Oyo, Nigeria – April 6, 2025 – In a momentous occasion steeped in tradition and royal grandeur, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade was officially crowned the 46th Alaafin of Oyo, succeeding the late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, who passed away in April 2022 at age of 82. The historic coronation ceremony took place at Oliveth Baptist High School in Oyo on Saturday, drawing dignitaries, traditional rulers, and well-wishers from across the…

Nigeria’s public debt has surged to N144.67 trillion ($94.23 billion) as of December 2024, representing a 48.58% increase from December 2023. The Debt Management Office reports that both external and domestic borrowings drove this growth. External debt rose by 83.89% to N70.29 trillion, while domestic debt increased by 25.77% to N74.38 trillion. The increase in external debt is attributed to new borrowings and naira depreciation. Domestic debt growth reflects the…

Benue State Police Command has successfully rescued 14 victims who were abducted from a Benue Links bus traveling from Makurdi to Otukpo on April 3. The armed kidnappers attacked the bus in the Otukpo Burnt Bricks area, leaving the driver and one passenger dead. According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Sewuese Anene, the kidnappers shot the driver and one passenger, before whisking away the remaining 14 passengers to…

Fifteen domestic workers of former First Lady Patience Jonathan have been detained at the Okaka Custodial Centre in Bayelsa State since 2019. They were accused of stealing jewellery and electronics worth N200 million, as well as conspiracy to commit murder and other crimes. The workers claim they’ve been unlawfully detained without evidence presented against them. One worker said while speaking with The PUNCH Newspaper, “We have been in prison since…

Brent crude oil records the lowest price for the first time in four years as the price fell to $65.58 per barrel on Friday. The worldwide oil benchmark fell by 7 per cent to trade at $65.58, making it lowest since April 2021. The United States West Texas Intermediate (WTI) also fell by 7.35 per cent to 62.03 per barrel. WHY THE DROP The price of the crude oil dropped…

David Umahi, minister of works, says the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos is intended to prevent suicide attempts. Umahi, while featuring as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, said the cameras were installed to check sand excavation around the bridge. He said security personnel would monitor footage from the CCTV and enforce speed regulations. “We have put CCTVs down under the deck…

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Ayo Sotinrin as the managing director (MD) of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA). In a statement on Friday, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s special adviser on information and strategy, said the appointment is effective immediately. Onanuga said Sotinrin brings a diverse and extensive background in both the private and public sectors to his new role, having consulted for global institutions such as the World Bank, African Development…

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has removed the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 7, Abuja, Usaini Gumel, and redeployed him to the Force Headquarters department of Community Policing, Research and Planning, following comments he allegedly made criticising the federal government’s handling of the political crisis in Rivers State. Gumel’s sudden transfer is believed to be connected to his offhand remark describing the March 18…

The Rivers State Police Command, through the C4I Strike Force operatives, has apprehended a 23-year-old, Emmanuel Godwin, for the abduction and defilement of a minor (name withheld). This was relayed to journalists by the Rivers State Police Command spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, on Friday. Iringe-Koko revealed that the suspect was apprehended at approximately 3:20 a.m. on 2 April, at Chinda Street, Ikwerre Road, during the C4I Strike Force routine patrol along…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order barring all parties involved in the ongoing legal tussle between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio from speaking to the press or streaming court proceedings on social media. Justice Binta Nyako, who is now presiding over the matter, gave the order on Friday following a complaint raised by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, counsel to Akpabio, alleging that Akpoti-Uduaghan had…

The management of Oyo State College of Nursing Sciences, Eleyele, has confirmed that 75 of its students have successfully received financial support through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). The college’s Provost, Gbonjubola Owolabi, made the announcement during a meeting with the management staff on Friday at the college’s premises in Eleyele, Ibadan. The funds, she revealed, were received on Thursday, April 3, and they will help ease the financial…

The Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, has praised Governor Monday Okpebholo for his victory at the Edo Governorship Election Tribunal, describing the outcome as a sign that his ancestors had brought him to restore the lost glory of Edo State. During a solidarity visit by Governor Okpebholo to the Oba’s palace in Benin on Thursday, April 3, the monarch expressed his support for the governor and his administration. The visit…