NEWS

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) does not belong to any single individual, including President Bola Tinubu. Kalu made the assertion on Wednesday in Umuahia while speaking to party stakeholders during the APC ward congress in Abia State. He urged members to prioritise unity and solidarity as preparations begin for the 2027 general elections, emphasizing that the party is collectively owned by its members. According to him, the congress was organised as a harmonisation process aimed at ensuring inclusiveness and giving stakeholders a sense of belonging in choosing leaders from the ward level up to the local government and state levels. He explained that harmonisation promotes relevance and shared r...

The administration of Abba Yusuf has declared Sunday, March 1, as the start of the Eid al-Fitr holiday for all public and private primary and secondary schools in Kano State. The announcement was contained in a statement released on Wednesday by Musbahu Aminu Yakasai, Director of Public Enlightenment at the Kano State Ministry of Education. According to the statement, the decision is in line with the approved 2025/2026 academic calendar, which schedules the end of the second term for Saturday, February 28. Yakasai confirmed that both day and boarding schools across the state are to begin the Sallah holiday on March 1. He advised parents and guardians, especially those with children in boarding schools, to make necessary arrangements ahead of the break. He specifically urged par...

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has disclosed that more than 1,700 African nationals are currently fighting for Russia in the ongoing war with Ukraine, alleging that Moscow used deceptive recruitment tactics to draw them into combat. Speaking at a joint press briefing with his Ghanaian counterpart, Sybiha said Ukrainian authorities have begun engaging African governments to prevent their citizens from being misled into joining the conflict. He noted that Ghana is expected to assume the chairmanship of the African Union next year. According to Sybiha, Russia appears to be targeting African citizens for participation in what he described as a deadly conflict. He stated that Ukrainian data shows over 1,780 individuals from 36 African countries are serving in the Russian militar...

] President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, decorated Tunji Disu as the acting Inspector-General of Police. The ceremony took place at 4pm at the President’s office. In attendance were the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and the immediate past IGP, Kayode Egbetokun. His appointment came just 48 days before his scheduled retirement on April 13, 2026, when he would have reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 years. However, under the amended Police Act, which allows Inspectors-General of Police to serve a four-year tenure regardless of age, Disu may remain in office until 2030. Tinubu, who pinned the new insignia on Disu’s uniform, commended the outgoing IG...

\ The former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, could not be arraigned on Wednesday over his alleged unlawful interception of the phone communication of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu. This follows the failure of the Department of State Services (DSS) to produce El-Rufai for trial. It will be recalled that the former governor, who was initially detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)—which is also investigating money laundering allegations against him—was later transferred to the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). While in ICPC’s custody, the court gave the DSS the nod to dock him on a three-count charge that bordered on alleged threat to national security. When the case ...

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has refuted allegations linking the group to attacks on Christians, stressing that its core mandate is to safeguard the interests of herders nationwide. Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, MACBAN’s National President, Baba Othman Ngelzarma, described the association as inclusive and not motivated by religious or ethnic considerations. Addressing claims of religiously driven violence, he said the organisation comprises members from various ethnic groups and faiths, including Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo, as well as adherents of Islam and Christianity. He insisted MACBAN should not be portrayed as a sectarian body, noting that it represents herders regardless of tribe or religion. Reports last month indicated that ...

The Federal Government of Nigeria has denied allegations that it paid a N2 billion ransom to secure the release of students abducted from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State, describing the claims as “false and baseless.” In a statement issued Tuesday in Abuja, Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris reaffirmed the government’s longstanding policy against ransom payments. He said the students’ release followed coordinated security operations, intelligence gathering, and inter-agency collaboration not financial inducements. The government was responding to a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP), which cited intelligence sources alleging that millions of dollars were paid to militants, alongside the release of two commanders, to secure the freedom of up...

“It’s A Declaration Of War On Nigerians” – Sowore Reacts As Police Disperse Protesters Human rights advocate and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has described the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun as Inspector-General of Police as proof that his time in office lacked legal backing. Sowore made the remarks on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s programme, The Morning Brief. According to him, “This removal or resignation, however they choose to describe it, is an admission that his tenure was never lawful.” The activist further accused the former police chief of suppressing officers who demanded improved welfare conditions. Sowore alleged that after organising a protest in support of better treatment for police personnel, he was arrested, detaine...

Veteran journalist Reuben Abati has taken a swipe at Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo over his difficulty pronouncing the acronym “GCFR.” In a viral video circulating online, the governor appeared to struggle while attempting to say the “GCFR” title attached to President Bola Tinubu’s name. Commenting on the development during The Morning Show on Arise Television, Abati criticised the governor, saying Edo residents had the opportunity to elect a highly educated and intelligent candidate but opted for Okpebholo instead. According to the former presidential aide, the governor was unable to pronounce what he described as a basic sequence taught to schoolchildren, adding that the electorate must accept the outcome of their decision. “Like the Yoruba would say, it is finished. Ed...

U.S. President Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union-style address in modern history on Tuesday night, speaking for about one hour and 48 minutes before a joint session of Congress. Data from the American Presidency Project, which has documented such speeches since 1964, shows that the address was the lengthiest presented to Congress in at least 60 years. The speech exceeded the previous modern-era record, also set by Trump, when he spoke for one hour and 39 minutes last year. That earlier address, delivered during the opening year of his second nonconsecutive term, was not formally designated as a State of the Union. Prior to Trump’s record, the longest State of the Union address had been delivered by Bill Clinton in 2000, lasting one hour and 28 minutes. In co...