Author: Naija Daily News

…Food prices remain high By Douglas Maha, Abuja Nigeria’s inflation rate continued its slow retreat in January 2026, with new official figures showing another slight drop in the pace of price increases nationwide. Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) puts headline inflation at 15.10% in January 2026, down from 15.15% in December 2025, extending the recent cooling trend. The month-to-month decline is modest — just 0.05 percentage points — but it signals that the surge in consumer prices that weighed heavily on households through much of last year is gradually losing steam. According to the latest Consumer…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a China-based Nigerian businessman, Ibeanu Vincent Chukwudulue, alongside two Angolan nationals for ingesting cocaine, as the agency intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking across the country. In a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA said the three suspects excreted a combined total of 236 wraps of cocaine following their arrests at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. Babafemi disclosed that Ibeanu was apprehended on Wednesday aboard a Qatar Airways flight QR1432 en route from Kano…

China has confirmed that citizens of the United Kingdom and Canada will be allowed to travel to the country without a visa starting Tuesday, following recent diplomatic engagements between the two nations and Beijing. The announcement was made on Sunday by China’s Foreign Ministry, formalising agreements earlier disclosed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney after separate official visits to Beijing in January. Both leaders had travelled to China in a bid to strengthen bilateral relations and recalibrate foreign policy priorities amid shifting global dynamics. During their meetings with senior Chinese officials, including President Xi…

A devastating fire has swept through the popular Singer Market in Kano State, destroying goods and property worth over N5 billion, affecting more than 1,000 businesses, and leaving seven persons missing. The blaze, which reportedly started around 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, raged late into the night despite efforts by emergency responders to contain it. Firefighters from the Kano State Fire Service, supported by the Federal Fire Service and private organisations, battled the inferno for several hours as desperate traders attempted to salvage their wares. Chairman of the market, Junaid Zakari, described the incident as one of the worst tragedies in…

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested a Lagos businessman, Alhaji Olakazeem Tijani, over an alleged land scam involving more than N67 million. Tijani was picked recently snapped up in Igando by EFCC operatives after months of investigation triggered by a formal petition filed by a complainant, Oluseyi Adekoya, in July last year. Investigators said the suspect had been under watch for several months after allegedly ignoring repeated invitations from the EFCC and other security agencies. In the petition submitted at the EFCC’s Awolowo Road, Ikoyi office, Adekoya accused Tijani and his company, Latokatz Limited, of…

The Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has confirmed that land, buildings, and rent are now fully exempt from Value Added Tax (VAT) under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025. The clarification is a not-so-veiled rebuttal to a misleading claim by former Rivers State Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, that the Federal Government would automatically deduct N25m if a builder receives N100m for building. Oyedele said the reform, already in effect, is designed to lower housing costs, attract investment in real estate, and ease financial pressure on tenants and small businesses. Key Provisions of the Law:…

Former Anambra State governor Peter Obi has confirmed he will contest the 2027 presidential election under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), formally aligning his political future with the party at a supporters’ conference in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The declaration came at a gathering of the Obidient Movement focused on integrating Obi’s support base into ADC structures ahead of the next election cycle. Speakers at the event described the move as the start of a broader mobilisation drive targeting young voters and reform-minded constituencies. Explaining his departure from the Labour Party, Obi claimed the party faced institutional…

The Benue State Government has confirmed the rescue of nine worshippers abducted during a midnight prayer session at Saint John Catholic Church in the Ojije area of Utonkon community, Ado Local Government Area. In a statement issued by the Governor’s Technical Adviser on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication, Solomon Iorpev, Governor Hyacinth Alia commended security operatives for their swift response, describing the rescue as a significant breakthrough. The governor assured residents that security agencies and local vigilante groups would continue to collaborate to combat kidnapping and prevent future occurrences. He also urged members of the public to provide timely and…

The first wave of United States military personnel has arrived in Nigeria, marking the commencement of a planned deployment of about 200 American intelligence analysts, advisers and trainers to support Nigerian forces in targeted counterterrorism operations. A U.S. military aircraft touched down in Maiduguri on Thursday night, bringing in the initial contingent of approximately 100 personnel. Officials disclosed that additional troops and equipment would arrive steadily over the weekend and in the coming weeks as part of the phased deployment. Speaking on Friday, Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, a spokesman for the Nigerian defence authorities, clarified that the American personnel would…

The Nigeria Police Force, Zone 6 Headquarters in Calabar, has dismantled a major kidnapping, job scam and “Japa” syndicate operating in Cross River State, rescuing more than 100 victims and rejecting an alleged N50 million bribe meant to obstruct the investigation. In a statement issued on February 14, 2026, the Zonal Public Relations Officer, DSP Jefferson Osupe Anisma, said the operation was executed by the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department following credible intelligence on the criminal network’s activities. According to the police, the syndicate preyed on unsuspecting Nigerians, particularly young people seeking opportunities abroad, using deception and psychological coercion. Victims were…