News
Benin Monarch Receives 119 Stolen Artefacts, Says Efforts To Re-loot Thwarted

Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, has received 119 stolen artefacts from the Netherlands, saying plans by some international cartel to re-loot the artefacts were thwarted after he prayed to God and his ancestors.
The monarch spoke in Benin when he received the artifacts from the Federal Government delegation led by Olugbile Holloway, Director General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments.
He said: “I thank President Bola Tinubu for supporting and committing to the efforts former President Buhari put in place to ensure the artifacts are not re-looted because there were groups in this country believed to be an international cartel that had all sorts of conspiracy to re-loot our artifacts.
“The return of these objects has reawakened the courage we had in our people. We do not want modern day politics, we do not want partisan politics to diminish the courage of our people.”
He continued: “The Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments has been doing wonderful work. His predecessor was part of the conspiracy to re-loot our artifacts. We had a running battle in this hall. I addressed my Chiefs in Benin language and I said these artifacts belong to my ancestors and I will not sit on the ancient throne and watch the artifacts re-looted. They rather remain where they are than being re-looted.”
The Oba, while thanking the government of the Netherlands for working with the palace, said: “This is part of the efforts to reawaken the morale and spirit of my people.”
The Benin Monarch further prayed with his official spectre directing the artefacts to return more artefacts.
Earlier, the NCMM DG, Holloway, said the commission and the Benin Royal Palace were working hard to ensure more artefacts were returned.
READ ALSO: Jubilation As. Oba Of Benin Receives Two Looted Artefacts, US Custodian Apologises
Governor Monday Okpebholo who was represented by the Secretary to State Government, Barr. Musa Ikhilor, said his administration would continue to build necessary infrastructure to preserve the returned artefacts as well as collaborate with the federal government to improve the storage system for the artefacts.
He said: “They are treasured monuments and treasured sacred objects. You can see the way they came. They are fragile and precious. We will continue to collaborate to see that a sage space is created.
“We are supporting the palace to see that a befitting museum is put in place to display these objects for tourists as a way of boosting the tourism sector.”
On his part, General Director of Wereld Musuem, Marieke Van Bommel, said: “The artefacts were looted and we have a policy in the Netherlands to bring them back.
“We are bringing back 119 artefacts. We don’t have more. These are the collections in the Netherlands. There are more collections in Europe but that is not up to us. They have been with us for over 100 years.”
News
Ovia South West Council Chairman, Edobor Bags National Merit Award

The Acting Chairman of Ovia South West Local Government Council in Edo State, Hon. Charles Nosakhare Edobor, has bagged the 2025 Nigerian Local Government Merit Award (LOGMA).
He was awarded as the Best Performing Local Government Chairman in Nigeria (Security and infrastructure development, purposeful leadership).
Speaking after being conferred with the prestigious award, Edobor applauded the organizers for recognizing his administration’s commitment to localizing good governance.
He highlighted his leadership’s remarkable strides in building a sustainable, livable, and prosperous council area through numerous people-oriented programmes and projects-particularly in road infrastructure and the provision of basic social amenities.
READ ALSO:Why We Arrested Sowore – Police
Edobor dedicated the award to the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and to the good people of Ovia south west Local Government Area.
He expressed satisfaction with the honour. He emphasized that the award would further spur him to work harder in pursuing people-centred programmes aligned with Senator Monday Okpebholo’s S.H.I.N.E and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Edobor commended Governor Okpebholo for his visionary leadership and unwavering support for local government administrations across the state.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to deepening rural development, empowering youth and women, and ensuring the dividends of democracy reach every ward in Ovia south west local government.
READ ALSO:How I Nearly Abandoned Presidential Library Project – Obasanjo
Earlier, in his welcome address at the event which held on Wednesday at the National Merit House, Abuja, the National Coordinator of LOGMA, Chief Bayode Ojo, stated that the award was designed to showcase the achievements of local government chairmen and reward excellence in grassroots governance – particularly those who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to promoting grassroots development despite the challenges confronting the third tier of government.
He congratulated all the awardees for making the final list after rigorous scrutiny and spot-checking of some of their executed projects to verify the authenticity of their claims.
Chief Ojo further urged the awardees to continue to be shining examples of sustainable growth at the grassroots and in the country at large.
News
JUST IN: Tinubu Sacks CDS Musa, Names New Army Boss

President Bola Tinubu has made changes in the hierarchy of the Service Chiefs in furtherance of the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture.
READ ALSO:BREAKING: Tinubu swears In New INEC Chairman, Amupitan
The President appointed General Olufemi Oluyede to replace General Christopher Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff.
More to follow…
News
Lagos Inaugurates 24-hour Traffic Management Operations

The Lagos State Government has launched two transformative initiatives designed to recalibrate traffic governance and restore environmental sanctity across the metropolis.
In a visionary bid to guarantee seamless mobility and safe commuting at all hours, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has formally instituted a 24-hour operational framework for traffic management and enforcement across Lagos State.
The groundbreaking initiative, officially commissioned by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, constitutes a seminal moment in the evolution of Lagos’s transportation governance.
It manifests Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s strategic ambition to ensure the uninterrupted movement of people, goods and services within Nigeria’s economic epicentre—a city that operates continuously, unhindered by congestion or disorder.
According to Giwa, the 24-hour operational regime epitomises the administration’s steadfast dedication to constant vigilance, operational efficiency and disciplined traffic regulation, especially as the metropolis approaches the festive period, traditionally characterised by heightened vehicular and commercial activity.
READ ALSO:‘One-way’ Driver Kills Tricyclist, Flees Scene – LASTMA
This information was contained in a statement yesterday by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq.
He elaborated that the framework is meticulously designed to facilitate continuous monitoring, rapid emergency response and immediate clearance of traffic obstructions irrespective of time, thereby mitigating congestion and enhancing the commuter experience.
“This initiative exemplifies the Lagos State Government’s resolute commitment to safeguarding mobility, preserving lives and sustaining economic productivity through perpetual traffic oversight,” Giwa stated.
A pivotal component of the initiative is the establishment of the Night Rapid Response Gang, a specialised unit within LASTMA charged with swiftly addressing nocturnal traffic incidents, including vehicular breakdowns, collisions and other obstructions along critical arteries of the metropolis.
In tandem with these traffic management reforms, the Lagos State Government also executed a comprehensive clearance operation along Apapa Road, Costain and the Ijora Under Bridge, eliminating illegal structures, shanties and unregulated trading that had long obstructed free vehicular flow and compromised public safety.
READ ALSO:JUST IN: LASTMA Rescues Two Accident Victims In Lagos, Blames Brake Failure
The far-reaching enforcement exercise, spearheaded by Sola Giwa in coordination with LASTMA, the Nigeria Police Force, Mobile Police (MOPOL), the Lagos State Task Force and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), culminated in the removal of unauthorised traders, makeshift structures and multiple environmental infractions.
During the operation, enforcement teams uncovered an illegal diesel dumping site and impounded substantial quantities of expired plantain chips and cheese balls, stored under unsanitary conditions—a testament to the government’s prioritisation of public health and environmental integrity.
The exercise followed persistent warnings and public sensitisation campaigns urging illegal occupants under bridges to vacate. Teams also identified blocked drainage channels choked with metallic debris, contributing to perennial flooding and environmental degradation.
Furthermore, several commercial buses and tricycles operating unlawfully along the newly constructed Costain Bridge and Apapa Road were impounded.
READ ALSO:EFCC Probes Travellers Over Undeclared $6m, £53,000 At Lagos Airport
Shanties adjacent to St. Catholic Church School, Apapa Road, were demolished, reinstating the area to its intended urban and educational purpose, while criminal hideouts beneath the Ijora Bridge were dismantled to enhance public security.
Giwa reaffirmed that the Sanwo-Olu administration will not compromise on public safety, environmental protection or the rule of law, stressing that Lagos must remain a city distinguished by structure, order and discipline.
General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, appealed to traders, transport operators and commuters to comply with government directives, utilise designated markets and parking facilities, and actively support the administration’s efforts to maintain a safe, efficient and orderly metropolis.
He emphasised that the integration of 24-hour traffic management with environmental enforcement represents the Lagos State Government’s holistic approach to sustainable urban mobility—one that blends innovative regulation, proactive enforcement and civic responsibility.
Politics5 days agoOshiomhole Criticised For ‘Eating Own Vomit’
Politics5 days agoJUST IN: ADC Suspends South-South Vice Chairman Over Anti-party, Insubordination
Politics3 days agoTenebe Fingers Edo APC Chieftains As Plot To Replace Him As Chair Thickens
Metro5 days ago[PHOTOS] #FreeNnamdiKanuNow: Gridlock Hits Abuja Expressway
News4 days agoEdeduna Obaseki Descendants Felicitate Benin Monarch On Coronation Anniversary, Birthday
News3 days agoBREAKING: Edo LG Commission Orders Heads On Compulsory Leave
News5 days agoBREAKING: PDP Dismisses Anyanwu’s Forgery Claim, Says He Signed Convention Letters
News3 days agoTinubu Nominates New Minister
Headline2 days agoUK Cuts Post-study Work Period For Foreign Students
Metro5 days agoBauchi: Auto Crash Claimed 432, Injured 2,070 Persons In 1 Months — FRSC













