Author: Damilola Olufemi

Veteran American actor Robert Duvall, celebrated for his performances in The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, has died at the age of 95. His wife, Luciana Duvall, confirmed the news in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Monday, revealing that he passed away peacefully at home on Sunday. “Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time. Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort,” she wrote. “To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller. To me, he was simply everything.…

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, was held on Monday night at the Abuja headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after undergoing extensive questioning over an alleged multibillion-naira corruption case. Sources within the anti-graft agency said the former governor arrived at the commission’s Jabi office around 10am in response to an invitation and was interrogated over findings contained in a 2024 report by the Kaduna State House of Assembly. The report accused his administration of mismanaging loans, breaching due process in contract awards and pushing the state into substantial debt. One senior EFCC official disclosed that the…

The social media platform X formerly known as Twitter experienced a widespread outage on Monday afternoon, preventing users around the world from accessing both its mobile app and desktop website. Visitors attempting to open the site were met with a blank screen bearing only the platform’s “X” logo, with no posts or timelines loading. Outage monitoring service Downdetector indicated that the disruption was global, as reports of access failures poured in from multiple continents. Unlike several major technology firms that provide dedicated status dashboards during service interruptions, X does not operate an official status page. Instead, updates during past outages…

President Bola Tinubu has applauded National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, describing his performance in tackling banditry and terrorism as commendable. The president spoke on Monday in Yola during the inauguration of projects executed by the Adamawa state government, expressing confidence in Ribadu’s coordination of the country’s security operations. Addressing the NSA, Tinubu said the administration is already seeing progress in the fight against insecurity. “I must say clearly here that you are doing an excellent job, and we have seen the results. With you, we will defeat the bandits and terrorists. You are a good national security adviser, honest, bold,…

The National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Babatunde Bamigboye, has directed an immediate investigation into the data processing practices of e-commerce platform Temu. In a statement issued on Monday, Babatunde Bamigboye, the commission’s head of legal, enforcement and regulations, said the company’s operations “may be in violation” of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act), 2023. Bamigboye explained that the decision followed concerns about issues including online surveillance linked to personal data handling, compliance with accountability and data minimisation principles, transparency obligations, duty of care, and cross-border data transfers. “Preliminary investigations indicate that…

There was tension in the Senate on Monday after Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan raised concerns over her alleged omission from the committee of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC). The Kogi Central lawmaker had attended the committee meeting ready to take part in deliberations but was reportedly unable to find her name on the official attendance register. Seeking clarification, she approached the committee clerk and was told he was with the committee chairman, Titus Sam. Natasha then went to Zam’s office, where she later claimed that he suggested his decision was based on “instructions from higher authorities,” without offering further explanation.…

The Nigerian Army has confirmed that several soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) lost their lives while resisting a coordinated assault by ISWAP fighters in Mandaragirau, Borno state. Media Inormation Officer at the headquarters of the Joint Task Force (North-East), Sani Uba disclosed this in a statement detailing separate attacks on Mandaragirau and Pulka late on Saturday. According to him, insurgents launched a complex operation against troops stationed in Sector 2 at Mandaragirau, deploying gun trucks and motorcycles in what he described as a multi-pronged offensive. Uba said the military had anticipated the move and positioned combat…

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported a marginal decline in Nigeria’s headline inflation rate, which fell to 15.1 percent in January 2026 from 15.15 percent in December 2025. The bureau disclosed this in its latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released on Monday, noting a slight moderation in overall price pressures at the start of the year. “The January 2026 Headline inflation rate showed a decrease of 0.05% compared to the December 2025 Headline inflation rate,” the NBS said. Providing further context, the agency explained that inflation on a year-on-year basis dropped significantly when compared to the same…

The United States government has imposed sanctions on eight Nigerians accused of ties to extremist groups, including Boko Haram and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), freezing any assets and property linked to them within US jurisdiction. The action was detailed in a 3,000-page publication dated February 10 by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), an arm of the United States Department of the Treasury. The document, sighted on Monday, also listed individuals sanctioned for cybercrime and other security-related offences. The move comes amid heightened scrutiny from US lawmakers, who recently recommended visa restrictions and asset freezes…

Former Anambra governor, Peter Obi, has reaffirmed his intention to run in the 2027 presidential election, saying alleged efforts to sideline him will not deter his ambition. He made the declaration at the OBIDIENT Conference and formal unveiling of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state. Obi, who recently defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the ADC, explained that his departure followed claims that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would withhold recognition of the party’s leadership as long as he remained a member. “I left LP when I got informed that as long as I…