Lagos State Government has sanctioned at least 15 money lending companies for breaching operational regulations and engaging in activities considered harmful to residents.

The Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ibrahim Layode, disclosed this on Friday during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held in Ikeja, stating that the move was part of ongoing efforts to regulate the money lending sector and shield Lagosians from exploitative and fraudulent financial practices.

According to Layode, the state government remains committed to enforcing strict compliance among operators within the industry.

“The firms were sanctioned to ensure strict adherence to guidelines and to protect Lagosians from sharp practices by financial firms,” the commissioner stated.

He noted that money lending plays an important role in supporting the economy by providing accessible loans to petty traders and small business owners who often face difficulties obtaining credit from conventional banks due to rigid requirements.

“Moneylending business is one of the vital parts of the economy which allows people in the small-scale industry and petty traders to have stress-free access to quick loans to finance their businesses,” he said.

Layode explained that the Ministry of Home Affairs oversees the processing of applications, issuance and renewal of operational licences for money lenders in Lagos State, while also monitoring their activities to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.

He added that the ministry regularly organises stakeholder engagements and training sessions aimed at exposing operators to international best practices and improving professionalism in the sector.

“We also conduct stakeholders’ forums for moneylender operators in order to bring them up to speed on the latest world best practices,” he said.

The commissioner further revealed that the ministry collaborates with federal regulatory bodies, including the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, and the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering, SCUML, to strengthen oversight and ensure compliance with financial regulations.

Layode said the government also profiles and monitors licensed money lending firms to protect residents from fraudulent operators and questionable business activities.

“In addition, the Ministry registers, profiles and monitors the viability of such companies with a view to ensuring that while the money lenders are in business, the general public is also protected from being scammed by fraudulent people of questionable characters,” he added.

He maintained that licensed money lenders have continued to support the growth of micro and small-scale businesses in Lagos by offering alternative sources of funding outside traditional banking institutions.

“This partnership has greatly assisted small-scale business owners in Lagos to keep their petty businesses afloat without having to contend with high interest rates and clauses of the big commercial banks,” Layode said.

The commissioner also disclosed that between 2025 and 2026, the ministry received 112 fresh applications from money lending firms, while 214 existing licences were renewed.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has approved the appointment of Mr Kayode Oyekanmi as the new General Manager of Lagos State Television following the exit of the station’s former General Manager, Mrs Sola Kosoko.

The appointment letter was presented to Oyekanmi by the Lagos State Head of Service, Mr Bode Agoro, during a brief ceremony held at the State Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja.

Speaking at the event, Agoro said the appointment was based on Oyekanmi’s commitment, professionalism, and years of dedicated service within the Lagos State public service system.

He expressed confidence in the new appointee’s ability to reposition the state-owned television station and wished him a productive and successful tenure.

Before his appointment, Oyekanmi served as Director of the Strategy Centre at the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, a role he had occupied since 2022.

A seasoned communications professional, Oyekanmi possesses more than 30 years of experience across both the public and private sectors, with a background in advertising, public relations, media communications, and export services.

He began his career in the Lagos State public service on March 1, 2000, as a Public Affairs Practitioner with the Ministry of Information and Strategy.

An indigene of Isale Eko on Lagos Island, Oyekanmi has received several recognitions for his contributions to journalism and public communication.

Academically, he holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Lagos and a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Education from Lagos State University.

He is also a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.

Beyond his professional career, Oyekanmi is described as an avid reader and lawn tennis enthusiast.

He currently serves as the Charter President of the Lagos State Ministry of Information Toastmasters Club.

Hon. Mohammed Bello Elrufai, son of the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir Elrufai, has demanded that all the constitutional rights of his father, be accorded him.
El-Rufai, who is the member representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, in a press statement pasted on his verified Facebook page, said as a family, they witnessed two distinct yet equally serious attacks on his father’s basic rights.

According to him, their father, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s personal Doctor visited the ICPC at about 3pm to discuss the results of medical tests recently conducted, but officials at the agency blocked the doctor from seeing him, claiming that written permission from the ICPC Chairman was required.

According to him, the refusal flouted a clear court order granting his father unrestricted access to his doctors.

“Second, his wife, Aunty Aichatou, brought his evening meal at around 7pm as she normally does. ICPC personnel turned her away, saying they had orders not to permit food deliveries after 6:30pm, ‘ he wrote.

According to him, the arbitrary rules are outright assaults on the rule of law and a clear violation of their father’s constitutional and human rights.

The statement claimed that no lawful detention justifies denying medical access or refusing basic family care based on an arbitrary curfew fixed by the ICPC.

“We demand that all his constitutional rights be fully respected. We will no longer accept this pattern of intimidation dressed up as protocol,” he said.

According to him, the ICPC must abide by the very laws it claims to enforce.

The 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jigawa State, Mustapha Sule Lamido, has successfully scaled through the party’s screening process ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

Lamido was cleared by the PDP screening committee in Abuja on Thursday ahead of the party’s governorship primary scheduled for May 21.

He emerged as the only aspirant screened for the PDP governorship ticket in Jigawa State, positioning him as the party’s flag bearer to challenge the incumbent governor, Umar Namadi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 2027 general election.

Speaking after the screening exercise, Mustapha Lamido said his decision to contest was driven by the desire to bring positive change to the political landscape of the state and address the needs of the people.

He also expressed concern over the increasing wave of defections among politicians across party lines, which he attributed to a lack of ideological commitment among some political actors.

According to him, the younger generation is determined to transform the country’s political system through purposeful leadership and dedication.

Lamido described the PDP as the only opposition party with strong ideologies capable of addressing the aspirations of ordinary Nigerians.

He further stated that the party secured over 400,000 votes in the previous election and expressed confidence that the PDP would record even better results in the 2027 polls.

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma has met with aspirants from the State under All Progressives Congress, APC, seeking the  party’s tickets for different elective positions.

He urged them  to embrace loyalty, discipline and sacrifice ahead of the primaries taking place from today, May 15, 2026.

Speaking during the meeting  attended by the aspirants and stakeholders of the Party at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Owerri, the Governor described politics as not a lottery but a game of courage, stressing that some people will win while others will lose.

Uzodinma, while warning against being  desperate, urged aspirants to remain committed to the Party before, during and after the primaries.

He noted  that political contest could be akin to a game, warning aspirants to weigh all the risks before going into the contest to avoid using  money meant for their children’s school fees to buy forms.

The Governor added that the Party would adopt Option A4 voting system in the primaries to ensure transparency and avoid accusations of favoritism where consensus did not work.

Uzodinma further advised aspirants and stakeholders to respect equity and rotation formula where such exists in their Communities, and assured that the APC Committee for the conduct of Primaries as well as Appeal Committee have also been set up to handle grievances that may arise from the primaries.

He regretted that the number of aspirants to different elective positions were  large, hence the need  in ensuring that the exercise is conducted in a manner that will turn out to be a win win situation for every participant.

In his speech, the State Chairman of the party, Austin Onyedebelu reaffirmed APC’s commitment to unity, reconciliation, and electoral success ahead of 2027 general elections.

He added the State Executive Committee had taken steps to reposition the Party for greater efficiency, unity and progress.

Onyedebelu asserted that he is aware  grievances may arise from the  primaries, maintaining that  reconciliation mechanisms had been put in place to ensure rancor free exercise.