Author: Naija Daily News

By Austin Manekator There are places in the world where life looks and feels like it does in any normal country. Elections are held. Presidents give speeches. Laws are passed. Borders are guarded. Money changes hands. Yet on paper, these places barely exist. They live in a strange space where reality and international law do not quite agree. Somaliland is one of the clearest examples. For more than three decades, it has governed itself from its capital, Hargeisa. It has its own president, parliament, courts, security forces, and currency. Elections, while imperfect, have been regular and competitive by regional standards.…

In a dramatic turn to a controversy that has spilled far beyond the pulpit, the senior pastor of the Mountain of Liberation and Miracles Ministries, Chris Okafor, on Sunday chose contrition over confrontation, publicly apologising to Nollywood actress Doris Ogala during a church service that quickly reverberated across social media. Rather than addressing the allegations point by point, the cleric framed his response as a moment of personal reckoning. Standing before worshippers, he spoke of the emotional toll of the past weeks, describing them as among the most challenging of his life, before pivoting to a broader reflection on his…

A 43-year-old man, Eghosa Osas, has been allegedly killed by his childhood friend, Amadin William, in Oben community, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. Osas, who reportedly returned from abroad to spend Christmas with his family, was attacked while attending a housewarming party in the community. Confirming the incident, the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, said the matter was reported by the victim’s elder brother. According to the police, Osas had stepped aside to ease himself when the suspect allegedly ambushed him and inflicted a fatal machete wound to his neck. Ikoedem said the suspect fled…

Gunmen on Saturday night attacked a police patrol team conducting stop-and-search operations in Nigeria’s southeastern city of Enugu, killing at least two officers, residents and security sources said. The attack occurred around 9 p.m. at Osondu Bus Stop on Zik Avenue in the Uwani area of the city, where assailants opened fire on officers stationed at the location. One officer was shot dead while driving the patrol vehicle, which was later set ablaze, while another died during a gun battle that followed, the sources said. Video footage circulating on social media on Sunday showed a police patrol van engulfed in…

Photo: Taiwo Oyedele – ‘no cause for alarm’ Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said on Sunday that discrepancies between the versions of Nigeria’s new tax reform laws published in the official gazette and those passed by the National Assembly amount to a “grave constitutional issue,” warning that any law not reflecting legislative approval is invalid. Atiku, a leading opposition figure, said in a statement distributed to media outlets that lawmakers in both the Senate and House of Representatives had acknowledged differences in the texts of four tax reform acts signed by President Bola Tinubu in June. Under Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution,…

Photo: Kwankwaso, with LP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi By Sadeeq Kamsela, Abuja Nigeria’s political landscape was jolted on Sunday by reports that Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, former governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and key figures in the influential Kwankwasiyya movement may defect from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The claim followed a meeting in Kano and was attributed to Abdullahi Rogo, director-general of the Protocol Directorate at the Kano State Government House. Rogo was quoted in a post on X by an APC supporter, Imran Muhammad, as saying that…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over their alleged failure to account for about N14 trillion realised as fuel subsidy savings. SERAP disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the suit followed reports indicating that the governors and the FCT minister have received trillions of naira from Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations since mid-2023, described as savings from the removal of fuel subsidy. The organisation said the increased allocations have not reflected in improved access to quality healthcare and education for poor…

Bimbo Ademoye’s new romantic comedy, Where Love Lives, has crossed the six-million-view mark within 72 hours of its release on YouTube, underscoring the growing dominance of digital-first Nollywood releases. Analytics from her YouTube channel, Bimbo Ademoye TV, show that the film has recorded 6,041,086 views since its debut on December 24, 2025, after opening with 2.5 million views on its first day. Produced by Ademoye in partnership with A3 Studios, the film stars Uzor Arukwe, Chioma Nwosu and Osas Ighodaro. It follows a couple navigating life inside one of Lagos’ most exclusive estates, where status, secrets and relationships intersect. Industry…

The Gombe State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a 19-year-old casual worker in connection with the alleged killing of a fellow staff member within the premises of the Gombe Government House. The incident, which occurred on Thursday, December 25, 2025, involved two casual workers attached to the Government House, according to a statement issued on Saturday by the command. The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, said the command received a distress call at about 3:50 p.m. reporting that a male adult, identified as Mallam Umar, also known as “Baba Usama,” had been found unresponsive. Abdullahi said…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an ex-convict, Nwobodo Chidiebere Basil, alongside three cargo agents following the seizure of cocaine concealed in liquid starch sachets and destined for the United Kingdom. The agency said 75 parcels of cocaine weighing 1.50 kilogrammes were recovered from factory-sealed cold-water starch sachets at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. In a statement on Sunday, the NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said three cargo agents — Jubrin Firdausi Hassana, Kuku Daniel Oluwasegun and Igwe Chioma Jane — were arrested on Saturday, December 20, 2025, in connection with the…