Author: David Great

Jalen Williams wasn’t in much of a reflective mood after his Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 120-109 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday. Williams batted down questions about his monster performance, which moved the Thunder within one game of the franchise’s first championship since moving to Oklahoma City, much the way teammate Chet Holmgren swats shots. “It’ll be cool to look back on down the line,” Williams said after scoring 40 points to give the Thunder a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. However, Williams’ teammates and coach had no issues heaping praise on him.…

Operatives of the Niger State Police Command have arrested two men suspected of attempted kidnapping and illegal possession of weapons. The suspects, Japhta James, 28, and Usman Ibrahim, 30, were apprehended after allegedly breaking into the home of their target in Kata, via New-Bwari, where they tried to abduct the victim’s sister. The duo reside in Ijah-Gwari, Tafa, and Sabon-Gari in the Bwari area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), respectively. According to reports, officers from the Tafa Police Division responded swiftly to a tip-off on June 13, 2025, around 8 p.m., and stormed the scene, successfully arresting the suspects.…

Kenny Okolugbo, former Delta State Commissioner and current Special Adviser on Communications and Strategy to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), seeking an urgent investigation into what he describes as a coordinated cyberattack and defamation campaign aimed at damaging his reputation. In the petition, Okolugbo alleged that his verified X (formerly Twitter) account was hacked and used to disseminate false statements attributed to him. He stated that the unauthorized posts were subsequently amplified by three prominent social media influencers — Tunde Ednut (@mazitundeednut), Rufai Oseni (@ruffydfire), and Adeola Fayehun (@adeolafayehun) — who,…

Oil marketers under the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) have raised serious concerns over the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s plan to distribute fuel directly to filling stations and major fuel consumers across the country. In a statement released on Monday by PETROAN’s Publicity Secretary, Joseph Obele, the association warned that the new distribution strategy could undermine the downstream sector, potentially resulting in job losses and the emergence of a monopoly. With its massive 650,000-barrel-per-day capacity, the Dangote refinery was expected to focus on production and export, not direct fuel distribution, the marketers argued. “This massive refinery, one…

The Katsina State Government has issued a stern warning to bandits who recently surrendered, cautioning them to uphold their end of the peace agreement or face serious repercussions. Speaking to journalists on Monday, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Mu’azu, said the government would not tolerate any breach of trust from those who have laid down their arms. “Let me also make it clear that in case they renege on their promises, we are going to deal with them as we used to. That is the position of the government,” Mu’azu said. He revealed that several bandit…

Chelsea got their FIFA Club World Cup campaign off to a strong start with a comfortable 2-0 win over LAFC in Group D. The match, held in what marked the first-ever Club World Cup clash between English and American sides, saw the Premier League team dominate from start to finish. Enzo Maresca’s men began as clear favourites and quickly took control, pinning LAFC deep into their half. Chelsea’s early pressure almost paid off when Noni Madueke’s powerful left-footed strike was stopped by Hugo Lloris. Despite controlling the tempo, Chelsea grew increasingly frustrated as the half progressed. That frustration was evident…

The Lagos State Government has announced an immediate suspension of planning approvals along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road corridor. This decision was revealed in a statement issued on Monday by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, at Alausa, Ikeja. According to Olumide, the move is aimed at addressing the significant impact the ongoing highway project is having on the state’s urban development initiatives. “The suspension of planning approvals along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road was necessary to address the impacts of the project on the State’s Physical Development Plans in the area,” he said. He explained that…

A Federal High Court in Lagos, on Monday, held that it would await the decision of the Court of Appeal in a suit by Ecobank challenging alleged sale of N6.3 billion shares in Barbican Capital Limited. Ecobank had filed the suit against Obafemi Otudeko, Barbican Capital Ltd., and Honeywell Flour Mills of Nig. Plc. as the first, second and third defendants, respectively. Also joined as defendants are: Siloam Global Services Ltd., Oyeleye Foluke, First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Holdings Plc., Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and the Nigerian Stock Exchange as the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth defendants, respectively The…

Iran called on US President Donald Trump on Monday to force Israel to cease fire as the only way to end the four-day-old aerial war, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country was on the “path to victory”. Israeli forces stepped up their bombardment of Iranian cities, while Iran proved capable of piercing Israeli air defences with one of its most successful volleys yet of retaliatory missile strikes. “If President Trump is genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X. “Israel must halt its aggression,…

By Oluwafemi Popoola It was sometime in April 2022 that Prof. Yemi Osinbajo announced his intention to run for President. It felt like someone had finally opened a window in a suffocating room. You could hear the sighs of hope from young professionals, tech innovators, civil society leaders, and tired-but-still-hopeful academics across the country. For once, it seemed that someone who understood governance was stepping into the ring. But Nigerian politics isn’t a TED Talk. It’s more like a Nollywood political thriller—godfathers lurking in the shadows, plot twists at every turn, and enough backroom deals to exhaust even the most…