Author: Vincent Osuwo

The death toll from a Zamfara State daylight attack on farmlands in Sauna District, Talata Mafara Local Government Area, has increased to 23, according to community sources on Thursday. Earlier reports stated that 16 people were killed. According to recent reports from Sauna District, the total has risen as additional dead have been retrieved from the farms. According to residents, the victims were attacked while working on their farms on Thursday morning. According to an area resident who wished to remain anonymous for security concerns, the bandits, who arrived on many motorcycles, opened fire on anyone caught in the fields.…

The US has imposed a 12.5 per cent tariff on imports from Nigeria as part of a new trade measure targeting countries it says have failed to prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labour. The tariff applies to imports from 60 economies that Washington claims have not “imposed and effectively enforced a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour”. On Thursday, the Office of the United States Trade Representative announced the proposal in a statement posted on its website. Nigeria is one of the nations subject to the 12.5% duty, while India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico,…

The Senate advanced legislative attempts on Thursday to require global social media companies operating in Nigeria to create physical offices in the nation after stakeholders overwhelmingly supported the proposal during a public hearing in Abuja. The Senate Committee on Information and Communications Technology and Cybersecurity held a public hearing during which a separate bill to build an artificial intelligence academy in Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti State, gained widespread support. The proposed law on social media platforms, sponsored by Ned Nwoko (Delta North), aims to alter the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to require social media businesses operating in Nigeria to establish physical…

President Bola Tinubu has approved the Nigerian Army’s expansion from eight to twelve divisions, as well as the recruitment of an additional 28,000 military troops. The announcement came as the presidency announced that the change is intended to decentralize command, bolster border security, and improve response times to emerging threats around the country. According to a statement signed Thursday by the Presidency’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the expansion will result in the establishment of four additional divisional headquarters in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo, and Benin City. Onanuga stated that under the new 12-division structure, the Nigerian Army…

The Nigerian Democratic Congress’ presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to extend ongoing voter registration to the latest practical date before the 2027 general elections, claiming that doing so will ensure that more eligible Nigerians are not excluded from the electoral process. Obi stated on Thursday that the extension was required since “every day, more young Nigerians attain the age of 18 and become constitutionally eligible to vote.” “They are not just our future; they are stakeholders in our present. It would be unfortunate if many of them were denied the opportunity to exercise their…

An Enugu Air plane went off the runway after landing at Benin Airport on Thursday, but the company confirmed that all passengers and crew members were successfully evacuated with no casualties. The event, referred to as a runway excursion in aviation, involved one of the Embraer regional planes owned by Enugu State. Enugu Air stated on its official X account that the aircraft encountered a runway excursion after landing and that the necessary aviation authorities had been alerted. “Enugu Air wishes to inform the public that one of our aircraft operating into Benin experienced a runway excursion after landing today.…

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has jokingly accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of breaking the truce after the latter mentioned a past controversy involving the former Edo State governor. The exchange occurred during plenary on Thursday, following Akpabio’s statement about an earlier viral video supposedly showing Oshiomhole stroking the legs of a South African woman aboard a private flight. Oshiomhole characterized the video as artificial intelligence-generated, and Akpabio had previously made light-hearted remarks about the incident. Raising a point of order, Oshiomhole informed the Senate that both lawmakers had promised not to make jokes about previous incidents, accusing Akpabio of violating the…

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the executive bill to form state police, taking a big step toward decentralizing Nigeria’s policing system. The measure was adopted during the plenary when the House retracted its prior constitutional amendment proposal on the establishment of state police, preferring to support the executive measure. The passage comes after the Nigerian Senate approved its version of the legislation, putting the country closer to implementing a dual policing system aimed at enhancing internal security and increasing law enforcement at the state level. Details later…

The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three suspects in the kidnapping of students and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo state to life in prison. According to Channels TV, Justice Salim Ibrahim ordered that the offenders’ life sentences begin on the date of their arrest. He handed down the punishment after convicting Abdulrazak Umar (also known as Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (Abu Itisar) of terrorism and kidnapping. The defendants had previously pled guilty to some of the allegations made against them by the federal government while disputing…

Spain midfielders Fabián Ruiz and Gavi were presented with tomatoes when they returned to their hometown after being part of the Spain squad that won the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The players come from Los Palacios y Villafranca—a town to the south of Seville that has a population lower than 40,000—and returned there on Wednesday for an official reception at the town hall. PSG’s Ruiz, who started the final against Argentina, and Barcelona’s Gavi wore their gold medals as they were greeted by Los Palacios y Villafranca officials and a large crowd.  As part of the celebration for their accomplishment,…