Author: Naija Daily News

The proposed merger between Unity Bank Plc and Providus Bank Limited has moved closer to completion following a Court-Ordered Meeting and endorsement by shareholders, signaling steady progress toward final integration. Analysts say the regulatory backing and shareholder approval represent a significant milestone in meeting recapitalisation requirements within the timeline set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Through the merger, the combined capital base of the two banks will exceed N200 billion — the minimum threshold required to retain a national banking licence under the CBN’s recapitalisation framework. The transaction is expected to strengthen the financial stability, operational capacity, and…

Photo: The late Oluranti Akinyemi A Nigerian woman, Oluranti Akinyemi, has died in the United Kingdom less than 24 hours after arriving for her son’s graduation ceremony, prompting her family to launch a £20,000 fundraising campaign to repatriate her remains to Nigeria. Akinyemi, identified in the appeal as Mrs. Oluranti Olufunmilayo Esther Akinyemi (née Oluwalana/Ogundana), reportedly travelled to the UK on February 11 for a graduation scheduled for February 18. According to a fundraising appeal posted on JustGiving, she suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in the middle of the night on February 12, less than 20 hours after her arrival.…

The ongoing ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State descended into violence on Wednesday, leaving two people dead and three others injured in Idanre Local Government Area. The crisis erupted barely 24 hours after suspected political thugs attacked the APC Secretariat in Akure, disrupting a stakeholders’ meeting presided over by the state chairman, Ade Adetimehin. During Tuesday’s attack, the chairman and other party leaders were reportedly assaulted, while at least 15 elders sustained injuries and were hospitalized. On Wednesday, suspected hoodlums allegedly stormed some wards in Idanre, preventing the congress from holding. Vehicles were reportedly set…

By Deborah Nnamdi The All Progressives Congress (APC) has indefinitely suspended its Ward, Local Government Area (LGA), and State congresses in Abia State, citing ongoing consultations and the need to conclude administrative preparations. The decision was conveyed in a letter dated February 18, 2026, and addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The correspondence was jointly signed by the APC National Chairman, Professor Mentawe Goshwe Yilwatida, and the party’s National Secretary, Senator Nurujudeen Ajibola Bashiru. It stated that the congresses, earlier scheduled in line with the party’s approved timetable, had been “suspended until further notice.” According to the party,…

By Deborah Nnamdi Tragedy struck the Agamọ community in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State on Wednesday evening as its traditional ruler, Oba Kehinde Falodun, was killed by suspected bandits who reportedly stormed his palace. According to community sources, about 10 heavily armed men invaded the monarch’s residence in what was believed to be an attempted abduction. The attackers were said to have met resistance from the royal father before the situation turned fatal. A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, recounted the incident, describing it as horrifying. The source alleged that after several gunshots failed to…

By Deborah Nnamdi The Enugu State Police Command has confirmed the death of 11 persons following a tragic tree-fall incident in Awhum Community, Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, said the incident occurred at about 8:45 p.m. on February 17 at the Awhum Village/Market Square. According to the police, a large tree suddenly collapsed on a Toyota Hiace bus and a Sienna minivan, killing 11 passengers. Ndukwe stated that operatives attached to the 9th Mile Division responded swiftly after receiving the distress report and, with the…

photo: FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike By Deborah Nnamdi In a dramatic political shift less than 72 hours before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship candidate for Bwari Area Council, Julius Adamu, has withdrawn from the race and endorsed the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Joshua Ishaku Musa. The move followed the direct intervention of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and was finalized on Wednesday during a bipartisan stakeholders’ meeting in Bwari Area Council. The announcement effectively narrows the contest for the Bwari chairmanship seat ahead of the February 21 polls, reshaping the political…

By Deborah Nnamdi President Bola Tinubu has signed the 2026 Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill into law, formally repealing the Electoral Act 2022 and establishing a new legal framework to guide Nigeria’s elections ahead of the 2027 general polls. The President assented to the legislation on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, around 5:00 p.m., in the presence of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, alongside other principal officers of the National Assembly. The signing came days after the National Assembly harmonised and passed the amended bill on Tuesday, following deliberations that drew opposition…

By Deborah Nnamdi Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has projected that the naira could appreciate to as low as N1,100 to the dollar this year, citing the impact of the Federal Government’s industrial and economic reform policies. Dangote made the projection on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, while speaking at the launch of the Nigeria Industrial Policy in Abuja. The event was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima and other senior government officials. According to him, ongoing reforms are already yielding positive results, particularly for manufacturers, who he said are beginning to feel the benefits of government policies. “I…

By Deborah Nnamdi No fewer than 37 persons have reportedly died following suspected exposure to toxic gas at a mining site in Company Zurak, Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State, raising fresh concerns over unsafe mining operations in the area. The tragic incident, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, was said to have happened after miners allegedly dug deep into the ground and were exposed to a deadly gas. The Wase Youth Leader, Shafi Sambo, who confirmed the development said he received a distress call at dawn informing him of the incident. “It happened at a mining…