Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

A Russian drone attack towards the Ukrainian capital on Friday killed one person and wounded four in the Kyiv suburbs, local officials said. Moscow’s forces have escalated their aerial strikes across Ukraine through the first weeks of winter, including a New Year’s Day drone attack targeting central Kyiv that killed two. “One person killed and four wounded in enemy air attack on Kyiv region,” said Mykola Kalashnyk, the head of the Kyiv region, which surrounds the capital, said on social media on Friday. He said a truck driver had been killed after he was hit by falling debris from a…

A drunk police officer in Zambia freed 13 suspects from custody so that they could go and celebrate the new year, officials say. A report by the BBC said detective inspector Titus Phiri was arrested after releasing the suspects from Leonard Cheelo police station in the capital, Lusaka, before running away himself. The 13 detainees were accused of crimes such as assault, robbery and burglary. They are all currently on the run and a manhunt has been launched to find them. Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said that Phiri, “in a state of intoxication, forcibly seized cell keys” from constable Serah…

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) said it lost a total of 140 officers in the Federal Capital Territory last year. In an end-of-the-year statement by the FCT Police Command on the achievement recorded from January to December 2024, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu said some of his 140 active-duty officers perished as a result of Shiites, other violent protests, and high blood pressure in Abuja in 2024. He stated that some policemen also passed away while they were sleeping and others slumped and passed away at work. According to him, He added that certain members of the deceased…

The Borno State Urban Planning and Development Board has banned street hawking and other illegal activities in Maiduguri metropolis. In a statement on Friday, the General Manager of the board, Mr Limán Mustapha, said the ban was in accordance with the Borno State Urban Planning and Development Law of 2002. He said the board banned street hawking, the operation of tricycle operators and generator mechanics around Maiduguri’s Post Office and Monday Market areas. Mustapha said the board also banned any activity on pedestrian walkways, junctions and roundabouts, the sale of engine oil on the road reservations, the dumbing of sand…

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said the late United States (U.S.) President Jimmy Carter was among those who helped him to remain alive. Carter died on December 29, last year, at the age of 100. Obasanjo, who was military Head of State in 1978 when Carter first visited Nigeria, spoke with Channels Television at his home in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. The ex-President said Carter contributed to the reason he is alive to date, reflecting on his friendship and the fond memories he shared with the late U.S president. But he did not elaborate. He said Nigeria and the…

Officials of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission in Jordan which oversees Iraq have intervened to return a 28-year-old trafficked Nigerian lady, Eniola Isaac. This was after a report on Wednesday revealed that Isaac was allegedly lured to Iraq under false promises of a better life. However, after being subjected to various degrees of abuse, physical assaults and mistreatment from her employer in Iraq, she pleaded with the Nigerian authorities to help her return to Nigeria. The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission in an update released through its official X.com on Thursday, said Isaac’s situation underscored the rising alarm over the trafficking…

After causing disruptions to flight operations in Abuja and engaging airport officials in a combative manner, a French passenger without a Nigerian visa has been sedated and deported to his home country via Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. The passenger, who arrived in Nigeria on an Air France flight two days prior, was denied entry upon discovery that he did not possess a valid visa. His unruly behaviour at the airport raised security and diplomatic concerns, prompting immigration officers to remove him from the Air France flight and restrict his access to the boarding area. In a statement on his…

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday insisted on the withdrawal of the Tax Reform Bills forwarded by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly for passage to enable all key national stakeholders to be part of the process. Recall that the bills had drawn sharp criticisms from some parts of the country, especially the north, which saw them as anti-growth in the region. It also implored the government at all levels to prioritise the welfare and well-being of the citizens in 2025. In its New Year message to Nigerians, especially workers, the President of NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero, equally said…

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has appealed to Ijaw individuals, businessmen, and women in the Diaspora to join hands with the government in developing their ancestral homeland, the only homogenous state of ethnic nationality. Diri appealed in his New Year message on Wednesday, assuring that his administration would redouble its efforts to attract investments from both international and domestic sources. The governor said the state government was looking forward to opportunities to collaborate with Bayelsans and Ijaw investors both, at home and abroad to un, lock the vast estate’s economic and other potent potential According to him, Bayelsa State…

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu thanked artists and residents who made the #GreaterLagosCountdown2025 a remarkable event. In a statement released after the event on Wednesday, Sanwo-Olu thanked the artists who performed at the New Year countdown, saying, “A heartfelt thank you to the incredible artists who honoured Lagos’ call to perform and made the night unforgettable—Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy, Olamide, Seyi Vibez, and many more. “Your talent and passion lit up the stage and brought joy to every corner of Lagos. Last night, Lagos came alive in a way that only Lagos can! He explained that the energy at…