Author: Vincent Osuwo

Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti has received a major Grammy Award nearly three decades after his death. According to the BBC, the Recording Academy will posthumously present the Nigerian music icon with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Awards, making him the first African to receive the honor. The prize recognizes Fela’s lasting impact on global music and culture, according to the BBC. Reacting to the recognition, his son and Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, said, “Fela has been in the hearts of the people for such a long time. Now the Grammys have acknowledged it, and it’s a double…

A couple in Indonesia was caned 140 times each for having sex outside of marriage and drinking alcohol, which violates Sharia, or Islamic religious law. The 21-year-old woman fainted as three female cops struck her with a rattan cane while she wept. After collapsing, female officers took her off the platform and into an ambulance. On Thursday, the couple and four others, including an officer from the Islamic police force, were caned after being found guilty of violating Sharia law. Caning is a traditional punishment for breaching Islamic law in religiously devout Aceh, although rights groups have long criticized the…

The Lagos State Police Command on Thursday arraigned activist Comrade Hassan Taiwo, popularly known as Soweto, alongside Dele Frank before the Yaba Chief Magistrate’s Court over their participation in a protest against illegal demolitions, forcible evictions, and land grabbing at the Lagos State House of Assembly. The defendants were charged with five counts of conspiracy, behavior likely to cause a breach of the peace, threats, unlawful assembly, obstruction of traffic, and singing derogatory lyrics about the police and the Lagos State Government. Prosecutor Anthony Ihiehie informed the court that on January 28, 2026, the defendants planned to cause a breach…

The Lagos State House of Assembly condemned the kidnapping of Prospective Corps Member Binuyo Lateefah on Thursday, calling for prompt intergovernmental and security cooperation to ensure her safe return. This followed a matter of urgent public significance raised by member Omolara Olumegbon, who informed the House that the victim was kidnapped on January 22, 2026, along the Kogi axis while on her way to Taraba State for a National Youth Service Corps assignment. She revealed that the abductors were demanding a ransom of N30 million. Olumegbon encouraged the House to write to the Federal Government to improve security measures for…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has resumed enforcement of the restriction on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small plastic or glass bottles containing less than 200 milliliters. The agency stressed that it did not close any alcohol-producing companies but rather barred the sale of alcohol in sachets and small containers, citing public health concerns. Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, stated on Thursday that the decision was intended to prevent children, adolescents, and young people from the dangerous use of alcohol. “The National Agency for Food and…

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has condemned the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria’s call for the removal of Prof. Joash Amupitan, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, warning against what it calls the politicization of religion. Northern CAN condemned the demand as risky, unreasonable, and capable of weakening public trust in a crucial national institution, arguing that competence and integrity, rather than religious affiliation, should be used to evaluate public office holders. The SCSN had demanded Amupitan’s immediate resignation and punishment, accusing him of compromised integrity following a court brief in which he apparently acknowledged charges of…

Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick has asserted that the Super Eagles would have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup if he were still in charge of Nigerian football. Pinnick, who managed the NFF from October 2014 to October 2022, led Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup in Russia but was also responsible for the country’s inability to qualify for the 2022 tournament in Qatar following a playoff loss to Ghana. On Sunday’s Global Football Insights show, he expressed surprise that Nigeria did not take advantage of the expanded World Cup format, which allows African teams to…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has confirmed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is being actively engaged in ongoing efforts to resolve the political crisis in Rivers State, despite not being a registered member of the ruling party. This was revealed on Thursday by the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, during an interview on TVC’s ‘Beyond The Headlines,’ noting Wike’s critical role in the state’s political landscape and his support for President Bola Tinubu. “Of course, as you know, Wike is an avowed supporter of President Bola Tinubu, even though he is not a member of…

A plane carrying 15 people, including a Colombian congressman named Diogenes Quintero, crashed in mountainous terrain near the Venezuelan border. According to AFP, the aircraft departed from Cúcuta and lost communication with air traffic control just before landing in Ocaña around 5:00 p.m. GMT. “There are no survivors,” an aviation source told AFP. The plane was carrying thirteen passengers and two crew members. According to NDTV, the government used the Colombian Air Force to find the aircraft and rescue the bodies. Local parliamentarian Wilmer Carrillo expressed his concern over the tragedy, saying, “We have received with concern the information about…

The US Mission in Nigeria has announced the launch of free online English language courses aimed at boosting professional skills and expanding career opportunities for learners. The announcement was made in a statement on the mission’s official X handle on Thursday. According to the mission, the courses are intended to assist learners’ professional development and long-term success while allowing them to study at their own pace and interact with a worldwide community of learners. The initiative, which is offered through the United States Department of State’s Online Professional English Network (OPEN) program, is aimed at students who want to improve…