NEWS

Niger State Governor, Umaru Mohammed Bago, has rejected claims that members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are leaving the party because of persecution.The governor insisted that those exiting the APC are doing so based on personal decisions rather than any form of intimidation or victimisation.Bago made the remarks while addressing journalists after a stakeholders' meeting attended by APC members from the 25 local government areas of Niger State at the Hauwa Wali Multipurpose Hall, Government House, Minna.According to him, there is no persecution of politicians in the state, adding that individuals who choose to leave the party do so for reasons best known to them.He said the issues being raised by defectors were largely personal and driven by individual interests....

Iran’s supreme leader vowed to teach the United States “unforgettable lessons” on Saturday, as Washington reported its first military deaths since renewing its hostilities with the Islamic republic.A month after the foes signed a now-abandoned preliminary deal aimed at ending their war, Tehran struck infrastructure around the Gulf in retaliation for a week of intensifying US attacks, which Iran said had hit an airport, a railway station and bridges.Iran hit an oil facility in Kuwait as well as a power and water plant, authorities in the Gulf state said, while in Bahrain the army said air defences repelled a wave of Iranian attacks.Tehran also launched fresh strikes in Jordan, where the US military’s Central Command said two service members were killed on Friday as they “defended against Ir...

VP Kashim Shettima and Vice President of Sierra Leone, Dr Mohamed Jalloh On arrival at the Sierra Leone International Airport, Lungi, Shettima was received by the Vice President of Sierra Leone, Dr Mohamed Jalloh, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye.By Salisu Sani-IdrisVice President Kashim Shettima, on Sunday arrived in Lungi, Sierra Leone to participate in the 69th Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State and Government Summit.On arrival at the Sierra Leone International Airport, Lungi, Shettima was received by the Vice President of Sierra Leone, Dr Mohamed Jalloh, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Minist...

Two firefighters are receiving medical treatment after collapsing while battling a fire that engulfed the top floor of a three-storey residential building in the Ketu-Ikosi area of Lagos State.The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA)l, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesperson, Olawale Afolabi, who said the incident occurred at about 6:31 a.m.According to Afolabi, the fire broke out in one of two adjoining three-storey residential buildings located at No. 11, Ademola Taiwo Street, Ketu-Ikosi, and was traced to an electrical surge from a prepaid meter.He said emergency responders from LASEMA and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service swiftly mobilised to the scene, successfully containing the blaze before it could spread...

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Moshood Akinwande as President of the Surveyors Council of Nigeria, alongside Olusoji Adeoye and Olaribigbe Shiyanbola as members of the council representing Oyo State.This was confirmed in an appointment letter signed by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Ibrahim Abubakar, on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, a copy of which was obtained by PUNCH Online in Ibadan on Sunday.The letter partly read, “I write with reference to the above subject to forward herewith a copy of Mr President’s approval for the appointment of the President and members of the Surveyors Council of Nigeria and to convey the Secretary to the Government of the Federation’s approval for the inauguration o...