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US Congress okays bill to cut foreign aid to Nigeria

The Editor — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 06:25:45 +0000

The United States House of Representatives has approved a 50 percent cut in assistance to Nigeria over what it described as the federal government’s failure to protect Christian communities from religiously-motivated violence. The National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) Appropriations Bill, passed by the House Wednesday, provides a total discretionary allocation of $47.32 […]

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State airports: White elephant epidemic – Punch

The Editor — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 06:14:19 +0000

The warning from the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, to state governments against the indiscriminate construction of airports cannot be taken lightly. It is one of the most candid assessments yet of a dangerous trend in which governors try to outdo each other in sinking billions of naira […]

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Akpabio teases Oshiomhole over viral ‘AI’ private jet leg massage video

The Editor — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 06:02:08 +0000

Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Thursday jokingly revisited the viral video that purportedly showed man massaging a woman’s leg aboard a private jet, saying the Senate initially ignored the footage because it believed it was generated using artificial intelligence (AI). Speaking during Thursday’s plenary in a video shared by AIT, Akpabio said, “I don’t want […]

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My wife handles my money, I’m a reckless spender — Davido

The Editor — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 05:56:31 +0000

Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has described his wife, Chioma Adeleke, as his “life coordinator,” revealing that she plays a key role in managing his finances. In a viral video which started trending online on Wednesday, the singer was seen placing a phone call to Chioma after he was unable to access […]

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Lagos blames heavy rainfall for worsening road conditions

The Editor — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 05:51:47 +0000

The Lagos State Public Works Corporation has appealed to residents for understanding as the state grapples with prolonged rainy seasons, which have resulted in widespread flooding and damage to roads and other public infrastructure. The agency’s Director of Public Affairs, Samuel Ayetutu, disclosed this in a statement on behalf of the General Manager, Tokunbo Ajanaku, […]

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2027 election: INEC unveils mock presidential poll plan

The Editor — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 05:46:16 +0000

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is considering conducting a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems and staging a mock presidential election as part of efforts to strengthen preparations for the 2027 general election. INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), disclosed this on Thursday while receiving the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard […]

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Governors defy Supreme Court, control LG allocations

The Editor — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 05:43:50 +0000

Two years after the Supreme Court ordered the direct payment of federal allocations to local government councils, implementation of the landmark financial autonomy judgment remains stalled despite N10.48tn being allocated to the third tier of government within the period, findings have shown. An analysis of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) reports, with data from the National […]

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Kogi govt confirms rescue of abducted principal, NECO official, two students

The Editor — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 05:25:48 +0000

The Kogi State Government has announced the rescue of the four persons abducted during the recent attack on an unauthorised examination centre in Olowa, Dekina Local Government Area of the state. The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, describing the rescue as the outcome of a coordinated […]

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Fake agency scandal: Gbajabiamila sues Adeyemi for N15bn

The Editor — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 05:17:34 +0000

The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has filed a N15bn defamation suit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over allegations that he demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a N27.3bn take-off grant approved for a federal agency. In the suit, Gbajabiamila is […]

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Senate bans preaching, hawking in commercial buses, approves N50,000 fine

The Editor — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 05:05:05 +0000

The Senate on Thursday passed the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposing a N50,000 fine for anyone convicted of hawking, trading or preaching inside commercial vehicles. The bill, which seeks to strengthen road safety enforcement and curb practices considered capable of distracting drivers, now awaits presidential assent. If signed into law, the legislation […]

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93 percent of inmates are state offenders, half don’t need jail — Interior Minister

The Editor — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:54:49 +0000

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has disclosed that 93 percent of inmates in Nigerian custodial facilities are state offenders, with only 7 percent held for federal offences, adding that a significant proportion of these inmates do not require incarceration in the first place. Tunji-Ojo, who spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at the Regional Conference […]

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State Police: Govs can’t turn outfit into private army — House Speaker assures

The Editor — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:50:10 +0000

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, has defended the proposed State Police Bill, assuring Nigerians that adequate constitutional safeguards have been included to prevent governors and political actors from using state police as private security outfits. Abbas spoke on the issue yesterday at the National Security Roundtable held as part of […]

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Gunmen raid Kogi school, abduct principal, NECO official, students

The Editor — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:45:12 +0000

Gunmen attacked the Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, abducting four students, the principal and a National Examinations Council (NECO) ad-hoc staff. The attack, which occurred on Tuesday at about 5:25 pm while the students were writing their NECO examination, came as three newly passed-out soldiers on their way […]

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Labour Party denies missing INEC candidates’ upload deadline

The Editor — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:35:18 +0000

The Labour Party has dismissed reports alleging that it failed to upload the names of its presidential and vice-presidential candidates before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination portal closed, insisting that it completed the process four days ahead of the deadline. In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, […]

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75-year-old man bags 10 years jail for defiling minor

The Editor — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:32:58 +0000

A Rivers State family court sitting in Port Harcourt has convicted and sentenced a 75-year-old man, Promise Chukwumatti, to ten years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine for defiling an 11-year-old girl. The court also ordered that the convict should pay the sum of N1m to the family of the minor as compensation and […]

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World Cup: English FA backs Tuchel despite semi-final loss

The Editor — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:28:44 +0000

The English Football Association has reaffirmed its support for head coach, Thomas Tuchel, following England’s 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup semi-final on Wednesday. The loss denied England a place in their first men’s World Cup final since 1966, despite taking an early lead before Argentina scored twice late in the game […]

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Six die in gas truck explosion at Kogi Army checkpoint

The Editor — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:23:41 +0000

Six people were killed on Tuesday night after a gas-laden truck exploded at an Army checkpoint along the Abuja-Lokoja Federal Highway in Kogi State. The explosion reportedly occurred within the jurisdiction of the Chikara Division, triggering an emergency response by police officers, personnel of the Motor Traffic Division, and officials of the Federal Road Safety […]

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Poverty threatens 79% of Nigerians despite reforms – World Bank

The Editor — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:19:34 +0000

Despite nearly three years of sweeping economic reforms by the Federal Government, about 79 per cent of Nigerians remain poor or vulnerable to falling into poverty, highlighting the country’s deepening social and economic challenges, new World Bank documents have shown. The findings are contained in the World Bank’s newly approved Country Partnership Framework for Nigeria, covering […]

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Tinubu to attend UN General Assembly in September

The Editor — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:12:21 +0000

Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amb Jimoh Ibrahim, on Wednesday, said President Bola Tinubu has confirmed his attendance at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States, scheduled for September. This was as a source with knowledge of the discussions further told our correspondent that a […]

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Court orders FG takeover of 48 Malami properties

The Editor — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 05:54:43 +0000

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of 48 properties linked to a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to the Federal Government. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in a judgment delivered in Abuja on Wednesday, held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had […]

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