NEWS

July 20, 2026 11:27 am The National Business and Technical Examinations Board on Monday announced the commencement of the 2026 selection and placement of qualified candidates into state and technical colleges nationwide. The Registrar and Chief Executive of NABTEB, Dr Mohammed Aminu, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja. Recall that 15,290 candidates had earlier registered for the entrance examination, while 13,848 candidates eventually sat for the test nationwide. 10,426 candidates, representing 75.29 per cent, obtained scores of 50 per cent and above, while 5,708 candidates, representing 41.22 per cent, scored at least 70 per cent. Aminu said the exercise was a critical stage in the admission process designed to ensure that qualified candidates are fairly and transpar...

President Tinubu has again condemned the Xenophobic attacks in South Africa, saying the country should be reminded that the freedom it currently enjoys is the result of the sacrifices and liberation efforts of African countries, including Nigeria.  GeographicReference Many African nationals have been forced out of South Africa following recent xenophobic attacks, and anti-immigrant protests. While speaking on Sunday in Freetown, Sierra Leone, during the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, the President, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, informed the African leaders that the Nigerian government had “already evacuated over 1490 of its citizens from harm’s way in seven batches and is prepared to engage further on t...

Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has called on authorities to arrest the Director-General of the Budget Office and launch a comprehensive investigation into Nigeria's budgeting process. VDM made the demand in a video shared on his Instagram page while reacting to the arrest of the Director-General of the Project Financial Implementation and Public-Private Partnership Commission (PFIPC), Prince Adeniyi Matthew. According to him, Adeniyi had privately disclosed details about how the PFIPC was allegedly included in the national budget with the support of influential individuals within government. VDM claimed he decided to make the information public because he believes authorities are attempting to make Adeniyi solely responsible for t...

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Kemi Pinheiro, has called on the President-elect of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN), to make restoring unity within the association a top priority as she prepares to assume office. Pinheiro made the appeal in a congratulatory message after Badejo-Okusanya made history by becoming the first woman to be directly elected by NBA members as the association's president. He praised the president-elect for her outstanding leadership qualities, describing her as a legal professional known for excellence, courage, and inclusiveness. He also expressed confidence in her ability to lead Africa's largest legal association successfully. While celebrating her electoral victory, Pinheiro noted that the NBA is currently gr...

Iran’s supreme leader vowed to teach the United States “unforgettable lessons” on Saturday, as Washington reported its first military deaths since renewing its hostilities with the Islamic republic.A month after the foes signed a now-abandoned preliminary deal aimed at ending their war, Tehran struck infrastructure around the Gulf in retaliation for a week of intensifying US attacks, which Iran said had hit an airport, a railway station and bridges.Iran hit an oil facility in Kuwait as well as a power and water plant, authorities in the Gulf state said, while in Bahrain the army said air defences repelled a wave of Iranian attacks.Tehran also launched fresh strikes in Jordan, where the US military’s Central Command said two service members were killed on Friday as they “defended against Ir...

VP Kashim Shettima and Vice President of Sierra Leone, Dr Mohamed Jalloh  On arrival at the Sierra Leone International Airport, Lungi, Shettima was received by the Vice President of Sierra Leone, Dr Mohamed Jalloh, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye. By Salisu Sani-Idris Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Sunday arrived in Lungi, Sierra Leone to participate in the 69th Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State and Government Summit. On arrival at the Sierra Leone International Airport, Lungi, Shettima was received by the Vice President of Sierra Leone, Dr Mohamed Jalloh, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Minist...

Two firefighters are receiving medical treatment after collapsing while battling a fire that engulfed the top floor of a three-storey residential building in the Ketu-Ikosi area of Lagos State. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA)l, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesperson, Olawale Afolabi, who said the incident occurred at about 6:31 a.m. According to Afolabi, the fire broke out in one of two adjoining three-storey residential buildings located at No. 11, Ademola Taiwo Street, Ketu-Ikosi, and was traced to an electrical surge from a prepaid meter. He said emergency responders from LASEMA and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service swiftly mobilised to the scene, successfully containing the blaze before it could spread...

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Moshood Akinwande as President of the Surveyors Council of Nigeria, alongside Olusoji Adeoye and Olaribigbe Shiyanbola as members of the council representing Oyo State. This was confirmed in an appointment letter signed by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Ibrahim Abubakar, on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, a copy of which was obtained by PUNCH Online in Ibadan on Sunday. The letter partly read, “I write with reference to the above subject to forward herewith a copy of Mr President’s approval for the appointment of the President and members of the Surveyors Council of Nigeria and to convey the Secretary to the Government of the Federation’s approval for the inauguration o...

The winners of the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association national elections have been revealed following the conclusion of voting and the release of results by the electoral committee on Sunday. PUNCH Online had earlier reported that Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, emerged as the 33rd President of the association after defeating two other senior lawyers in the presidential election. The Chairman of the ECNBA, Aham Ejelam, SAN, announced the presidential result at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja. Badejo-Okusanya polled 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the total votes cast, to defeat her closest challenger, Lateef Akangbe, SAN, who secured 7,934 votes (30.39 per cent), while Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, garnered 5,855 votes (22.43 per cent). ...

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has expressed confidence that its presidential candidate, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, will defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. The party's National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, made the assertion during an interview with Punch, stating that Makinde possesses the leadership qualities, experience and national appeal needed to emerge victorious at the polls. According to Yusuf, the APM has intensified its grassroots mobilisation nationwide and is witnessing a steady increase in membership following the defection of several prominent political figures to the party. He said Makinde has the capacity, competence and commitment to tackle Nigeria's security challenges, revive the economy and provide effective govern...