Author: Vincent Osuwo

The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives has called off its nationwide warning strike. Chidi Aligwe, NANNM’s Assistant Secretary-General, informed our correspondent of this on Saturday. On Wednesday, nurses and midwives across the country began a seven-day warning strike to press home their long-standing demands, which include an increase in shift allowance, an adjustment to uniform allowance, a separate salary structure for nurses, an increase in core duty allowance, mass recruitment of nurses, and the establishment of a nursing department in the Federal Ministry of Health, among others. The strike was called off on Saturday following a virtual meeting…

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was sentenced to 12 years of house arrest on witness tampering and fraud charges. The 73-year-old is the first former president in the country’s history to be found guilty of a crime. He’s also been disqualified from public office and fined $578,000 (£435,000). Uribe, who maintains his innocence, informed a judge in Bogotá that he would appeal his sentence. He claimed that the prosecution was intended to “destroy a voice for the democratic opposition.” He was president from 2002 to 2010 and is still popular in Colombia, despite accusations of collaborating with right-wing paramilitaries to…

The Niger State Police Command detained 24 suspected armed robbers in Minna, the state capital. The culprits were apprehended on Wednesday at about 3 a.m. after SCID Minna’s anti-thuggery team, along with Maitumbi, Central Police Stations, and vigilante members, raided the scene of the incident. Wasiu Abiodun, the command’s spokesman, said in a statement on Friday that the arrest was the result of state police commissioner Adamu Elleman’s intensification of the fight against thuggery, young restiveness, and armed robbery in Minna. “The Niger State Police Command, under the leadership of CP Adamu Elleman, intensifies the fight against the menace of…

Amnesty International has severely condemned Niger State Governor Umar Bago’s decision to shut down Badeggi 90.1 FM Radio in Minna, calling it an abuse of authority and an attack on press freedom. The shutdown order, given Thursday during an extended Niger State APC caucus meeting at the Government House, was based on allegations that the radio station was “inciting violence” and acting unethically. Governor Bago also asked for the station’s license to be revoked. Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, denounced the instruction in a statement released on Saturday, calling it “misguided and unjustifiable.” “Amnesty International strongly condemns the…

French prosecutors on Friday called for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defender Achraf Hakimi to face trial for the alleged rape of a woman in 2023 which the Moroccan international denies. The Nanterre prosecutor’s office told AFP that they had asked the investigating judge to refer the rape case to a criminal court. “It is now up to the investigating magistrate to make a decision within the framework of his order,” the prosecutor’s office told AFP in a statement. Hakimi, 26, played a key role in PSG’s first Champions League title, scoring the opening goal in a 5-0 victory over Inter Milan…

Newly released figures from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have shown the human cost of the 2025 flooding season. A total of 165 people have been confirmed dead, 82 others remain missing, and 119,791 residents have been affected by flood-related disasters across 19 states. NEMA’s latest figures released on Friday also detail the scale of displacement and destruction. NEMA’s situation report partly reads, “138 persons sustained various degrees of injuries, 43,936 were displaced, 8,594 houses were affected, and 8,278 farmlands were destroyed across 43 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 19 States.” The report reveals that children and women make…

Major General Ijioma Nwokoro Ijioma (retd.) has warned the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, not to be duped into returning to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, under any guise. The former general, who provided the advice Thursday night while appearing on the July edition of the Ikengaonline town hall meeting, stated that Obi’s political interests would not be protected in the PDP as it currently stands. He urged him not to trust the PDP, which idolises the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, whose allegiance to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is…

President Bola Tinubu praised new media on Friday as a critical pillar of Nigeria’s national development, urging young digital influencers to capitalise on its potential for economic growth, civic participation, and social improvement. Tinubu, speaking at the Progressive Digital Media Summit at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, praised the ingenuity and ambition of young Nigerians changing the digital environment, referring to them as “not just the future, but the builders of it.” He said, “Across Nigeria, we are witnessing a surge of creativity and ambition as young people use digital media to share their voices and shape society. From developing…

The Nigerian office of the International Human Rights Commission has urged President Bola Tinubu to grant a presidential pardon to suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari in the interests of national security. The IHRC’s request was contained in a statement released by Duru Hezekiah, the Head of Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria, and made available to journalists in Abuja on Friday. In the statement, Hezekiah stated that the request for Kyari’s pardon, had become essential due to the country’s escalating level of insecurity, which ranged from terrorism and kidnapping to organised crime and armed banditry. The commission also advocated for…

The Federal Government has directed residents of four local government areas in Niger State to relocate following a fresh flood warning issued by the Ministry of Environment. The Federal Ministry of Environment’s National Flood Early Warning Centre issued the advisory on Thursday, stating that significant rainfall was expected in the affected areas from July 31 to August 4, 2025, potentially causing flooding. According to reports, the affected LGs are Rijau, Sarkin Pawa, Suleja, and Mashegu. The ministry advised stakeholders in the state to take proper action to reduce the danger. The announcement, titled ‘Flood Prediction,’ was signed by Usman Bokani,…