NEWS

Suspected members of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists on Thursday evening stormed Kautikari village in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State. Many fleeing residents, who spoke to Vanguard, said the insurgents are currently shooting sporadically and setting residential buildings ablaze as people flee into the bush for safety. The terrorists stormed Kautikari, the Christian-dominated community, at about 6 p.m. and killed the commanding officer of Hunters, Mallam Bumto, who had just arrived from Lagos State a day before the incident. The assailants also killed Johanna Peter, whose wedding was slated for Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Kautikari Church, alongside several other residents. The attack also led to the displacement of the community, with looting of foodstuffs and livestock...

The Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri on Thursday raised the alarm over a break-in at St. Mulumba Parish, Wetheral Road, Owerri, during which a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament was stolen. The Archdiocesan Chancellor/Secretary, Rev. Fr. Patrick C. Mbarah, disclosed this in a letter addressed to priests, religious and the laity of the Owerri Archdiocese. He described the incident as a desecration of the chapel and directed members to observe a one-week prayer of reparation. According to him, yet-to-be-identified persons took advantage of the rain in the early hours of Wednesday, April 29, 2026, to carry out the act. Mbarah said the perpetrators opened parts of the roof, gained access to the Chapel of Adoration through the ceiling, and made away with the monstrance co...

A Nigerian migrant who r@ped a young woman in Wrexham has been jailed. Gift Oladele, of the Manchester area and currently of no fixed abode, violently attacked the 19-year-old victim as she walked home following a night out with friends. Oladele introduced himself to the victim and her friend in the city centre in the early hours of September 7 last year. He insisted on walking her home, claiming he was heading in the same direction. As they walked alone towards Mold Road, he r@ped her on an isolated footpath. Following the attack, he warned her not to report the incident to the police. Oladele was arrested hours later and subsequently charged and remanded into custody following a thorough investigation. He denied r@pe and s£xual ass@ult, claiming the victim had conse...

In a written message delivered on Thursday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei declared that the United States has suffered a "disgraceful defeat" in its recent military campaign against Iran.  The message, which was broadcast on state television, marks a defiant stance as the region enters what Khamenei described as a "new chapter" for the Persian Gulf and the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Khamenei’s assessment comes exactly two months after the initiation of what he termed the "largest military deployment and aggression by the world’s bullies in the region." He asserted that Washington’s strategic objectives have failed, despite the intense naval and aerial operations conducted over the past several weeks. The Supreme Leader's remarks follow a series of high-sta...

President Bola Tinubu has nominated Joseph Tegbe as Minister of Power, subject to confirmation by the Senate. This was contained in a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday. “His nomination is expected to strengthen further ongoing efforts to reform the power sector, enhance grid stability, and attract sustainable investment in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda,” the statement read. The nomination, which has been transmitted to the Senate for screening, follows the resignation of former minister Adebayo Adelabu, who stepped down to pursue elective office. Tegbe, an indigene of Oyo State, is a fiscal and economic reform expert with over three decades of experience across the public and private sectors. He pre...

U.S. congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said it is possible that the United States has already had a gay president, questioning common assumptions about the nation’s political past. Speaking with reporters on Capitol Hill, she responded to a question about whether the country would first elect a woman or an openly gay president by challenging the premise, noting it assumes no former president may have had same-sex attraction. Although she did not mention any specific names, her comments align with long-standing discussions about Abraham Lincoln. Some historians have referenced Lincoln’s close bond with Joshua Speed in debates about his personal life. The subject has also been explored in works like Lover of Men: The Untold History of Abraham Lincoln, which examines claims ...

The federal government has raised fresh concerns over Nigeria’s worsening education crisis, disclosing that approximately 15 million children are currently out of school.  The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, revealed the figure at the 2026 Basic Education in Nigeria Bootcamp in Jos, Plateau State, where he emphasized that accurate data is the backbone of effective reform.To address the gap, the ministry is expanding the Digital National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) and accelerating the rollout of the Learner Identification Number (LIN) to track students in real time. Dr. Alausa noted that nearly one million out-of-school children have already been mapped for reintegration into formal schools or alternative learning pathways.“Reliable data remains t...

U.S. President Donald Trump has hinted that the ongoing conflicts involving Ukraine and Iran could be resolved within a comparable timeframe, following a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Describing the conversation as “frank and businesslike,” Trump indicated that progress may soon be made in ending the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war, while also touching on tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme. During the discussion, Trump reportedly suggested a limited ceasefire in Ukraine. In response, Putin is said to have proposed a temporary halt in fighting to align with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9. Trump expressed confidence that a resolution could come quickly, adding that he believes Putin has long been willing to strike a deal but was prev...

A member of staff at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, in Lagos, Frank Omorojie, returned a lost purse containing cash and important travel documents to its owner at the departure hall of Terminal 2. The incident occurred on Wednesday, April 29, at the Rwanda Air check-in area, where Omorojie reportedly discovered the misplaced item. The purse contained $1,700, a Nigerian and British passport, as well as a credit card. Omorojie reported the recovered item to Aviation Security, AVSEC, personnel without hesitation. Following standard airport procedures, the recovered belongings were properly documented and transferred to the Customer Service unit, which quickly made a public announcement to locate the owner. A Nigerian passenger scheduled to travel to...

A grand jury has indicted Susan Hutson, the sheriff of Orleans Parish, following an investigation into the dramatic escape of 10 inmates from a jail in New Orleans. According to reports by the New York Post, Hutson is not accused of directly assisting the inmates in their escape. The prisoners reportedly broke out through a hole behind a toilet, triggering a weeks-long manhunt before all were eventually recaptured. However, Liz Murrill stated that a state investigation found the escape was largely due to poor oversight and mismanagement within the sheriff’s office. The grand jury issued a 30-count indictment against Hutson, including charges of malfeasance, obstruction of justice, and falsification of public records. Authorities say her failure to meet basic legal obligations...