Author: Olaoluwa Vincent Ajayi

A UK-based Nigerian man, Adedapo Adegbola, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a young woman he worked with, after she ended what prosecutors described as a brief but controlling relationship. Adegbola fatally stabbed Stephanie Irons, 23, at her home in Mapperley, Nottinghamshire, on 21 October. He later handed himself in to police and pleaded guilty to murder. At Nottingham Crown Court, the court heard that Adegbola had become obsessed with Ms Irons and planned the attack after she decided to end the relationship. On Thursday, the judge ordered that he must serve a minimum of 25…

The United States has stepped up efforts to counter China’s dominance in Africa’s critical minerals sector, backing a $9 billion deal to acquire a 40 per cent stake in copper and cobalt mines operated by Glencore in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The transaction, announced on Tuesday, will see Glencore sell a significant minority holding in its Mutanda Mining (Mumi) and Kamoto Copper Company (KCC) operations to the Orion Critical Mineral Consortium, in a deal valued at about $9 billion including debt. The mines are among the largest Western-owned producers of cobalt and copper in the DRC, minerals that are…

US President Donald Trump has signalled renewed support for the UK’s agreement to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while leasing back a strategically important military base, Downing Street has confirmed. The endorsement follows a phone conversation on Thursday between Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, during which both leaders agreed on the importance of securing the future of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. In a statement, 10 Downing Street said the two leaders agreed the UK and United States would continue to work closely on implementing the deal, which allows Britain to lease…

United States President Donald Trump has described Nigeria’s First Lady, Remi Tinubu, as a “very respected woman,” drawing attention to her presence at a high-profile religious gathering in Washington, DC. Trump made the remarks on Thursday while speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast, an annual event that brings together senior government officials, religious leaders, and invited guests from around the world. The breakfast is traditionally used as a platform to reflect on faith, leadership, and global issues affecting religious freedom. As he addressed the audience, Trump paused to acknowledge Mrs Tinubu, who was seated among international guests. He publicly expressed…

A 20-year-old Nigerian student, Khaleed Oladipo, has died after being stabbed near De Montfort University in the city of Leicester, police have confirmed. Leicestershire Police said Oladipo was attacked on Oxford Street, close to the junction with Bonners Lane, on Tuesday evening. Officers were called to the scene shortly after 5:00pm following reports that a man had collapsed. He was rushed to hospital but later died from his injuries. A post-mortem examination confirmed that Oladipo died from a stab wound to the chest. An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody as investigations…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has recognised the National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The recognition became evident on Wednesday when the committee’s chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, and the party’s Acting National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, attended INEC’s first quarterly consultative meeting with leaders of political parties. The meeting, organised by INEC in Abuja, is traditionally reserved for national chairmen and national secretaries of registered political parties recognised by the commission. The presence of Mohammed and Anyanwu at the session was therefore seen by observers as an…

More than 100 people were feared dead on Tuesday night following coordinated attacks on communities in Kwara and Benue states, in one of the deadliest episodes of violence in Nigeria in recent months. While local reports and humanitarian sources put the casualty figure far higher, the Kwara State Government has confirmed at least 75 deaths. The attacks occurred in Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, where armed militants stormed villages, opened fire on residents and set properties ablaze. Several people were also killed in a separate assault on Abande community in Mbaikyor Ward, Turan,…

For much of the last century, research into childhood mental and physical health focused heavily on mothers. Social scientists often linked long-term problems in children to difficult early relationships with their mothers, who were sometimes described as distant, overbearing or emotionally inconsistent. Fathers, by contrast, were frequently treated as secondary figures, if they were studied at all. New research suggests that approach may have missed a crucial part of the picture. A study by researchers at Pennsylvania State University has found that a father’s behaviour in a child’s first year of life may play a decisive role in shaping the…

The United States has deployed a small team of troops to Nigeria, marking the first official American military presence on the ground since US airstrikes targeted terrorist positions on Christmas Day 2025. The deployment follows airstrikes ordered by US President Donald Trump in December 2025 against what he described as “Islamic State targets” operating in Nigeria. Trump had earlier warned that further US military action could follow if security conditions deteriorated. According to a report by Reuters, the troop deployment is the result of an agreement between the Federal Government and Washington to deepen cooperation in tackling rising terrorist threats…

An Iraqi asylum seeker jailed for attacking four strangers has been handed a fresh opportunity to challenge his deportation from the UK after a legal ruling forced immigration authorities to restart the case. The man, Rebin Tofiq Hamaamin, was described by a judge as a danger to the public after a drunken rampage in a South Yorkshire town. Despite a deportation order approved following his conviction, an immigration tribunal has ruled that a “material error of law” means his case must be heard again. Hamaamin, 31, arrived in Britain on a small boat in 2020. Within two years, he was…