₦airaland Forum

Super Eagles fans, everybody is gradually entering camp, but one goalkeeper is still expected to join the party. 😂

Nigeria's national team held its first training session in Uyo on Tuesday ahead of Friday's AFCON qualifier against Madagascar. Twenty-three of the 24 invited players participated, with Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye the only player yet to report.

Before anybody starts shouting that Okoye has abandoned the team, the Super Eagles' media officer explained that he was granted permission to attend to personal and family matters. He is expected to arrive on Thursday, just a day before the match.

Captain Wilfred Ndidi, Samuel Chukwueze and Stanley Nwabali were among the final arrivals before Tuesday's session. Taiwo Awoniyi has also joined the squad after replacing injured Victor Osimhen.

Now comes the real football conversation. With Osimhen unavailable, Eric Chelle must decide which attacking combination to use against Madagascar.

Super Eagles fans, should Awoniyi start immediately, or would you prefer Akor Adams, Tolu Arokodare or George Ilenikhena leading the attack?

And in goal, who should start against Madagascar: Stanley Nwabali, Arthur Okonkwo or Maduka Okoye if he joins the team as expected?

Full details: https://veritapost.com/sports/super-eagles-madagascar-training-23-players-maduka-okoye

The Central Bank of Nigeria has reduced the country's benchmark interest rate from 26.5 per cent to 23 per cent following its September 22 Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

That is a 3.5 percentage-point reduction, but before anybody rushes to the bank expecting cheaper loans, there is something important to understand.

The CBN says the decision is an operational reset intended to bring its benchmark closer to actual financial market conditions. It does not automatically require every commercial bank to reduce the interest charged on existing loans.

Your actual borrowing cost will still depend on the bank, your loan agreement and the type of facility involved.

The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise believes the change could help reduce financing pressures on businesses, but the practical effect will depend on how financial institutions respond.

Now, business owners and people currently servicing bank loans, what interest rate is your bank charging you?

If you have an existing loan, would you expect your bank to review the rate after this announcement, or do you think nothing will change for ordinary borrowers?

Full details: https://veritapost.com/business/cbn-cuts-interest-rate-23-percent-september-2026

Lagos State has launched its 2026 Child Protection Week, a five-day campaign expected to engage more than 1,500 children across the state's six education districts.

The programme is themed "My Silence Ends Here" and focuses on helping children recognise abuse, understand unsafe situations and report concerns.

But the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency has raised an equally important point: telling children to speak up is not enough if the adults responsible for protecting them fail to listen or take appropriate action.

The government is calling on schools, parents and communities to create safer environments and respond responsibly when children report abuse.

Parents, teachers and school administrators, here is the question: If a child reports abuse involving an adult in a position of authority, what safeguards should be in place to ensure that the complaint is properly investigated and the child is protected?

What practical child protection measures do you believe every Nigerian school should have?

Full details: https://veritapost.com/metro/lagos-child-protection-week-2026-1500-children

Who would have thought we would see former President Olusegun Obasanjo sitting down for a playful interview with Isbae U?

The funny part started when Isbae U began testing Baba’s knowledge of internet celebrities.

“Do you know Carter Efe?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you know Poco Lee?”

“I don’t know.”

Then Don Jazzy entered the matter and the reaction was another interesting moment. 😂

Obasanjo basically reminded Nigerians that there are different levels of fame. Someone trending every day online might still be a complete stranger to someone whose world revolves around politics, international relations and national issues.

Then Baba turned the table and asked Isbae U if he knew Queen Elizabeth and King Charles. That was where everybody started laughing because both men were speaking from completely different generations.

The interview was funny, but it also showed how Nigeria has changed. The people who dominate social media today are not always the same people known by previous generations.

Did you watch the interview? Who do you think was more shocked, Obasanjo hearing names like Carter Efe, or Isbae U hearing about Queen Elizabeth? 😂

Full details: https://veritapost.com/entertainment/obasanjo-isbae-u-curiosity-made-me-ask-funny-moments

Something is not adding up in the investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected miners in NSCDC custody in Niger State.

A survivor said approximately 65 detainees were packed inside one poorly ventilated cell. According to him, they struggled to breathe and banged on the door to get the attention of security personnel.

But Governor Umaru Bago gave another account. He said about 67 people were arrested and distributed across three cells. According to him, nobody died in the first two cells, while 37 people died in the overcrowded third cell. Even the governor questioned whether the reported arrest figure was accurate.

So how many people were actually inside the cell where the 37 deaths occurred? Were there detainees already in custody before the miners arrived? What do the original detention records show?

There is also the autopsy issue. Reports that the victims had already been buried raised concerns about the investigation. The governor later said medical samples were collected before some bodies were released, while others remained in the mortuary for further examinations.

Meanwhile, 21 NSCDC officers have been suspended, and a 10-member committee has been given two weeks to investigate. The actual cause of death has still not been conclusively established.

My question is this: If 37 people died inside a government detention facility, shouldn't the authorities be able to establish exactly how many people were held there, when they entered and what happened before the deaths?

What specific evidence would convince you that this investigation has properly established what happened?

Full details: https://veritapost.com/security/37-miners-nscdc-custody-cell-count-autopsy-investigation

Omo, this Jehovah’s Witnesses blood transfusion matter has taken a new turn o! 😳

After decades of restrictions, the organisation announced on September 18, 2026, that members can now personally decide whether to accept four major blood components during medical treatment. These are red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma and platelets.

And it doesn't stop there. Members can also decide whether to donate blood specifically for processing into components or fractions that will be used to treat other people.

But before anybody starts shouting that the entire blood transfusion rule has been cancelled, there is an important catch. The organisation's prohibition on whole-blood transfusions remains unchanged. Members can decide whether to accept individual blood components, but whole-blood transfusions are still prohibited under its religious teaching.

This latest announcement comes just six months after another adjustment allowing members to make personal decisions about the medical use of their own blood.

Now, here is the question: What do you think about the distinction between receiving whole blood and receiving its separate components? Do you think this new position will make treatment decisions easier for Jehovah’s Witness patients and their doctors?

Full details: https://veritapost.com/health/jehovahs-witnesses-blood-components-transfusion-policy-2026