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LAGOS IS NOT “NO MAN’S LAND” – A HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CLARIFICATION
It is with deep concern that I address the recent statement made by respected veteran entertainer, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, in which he described Lagos State as “no man’s land” and claimed that it belongs to all tribes and not the Yorubas. While I acknowledge his right to express his opinion, it is imperative to correct this misrepresentation of historical, cultural, and political facts regarding the ownership and identity of Lagos.
1. Lagos Belongs to the Yorubas
Lagos is not a no man’s land. Historically, Lagos is an integral part of Yorubaland, located in the Southwest geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Before the British colonial rule, Lagos was already under the authority and administration of Yoruba monarchs, especially the Oba of Lagos, who traces his lineage to Ile-Ife and the Benin royal ancestry through a Yoruba heritage. The Awori, the Ijebu, the Egba, the Remo, and Egun people all Yorubas or closely related ethnic groups are the indigenous communities of Lagos.
2. Migration Does Not Equal Ownership
While Lagos has been a magnet for migration due to its commercial and cosmopolitan nature. just like New York in the United States it is incorrect and disrespectful to conclude that the influx of other ethnic groups into Lagos nullifies the indigenous ownership of the land. Migrants are welcome guests, but they do not become indigenous owners by virtue of settlement.
Just as no one claims Abuja belongs to all tribes because it is the Federal Capital Territory, or that Onitsha belongs to all because of its commercial strength, it is flawed logic to use the multiethnic presence in Lagos to claim that it belongs to everyone and no one.
3. Abule Egba, Epe, Ikorodu, Badagry, and Others
It is important to note the historical migration routes and ethnic compositions of the indigenous Lagos communities:
Some Awori people in Lagos are from Ogun State, Isheri and Otta another part of Yorubaland.
Ikorodu indigenes trace their roots to Remo, particularly Sagamu and other towns in Ogun State.
Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, and parts of Eti-Osa are dominantly populated by Ijebu Yorubas.
Abule Egba, Mushin, parts of Agege, Alagbado, Yaba, and Oyigbo have strong historical links to the Egba people.
Badagry is home to the Egun people, who have cultural affiliations with Yoruba and are considered part of the indigenous identity of Lagos State.
All these communities are historically Yoruba or closely related and indigenous to the geographical and political boundaries of Lagos State.
4. Federal Capital Does Not Erase Ownership
Lagos being the former capital of Nigeria does not erase or transfer its indigenous ownership to the entire federation. It was simply a Federal Capital Territory hosted on Yoruba land. The creation of Abuja as the new FCT reflects the same model, but no one calls Abuja “no man’s land” despite it being built from scratch to accommodate national unity.
5. Respect for Indigenous Identity
While we must continue to promote unity and accommodate all Nigerians in the spirit of federalism and peaceful coexistence, this must not come at the expense of historical truth and cultural erasure. Statements such as “Lagos is no man’s land” are not only inaccurate, but they also insult the dignity of the original landowners, many of whom continue to watch their history and identity undermined in the name of modern urbanization.
6. Final Word
I call on my respected elder, Charly Boy, to retract that statement and acknowledge the Yoruba roots of Lagos State. Unity is not built on historical distortion, but on truth, mutual respect, and inclusivity. Lagos is Yoruba land, and while it is open and hospitable to all, it must never be stripped of its identity in the name of national integration.
Ẹ ṣéun. Àlàáfíà àtóyé sí gbogbo ọmọ Yorùbá ní gbogbo agbègbè.
(Thank you. May peace continue to reign among all Yoruba people everywhere.)
Additional Clarification: I Am a Proud Lagosian
As a proud Lagosian, I must emphasize that we Lagosians do not want ethnic or tribal conflicts. We welcome everyone peacefully, but that hospitality must not be taken for granted. If the Lagos State Government decides to rename a bus stop or street after a non-indigene, it does not give anyone the moral right to insult or attack the personalities or identity of our indigenous people.
Lagosians do not go to Port Harcourt or Kano to claim those places as their ancestral homes. Therefore, no one should come to Lagos to displace or deny our native heritage in the name of urbanization or nationalism.
Let us build unity on the foundation of respect and truth not revisionist narratives.
Prince Amb. (Dr.) Adedipe Dauda Ewenla
Akinjagunla Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland
Technician Surveyor | Realtor | Security Expert
NIS, PSU, DIL, B.Sc., B.Tech., M.Sc.
More than ₦3 billion was targeted, but about ₦677 million reached the culprits, with recovery and prosecutions underway, reflecting how banks are responding to more sophisticated fraud risks.
Nigeria’s expanding digital banking sector is facing increasingly sophisticated fraud attempts, as financial institutions adapt to faster transactions and broader online services.
A recent case involving First City Monument Bank (FCMB), linked to fraudulent activity detected in December 2025, has drawn attention to how banks are responding to such incidents, with a focus on limiting exposure, recovering funds and working with law enforcement.
According to findings referenced in proceedings before the Lagos State Special Offences Court, the incident involved unauthorised transactions tied to a digital product. Early reports erroneously suggested more than ₦3 billion was lost. Subsequent clarification shows that over ₦3 billion was targeted, ₦2.4 billion was blocked and recovered, while ₦677 million got into the possession of the culprits. This outcome reflects the bank’s cyber security and monitoring capabilities, as well as improved collaboration among regulated financial institutions and with law enforcement agencies. Several suspects and beneficiaries have been apprehended, while recovery and prosecution efforts are ongoing, led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Proceedings at the Lagos State Special Offences Court have resulted in convictions, including that of a repeat offender, with restitution orders issued. Related matters are also being handled at the Federal High Court in Lagos, where additional suspects are being tried in connection with the scheme. This process is aimed at ensuring that bad actors are identified and permanently blacklisted from the financial system.
Authorities say recovery efforts are continuing as additional funds are traced.
Analysts note that the pace of legal action reflects closer coordination between financial institutions and enforcement agencies in addressing cyber-related financial crime.
The case comes as banks contend with more complex fraud methods, including social engineering and automated exploitation of system processes.
As digital products and platforms expand, so too does the risk associated with cyber-crime and related fraud.
“The scale of digital banking means risks are evolving alongside the systems,” said a Lagos-based financial analyst. “Institutions are now judged by how they manage these events.”
Observers say the sector is moving toward a stronger focus on response and recovery, rather than prevention alone.
This includes improving monitoring capabilities, strengthening transaction controls and enhancing collaboration with regulators and law enforcement. The FCMB case, with limited exposure relative to the amount targeted and ongoing recovery, reflects that shift.
For customers, the primary concern is the safety of their funds. In this case, there has been no indication of losses affecting customer deposits. Maintaining that level of protection remains central to sustaining trust in the financial system.
Nigeria’s financial sector continues to grow, supported by digital innovation and expanding access to banking services.
However, analysts say fraud attempts are likely to persist as systems become more complex and interconnected.
They say institutions will increasingly be judged not only on their ability to prevent incidents, but on how effectively they respond and recover when they occur.
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Ex-APC Deputy Guber flag bearer, Joshua MacIver backs Tinubu, express fears over implosion in Bayelsa APC
….congratulates new State Party Chairman, Warman Ogoriba
APC Deputy Governorship Candidate in the 2023 general elections in Bayelsa State, Great Joshua MacIver has declared his total commitment to the re-election of President Bola Tinubu come 2027, declaring that the Tinubu re-election project is non-negotiable.
Great Joshua MacIver, in his statement titled ” BAYELSA APC CONGRESSES: GOING FORWARD, A CALL TO LOOK INWARDS” and made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, warned APC leaders in the state to look Inward and take note of certain factors which may hinder or cut short our victory.
According to Great Joshua MacIver, such noticeable pitfalls include the imbalance in the united front being put up by the State Governor,Senator Douye Diri among various political blocs in the state.
In the statement issued at the weekend. Great Joshua MacIver stated that “First, before His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, joined the APC in the state, there were clearly two political blocs that made up the party, with the approximate population ratios of the blocs standing at 95% to 5%.”
“After the entrance of His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, ONLY THE SMALLER BLOC IS BEING CARRIED ALONG IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE PARTY, leaving the greater percentage to their fate, and this situation has the potential to build anger and dissatisfaction in our dear party.”
” The consequence of this has been the high level defection we have witnessed in the party recently and we believe more may likely follow, if we do not put our house in order.”
” If we do not pull together as a party, we may witness a situation where we will lose key stakeholders, especially after the State and National Assembly Primaries as well the Gubernatorial Primaries.”
“Finally, while it is very clear that we are the party to beat in the 2027 elections and that our loyalty to Mr. President IS NON-NEGOTIABLE, we must make haste to say that we cannot afford to create situations or loopholes in our unity which will be exploited by other political interests in the state. We cannot afford to under-rate anyone.”
“Our core interest remains the re-election of Mr. President, a project to which we have committed our all. We also pledge our total loyalty to the party as we have no alternative to the APC. However, our concern is that we must, as a party, look inwards and ensure that we do not create loopholes that can impede our common goal.”
Great Joshua MacIver, however congratulated the newly elected State Executives of the APC in Bayelsà State led by Hon. Warman Ogoriba, saying their emergence is welcomed at this critical time in our national history.
At least 23 people were killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings, police in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri said on Tuesday.
https://www.stanbicibtcbank.com/nigeriabank/personal/products-and-services/all-loans/stanbic-ibtc-mreif-home-loans
More than 100 other people were injured in the blasts that took place on Monday evening in the capital of Nigeria’s restive Borno state.
No group has claimed responsibility for the suspected attacks.
The deadly blasts come after a military post was attacked overnight Sunday to Monday, which authorities blamed on suspected Islamist militants.
This sad incident is coming barely two weeks after Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church specifically warned against attacks in some states. He mentioned these states while calling on security operatives to pay close attention to them.
These were his words:
“Another attack is coming up in these following states where the military must watch carefully and intelligently; Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Kwara and Kogi state. They want to do a deadly attack, it’s preventable but it depends on how they will handle it. I have told you about the danger coming up.”
@primateayodele
Unfortunately, some of our military agencies don’t believe spiritual intelligence can save the country from so much danger hence, their neglect of this prophetic warning but now, it has been fulfilled with the miliary losing credibility by the day while Primate Ayodele continues to gain momentum.
Likewise, At least 26 passengers and crew sustained varying degrees of injuries on Monday following an accident involving the Kaduna–Abuja train, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Opeifa explained that the train departed Rigasa in Kaduna at 7:15 a.m. and was approaching Asham station around 9:16 a.m. when a loud bang was heard after the power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches.
In July 2025, Primate Ayodele asked nigerians to pray not to see train mishap on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
@primateayodele #nigeriantiktok🇳🇬 #fulfillment #train #abuja #primateayodele
“Let’s pray not to see train mishap in Abuja-Kaduna, Kaduna-Abuja route.”
This has also been fulfilled.
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