Author: Damilola

The Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg has confirmed the deaths of two Nigerians, Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew, in separate incidents linked to escalating tensions in South Africa. In a statement on Monday, Consul-General, Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, said Emmanuel died from injuries allegedly sustained after being beaten by personnel of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) on April 20. She added that Andrew was arrested a day earlier in the Booysens area of Pretoria following an alleged altercation with officers of the Tshwane Metro Police. His body was later found at the Pretoria Central Mortuary. According to the consulate, the two…

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has publicly thrown his weight behind the 2027 governorship ambition of his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, describing him as the most suitable candidate for the role. The endorsement came during a meeting with party stakeholders at the governor’s office in Alausa, Lagos, as seen in a video obtained on Monday. Addressing attendees, Sanwo-Olu offered prayers for Hamzat, wishing him success and divine guidance as he looks ahead. “Peace of mind, peace in your family among your children, wife, spouse and everybody. That which you require, God will provide it for you: renewed strength, God Almighty will make it…

Ibom Air has sounded the alarm over the rising cost of aviation fuel, revealing that it now spends about N7.6 million to power a single flight, a development it says threatens the sustainability of domestic airline operations. In a statement released on Monday, the airline described the situation as unprecedented, noting a sharp spike in fuel expenses within a short period. “The fuel price situation is an unprecedented crisis for Nigeria’s domestic airlines. At Ibom Air, the cost of fueling our aircraft has more than tripled between January and today. From an average of N2.1m per flight in January, as…

The Akwa Ibom State Government has stepped up COVID-19 monitoring and response measures following confirmation of a fresh outbreak in a nearby state. The Commissioner for Health, Ekem Emmanuel, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Uyo, noting that Governor Umo Eno had directed immediate activation of heightened surveillance. According to him, the directive covers all entry points into the state, healthcare facilities, and communities as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the virus. “Disease surveillance officers and rapid response teams have been placed on red alert to promptly detect and manage any suspected cases. “Residents…

Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, has clarified why a scheduled lecture by Peter Obi did not take place on Saturday, attributing the development to insufficient notice from the organisers. Obi was expected to deliver a keynote address at 9am on campus before heading to a political summit of opposition parties in Ibadan later that day. In a post on X, the former Anambra governor said the invitation had been extended months earlier and that preparations were already in place. He, however, expressed concern after the university declined to approve the venue shortly before the event. Describing the situation…

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, Bamidele Salam, has disclosed that Nigeria’s federation account has not been audited since 2021, raising concerns about transparency and investor confidence. Salam said the lack of recent audited financial statements makes it difficult for investors and stakeholders to obtain credible insights into the country’s fiscal position. “I want to tell you that the last time the account of the Federation of Nigeria was audited was 2021. That’s the report that you have. For the auditing of the federation account itself, the accountant-general for the federation will come up with…

The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced an increase in the cost of issuing or replacing debit and credit cards, raising the fee from N1,000 to N1,500 as part of a broader revision of banking charges. The adjustment is contained in a new circular released on Thursday, titled ‘Guide to Charges by Banks and Other Financial Institutions’. According to the apex bank, the new fee will take effect from May 1 and applies to standard ATM cards issued by financial institutions across the country. Despite the increase, the regulator clarified that maintenance fees will not be charged on naira-denominated debit…

Kenyan President William Ruto has sparked debate across social media platforms after suggesting that Kenyans speak better English than Nigerians, a comment that has drawn mixed reactions from both countries. Speaking during an engagement with Kenyans living in Italy on Monday, Ruto praised his country’s education system and language proficiency, asserting that Kenyans rank highly in spoken English. “Kenyans, you know our education is good, our English is good. We speak some of the best English in the world… that is true,” he said. He went further to compare Kenya’s English with Nigeria’s, adding, “If you listen to a Nigerian speaking,…

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the federal government’s decision to secure a $516 million foreign loan for parts of the Sokoto–Badagry superhighway project, describing the move as fiscally imprudent. The president had approached the National Assembly with a request to approve a $516,333,007 loan facility to finance segments of the ambitious road project. The proposal, conveyed in a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read during plenary, stated that the funds would be obtained through a syndicated arrangement led by Deutsche Bank. According to the request, the loan will cover sections 1, 1A, and…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) cannot impose fines on motorists for lack of third-party motor insurance without first obtaining a court order. Justice Hauwa Yilwa delivered the judgment in a suit instituted by Deji Adeyanju against the Inspector-General of police, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the FRSC. The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/291/2025, sought judicial interpretation of the powers of law enforcement agencies in enforcing compliance with motor vehicle insurance regulations. In her decision, the judge clarified the limits of enforcement authority, drawing a clear line…