By YNaija
Copyright ynaija
UBA clarifies fire incident at Lagos branch
Tinubu ends foreign trip early, arrives in Abuja
NAMA boss says ₦11,000 flight fee is outdated
SSS drags Sowore to court over social media posts
Sanwo-Olu renews demand for special status for Lagos
Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the top five Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.
UBA clarifies fire incident at Lagos branch
A fire outbreak occurred on Tuesday at Afriland Tower, a six-storey building on Broad Street, Lagos Island, which also houses a United Bank for Africa (UBA) branch.
In response, the bank issued a statement clarifying that its head office, UBA House on Marina, was not involved, contrary to claims circulating online. UBA stressed that only one of its Lagos Island branches was located in the affected building.
The bank further assured that all staff, customers, and visitors were safe. Meanwhile, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the blaze began in the inverter room in the basement, with smoke spreading to other floors.
Tinubu ends foreign trip early, arrives in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu arrived in Abuja on Tuesday evening after cutting short a planned 10-day private visit to Paris and London.
His plane, an Airbus A330, landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport around 6:50 pm. Tinubu, who left Nigeria on September 4, was initially expected to stay abroad until later in the week, but no official explanation was provided for the early return.
The president’s arrival comes just days before the six-month emergency rule in Rivers State is due to expire. Since January 2025, Tinubu has taken 15 foreign trips, often mixing official duties with periods of rest, with his last holiday in April lasting about two weeks in Europe.
NAMA boss says ₦11,000 flight fee is outdated
Airline operators may soon face higher charges as the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has declared that the current ₦11,000 fee per flight is no longer realistic.
Speaking at an aviation summit in Abuja on Tuesday, Director-General Farouk Umar noted that the fee, unchanged since 2008, fails to reflect today’s economic conditions and the high cost of maintaining aviation infrastructure. He pointed out that airlines still pay only ₦11,000 to NAMA for a Lagos-to-Abuja trip, even though tickets now cost between ₦150,000 and ₦200,000.
Umar stressed that NAMA is a cost-recovery agency and not a charity, insisting that more revenue is needed to maintain and upgrade key facilities, such as landing, surveillance, and communication systems.
SSS drags Sowore to court over social media posts
Activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has been charged in court by the State Security Service (SSS) over his online remarks calling President Bola Tinubu a “criminal.”
The five-count charge, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, accuses Sowore of spreading false information meant to incite disaffection against the president, cause public fear, and disrupt order. The case, dated September 16, 2025, also lists X and Facebook in connection with the posts.
Prosecutors from the Federal Ministry of Justice, led by M.B. Abubakar, signed the filing. Sowore, however, dismissed the allegations, describing them as “novel offences” created by the SSS to silence critics.
Sanwo-Olu renews demand for special status for Lagos
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has renewed his call for Lagos to be granted a special status, saying such recognition would help unlock Nigeria’s full potential.
Speaking at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos on Tuesday, during its first distinguished lecture themed “Lagos and Nigeria 2030: Projections of a World Power,” Sanwo-Olu also pressed for the creation of state police. He argued that this would give governors the power to increase police numbers when necessary.
Highlighting Lagos as the country’s commercial hub, the governor described the state as central to Nigeria’s growth and global competitiveness. According to him, the nation’s ability to convert its vast potential into real influence depends heavily on Lagos, which he called the “beating heart” of Nigeria.
