NEWS

A Qatar Airways flight carrying 248 passengers and 12 crew members made an emergency landing at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Friday night after experiencing a technical fault mid-flight. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed in a statement by Permanent Secretary Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu that the aircraft encountered problems while in Nigerian airspace, prompting distress alerts and an immediate emergency response. LASEMA activated its emergency response plan through its 767/112 toll-free lines and deployed teams to the scene. The agency praised the pilot’s professionalism in safely landing the plane, noting that swift, coordinated efforts prevented a potential aviation disaster. “Upon arrival, our team found that the aircraft had alread...

The Nigerian Army has recorded a major peace breakthrough in Cross River State following the voluntary surrender of scores of militants in Akpabuyo Local Government Area under the state government’s amnesty programme. Headquarters 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the militants emerged from their hideouts in the early hours of January 16, 2026, and laid down their arms at Atimbo Rear Area, Operation OKWOK, in Akpabuyo LGA. The statement was signed by Major Yemi Sokoya, Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Headquarters 13 Brigade, Nigerian Army. According to the Army, the militants came from two different camps. The first group, led by ThankGod Ebikontei, also known as Ayibanuagha, presented 39 fighters for the amnesty programm...

The Federal Government has banned the mining of sand within a 10 kilometer radius of River Niger. This id aimed at protecting the first and second Niger bridges. The Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi disclosed this on Friday, Jan. 16, in Asaba,  during the commissioning of the Second Niger Bridge Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras Monitoring Centre. He said  the decision was taken by the Federal Executive Council as part of efforts to protect critical federal infrastructure across the country. According to him, tolling on the second Niger bridge will not begin until all access roads at Anambra and Delta sections are completed. He added that the CCTV monitoring centre was to ensure adequate security along the federal highway. “The toll...

Former Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema has been accused in a lawsuit of having an affair with her former bodyguard, an alleged relationship that reportedly led to the breakdown of his marriage. The suit, filed in North Carolina by Heather Ammel, claims Sinema deliberately interfered in her marriage to Matthew Ammel, a retired U.S. Army veteran who joined Sinema’s Senate security team in April 2022. According to the filing, Ammel frequently accompanied the senator on domestic and international trips and attended multiple concerts with her. Heather Ammel alleges she discovered early in 2024 that Sinema and her husband were exchanging intimate messages via an encrypted messaging app. The lawsuit further claims Sinema provided financial and professional support to Matthew, including cover...

Bayero University, Kano (BUK), has dismissed sixty (60) students across different academic departments after they were implicated in examination malpractice. The decision was taken by the university’s Senate during its 43rd statutory meeting held on January 7, 2026, after considering findings and recommendations submitted by relevant academic and disciplinary bodies. The development was disclosed in an official announcement posted on the university’s Facebook media platform on Friday. According to the statement, investigations revealed that the affected students were involved in various acts that contravened the institution’s examination policies. “After reviewing the cases, the Senate approved the expulsion of the students in accordance with the university’s examination regula...

The Zamfara State Government has announced that the ongoing renovation and upgrade of the Sardauna Memorial Stadium in Gusau is about 90 per cent complete, with the facility expected to be ready for use by February. Naija News reports that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Haruna Dikko, made the disclosure on Friday during an inspection of the project site alongside other ministry officials. Addressing journalists after the visit, Dikko expressed satisfaction with both the quality and speed of work, assuring residents that the project would be delivered on schedule. He noted that the stadium was in a poor and abandoned condition when Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration assumed office in 2023, prompting the decision to rehabilitate and modernise...

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has relieved Collins Aigbogun of his duties as Special Adviser on Youth Mobilisation following his arrest and detention by the police. Naija News reports that the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Musa Ikhilor, confirmed the dismissal in a statement issued on Friday. Aigbogun’s removal is connected to ongoing investigations into the violent anti-kidnapping protest in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area, which later degenerated into unrest. The former aide was arrested as part of a probe ordered by the governor to establish the circumstances surrounding the protest. At the time his appointment was terminated, Aigbogun was still in police custody. Subsequently, Governor Okpebholo appointed Christopher Udobor Iyase as the new Special...

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has pledged continued support for the family of his late Special Adviser on Arewa Matters, Alhaji Danjuma Garba. During a condolence visit in Benin City, the governor described Garba as a dedicated public servant whose contributions promoted peace, unity and development across Edo State. He said the state would preserve the values he stood for and announced that the government would cater for the education of his children. The Arewa community, led by Alhaji Badamasi Saleh, thanked the governor for his support and reaffirmed their loyalty to the administration.

Two teenagers, who were best friends according to their relatives, have di£d after a sand hole they were digging at a Florida park collapsed and buried them for more than an hour, authorities said. The incident occurred at Sportsman Park in Inverness, Florida, according to the Citrus County Sheriff's Office. "Our hearts are with both families as they grieve the tremendous loss of their sons. We hope the community will continue to respect their privacy and unite in remembering and celebrating both boys," the sheriff's office said in a statement. The two 14-year-olds were identified on Wednesday,  Jan. 14, as George Watts and Derrick Hubbard, the Florida District 8 and District 5 Medical Examiners' offices told ABC News. The boys were playing in the park on Sunday, J...

The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has announced that the next local government elections in the state will hold in January 2027. According to Naija News, the commission has fixed Saturday, January 16, 2027, for the polls, which will be conducted across all polling units in the state’s 33 local government areas. Voting on election day is scheduled to commence at 8:00 a.m. and close at 3:00 p.m. The decision was reached during OYSIEC’s first management meeting held at its headquarters in Agodi, Ibadan. The meeting was chaired by the commission’s chairman, Dr. Babatunde Afees Adeniyi, and centred on planning strategies for the successful conduct of the council elections. OYSIEC disclosed that political campaigns will officially end at midnight on Friday, Janu...