Author: Damilola

Suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has criticized the Nigeria Police over what he described as a high-handed crackdown on peaceful demonstrators across parts of the state. His remarks come amid mounting political unrest following the declaration of a state of emergency in the oil-rich South-South region. Two separate protests on Monday marked the unrest. In Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, women under the banner of Rivers Women for Peace and Good Governance rallied in support of the emergency rule, while a different group in Ahoada East Local Government Area staged a protest calling for Fubara’s reinstatement. The Port…

Christian Chukwu, the iconic footballer who captained Nigeria to its first Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in 1980 and later served as head coach of the Super Eagles, has died at 74. The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) confirmed that Chukwu died in the early hours of Saturday at his residence in Enugu, his home state in southeastern Nigeria. The cause of death has not been officially disclosed. During his illustrious playing career as a commanding defender for the Green Eagles, Christian Chukwu — fondly known as “Chairman” — shared the pitch with some of Nigeria’s most iconic footballers, including…

Christian Chukwu, former captain and head coach of the Super Eagles, has passed away at the age of 74. The Nigerian football legend died in the early hours of Saturday in his home state of Enugu. The exact cause of his death remains unknown at the time of this report. Chukwu’s death was confirmed by his longtime friend and former teammate, Dr. Olusegun Odegbami, who shared the news via his official X handle. Odegbami, who played alongside Chukwu in Nigeria’s victorious 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign, wrote: “My Chairman has passed on. This morning, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, MFR,…

The United States Embassy has announced new visa interview requirements for Nigerian applicants, which will take effect starting April 22. In a statement released on Friday, the US mission clarified that all applicants attending interviews in Abuja and Lagos must present a DS-160 visa application form that includes a confirmation barcode starting with “AA” followed by two zeroes. “Starting April 22, 2025, all visa applicants in Abuja and Lagos must bring a DS-160 visa application form with a confirmation/barcode number (starting with AA and followed by 00 – two zeroes) that matches the one used to make their appointment online.…

The Federal Government has pushed back against a recent social media post by the United States Embassy in Abuja and testimonies given by Nigerian religious leaders at a U.S. Congressional hearing, describing the remarks as inaccurate and misrepresentative of Nigeria’s security efforts. In a statement signed by Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs observes with concerns a recent social media publication by the United States Embassy, Abuja, regarding the security situation in Nigeria and the testimonies provided by Bishop Wilfred Anagbe and Rev. Fr. Remigius Ihyula, on the…

Nollywood actress Wumi Toriola has opened up about her personal life, revealing her plans to have more children with her ex-husband despite their separation. Toriola, who got married in 2018 and welcomed her son Zion in 2019, confirmed her split from her partner in early 2023 via a lengthy Instagram post. However, in a recent interview on TVC, she shed more light on where things stand now and her future intentions. The actress shared that she has chosen to stay away from relationships and marriage for the time being, focusing instead on parenting and expanding her family. “For now, I…

The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (OAGF) and the Federal Government have not yet been served with court summons in the suit filed by 11 governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging President Bola Tinubu’s suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the declaration of a state of emergency in the state. Although both the AGF and the Federal Government are named as defendants in the case, sources within the OAGF said that they had not received the necessary legal documents. A senior official in the AGF’s office commented, “We have read about the suit…

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has disclosed that the nation’s oil and condensate reserves stood at 37.28 billion barrels as of January 1, 2025—a marginal decline of about 0.60 per cent. Despite the slight dip, Nigeria maintained its position as Africa’s second-largest holder of crude oil reserves, trailing only Libya, which has an estimated 48.36 billion barrels. However, Nigeria remains the continent’s top producer. In contrast to the slight drop in oil reserves, the country’s gas reserves increased to 210.54 Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF), marking a 0.61 per cent rise. This solidifies Nigeria’s position as the leading gas…

The Federal Government has introduced tougher immigration penalties, declaring that expatriates who overstay their visas by more than six months will face a five-year entry ban, while those who remain in the country illegally for one year will be barred from re-entering for 10 years. Additionally, the government stated that any overstays will incur a fine of $15 per day, beginning from the visa’s designated exit date. According to Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, these penalties will come into effect on August 1. Tunji-Ojo made this known during the unveiling of the Ministry of Interior’s new Expatriate Administration System at…

Niger’s military government has formally trashed French and adopted Hausa as the nation’s new national language which is already the most spoken language across the country, particularly in the Zinder, Maradi and Tahoua regions. This was made known in a special edition of the government’s new charter which was released on March 31. “The national language is Hausa and the working languages are English and French,” the document partly reads. The language change followed a national meeting held in February. During that event, the military government received more support, and the junta leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, was approved to stay…