NEWS

Nigerian governors remain split on the issue of State Police as insecurity worsens across the nation. While many states are already laying structures for decentralised policing, critics insist Nigeria lacked the safeguards to prevent governors from turning such outfits into instruments of control. Governors of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, Abba Yusuf of Kano State and those of Zamfara, Taraba, Kebbi, Adamawa, Nasarawa and Kwara states argued that state police was the way to go and had started putting measures in place to actualise community policing, Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum and his Sokoto State counterpart, among others, said Nigeria was not matured enough for state police. The development comes amid worsening insurgency, banditry, kidnapp...

A power outage has hit some Lagos communities following a gas tanker explosion that occurred on the Lekki-Epe Expressway on Saturday, March 21. The affected areas are Medallion Company, Sangotedo, Majek, Awoyaya, Eputu, Lakowe, Lasoro, Fidiso to Kolajo, and Elemoro Police Station. Properties worth thousands of naira while two people were reportedly burnt beyond recognition when a gas tanker and a tipper truck collided on the expressway, resulting in a massive explosion on Saturday. The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said that the accident occurred at 02:36 a.m. after an oncoming speeding 20-tonne tipper truck from Epe end rammed from behind into a stationary 30-tonne gas truck that failed to pull over from the highway. It led to a fire spreading to three adjoining warehou...

The Edo State Police Command has announced that all suspects linked to the bullying incident at Igbinedion Education Centre have been apprehended. This comes a week after disturbing footage, which circulated widely on social media, showed the victim being flogged, punched, kicked in the stomach, and stamped on the head and ribs by fellow students. The management of the school has since expelled several students involved in the disturbing act. Authorities in Edo State have confirmed that all the suspects involved in the bullying at the Igbinedion Education Centre have been arrested. The state command, in a statement by its spokesman, Eno Ikoedem, said the arrests were made after investigation, and the suspects would be charged to the family court in accordance with laws ...

Following the assault of several women and female students during a traditional festival in Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, panic has gripped the community, with many students reportedly fleeing over fears of possible fresh attacks. Sunday PUNCH gathered that the development comes in the aftermath of the controversial ‘Alue-Do’ festival, during which viral videos showed young women being chased, stripped and assaulted by groups of youths, sparking nationwide outrage. Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, a student leader in the community disclosed that many female students, still traumatised by the incident, had begun leaving to avoid being caught in further violence. “Most of the female students in the community are scared, especially when they...

The Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, and his counterpart in Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, have finalized plans to compensate the families of 16 hunters killed in Uromi. The development was disclosed on Friday by the Kano State Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Waiya, while presenting relief materials and cash donations from Governor Yusuf to the victims’ families in Bunkure Local Government Area. Waiya revealed that a dedicated account named “Uromi-16” has been created for the disbursement of compensation, adding that all arrangements for payment have now been completed. He explained that earlier delays were due to lapses by the former chairman of the Uromi Committee, Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam. According to him, each of the 16 deceased victims has been allocated ₦300,...

A Nigerian dietitian, Ifeyinwa Chizube Ndulue-Nonso, has been struck off the UK professional register after a tribunal found she falsely claimed expertise across multiple medical specialties to secure a role she was not qualified to perform. Nigerian state updates The decision was made by a panel under the Health and Care Professions Council, following a hearing conducted by the Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service between March 2 and 10, 2026. The tribunal found that Ndulue-Nonso had significantly misrepresented her skills in her application for a Band 6 dietitian position at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, claiming experience in areas such as cancer care, neurology, gastrointestinal conditions, artificial feeding, and complex nutritional management. Ho...

US President Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on NATO allies, calling them “cowards” amid escalating tensions over the Strait of Hormuz crisis. Trump’s remarks come as Iran continues to disrupt shipping through the vital Strait of Hormuz corridor, which carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply. The former US president criticised allied nations for failing to support efforts to secure the route, despite complaining about rising global oil prices. He argued that reopening the strait would be a relatively simple military operation and accused NATO partners of relying too heavily on US intervention without contributing meaningfully. At the same time, Iran’s leadership has issued defiant rhetoric. Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader, reportedly released a ...

The Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) has invited the Acting Chairman of Etsako East Local Government Area in Edo State, Sunday Akiotu, along with three senior council officials over allegations of financial misconduct. Akiotu—who also serves as chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria in Edo State—is being investigated alongside the Director of Finance, Ohiafi Kehinde Andrew; Head of Budget, Planning and Statistics, Otairu Gospel; and Director of Administration and General Services, Ahonsi Charles. According to sources, the probe follows multiple petitions filed by civil society groups, raising concerns about alleged illegal financial transfers and breaches of public finance regulations. The case has reportedly taken on political undertones, with claims that Edo...

Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication has addressed questions bothering on why the president embarked on a state visit to the United Kingdom. Recall that Tinubu had embarked on a two-day state visit to the UK, where he received some diplomatic show of soft power by the UK’s King Charles III. The visit, however, stirred negative reactions from opposition figures, who questioned the importance of the move, especially considering the country’s current challenges. But in a Facebook post on Friday, Bwala pointed out the reasons for the historic visit. He wrote, “Some people are saying, “Why go to the UK?” Look, I hope you all know that you don’t grow and develop Nigeria by sitting at home and waiting. “This visit is about opening...

The Delta State Police Command has arrested five individuals, including a community leader, over allegations of sexual abuse linked to an annual festival in Ozoro. The arrests followed directives from the state Commissioner of Police, Aina Adesola, who ordered a full investigation after disturbing viral videos surfaced showing groups of young men assaulting women during the event. According to reports, the footage captured incidents where women were attacked, their clothes forcibly torn, and subjected to various forms of abuse. Providing an update via X, the Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, identified the community head and alleged organiser as Chief Omorede Sunday. Edafe confirmed that the suspect, along with four others from the Oramudu quarters in Ozoro, has be...