Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

The death toll from two days of clashes between security forces and loyalists of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and revenge killings that followed has risen to more than 600, a war monitoring group said Saturday, making it one of the deadliest acts of violence since Syria’s conflict began 14 years ago. The clashes, which erupted Thursday, marked a major escalation in the challenge to the new government in Damascus, three months after insurgents took authority after removing Assad from power. The government has said it was responding to attacks from remnants of Assad’s forces and blamed “individual actions” for…

Police said Saturday that a Pakistani man has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting the administrator of a community WhatsApp group who removed him from the chat. According to the police, the admin, Mushtaq Ahmed was shot dead on Thursday evening in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province that borders Afghanistan, which has a history of bloody sectarian violence. A man named only as Ashfaq has been charged with his murder, according to police documents seen by AFP and a local police official. Mushtaq allegedly kicked Ashfaq out of the WhatsApp group following an argument, according to…

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has announced the approval of the sum of N1 billion as soft loans to market women in the state. The governor disclosed this in Benin City at an event commemorating the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration on Saturday. According to reports, the governor opined that the approved N1 billion soft loan for market women would help boost their businesses, improve their lives, and enhance the state’s economy. Okpebholo said the loans were in appreciation of their steadfastness, dedication, and commitment to moving the state forward.The governor said, “Since I assumed office as Governor…

Three suspects linked to the murder of a 2024 graduate of Lagos State University (LASU), Adedamola Ogunbode, have been arrested. Disclosing the development, the Lagos State Police Command, through its spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin also said they are currently searching for five others in elation to the death of the ex-LASU man. Ogunbode, LASU Political Science Education graduate, had been missing since January 16, 2025, amid speculation that his mutilated body had been found. Among those arrested were Whepetoji Sunday, a pastor who allegedly received N70,000 from the victim’s account; and Sheriff Adebayo, a church member accused of also receiving N300,000.…

Gunmen have abducted the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Petroleum Retailers Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Chief Obasi Lawson, in the Azumini area of Abia State. Confirming the incident on Friday, Public Relations Officer of Abia State Police Command, Maureen Chinaka in a statement she signed, noted that the abduction took place on March 4, 2025, at approximately 7pm. The police spokeswoman disclosed that a dark blue Sienna vehicle carrying unidentified gunmen ambushed Lawson’s convoy while he was returning to Port Harcourt through Azumini Ndoki, Ukwa East Local Government Area. “While the officers were repelling the…

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman was in an advanced state of Alzheimer’s and died of heart disease and other factors likely days after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died of a rare virus spread by mice, according to autopsy results released Friday in New Mexico. Hackman, 95, Arakawa, 64, and one of their dogs were found dead Feb. 26 in separate rooms of the couple’s Santa Fe home. Hackman’s heart disease and the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome that caused Arakawa’s death were announced at a press conference at the Santa Fe sheriff’s office. Hackman’s wife died a week before he did, results showed.…

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that Canada has been “ripping off” the United States for years with tariffs on lumber and dairy products and threatened to place reciprocal tariffs on Canada immediately. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the “tremendous tariffs” Canada imposes on U.S. dairy and lumber products made it impossible for the U.S. to sell its products in Canada. He said unless Canada agrees to drop them, he would impose the same tariff on Canada. Trump on Thursday delayed for four weeks his new 25% tariffs on most Mexican and Canadian exports to the…

A Connecticut toddler who was abducted 25 years ago has been found alive in Mexico, with her identity confirmed by DNA testing, according to authorities. Andrea Michelle Reyes was just 2 when she vanished from her home in New Haven in 1999, with cops long suspecting she had been snatched by her mom, Rosa Tenorio, who did not have custody. Reyes’ family also believed the girl may have been in Mexico, but could never locate her, even as her dad repeatedly traveled there looking for them. Andrea Michelle Reyes was allegedly kidnapped by her non-custodial mother in 1999. DNASolves An…

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed a new rule that requires applicants for green cards and visas to disclose their social media handles. The initiative aims to strengthen security screening, but it has raised concerns about privacy and potential misuse of data. The proposed rule would apply to various immigration forms, including applications for US citizenship, asylum, and adjustments of status from an H-1B visa to a green card. Specifically, forms like the N-400 for naturalisation, I-131 for advance parole, I-485 for green card applications, and I-589 for asylum will be affected. US Africa Online reports…

The Federal High Courts in Lagos and Yola, Adamawa State, have sentenced four drug traffickers to a total of 95 years in prison for trafficking cocaine and cannabis worth over N4.6 billion. The convicts identified as Ogbuji Christian Ifeanyi, Iloduba Augustine Chinonye, Shuaibu Nuhu Isa (a.k.a Don), and Zidon Zurga, were arrested in separate operations by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director of Media & Advocacy in a statement on Friday, said Ogbuji Christian Ifeanyi was intercepted on September 18, 2024, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, while arriving from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He…