Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

At least 15 people tragically lost their lives in a fuel tanker explosion at Ugwu Onyeama, Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State. Also, several others were reportedly injured in the inferno which destroyed several vehicles. The explosion occurred around 11:30 AM on Saturday, January 24, 2025, when a fuel-laden tanker exploded while navigating the busy expressway. Witnesses described the blast as devastating as it destroyed nearby vehicles and caused widespread panic. One of the eyewitness, a tanker driver, who gave his name as Eziechina said those injured have been taken to nearby hospitals. He said; “Yes, there was a…

….In exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners Hamas militants on Saturday morning released four female Israeli soldiers they held captive for 15 months to the Red Cross in a planned exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees in Israel. It’s the second exchange since a fragile ceasefire took effect last weekend, halting the fighting in Gaza for at least six weeks during which dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed while more aid flows in. In return for the four soldiers, Israel should free 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees, including 120 militants serving life sentences after…

The mother of four young brothers who died trapped alone in a house fire while she was shopping in Sainsbury’s has been jailed. Deveca Rose had left her two sets of twins in the locked terraced house when the fatal blaze broke out on the evening of 16 December 2021. Rose had gone to the supermarket, leaving Leyton and Logan Hoath, aged three; and four-year-olds Kyson and Bryson Hoath alone at the rented home in Sutton, southwest London. The 30-year-old defendant, who had split up from her partner and suffered from mental health problems, was found guilty of four counts…

A woman in France was on Friday sentenced to life jail for starving her own daughter to death. The girl, Amandine died of a heart attack in 2020 at the age of 13 after years of abuse. Sandrine Pissarra, 54, was sent to prison by a court in the southern city of Montpellier for inflicting acts of torture and barbarity on Amandine. She must serve a minimum of 20 years behind bars before being eligible for parole, according to the terms of the sentence, AFP reports. The verdict, the maximum sentence for the crime and in line with what prosecutors…

The Donald Trump administration is issuing a new round of heavy-handed measures that could rapidly deport immigrants who entered the United States through recently established legal pathways, according to an internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo obtained by the New York Times. The directive, signed on Friday by the acting homeland security secretary, Benjamine Huffman, grants Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials unprecedented authority to expedite deportations for immigrants who entered the country with government authorization through two key Biden-era programmes. These programmes, which have allowed more than a million immigrants to enter the country since 2023, had provided…

*Final female Israeli civilian held in Gaza not on list Hamas has published the names of four female Israeli soldiers being held captive in Gaza who it says it plans to release this weekend as part of the continuing ceasefire agreement between the armed group and Israel. In the hours following the release of the names, however, the office of Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to indicate it believed Hamas had breached the fragile ceasefire deal because the four names did not include that of the remaining female civilian hostage in Gaza. Israeli media later reported the Israeli prime minister had consulted…

…President called her ”Radical-left hard-line Trump hater.” Following the fallout of her address to President Donald Trump during a prayer service at Washington’s National Cathedral Tuesday, the Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde joined NPR’s ”All Things Considered” on Friday to discuss her hope that the new administration would show compassion toward vulnerable communities following a sermon she made on Tuesday. Addressing concerns that the President did not take her address in a good light, as his (Trump) utterances regarding the issue have shown, the Bishop said she has nothing to apologise for as she has said the right thing. During…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has withdrawn the arrest warrant against Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, the former manager of gospel musician Mercy Chinwo. Justice Alexander Owoeye issued a bench warrant against Onyedikachukwu last week after the EFCC filed an ex parte motion seeking to compel the music producer’s appearance in court to answer to alleged criminal charges. The motion, presented by EFCC counsel Mrs. Bilikisu Buhari, cited constitutional and legal provisions for the warrant. Buhari explained that the manager was accused of criminal activities related to financial mismanagement, including diverting royalties from Chinwo’s digital platforms and events. The EFCC claims…

The alleged maltreatment of a junior soldier by a senior officer in the Nigerian Army’s 93 Battalion has stirred outrage and calls for accountability. According to SaharaReporters, the incident occurred on the morning of January 12, 2025, during preparations for the Armed Forces Remembrance Day parade in Jalingo. Reports say Lance Corporal Samuel P. reportedly arrived late for the mustering, prompting Lieutenant B. Mohammed to reprimand him. A photograph obtained by SaharaReporters shows the soldier’s leg bandaged and stained with blood, corroborating the allegations of physical abuse. The alleged act has sparked widespread discontent among soldiers in the battalion, many…

Reprieve seems to be coming the way of some inmates as the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) is preparing a list of prisoners eligible for a nationwide presidential pardon. According to reports, this directive, issued by Acting Controller General of Corrections Sylvester Nwakuche, applies to inmates in all state and Federal Capital Territory commands. Nwakuche assumed office on December 16, 2024, after President Bola Tinubu appointed him following the retirement of Haliru Nababa. According to a memo dated January 17, 2025, factors such as old age, poor health, and length of time served in prison will determine eligibility for the clemency.…