Nairaroot Blog

At the Vatican’s annual ‘lunch for the poor’ on Sunday, November 16, 48 transgender women were seated away from Pope Leo XIV, a shift from the personal access they enjoyed under Pope Francis in previous years.

The women, many from Torvaianica near Rome, had twice been welcomed at Francis’s head table in 2023 and 2024. This year, they were scattered at separate tables across Paul VI Hall, where over 1,300 guests including migrants, homeless people, and low-income families attended.

Italian trans author Alessia Nobile said she handed the new pope a letter on behalf of the trans community but only received a smile. Many others were unable to meet him at all.

Vatican organizers, including Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, insisted the seating was random, noting the trans women arrived late and emphasizing that no slight was intended. He said the church remains open to all and warned against reading too much into the seating arrangement.

Despite some disappointment, members of the community, like Marcella Di Marco, expressed hope. She said the Pope’s approach may differ from Francis’s, but the door Francis opened has not been closed, and the church’s heart remains open to marginalized groups.

Four people lost their lives when a Hilux van plunged into the Ososa River along the Sagamu-Ijebu Ode expressway on Saturday night, November 15, 2025.

The Ogun State FRSC Sector Commander, Akinwunmi Fasakin, confirmed that six people were in the vehicle at the time of the accident. Two passengers managed to swim to safety, while the remaining four sadly drowned.

Local divers assisted in the recovery of the victims, whose bodies have been deposited at a morgue in Ijebu-Ode. The vehicle was also successfully retrieved from the river.

Commander Fasakin used the incident to urge motorists to drive cautiously and adhere to road safety rules to prevent such tragedies.

This heartbreaking event serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance and safe driving on Nigerian roads. 🙏🛣️

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has dismissed circulating reports claiming that Nigerian Navy officer Lt. Ahmed Yerima narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Abuja. Authorities described the story as false, misleading, and unverified.

The rumour—widely shared by some news platforms and social media users—alleged that Yerima was chased by unknown men dressed in black and riding in two unmarked Hilux vehicles without number plates. The supposed pursuit was said to have started around 6:30 p.m. at the NIPCO filling station along the Kubwa Expressway and continued through Gado Nasco Way, with the officer allegedly escaping through a “strategic manoeuvre.”

The claims sparked speculation, especially because of Yerima’s recent public confrontation with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over a disputed land in the Gaduwa District. Viral videos had shown a heated exchange between both men, drawing national attention.

However, in a statement issued Sunday night, FCT Police spokesperson SP Josephine Adeh stated that no such attack was reported or recorded anywhere in the territory.

She said,
“The public is advised to ignore this false report and avoid spreading unverified claims that may cause unnecessary tension.”

Residents were urged to remain alert and report suspicious activity to security agencies.

Meanwhile, Minister of Defence Mohammed Abubakar assured the public that no military officer performing lawful duties would be unfairly sanctioned, reinforcing support for personnel caught in the viral confrontation.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has released deployment information for 2025 Batch C prospective corps members (PCMs), confirming that call-up letters are now available. The announcement was made on the scheme’s official X handle on Monday.

According to the NYSC, some corps members assigned to Lagos will now undergo orientation in neighbouring states, including Ekiti, Kwara, Ondo, Ogun, and Osun, while some posted to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will attend camps in Kaduna, Niger, and Nasarawa. This is due to camp capacity limitations, as only about 40% of registered PCMs can be accommodated in their original orientation locations.

The NYSC also issued a travel advisory, warning PCMs not to travel at night to orientation camps for safety reasons.

Registration for the 2025 Batch C stream opened on November 4 and closed on November 9 for both locally and foreign-trained graduates. The mobilisation timetable indicates that pre-camp physical verification for foreign-trained graduates was scheduled from November 9–13, while ICT processing ran from November 12–15.

Corps-producing institutions are expected to facilitate both online printing and physical distribution of deployment and call-up letters between November 16–18, allowing PCMs to access and print their letters before orientation begins.

Prospective corps members are encouraged to check their call-up letters and plan their travel arrangements accordingly to ensure a smooth start to the NYSC programme.