Author: Festus Adeloye

Pope Francis has died at the age of 88, the Vatican has announced. The pontiff, who was Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church, became pope in 2013 after his predecessor Benedict XVI resigned. His death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement released by the Vatican. He said: “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. “At 7.35am this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church. “He taught us to…

Chess master and founder of Chess in Slums Africa,Tunde Onakoya, has broken the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon. Alongside U.S. chess master Shawn Martinez, Onakoya surpassed the previous record of 61 hours, reaching an impressive 62 hours. Their ultimate goal is to extend the marathon beyond 70 hours. Onakoya on X, wrote: “For all the dreamers! We’ve officially broken the record! “If you had 70 hours to change the world, what would you do? Sometimes, you have to carve it out of your own breath, your own becoming. Not for applause. Not for records. But for the…

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a shipment of cocaine concealed in 20 sets of religious books going to Saudi Arabia. Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement on Sunday. He saaid the cocaine consignment consisting of 20 parcels with a total weight of 500grams and buried in the pages of the religious books was uncovered at a courier company in Lagos on Tuesday 15th April 2025 when NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) were searching through export cargos going to Saudi Arabia at…

Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has sounded a dire warning about the state of Nigeria, describing the country as gradually becoming a “huge national morgue” due to the prevailing insecurity and violence. According to Bishop Kukah in his Easter message, the nation is “reaching a breaking point” as innocent citizens are kidnapped and held under inhuman conditions, and a “dark pall of death” hangs over the country. He urged President Bola Tinubu to “bring us down from this cross of evil” and restore hope to the nation. The bishop acknowledges that while the current administration…

Grammy-winning singer Burna Boy has gifted hip-hop artiste, Habeeb Okikiola alias Portable N20 million to celebrate his victory over Speed Darlington in a celebrity boxing match. Portable won the match, dubbed “Chaos in the Rings,” after Speed Darlington reportedly broke his arm in the first round and failed to show up for the second round. Burna Boy, who has had a history of conflict with Speed Darlington, shared his support for Portable through a generous cash gift. Portable expressed his gratitude on his Instagram story, revealing the gift and writing, “20 million from @burnaboygram. If you wanna be like Odogwu,…

Two persons have been confirmed dead and 22 others rescued after a three-storey building collapsed in Lagos on Saturday morning. Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh gave the figures when he visited the scene of the collapsed building at 10, Oremeta Street, Ojodu Berger. Although the structure which was being used as a restaurant was old, it was gathered that construction work was ongoing at the time it collapsed at around 8:32 am. However, it remained unclear if authorities had issued an eviction or stop work notice to the occupants before it caved in. Speaking to journalists, CP Jimoh…

Former Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi has called on Nigerians across religious and ethnic divides to embrace love, peace and tolerance to build a safe, unified and prosperous nation. The former Rivers State governor made the call in his Easter message to Nigerians on Saturday. He decried the wanton killings of innocent citizens in different parts of the country and reminded the government of its responsibility in protecting the citizens. Amaechi noted that Nigeria can only move forward when there is security of lives and property, peace, a thriving economy and unity of purpose and when the people…

Suspended Rivers State Governor,  Siminalayi Fubara has appealed to the people of the state to keep supporting the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Fubara, in a statement he personally signed to mark Easter, reinstated his commitment to deliver good governance in the state. Describing Easter as a sacred season of reconciliation and unity, Fubara said during the celebration the peace of Christ should dwell in the hearts, restoring relationships, comforting the afflicted, feeding the hungry, and healing the brokenhearted. He said: “It is a time to reaffirm our shared belief that peace shall overcome war, and that…

The family of Bolaji Olarewaju, popularly known as Big Bolaji has confirmed the passing of the singer following a brief illness. According to a statement signed by the Family on Saturday, Bolaji died on Easter Saturday. The statement said, “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Bolaji Olarewaju, affectionately known as “Big B,” a cherished father, husband, brother, and an esteemed figure in both the church community, an ordained Pastor in the RCCG and a giant in the music industry and our community. Bolaji left us on Easter Saturday, 19th April 2025, after a brief illness.…

The Lagos Police Command has clarified the circumstances surrounding the detention of Alabi Quadri, the young supporter who gained attention during the 2023 presidential election for standing in front of Labour Party candidate Peter Obi’s convoy. In a statement on its official X handle on Saturday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, explained that Quadri was arrested and arraigned in court after being linked to a violent street clash in the Amukoko area of Lagos. According to Hundeyin, the disturbance occurred on January 22, 2025 when rival groups of youths engaged in a street fight that sparked chaos across the…