NEWS

NELFUND The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has debunked reports circulating on social media claiming that the federal government has suspended the payment of upkeep allowances to beneficiaries of the student loan scheme. The clarification was made in a statement released on Thursday by NELFUND’s Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, who described the reports as false, misleading, and deliberately designed to create panic, confusion, and distrust among students and members of the public. Naija News understands that Oluwatuyi stressed that neither the federal government nor NELFUND had issued any directive regarding the suspension of upkeep allowance payments to students benefiting from the scheme. The statement added that the fake reports included ...

The Cambodian government has directed all African nationals, including citizens of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda, and other countries, to leave Cambodia on or before May 31. In an official notice issued by the Director-General of the General Department of Immigration, Lt. Gen. Som Sopheak, and approved by the Secretary of State of the Cambodian Ministry of Interior, Gen. Sar Sokha, the government stated that the waiver granted to African nationals would officially end on May 31, 2026. “All foreign nationals whose fines have been cleared must leave Cambodia on or before the 31st of May 2026. “Any foreign national who enters, remains, or is found in Cambodia from 1st of June 2026 will be arrested at the airport or at any location and shall: “Serve a jail term of 2 (...

Concerns continue to grow in Oyo State following the abduction of several schoolchildren by suspected kidnappers, as parents and residents demand urgent action from the government and security agencies. The incident, which has sparked outrage across the state, has raised fresh questions about the safety of students and the government’s ability to tackle rising insecurity affecting schools and communities. Following the abduction, the Oyo State Government assured citizens that efforts are ongoing to secure the safe release of the victims. State authorities disclosed that security agencies have launched coordinated operations aimed at tracking down the abductors and rescuing the children unharmed. According to government officials, security personnel, including the police, local vig...

The Nigerian community in South Africa says at least 105 Nigerians have been killed in the country over the past seven years, following the wave of xenophobic attacks against migrants. This is contained in a statement signed by the community’s leaders, Smart Nwobi and Frank Onyekwelu of the Nigerian Union South Africa and the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa, respectively. The statement dismissed a South African Broadcasting Corporation report attributed to South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, which claimed that migrants were not being killed in South Africa. “Denying or minimising the concerns raised by migrant communities risks discouraging victims and witnesses from reporting abuses and undermines efforts toward justice, reconciliation...

The Canadian government has introduced temporary travel and immigration restrictions affecting travellers from selected African nations following the recent Ebola outbreak. Naija News understands that the countries impacted by the restrictions are the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, and South Sudan, which Canadian authorities identified as high-risk locations linked to the spread of the virus. In a statement issued by the Public Health Agency of Canada, officials announced that immigration documents for residents of the affected countries would be suspended for 90 days starting from May 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. The suspension applies to previously approved temporary resident visas, electronic travel authorisations, and permanent resident visas, preventing affected ...

Edo South senatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has dismissed allegations claiming he cloned the front page of Vanguard newspaper to falsely suggest he emerged winner of the party’s senatorial primary election. Naija News reports that Ize-Iyamu also threatened legal action against the Special Adviser on Digital Media to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, Collins Osaghae, accusing him of circulating the alleged fake publication alongside defamatory remarks. Addressing journalists at his Benin City residence on Thursday, the APC chieftain described the allegations as a deliberate attempt to tarnish his image and political reputation. “Some individuals are clearly desperate to damage my reputation and drag my name through the mud,” he said. ...

Growing insecurity across Nigeria has continued to spark nationwide concern as citizens increasingly question the government’s ability to protect lives and property amid rising cases of kidnappings, bandit attacks, and violent crimes. From rural communities in the North-West to parts of the Middle Belt and southern regions, reports of deadly attacks and abductions have become alarmingly frequent, forcing many residents to live in fear. Many Nigerians say the worsening security situation has weakened public confidence in the government, with citizens accusing authorities of failing to deliver on repeated promises to restore peace and stability across the country. In recent weeks, several communities have reportedly suffered attacks by armed groups, with some residents displaced fro...

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has confirmed that one of its senior commanders, Abu-Bilal al-Mainuki, was killed during a recent military operation reportedly carried out by United States Special Forces in the Lake Chad region of North-East Nigeria. In a statement released through its media channels, the group described members of its media unit killed in the raid as “martyrs,” while indirectly acknowledging the death of Abu-Bilal al-Mainuki. The confirmation comes about two weeks after a reported US special operations raid targeted an ISWAP command-and-media facility deep within the Lake Chad Basin. According to earlier accounts, the operation involved airborne forces supported by surveillance drones, intelligence assets, and precision air support aimed at high-value...

The U.S. Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the former magazine columnist who accused President Donald Trump of sexual assault, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. The investigation is focused on whether Carroll, 82, committed perjury in testimony tied to her two civil lawsuits against the president. The first lawsuit alleged Trump sexually abused Carroll in a New York department store in the mid-1990s, and the second centered on defamation when he repeatedly denied the assault in 2019, claiming she made it up to boost book sales. Prosecutors’ theory hinges on a 2022 deposition statement by Carroll where she stated she received no outside funding for her lawsuit. It was later revealed that billionaire LinkedIn co-founder...

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has predicted that Nigeria is on track to become the world’s 5th country within the next 50 years. The forecast, made during the bloc’s 2026 parliamentary session in Abuja, predicts that Nigeria could eventually rank as the world’s fifth richest nation if regional trade expansion and long-term economic reforms continue to accelerate. Dr Kalilou Sylla, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, who made the remarks, argued that West Africa is entering a period of major economic realignment. Sylla also projected that Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire could emerge among the world’s top 15 economies within the next 25 years. He suggested Côte d’Ivoire could one day surpass France economically. For Nigeria, Sylla stated ...