Author: Vincent Osuwo

Soldiers of the Nigerian Army assigned for counter-terrorism operations in Yobe and Borno states killed no fewer than four terrorists.  The two terrorists murdered in Yobe were among those operating a tax collection site at the Ngazargamu area in the Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State. Soldiers acted on intelligence and attacked the terrorists, killing them. The Nigerian Army stated in a statement on Friday on X that firearms had also been confiscated from the terrorists. Police battle kidnappers, arrest suspect The statement partly read, “In the Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State, troops acting on verified intelligence…

Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command have apprehended a suspected kidnapper after a fierce gun battle. In the early hours of Friday, a band of kidnappers broke into an estate in the Kubwa district of the FCT. When they saw police, they opened fire and escaped into a nearby swamp. Our correspondent gathered that the operatives pursued the kidnappers, apprehending one and recovering a gang-owned vehicle. When contacted, Tunji Disu, the FCT Commissioner of Police, verified that one of the kidnappers had been apprehended and firearms retrieved from him. He stated that the police’s prompt response was the…

The appointment of Professor Ilyas Usman as the first-ever Igbo Imam Abuja National Mosque has generated mixed reactions from Nigerians.  Prof. Usman, who delivered his inaugural khutbah (sermon) during Friday’s (today’s) Jumu’ah prayer, marks a significant milestone in the mosque’s history and the broader Nigerian Muslim community. The appointment of Prof. Usman has received a warm reception, particularly by the South East Muslim Organisation of Nigeria (SEMON). The group congratulated him in a statement, emphasising that his new role is both a personal achievement and a sacred responsibility. Muslims do not have right to block roads during prayers – Islamic…

The Palestinian militant group Hamas reported on Friday that its leader, Yahya Sinwar, had been killed by the Israeli military in Gaza, a day after Israel claimed his death. “We mourn the great leader, the martyred brother, Yahya Sinwar, Abu Ibrahim,” said Qatar-based Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya in a recorded video statement broadcast by Al Jazeera. Sinwar became Israel’s most wanted man after the October 7, 2023, attack, which was the worst in the country’s history. Hayya stated that the militant group would not release prisoners abducted from Israel until the war in Gaza ended. The hostages “will not return……

North Korea has begun sending troops to battle Russia in Ukraine, according to South Korea’s spy agency, as Seoul warns of a “grave security threat.” The accusation comes a day after the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky stated he feared 10,000 North Korean soldiers could join the fight based on intelligence reports. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol convened a security summit on Friday, stating that the international community must respond with “all available means.”. According to the spy service, 1,500 troops have already landed in Russia, with unidentified sources informing South Korean media that the total number might reach…

The death toll from Tuesday’s petrol tanker explosion in Majiya, Taura Local Government Area, Jigawa State, has gotten to 167. Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi made the revelation while Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf paid him a sympathy visit at Government House Dutse on Thursday evening. “As of Thursday evening, 167 lives had been lost in the fire disaster,” according to Namadi. He said that 67 people are currently receiving medical treatment at various hospitals both inside and outside the state. The governor expressed heartfelt thanks on behalf of the Jigawa people and thanked Kano State for its tremendous assistance…

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, has criticised President Bola Tinubu and his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, for their international trips.  He expressed concern that the travels were taking place at a time when the country was facing domestic issues. Chronicle NG reported that Tinubu left for the United Kingdom on October 2, 2024, for a two-week working vacation. He later left the UK for France on Friday, October 11, for “another important engagement,” according to his Senior Special Assistant on Political and Other Matters, Ibrahim Masari. Meanwhile, Shettima left Abuja on Wednesday…

Irate students at the College of Health Sciences and Technology in Jega, Kebbi State, have set fire to the provost’s apartment and vandalised his vehicle.  The protest arose amid reports that the institution administration extorted N23 million from students for index registration for 250 graduating students. According to a source at the college who talked with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, the dispute stemmed from a recently established public health course that was initially linked with the Reproductive Health and Public Health Association of Nigeria. Fire destroys Zamfara speaker’s residence According to the source, the college amalgamated the…

Andrew Ominikoron, a Bus Rapid Transit driver on trial for allegedly raping and murdering 22-year-old fashion designer Oluwabamise Ayanwole, began his defence on Thursday.  Ominikoron, who testified in his defence before the Lagos State High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square, stated that he did not rape or kill Oluwabamise. He claimed that he became a bus captain for the BRT in September 2021. The defence witness told Justice Sherifat Sonaike that on February 26, 2022, he was on an afternoon shift that he resumed at 1 p.m., and his route was from Oshodi to Aja. He stated that he did…

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has recorded 14,237 cases of cholera across 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), spanning 339 local government areas as of October 13, 2024. Dr. Jide Idris, Director General of the NCDC, stated at a news briefing in Abuja on Thursday that 378 deaths have been documented as a result of cholera. The DG also stated that the number of confirmed Mpox cases in the country has climbed to 102 across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory, up from 94 previously. Idris stated that cholera remained a severe public…