NEWS

The Federal Government is set to arraign Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Chief Mike Ozekhome before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Monday, January 26, 2026, over alleged fraud involving a property in London, United Kingdom. A hearing notice obtained on Wednesday indicates that the arraignment will take place at Courtroom 4 by 9:00 a.m., with the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the plaintiff and Ozekhome as the sole defendant. The prosecution will be led by Dr. Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha, Head of the High-Profile Prosecution Department of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The criminal case, filed under Charge No: FCT/HC/CR/010/26, accuses the 68-year-old SAN, resident at 53 Nile Street, Maitama, Abuj...

The head of Finland’s Defence Intelligence has warned that the risk of drones inadvertently entering Finnish airspace is rising due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Major General Pekka Turunen, Chief of Finnish Defence Intelligence, spoke to AFP ahead of the release of a Finnish military intelligence report updating the country’s security situation. Finland shares a 1,340-kilometre (830-mile) border with Russia. A key concern highlighted in the report is the potential for long-range drones to drift into Finnish territory. “The risk of a drone drifting into Finnish airspace or onto Finnish territory is growing all the time, especially as Ukraine conducts strikes near the Gulf of Finland,” Turunen said. He explained that Ukrainian attacks on nearby oil ports and Russia’s use of GPS...

Former US President Donald Trump has said he would not resort to military force to acquire Greenland, while urging what he described as “immediate negotiations” on the issue. Trump made the remarks while addressing global leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, in an apparent effort to calm concerns in Europe following earlier comments in which he said he would not rule out the use of force. Referring to those earlier statements, Trump said his clarification was significant because many people believed he was prepared to act militarily. “I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I will not use force,” he said. “All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland.” During the speech, Trump also criticised NATO, claiming the United States contributes...

A 39-year-old man has been charged with murder following the death of his mother, who was found stabbed at her thatched cottage in Cheriton, Hampshire, England. Emergency services were called to the property on January 9 after Gilly Livie, 68, was discovered with severe injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene. A man found at the address was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and was later identified as her son, Daniel Livie. Police confirmed that Daniel Livie was arrested on January 19 on suspicion of murder and subsequently charged. He has also been charged with making threats to kill, relating to an alleged incident involving another man on January 8. Neighbours described Mrs. Livie as a kind and community-minded person. One resident told The Telegraph that ...

The African Union (AU) has announced that its 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council (ExC) will take place on February 11 and 12 at the organisation’s headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Executive Council is one of the AU’s key policy-making bodies and is made up of Foreign Affairs Ministers and other designated ministers from member states. In a statement published on its website on Wednesday, the AU explained that the Council is tasked with coordinating and adopting policies on issues of shared interest among member states. It also prepares agenda items for consideration by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, in line with the goals of the AU Agenda 2063. During the upcoming session, the Council is expected to review the report of the 51st Ordinary Sessi...

Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, has said that the APC-led Federal Government did not promise Nigerians instant miracles, insisting that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is implementing gradual but significant changes. Oshiomhole made the remarks on Wednesday while fielding questions on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme. According to him, although the Tinubu administration has been in office for about two and a half years, noticeable changes are occurring daily as a result of ongoing reforms. He argued that critics who previously demanded a departure from old approaches are now questioning the government for adopting a radically different path. Oshiomhole said the president is not merely reforming the system but undertaking far-reaching and f...

Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, has directed the Rector of Kwara State Polytechnic, Engr. Dr. Abdul Jimoh Mohammed, to step aside with immediate effect. The decision follows a protest by students over the use of the institution’s facilities as a temporary orientation camp for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu, the governor also announced the constitution of a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the protest. Pending the outcome of the investigation, the rector has been instructed to hand over duties to the most senior deputy rector. The three-member panel will be chaired by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Bar....

The United States Embassy in Nigeria has restated that visa restrictions affecting Nigerians will take effect from January 1, 2026, in line with an existing presidential directive. In a post shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, the embassy reminded applicants that the policy is enforced under Presidential Proclamation 10998, which aims to limit the entry of certain foreign nationals to protect US national security. According to the embassy, the directive places a partial suspension on the issuance of non-immigrant visas to Nigerian nationals, including B-1/B-2 visitor visas, F and M student visas, and J exchange visitor visas. The restriction also applies to immigrant visas. The policy, first announced on December 19, 2025, affects citizens of 19 count...

A former prison officer has been jailed after engaging in illicit relationships with two inmates and conspiring to smuggle drug-soaked envelopes into a Kent jail. Entertainment center Isabelle Dale, 23, became romantically involved with prisoners Shahid Sharif and Connor Money while working at HMP Coldingley in Surrey. Judge Christopher Hehir said Dale had been “swearing them undying love, saying she wanted to be with both of them on the outside,” and accused her of using her vulnerabilities as “a shield and an excuse” for her actions. Dale was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court to three and a half years in prison for two counts of misconduct in a public office between September 2021 and December 2022, and one count of conspiring to convey a List A article into prison. Sharif,...

UK's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he will not bow to US President Donald Trump’s demands over Greenland, rejecting what he described as pressure tactics aimed at forcing Britain to soften its stance on the strategic Arctic territory. Entertainment center At Prime Minister’s Questions, Starmer dismissed Trump’s latest outburst, in which the US president accused him of “great stupidity” over the Chagos Islands and threatened tariffs, as an attempt to compel the UK to abandon its “values and principles”. “President Trump deployed words on Chagos yesterday that were different to his previous words of welcome and support when I met him in the White House,” Starmer said. “He deployed those words yesterday for the express purpose of putting pressure on me and Britain ...