NEWS

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested members of a criminal gang connected to an attack on the convoy of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, with two suspects losing their lives during a gun battle with security operatives. The police described the operation as a significant breakthrough in their ongoing efforts to eliminate criminal activities and safeguard lives and property across the state. According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, acting on credible intelligence, laid an ambush for a five-man gang at the Enugwu Agidi junction. Ikenga said the suspects, believed to be armed robbers and cultists with alleged links to a proscribed secessionist group, engage...

An Abuja High Court on Thursday struck out the criminal charges filed by the Federal Government against the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, effectively ending a closely watched legal case that generated widespread national debate. Court documents revealed that the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation submitted a Notice of Discontinuance, leading the court to formally dismiss the criminal defamation and related charges earlier brought against the lawmaker. The case, which drew significant public attention, arose from comments Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly made during a televised interview. Her prosecution had sparked intense discussions around freedom of expression, political accountability and the proper use of prosecutorial authority in a democrat...

Students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, who were earlier arrested and remanded at the Ubiaja Correctional Centre following a recent protest, have been released along with other detainees. Their release was announced on Thursday in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, Patrick Ebojele. The students were among 52 individuals remanded by a Benin High Court on charges related to malicious damage and armed robbery. They had been arrested after a peaceful protest against insecurity in Ekpoma last Saturday was reportedly hijacked by hoodlums, leading to violence. According to reports, the protest was taken over by miscreants who attacked traders, set tyres on fire, and blocked major roads—incidents that were widely circulated on ...

U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that Ukraine, rather than Russia, is slowing progress toward a peace agreement to end the war, a view that contrasts sharply with the position of many European allies who believe Moscow has little interest in ending the conflict. In an exclusive interview with Reuters at the Oval Office, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to bring the nearly four-year war to an end, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy remains reluctant. “I think he’s ready to make a deal,” Trump said of Putin. “I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal.” Asked why U.S.-brokered talks have yet to end the largest land war in Europe since World War II, Trump responded bluntly: “Zelenskiy.” The comments reflect renewed frustration with the Ukr...

The Federal Ministry of Works has proposed spending over ₦500 million on various empowerment and awareness programmes, including training for hairdressers and make-up artists, distribution of grinding machines, motorcycles and mini-vans, as well as anti-drug abuse campaigns across selected states. The proposed expenditures are contained in the 2026 Appropriation Bill published on the Budget Office website and reviewed on Thursday. A breakdown of the budget shows that the projects are spread across different geopolitical zones. Under budget item code ERGP 12234747, the ministry plans to spend ₦35 million to provide grinding machines to women in Ndokwa/Ukwani Federal Constituency in the South-South. Another ₦35 million is earmarked for training and empowering women in hairdressin...

The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have formally signed a new agreement after 16 years of negotiations. A major highlight of the agreement is the review of the remuneration package of academic staff in federal tertiary institutions, as approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, with effect from January 1, 2026.  Under the new deal, the emoluments of university academics will be reviewed upward by 40 per cent to enhance morale, improve service delivery, boost global competitiveness and curb brain drain.  The new salary structure will comprise the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary (CONUASS) and the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA).   A defining feature of the new agre...

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has congratulated Justice Joseph Oyewole on his appointment to the Supreme Court, describing the promotion as well-deserved and a proud moment for the state. The congratulatory message was contained in a statement released on Thursday by the Governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, in which Adeleke also praised Justice Oyewole’s character and his distinguished record in the administration of justice. “I heartily congratulate Hon. Justice Joseph Olubunmi Kayode Oyewole on his appointment to the bench of the Supreme Court,” the governor said. “Hon. Justice Oyewole embodies integrity, and his dedication to justice is unparalleled,” Adeleke added. The governor highlighted that the elevation reflects Justice Oyewole’s long-standing commitment t...

A fatal road accident occurred on Wednesday in Lagos when an empty petrol tanker ran into a commercial motorcycle, killing both the rider and his passenger at Pokia Junction, inward Araga, along the Epe–Ijebu Road in Epe. The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority arrested the tanker driver and handed him over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation. Confirming the incident, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said preliminary security reports indicated that the commercial motorcyclist was conveying a male passenger while driving against traffic on a prohibited one-way route, in violation of existing traffic regulations. He explained that the motorcycle was struck by the speeding tanker, leading to a fatal outcome. LASTMA officials were said to have ...