Author: Naija Daily News

By Deborah Nnamdi The Rivers State Police Command has rescued five persons abducted by suspected cultists in Emuoha Local Government Area of the state. The victims — Prince London, Azubuike Kelechukwu, Elizabeth Aniete, Onyebuchi Precious, and London Sampson — were freed unhurt in the early hours of Thursday at Rumudogo 2 Community, Emuoha. Police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko said the rescue operation, carried out around 1:00 a.m. on December 4 by the command’s Tactical Teams in collaboration with other security agencies and community members, followed swift intelligence action. She added that the victims were taken to the hospital for medical examination,…

By Deborah Nnamdi Operatives of the Agwa Division of the Imo State Police Command have killed two suspected kidnappers during a patrol operation along the Obudi–Mgbala Road. The command’s spokesperson, DSP Henry Okoye, told journalists at the police headquarters in Owerri that the suspects were shot dead on Tuesday after officers led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Agwa Division engaged the gang, who were operating with a white tricycle bus. According to Okoye, while other members of the gang escaped with injuries, police recovered two pump-action rifles, seven live cartridges, two Android phones, and the body of an…

By Deborah Nnamdi Nigeria’s immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), on Thursday took the oath of office as the country’s new Minister of Defence, signalling another major step in President Bola Tinubu’s restructuring of the national security framework. The ceremony, held at the State House in Abuja, was administered by President Tinubu, who urged the new minister to deploy his vast operational experience and deep understanding of military affairs to strengthen the nation’s defence systems. Musa’s appointment was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday, coming at a time when the Tinubu administration is intensifying reforms…

By Deborah Nnamdi President Bola Tinubu has forwarded a fresh list of non-career ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation. The nominees, unveiled during Thursday’s plenary, include former Chief of Naval Staff and immediate past Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas; former presidential aide, Ita Enang; former Imo State First Lady, Chioma Ohakim; and former Minister of Interior and ex-Chief of Army Staff, Abdulrahman Dambazau. Senate President Godswill Akpabio read Tinubu’s letter on the floor of the chamber, noting the President’s request for speedy consideration to enable the federal government to fill vacant diplomatic posts. Akpabio thereafter referred…

Tech giant Meta has begun removing users under the age of 16 from Instagram, Threads and Facebook in Australia as the country prepares to enforce a world-first ban on underage social media use. The move comes ahead of December 10, when a new law requiring major online platforms to block access for children under 16 formally takes effect. Other major platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, are also expected to comply. Australia has been tightening its online safety regulations for years amid growing public concern over cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, online predators and the mental-health impact of excessive social media…

The United States has announced a visa ban on individuals found to have directed, authorised, supported, or participated in violations of religious freedom, a move that may also extend to their immediate family members. The US Department of State disclosed the development on Wednesday in a statement titled “Combating Egregious Anti-Christian Violence in Nigeria and Globally.” It said the action was in response to widespread killings and attacks against Christians by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani militias, and other violent groups in Nigeria and other countries. According to the statement, a new policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the US Immigration and…

By Deborah Nnamdi The Senate on Wednesday confirmed former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, as Nigeria’s Minister of Defence after an intense five-hour screening session. General Musa’s confirmation came barely 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu forwarded his name to the upper chamber for approval. His appointment arrives at a time when the country is grappling with escalating insecurity, marked by frequent mass abductions — including the recent kidnapping of 25 students in Maga, Kebbi State, where troops reportedly withdrew shortly before the attack. Addressing lawmakers during the screening, Musa pledged to immediately investigate the alleged troop withdrawal,…

A major road crash involving several vehicles on the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway on Wednesday has claimed multiple lives near the New Gariki Market, witnesses said. The collision, which triggered panic among traders and road users, involved four trailers loaded with cattle and goods, two commercial buses, two Sienna vehicles, and several smaller cars crushed beneath the overturned articulated trucks. Although the exact number of casualties remained unknown at press time, the scale of destruction suggested a high death toll. Traders from the nearby Gariki Market rushed to the scene, struggling to lift heavy tyres and mangled metal in a desperate…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on Nigerians to actively identify and report ineligible and deceased persons on the national voter register as the Display for Claims and Objections is set to begin on December 15, 2025. The appeal comes ahead of the conclusion of the first quarter of the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which ends on Wednesday, December 10. INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, in a statement on Wednesday, described the display exercise—mandated by Section 19 of the Electoral Act 2022—as a crucial mechanism for safeguarding the credibility of the…

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday hosted Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in a meeting widely believed to be linked to ongoing efforts to secure the release of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu. The meeting comes on the heels of Otti’s recent visit to Kanu at the Sokoto prison, where the separatist leader is serving his sentence. The visit formed part of a broader strategy involving legal and political actors working toward a possible resolution of the long-running case. Otti had travelled to Sokoto in the company of Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel Kanu; the Abia…