The Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC) has raised concerns over multiple irregularities within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), including financial mismanagement and the disappearance of over 3,900 firearms, including AK-47 rifles feared to be in the hands of criminals. During a review of the Auditor-General’s report, lawmakers uncovered eight infractions against the police, including contract…
Pope Francis has strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, describing them as a “major crisis” that undermines human dignity and causes “unnecessary suffering” for migrants and refugees. In a letter addressed to U.S. Catholic bishops on Tuesday, the 88-year-old pontiff urged the faithful and the global community to reject discriminatory narratives that…
By Ayomide Otitoju The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced the introduction of new charges for customers withdrawing cash from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) of banks other than their own, effectively ending the three free withdrawals previously allowed. The directive was contained in a circular dated February 10, 2025, and signed by John Onojah,…
By Ayomide Otitoju The Zamfara State Government has dismissed any possibility of negotiating with bandits to restore peace in the state, emphasizing its firm stance against dialogue with criminals. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Governor Dauda Lawal’s media aide, Sulaiman Bala Idris, clarified that the governor was misquoted in an exclusive BBC Hausa interview…
By Ayomide Otitoju The National Universities Commission (NUC) has raised the application fees for establishing private universities in Nigeria by over 400%, citing the need for better coordination and to ensure new institutions meet 21st-century educational challenges. In a statement issued on Monday, NUC Executive Secretary, Abdullahi Ribadu, announced that the fee for purchasing application…
By Ayomide Otitoju The Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday granted bail to former Managing Director of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Ahmed Kuru, in the sum of N50 million with two sureties. The court, presided over by Justice Rahman Oshodi, also convicted and wound up Sigma Golf Nigeria Limited,…
The United Nations has condemned the continued detention of Niger’s deposed president, Mohamed Bazoum, and his wife, Hadiza, calling their confinement “arbitrary” since his ouster in a military coup. Bazoum, who was democratically elected in 2021, was overthrown on July 26, 2023, by General Abdourahamane Tiani, head of the presidential guard, over allegations of failing…
In a sustained effort to combat illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, troops of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, in collaboration with other security agencies, have arrested 29 suspected oil thieves and dismantled 24 illegal refining sites. The operations, conducted between February 3 and 9, 2025, also led to the destruction of 11 boats…
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid has filed a lawsuit against Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Finance Minister Taif Sami over unpaid salaries for civil servants in the autonomous Kurdistan region, highlighting a growing rift within the country’s leadership. The lawsuit, submitted to Iraq’s top court last month but only disclosed on Sunday by Rashid’s…
