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EndSARS: SANWO-OLU FULFILS PROMISE, PAYS N60 MILLION COMPENSATION TO FAMILIES OF SLAIN POLICE OFFICERS

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The six police officers lynched in Lagos State in the wake of the violence that trailed the recent nationwide EndSARS protests may not have died in vain.

 

 

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu compensated their family members with N10 million each on Thursday, fulfilling the State Government’s pledge made during an earlier meeting with police officers at the State police command.

The Governor’s gesture, the beneficiaries said, has not only wiped off their tears, it has also brightened their hope to attain the future their slain breadwinners had envisioned.

As part of the promise to the families, Sanwo-Olu also announced scholarship awards to the children of the deceased officers up to the university level.

The Governor presented cheques to the wives and children of the slain officers at the 14th Town Hall meeting on security held at Civic Centre on Victoria Island. The yearly event with the theme: “Lagos Security: Resilience in the Face Adversity”, was organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF).

The late police officers are Yaro Edward, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Inspector Ayodeji Erinfolami, Inspector Aderibigbe Adegbenro, Inspector Samsom Ehibor, Sergeant Bejide Abiodun and Inspector Igoche Cornelius.

Sanwo-Olu described the slain officers as “heroes”, saying the deceased sacrificed their lives to secure lives and properties in the State. He said the compensation was the State Government’s modest reward for their gallantry, pointing out that the gesture would help the families to heal from the loss.

He said: “Some of our gallant police officers paid the supreme price for our security and safety during the recent EndSARS protests. These are the officers deployed to protect our families from hoodlums but they were lynched in the violence. Today, I am happy to announce and present N10 million compensation through LSSTF to each family of the officers. All their children have also been placed on scholarship up to university level, courtesy of the State Government.”

The Governor, at the event, received the report of security activities across the State in the last 12 months from Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, expressing his delight at the downward trend observed in sophisticated crimes, such as kidnapping and armed robbery, in the last one year.

As Lagos embarks on a rebuilding effort, Sanwo-Olu reiterated that security would remain a top priority for his Government. He noted that Lagos was on the verge of bridging technological and logistical gaps in its security architecture before the violence that trailed EndSARS protest erupted.

The coordinated arson of the past weeks, the Governor said, has necessitated the need to tighten security across the State, giving assurance that the State Government would invest more in intelligence-led policing and improve operational capacity and welfare of personnel serving in Lagos.

He said: “We must sustain the steady progress Lagos has recorded in security of lives and businesses. The issue of security is a shared mission. The more we are able to engage the citizens, the better we will become at nipping crimes in the bud. Our Government will continue to proactively engage all stakeholders as part of ongoing exercise to address all security concerns.

“We have taken proactive measures to make the necessary budgetary provision for security. We will be committing N37.8 billion to Public Order and Safety in 2021 because we fully understand the correlation between development and security. We will stop at nothing to flush out criminal elements whose sole aim is to foment chaos and perpetrate crimes. Lagos will offer no hiding place for bandits and criminals.”

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the Government would be committing funds to social protection to address contributing factors to crimes, including substance abuse, unemployment and poor education. He said the State remained focused on addressing issues that led to recent youth agitations, adding that programmes would be rolled out to cultivate young people’s trust and get them to embrace participatory governance.

The Governor thanked the private sector for its support for Lagos security initiative and partnership with the Government through LSSTF.

Odumosu, in his extensive report, said his men rose to the occasion of effectively combating crimes in Lagos because of constant logistics supplies from the State Government.

Despite the trauma the police personnel went through during the EndSARS protests, the police chief said the Command re-mobilised officers to guard troubled communities where police stations were burnt and destroyed.

Giving the breakdown of crimes recorded in Lagos from October 2019 to last September, Odumosu said the Command foiled 273 cases of armed robbery, arresting 1,181 robbers in operations. He said 27 robbers were killed in the encounter during the period.

The police boss said the State recorded a sharp decline in kidnapping in the past year, an effort he linked to improved intelligence-driven operations. He, however, said cases of cultism and drug abuse were on the rise, promising to beam focus to the issues.

Executive Secretary, LSSTF, Dr. AbdulRazaq Balogun, observed that there was a decline in donations to the Funds in the current year, a factor he linked to the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and establishment of similar trust funds agencies by other States.

He said LSSTF had provided 90 patrol vehicles and six units of outboard engine boats for security operations across the State in addition to logistics support provided for the personnel.

He said: “There’s need to acquire more equipment, particularly crowd control assets. Lagos has always set the pace for other States. We deserve to have a security architecture that can withstand any form of adversity.”

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BREAKING: Former President Muhammadu Buhari Dies in London Hospital

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BUHARI CONGRATULATES FBN ON 40 YEARS OF CROSS-BORDER BANKING IN UK

BREAKING: Former President Muhammadu Buhari Dies in London Hospital

 

Nigeria’s former President, Muhammadu Buhari, has passed away. He died on Sunday afternoon in a clinic in London, where he had reportedly been receiving medical attention.

BREAKING: Former President Muhammadu Buhari Dies in London Hospital

The sad news was confirmed in a brief two-paragraph statement released by his spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu. The statement read in part: “INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAIHIRRAJIUUN. The family of the former president has announced the passing on of the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, this afternoon in a clinic in London. May Allah accept him in Aljannatul Firdaus, Amin.”

 

Buhari, who served as Nigeria’s civilian president from 2015 to 2023 after a previous stint as military head of state (1983–1985), was a central figure in the country’s political and military history. His death marks the end of an era for many Nigerians who saw him as a symbol of integrity and national discipline.

This is a developing story. More details to follow.

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Today’s Effort, Tomorrow’s Triumph: The Undeniable Power of Doing Your Best Today

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Today’s Effort, Tomorrow’s Triumph: The Undeniable Power of Doing Your Best Today.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

D best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” ~ H. Jackson Brown Jr.

In a world addicted to shortcuts and obsessed with quick wins, the timeless wisdom behind the quote above cuts through the noise like a sharpened sword. The idea that tomorrow’s success depends entirely on today’s actions is not a cliché, it is an irrefutable truth. Whether in faith, science, economics or personal development, one law stands firm: today’s SEED is tomorrow’s HARVEST.

Today’s Effort, Tomorrow’s Triumph: The Undeniable Power of Doing Your Best Today.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

We can not continue to fold our hands in laziness today and expect miracles tomorrow. A nation can not waste time, bury talent and ignore responsibility today and then complain about failure tomorrow. Life does not reward intentions; it rewards actions.

Faith Speaks: Christianity and Islam Agree on the Power of Today. This principle is not just motivational; it is deeply spiritual. Across the world’s major religions, the doctrine of intentional daily action is clear.

In the Bible
Proverbs 6:6-8 teaches:

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.”

The lesson here is blunt: the time to prepare is now, not later.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 further reinforces this:

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…”

In the Quran
Islam emphasizes the same responsibility of living intentionally and working righteously each day. In Surah Al-Zalzalah (99:7-8), the Holy Qur’an declares:

“So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.”

This verse reminds believers that nothing is wasted; every small effort counts and will show its result, either today or tomorrow. It is a divine call to mindfulness and proactive living.

Also, in Surah Ar-Ra’d (13:11), Allah says:

“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”

Change does not fall from the sky. God helps those who help themselves; today, not when it is convenient.

Procrastination is the Poison of Purpose
Dr. Timothy Pychyl, a psychology professor at Carleton University, states that:

“Procrastination is not a time management problem, it is an emotion regulation problem.”

We put off effort not because we lack time, but because we avoid discomfort. Yet nothing of value has ever been built in comfort. From Moses to Muhammad (PBUH), from Mandela to Martin Luther King Jr., progress has always come from people who embraced struggle today to secure peace tomorrow.

From Nations to Individuals: A Pattern of Success. Japan, South Korea and Singapore, these countries did not wait for the future to be great. They built it. After war and poverty, they chose to invest in education, discipline, innovation and daily excellence. The results? Economic prosperity, global respect and technological advancement.

Compare that with many African nations, where politics, procrastination and misplaced priorities have crippled development. Nigeria, for instance, continues to grapple with the consequences of poor preparation. We cannot talk about transformation if we do not first talk about intentional effort; daily, consistent and focused.

The Economy of Today. Economists describe something called the Law of Diminishing Intent: the longer you delay action, the less likely you are to do it at all. In business, delaying a product launch or avoiding staff training today often leads to loss of competitive edge tomorrow.

Brian Tracy, in his bestselling book Eat That Frog, emphasizes:

“Your ability to discipline yourself to set clear goals and then work on them every day will do more to guarantee your success than any other single factor.”

In other words, daily action beats monthly inspiration.

Talent is Nothing Without Today’s Discipline. Too many young people have talents buried in the coffin of laziness. Dreams without daily action are hallucinations. The Bible says in Proverbs 14:23:

“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

Success is not a gift; it is a product. You cannot wish your way into greatness. You must work your way into it—step by step, day by day.

The Quran also teaches in Surah An-Najm (53:39):

“And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives.”

It doesn’t get clearer than that. You get only what you strive for.

Global Voices That Support the Principle. Great minds from various backgrounds have echoed this truth:

Angela Duckworth (Author of Grit): “Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.”
Daily effort is the dividing line between the average and the great.

Jim Rohn: “Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”

Barack Obama: “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something.”

Malcolm X: “The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.”

When both Eastern and Western wisdom align, when scriptures and scholars agree, then it is no longer a theory; it is a law.

Time is the Most Precious Currency. Unlike money, time cannot be earned back. Once gone, it is gone forever. Every second wasted is a blessing buried. The Quran calls mankind to account for their time. In Surah Al-Asr (103:1-3), Allah says:

“By Time, verily man is in loss, except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and enjoin each other to truth and patience.”

Even belief must be accompanied by action, otherwise it results in loss. Believing in your future without acting today is self-deception.

A Message to Nigeria’s Youth and Leaders. Let us be brutally honest. Nigeria will not change through slogans. Africa will not rise through hashtags. Real transformation begins with action; by the citizens, by the youth and most critically, by the leaders.

Our failure to plan, our tendency to delay reforms, our endless “we’ll do it later” mindset; this is what chains our future. We must kill procrastination before it kills our potential.

Instead of wishing for a better Nigeria, wake up and become the better Nigerian. Apply for the course. Register the business. Clean the streets. Learn the skill. Fight corruption. Demand accountability. Do your best today.

Final Thoughts: The Time is Now. The truth is simple: You will not rise tomorrow if you sit today.

Yes, life is unfair. Yes, circumstances can be hard; but you must never give the excuse of tomorrow for what you can perfect today. Success does not belong to the most privileged. It belongs to the most prepared.

Let us leave you with the words of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who said:

“If the Hour (the end of the world) is about to be established and one of you was holding a palm shoot, let him take advantage of even one second before it happens and plant it.” (Musnad Ahmad)

That is how powerful the present moment is even if the world is ending, still do your best now.

The Closing Reflections.
Tomorrow is not a miracle waiting to happen. It is the fruit of today’s labor. If you want to succeed, begin today. If you want to change your story, act now. If you want a better nation, do not just hope; build it.

The best preparation for tomorrow is not luck. It is doing your best today without excuse, without delay and without fear.

Today’s Effort, Tomorrow’s Triumph: The Undeniable Power of Doing Your Best Today.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

Written by George Omagbemi Sylvester
Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

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NDA Cadets to Conduct Live Firing Exercises, Residents Advised to Take Precautions

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NDA Cadets to Conduct Live Firing Exercises, Residents Advised to Take Precautions

NDA Cadets to Conduct Live Firing Exercises, Residents Advised to Take Precautions

The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) is set to conduct a Range Classification Exercise for Cadets of the 73 Regular Course from July 14 to 18, 2025, at the NDA Open Range.

According to Major Mohammed Maidawa, Academy Public Relations Officer, the four-day exercise is designed to enhance the Cadets’ skills in live firing scenarios and will be instrumental in their training and preparedness.

NDA Cadets to Conduct Live Firing Exercises, Residents Advised to Take Precautions

Major Maidawa urged local residents and communities to be aware of the exercise schedule and not to be alarmed by the sounds associated with live firing activities during this period.

He also advised farmers, herders, and residents to avoid entering or trespassing into the NDA Open Range and surrounding areas from July 14 to 18, 2025, citing public safety as a priority.

“Public safety is our priority, and adhering to these guidelines will help prevent any accidents,” he said.

The NDA appeals to the public to cooperate and disseminate the information to ensure awareness and safety.

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