Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba has said the military succeeded in killing a total of 10, 937 terrorists last year. While briefing newsmen on the operations of the military in the year 2024 on Tuesday in Abuja, Buba said that troops reduced the fighting capabilities of terrorists, recording 16,171 surrendered terrorist combatants and their families in the year under review. He said that troops recovered 8,815 weapons, and 228,004 ammunitions and denied the oil thieves an estimated sum over N68.4 billion. The director gave the breakdown of the recoveries as: 4,332 AK47 rifles, 1,244 locally fabricated…

Five people died across Germany and a police officer was seriously injured from accidents linked to the powerful fireworks Germans traditionally set off to celebrate the new year, police said in a preliminary count. Germans celebrate the new year with a particularly intense usage of fireworks, which spurs a recurrent debate about outlawing the most powerful devices, given the high number of injuries each year, as well as the pollution and noise they cause. Some 13 law enforcement officers were injured as a result of the accidents this year, including one seriously, police spokesman, Florian Nath, said. Some 330 people…

The Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday, urged President Bola Tinubu to prioritise and take immediate action to address the escalating issues of insecurity, fuel shortages, and the growing food crisis as the country enters the New Year, 2025. The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, in a statement, accused Tinubu of focusing on empty rhetoric, false promises, and unproven claims over the past 18 months, without taking real action to address insecurity, improve the economy, create jobs, ensure credible elections, or raise living standards for Nigerians. Ologunagba highlighted the need for swift and active measures to tackle these critical problems,…

The University of Abuja has announced the appointment of Prof. Aisha Sani Maikudi as its seventh substantive Vice-Chancellor, effective January 1, 2025, for a non-renewable tenure of five years. The announcement was made during the 77th Extraordinary Meeting of the Governing Council, chaired by Air Vice-Marshal Saddiq Ismaila Kaita (Rtd). This was confirmed in a statement released by the institution’s acting Director of Public Affairs, Habib Yakoob. The statement read, “The Governing Council of the University of Abuja, under the chairmanship of Air Vice-Marshal Saddiq Ismaila Kaita (Rtd), has approved the appointment of Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi as the 7th…

Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has signed the 2025 appropriation bill of Three Hundred and Seventy-Five Billion, Seven Hundred and Ninety Million, Seventy-Seven Thousand, Six Hundred Eighteen Naira, Fifteen Kobo (N375,790,077,618.15) into law. In his address on Monday, the Governor stated that 51% of the bill will be appropriated for Recurrent Expenditure, while 49% will be allocated for Capital Expenditure. Oyebanji noted that the detailed breakdown of the 2025 Appropriation Law, referred to as the Budget of Sustainable Impact, will soon be presented to the public. The Governor pledged to meet revenue targets to ensure the full implementation of…

The Acting National Chairman, the Peoples Democratic Party, Umar Damagum, stated that the party played a key role in shaping the political career of the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. During an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Tuesday, Damagum stated that the PDP was crucial in shaping Kwankwaso into who he is today. He also mentioned that even if the NNPP merges with three other parties, they will not win an election without the PDP. Recall that in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Monday, Kwankwaso criticized the PDP and its…

The Australian government has issued a stern travel warning, urging its citizens to reconsider the need to take a trip to Nigeria. In a statement obtained on Tuesday, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) cited a volatile security environment marked by terrorism, kidnapping, and the potential outbreak of civil unrest as reasons for the advice. The travel advisory read “Reconsider your need to travel to Nigeria overall due to the volatile security situation and threat of terrorism, kidnapping, violent crime, and the risk of civil unrest. “There’s a high risk of terrorist attacks across Nigeria by various…

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Tuesday, described the restoration of the Warri Refinery as a significant breakthrough for the nation’s petroleum industry and a New Year gift to Nigerians. Okpebholo also congratulated President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited for the successful restart of the 125,000 barrels per day (bpd) Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company. These were contained in a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua. Okpebholo hailed Tinubu for his reform in the sector, which he said has started yielding positive results for the advancement of the economy and called on…

Benue State Governor,  Hyacinth Alia has signed the 2025  budget of N550 billion into law. The governor signed the budget into law late Monday a few hours after the State Assembly passed the budget into law. The budget tagged ‘Human Capital Development, Food Security, and the Digital Economy was estimated at N550,112,988,930.45 . Benue State House of Assembly had earlier on Monday, December 30th, 2024, passed the 2025 appropriation bill into law, during the plenary presided by the Speaker, Hon. Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh. The signing of the bill into law which coincided with the launch of the State’s  10-year Development…

Former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney stepped down as Plymouth manager on Tuesday after just seven months in charge of the Championship strugglers. Rooney leaves with Plymouth rooted to the bottom of the second tier following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at relegation rivals Oxford. Plymouth sit four points from safety after winning just four times and losing 13 of their 23 league games following Rooney’s appointment in May. Plymouth have been thrashed 6-1 by Norwich and lost 4-0 against both Bristol City and Coventry in recent weeks to heap the pressure on the former England captain. “I would like to take this…