NEWS

Tanko Habila, father of the late Miss Mary Habila, the nurse who died at the Ebonyi residence of the Minister of Works, on June 27, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), demanding the release of her remains for burial. Mr Habila, who was accompanied by his wife, other family members and their lawyers, addressed the press shortly after submitting the petition at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Friday, July 17. The father of the deceased who spoke through his lawyer, expressed sadness that almost two weeks after his daughter’s demise, the Ebonyi State Police Command had refused to release her body for burial. According to him, the family was not interested in an autopsy and demanded her body be released to them for burial. “As we are standing here, some...

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he is prepared to resign if anyone can prove that his administration's claims on road construction projects across the FCT are false. Wike challenged his critics to present evidence on national television within 48 hours showing that his administration did not award contracts for 317 kilometres of roads in the satellite towns of the FCT, with 221 kilometres already completed. The minister made the statement on Friday during the commissioning of the reconstructed Arab/Gbazango Road in Kubwa, Bwari Area Council. Speaking at the event, Wike said ongoing projects, including the Apo–Karishi Road and the Bwari–Kubwa Road, would be completed before the end of the year. According to him, residents of the sa...

The Federal Government on Friday arraigned three men before the Federal High Court in Abuja over their alleged roles in the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The suspects, who were arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), are facing a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement to terrorism, and illegal mining. The defendants were identified as Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Yunusa bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar. According to the charge sheet, the three men, all from Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, allegedly conspired with three other suspects—Muhammad Sani, Jibril ...

Environmental activist Nnimo Bassey has raised concerns over the worsening impact of climate change on Nigeria's coastal communities, warning that several areas have already lost substantial portions of their land to the Atlantic Ocean due to rising sea levels and coastal erosion. Bassey called for stronger regional cooperation among West African nations, stressing that isolated efforts would limit the region's ability to tackle climate change effectively and influence global climate policies. He made the remarks during a gathering of environmental advocates, civil society organisations and community leaders under the West African Climate Justice Movement, themed "Building Solidarity for Climate Justice in West Africa." According to Bassey, West Africa is becoming increasingly vul...

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in tackling drug trafficking, copyright piracy, and other forms of organised crime across Nigeria. The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the NDLEA's Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi. Speaking during the signing ceremony at the NDLEA headquarters on Friday, July 17, 2026, the agency's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), said the partnership reflects the growing need for government agencies to work together against interconnected criminal activities. Marwa explained that investigations have shown that criminal syndicates involved in drug t...

Veteran British politician Andy Burnham has been confirmed as the new leader of the United Kingdom's ruling Labour Party, positioning him to become the country's next Prime Minister. Burnham secured the leadership unopposed during a special Labour Party conference held on Friday after no other contender obtained the required nominations to challenge his candidacy. Declaring the outcome of the leadership contest, UK Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood officially announced Burnham as the party's new leader. "There being no other eligibly nominated candidate, it is therefore my honour to declare that the duly elected leader of the Labour Party is Andy Burnham," Mahmood said. Burnham's emergence follows the resignation of former Prime Minister Keir Starmer as Labour leader amid incre...

The police in Katsina State have arrested a suspected notorious dr#g dealer allegedly supplying illicit substances to armed b@ndits operating in Funtua Local Government Area and neighbouring communities. The suspect, identified as Sunday Eze, popularly known as Dunbuje, was apprehended by operatives attached to the Central Police Station, Funtua, following intelligence-led operations. According to the spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, the suspect was arrested at about 5:00 p.m. on July 15 after police operatives trailed him based on credible intelligence. He said an immediate search conducted on the suspect led to the recovery of 500 tablets of D5, an illicit drug allegedly intended for distribution to criminal elements. Aliyu said preliminary ...

An Accra Circuit  Court has sentenced a Ghanaian TikToker Camilla Alhassan to one year in prison after she pleaded guilty to charges of publishing false news and engaging in offensive conduct.  Her prosecution followed the circulation of videos on social media in which she made defamatory claims that President John Dramani Mahama buried 32 cows as part of rituals to secure victory in the 2024 general election. The videos prompted her arrest by the Ghana Police Service and subsequent prosecution.  During an earlier hearing, the  court ordered that a pregnancy test be conducted before proceeding with the case. Camilla Alhassan admitted to publishing videos in which she falsely alleged, without providing any evidence, that President Mahama b...

A jersey worn by football great Pele in the first World Cup final ever won by Brazil sold for $4.9 million at a US auction on Thursday, July 16. The Brazilian attacker nicknamed "The King" was 17 when he scored two goals in his country's 5-2 victory over host country Sweden in 1958. The blue shirt became the second most expensive jersey sold at auction after an anonymous buyer beat out four other bidders at Sotheby's in New York. The record of $9.3 million is for a jersey worn by Argentinian star Maradona during a legendary quarter-final clash with England in the 1986 Mexico World Cup. Argentina won the match 2-1 thanks to two Maradona goals, including his infamous "Hand of God" finish in which he illegally punched the ball into the net.

The Federal Government has officially renamed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, making it the latest public infrastructure to bear his name since he assumed office in May 2023. Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced the decision on Thursday, explaining that the 750-kilometre highway was named in recognition of Tinubu's role in conceiving the project during his tenure as Governor of Lagos State nearly three decades ago. According to Umahi, the coastal highway was first envisioned about 27 years ago, long before Tinubu became Nigeria's president. The latest decision adds to a growing list of roads, government institutions and public facilities that have been renamed or established in honour of the president. Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway T...