NEWS

Saudi Arabia has raised its military readiness to full alert after multiple attacks attributed to Iran, as tensions across the Gulf continue to escalate. A source close to the Saudi army told AFP on Monday, March 2, “The Saudi army has raised its readiness to full alert,” following drone strikes that targeted key energy infrastructure. The vast Ras Tanura Refinery on the kingdom’s Gulf coast went into partial shutdown after drones struck the facility three days into the widening Middle East conflict. The complex, operated by state oil giant Saudi Aramco, is one of the largest refineries in the region and a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s energy sector, with a production capacity of 550,000 barrels per day. It also serves as one of the world’s biggest oil export terminals. Earlie...

Saudi Arabia has halted some operations at its vast Ras Tanura Refinery following a drone attack that sparked a fire at the key energy facility, the kingdom’s energy ministry confirmed on Monday, March 2. The refinery, located along Saudi Arabia’s eastern Gulf coast, is one of the largest in the Middle East and a cornerstone of the country’s energy sector, with a production capacity of 550,000 barrels per day. The complex also functions as one of the world’s largest oil export terminals. In a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency, an official source at the ministry said: “Some operational units at the refinery were shut down as a precautionary measure, without any impact on the supply of petroleum products to local markets.” Earlier, a source familiar with the incident tol...

The Department of State Services have arrested a suspect named Udeme Sunday Stephen, in connection with the February 24 attack on the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and some chieftains of the African Democratic Congress in Benin, the Edo State capital. Channels Television reports that the secret agency arrested the suspect after a thorough investigation. The g&n-wielding hoodlums attacked Obi and other party chieftains during a visit to former Governor of Edo state, John Oyegun. A video that circulated online showed the aftermath, with vehicles and the estate gate riddled with b&llets. Peter Obi who spoke in the video, said the attack took place shortly after they departed the ADC headquarters in the state.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the commencement of sales of application forms for the 2026 Direct Entry programme. In a statement shared on its official 𝕏 handle on Monday, the examination body confirmed that eligible candidates can now begin the registration process. According to JAMB, registration started on Monday, March 2, 2026, and will close on Saturday, April 25, 2026. The board stressed that the registration exercise will be conducted strictly through its designated centres nationwide. It added that the purchase of e-PINs and application documents is limited exclusively to its accredited state and zonal offices across the country. JAMB explained that the measure is intended to enhance transparency and eliminate irregularities often lin...

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has extended the deadline for its Student Loan Application Portal following a surge in applications nationwide driven by its sensitisation campaign. The decision comes just days after the Fund had reminded applicants that the portal was initially set to close on February 27, 2026. In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, NELFUND said the extension was approved in response to strong feedback and growing participation from students and stakeholders across the country. According to the agency, the additional time will enable all eligible students to complete their applications, pending further directives from management. The Fund explained that the extension is intended to ...

France has declared it is prepared to assist Gulf nations and Jordan in defending themselves against Iran, as missile and drone attacks escalate across the region. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Monday that Paris stands in full solidarity with countries targeted in the latest wave of strikes attributed to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Iran has launched multiple missile and drone attacks on Gulf states, saying it is targeting US military installations following coordinated US-Israeli strikes that reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei over the weekend. Addressing the crisis, Barrot said France fully supports nations that were “deliberately targeted” and drawn into a conflict they did not initiate. He specifically named Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates...

Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, wife of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has reportedly died days after sustaining injuries during a joint United States–Israel airstrike on Tehran. Iranian media reported that the 79-year-old was at Khamenei’s residence in the capital when the strike occurred. She was said to have been wounded in the attack and later passed away on Monday due to complications from her injuries. Born in Mashhad, Bagherzadeh was the sister of Hassan Khojaste Bagherzadeh, a former deputy director of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). She married Khamenei in 1964, and the couple had six children—four sons, Mostafa, Mojtaba, Masoud and Meysam, and two daughters, Hoda and Boshra. Her reported death deepens the personal and political fallout from the ...

South African authorities have rescued 12 crew members from a Nigerian tug boat that sank in the country’s waters late Saturday night, while one fatality has been confirmed and five others remain unaccounted for.  The vessel, identified as LEO, was carrying 18 people when it ran aground in rough seas about 18 nautical miles offshore between Cape Town and Durban. It was reportedly returning to Lagos after undergoing repairs in South Africa.  The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed the development on Monday, citing information received from South African officials. According to her, the South African Maritime Safety Authority confirmed that the rescued crew members are being transported to Port Elizabeth, where officials from the Nigeri...

The leadership of South West of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN on Monday staged a protest in Lagos State over the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khanemei, by US and Israel strikes. The protester converged around the Maryland axis in the early hours of Monday, denouncing the invasion of Iran. It was gathered that the protesters were chatting with provocative words, demanding global condemnation of American intervention in sovereign nations. The development has triggered fear in the area. South West coordinator of IMN, Muftau Zakariya, who spoke to Leadership Newspaper, said the protest was to register their concerns over sustained Invasion of sovereign nations by the President Donald Trump’s administration. He cited recent instances of Venezuela’s Invasion a...

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has expressed concern over Nigeria’s current state, saying the country now needs divine intervention to overcome its challenges. In a post shared on his 𝕏 account, Momodu criticised President Bola Tinubu, alleging that he is unwilling to entertain political competition ahead of the 2027 elections. The ADC stalwart argued that Nigerians often fail to recognise what he described as self-serving leadership, claiming that such leaders prioritise personal interests, family and close allies above national concerns. Momodu further asserted that despite what he termed significant shortcomings across key sectors of governance, Tinubu still expects unwavering support from the public. According to him, issues surrounding b...