NEWS

Lara Kudayisi Don-Momoh, wife of Teddy Don-Momoh, the widower of late gospel singer Kefee, has died barely two weeks after the couple welcomed their first child together.Her family announced the development in a statement shared on her official Instagram page on Monday, disclosing that she died peacefully after a brief illness.The statement read, ‘It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend, Lara Kudayisi Don-Momoh.“After a brief illness, Coach Lara passed away peacefully.”The family appealed for privacy as they mourn her passing and requested prayers for the repose of her soul and strength to bear the loss.“During this deeply painful time, we humbly ask for privacy and prayers for the peacefu...

State chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to publicly distance himself from the Dr Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (INWC), which has claimed he is the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the Chairman of the PDP State Chairmen’s Forum and Imo State PDP Chairman, Austin Nwachukwu, said Jonathan should not allow the group to continue using his name.According to the chairmen, the PDP has only one recognised leadership headed by National Working Committee (NWC) Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed, which is recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).They noted that while the Turaki-led group manually submitted Jonathan...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday dismissed his ambassador to the United States, Olga Stefanishyna, in a move that had been expected following a government reshuffle last month.The sacking, announced by decree, happened however as Kyiv was lobbying Washington hard to obtain more Patriot air defence missiles to block Russian strikes.In a Facebook post in which she also posted a letter asking to be relieved of her duties, Stefanishyna said the decision was her own and “dictated by personal circumstances”.She called her posting to Washington “the greatest honour” of her life.“We increased the supply of American weapons and maintained support precisely when the political climate in Washington was shifting against us,” she added.Stefanishyna, a former depu...

The Federal Government has begun the process of developing the legal and operational framework for the implementation of state police.It also announced a seven-week, milestone-driven programme to produce a comprehensive National Policing Bill that will guide the transition to a dual federal and state policing system.Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this while addressing reporters on Monday in Abuja.He explained that although the National Assembly had made significant progress on the constitutional amendment establishing state police, no state police service currently exists in Nigeria.According to him, the Nigerian Police Force remains the country’s only const...

A female TikTok content creator at the centre of the controversy surrounding the annual Oloolu Masquerade Festival in Ibadan, Oyo State, has denied claims that she filmed the revered Oloolu masquerade.The woman, identified as Wasilat, also dismissed widespread social media rumours alleging that she had died following the incident, insisting she neither recorded the sacred masquerade nor suffered the fate being circulated online.Speaking during a telephone interview on Lagelu FM’s Ibi Aye N Lo programme, Wasilat explained that she only recorded activities around the Oremeji area and never captured the Oloolu masquerade itself.According to her, she had gone to her family’s shop without opening it when she noticed people and an Amotekun vehicle passing by. She said she filmed the ...

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has warned prospective corps members that they will not be mobilised for national service without obtaining clearance from the National Electronic Registration Database (NERD).The directive comes as the scheme prepares to mobilise a new batch of prospective corps members while strengthening verification procedures and improving safety measures for those travelling to orientation camps. In a public notice shared on its official X account on Monday, the NYSC stated that NERD clearance is now mandatory for all prospective corps members and advised them to complete the process early to avoid delays.The scheme said: “This is to inform PCMs (Prospective Corps Members) that without NERD clearance, no NYSC. Get your NERD clearance early. Avoid delays...

The Islamic Republic of Iran has denied that any direct talks with Washington are planned after US President Donald Trump said negotiations would begin on Monday following his decision to call off planned military strikes.  Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said there were no plans to receive a US delegation or send Iranian officials to Washington. He also rejected suggestions that any change had occurred in the status of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.  The denial came hours after Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that Washington had paused military action in favour of diplomacy.  "We're talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon," Trump said.Earlier on Sunday, Trump wrote on Tru...

A Nigerian soldier attached to the Nigerian Army Aviation Hangar in Minna, Niger State, has reportedly been arrested by military authorities after appearing in military uniform on a TikTok live session where he begged a popular content creator, King Pedro, for money.Sahara Reporters reports that the soldier was arrested at the 234 Battalion in Badagry, Lagos State, where he was staying, and not in Niger State, despite being attached to the Army Aviation Hangar in Minna.According to the reports, a top military source familiar with the incident said that the soldier's arrest followed a viral exchange with King Pedro, who publicly berated him for soliciting money while wearing his military uniform."What happened is that the particular soldier begged King Pedro for money onlin...