BILLION

The Police Command in Lagos State has apprehended an 18-year-old suspect in connection with a N20m threat-to-life and ransom demand case. The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, disclosed during a briefing on Tuesday at the command headquarters in Ikeja. He said the arrest followed a carefully executed decoy operation by police operatives. According to him, the command received a complaint from the Ojokoro Local Council Development Area concerning a threat to life and a demand for N20m. “Acting on the information, operatives were immediately deployed to track and apprehend the suspect. “The suspect was apprehended on March 27 while attempting to collect the ransom during a sting operation. “Items recovered from him include an HP laptop and a flash drive, which are currently being examined as part of ongoing investigations,” he said. The commissioner said the suspect confessed to the crime and also admitted involvement in a previous attempted burglary at a commercial bank....

The Rivers State Police Command said its operatives have arrested a 31-year-old man, Kelechi Wufurum, for allegedly killing a commercial bus driver identified as Ifeanyi Abobo in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state. The 51-year-old victim was said to have been lured to the Ubima community under the pretext of a transport job, unaware that Wufurum had sinister motives. The spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this while speaking to newsmen at the command headquarters along Moscow Road in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. Iringe-Koko said the suspect and the victim had an initial altercation before the former used a cutlass on the minibus driver near a forest and subsequently sold his vehicle for N2.4 million. She stated, “He hit him on the head, and when the victim tried to resist, he used a cutlass and struck him again on the head. The victim collapsed, and he zoomed off with his minibus and sold both the vehicle and his mobile phone...

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has urged parents and candidates to speak up if they are confident in their Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination scores but are not admitted to their desired institutions. Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said this during an interview on Good Morning Nigeria, a Nigerian Television Authority’s programme. In a video posted by NTA on Tuesday, the registrar explained that many parents still resort to illegal means because they have “climbed the ladder to illegality” and believe no other path exists. He, however, stressed that the system is now transparent and designed to ensure fairness. “People are so daring, and the parents, because they have climbed the ladder to illegality, they believe there is no other way. “I’ve seen many people who sent their children’s scores to me and asked what they could do. I tell them I will do nothing, and the candidate is admitted—and they thank me. I did nothing,” Prof. Oloyede said. He ...

Some state chairmen of the African Democratic Congress on Tuesday claimed they had taken control of the party following the removal of the David Mark leadership by the Independent National Electoral Commission. The chairmen, claimed to be representing 25 states and backed by the ADC 2023 Presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, stated that they constituted the National Executive Committee of the ADC and had taken over the party leadership. The group unveiled the Kogi State Chairman, Kingsley Ogga, as the new chairman, in a move that signals a significant shift amid the party’s ongoing internal crisis. Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the Abia State Chairman, Don Obinna, explained that the NEC endorsed Mark’s removal as the party chairman. However, the David Mark-led leadership of the party has dismissed the group, alleging that they are being sponsored by elements of the ruling All Progressives Congress. Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, speaking on C...

Two residents, Kingsley Adieme and Rachel Onyekachi, were sentenced to 3 months in prison for indiscriminate dumping of refuse in Lagos State.  The State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed that the duo was arraigned before the magistrate court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.   They both pled guilty, Wahab added. 

A heavy downpour on Tuesday, April 7, caused a major traffic gridlock along the Nyanya–Keffi Expressway in Abuja, following severe damage to the Kugbo Bus Terminal.  The rainfall impacted parts of the newly built terminal, with sections of the roof affected and debris scattered onto the highway, obstructing vehicular movement.  The incident led to severe congestion along the busy corridor linking the Federal Capital Territory to neighbouring Nasarawa State, leaving many commuters stranded for hours. The terminal was commissioned in June 2025

Bandits have attacked Lanta, Tunga and Bagna communities in Erena Ward, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, leaving four peopled d3ad and several others injured.  The attack reportedly began around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 in Bagna, the hometown of former Niger State Commissioner for Internal Security, Emmanuel Umar, before spreading to neighbouring villages.   A source in Bagna told Daily Trust that while casualties were believed to be high, the exact number had yet to be confirmed as the situation remained tense.   According to the source, the assailants, who arrived in large numbers on motorcycles, operated unchallenged for several hours.  "So far, we have recovered three bodies. Many others sustained injuries of varying degrees. Many people have fled to Erena town, the only nearby community considered relatively safe. We are calling on the government to come to our rescue,” the source said.  The Niger State Commiss...

The Nigerian Communications Commission has announced that its directive requiring telecom operators to compensate subscribers for poor service quality will take effect from this month. In an FAQ released on Tuesday, April 7, the Commission clarified that the directive applies specifically to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) that fail to meet their Quality of Service (QoS) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These include major operators such as MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile, although the NCC did not specify which of them fell short of the required standards. The Commission explained that the compensation framework covers service failures affecting voice calls, data services, and SMS. It also applies to both individual and corporate subscribers. According to the NCC, subscribers will qualify for compensation if they experienced poor network service in an affected Local Government Area and carried out at least one revenue-generating activity, such as a billed call, SMS, or...

Iran has reportedly cut off all diplomatic and indirect communication channels with the United States following a series of escalating developments tied to statements by Donald Trump. The move comes after Trump posted a strongly worded message on Truth Social, warning of severe consequences and suggesting the possibility of “complete and total regime change” in Iran. His comments followed reports of a strike on Kharg Island, a key oil export hub located in the Persian Gulf. According to Mehr News Agency, multiple explosions were heard on the island, with claims that the attacks were carried out by what it described as an “American-Zionist enemy.” However, initial reports indicated that oil refineries on the island were not directly hit. The developments occurred just hours before a deadline set by Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for international oil shipments. Iran’s decision to sever communication channels signals a further escalation in te...

After a long battle with blood clotting on his leg, veteran actor, John Okafor aka Mr Ibu has died. The actor passed away in a hospital in Lagos state on Saturday, March 2.  According to family sources, the actor has been on life support after he underwent a second surgery for his ailment recently. The family source said that his blood pressure has been over 200 after he had the surgery and that efforts were being made to stabilize it before he sadly passed away this evening.  The actor battled with constant clotting of blood on his leg (diseased blood vessels) and other health challenges for years. In October 2023, he came out publicly to seek financial assistance to treat his ailment. There were plans to fly him abroad for further medical care but that plan was aborted by his doctors who believed he wasn't fit to fly. During the cause of his treatment, his leg was amputated in November 2023. The actor is survived by his wife and children. He was 62 years old. ...

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be in the Guinness World Records for “causing Nigerians the most hardship .”   Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, the former Anambra state governor noted that the average Nigerian should be able to judge the performance of President Tinubu so far since May 2023.    Recall that President Tinubu said he deserves to be included in the Guinness World Records over his performances in the country since he assumed leadership.   Reacting, Peter Obi said; “He may actually be correct when he claims that his name deserves to be in the Guinness World Records. Don’t forget that people’s names don’t always make it into the Guinness World Records for only altruistic reasons. So, it depends on which angle he is coming from. If the idea is to put his name in the Guinness Book of Records for causing Nigerians the most hardship – untold hardship, of course he i...

A 26-year-old female National Youth Service Corps, NYSC member, Sanni Mariam, of 2023 Batch C Stream 2, was among those who died in an accident in Imo State on Thursday. Other passengers and the driver were also reported dead when their vehicle had an accident en route to Lagos. It was gathered that Mariam was returning from her state of deployment, Benue State, and boarded a commercial bus heading to Lagos through Imo. According to information gathered by Vanguard, Mariam took a camp exit from Benue State. She was undergoing the three-week compulsory orientation. And camping was expected to end by Thursday next week. Mariam, a Computer Science graduate from Universite Protestante de Lafrique de l’Ouest, Benin Republic, was said to have won many awards for her platoon, including the Scrabble platoon game. Efforts to contact the Benue State NYSC State Coordinator proved unsuccessful. He was neither taking calls nor responding to messages at press time.

The nominations for the 2024 Grammy Awards has been announced, and top Nigerian artistes made the list.   Nigerian artistes, Davido, Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Asake, and Olamide have all been nominated for the 66th Grammy Awards. Burna Boy bagged a total of four nominations, while Davido earned three nominations for the 2024 event. Asake, Arya Starr and Olamide  The Nigerian singers were all nominated in the maiden Best African Music Performance category alongside South Africa’s Tyla. Asake and Olamide’s ‘Amapiano’, Burna Boy’s ‘City Boys’, Ayra Starr’s ‘Rush’, Davido and Musa Keys’ ‘Unavailable’, and Tyla’s ‘Water’ were the nominees in the newly created category. Burna Boy’s other nominations include; ‘Sitting On Top of the World’ featuring 21 Savage – Best Melodic Rap, ‘I Told Them’ – Best Global Music Album, and ‘Alone’ – Best Global Music Performance. Davido’s other nominations are; ‘Timeless’ – Best Global Music Album, and ‘Feel’ – Best Global Music Performanc...

A Mercedes Benz was seen burning to aches in Kaduna State,  no casualties of life was recorded and the cause of the fire is unknown.  video

A 20-year-old student of the University of Ilorin, Sanni Hameedat, reportedly committed suicide after lending a boy she met on the social media platform, Snapchat, the sum of N500,000.   Rubiks, the private hostel management she resided in before her death confirmed the incident to  Punch  in a statement on Wednesday, October 18, 2023.    According to the management, Hameedat was undergoing her SIWES programme before the incident happened.   The management asserted that the cause of her death was not unrelated to the pressure from the app agents, who were demanding fast repayment, coupled with her brother’s inability to assist her financially, which led to depression.    “The cause of suicide was traced to financial misappropriation. She was entrusted with a significant sum of money by her mother. She crossed paths with a guy on Snapchat and developed a friendship," the statement said.    "When the boy claimed that his mother...

Burkina Faso's military leaders have signed a deal with Russia to build a nuclear power plant to increase electricity supplies. "The government of Burkina Faso has signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a nuclear power plant," the government said in a statement.  The agreement was signed at the Russian Energy Week in Moscow, which was attended by Burkina Faso's energy minister Simon-Pierre Boussim.  The document "fulfills the wish of the president of [Burkina] Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traore, expressed [in] July at the Russia-Africa summit during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin," the statement said.  Russia's state atomic energy agency Rosatom said in its own statement that "the memorandum is the first document in the field of the peaceful use of atomic energy between Russia and Burkina Faso."  The nuclear power plant will enable the country to meet its energy needs, it said, adding that the ...

Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen attacked a Benue Links bus conveying passengers to Otukpo en-route Naka road in Gwer West Local Government Area of the state at Tyolaha village.    The assailants, said to be heavily armed attacked the vehicle on Thursday, October 12, 2023, killing one passenger.    Spokesperson of the State Police Command, SP Catherine Anene, who confirmed the incident on Friday, said three people including women were injured and one person died.    Gwer West State Assembly Member, Hon. Gyila Solomon Terlumun, in a statement issued by his Senior Legislative Aide/Media Aide, Akem Peter, said three persons were killed in the attack while several others are still missing.    “Gwer West State Assembly Member, Hon. Gyila Solomon Terlumun, condemns the massacring of a Benue Links bus conveying passengers to Otukpo en-route Naka road Gwer West LG at Tyolaha village by suspected heavily armed Fulani herdsmen killing three perso...

Gaza civilians have vowed they would rather die than leave their homes after Israel gave them 24 hours before launching an all-out assault.  While some heeded the call to leave, by Friday afternoon there was little sign of a mass exodus, despite the UN warning the area is 'fast becoming a hellhole'.  Death is better than leaving,' said Mohammad, 20, standing in the street outside a building reduced to rubble in an Israeli air strike two days ago near the centre of Gaza. 'I was born here, and I will die here, leaving is a stigma.'  With power supplies cut and food and water in the Palestinian enclave running short after a week of retaliatory air strikes and a full Israeli blockade, the U.N. said Gaza's civilians were in an impossible situation.  'The noose around the civilian population in Gaza is tightening. How are 1.1 million people supposed to move across a densely populated warzone in less than 24 hours?' U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths w...

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has taken himself off penalty-taking duty for Napoli after a now infamous series of TikToks were posted to the club’s social media channels in recent weeks, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The Nigerian had been left furious after two seemingly insulting videos were posted to the club’s TikTok account, one of which had mocked him as begging for a penalty then his miss from the spot in a Serie A match against Bologna at the end of September. The videos caused an uproar for Osimhen and his supporters alike, eventually leading to the departure of one of Napoli’s social media executives. Since the incident, Napoli have played three matches and been awarded penalties in every one of those games, yet Osimhen has not taken any of them. Instead, Piotr Zielinski took on the responsibility against Udinese as well as against Real Madrid in Wednesday night’s Champions League clash at the Maradona. Matteo Politano took the injury-time kick against Lecce in the...