Friday, April 24

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AFCON: Nigeria Beat Egypt 4-2 On Penalties To Win Third-place
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AFCON: Nigeria Beat Egypt 4-2 On Penalties To Win Third-place

The Super Eagles defeated Egypt’s Pharaohs 4-2 on penalties on Saturday to claim the bronze medal in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after a tense third-place playoff at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca. The encounter ended goalless after 90 minutes, forcing the contest into a shootout where goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali again proved decisive, saving spot-kicks from Mohamed Salah and Oumar Marmoush to hand Nigeria their ninth AFCON third-place finish and maintain their perfect record in the fixture. Interim coach named a rotated side, with Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman starting on the bench. Nwabali retained his place in goal behind a defence of Bright Osayi-Samuel, Igoh Ogbu, Semi Ajayi and Bruno Onyemaechi. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Raphael Onyedika anchored midfield, while c...
Tinubu returns to Nigeria after Abu Dhabi trip
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Tinubu returns to Nigeria after Abu Dhabi trip

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returned to Nigeria Saturday, after participating in the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW2026).On the sidelines of the summit, Nigeria signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The agreement aims to deepen economic cooperation, boost bilateral trade and investment, enhance technology transfer, and expand collaboration across key sectors, including energy, infrastructure, agriculture, mining, and renewable energy. In his address, President Tinubu announced that a joint Nigeria-United Arab Emirates (UAE) INVESTOPIA will be held in Lagos in February, an initiative aimed at attracting global investors. President Tinubu also told the Summit that Nigeria aims to mobilise up to $30 billion an...
Aviation Unions issues 14-day ultimatum over welfare review
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Aviation Unions issues 14-day ultimatum over welfare review

Aviation unions have issued a 14-day ultimatum to the authorities to conclude the long delayed review of staff conditions.Failure, the unions said its members will withdraw its services across the institution.The Four major aviation unions issued the 14-day ultimatum to the management of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria at the weekend.The unions — Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, National Union of Air Transport Employees, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers. In the statement, the unions said they were acting out of “grave concern and indignation” over what they described as management’s continued indecision and lack of seriousness regarding staff welfare and industr...
Araba of Ibadanland Hails Oba Ladoja’s Emergence As Oyo Obas Council Chair
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Araba of Ibadanland Hails Oba Ladoja’s Emergence As Oyo Obas Council Chair

The Araba and Oluisese of Ibadanland, Araba Ifalere Odegbemi Odegbola II, has congratulated the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja Arusa I, on his emergence as chairman of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs. Speaking on behalf of Isese worshippers across Ibadanland, Odegbola expressed profound joy and optimism for the future of the traditional institution in Oyo state under Oba Ladoja's leadership. The Araba of Ibadanland lauded Ladoja's decades of experience, unwavering commitment, and dedicated service to humanity. "These qualities will greatly assist the Olubadan of Ibadanland in excelling as the new chairman of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs," he said. Odegbola expressed firm confidence that Ladoja's tenure will usher in peace, unity, and su...
ACCI Drivers Gain New Skills in Defensive Driving and Hazard
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ACCI Drivers Gain New Skills in Defensive Driving and Hazard

The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), has concluded a two-day capacity-building programme for its drivers, aimed at strengthening road safety, professionalism, and technical competence. The training, titled “Driving to Safety: Defensive Driving and Vehicle Handling Techniques,” was organised by ACCI’s Business Skills and Technology (BEST) Centre.The training was designed to enhance drivers’ safety awareness while reinforcing ACCI’s commitment to staff development and responsible road use.The programme brought together professional drivers under an intensive learning environment focused on best practices in modern driving and vehicle handling. Speaking at the opening of the training, the Director of the ACCI BEST Centre, Dr. Tinuke Temitope, urged participants to rem...
Retires Immigration officers leadership visits NIS training school, Kano
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Retires Immigration officers leadership visits NIS training school, Kano

The Kano State Chapter of National Association Of Retired Immigration Officers, NARIO paid a courtesy visit to the Nigeria Immigration Service Training school, Kano.NARIO leadership was received by Commandant, Immigration Training School, Kano, CIS Tony Akuneme.According to a statement by ASI SS Abubakar, Public Relations Officer, the scheduled visit aimed to strengthen the existing relationships, share experiences, and explore ways to collaborate on matters affecting Immigration and National Security.The Delegation, Led By The State Chairman, CIS MG Mohammed was warmly received by the Commandant and other senior officers.Discussions at the meeting according to the statement focused on training, security and community engagement.The Association further offered support for the Commanda...
CAN honours late Plateau Imam who saved over 262 Christians
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CAN honours late Plateau Imam who saved over 262 Christians

The Christian Association of Nigeria has paid glowing tribute to the late Imam Abdullahi Abubakar, describing him as a symbol of courage and shared humanityAbubakar had saved 262 Christians during a violent attack in 2018.In a statement issued on Saturday, CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said the Imam’s actions stood as a rare example of moral bravery and selflessness at a time of grave danger that would forever be remembered.The late Imam died at the age of 92.Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, have also expressed sadness over his death, describing him as a true hero of humanity.CAN extolled the late religious leader’s conduct, stating that his intervention not only saved lives but also strengthened interfai...
A new Pan-African digital payment platform, SpendEase launched
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A new Pan-African digital payment platform, SpendEase launched

…Available in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya A new Pan-African digital payment platform, SpendEase, has been unveiled.The platform has officially launched operations across Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya, offering seamless cross-border payment solutions.It is aimed at eliminating currency barriers and high transaction costs for Africans.The platform, SpendEase, became publicly available after months of beta testing and can now be downloaded on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, the company Founder, Cindy Ihua-Maduenyi announced on Saturday.She said the platform was designed to serve travellers, freelancers, remote workers, and business owners by enabling them to send, spend and receive money across supported African countries. "This is by using their local...
INEC Releases Timetable for 2027 General Elections: Key Dates and Updates.
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INEC Releases Timetable for 2027 General Elections: Key Dates and Updates.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finally released the timetable for the 2027 General Elections, and it's packed with crucial dates you need to know. Election Dates: Presidential and National Assembly Elections: Saturday, February 20, 2027 Governorship and State Assembly Elections: Saturday, March 6, 2027 Campaign Periods: Presidential and National Assembly Elections: November 18, 2026 - February 19, 2027 Governorship and State Assembly Elections: December 15, 2026 - March 5, 2027 OTHER KEY ACTIVITIES: Continuous Voter Registration (CVR): April 2026 - January 2027 Submission of Candidate Lists: October 1-31, 2026 Publication of Final Candidate List: November 15, 2026. Party Primaries: July 1 - September 30, 2026. There'...
Trump threatens new tariffs on countries opposed to Greenland takeover
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Trump threatens new tariffs on countries opposed to Greenland takeover

President Donald Trump is bent on forcing his way on annexing Greenland.Trump on Friday threatened to place tariffs on nations that do not go along with his ambitions.Trump said at a White House meeting that he "may put a tariff on countries if they don't go along with Greenland", which is a self-governing territory that is controlled by Denmark.He did not say which countries might be hit with new tariffs, or what authority he would invoke to use tariffs in pursuit of his goal.Along with Denmark and Greenland, other countries oppose his ambitions, and many in the US have expressed scepticism about an acquisition. As Trump spoke, a bipartisan congressional delegation was visiting Greenland to show support for the territory.The 11-member group included Republicans who voiced concerns ab...
China and Canada announce tariffs relief after a high-stakes meeting between Carney and Xi
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China and Canada announce tariffs relief after a high-stakes meeting between Carney and Xi

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Canadian PM Mark Carney have announced lower tariffs, signalling a reset in their countries' relationship after a key meeting in Beijing.China is expected to lower levies on Canadian canola oil from 85% to 15% by 1 March, while Ottawa has agreed to tax Chinese electric vehicles at the most-favoured-nation rate, 6.1%, Carney told reporters.The deal is a breakthrough after years of strained ties and tit-for-tat levies. Xi hailed the "turnaround" in their relationship but it is also a win for Carney, the first Canadian leader to visit China in nearly a decade.He has been trying to diversify Canadian trade away from the US, his country's biggest trading partner, following the uncertainty caused by Trump's on-again-off-again tariffs.The deal could also see mor...
Alleged N1.3bn Fraud: Supreme Court Orders Sule Lamido, Sons To Resume Trial
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Alleged N1.3bn Fraud: Supreme Court Orders Sule Lamido, Sons To Resume Trial

The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday, January 16, 2026, ordered the former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, his two sons, Mustapha and Aminu and others, to enter their defences at the Federal High Court, Abuja over alleged N1.35billion fraud. A five-member panel of the apex court issued the directive in two unanimous judgments delivered on Friday. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC had filed two appeals. The EFCC’s appeals were against the July 25, 2023 judgments by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which upheld the no-case submission made by Lamido and others and struck out the 43-count amended charges on which they were being prosecuted.The appellate court held that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.Count One reads: “ T...
Four Rivers Lawmakers make u-turn, back Fubara’s impeachment
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Four Rivers Lawmakers make u-turn, back Fubara’s impeachment

In a dramatic 360 degree turn around, the four members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who recently called for alternative solutions to the political impasse in Rivers State have declared their support for the impeachment proceedings against the state governor and his deputy.The four lawmakers are the Minority Leader of the House, Sylvanus Nwankwo; Peter Abbey, representing Degema Constituency; Barile Nwakoh of Khana Constituency I; and Emilia Amadi of Obio/Akpor Constituency II.The lawmakers made the U-turn on Friday during a live broadcast aired from the front of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, days after publicly calling for an amicable resolution of the political crisis rocking the state. Nwankwo said, “You will recall that on the 12th day of January 2026, mys...
Vincent The nation: Nigeria’s Headline Inflation Eased To 15.15% In December– NBS
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Vincent The nation: Nigeria’s Headline Inflation Eased To 15.15% In December– NBS

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate came down to 15.15 per cent in December 2025 following a methodological review by the National Bureau of Statistics.The latest Consumer Price Index report released by the NBS, on its website on Thursday, showed that the CPI rose to 131.2 points in December 2025 from 130.5 points in November, indicating a slower pace of increase in average prices. On a year-on-year basis, inflation declined from 17.33 per cent in November 2025 and was significantly lower than the 34.80 per cent recorded in December 2024, showing a notable deceleration in headline inflation over the twelve-month period. The report read, “The Consumer Price Index rose to 131.2 in December 2025, up by 0.7 points from the previous month (130.5). The December 2025 year-on-year Headlin...
FOCEI, WACOL training expose why GBV persist in Gombe
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FOCEI, WACOL training expose why GBV persist in Gombe

Stakeholders and some survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Gombe State have revealed why the menace has persisted in many communities despite the domestication of the State's Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2022. Most of the stakeholders decried the lack of awareness and ignorance of the public on the existence of the law which provides justice for anyone who has experienced any form of GBV. This is coupled with the 'culture' of silence by survivors and relatives that has enabled the cases to rise. This revelation came to light during a two day Capacity Strengthening of Women Leaders in Gombe State organized by Foundation for Community Empowerment Initiative (FOCEI) in partnership with Women Aid Collective (WACOL), where the Team Lead, Mr Benjamin Maina, emphasize...
One killed others injured as family clash breaks out at wedding ceremony
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One killed others injured as family clash breaks out at wedding ceremony

What was supposed to be a joyous moment suddenly turned sour as a fight broke out at a wedding ceremony in Yobe leading to the death of one person while four others were injured.The incident, NewsSpecng gathered, happened in Kayari village, Fune Local Government Area of Yobe State.The cause of the chaos, it was also gathered, was as a result of a long standing family dispute.According to Zagazola Makama, who quoted security sources, the deadly altercation took place around 6.30pm on January 13 at the residence of one Wakili Sumaye where members of the Manu and Ibrahim families reportedly descended into a fight.The confrontation which began as a war of words escalated into a full blown melee with rivals allegedly wielding cutlasses and attacking one another.Four men identified as Abdul...
NECA, NSITF to reward excellence in workplace safety compliance
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NECA, NSITF to reward excellence in workplace safety compliance

By Joan Nwagwu The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) have announced plans to recognise excellence in workplace safety nationwide. The initiative is part of the Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP), reintroduced to strengthen occupational safety and health standards across the country. The Director-General of NECA, Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, disclosed this at the SWIP 2025 interactive and enlightenment fora and award ceremony in Abuja on Friday. Oyerinde said that no fewer than 200 companies had been audited across the six geopolitical zones for the awards. He explained that the recognition would encourage voluntary compliance among employers across public and private sectors. “We will be givi...
Insecurity: Foreigners cannot free us from bandit but ourselves, says Shehu Sani
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Insecurity: Foreigners cannot free us from bandit but ourselves, says Shehu Sani

Politician and Activist, Senator Shehu Sani has said that foreugners cannot free the North from the siege of bandits, but the people themselves.Sani therefore challenged the people to free themselves from the shackles of banditry by standing up for themselves.Sani said the people must be fully involved in the battle against banditry.He spoke in Abuja on Thursday at the unveiling of his two books “Perilous path to Europe: the Sahara odyssey and the Councilor.Shehu said time has come for the people to organise themselves to confront the reality of insecurity, which is the central message of the drama from another of his works, “the village and vigilante”, which is aimed at sparking up the light of resistance in the hearts of the people.He said: “In the northeastern part of Nigeria, you have...
Breaking: Court Bar Rivers Chief Judge from Acting on RHA letter
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Breaking: Court Bar Rivers Chief Judge from Acting on RHA letter

As the political drama unfolds in different scenes, a Rivers State High Court presided by Justice F. A. Fiberesima, has restrained the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, from receiving or acting on any communication from the Rivers State House of Assembly connected to the planned impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu. The order was issued by the High Court of Oyibo Local Government Area following two separate suits filed by Governor Fubara and his deputy, marked Suit Nos. OYHC/7/CS/2026 and OYHC/6/CS/2026. In its interim injunctions, the court also barred the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Martin Amaewhule, alongside 32 other defendants, including the Clerk of the Assembly and the Chief Judge, from...
Shettima Presides NEC Meeting on transformation of grazing reserve into ranches.
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Shettima Presides NEC Meeting on transformation of grazing reserve into ranches.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, a hybrid meeting of the National Economic Council meeting on transformation of grazing reserves into ranches.President Bola Tinubu had at the Federal Executive Council meeting held on December 10, 2025 directed the NEC to identify and rehabilitate grazing reserves into ranches.He tasked NEC to collaborate with the Ministry of Livestock Development in developing a roadmap for transforming Nigeria’s livestock industry. “We must eliminate the possibility of conflicts and turn the livestock reform into economically viable development. The opportunity is there. Let’s utilise it,” Tinubu had said. At its 155th meeting held on December 18 2025, NEC responded by inaugurating a committee on livestock development to expedite the implementation of livestock ...