Author: Festus Adeloye

The National Bureau of Statistics has revealed that Nigerians paid a total of N2.23tn as ransom over the 12 months between May 2023 and April 2024. This sum was paid by households affected by kidnapping incidents, highlighting the growing threat posed by criminal activities in the country. According to the NBS’s latest Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey report, an estimated 51.89 million crime incidents were recorded across Nigerian households in the reference period. The survey showed that the North-West region had the highest incidence of crime, with 14.4 million cases reported, followed by the North-Central region with 8.8 million…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed international development expert, Aisha Garba, as the new Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission. A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Tuesday, described Garba as a seasoned education specialist with over 24 years of experience in designing and implementing impactful education programmes across Nigeria and beyond. The statement read in part, “With over 15 years of hands-on experience at the World Bank, Garba has consistently led end-to-end design and management of education programmes and reforms, from conceptualisation to completion and impact assessment.” The…

An Irish regulator helping police European Union data privacy said Tuesday it had fined Facebook-owner Meta 251 million euros ($263 million) for a data protection failure that saw Facebook accounts hacked. The Data Protection Commission (DPC) criticised Meta for a security flaw in its video upload function which hackers were able to exploit to gain full access to other users’ Facebook profiles. Over a two week period in 2018, unauthorised users were able to hack into around 29 million Facebook accounts globally. The personal data involved included email addresses, phone numbers, locations and places of work. “The failure to build…

The House of Representatives has resolved to invite the Chief of Defense Staff, the Chief of Army staff and the commanding officer of the 177 battalion over an alleged unlawful arrest and detention of a community leader in Nasarawa state. Honourable Mansur Soro who moved the motion during Tuesday’s plenary, explained that on December 9th 2024, the community leader Bello Badejo was arrested in Maliya town, Nassarawa State by officers of the 177 battalion of the Nigerian Army with no prior invitation or court injunction. He further stated that one week after, Badejo is yet to be arraigned, which signifies…

Ghana’s President-Elect, John Dramani Mahama, paid a thank-you visit to Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday at the Aso Villa in Abuja. The visit follows Mahama’s recent electoral victory and highlights his commitment to strengthening diplomatic ties between Ghana and Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu has urged the media to support his administration’s proposed tax reforms, describing them as a critical step toward building enduring national wealth and prosperity for all Nigerians. Represented by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the President spoke Sunday evening at the 2024 Nigerian Media Merit Awards, held at the Muson Centre in Lagos. President Tinubu stated that while opinions may differ on the details of the proposed tax reforms, there is a national consensus on the need for a complete overhaul of the current tax administration system. He is optimistic that through the…

Chelsea said Tuesday they had been notified by the Football Association of an “adverse finding” in a urine sample provided by Ukrainian forward Mykhailo Mudryk. The Premier League club said the 23-year-old had “never knowingly” used banned substances and the player himself said it had come as a “complete shock”. “Chelsea Football Club can confirm that the Football Association recently contacted our player, Mykhailo Mudryk, concerning an adverse finding in a routine urine test,” a club statement said. “Both the club and Mykhailo fully support the FA’s testing programme and all our players, including Mykhailo, are regularly tested. “Mykhailo has…

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman on winning the 2024 CAF Men’s African Footballer of the Year. He also hailed Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie for clinching the CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award and the Super Falcons for being named the Women’s National Team of the Year. The awards were announced Monday night at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech, Morocco. A statement by a presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, late Monday night stated that President Tinubu joined millions of Nigerians in celebrating the athletes, describing them as worthy ambassadors for showcasing their talent and…

A strategic decision to secure a $1 billion loan backed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s crude was instrumental in supporting the Dangote Refinery during liquidity challenges, paving the way for the establishment of Nigeria’s first private refinery. This was revealed by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the national oil firm, Olufemi Soneye while speaking at an Energy Relations Stakeholder Engagement in Abuja. According to him, the initiative underscores NNPCL’s dedication to fostering public-private partnerships that drive national development. Soneye said under the visionary leadership of Mele Kyari, NNPC Ltd has achieved groundbreaking milestones, redefining the trajectory of…

The Police Service Commission has approved the promotion of 27 senior police officers. The officers include 11 Commissioners of Police, who have been promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspectors General of Police, and 16 Deputy Commissioners of Police elevated to the rank of Commissioners of Police. The 11 Commissioners of Police promoted to Assistant Inspectors General of Police are:  Umar Nadada, Commissioner of Police, Nasarawa State; Mustapha Bala, Commissioner of Police, Rivers State;  Abayomi Oladipo, Commissioner of Police, Ondo State; Taiwo Olatunde Adeleke, Commissioner of Police, SWAT, FCID, Abuja; Ibrahim Abdullahi, Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State; and  Nwonyi Emeka,…