Author: Vincent Osuwo

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday praised the Nigerian Armed Forces for their rapid response in the Benin Republic after a failed military coup in country. Tinubu’s response followed the actions of loyalist forces in Benin, aided by Nigerian troops and air support, who expelled soldiers that had captured the national television station early Sunday and asserted they had overthrown President Patrice Talon. A declaration endorsed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, indicated that the Government of Benin officially sought Nigeria’s military support in two distinct messages after coup conspirators headed by Col. Pascal Tigri declared…

Real Madrid suffered a shock defeat at Celta Vigo in La Liga, finishing with nine men and increasing the pressure on manager Xabi Alonso. Seven minutes after the break, Celta took an improbable lead when substitute Williot Swedberg clipped a beautiful finish into the bottom corner, his first league goal of the season. Real’s situation worsened in the 64th minute when they were reduced to ten men when Fran Garcia received two yellow cards in a minute. Madrid were reduced to nine men in the 92nd minute after Alvaro Carreras received two rapid yellow cards, one for dissent and the…

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday ordered the deployment of operatives of its standby force to the Republic of Benin, hours after condemning what it described as an attempted military takeover in the country. The ECOWAS disclosed the decision in a statement issued just after consultations among members of the Mediation and Security Council at the level of Heads of State and Government. It said, “Further to its earlier statement on the Republic of Benin, the ECOWAS Commission hereby informs the general public that pursuant to the provisions of relevant ECOWAS instruments, in particular Article 25(e)…

The Imo State Government closed a hotel and private mortuary in Umuhu Autonomous Community, Ngor-Okpala, on Saturday after uncovering decaying and damaged corpses in unsanitary conditions, raising suspicions of illegal organ harvesting. The operation was part of a larger crackdown on kidnapping and violent crimes along the Owerri-Aba Expressway, led by Commissioner of Police Aboki Danjuma and other partners. DSP Okoye Henry, the State Police Command Public Relations Officer, issued the following statement. According to the PPRO, the operation was predicated on genuine intelligence about a suspected criminal, Stanley Morocco Oparaugo, who is still at large. During the operation, Henry…

The Federal Government has secured the release of 100 students kidnapped from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State. TVC News and Channels Television reported the development on Sunday, although federal authorities had not issued an official announcement at press time. On November 21, gunmen assaulted the rural village, attacking the school at 2 a.m. on motorcycles and operating for about three hours. They kidnapped 315 people, including 303 students and 12 teachers. No fewer than 50 students escaped during the first 24 hours and were reunited with their families, leaving…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released detailed guidelines for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration process, along with a list of common challenges candidates may encounter. The announcement, made via the board’s X handle on Sunday, aims to assist prospective candidates in preparing for the upcoming registration. The board urged Candidates to “ensure their personal details, including National Identification Number (NIN), email, and A-Level results, are accurate before generating a profile code.” They are encouraged to submit their 11-digit NIN to 55019 or 66019 (e.g., 00000011111 to 55019/66019). Once a profile code is generated, it…

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday condemned what it described as an attempted military takeover in the Republic of Benin. This comes as panic and shooting were reported in sections of Cotonou after soldiers claimed to have ousted President Patrice Talon from office. In a statement issued in Abuja, the regional group stated, “The ECOWAS Commission has received with concern reports of an attempted military takeover in the Republic of Benin.” “ECOWAS strongly condemns this unconstitutional move that represents a subversion of the will of the people of Benin.” The commission advocated respect for Benin’s constitutional…

The Oyo State Police Command has begun an investigation into the kidnap of Ibukun Otesile, Reverend Dr. Lekan Babatunde’s daughter. Otesile, a mother of two and the daughter of the founder and general overseer of Jesus Is King Ministries in Ibadan, was abducted at 8 p.m. by unknown assailants in front of her home in the General Gas neighborhood. Her kidnapping was originally reported in an alert issued on the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Oyo State Facebook page, #CAN OYO STATE, at 10:08 p.m. on Thursday. The statement read, “The daughter of our beloved Reverend Dr. Lekan Babatunde was…

Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, urged Nigerian Christians on Sunday that insecurity will be eliminated, proclaiming that “the church will laugh last.” This comes just as he has advised Nigerians to rest assured that wickedness will not prevail. Adeboye made the statement while teaching “The Master Builder” at RCCG’s monthly thanksgiving service, which was aired and observed by our correspondent. According to the popular cleric, the current security situation in the country serves as a reminder that God can grow and protect His church. In recent years, churches in Nigeria have faced…

French President Emmanuel Macron has emphasized France’s support for Nigeria in resolving its security difficulties, particularly the terrorist threat in the country’s north. In a message posted on X on Sunday, Macron stated that he spoke with President Bola Tinubu and that France will strengthen its relationship with Nigerian authorities. He wrote, “I spoke with President Tinubu of Nigeria, @officialABAT. “I conveyed France’s solidarity in the face of the various security challenges, particularly the terrorist threat in the North. “At his (Tinubu’s) request, we will strengthen our partnership with the authorities and our support for the affected populations. “We call…