Author: Festus Adeloye

A former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Brig.-Gen. Maharazu Tsiga (Rtd) yesterday shared a chilling experience he had while in kidnappers den. Tsiga, who was among 17 freed kidnap victims reunited with their loved ones said his captors once planted a bomb close to him hoping it would explode on its own and kill him. “God was merciful to me. The bomb did not explode.  I survived,” he said after he was united with his family by National Security Adviser (NSA)  Nuhu Ribadu Ribadu at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Abuja yesterday. Tsiga, who was NYSC boss…

Ondo State governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has approved the appointment of the Olowo of Owo, Oba (Dr) Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye II, as the new chairman of the State’s Council of Traditional Rulers The governor made the announcement on Thursday during a special meeting of the Council at the Obas’ Secretariat in Akure as the outgone leadership of the Council under the chairmanship of Deji of Akure, Oba (Dr.) Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, Odundun II, completed its tenure. While acknowledging the contributions of the outgoing leadership of the Council, the governor commended the Deji of Akure for his support for his administration. He…

Hungary has announced its decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), becoming the first European Union nation to do so. A senior official in Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government confirmed the move just hours after Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Hungary for a state visit. Orban had invited Netanyahu in November, shortly after the ICC issued an arrest warrant against the Israeli leader. At the time, Orban stated that the ruling would have “no effect” in Hungary. The governing body of the ICC voices regret and concern over Hungary’s announcement that it is leaving the court,…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that the petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has not met the constitution’s requirements. In a statement on Thursday, the electoral commission gave reasons why the recall process of Senator Natasha, who is currently serving a six months suspension from the Senate could not proceed. “The petition for the recall of the Senator representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)”. the post reads. According to the commission, the decision was reached at its…

US President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs have sparked varying reactions across the globe, with the United Kingdom stating its vulnerability to turmoil in nations hit harder. Nigeria’s exports to the US will now face a 14% tariff, a move driven by the Trump administration’s assertion that the African nation imposes a 27% duty on American imports. In his reaction to the development, UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds voiced his concern about the country facing a “threat” to its open economy from any global fallout from Trump’s new tariffs regime, which included a baseline 10% “reciprocal” tariff on British goods…

Barcelona qualified for the Copa del Rey final after beating Atletico Madrid 1-0 on Wednesday night. The first leg of the semi-final tie ended in a thrilling 4-4 draw. Ferran Torres, who was picked to start the second leg ahead of Robert Lewandowski, scored the only goal of the game. Barca’s 5-4 aggregate win has now set up an El Clasico showdown with Real Madrid in Seville later this month. As for Atletico, the competition was their last realistic chance to win a trophy this season, having been eliminated from the Champions League by Real. Diego Simeone’s men have also…

US President Donald Trump has announced that exports from Nigeria to the United States will now be subjected to a 14 per cent tariff. The decision, which was made public during a ‘Make America Wealthy Again’ event in the Rose Garden on Wednesday, is part of a broader strategy aimed at rebalancing global trade and addressing perceived unfair trade practices. The newly introduced 14 per cent tariff marks a significant shift in U.S.-Nigeria trade relations, with the U.S. government citing an ongoing trade imbalance. According to the Trump administration, Nigeria imposes a 27 per cent tariff on U.S. exports, a…

The ruling All Progressives Congress  (APC) has told the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s remarkable successes are undeniable. The governing party also told the former Anambra Governor that the APC-led administration does not need the opposition validation of all the progress made in the last two years. Obi on Tuesday during an interview on Prime Time on Arise Television accused Tinubu of poor performance in implementing economic policy reform, claiming he would have done better. But the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka in a statement while reacting to Obi on Wednesday night in Abuja,…

The Edo state governorship election petition tribunal has affirmed Monday Okpebholo as the duly elected governor of Edo. The tribunal in three respective judgments dismissed the petition filed by the PDP, Action Alliance and Accord party. The tribunal held that the People’s Democratic Party failed to call witnesses to prove its case of overvoting The PDP failed to call polling unit agents from all the polling units where they had alleged electoral irregularities. The tribunal added that out of the 19 witnesses called by the petitioners 14 of them were ward and local government agents and the star witness who…

Popular Nigerian singer, Innocent Idibia, also known as 2Face, on Wednesday stormed the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja with his lover, Natasha Osawaru, the legislator for the Egor Constituency in the Edo State House of Assembly. The tribunal is set to deliver judgment on the petition the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, filed to nullify the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Osawaru, who is the Deputy Majority Leader of the Edo State Assembly, was elected on the platform of the PDP. 2face and his wife, Annie, announced…