Author: Friday Omosola

President Bola Tinubu has concluded his official visit to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where he participated in the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit alongside other African leaders. The summit, organised by the Tanzanian government in collaboration with the African Union, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the World Bank, focused on addressing Africa’s energy challenges and achieving electricity access for 300 million people by 2030.   The highlight of the two-day event was the adoption of the Dar es Salaam Declaration, which outlines strategies for improving energy access across the continent. Leaders from 12 countries, including Nigeria, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, and…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, calling him Nigeria’s most prolific electoral litigator after he claimed that the nation’s democracy was at risk due to judicial involvement in electoral matters. The New Daily Prime earlier reported that Atiku made the comments at a national conference on Strengthening Democracy in Nigeria held in Abuja on Monday, where he raised concerns over what he called the “imperilment” of democracy by judicial interference in elections.  He also accused President Bola Tinubu of paying opposition leaders a staggering 50 million Naira each to destabilize opposition parties in the…

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has been appointed as the new chairman of the South-South Governors Forum. The announcement came during the ongoing meeting of the Forum in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State. A statement released on Tuesday after the meeting confirmed his appointment.  The communique stated, “The South-South Governors’ Forum convened on Tuesday, 28 January 2025, at Government House in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, to discuss pressing issues and strategies vital for the unity and development of the region,” the communique read. READ ALSO: Gov Diri inaugurates 15 Permanent Secretaries “We the Governors representing the States that form…

In a move aimed at strengthening security in Plateau State, Governor Caleb Mutfwang inspected the Mobile Police Training Centre in Gashish District, Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area, as well as the proposed site for a Mobile Police Barracks in Kwall, Bassa Local Government Area. Both initiatives are set to begin immediately, marking a significant step toward enhanced security in rural communities across the state.Accompanied by Plateau State’s Commissioner of Police, CP Emmanuel Adesina, Governor Mutfwang addressed a gathering that included the indigenous Berom people and the Fulani community. He called for an end to hostilities and urged all groups involved in…

The Federal Government (FG), through its marriage registry, generated N2.4 billion from marriage contracts in 2024. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said this during a media parley with heads of agencies under the ministry in Abuja on Tuesday. The minister also highlighted plans to bolster border security to reduce the influx of irregular migrants. He revealed that revenue from expatriate quota applications hit over N3.2 billion in 2024, representing a 150 per cent increase in total revenue. READ ALSO: Tunji-Ojo advocates government-academia partnership to strengthen education  Additionally, the minister noted that in 2023, the ministry surpassed its projected revenue…

A Chief Magistrate Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, has adjourned the trial of Naomi Silekunola, the estranged wife of the Ooni of Ife; an Ibadan-based broadcaster and Chairman of a radio station, Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi Hamzat; and the Principal of Islamic High School, Basorun, Abdulahib Fasasi. The defendants face charges of conspiracy, murder, manslaughter, and negligence related to the deaths of 35 children during a stampede at a Christmas funfair held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on December 18, 2024. Initially arraigned on a holden charge—a temporary legal mechanism not recognised under Nigerian law—the defendants were remanded in custody but were…

Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has been detained by the Nigerian police in Abuja. The New Daily Prime earlier reported that Sowore, on Monday, rejected his bail conditions, which required him to surrender his international passport and present a Level 17 civil servant as surety after his interrogation. The Ondo-born politician further announced on his X account that a team assigned to his case had informed him of a reevaluation of the bail conditions by the DIG of FID, Dasuki Galandachi.  The updated conditions demanded the production of a Level 16…

The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Barrister Benjamin Chukwuemeka Nwobodo before Justice F. O. Giwa-Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court in Independence Layout, Enugu. Nwobodo faces a five-count charge of forgery and obtaining by false pretence involving N12 million. In a statement on Tuesday, EFCC said the charges stem from alleged fraudulent land sales in Emene, Enugu State.  One of the charges reads: “That you, Benjamin Chukwuemeka Nwobodo, on January 15, 2014, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N9 million from Wilson Ikeani…

President Bola Tinubu has reiterated the need for unity as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s national progress, urging leaders to prioritise collaboration and dialogue in addressing the country’s challenges.  Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday at the Kogi Dialogue, an event marking Governor Usman Ododo’s first year in office, the President likened the natural confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue in Lokoja to the strength derived from unity. “The confluence of these rivers is not just a geographical event; it is a divine lesson in strength and continuity,” Tinubu stated. “Just as water merging with water becomes stronger, so…

The Lagos State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government’s Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) to initiate exploratory work on the ambitious Green Line project.  The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, made the announcement during a recent Citizen/Media Stakeholders forum organized by the Ministry.  He revealed that the 68 km Green Line, once completed, will connect Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone, traversing one of the fastest-growing industrial corridors in Africa. Omotoso highlighted the state government’s commitment to infrastructural development, recalling that in 2024, the government completed 36 road projects, including…