NEWS

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has granted bail to popular social media influencer Blessing Nkiruka Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, but ordered her remand in a correctional facility until she satisfies the bail conditions. Justice D.I. Dipeolu issued the ruling on Tuesday during proceedings in a case filed against the influencer by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over allegations of obtaining money under false pretences and misappropriation of funds. Blessing CEO pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against her. During the hearing, her lawyer, Nneka Nkama, requested that the defendant be allowed to remain in EFCC custody while arrangements were made to meet the bail requirements. However, EFCC counsel, Suleiman Suleiman, opposed the request, inform...

Prominent Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has brushed aside criticism surrounding his visit to Ibadan, Oyo State, in late 2025, insisting that no individual or group can prevent him from travelling to any part of Nigeria. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Gumi argued that his visit had been wrongly politicized and linked to what he described as “dirty local politics” in Nigeria’s South-West region. The cleric faced criticism from some quarters following allegations that his presence in Ibadan was connected to efforts to advance northern Islamic ideologies and promote the Islamisation of Oyo State. Responding to the claims, Gumi maintained that he was not invited by any Muslim organization or individual from the South-West. Instead, he said he attended the event in his capacity as a repre...

Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has disclosed plans to sponsor a bill seeking to introduce a single six-year tenure for presidents and governors after the 2027 general elections. Bamidele said the proposed legislation would be among the first bills he intends to introduce when the next Senate is inaugurated, arguing that it would enable elected leaders to focus on governance rather than re-election campaigns. Speaking during an interview with reporters in his office on Tuesday, the lawmaker said the current two-term arrangement often compels officeholders to devote a significant portion of their first term to political calculations and preparations for re-election. “One of the first set of bills that I look forward to moving, by God’s grace, when we come back for the 11th Senate,...

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will issue official Access Codes to political parties on June 26, 2026, to enable them access the Candidate Nomination Portal ahead of the 2027 general election. The move is expected to end concerns over delays by political parties in making public the names of candidates for various elective positions. INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, disclosed this during the Commission’s 2nd Quarterly Consultative Meeting with leaders of the 22 registered political parties held at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, on Monday. Amupitan said the Commission would issue the Access Codes to all political parties on Friday, June 26, 2026, to enable designated national officers access the portal. According t...

The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration over what he described as excessive borrowing and poor fiscal accountability. Obi said Nigeria’s total public debt has risen to about N200 trillion, which he attributed to what he called “imprudent governance” under the current administration. He said the debt level represents an increase of over N100 trillion in three years, contrasting it with the approximately N49 trillion accumulated during the eight-year administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. The former Labour Party presidential flagbearer in the 2023 election stated this in a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday, saying the situation reflected a lack of accountability and t...

A man has asked Nigerians for help after bandits allegedly started making demands from him. Nigerians were shocked when a number of people left certain inappropriate comments while some young men believed to be bandits went live on TikTok. Some asked the bandits to launch attacks in certain locations. Others indicated interest in joining them and some begged them for money.  Now, one man who claimed he followed the bandits and received free money has now cried out. According to the man, he provided his account number when the bandits were doing a giveaway and received an alert of N100,000. However, he claims that he later got a message from the bandits demanding that he sends them N100 million. He begged Nigerians to take pity on him and come to his aid.   ...

The Oyo State Police Command has revealed that a personal assistant attached to a member of the family of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, allegedly worked in collaboration with kidnappers who abducted his sister and her two children in Ibadan. According to police spokesperson, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, preliminary investigations indicate an insider role in the operation, suggesting that the abduction may have been facilitated by someone close to the family, Guardian reports. The suspect allegedly provided support to the kidnappers during the incident, which led to the abduction of the victims in Ibadan, Oyo State, the Command revealed. Security operatives said investigations are ongoing to track down all individuals connected to the crime. The pol...

U.S. president, Donald Trump was loudly booed during the US national anthem at Madison Square Garden last night, June 8. People were cganting "U-S-A! U-S-A!" when the US president was shown on the jumbo screens ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. Immediately, their chants gave way to deafening jeers. Trump was seen smiling while holding a salute amid the booing. Speaking to reporters as he prepared to depart from JFK airport in New York, he said: “It was, I think, mostly cheers. It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic.”Errol Ismail, a Brooklyn resident and owner of a fitness company, said: "I wish he wasn’t here. He’s not a real fan, and he’s just making things awful. "We’ve w...

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has issued a strong warning to schools and examination supervisors over alleged cases of extortion involving candidates sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). WAEC described the reported practices as illegal and unethical, warning that they could undermine the credibility of the examination process. In a statement released on Monday, the council said it had received complaints that some candidates were being compelled to pay unauthorised fees under various pretexts, including transportation of scripts, welfare contributions, and so-called “cooperation” charges. The body also expressed concern over reports that some schools were charging students for KAPEK calculators already provided free of...

Nollywood actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo has alleged that the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, along with some South-East party leaders, were involved in bribery during the party’s recent primary elections. Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the claims during an interview on Channels Television, stating that a House of Representatives aspirant from Anambra State sent him a distress message alleging irregularities and bribery in the primaries. He alleged that the complainant, identified as Obunike Ohaegbu, who intended to contest for the Nnewi North and Nnewi South Federal Constituency seat, reported being misled during the nomination process. According to Okonkwo, aspirants were initially told th...