NEWS

The Benin Traditional Council has imposed disciplinary measures on a palace chief, a queen, and other individuals following the unauthorized entry of social media personality Habeeb Hamzat Adelaja, popularly known as Peller, into the Oba of Benin’s palace. The council condemned the incident as a serious violation of palace protocol, noting that the visit disrupted order and undermined the sanctity of the royal institution. According to the council, Adelaja and his entourage gained access without adhering to established procedures, an action that caused embarrassment and tension within the palace. Following a preliminary investigation, a palace chief linked to the incident has been suspended, while a staff member, Mr. Omuemu, has been arrested and charged for facilitating the unlaw...

President Bola Tinubu has directed all service chiefs to move to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, following the recent surge terrorist attacks in the state. Tinubu made this known in a statement he personally signed and made available to reporters on Tuesday, following the Monday bomb attacks that claimed the lives of at least 23 people. Recall that multiple suicide bombings by suspected Boko Haram members were recorded in the state on Monday. The President, who commiserated with the Borno people over recent terror strikes, assured that the Nigerian military is winning the war against the insurgents. He revealed that during a security meeting with leaders of security and intelligence agencies last week, he approved additional equipment and operational support to enhance thei...

The Nigerian Railway Corporation has confirmed that 26 passengers and crew members were injured to varying degrees following a train incident on the Abuja–Kaduna rail corridor on Monday, March 16. Nigeria Security Updates In a statement issued on Tuesday via his X handle, the Managing Director of the NRC, Kayode Opeifa, said the incident occurred at about 9:16 a.m. near Asham Station when a loud bang was heard as part of the train formation collided. According to him, the Kaduna–Abuja service (KA-2) departed Rigassa Station at 7:15 a.m. and arrived Jere Station one minute ahead of schedule at 8:52 a.m. “The train departed Jere at 8:59 a.m., six minutes behind schedule due to the coupling of locomotive 2809 to the rake to create more resilience,” he said. Opeifa explained tha...

Vice President Kashim Shettima, and former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan arrived at Chinua Achebe Airport on Tuesday to attend the second-term inauguration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo. A video shared by Anambra State New Media confirmed that the dignitaries had landed at the airport. “Vice President Kashim Shetimma and Former President Olusegun Obasanjo arrive at Chinua Achebe Airport, Umueri, for Soludo’s second-term inauguration. “Former President Goodluck Jonathan arrives at Chinua Achebe Airport, Umueri, for Soludo’s second term,” the media revealed. It was earlier reported that Vice President Shettima, former Presidents Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, were expected in Anambra State for the ceremony. Se...

At least 23 persons were killed and 108 others injured during multiple suicide bomb attacks in Maiduguri on Monday evening, according to the Borno State Police Command. The explosions suspected to have been carried out by Boko Haram suicide militants, targeted crowded locations. These included the Monday Market, the main gate of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), and the Post Office Flyover. However, sources within the metropolis put the death toll higher, claiming that more than 40 people, including the attackers, may have died, as some of the injured reportedly succumbed to their wounds while receiving treatment. In a statement issued in the early hours of Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Kenneth Daso, said the blasts occurred at about 7:24...

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday departed Abuja for a state visit to the United Kingdom, the first by a Nigerian leader in 37 years. The Airbus A330 conveying the President and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, left the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at approximately 10:00 am, PUNCH Online gathered. A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Monday disclosed that the President and the First Lady would be guests of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle from March 18 to 19. President Tinubu is also the first Nigerian leader to be hosted by the British monarch at Windsor Castle. Physically Challenged Lagos Lawyer Recounts Journey from Street Begging to Legal Practice 0:00 / 0:00 “Nigeria an...

The Edo state government has ordered the arrest and prosecution of all students of Igbinedion Education Centre captured in a viral video b#llying and ass@ulting a fellow student.  The state Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua, made this known during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, March 16. He stated that the government took immediate action after seeing the video, which showed students allegedly bullying a fellow student. He said the incident had raised serious concerns among parents and well-meaning Nigerians about discipline in schools and the conduct of students. Nigeria Security Updates “It is quite disturbing. When we heard the news and saw the clips of the video, we were wondering what could have warranted such behaviour. There will be n...

An Afghan man di£d in a Texas hospital less than a day after being taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, the agency said on Sunday, March 15, prompting calls for an investigation. Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, worked alongside US Army Special Forces in Afghanistan and was evacuated in 2021 to the United States where his asylum case remains “pending”, according to AfghanEvac, a group that helped resettle Afghans in the United States. ICE said Paktyawal was arrested in a targeted enforcement action on Friday, March 13, and was taken to Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas when he complained of shortness of breath and chest pains. “Early March 14, Paktyawal was eating breakfast when medical staff noted that his tongue had become swollen, prompting a medical res...

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it has begun “limited and targeted ground operations” in southern Lebanon as clashes with Hezbollah intensify around the strategic town of Khiam. According to the Israeli military, troops from the 91st Division have moved into areas near the border in recent days to strike Hezbollah positions and infrastructure. The army said the operations are aimed at strengthening Israel’s forward defensive line and preventing further attacks from across the border. Reports from the region say at least three air strikes hit Khiam on Monday. Additional Israeli raids were also reported in several nearby towns in southern Lebanon, including Yater, Burj Qalawiya, Sultaniya, Chaqra, Qantara and as-Sawana. There were no immediate reports of casualties from some of th...

Iran has warned additional countries against entering the growing conflict with the United States and Israel, cautioning that foreign military involvement could further escalate the war centered around the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The warning came after Donald Trump urged several global powers to deploy naval forces to escort oil tankers through the narrow waterway, which connects major Gulf oil exporters to global markets. Global energy prices have surged since Iran responded to the ongoing U.S.–Israeli campaign by threatening ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments move through the strategic passage. Trump on Saturday called on “China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK and others” to send ships to escort tankers through the ...