Author: Helen Okechukwu

By Ridwanullah Sakariyah A Sokoto-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Musa Lukuwa, on Thursday led his followers in Eid al-Fitr prayers despite a directive from the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, who had declared Friday as the official Sallah day. The cleric performed the two-unit Eid prayer at about 9:10am at his Mabera mosque, shortly after the Sultan announced that the Shawwal crescent moon had not been sighted anywhere in Nigeria, thereby extending Ramadan fasting by another day. The development, however, followed Lukuwa’s insistence that he acted on reports of moon sighting from a neighbouring country. In a message circulated…

By Clement Abayomi The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu’s official visit to the United Kingdom will bring great economic benefits to Nigeria. In a statement released by the party’s spokesperson, Hon. Seye Oladejo, the party considered the trip a strategic move to fix major infrastructure and attract new investments. According to the statement, a major aspect of the visit is the signing of a £746 million financing deal. This money comes from UK Export Finance to help the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Ministry of Finance. The funds will…

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the world’s deadliest region for young children, accounting for roughly 2.8 million under-five deaths in 2024, even as global child mortality continues its long-term decline, according to new estimates released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The figures highlight a stark imbalance in survival chances, with children born in the region far more likely to die before their fifth birthday than those in other parts of the world. While global deaths have fallen to 4.9 million, less than half the toll recorded in 2000, the pace of improvement has slowed significantly…

Operatives of the Anti-Vandal Unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have uncovered a major illegal bunkering site in Rivers State, exposing what authorities describe as a well-coordinated operation for storing suspected stolen crude oil. The discovery, made in Igwuruta in Ikwerre Local Government Area, followed days of quiet surveillance and intelligence gathering, culminating in a swift raid that revealed dozens of storage tanks filled with substances believed to have been siphoned from vandalised pipelines. Officials said the site, concealed within an isolated area, appeared to function as a temporary holding facility where stolen crude was stockpiled…

The Commissioner of Police (CP) in Rivers State, Olugbenga Adepoju, has pledged that justice will be served following the arrest of a suspect in connection with the killing of a 42-year-old man in Etche Local Government Area. This Rivers State Police Command Spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko shared this development on Wednesday via statement made available to the New Daily Prime. The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Robinson Uche, was apprehended by operatives of the Anti-Cultism Unit, Emuohia Annex, on 6 March 2026 after what the Command described as sustained investigative efforts. Police said the arrest is linked to the murder of Shedrack Ogadinma…

The Federal Government (FG) has announced Thursday, 19 March, and Friday, 20 March, 2026, as public holidays in observance of Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of the Ramadan fast. Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Magdalene Ajani, disclosed this on behalf of the government, congratulating Muslim faithful on the successful completion of the holy month. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Minister urged adherents of Islam to continue embracing the values of love, generosity, peace, tolerance and sacrifice practised during Ramadan. He also called on Nigerians to use the occasion to offer prayers…

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed renewed anxiety over the security of students in the North-East after a series of coordinated explosions struck Maiduguri, leaving dozens dead and many others injured. Reacting to the incident, the NANS Zone E (North-East) Coordinator, Muazu Hina, said the development highlights the fragile security situation in the region and the risks faced daily by students pursuing their education. The attacks, which occurred on Monday night, targeted crowded locations including the popular Monday Market, the Post Office area, and a location close to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. The near-simultaneous nature…

No fewer than 23 persons have been confirmed dead, while 108 others sustained varying degrees of injuries following a series of coordinated improvised explosive device (IED) explosions in Maiduguri. The incidents, which occurred at about 7:24 p.m. on Monday, targeted three busy locations, the Maiduguri Monday Market, the gate of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), and the Post Office Flyover area. According to a press statement issued by the Borno State Police Command spokesperson, Nahum Daso preliminary investigations indicate that the attacks were carried out by suspected suicide bombers. Emergency responders, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)…

Authorities at the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC) in Kontagora, Niger State, have opened an investigation into an alleged case of child abuse involving a seven-year-old girl within the Kontagora Military Cantonment. According to the statement shared on Thursday via their Facebook page, it indicated that the incident reportedly occurred on 4 March 2026, when a soldier residing near the apartment where the child lived was said to have heard persistent cries coming from the residence. Concerned by the situation, he reportedly gained access to the apartment, where the young girl was allegedly being physically assaulted. According to preliminary accounts,…

By Clement Abayomi The All Progressives Congress (APC) has ordered the swearing-in of its newly elected leaders across Nigeria. Mr. Felix Morka, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, discloses this on Tuesday during the inauguration order, the statement noted. “The All Progressives Congress (APC) hereby directs that the Ward, Local Government and State Executive Committees duly elected at the 2026 Congresses of the Party be sworn in inaugurated . . . in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Party’s Constitution,” the statement read. According to the order, it indicated that the development applies to all leaders chosen during the 2026…