Author: Naija Daily News

Dozens of people were killed and about 100 injured, most of them seriously, after a fire tore through a crowded bar during New Year’s Eve celebrations at the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, officials said on Thursday. The fire broke out at around 1:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) at a bar called Le Constellation in the southwestern resort, which locals said was popular with teenagers. The blaze, initially reported as an explosion, appeared to be accidental rather than an attack, authorities said. Swiss police said “tens” of people were presumed dead and about 100 injured, while Italy’s foreign ministry cited information…

Photo: Fubara with his estranged godfather and predecessor, Nyesom Wike Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Wednesday urged residents to remain calm amid rising political tensions, saying his administration would not be distracted or intimidated by what he described as “sounds of war.” Speaking during a New Year crossover service at the Government House chapel in Port Harcourt, Fubara said his government would continue to prioritise prayer, restraint and dialogue over confrontation as it enters 2026. Reflecting on the first two years of his tenure, the governor said the period was marked by internal challenges that slowed development but added…

…Full text of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s New Year’s address 2026 MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A MORE ROBUST PHASE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH: PRESIDENT TINUBU’S NEW YEAR GOODWILL MESSAGE TO NIGERIANS Fellow Compatriots, I welcome you all to 2026, with gratitude to God and confidence in our collective resolve that this new year will be a more prosperous one for our nation, our citizens, and all who call Nigeria home. During 2025, we sustained the momentum on our major reforms. We had a fiscal reset and also recorded steady economic progress. Despite persistent global economic headwinds, we recorded tangible and measurable…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has fired back at Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, telling him to confront his challenges head-on instead of dragging him into what he described as self-inflicted problems. Wike spoke on New Year’s Day during a “thank you” visit to Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, where he dismissed allegations by the Bauchi governor that he was behind the crises rocking Bauchi State. Recall that Mohammed, while appearing on Sunrise Daily on Channels Television, accused Wike of threatening to “put fire” in Bauchi and orchestrating instability in the state. Reacting, the FCT…

New Year’s Day turned tragic in Obegu-Aba, Ozibo, Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, as two young men died in a fatal crash involving a Toyota Corolla believed to be from the Ebonyi State Government House, and a motorcycle. The accident, which occurred around 7:40 a.m. along the Obegu-Aba/Ogbaga Road, left the community in shock as residents woke up to the sight of the mangled motorcycle and a damaged metallic Corolla with registration number 241-EBGH. The driver of the car, which bore an Ebonyi State Government official number plate, reportedly fled the scene moments after the collision. The victims…

Nigeria’s Court of Appeal in Kano has upheld the death sentence imposed on Abdulmalik Tanko, convicted of killing five-year-old pupil Hanifa Abubakar in a case that shocked the country. Justice A.R. Muhammad dismissed Tanko’s appeal on Friday, ruling that the Kano State High Court properly evaluated the evidence before convicting him of kidnapping and murder. Tanko, proprietor of Noble Kids Academy where the child was enrolled, abducted Hanifa in December 2021 and later killed her with rat poison after demanding a ₦6 million ransom from her family. The incident sparked national outrage due to the victim’s age and the breach…

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has held a closed-door meeting with leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, heightening speculation over a possible defection ahead of the 2027 general elections. Sources familiar with the development confirmed that the meeting took place in Kano and was attended by key APC figures, including the party’s state chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, and a member of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, alongside other party stakeholders. Although details of the discussions were not officially disclosed, the engagement has intensified political debate around Yusuf’s future, amid persistent rumours that he…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) remitted a total of ₦12.117 trillion in statutory payments to the Federal Government between January and October 2025, according to its Monthly Report Summary for November 2025. The report also showed that the national oil company recorded a profit after tax of ₦502 billion in November, an increase from ₦447 billion posted in October, reflecting improved market conditions and stronger earnings performance. In November alone, NNPC Ltd generated N4.358 trillion in revenue, despite slight fluctuations in hydrocarbon production. Average hydrocarbon output stood at 6,968 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d), marginally…

The Rivers State Government has clarified that its annual N100,000 Christmas bonus is paid uniformly to all civil servants and public office holders on the state payroll, including pensioners, without discrimination. The clarification was made by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr Honour Sirawoo, in response to recent public reactions following the commendation of the gesture by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Dr Sirawoo explained that the bonus is disbursed across board to all eligible workers captured on the Rivers State Government payroll system and has been consistently paid for the past three years. He…

By Deborah Nnamdi The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has formally declared for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alongside other prominent political leaders from the South-East geopolitical zone. The declaration was made on Wednesday in Enugu, the Enugu State capital, where the leaders said their decision followed months of consultations and engagements. They explained that the move to the ADC was aimed at building a broad opposition coalition to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and rescue Nigeria from what they described as poor governance. Among those present at the event were former Deputy…