publisher of Sahara Reporters and convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore, has been arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja.

Sowore was reportedly picked up on Thursday shortly after leaving the Federal High Court, where he had appeared for a scheduled hearing before Justice Emeka Nwite over an alleged forgery case.

Sources said the activist, who was informed that the court would not be sitting, was accosted by a police officer as he made to leave the premises. The officer allegedly informed him that he was under arrest.

Members of his legal team, led by human rights lawyer Tope Temokun, confronted the officers to demand an explanation. However, the police reportedly stated that they were acting on the “direct instruction” of the Commissioner before escorting Sowore into a waiting vehicle.

As of the time of filing this report, the reason for the arrest remains unclear.

More to come…

The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving a cleaner, flood-free, and sustainable environment through closer collaboration with the 57 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

At a strategic meeting held on Wednesday in Alausa, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, urged council chairmen to intensify efforts in educating residents on proper waste management and sanitation habits.

Wahab said the state was transitioning from a linear waste system (“pick and drop”) to a circular model where waste becomes a resource. He stressed the need for councils to partner fully with the state in tackling environmental challenges and reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills.

He disclosed that the government plans to decommission the Olusosun and Soulos III landfills, which have outlived their lifespan, while maintaining others like the Epe landfill.

Wahab also directed the LGAs and LCDAs to complement the state’s ongoing flood-control efforts by ensuring regular desilting of drainages and maintaining existing flood infrastructure.

> “Now is the time for all LGAs and LCDAs to work collaboratively with the state to find a lasting solution to flash flooding. We have continued to build resilient infrastructure, and local councils must now replicate this effort in their communities,” Wahab said.

He noted that the ban on street trading remains in force and urged council chairmen to enforce it rigorously.

> “If government cannot enforce its own laws, then it begins to look like a failed state,” he warned.

The commissioner assured that Private Sector Participation (PSP) waste operators continue to function effectively and that the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) intervenes when necessary to sustain smooth operations.

Responding, the Chairman of Conference 57 and Executive Chairman of Ibeju-Lekki Local Government, Hon. Sesan Olowa, commended the state government for the engagement, noting that councils were already working toward a cleaner Lagos through improved waste management systems.

Olowa added that some LGAs and LCDAs had procured waste collection tricycles for inner streets to promote house-to-house waste collection, rather than residents dumping refuse along major roads and medians.

He further appealed for support in establishing mini Transfer Loading Stations (TLS) across local councils to enhance waste disposal efficiency.

Also present at the meeting were the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, and the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Mr. Bolaji Robert, among others.

Lead counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi (SAN), has withdrawn from representing him in the ongoing terrorism trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Kanu is currently facing a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism, filed against him by the Federal Government.

When the case came up on Thursday, Agabi informed the court that he and other members of the defence team would no longer be representing the IPOB leader, explaining that the defendant had chosen to take back the case from them.

In a similar move, all other Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) on Kanu’s legal team also announced their withdrawal from the case.

Confirming the development, Kanu told the court he would represent himself for now, though he noted that the arrangement could change later.

During the proceedings, Justice James Omotosho, who presided over the trial, asked whether a lawyer should be assigned to represent Kanu, but the defendant declined the offer.

The IPOB leader also made an oral submission, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction to try him.

Justice Omotosho had, on October 16, granted Kanu six consecutive days, beginning from October 23, to open and close his defence in line with the court’s earlier directive for an accelerated hearing.

The defendant had previously listed several high-profile individuals — including former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN); Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd); and former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) — as part of his proposed witnesses.

The case continues before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

More to come…