NEWS

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has extended the deadline for its Student Loan Application Portal following a surge in applications nationwide driven by its sensitisation campaign. The decision comes just days after the Fund had reminded applicants that the portal was initially set to close on February 27, 2026. In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, NELFUND said the extension was approved in response to strong feedback and growing participation from students and stakeholders across the country. According to the agency, the additional time will enable all eligible students to complete their applications, pending further directives from management. The Fund explained that the extension is intended to ...

France has declared it is prepared to assist Gulf nations and Jordan in defending themselves against Iran, as missile and drone attacks escalate across the region. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Monday that Paris stands in full solidarity with countries targeted in the latest wave of strikes attributed to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Iran has launched multiple missile and drone attacks on Gulf states, saying it is targeting US military installations following coordinated US-Israeli strikes that reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei over the weekend. Addressing the crisis, Barrot said France fully supports nations that were “deliberately targeted” and drawn into a conflict they did not initiate. He specifically named Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates...

Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, wife of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has reportedly died days after sustaining injuries during a joint United States–Israel airstrike on Tehran. Iranian media reported that the 79-year-old was at Khamenei’s residence in the capital when the strike occurred. She was said to have been wounded in the attack and later passed away on Monday due to complications from her injuries. Born in Mashhad, Bagherzadeh was the sister of Hassan Khojaste Bagherzadeh, a former deputy director of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). She married Khamenei in 1964, and the couple had six children—four sons, Mostafa, Mojtaba, Masoud and Meysam, and two daughters, Hoda and Boshra. Her reported death deepens the personal and political fallout from the ...

South African authorities have rescued 12 crew members from a Nigerian tug boat that sank in the country’s waters late Saturday night, while one fatality has been confirmed and five others remain unaccounted for.  The vessel, identified as LEO, was carrying 18 people when it ran aground in rough seas about 18 nautical miles offshore between Cape Town and Durban. It was reportedly returning to Lagos after undergoing repairs in South Africa.  The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed the development on Monday, citing information received from South African officials. According to her, the South African Maritime Safety Authority confirmed that the rescued crew members are being transported to Port Elizabeth, where officials from the Nigeri...

The leadership of South West of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN on Monday staged a protest in Lagos State over the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khanemei, by US and Israel strikes. The protester converged around the Maryland axis in the early hours of Monday, denouncing the invasion of Iran. It was gathered that the protesters were chatting with provocative words, demanding global condemnation of American intervention in sovereign nations. The development has triggered fear in the area. South West coordinator of IMN, Muftau Zakariya, who spoke to Leadership Newspaper, said the protest was to register their concerns over sustained Invasion of sovereign nations by the President Donald Trump’s administration. He cited recent instances of Venezuela’s Invasion a...

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has expressed concern over Nigeria’s current state, saying the country now needs divine intervention to overcome its challenges. In a post shared on his 𝕏 account, Momodu criticised President Bola Tinubu, alleging that he is unwilling to entertain political competition ahead of the 2027 elections. The ADC stalwart argued that Nigerians often fail to recognise what he described as self-serving leadership, claiming that such leaders prioritise personal interests, family and close allies above national concerns. Momodu further asserted that despite what he termed significant shortcomings across key sectors of governance, Tinubu still expects unwavering support from the public. According to him, issues surrounding b...

Iran has rejected an ultimatum by US President Donald Trump to lay down its weapons as violence continues to escalate across the Middle East. Trump told Iran's leaders to give up the fight, which has exploded across the Middle East, with missiles raining down on Israel, Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE, and on American military bases in the region. But Iranian national security official Ali Larijani confirmed the country will not negotiate with the US. Israel launched strikes on Lebanon's capital, Beirut, after the militant group Hezbollah fired missiles across the border as a fighter jet crashed over Kuwait near a US military base. early this morning. It is not known whether the jet was sh0t down by an Iranian missile, hit by friendly US air defence ro...

At least three people d!ed, and ‌14 were injured ‌following a mass shooting at a ​bar in Austin, Texas, early on Sunday, March 1, police said. The suspect was k!lled in ‌an exchange of fire with police at the scene, police said, adding that 14 people were in ​hospital, three ​of whom ​were in ‌a critical condition. The sho0ting happened outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden, just before 2am (08GMT) along Sixth Street, a nightlife destination filled with bars and music clubs near the University of Texas. FBI special agent Alex Doran said earlier on Sunday that a motive for the attack was not known, but “there were indicators on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate a potential nexus to terrorism”. “In terms of specifically what type of terrorism, we’re just at this point ...

The US embassy in Bahrain has issued a chilling warning that 'terrorist groups' are planning to attack American citizens in the Gulf state. In a statement, officials have warned Americans in the country to avoid hotels in Manama as they could be targeted. It reads: 'Bahrain: The U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens to exercise caution and maintain vigilance. Drone and missile attacks from Iran continue. The U.S. Embassy has advised U.S. citizens in Bahrain that hotels might be a target for attacks, and encourages U.S. citizens to avoid hotels in Manama. Terrorist groups and those inspired by such organizations are intent on attacking U.S. citizens abroad. Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Bahrain. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning Bahrain: The U.S...

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has explained why a curfew was put in place during the local council elections in the FCT. Defending the curfew, Wike said he has the authority as the “governor of the FCT” to impose a curfew. Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja on Monday, the minister said his actions during the February 21 area council elections did not affect the results of the voting. He said: “I have the rights, and I am the governor of 3,000 polling units. For security reasons, I need to figure out what’s happening. “I don’t need to be told, I’m not running for the election. “Somebody has said I move about. How many polling units in FCT? FCT has at least 3,000 polling units. If I visited 10 polling units to see what was happening, ...