Author: Vincent Osuwo

Governor Seyi Makinde provided an update on efforts to rescue the schoolchildren and teachers kidnapped by suspected bandits in the Yawota and Ahoro-Esinle communities in the Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, stating that the abductees are still in the Old Oyo National Park. Makinde stated in his Newsletter No. 140, which was posted on Friday, that the victims remain the target of continuing security operations. The governor stated that it has been 27 days since the students and teachers were forcibly removed from their schools, leaving their families and communities in distress and uncertainty. Chronicle NG reports that scores…

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has stated that President Bola Tinubu does not have a solution to the insecurity bedeviling the country. In an open letter to Nigerians on Democracy Day, the opposition party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that the ultimate test of democracy is the impact it has on citizens’ lives rather than the number of years since military rule ended. The party mentioned that democracy has failed to better the lives of ordinary Nigerians under Tinubu’s administration. The opposition party mentioned that the Tinubu-led administration is only good at issuing empty threats to terrorists. The ADC…

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued an evaluation of the state of the nation, claiming that democracy has failed to better the lives of ordinary Nigerians under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. In an open letter to Nigerians on Democracy Day, the opposition party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that the ultimate test of democracy is the impact it has on citizens’ lives rather than the number of years since military rule ended. The party urged Nigerians to judge the country’s current situation by asking if they are safer, more prosperous, and more confident in their leadership than they…

France will lay to rest Bernadette Chirac, widow of former president Jacques Chirac, on Friday, in a funeral in Paris set to be attended by prominent figures from the worlds of politics and entertainment. Bernadette Chirac, who stood by her late husband as first lady for 12 years while also forging her own, more covert political career, died on June 5 at the age of 93. Her funeral will take place at Paris’ Sainte-Clotilde Basilica at 2:30 p.m. (1230 GMT). Guests anticipated to attend include current French first lady Brigitte Macron; two previous presidents, Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande; and…

Pope Leo XIV reminded migrants at a reception center on the Spanish island of Tenerife on Friday that “all of us are migrants” on the final day of a weeklong visit to Spain focused on the plight of illegal immigrants. Tenerife is one of the Atlantic Canary Islands that has served as a conduit for tens of thousands of illegal migrants seeking a better life in Europe. The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics is ending his journey with a request for increased assistance to migrants and action against traffickers at a time when immigration remains a contentious political…

US President Donald Trump will host a blood-soaked UFC cage match on the lawn of the White House for the US’s 80th birthday. A massive arena called “The Claw” has been erected on the iconic South Lawn for Sunday’s competition, which will feature 14 Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters. Critics have slammed the unprecedented $60 million “UFC Freedom 250” event as tone-deaf, coming at a time when Trump’s war in Iran has raised the cost of living for average Americans. Trump thinks it’s a terrific way to kick off the 250th anniversary of American independence — not to mention his own…

President Bola Tinubu has announced the renaming of the completed Institute of Petroleum Studies, Kaduna, as the General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology. The president stated on Friday that the move was in recognition of the late military officer’s services to Nigeria’s transition to civilian administration. Tinubu announced the decision as part of his Democracy Day address, stating that the name was part of the acknowledgment for the builders of Nigeria’s democratic journey. “Among the architects of modern democratic Nigeria, we honor General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua for his vision of national partnership. “In recognition of…

Fellow Nigerians Today, we celebrate not only democracy but also the enduring Nigerian spirit. For 27 unbroken years, since May 29, 1999, Nigerians have chosen their leaders through the ballot, witnessed peaceful transitions of power, and resolved disagreements in courtrooms and legislative chambers—not through violence. We have experienced the longest stretch of civilian rule in our history. Our democracy is not perfect, but it is ours, and we must continue to defend and strengthen it. In the coming days, Ekiti and Osun States will hold elections. I urge INEC, security agencies, and all parties to ensure these polls are peaceful…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed 73,463.21 kilograms of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances valued at N2.8bn in Edo State. A public destruction exercise was held in Benin City on Thursday. Cannabis sativa was the most commonly destroyed substance, accounting for 73,210.23 kilogrammes. Other substances destroyed included 246.36 kilograms of psychotropic drugs, including Tramadol (141.81 kg), Diazepam (8.43 kg), and Codeine cough syrup (61.77 kg), as well as 2.66 kilograms of methamphetamine, 3.74 kilograms of cocaine, and 0.22 kilogram. Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (ret.), the NDLEA’s chairman and CEO, spoke at the ceremony and hailed the…

A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted 11 Indian sailors and their merchant vessel, the MV Aruna Hulya, of trafficking 31.5 kilogrammes of cocaine into Nigeria, imposing fines and reparations of over $6 million. The conviction came almost six months after National Narcotic Law Enforcement Agency agents arrested the crew and impounded the vessel after discovering the illicit narcotic at Lagos’ Apapa dock. The cocaine was captured by NDLEA agents on January 2, 2026, during a check of the vessel at the GDNL terminal at Apapa Port, when 31.5 kg of cocaine was discovered stowed in Hatch 3 of…