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We Won’t Allow Anyone Disrupt Peaceful Co-existence in Lagos – CP Adegoke
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade and other stakeholders in the state’s security architecture, have called on youths and protesters to shun violence, saying they won’t allow anyone disrupt the peaceful co-existence in the state.
Fayoade and the others made the call on Thursday during a town hall meeting, which the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) attended, and convened to deliberate on the protest called by yet to be identified individuals scheduled to hold across the nation from August 1, against hardship.
The meeting themed ‘Enhancing Community Engagement And Participation in Fostering Peace, Unity in Lagos’ held at the POWA Hall, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
In his opening remarks, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende, urged parents to talk to their children, most especially, the youths to shelve the planned protest and allow peace which has been enjoyed in Lagos to continue.
Ogunlende further stated that as citizens, everybody has a right to protest, but when it can’t be controlled or identity of those behind the protest cannot be ascertained, then it becomes a problem, and there should not be protest instead.
“Anytime protest is been talked about, it’s always centered around the youths. This is because youths occupy larger percentage of the population.” He added that the protest is about hardship and doesn’t affect only the youths, but entire citizens of the nation.
The governor also commended the security agencies led by the CP Adegoke Fayoade for being proactive as opposed to being reactive, saying that “This shows that every single person in this hall has decided to take responsibility for what’s coming ahead irrespective of the outcome,” Ogunlende said.
He added: “It should be noted, everybody is taking responsibility, ownership and rising to the occasion because Lagos is our home, and we can’t afford to let anything happen to our home, which is the reason for gathering here to ensure all necessary steps are taken by each and everyone. It’s pertinent we remain peaceful, because united we stand, divided we fall. If we all come together like to face an issue, I am sure, there will be peace at the end of the day.”
In his remarks, CP Fayoade Adegoke stated that the present situation in the country shouldn’t warrant protest which could lead to disorderliness, breakdown of law and peace, which tthese security gencies do not want that in Lagos State.
According to the number one Police officer in the state, Lagos is unarguably the economic hub of West Africa Sub Region and economic center of Nigeria, and if protest is allowed, it is going to affect Nigeria economically, socially, and Lagosians believe in peaceful co-existence, with everybody doing his business without molestation or harassment. We won’t allow anyone to disturb the peaceful co-existence enjoyed in Lagos, he said.
Also speaking, Director, Department of State Security, Lagos, Dapo Amoo, said, “you can criticize government, you can criticize establishment, the question about the protest is, they said, they intend to have a peaceful protest, but how do you determine it’s going to come out peacefully. That’s the question we should all ask ourselves.”
He recalled what happened during the #EndSars protest, as Lagos most especially struggled to get out of the nostrils of that skirmish.
He noted that the government has appealed to the youths to further exercise patience, as good things does not come easily, adding that government has begun the process by increasing workers salary.
The chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in the state, Comrade Funmi Sessi, expressed her dissatisfaction about the protest, according to her, “this is Lagos’, I was born and bred in Lagos, many of us made money in Lagos, and take it out to other states, we enjoy government in the state. If you want to protest, go to the state where governance is not felt and express your grievances.
“As we talk now, many of the states could not even afford to pay the last N30,000 minimum wage, yet Lagos is ready to pay new minimum wage of N70,000. Let Lagos be free, this is about me as a born and bred Lagosian, free Lagos,” she concluded.
Also adding his voice, Chief Imam, Conference of Islamic Organization, Shikrullah Shafii, urged government to ensure reduction in the prices of commodity, this according to him, is not just about increase in salary of workers, but having value for the increased salaries.
The security agencies and Stakeholders that attended the meeting included the Nigeria Police, Navy, Army, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp, Department of State Security, Air Force, Nigeria Labour Congress, National Association of Nigeria Students, Muslim-Christian clerics, as well as representatives of chairpersons of local governments and bank executives.
The Federal High Court In Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of the Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of their bail application.
The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, also ordered the remand of his co-dedendants, his son, Abubakar Malami, and one of his wives Bashir Asabe.
Justice Nwite made the order after taking arguments from the defence team led by Joseph Daudu (SAN) and the prosecution counsel Ekele Iheneacho (SAN).
Malami and his co-defendants are facing a 16-count money laundering charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC alleges that the defendants conspired at various times to conceal, retain and disguise the proceeds of unlawful activities running into several billions of naira.
According to the charge, the alleged offences span several years and include the use of companies and bank accounts to launder funds, the retention of cash as collateral for loans, and the acquisition of high-value properties in Abuja, Kano and other locations.
The commission further alleges that some of the offences were committed while Malami was serving as Attorney-General of the Federation, in breach of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has sent a veiled message to Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, saying support for President Bola Tinubu alone will not guarantee any election ticket.
Wike made the statement on Sunday during a public outing in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
His remarks were widely seen as directed at Governor Fubara, amid lingering political crisis in the State.
The former Governor of Rivers State said political loyalty must be tested during difficult times, not after power has been secured.
He mocked those he described as late supporters of President Tinubu, insisting that sudden alignment would not earn political rewards.
He said: “So the issue is not whether you are supporting Tinubu. That one, we have taken too long, long… Yes, oh. So Tinubu’s issue is not an issue again. Yes. Do you understand me? Yes. Tinubu’s issue is that nobody should be coming here to tell a day. We are for Tinubu; I am against you. Who is for Tinubu University? (laughs) That cannot give you any ticket oh! (laughs again) Direct, direct. It will not. Direction. Direction.”
Wike stressed that his political camp stood with Tinubu when the decision was unpopular. He said that support given under pressure carries more weight than alignment after victory.
He also recalled how the Rivers State House of Assembly openly backed Tinubu early, long before the election outcome was certain.
According to him, some of those now making public declarations were absent during the critical period.
“The same people now who came to declare, put them to God… But they should declare they are saying it for a candidate. Yes. Don’t you see characters? (laughs) So I send the sword far ahead of them.”
Wike further spoke on governance and continuity. He defended projects and agreements initiated during his tenure as governor. He said it is often difficult for successors to acknowledge past efforts, even though government is a continuous process.
His comments come weeks after Governor Fubara formally aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party of President Tinubu.
The move followed months of political crisis in Rivers State, which led to federal intervention and a declaration of emergency rule.
Political watchers believe Wike’s remarks constitute a direct response to Fubara’s recent positioning as a key Tinubu ally in Rivers politics. Critics argue that Fubara’s support surfaced only after the political storm had settled.
Wike, who remains a dominant force in Rivers State politics despite serving in Abuja, appears to have drawn a clear line ahead of the 2027 elections.
He suggested that political tickets would be decided by proven loyalty, not convenience.
Videos from the event in Rumuche, Emohua, spread rapidly on social media. Many users described the speech as a coded warning to the governor.
As of press time, neither the Rivers State Government nor Wike’s media team had issued an official clarification.
The comments, however, suggest that the political rift between both camps is still active, despite earlier peace moves brokered at the national level.
The opposition African Democratic Congress and the Labour Party on Sunday criticized President Bola Tinubu for departing Nigeria for Europe on holiday at a time the country is grappling with rising insecurity, including foreign military interventions in the North.
The Presidency announced on Sunday that Tinubu left Lagos for Europe for his end-of-year holiday ahead of an official visit to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he is scheduled to attend the 2026 edition of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit.
President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that the trip was by invitation from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to participate in the summit, which gathers global leaders from government, business, and civil society to advance sustainable development strategies.
“His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, has invited President Tinubu to participate in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit, which will take place in the emirate early in January,” the statement read.
Reacting to Tinubu’s departure, the ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bola Abdullahi, faulted the timing as inappropriate given the security challenges facing the country.
The ADC noted the deadly terrorist bomb blast in Zamfara and the ongoing foreign military involvement, calling the President’s move insensitive.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s lack of care is alarming. In the wake of another deadly bomb blast in Zamfara, and following an unprecedented foreign military attack on Nigerian soil, the nation is waiting for reassurance from its leader. Instead, we learn the President has gone on holiday. What a President!” Abdullahi said.
Similarly, LP’s acting National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, described the trip as “insensitive and devoid of empathy” for Nigerians facing violent attacks and humanitarian crises.
Speaking through her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa, she stressed that the President should have remained in the country to coordinate security responses.
“This is the most inauspicious time for the President to leave the country. Even the Christmas holiday in Lagos seems ill-timed, given that a bomb exploded in Zamfara today, killing nine people,” Usman said.
She further alleged that Nigeria was under external attack and accused the government of downplaying the severity of the situation.
“Nigeria is under attack by a foreign nation. No matter how the government tries to frame this, it is a violation of our sovereignty. This is the time for the commander-in-chief to coordinate the response, not embark on a holiday,” Usman said.
She added that the President had not convened critical security meetings since the U.S.-led bombardment of terrorist camps in Kwara and Sokoto States and condemned the perceived lack of engagement with military leadership.
The President’s trip comes amid heightened security concerns. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump authorised AFRICOM to conduct airstrikes on terrorist camps in Sokoto State, hours before Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the operation. A deadly bomb blast in Zamfara on Friday claimed several lives.
The 17th edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week will run from January 11 to 15 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre under the theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go.”
The event aims to connect innovation, finance, and people to advance sustainable development.
Onanuga confirmed that Tinubu would return to Nigeria after the summit.
Hosted by Masdar, the UAE’s clean energy company, the summit will feature the invitation-only ADSW Summit, the World Future Energy Summit, the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony, and specialised sessions on hydrogen, climate finance, water security, and utilities in the Global South. Organisers expect more than 50,000 participants from over 170 countries, featuring over 700 global brands and exhibitions of emerging clean technologies.
The UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, noted that ADSW 2026 builds on two decades of the UAE’s leadership in renewable energy.
Tinubu previously attended the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in January 2025, where he held meetings with Gulf investors and officials on trade, energy cooperation, and climate finance.
Since assuming office on May 29, 2023, Tinubu has undertaken at least 46 foreign trips, spending an estimated 192 days abroad as of October 2025. In 2025 alone, he travelled internationally no fewer than 15 times to countries including Ghana, the UAE, Tanzania, France, Italy, Saint Lucia, Japan, and Brazil for summits, bilateral engagements, and holidays.
