Author: Damilola

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…

Chad has announced the immediate closure of its border with Sudan, citing escalating security concerns linked to the ongoing conflict across the frontier. In a statement issued on Monday, Communications Minister Mahamat Gassim Cherif said the move followed a series of confrontations between Chadian troops and armed factions operating in Sudan’s civil war. “This decision follows repeated incursions and violations committed by the forces involved in the conflict in Sudan on Chadian territory,” he said, stressing that the government aims to prevent “any risk of the conflict spreading” into Chad. Sudan has been engulfed in fighting between the national army…

Arsenal restored their five-point cushion at the summit of the Premier League with a commanding 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, while Liverpool left it late to edge Nottingham Forest 1-0 thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Alexis Mac Allister. Midfielder Eberechi Eze was once again Tottenham’s tormentor, netting twice in the north London derby to hand Mikel Arteta’s side a crucial win after consecutive draws against Brentford and Wolves had allowed Manchester City to tighten the title race. Eze, who had previously hit a hat-trick in November’s first derby meeting of the campaign, returned to the starting XI…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has apprehended 20 individuals over alleged electoral offences during Saturday’s Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). In a statement shared via its official X account on Sunday, the anti-corruption agency disclosed that more than N17 million was recovered from some of the suspects. According to the commission, those arrested were implicated in offences ranging from vote buying to vote selling. “One of the suspects was arrested with a sum of N13,500,000 in a car parked beside a polling booth in the Kwali Local Government Area,” the statement reads.…

Nigeria has secured a major victory in an international arbitration dispute with European Dynamics UK Ltd, averting a potential financial liability of more than $6.2 million (about ₦9.3 billion). The dispute stemmed from a national e-Procurement project handled by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). An arbitral tribunal dismissed all claims brought by the contractor, bringing the matter to a close. In a statement released on Sunday, Kamarudeen Ogundele, Special Assistant to the President on Communication and Publicity in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, described the award as “final and not subject to appeal.” “In another…

The All Progressives Congress has won five out of the six chairmanship seats in the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, leaving the Peoples Democratic Party with a single victory. Results announced on Sunday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed the APC securing Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abaji, Bwari, Kwali and Kuje, while the PDP triumphed in Gwagwalada. Gwagwalada: PDP Breaks Through In Gwagwalada Area Council, PDP candidate Mohammed Kasim defeated the APC’s Yahaya Shehu, polling 22,165 votes against 17,788. Announcing the outcome, the Returning Officer, Philip Akpen, said: “I am the returning officer for…

The All Progressives Congress has clinched victory in the Ungogo and Kano Municipal by-elections for the Kano State House of Assembly. The polls, conducted on Saturday, were organised to fill two legislative vacancies created after the death of two lawmakers in December 2025. The late legislators, who belonged to the New Nigeria Peoples Party, died just hours apart. Notably, the newly elected lawmakers are their sons. In Ungogo constituency, Aminu Sa’ad of the APC secured 8,975 votes to emerge winner. Meanwhile, in Kano Municipal, APC candidate Aliyu Nabil Daneji polled 7,484 votes to claim the seat. TheCable had previously reported…