Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

The owner of Rahamaniyya Group and Ultimate Oil & Gas, Abdulrahman Bashar, has been sentenced to one year in prison over a financial crime linked to his dealings with CI Energy Company, an oil and gas firm by a court in Dubai. In the news that broke on Saturday, this marks the second time in five years that the Nigerian businessman has been jailed, following a previous ten-month sentence handed down by a UK court in 2020. According to PREMIUM TIMES, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) court delivered its ruling on January 30, 2025, even though 48-year-old Bashar failed to…

Andrew Gwynne is alleged to have written a series of racist and sexist comments in a WhatsApp group with other local Labour Party figures. A Labour minister has been sacked and suspended from the party after messages were exposed in which he said he hoped pensioners who did not support him would die before the next set of elections. Andrew Gwynne, who was a health minister, was also accused of writing a series of other messages containing racist and sexist comments. They included apparent antisemitic remarks and demeaning comments about Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister. United Kingdom Prime Minister,…

The older sister of Nigerian singer, songwriter, and rapper, Habeeb Okikiola Badmus, popularly known as Portable, has publicly apologized to Nigerians for his controversial behaviour, alleging that a family member is spiritually influencing his actions. In a viral video circulating on X, formerly known as Twitter, the woman identified herself as Portable’s elder sister and expressed gratitude to the singer for his generosity. She revealed that he had supported her during a critical health challenge, ensuring her treatment and recovery. She accused a certain family member, identified as Akeem, of being responsible for Portable’s erratic behavior. According to her, Akeem…

A woman has died after being hit by debris from a tree which exploded when it was struck by lightning in a town south-west of Sydney on Saturday afternoon. Paramedics and a medical team rushed to the address in Cawdor about 5.30pm Saturday. New South Wales Ambulance said one woman had been fatally injured by shrapnel from the tree. A local cat grooming business posted statements online identifying the victim as Rosanna Hashem, a 43-year-old mother of four. A statement on the website for The Groomery, whose street address matches where the lightning strike occurred, paid tribute to Rosanna as…

A 10-year-old boy identified as Bright James has been arrested by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command following an allegation that he defiled a three-year-old girl. Following reports that James was illegally detained, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, in a statement on Saturday in Uyo, the state capital, disclosed that the suspect voluntarily admitted to the offence without coercion. She added that the suspect would be charged to court on Monday, February 10, 2025. The police spokesperson said, “The attention of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command has been drawn to a viral report alleging the…

An Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Shafi’u Bawa, attached to the 61 Police Mobile Force (PMF), in Kontagora town in Niger State was found dead in what was suspected to be a case of suicide. According to reports, the incident reportedly occurred on Saturday afternoon, with sources confirming that the officer’s lifeless body was discovered hanging from the ceiling of his room. The reports said the deceased father, Mallam Usman Bawa, was the first to raise the alarm before reporting the matter to the Kontagora Police Division. Confirming the incident, the Spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu…

In a significant change in the US visa renewal procedure, the dropbox visa processing option has been discontinued for United States visa applicants in Nigeria. Though the US Embassy in Nigeria was yet to issue an official statement on the change, sources have confirmed that the service, which previously allowed eligible applicants to renew their visas without an in-person interview, has been quietly removed from the appointment booking system. Applicants attempting to schedule visa renewals have reported that the Dropbox feature was no longer an option on the appointment booking platform, suggesting that it may be due to a slew…

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck in the western Caribbean on Saturday night, prompting a tsunami advisory for the Cayman Islands as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were cleared of the threat. The temblor struck at 6:23 p.m. ET at a depth of about 6 miles below ground, about 130 miles south-southwest of George Town, Cayman Islands, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Following an alert saying its islands were under the threat of a possible tsunami, the Cayman Islands government’s hazard management agency said late Saturday that an “all clear” had been issued for its land — Grand…

National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives have foiled attempts by two drug kingpins to smuggle consignments of heroin through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), and the Port Harcourt International Airport into Nigeria. The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said one of the kingpins, who uses dual identities to aid his cross-border movements, has a Nigerian passport with his original name: Onyekwonike Elochuckwu. The suspect is also said to have a Sierra Leonean identity with a different name, Kargbo Mohamed. The NDLEA spokesman said Elochuckwu was intercepted by NDLEA officers…

President Donald Trump has directed the United States Secret Service to provide him “every bit of information” known about his two attempted assassins last summer during the presidential campaign. The president said he was convinced the Secret Service had been holding back such information because of former President Joe Biden. Speaking to the New York Post, Trump said, “I’m entitled to know,. “I want to find out about the two assassins. . . . Why did the one guy have six cell phones and why did the other guy have foreign apps? “No more holding back because of Biden. .…