Author: Vincent Osuwo

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has donated N50 million to the family of the late Lt. Col. OC Okolo, who was killed during a Boko Haram attack at Mandaragirau in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State on February 16, 2026. The Zulum’s spokesman, Dauda Illiya, revealed this in a statement on Saturday. He stated that Zulum reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to supporting the families of officers and men who paid the ultimate price in defense of the nation. He also noted that he would continue to visit the families of other personnel killed or declared missing in action…

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has urged the Nigeria Immigration Service to immediately revoke and deactivate passports possessed by anyone who has formally renounced their Nigerian citizenship. The directive, released on Saturday by his special adviser on media, Alao Babatunde, applies to Nigerians whose renunciation requests have been legally granted by the president. Tunji-Ojo stated that the ministry, which is responsible for citizenship integrity, derives authority for the instruction from Sections 29(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. The statement cited the constitutional provision as follows: (1) Any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to…

Gunmen kidnapped the chairman of the Sapele Local Government Area in Delta State, Chief Bright Abeke, in an incident that triggered fear in the community. According to reports, the incident occurred less than 24 hours after suspected militants reportedly expressed threats of violence in the neighborhood, prompting concerns about increasing insecurity. According to eyewitnesses, the council chairman was kidnapped at around 7 p.m. on Friday from a hotel on Owumi Road in Sapele, as the perpetrators fired bullets. The gunmen, estimated to be 15 in number, reportedly assaulted the premises in a Range Rover SUV and two other vehicles, shooting…

Pope Leo XIV has sternly criticized the United States’ and Israel’s continued military operations against Iran, saying that faith cannot justify violence and declaring that “God does not bless any conflict.” In a statement released on his official X account on Friday, the pontiff distanced Christianity from modern combat, saying that followers of Jesus Christ, whom he referred to as the “Prince of Peace,” should not advocate violence. “Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs,” he wrote. The words come…

Eight victims of Thursday night’s terrorist attack on Mbwelle village in the Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State were buried on Friday in a mass burial marked by grief and renewed calls for vigilance. The victims were murdered at about 11 pm when gunmen invaded the community and opened fire indiscriminately for nearly an hour. The victims were said to be members of the same family. Those laid to rest were Elder Iliya Mangut Dakus, Mr. Luck Titus Dakus, Mr. Habila Istifanu Dakus, Mr. Hassan Istifanus Dakus, Mrs. Hassan Moses Dakus, Biggie Lucky Dakus, Sunday Gideon Dakus, and Mr.…

Daniel Bwala, President Bola Tinubu’s special adviser on policy communication, has stated that he underwent throat surgery following an extensively discussed interview with Al Jazeera journalist Mehdi Hasan. Bwala made the confession during an appearance on News Central’s 60 Minutes with Mr. Kay, which aired on Friday. He also addressed reactions to the interview and criticism from internet forums. “Eight days after the interview with Mehdi Hasan, I underwent surgery on my throat. I don’t know whether it was the ‘obedient’ people that threw that African thing, but in any case, I’m back and strong,” he said. He berated a…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed reports that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, endorsed a partisan post on X, describing the allegation as false and misleading. In a statement on Friday by the chief press secretary to the chairman, Adedayo Oketola, INEC said the report was part of a “malicious and coordinated campaign” aimed at discrediting the electoral body. “The false claim alleges that the INEC chairman has, in the past, endorsed a partisan post on the platform X. This allegation is entirely baseless, a total fabrication, and a figment of the imagination of its purveyors,” the statement…

Senator David Mark, the embattled National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, met with officials of the Peoples Redemption Party behind closed doors on Friday, in what looks to be a new round of political consultations amid the party’s persistent leadership crisis. The high-level meeting, held out of the public eye, brought together major figures from both parties, highlighting strengthening alignments among opposition actors during a period of increased internal bickering within the ADC. Those in attendance included Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the new National Chairman of the PRP; Mark; Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC National Publicity Secretary; his PRP counterpart, Muhammed…

US President Donald Trump said Friday that US warships are being reloaded with weaponry to strike Iran if talks in Pakistan fail to produce a deal, in an interview with the New York Post. “We have a reset going. We’re loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made—even better than what we did previously, and we blew them apart,” the post quoted Trump as saying. “And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively.” Earlier, in a brief and mysterious remark on his Truth…

Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has cautioned that the United States’ recent request to remove its embassy staff from Nigeria due to increased insecurity signifies a decline in international confidence in the country’s security system and leadership. According to him, the action brings Nigeria’s deteriorating security problem into sharp global attention, creating new concerns about the impact on investor confidence, diplomatic ties, and an already vulnerable economy. In a statement issued on Friday, Obi stated that the situation should be considered as a national emergency, emphasizing that the ramifications extend beyond security to Nigeria’s international reputation. “The recent…