Author: Vincent Osuwo

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued and repatriated 23 Nigerian youths suspected to be victims of human trafficking from Thailand. Binta Adamu Bello, Director-General of NAPTIP, revealed this on Wednesday while warning the public about a growing trend of trafficking to South Asia for cyber-enabled crimes. Vincent Adekoye, the head of NAPTIP’s Press and Public Relations Unit, announced the development in a statement headlined ‘DG NAPTIP alerts on new trend of trafficking to the South Asia region for cyber-enabled crimes as the agency rescues 23 victims from Thailand.’ According to the statement, the…

Senator Seriake Dickson, a former Bayelsa State governor and member for Bayelsa West, has stated that Nigeria is not yet ready for electronic voting and that the demand for “real-time” transmission of election results is unnecessary. In an interview with ARISE News on Tuesday, he stated that the concept of real-time transmission is commonly misunderstood. “What is the definition of real time? We do not vote online in Nigeria. We are not at the point where you can simply push a button and your vote is immediately added to a portal,” he said. He referred to the phrase as “superfluous,”…

President Bola Tinubu has selected Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf to be the new Chairman and CEO of Nigeria’s National Hajj Commission. Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, announced the nomination in a statement on Wednesday. “President Tinubu sent a letter today to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, requesting the expeditious confirmation of Ambassador Yusuf to replace Professor Abdullahi Usman, who resigned this week, after about 14 months in the post,” the press release reads. The appointment, announced on Wednesday, is subject to confirmation by the Senate in accordance with Section 3(2) of the NAHCON Act. Yusuf…

The US has proposed targeted measures, including visa bans and asset freezes, against former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and other individuals and groups accused of involvement in religious freedom violations in Nigeria, according to the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026. According to the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, the United States has suggested targeted sanctions against individuals and groups suspected of violating religious freedom in Nigeria, such as visa bans and asset freezes. On Tuesday, US Congressman Riley Moore (R-West Virginia) introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026,…

The former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has been accused by the United States of involvement in religious freedom violations in Nigeria. According to the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, the United States has suggested targeted sanctions against individuals and groups suspected of violating religious freedom in Nigeria, such as visa bans and asset freezes. On Tuesday, US Congressman Riley Moore (R-West Virginia) introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, co-sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-New Jersey). The bill particularly mentions Kwankwaso, as well as Fulani-ethnic nomad militias and associations like the…

Political negotiations and talks intensified in Bayelsa State as emphasis moved to who will succeed the late deputy governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo. Even before the late deputy governor’s burial, political conversations and lobbying had begun following his refusal to join his principal, Governor Douye Diri, in defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress. Ewhrudjakpo, 60, died on December 11, 2025, after fainting in his office in Yenagoa. He was transported to the Federal Medical Center in Yenagoa, where he was pronounced dead. His death triggered a discussion about whether the next deputy governor should come from Sagbama…

The crew of an Arik Air Boeing 737-700 flying from Lagos to Port Harcourt made an emergency landing to Benin Airport after detecting a loud blast in one of the aircraft’s engines. The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau later stated that the incident resulted in “significant damage” to the afflicted engine. According to the airline’s spokeswoman, Adebanjo Ola, the aircraft, registered 5N-MJF, was flying flight W3 740 from Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos to Port Harcourt International Airport in Omagwa at the time of the incident. He stated that the crew heard a big bang from the left engine while the…

The Federal Government has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to suspend all enforcement actions relating to the proposed ban on sachet alcohol and 200 ml PET bottle alcoholic products. The government additionally cautioned the agency to promptly cease sealing factories and warehouses regarding the matter. The instruction was included in a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja by the Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Terrence Kuanum. Kuanum stated that the directive came after a collaborative action by the Office of the Secretary to the…

An airline in Somalia has praised its pilot for crash-landing his passenger plane, which had developed a technical malfunction, on the seashore near to the capital’s international airport, saving all 55 people on board. Starsky Aviation stated that the pilot’s rapid thinking was critical in saving the 50 passengers and five crew. According to Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the crew of the Fokker 50 reported a problem shortly after takeoff from Mogadishu on Tuesday morning and requested that the jet return. It then touched down but failed to come to a stop on the runway, overshooting the tarmac and…

A shooter killed at least nine people and injured scores more at a secondary school and residence in a remote section of western Canada on Tuesday, before the suspect took his own life. The killings took place in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, a lovely mountain valley village at the foothills of the Rockies. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated 27 persons were injured, including two with serious injuries and 25 with non-life-threatening injuries. According to Canadian media, the gunman was female, but the RCMP declined to reveal the suspect’s identity during a press conference on Tuesday. Prime Minister Mark Carney…