Author: Naija Daily News

By Deborah Nnamdi The Federal Government has secured the release of 130 schoolchildren abducted by gunmen from St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State. The development was confirmed on Sunday by presidential spokesman, Sunday Dare, in a post on his official X handle. Dare announced that all the pupils taken during the attack had regained their freedom. “Another 130 abducted Niger State pupils released, none left in captivity,” he wrote. The post was accompanied by a photograph showing several of the rescued children smiling alongside a woman, suggesting their safe return after days in captivity.

By Deborah Nnamdi The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has invited Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, to appear before a panel of investigators on Monday in Abuja over a petition he submitted against the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk. A source close to the commission confirmed on Sunday that the ICPC had constituted a panel of crack investigators to handle the probe, following the petition written by Dangote alleging corruption and abuse of office by Farouk. According to the source, the ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu…

By Deborah Nnamdi The ancient city of Oyo came alive on Sunday as the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, conferred prestigious chieftaincy titles on Seyi Tinubu and Senator Abdul’Aziz Yari in a colourful ceremony at the monarch’s palace. Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, was installed as the “Okanlomo of Yorubaland,” a title loosely translated as “the beloved child” or “one dear to the hearts of the Yoruba people.” The title is said to symbolise the promotion of Yoruba values, unity and cultural heritage. Tinubu, a lawyer and entrepreneur, arrived at the palace with his wife, Layal, to…

By Deborah Nnamdi The Anambra State Police Command has arrested five suspected fake armed vigilante operatives allegedly involved in criminal conspiracy and armed robbery in Awka and its environs, as part of efforts to maintain public safety during the Yuletide season. The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, at Ring Road, Nibo, Awka, following ongoing investigations into reported cases of armed robbery and related crimes in the area. Confirming the arrest in a statement on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, said the operation led to the recovery…

By Deborah Nnamdi Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a suspected female drug kingpin and prominent member of a trans-border trafficking syndicate after a 20-month manhunt triggered by the earlier arrest of the group’s leaders. The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the cocaine trafficking cartel had been dismantled in Lagos and Ogun states, with multi-billion-naira worth of illicit drugs recovered. According to Babafemi, the syndicate was previously led by a couple, Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda, who were arrested on Saturday, May 25, 2024, by operatives…

By Gabriel Efe Detty December has grown into a seasonal economy of its own. Flights, hotels, short-lets, clubs, transport, fashion, events and even food vendors all benefit from the annual influx of visitors and returning Nigerians. In theory, it is a win-win cycle: increased demand fuels business growth, employment rises temporarily, and money circulates rapidly through the local economy. In practice, however, unchecked greed is turning Detty December into a fragile bubble. Prices are no longer responding to demand; they are being inflated beyond economic sense. Hotel rates triple overnight without improvements in service. Event tickets are priced as if…

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reduced the minimum order quantity for petrol from 500,000 litres to 250,000 litres, a move expected to widen access for more marketers to buy directly from the refinery. The refinery said the gantry price remains N699 per litre, maintaining the N129 reduction from N828 per litre announced earlier in December 2025. The update was disclosed on Saturday via the company’s official X account. According to the refinery, both existing and new customers purchasing the smaller volume can now access a 10-day credit facility backed by a bank guarantee. The company added that volume-based discounts would continue…

By Deborah Nnamdi Former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticized the House of Representatives for declining to criminalize vote-buying at the level of party primaries, describing the move as a setback for Nigeria’s democracy. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Obi said Nigerians had hoped lawmakers would take a firm stand against vote-buying while amending the Electoral Act, 2022, but were disappointed by the decision to exclude inducements at party primaries. He described vote-buying as a major threat to credible elections and argued that refusing to address it at the…

By Deborah Nnamdi The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 26-year-old housewife, Misturah Bada, and her alleged accomplice, Adedamola Daniel, 30, for allegedly staging her own kidnapping and extorting N2.5 million from her husband, who resides in South Africa. The police spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said the arrests followed investigations that revealed the reported abduction was deliberately orchestrated. According to Adebisi, the command received a distress call at about 10:00 p.m. on November 24, 2025, from the woman’s husband, who claimed his wife had been kidnapped by armed men demanding a ransom of N10 million, later reduced to N3…

By Deborah Nnamdi Nine people were killed and at least 10 others injured after gunmen opened fire at a tavern in the impoverished Bekkersdal township outside Johannesburg early Sunday, South African police said, marking the second deadly bar shooting in the country this month. The attack occurred shortly before 1:00 a.m. at a tavern in the gold-mining community, about 40 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg. Police initially reported that 10 people had been killed but later revised the death toll to nine. Deputy provincial police commissioner, Major General Fred Kekana, said most of the attackers were armed with pistols, while one…