NEWS

The judgment of the Court of Appeal restricting the functions of the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) strikes at the heart of one of Nigeria’s most persistent traffic regulation crises. The real lesson is the need to ensure that traffic regulators, in whatever guise, do not overstep their bounds while enforcing traffic laws. In particular, officers charged with enforcing road safety practices should not constitute themselves as roadside oppressors. Besides, the court decision calls for reform of traffic regulations to streamline the functions of agencies and prevent duplication of roles.  The Appeal Court, in its judgment, barred the VIO from stopping motorists on the road, impounding or confiscating vehicles, and imposing fines on citizens. In a unanimous decision, a three-member panel ...

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, January 8, accused the United States of “breaking free from international rules” and warned that Washington is “gradually turning away” from some of its allies, in remarks underscoring growing tensions between Europe and the U.S. Entertainment center Macron delivered the comments at the Élysée Palace during his annual address to French ambassadors, as European powers debate how to respond to what they consider an increasingly assertive U.S. foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere. “The United States is an established power, but one that is gradually turning away from some of its allies and breaking free from international rules that it was still promoting recently,” Macron said. “Multilateral institutions are functioning less and less...

US President Donald Trump, has invited his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, to the White House, just days after issuing threats of military action over alleged drug trafficking.  The invitation followed the first phone conversation between both leaders since Trump took office in January. Speaking on Wednesday night, Trump said he was arranging to meet Petro “in the near future.”  “President Petro called to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements that we have had,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “I appreciated his call and tone, and look forward to meeting him in the near future at the White House.”  The move comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Bogotá after Trump last week warned Petro to “watch his ass” follo...

Russia has restated its long-standing position that any Western military forces deployed in Ukraine would be considered “legitimate targets,” days after the United Kingdom and France pledged to send troops as part of a potential peace agreement.  The Russian Foreign Ministry warned that the deployment of military units, facilities, warehouses, or other infrastructure belonging to Western countries on Ukrainian territory would be regarded as foreign intervention.  The statement followed a declaration of intent signed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron at a recent meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, where both leaders agreed to deploy a multinational force to help guarantee Ukraine’s security.  Russia said it has ...

Several Nigerian words and expressions have been officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary, marking another moment of global recognition for Nigerian culture, language, and everyday expressions. Entertainment center In its December 2025 update, the Oxford English Dictionary included over 500 new words and phrases from around the world, drawing from different forms of English such as West African English, Japanese English, and Maltese English. Nigerian English featured prominently in the update, with common street terms, food names, and cultural expressions making the list. According to SNOW TV NEWS, among the Nigerian words added are “nyash,” “mammy market,” “amala,” “moi moi,” “abeg,” “biko,” and “Ghana Must Go.” According to the dictionary, nyash refers ...

The Lagos State Government has dismissed claims suggesting a disagreement between Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun. In a statement signed by Gboyega Akosile, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Sanwo-Olu, the government described the rumours circulating on some online platforms and blogs as entirely false. “The attention of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been drawn to reports insinuating a rift between him and his Ogun State counterpart, Prince Dapo Abiodun. We wish to state unequivocally that this is not true. In fact, the relationship between the two leaders is the opposite of what has been suggested,” part of the statement read. Akosile added that the two governors maintain a strong working relationship. “For clarity, G...

The Association of Resident Doctors of Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, on Thursday threw its weight behind the total and indefinite strike declared by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, scheduled to begin at 12:00 midnight on Monday, January 12, 2026. The resident doctors decried what they described as the insincerity and insensitivity of the federal government in implementing the Memorandum of Understanding it signed with NARD following the suspension of the association’s 29-day industrial action in November 2025. The doctors said that more than a month after the government committed to addressing some of their demands, little progress had been made, leaving them with no choice but to join the indefinite strike. The Chairman of the association, Dr Chidi Ikwum...

Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, are grieving the loss of their young son. Reports from Arise News confirm that one of their twin sons, Nkanu Nnamdi, passed away on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, following a brief illness. This heartbreaking news follows similar tragedies in the Nigerian entertainment community in recent years. In 2025, veteran Yoruba actress Peju Ogunmola and her husband, Omobolanle Sunday, lost their only child, Ayomikun, after a brief illness in Ibadan. In 2024, actor Francis Duru announced the death of his son Ifeanyi, describing him as a brave fighter whose passing he still reflects upon. Comedian Aphrican Ace and his wife also mourned the loss of their newborn son in 2024, who was born prematurely and passed away within a ...

US  President Donald Trump has defended the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement agent who fatally sh0t a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis, arguing the officer acted in self-defense. Entertainment center In a statement on the sho0ting, Trump said he viewed a clip of the Jan. 7 incident, which shows an ICE agent confronting a woman in a vehicle blocking a street. As the woman drives off, another ICE agent approaching the vehicle from its front fires three sh0ts into the driver's side window. "It is a horrible thing to watch," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "The woman screaming was, obviously, a professional agitator, and the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the...

Suspected Lassa fever has k!lled four persons, including two pregnant women, in Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. Event Planning Services Investigation on Wednesday, January 7, 2025 revealed that following the development, the General Hospital in Awe was shut down, while health workers, including the Medical Superintendent, were placed in isolation. The Disease Surveillance Officer in the area, Ahmad Abdullahi, who confirmed the development said concern heightened when a woman was brought to a health facility in Awe with symptoms suspected to be Lassa fever and d!ed shortly before receiving medical attention. According to him, the woman’s husband also d!ed after presenting similar symptoms. Abdullahi identified poor handling of suspected cases as a major c...