Author: Alade Adisa

At least several hundred people are feared to have been killed after the worst cyclone in almost a century ripped through the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Saturday, uprooting trees, tearing houses apart, and pounding the impoverished archipelago’s already weak infrastructure. Rescuers have been dispatched to the islands, which lie between the coast of Mozambique and Madagascar, but their efforts are likely to be hindered by damage to airports and electricity distribution in an area where clean drinking water is subject to chronic shortages. Speaking to Mayotte’s la 1ere TV station on Sunday, the archipelago’s prefect, François-Xavier Bieuville,…

Dino Melaye, a former Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial district, has said the retirement of Bishop David Abioye from the Living Faith Church informed his (Melaye’s) absence from the church’s 2024 Shiloh gathering. The event held between December 10 and 15, at Canaanland, Idiroko Road, Ota Ogun State, is one of the largest Christian gatherings in the country, with attendance from all over the world. Melaye took to social media on Sunday to accuse the church of being unfair to Abioye by “forcefully” retiring him from his role as vice president of the church. The former Senator said Abioye, who…

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have been given six months, from 29 January to 29 July 2025, to reconsider their decision to exit the regional bloc by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS. The six-month grace period was announced on Sunday in Abuja by the President of the ECOWAS Commissioner Omar Touray, after the 66th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government. Touray read from the communiqué, “The Authority takes note of the notification by the Republic of Burkina Faso, Republic of Mali and Republic of Niger of their decision to…

Chinese President Xi Jinping has reportedly rejected Donald Trump’s invitation for a history-making guest appearance at next month’s presidential inauguration. The snub, reported by CBS News, will come as a blow to the president-elect and his plans for a spectacular swearing-in event on January 20 to mark his return to the White House. A foreign head of state has never attended a U.S. inauguration, according to State Department records, but Trump has also invited Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Argentinean President Javier Milei, and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele to turn it into a global event. No explanation has been…

The Nigerian government has achieved a significant milestone in its counter-terrorism efforts, securing over 325 convictions of terrorists through dedicated trials conducted at the Kainji Detention Facility in Niger State. A report from National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), operating within the Office of the National Security Adviser noted that this achievement demonstrates the government’s unwavering commitment to justice and national security. The convictions stem from the recently concluded Phase 5 and Phase 6 trials, overseen by Federal High Court judges and facilitated under the auspices of the NCTC. The report gave a comprehensive account of the activities of government in…

Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was discharged from the hospital on Sunday following a successful surgery to stop a bleeding in his brain. The 79-year-old leader underwent a second medical procedure to address bleeding on the surface of his brain, earlier this week, following a fall at home. The procedure, called a middle meningeal artery embolisation, allowed medical professionals to insert a small blockage in his blood vessel using small tubes, in order to prevent bleeding from the artery, located on the outside of the brain. Doctors confirmed on Sunday that the surgery was successful and stated that…

Contrary to the news making the rounds, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has debunked reports that it invited former President Goodluck Jonathan to join the 2027 presidential race on its platform. Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Ibrahim Abdullahi, debunked the reports in an interview with BBC Hausa, explaining that the party did not issue its presidential ticket to Jonathan. He said reports that PDP has ceded its presidential ticket to the former President, or invited him to contest the 2027 presidential election, were not true. Abdullahi said, “What happened is this: I had an interview with a journalist…

The Supreme Court will on Monday, December 16, determine the fate of President Bola Tinubu in a fresh suit seeking his removal from office as Nigeria’s leader. The new suit marked SC/CV/667/2023 is praying the apex court to sack Tinubu on two major grounds of alleged non-qualification to hold office as Nigeria’s president and usurpation of the same office against the law of the country. A candidate in the 2019 presidential election on the platform of Hope Democratic Party (HDP), Chief Ambrose Albert Owuru, filed the fresh suit directly at the Supreme Court. Defendants in the suit are former President…

President Bola Tinubu has acknowledged the difficult economic conditions in Nigeria, urging citizens to endure what he described as “unintentional hardship” caused by ongoing reforms. Speaking at the 48th convocation ceremony of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Tinubu, represented by Tope Fasua, the Special Adviser on Economy to the Vice President, assured Nigerians that the reforms are designed to benefit everyone in the long run. “I do not take pleasure in inflicting pain on Nigerians,” the President said, emphasizing that the current challenges are a necessary phase for sustainable national development. He expressed optimism, stating, “There is…

Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lere Olayinka, on Saturday, absolved his principal, Nyesom Wike against allegations of anti-party activities leveled against him by some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP.) It is note-worthy that Wike’s romance with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), since his recruitment into President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet has been raising concerns amongst some PDP members, leading to accusation that APC was fueling the leadership crisis rocking the main opposition party. Recall that Segun Sowunmi, a PDP chieftain and former spokesman of the…