Author: Damilola

Muyiwa Adekeye, spokesperson to former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has alleged that his principal experienced an overnight nosebleed while being held by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The New Daily Prime reported on Monday that the former governor filed a separate suit against the ICPC, accusing the agency of unlawfully invading his Abuja residence. In a statement released late Monday, Adekeye also claimed that the commission barred el-Rufai’s wife from handing his meal to him directly on February 17. El-Rufai had honoured an invitation by presenting himself at the EFCC headquarters on February 16. Two days later,…

The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) has discontinued the criminal proceedings instituted against Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, over alleged forgery. The development was announced on Tuesday at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, where the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), informed Justice Peter Kekemeke of the decision. Oyedepo told the court that the Attorney General had opted to review the matter comprehensively before deciding on the next step. Following the application — which was not contested by Ozekhome’s counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN) — the…

The National Assembly has delayed its planned return to plenary, pushing back the earlier February 24, 2026 resumption date to allow lawmakers complete work on the 2026 budget. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives had suspended sittings for two weeks to enable their committees conduct budget defence sessions with ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), as well as government-owned parastatals. In a notice released on Monday, Kamoru Ogunlana, clerk to the National Assembly, explained that the adjustment became necessary due to ongoing engagements between committees and government officials over appropriation proposals. “This postponement is to enable Committees of the…

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced the temporary closure of the airspace following a fire outbreak at Terminal One of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. In an update issued on Monday, the authority said the action was taken in accordance with established safety procedures. FAAN confirmed that six people — three men and three women — were affected in the incident and are currently in stable condition. One of the victims has been moved to the FAAN headquarters hospital for further medical assessment and is also reported to be stable. “Emergency response operations remain…

The Lagos State Government has sanctioned a 13 per cent hike in fares across all services operating under the Bus Reform Initiative, covering the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network and other regulated bus routes statewide. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu approved the adjustment following appeals from licensed public transport operators, who warned that prevailing economic conditions were putting serious pressure on their ability to sustain operations. In a statement issued by LAMATA’s Head of Corporate Communication, Kolawole Ojelabi, the new fare regime is scheduled to take effect from Monday, March 2, 2026. “The adjustment is designed to help offset the severe impact…

Youths in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State on Monday barricaded the highway leading to Jos in protest against the killing of 10 persons by gunmen in attacks that began Sunday evening. The demonstrators, joined by women and other residents, refused repeated appeals to reopen the road, insisting they would not leave until those responsible are apprehended and prosecuted. The violence reportedly claimed 10 lives. Seven people were initially killed during an assault on Ratatis community in Dorowa Babuje, Barkin Ladi LGA, leaving three others critically injured. By Monday morning, two additional bodies were recovered from Dorowa Babuje,…

The United States Embassy in Nigeria has clarified that Nigerian students and exchange visitors holding valid F1 and J1 visas are not impacted by the recent visa restrictions introduced by Washington. The clarification follows Presidential Proclamation 10998, issued on December 16, 2025, and effective from January 1, 2026, which places entry and visa limitations on citizens of 15 countries, including Nigeria. According to the US government, the measure was introduced over concerns related to screening and vetting processes, information sharing, visa overstay rates, and broader national security and public safety considerations. Other African nations listed in the proclamation include Angola,…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has approved the revocation of 485 land documents in Abuja after they failed to satisfy official verification requirements. The affected titles were invalidated following a detailed audit carried out by the Department of Land Administration in partnership with the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS). Authorities said many of the submissions did not meet authenticity standards, with several confirmed to be forged. In a public notice released on Monday and labelled Batch I, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) announced that the defective applications had been expunged from the regularisation database. The…

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has instituted a N1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over what he described as the unlawful invasion and search of his Abuja residence. In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026 and filed on February 20 at the Federal High Court in Abuja, El-Rufai, through his counsel, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), is contesting the validity of a search warrant issued on February 4 by a Chief Magistrate of the FCT Magistrates’ Court. He is seeking a declaration that the warrant authorising the search and seizure at his…

A new Dutch administration was formally installed on Monday, with 38-year-old centrist leader Rob Jetten taking office as the Netherlands’ youngest-ever prime minister and the country’s first openly gay head of government. Jetten secured a surprise victory in October’s snap election, narrowly defeating the far-right Freedom Party (PVV) led by Geert Wilders. The poll was triggered after the PVV pulled out of the previous coalition — the most right-leaning government in the country’s recent history — which collapsed after just 11 months. Jetten’s D66 party has formed a coalition with the centre-right CDA and the liberal VVD. Together, the three…