Author: Damilola

Nigeria’s trade relationship with the United States swung sharply into deficit in the first nine months of 2025, as exports to the American market declined steeply while imports more than doubled, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). An examination of NBS foreign trade figures shows that Nigeria exported goods valued at N3.65tn to the US between January and September 2025, down from N4.59tn recorded in the same period of 2024. The drop of N940.98bn represents a contraction of about 20.5 per cent year-on-year. In contrast, imports from the US climbed dramatically to N6.80tn within the same…

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has reinforced its presence on the Abuja–Lokoja highway with the deployment of additional personnel and tow trucks to tackle the lingering traffic congestion on the route. In a statement released on Sunday, the Corps’ spokesperson, Olusegun Ogungbemide, said the directive was issued by the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, in response to the prolonged gridlock and to ensure broken-down vehicles and other obstructions are promptly removed. “The FRSC Corps Marshal has ordered the deployment of additional officers and tow trucks along the Abuja–Lokoja Road to ease the ongoing traffic gridlock and ensure swift removal of…

Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has again displayed his passion for football by placing a $25,000 bet (about N36 million) on Nigeria’s opening Group C match against Tanzania at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The singer shared a screenshot of his betting slip on his X handle on Sunday, encouraging support for the Super Eagles with the caption: “Let’s get this W Nigeria.” The Stake app slip shows that Davido backed both teams to score, with a potential payout of $96,564, estimated at about N140 million. This is not the first time the award-winning artiste has…

The Rivers State Police Command has announced an expanded security operation ahead of the Yuletide season, working closely with other security agencies to ensure peace, safety and public order throughout the state. In a statement issued on Sunday by the command’s spokesperson, residents were urged to embrace the festive period as a time for reflection and prayers for the continued peace and development of Rivers State and Nigeria at large. The statement said the Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, had approved a comprehensive security arrangement involving the deployment of tactical units to key locations across the state. These include…

Motorists have been stuck on the highway since Saturday, with little progress and no clear indication of when traffic would ease.

A Federal Court in the United States has found Olusegun Adejorin, a 32-year-old Nigerian, guilty of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and unauthorised access to a protected computer, following a sophisticated cyber fraud targeting two US-based charitable organisations. Adejorin, who was extradited from Ghana to stand trial, was convicted for offences committed between June and August 2020, according to prosecutors. The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland said Adejorin orchestrated a scheme against a Maryland charity that provided investment services to other organisations. Through the same operation, he also defrauded a New York–based charity by unlawfully accessing staff…

A fire incident broke out on Saturday at a Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) office in Abuja, sparking alarm after videos of the blaze surfaced online. The inferno affected the FIRS facility located at No. 15 Sokode Crescent, Wuse Zone 5, according to a statement issued by Sikiru Akinola, technical assistant (print media) to the executive chairman of the agency. “The fire, which broke out on the fourth floor of the building, was promptly responded to by our security personnel on duty,” the statement said. Akinola noted that officers of the Federal Capital Territory Fire Service, alongside other emergency responders,…

Earlier this month, the Trump administration ordered USCIS to pause all immigration petitions from nationals of countries listed under the travel ban first announced in June.

President Bola Tinubu has cautioned state governors that he may invoke executive powers to enforce direct disbursement of funds to local governments if they fail to comply with a recent Supreme Court judgment granting councils financial autonomy. The president issued the warning on Friday while addressing members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the party’s 15th National Executive Committee meeting held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja. Tinubu’s remarks were directed at governors accused of withholding statutory allocations meant for local councils, despite the apex court’s ruling. He signalled that continued non-compliance could compel him to order…

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has claimed that the number of opposition lawmakers in the Senate has dwindled significantly, leaving only about four or five senators outside the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Akpabio made the remarks on Thursday while speaking at the APC national caucus meeting in Abuja, where he disclosed that even the few remaining minority senators are considering crossing over to the ruling party. “When we came in, the opposition had almost 50 members, but today, when I counted, there were about five or four left in the opposition,” he said. According to him, some of the remaining…