NEWS

The Senate has debunked claims that it voted against the electronic transmission of election results while considering the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill. Senate President Godswill Akpabio clarified the issue shortly after the upper chamber passed the bill following an extended plenary session that lasted over four hours. Debate on the controversial amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, began in the afternoon and ran into the evening, sparking widespread speculation on social media about the outcome. Reports circulating online suggested that lawmakers had rejected a proposal that would mandate presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission to transmit polling unit results electronically to the INEC Result Viewing portal in real time after signing and stamping...

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted nine family members, including a nursing mother and six children in Edo State.  The victims were reportedly abducted at Eko-Abeku-Iyowa road, within the Evboneka community along the Benin-Akure road, at about 5 pm while returning from school, on Monday, February 2, 2026. The head of the family, Festus Bamidele, said the abductors released the nursing mother and her small baby after a heavy rainfall on the fateful day. He said the family learnt about the incident when the nursing mother and the baby got home. He further disclosed that three other victims of pre-kindergarten classes were later rescued by vigilante men and police operatives at the Evboneka Community. Bamidele explained that four others, who are between the ag...

Russia has expelled a German diplomat in a tit-for-tat response to Berlin’s decision to remove a Russian official accused of espionage in January. In a statement on Thursday, Russia’s foreign ministry announced the expulsion, rejecting Germany’s spying allegations as baseless and describing them as a deliberate provocation. Moscow insisted that the Russian diplomat did not engage in espionage and accused Berlin of exploiting the claims to damage bilateral relations. According to reports, German authorities arrested a Russian diplomatic official on January 21, 2026, on suspicion of spying and expelled the individual the following day. The diplomat was alleged to have collected information on drones intended for Ukraine during political events in Germany. German Foreign Minister Joh...

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has reaffirmed its preparedness for the 2027 general election. The electoral body noted this was done despite the delays surrounding the passage of the amended Electoral Act currently before the National Assembly. The Commission disclosed that it has already concluded work on the election timetable and schedule of activities, confirming it now awaiting legislative action on the proposed amendments. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made this known on Wednesday in Abuja during an engagement with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). He explained that although INEC has forwarded its recommendations to lawmakers, the timing of the Electoral Act’s amendment could still affect certain aspects of the election schedule. Accordin...

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Joseph Daudu and Counsel to the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has said at the Federal High Court in Abuja that Bello’s trial in the alleged N80.2bn alleged fraud was political and not justified. He stated this on Wednesday at the ongoing money laundering case instituted against Bello by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC. Daudu’s clarification followed the remarks in the open court by EFCC Counsel, Kemi Pinheiro SAN that what happened in the mode of payments by Local Government Areas in Kogi State was stealing by disguise. He said this just as the Seventh Prosecution Witness, Olomotane Egoro, a Compliance Officer with Access Bank, admitted in court that the former governor did not serve as local governmen...

The 16th Emir of Kano, His Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II, has attributed the rising incidence of child marriage in Northern Nigeria to the shortage of schools and weak educational infrastructure in the region. Sanusi made the remarks on Wednesday, February 4, during an interview on Channels Television. According to the former Central Bank governor, although Nigeria’s constitution guarantees every child the right to education, poor enforcement and the absence of adequate school facilities have made this right largely ineffective in many northern communities. He noted that public discussions often focus on condemning child marriage, while ignoring the structural factors that push families into such decisions. “We talk about child marriage, but in some parts of the North, you find ...

Manchester City coach, Pep Guardiola has criticised US President Donald Trump over unlawful k!llings by ICE agents. In a remarkable press conference, the City boss criticised the Trump administration after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis, having earlier had his say on the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan. 'Look what happened in the United States of America, Renee Good and (intensive care nurse) Alex Pretti have been killed,' the 55-year-old said when asked what was behind his decision to speak up on political issues. 'Imagine the NHS, five six people around him, go on the grass and 10 shots. Tell me how you can defend that?' City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak was the United Arab Emirates' representative on Trump's newly formed Board of Pea...

The United States and Iran are set to hold talks in Oman on Friday, February 6 as both sides attempt to ease rising tensions, a regional official has said according to a new report by Reuters. The meeting was moved from Turkey at Tehran’s request, with Iran insisting that discussions be limited strictly to its nuclear programme. According to the official, Iran pushed for Oman as the venue to maintain continuity with previous nuclear negotiations held there and to prevent talks from expanding into other contentious areas such as its ballistic missile programme. Tehran has repeatedly described its missile capabilities as a red line and has ruled out any concessions on the issue. Iran has warned that it would deploy its missiles to defend itself if its security comes under threat...

The Department of State Services has arraigned former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and his son, Abdulazeez Malami, on five-count charges of terrorism financing and aiding and abetting terrorism, and illegal possession of firearms. Malami and his son appeared before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja. The former AGF was charged under Count One with “knowingly abetting terrorism financing by refusing to prosecute terrorism financiers whose case files were brought to your office as the Attorney-General of the Federation, for prosecution.” Both Malami and his son were jointly charged under Counts Two to Five for unlawful possession of firearms. They pleaded not guilty to all the charges Following the arraignment, the prosecuting counse...

The Senate has confirmed Hon. Justice Joseph Olubunmi Kayode Oyewole, JCA, as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The confirmation was concluded on Tuesday, February 3, following the presentation and consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters. The report was presented by the committee’s chairman, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire of the All Progressives Congress, representing Ondo Central. Presenting the report, Senator Adegbonmire said: “That the Senate do Receive and Consider the Report of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters on the confirmation of the nomination of Hon. Justice Joseph Olubunmi Kayode Oyewole, JCA, as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.” The confirmation followed a for...