Author: David Great

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has commenced the disbursement of N46.6 billion in liquidation dividends to depositors of the now-defunct Heritage Bank. This development was announced on Sunday in a statement by the Acting Head of Communication and Public Affairs at NDIC, Hawwau Gambo. According to Gambo, the funds were generated from the sale of the bank’s assets and the recovery of outstanding debts. She explained that a liquidation dividend refers to payments made to depositors of a closed bank, beyond the maximum insured deposit amount, using proceeds from asset sales and debt recoveries. Gambo further noted that, “Liquidation…

Elon Musk, the US billionaire heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has announced the cancellation of 226 contracts deemed wasteful, totaling $1.03 billion. In a statement posted on its official X account on Saturday, the department revealed that among the terminated agreements was a $5.4 million IRS consulting contract focused on exploring emerging issues within the agency. The department explained that the move has resulted in significant savings for the United States. “Over the last two days, agencies terminated 226 wasteful contracts with a ceiling value of $1.03B and savings of $555M, including a $5.4M IRS consulting contract for…

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported 902 Nigerians since the 2019 fiscal year, data from the agency’s 2024 Annual Report reveals. An additional 3,690 Nigerians remain under removal orders but have yet to be expelled. Although annual removals of Nigerians declined by 51.7 per cent over six years—from 286 in 2019 to 138 in 2024—ICE’s deportation records indicate spikes during Donald Trump’s early presidency in 2018 and 2019. Officials anticipate another potential surge in 2025 amid renewed enforcement efforts. Among African nations, Nigeria accounted for the largest number of U.S. deportations. Senegal followed with 716 removals,…

Five people, including four women, have died following an explosion at a residential area in Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, on Saturday. Sources revealed that the explosion occurred in one of the rooms used to store illegally refined petroleum products. Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene, an environmentalist and Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday. He explained that residents often purchased illegally refined kerosene and other petroleum products, storing them for resale to the public. In the statement, Dumnamene said, “The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre…

The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Taskforce has apprehended 52 individuals during a late-night clean-up aimed at tackling crime on Lagos Island. Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, announced the arrests in a statement shared on Saturday via X. According to Wahab, the enforcement exercise began at around 12:35 a.m. on Saturday, April 26, 2025, and covered several key locations, including Lekki, Ikoyi, Falomo Bridge, Eko Hotel, and Ligali Ayorinde. Wahab said, “Complaints and distressed calls suggest that some of these streets are populated at night by unscrupulous elements—miscreants, street urchins, pickpockets,…

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has attributed Cole Palmer’s ongoing goal drought to mental struggles rather than tactical or technical issues. The 22-year-old England international had an outstanding debut season at Stamford Bridge, scoring 27 goals and providing 15 assists across 48 appearances. However, Palmer has only managed 14 goals in all competitions this season. Maresca, speaking ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Everton on Saturday, expressed confidence that Palmer would soon rediscover his scoring touch. “For sure it’s a mental thing, it’s not tactical or technical,” Maresca told reporters. “Cole is still the player who scored 14 goals in…

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has broken his silence amid political realignments and mounting public concern, addressing the recent wave of defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In a strongly worded statement, Atiku reaffirmed his democratic convictions and criticized the current administration’s handling of national affairs. In a post shared via his official social media handle, Atiku said he had been “overwhelmed with inquiries from concerned Nigerians, all eager to understand my position on the latest political shifts, particularly the defection of some PDP members to the ruling party.” He emphasized that…

Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, April 25, 2025, remanded a musician, Terry Alexander Ejeh, otherwise known as Terry Apala, in a Correctional Centre for alleged mutilation of the naira notes. Terry Apala was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, April 25, 2025, on a one-count charge of mutilating the naira notes. The charge reads: “That you, TERRY ALEXANDER EJEH, on the 5th day of January, 2025, at La Madison Place, Oniru, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, whilst dancing during…

Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has criticized President Bola Tinubu for allegedly breaching Nigeria’s constitution by removing Governor Siminalayi Fubara and declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State. Speaking during the 9th Edition of the Akinjide Adeosun Foundation (AAF) Annual Leadership Discourse in Lagos, themed “Fearless Leadership: A Panacea for Sustainable Development,” Amaechi also took aim at the National Assembly, describing it as a “very weak institution” that enabled the President’s actions. According to Amaechi, the move by Tinubu amounted to running a government based on personal will rather than the rule of law. “For a governor or…

A coalition of legal professionals under the name Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law has announced plans to submit a formal petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, calling for the probe, arrest, and prosecution of former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari. This move comes in the wake of Kyari’s removal from office on April 2, 2025, after nearly six years at the helm, and follows a similar petition submitted to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF). Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, the group revealed…