NEWS

The Nigerian passport climbed six places on the Henley Passport Index since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, rising from a global rank of 95 in January 2024 to 89 in the latest April 2026 edition.However, the actual number of countries Nigerian passport holders can visit without a visa has fallen by two destinations.This is as Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Somalia, Mauritania and São Tomé and Príncipe, among others, have moved Nigeria to the “visa required” category in recent years.According to the April 2026 edition of the Henley Passport Index, Nigeria’s visa-free destinations stand at 44, down from 46 in January 2025 and 45 in January 2024.The data, drawn from three successive annual editions of the index obtained by The PUNCH, shows...

Nigeria’s Senate has amended its internal rules to tighten eligibility requirements for the position of Senate President, limiting it to more experienced lawmakers within the chamber.The decision was reached after a closed-door session on Tuesday, May 5, where senators agreed on new criteria aimed at strengthening parliamentary hierarchy and institutional experience.Under the revised rules, only members of the current 10th National Assembly who have served at least two terms will be eligible to contest for principal offices, including Senate President. The amendment also requires that one of those terms must be the immediate term before nomination, effectively restricting eligibility to returning senators.According to the updated Order 4, nominations for presiding officers will...

Tension gripped parts of Lagos on Tuesday after a gas explosion occurred along Adeleye Street in the Doyin area of Orile-Iganmu, leaving one person seriously injured.The incident reportedly happened while a gas attendant was refilling a cylinder inside one of the shops situated in front of a demolished building, triggering panic among residents and traders nearby.The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the explosion in a statement, noting that it received an emergency call at about 12:23 p.m. and arrived at the scene within minutes.Firefighters from the Sari Iganmu and Ajegunle Fire Stations were promptly deployed to contain the situation and prevent the fire from spreading to adjoining structures.According to the agency, the explosion occurred in one of two shops...

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has cautioned Nigerians against using fraudulent platforms for passport payments.In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, Akinsola Akinlabi, the service public relations officer described claims linking a religious organisation to the passport payment system as “false and misleading.”He maintained that the passport application process remains secure, transparent, and fully government-approved, stressing that it is accessible only through the agency’s official portal.“The service has not authorised any religious body, private organisation or individual to act as an intermediary or receive payments on its behalf,” he said.Akinlabi warned that any platform or link claiming to process passport payments outside the official system shoul...

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, has ordered Commissioners of Police (CPs) to immediately undertake a comprehensive audit of arms and ammunition within their respective commands.Disu gave the directive on Tuesday, May 5, in Abuja at the opening of an emergency conference with CPs in charge of state commands.This directive comes days after an officer, ASP Nuhu Usman, shot de@d a suspect in Delta state.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=1&us_privacy=1---&gdpr_consent=CQfaJIAQfaJIADlBbAENCRFsAP_gAEPgABowL-tR_G__bXlv-bb36ftkeYxf9_hr7sQxBgbJs24FzLvW7JwX32E7NEzatqYKmRIAu3TBIQNtHIjURUChKIgVrzDsaE2U4TtKJ-BkiHMZY2tYCFxvm4tjWQCZ4vr_91d9mT-t7dr-2dzy27hnv3a9_-S1UJidKYetHfv8ZBOT-_IU9_x-_4v4_MbpEm-eS1v_tWvt43d-4vP_dpuxt-Tyff7____73_e7X__c__33___Xf_7____...

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Federal Government to take decisive action against South African businesses operating in Nigeria following renewed attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Oshiomhole suggested that authorities should consider withdrawing the operating licences of major South African-owned companies such as MTN Nigeria and DStv.He argued that Nigeria must respond firmly to what he described as repeated acts of hostility against its citizens, framing the situation as an economic and diplomatic struggle.According to him, rather than Nigerians being accused of taking jobs in South Africa, they should be encouraged to return home and take up employment opportunities created by foreign companies operating within Nigeria.O...