NEWS

The Federal Government under the administration of President Bola Tinubu has approved and disbursed ₦39.63 billion to settle outstanding pension liabilities owed to 24,814 eligible retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS). The payment was confirmed in a statement issued on Friday by the Federal Ministry of Finance. The beneficiaries include pensioners of the defunct Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTEL), Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Assurance Bank, NICON Insurance and the defunct People’s Bank of Nigeria. According to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, the payment reflects the government's commitment to improving the welfare of retired public servants and ensuring they rec...

The Oyo State Government has refuted allegations made by social critic, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), that it paid ransom to secure the release of pupils and teachers abducted by bandits in Oriire Local Government Area, describing the claim as false, misleading and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public. In a statement released on Friday, July 3 and signed by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, the state government described the claim as “far from the truth” and a deliberate attempt by “irresponsible bloggers” to create confusion and misinform the public. Oyelade explained that although both the Oyo state and federal governments have been making concerted efforts to secure the safe release of the abducted children and their teachers, no...

The body of Iran's supreme leader, killed in US-Israeli strikes that triggered the Middle East war, has arrived at Tehran's Grand Mosalla ahead of his funeral. Millions of people and a coterie of foreign dignitaries are expected to attend the official ceremony for Ali Khamenei, with Iran's chief negotiator calling for a massive turnout to avenge his death. Mourners carried Khamenei's coffin, emblazoned with Iran's tricolour flag, into the Grand Mosalla, one of the Islamic republic's most important ceremonial venues. Crowds at a pre-funeral ceremony clad in black gathered as the coffin was set down against a backdrop of red flowers and white decorations hanging in the air. Ahmad Vahidi, head of the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of the military, made his first appearance...

Man takes refuge inside a police station after allegedly st@bbing another man to de@th in Computer village, Lagos Pandemonium broke out at Computer village in Ikeja, Lagos state today July 3 after a f!ght between two men resulted in the de@th of one of them. The cause of the fight is yet to be ascertained but eyewitnesses claim during the f!ght, one of the men st@bbed the other on the neck which led to his de@th. Afraid of being lynched to de@th by a mob that was already gathering, the accused fled into the police station located in the market where gadgets and all tech items are being sold. The spokesperson of the state police command, SP Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the incident

The Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has announced a revision of the 2025/2026 academic calendar for public primary and secondary schools across the state, confirming that schools will resume on July 6 for the continuation of the current academic session. The adjustment was contained in a circular dated July 2, 2026, and signed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs. B.T. Oyinloye. According to the circular, “schools are to resume on Monday, July 6, 2026, for the continuation of the academic session.” The ministry stated that the resumed academic term “will run for six weeks, ending on Friday, August 14, 2026.” So This Happened (EP 408) reviews: Court nullifies NDC registration 0:00 / 0:00 Under the revised calendar, students and teachers w...

The Director of the Abuja School of Social Thought and Politics, Sam Amadi, has called for a review of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, arguing that it has outlived its original purpose and should be suspended in areas facing serious security challenges. Speaking during an interview on Arise Television's Morning Show, Amadi said the programme, which was established to promote national unity, has become less effective due to changing realities in the country. According to him, many influential Nigerians now seek preferential postings for their children to major cities such as Abuja and Lagos, undermining the scheme's core objective of fostering national integration. Amadi also expressed concern over the safety of corps members, citing incidents in which participants ...

The Adamawa State Government has relocated 12 National Examination Council (NECO) examination centres to safer locations following rising security concerns across parts of the North-East. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Development, Hajiya Aisha Mohammed Umar, said the decision was prompted by the recent abduction of students and teachers in neighbouring Borno State on June 29, 2026. According to Umar, the relocation is a precautionary measure aimed at safeguarding candidates, teachers, invigilators, supervisors, and NECO officials while ensuring the uninterrupted conduct of the ongoing examinations. She explained that the directive would remain in effect until security conditions improve. Affected Schools and New Examination Centres Governmen...

The United States of America says it has withdrawn most of its forces deployed to Nigeria for a joint counterterrorism operation in the Lake Chad Basin. The Commander of US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, disclosed this during a press briefing on the outcome of the African Chiefs of Defence Conference 2026. Recall that on December 25, 2025, the US carried out air strikes on two terrorist enclaves in the Bauni Forest in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State. Also, in February, the United States deployed about 200 military personnel to Nigeria to support intelligence, surveillance and counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin in the fight against ISIS and other terrorist groups operating in the region. The partnership...

Another batch of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa amid ongoing attacks targeting black migrants has arrived safely in Lagos. The returnees landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport aboard an evacuation flight coordinated by the Federal Government. The latest arrivals constitute the fourth group of returnees from South Africa, although it is the government's third official repatriation flight. According to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the first batch of evacuees arrived on June 11 aboard an Air Peace flight, while logistical challenges delayed the second operation. As a result, 66 Nigerians were flown home on June 25 through an intervention by ValueJet Chairman and CEO, Kunle Soname. The ministry said its second official ...

The Benin Monarch, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, has placed a spiritual curse on k!dnappers, armed robbers, and all persons planning to commit evil in his kingdom and across Edo State. Oba Ewuare II invoked the curse through priests and priestesses of all shrines, the Ewaise (traditional physicians), the Iwebo society, and Aiyelala. The spiritual exercise began with a procession from the Oba’s Palace and peaked at the palace’s main entrance in Benin City. The participants were dressed in ceremonial regalia and carried traditional spiritual objects. They poured libations, performed propitiatory rites and invoked ancestral spirits to bear witness against those responsible for acts of v!olence and those collaborating with them in any part of the state. ...