Author: Naija Daily News

Two of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s most senior appointees in Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory sector have resigned from office, prompting the President to forward the names of their proposed successors to the Senate for confirmation. In a statement issued on December 17, 2025, the Presidency announced the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). The statement, signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that both officials, who were appointed in 2021…

By Deborah Nnamdi Ahmed Musa has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to a distinguished career with the Super Eagles of Nigeria that spanned nearly 15 years and included Nigeria’s triumph at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. The former Leicester City forward confirmed the decision on Wednesday, describing his time with the national team as a source of great pride. In a message to Nigerians and the Super Eagles family, Musa said wearing the green and white meant everything to him from his first call-up, adding that he was stepping away with peace and gratitude. Musa…

The son of legendary Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder following the couple’s deaths at their Los Angeles home. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced that Nick Reiner, 32, is accused of killing his parents, who were found dead on Sunday. Prosecutors allege the killings were carried out with a knife. Hochman said the charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty, though no decision has yet been made on whether prosecutors will seek capital…

By Deborah Nnamdi A 15-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of a nine-year-old girl, following a fatal stabbing in Weston-super-Mare, England. Police identified the victim as Aria Thorpe, who was found dead at a house in Lime Close on Monday evening. A post-mortem examination revealed that the preliminary cause of death was a single stab wound, according to Avon and Somerset Police. The teenage suspect, who cannot be named for legal reasons, remains in custody and is due to appear at Bristol Magistrates’ Court. Floral tributes, including bunches of flowers and cuddly toys, have been placed near the…

By Deborah Nnamdi President Donald Trump has expanded a United States travel ban, barring nationals of five additional countries and people travelling on documents issued by the Palestinian Authority from entering the US. The White House said the new restrictions are aimed at “protecting the security of the United States” and will take effect from January 1. Under the expanded policy, full entry restrictions will now apply to citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria, as well as individuals travelling on Palestinian Authority-issued or endorsed passports. Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously under partial restrictions, have…

File photo: Ahmed Farouk, CEO, NMDPRA By Deborah Nnamdi The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk, has described corruption allegations levelled against him by the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, as “wild and spurious,” saying he would rather clear his name before a formal investigative body than engage in public exchanges. In a disclaimer personally signed by him, Farouk denied issuing any public response attributed to him on the allegations and distanced himself from the claims circulating in the media. He said that as the regulator of a sensitive sector,…

Police in Delta State have uncovered that the reported abduction of a two-month-old baby along the NNPC Link Road in Ekpan was staged, after investigations revealed that the child’s mother sold the infant to a pastor and his wife for N1.5 million. The incident was initially reported on Monday at about 4 p.m., when the baby’s mother, identified as Successful Rita, claimed that suspected gunmen operating in a commercial tricycle, popularly known as a keke, snatched her child during a trip from Shaguolor Junction to Airport Road in Ekpan. According to her earlier account, two passengers—a man and a woman—were…

By Deborah Nnamdi Four persons narrowly escaped death on Tuesday evening after a Cessna 172 aircraft operated by Skypower Express crash-landed at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri, Imo State. The incident occurred at about 6:58 p.m. as the aircraft was approaching Runway 17, according to a statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Bimbo Oladeji. The aircraft, with registration number 5N-ASR, was en route from Kaduna International Airport to Port Harcourt International Airport when the crew declared an emergency and diverted to Owerri. Upon receiving the…

By Deborah Nnamdi The Lagos State Police Command has arrested and detained popular TikTok streamer Habeeb Hamzat, widely known as Peller, following a viral video that showed him driving recklessly and threatening to crash his car while livestreaming, an act that eventually led to a road accident on the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said the arrest followed the circulation of a disturbing video recorded on Sunday, December 14, 2025, in which the 20-year-old content creator was seen driving while visibly distressed before crashing his vehicle. According to…

File photo: President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero By Deborah Nnamdi The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday led a nationwide protest against the worsening security situation across the country, calling on the federal and state governments to take urgent and decisive action to protect lives and property. The protest, which was held simultaneously in several states, was joined by civil society organisations and human rights activists. Demonstrators decried the increasing cases of kidnappings, banditry, and violent crimes, warning that insecurity was threatening livelihoods, economic activity,, and national stability. In Abuja, protesters marched from the NLC secretariat under the watch…