Lagos has come a long way—especially when you look back at the colonial era. Its location along the Lagos Lagoon made it a strategic choice for the colonial administration, turning the city into a major center of British rule and commerce at the time.

These photographs, sourced from the Time Magazine archives, offer a rare glimpse into Lagos in the 1800s. They capture a city under colonial control, when Europeans dominated political power and urban planning shaped daily life.

What stands out in these images is the sense of order—well-laid streets, structured neighborhoods, and a city that reflected the priorities of its rulers. Lagos was already evolving into an organized urban space, long before the fast-paced megacity we know today.

The old days carry their own charm and lessons.

Images sourced from TIME Magazine Archives and the British National Archives. Used for historical and educational purposes.

Nnamdi Kanu: IPOB Leader’s International Lawyer Accuses UK of Ignoring Illegal Abduction, Torture and Detention, Urges Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Intervene

The international lawyer and spokesperson for the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has accused the United Kingdom of deliberately ignoring what he described as Kanu’s illegal abduction, torture and continued imprisonment in Nigeria. In a strongly worded letter addressed to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street, Kanu’s counsel, Bruce Fein, called for urgent diplomatic intervention to secure the release of the British citizen.

Fein alleged that Kanu was kidnapped in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2021, tortured and extraordinarily renditioned to Nigeria by Nigerian security agents, actions he said violated international law and multiple human rights conventions. According to the lawyer, Kanu has since been held in prolonged solitary confinement without adequate medical care under Nigeria’s security services.

The letter recalled a July 2022 ruling by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which found that Nigeria violated 16 international human rights covenants in Kanu’s arrest and detention. The UN body ordered his immediate and unconditional release and payment of reparations—directives Fein said the Nigerian government has ignored for more than three years.

Fein also condemned Kanu’s life sentence handed down by a Federal High Court in Abuja on November 20, 2025, describing the trial as a “show trial” and insisting that Kanu’s advocacy for Biafran self-determination was pursued through peaceful means. He accused successive UK governments of failing to act despite Kanu’s British citizenship and questioned whether Britain’s silence was motivated by political interests, oil diplomacy or racial bias.

Drawing comparisons with the UK’s recent intervention in securing the release of British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, Fein described the contrasting response as a troubling double standard. He urged Prime Minister Starmer to use diplomatic channels to negotiate Kanu’s release, arguing that doing so would reinforce Britain’s commitment to human rights and correct what he called a historic injustice tied to colonial-era decisions and Britain’s role during the Biafran Civil War.

Kanu remains in the custody of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS), as calls from rights groups, lawyers and supporters intensify for his release amid growing international scrutiny of Nigeria’s handling of the case.

Ifeanyi Ejiofor Slams Boris Johnson’s Comments on Nigeria as ‘Imperial Mindset’

Human rights lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor has strongly criticised former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson over remarks he made at an economic summit in Owerri, Imo State. Johnson had joked about trade relations, security concerns, and political mobility between Nigeria and the UK, comments Ejiofor described as disrespectful and rooted in “imperial mindset.” He argued that Johnson’s statements echoed colonial-era attitudes and ignored the historical imbalance in relations between both countries. Ejiofor also faulted African elites for applauding the remarks, calling it a troubling display of complicity. He urged Nigeria to demand more nuance from visiting leaders, reframe narratives around trade, and prioritise partnerships based on technology transfer, capacity building, and equitable terms.

The Deputy Governor of Kaduna state Hadiza Balarabe has participated at a virtual meeting of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (#UNODC)

The Deputy Governor says the invitation reflects the strong and growing partnership between UNODC and Kaduna State, a partnership that has supported the efforts to confront the complex challenges of substance use with clarity, compassion and courage as for many years, the global response to substance use disorder has relied heavily on punishment.

This approach filled prisons but failed to heal our communities. That is why Kaduna State is choosing another path. recognizing that the cycle of addiction and incarceration is not a moral failure. It is a public health challenge that demands a humane, integrated answer. That answer is what we call “The Kaduna Model”.
A foundation rests firmly on human rights replacing restrictive colonial-era laws with the Kaduna State Mental Health Bill, which affirms mental health as a basic human right and shields our citizens from discrimination. The state transform the former Bureau for Substance Abuse into the Kaduna State Substance Abuse Prevention and Mental Health Services Agency, KADSAMHSA, an institution with a unified mandate to oversee mental, neurological and substance use services. This transformation gave the people of Kaduna access to a system built on dignity, equity and care.
A defining element of The Kaduna Model is our Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) programme. Through technical partnership with the UNODC, Kaduna State became the first jurisdiction in Nigeria and the only one in Sub-Saharan Africa to implement this model at such a comprehensive scale.

Alleged genocide: ‘Incorrect, Nigeria can’t afford internal division’ – Oba of Lagos.

The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, has lashed out at US President Donald Trump over his claim that Christians are being killed in Nigeria.

Speaking on Sunday at his palace after marking his 82nd birthday, Akiolu described the comment as incorrect and capable of creating unnecessary tension, insisting such remarks misrepresent Nigeria’s reality and unfairly portray the nation.

The monarch said that Nigerians of different faiths had coexisted peacefully for decades, noting that both Christians and Muslims share common communities, celebrations, and challenges, reinforcing unity despite occasional security issues.

The traditional ruler stated that criminal activities and terrorism in parts of the country are not directed at any religion but are acts of misguided individuals and groups, appealing to international leaders to verify information before issuing official statements, stressing that careless comments can damage Nigeria’s global image.

Akiolu, who added that national unity remains essential, warned that Nigeria cannot afford internal division at a critical period of economic and security reforms, calling on Nigerians to maintain peaceful coexistence and avoid allowing religion, ethnicity, or politics to create unnecessary conflict.

“This comment by the US President is not only incorrect but can create unnecessary tension in Nigeria, something we cannot afford now.

“I also want to use this opportunity to call for Lagos to be granted special recognition because of its huge population and central role in Nigeria’s economy.

“The city had served as an economic powerhouse since the colonial era and continues to shoulder national responsibilities that demand federal support,” he said.

Newsbrief: Julius Malema Calls for One Africa at NBA Conference

South African opposition leader Julius Malema has renewed calls for a united Africa under one president, one parliament, one currency, and a single military command.

Speaking at the Nigeria Bar Association’s Annual General Conference in Enugu, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) president urged leaders to dismantle colonial-era borders, promote visa-free movement across the continent, and build industries that process Africa’s own resources.

Malema praised Nigeria’s role in supporting South Africa during the anti-apartheid struggle, urging both countries to lead African industrialisation and the African Continental Free Trade Area. He also cautioned against reckless foreign borrowing, calling World Bank and IMF loans “debt traps.”

“Africans must refuse to be subjects of others. Our salvation lies in Lagos, Johannesburg, Abuja, and Pretoria — in the hands of Africans who refuse to be divided,” he told thousands of lawyers at the event.

#UnitedAfrica #JuliusMalema #AfricanUnity #NBAConference

Saint Lucia PM Faults Opposition Backlash Against Tinubu’s Visit

Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip Pierre, has criticized the politically motivated backlash against Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to the Caribbean nation. Speaking during his 2025 Emancipation Day address on August 1, Pierre condemned the “vilification and denigration” of Tinubu as a lingering effect of colonial-era self-hate and disrespect toward African leadership.

Pierre highlighted that opposition groups in both Nigeria and Saint Lucia questioned the visit’s timing and cost, especially amid tragedies like the Minna flood in Nigeria. However, he described these criticisms as “shameful and disgraceful,” emphasizing that Tinubu’s visit should have been met with respect.

Affirming Saint Lucia’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, Pierre said the government and people of Saint Lucia felt honored by the Nigerian president’s visit.

Emancipation Day in Saint Lucia commemorates the abolition of slavery in the British Caribbean and reflects on racial justice and Pan-African solidarity.

Source: Channels Television

#Tinubu #SaintLucia #AfricanLeadership #PanAfricanism

The 'colonial erasure' of #Palestine is taking place with consent & institutionalized complicity of morally bankrupt American/Western politicians.

Such Western governments have lost their moral compass (despite their people's outcry over Israeli brutalities) which is why they are so submissive to an ever more abusive #Israel and can support its blatant aggressions and appease its genocide so easily.
—Ismaeil Baqaei