Author: Vincent Osuwo

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has eclipsed legendary striker Segun Odegbami on the country’s all-time leading goal scorers list after scoring his 24th and 25th goals against Rwanda in Nigeria’s critical 2026 World Cup qualifying game on Friday. Ademola Lookman’s soaring free kick found the Galatasaray striker, who turned the ball home with a superb touch at the far post to give Nigeria the lead in the game. With the goal, Osimhen moved into second place on Nigeria’s goal-scoring table, trailing only the late Rashidi Yekini’s 37-goal total. Osimhen, who is playing his debut game in the 2026 World Cup qualification…

Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), Rivers State’s sole administrator, has announced the release of previously withheld local government allocations. The former Chief of Naval Staff made the announcement during a meeting with heads of local government administrators on Friday in Port Harcourt, the state capital. Ibas noted that the required procedures would be taken to pay workers’ pay cheques on time, and he expressed worry about the delay in salary payments throughout local government districts, acknowledging the difficulties faced by affected workers. “I feel the pain of the workers,” he said, assuring them that the withheld allocations had been released and…

Senator Seriake Dickson has described as ”unconstitutional,” the declaration of state of emergency in Rivers state by President Bola Tinubu. In a statement he released via his X page on Friday, the former Bayelsa State governor voiced his objections during a closed session of the Senate, where he argued that the declaration fell short of constitutional requirements. “As I have stated repeatedly, I raised my objections in the closed session on how the declaration fell short of constitutional prescription, based on my views as a democrat sworn to uphold the Nigerian Constitution,” Dickson stated. The debate on the issue did…

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has criticised the declaration of a state of emergency in the oil-rich Rivers State. Chronicle NG reports that President Bola Tinubu had, on Tuesday, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, as well as members of the House of State House of Assembly for six months. The President appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (retd) as the Sole Administrator for the state. In his biweekly newsletter, The Business of Governance Issue 110, which was published on Thursday evening,  Makinde mentioned that the suspension of democracy in…

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), an Islamic human rights organisation, has accused Adeleke University, Osun State, of forcing Muslim students to attend church programmes. MURIC also accused the prestigious institution of disrupting the Ramadan prayers of Muslim students of the university. MURIC’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, alleged that the university has a history of religious discrimination. In a letter written to the National University Commission, he claimed that Muslim students are not allowed to pray on campus, hijabs are banned, and attendance at church services is made compulsory. The organisation also recalled similar allegations as far back as 2019, stating…

US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Thursday that three individuals accused of vandalism against Elon Musk’s Tesla electric vehicle company might face up to 20 years in prison. Bondi described the destruction of Tesla automobiles, stores, and charging points as “domestic terrorism”. Prosecutors had earlier announced the arrests and indictments against the three accused. Tesla stores around the country have been targeted in a surge of protests, as well as vandalism and arson assaults, in response to Musk’s influence over the Trump administration. There is no particular US legislation prohibiting domestic terrorism, although prosecutors may seek harsher jail sentences…

Heathrow Airport will be closed on Friday due to a “significant” power outage caused by a fire at a neighbouring electrical substation that supplies it electricity. The UK’s biggest airport has issued a warning of “significant disruption” in the coming days and advised passengers not to travel “under any circumstances” until it reopened. The incident at the Hayes substation in west London has left thousands of households without electricity, and 150 people have been evacuated from nearby residences. At 23:23 GMT, emergency services were alerted to the location, and social media footage showed tall flames and smoke pouring from the…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sacked the head of the nation’s security service over its failure to anticipate the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas. The Israeli cabinet convened on Thursday evening to formally approve Ronen Bar’s early dismissal as Shin Bet chairman. Bar was appointed in October 2021 for a five-year term. In a video statement released on Sunday, Netanyahu revealed his plan to fire Mr Bar, noting an “ongoing distrust” between the two men that had “grown over time”. The move prompted outrage and fuelled anti-government protests in Jerusalem, where thousands of Israelis joined forces with protestors…

Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, announced on Thursday that the Federal Government has released over 4,000 detainees from correctional facilities as part of decongestion measures, saving N1 billion in inmate feeding expenditures. The minister disclosed this during the 5th Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja. Tunji-Ojo noted that the campaign uncovered several detainees who were detained for petty fines, resulting in their quick release. He said, “We decongested our correctional centres by five per cent last year,” Tunji-Ojo explained. “Last year, just over 4,000 inmates were released in one day. All we did was conduct a detailed analysis and found…

In a bid to address disparities in suspension, impeachment, and other legislative procedures, the 36 state Houses of Assemblies adopted and ratified harmonised standing orders. The rules to be adopted by each of the 36 Houses of Assemblies aim to ensure consistency across the states in implementing disciplinary issues such as suspension and impeachment, removal of presiding officers and other members, budgetary processes, and confirmation of appointments forwarded by the executive branch of government. The harmonised orders also cover the election of presiding officers, the adoption of legislative reports, statutory reports, and resolutions, the ratification of constitutional amendments and treaties,…