Author: Naija Daily News

The global brand of late Brazilian football legend Pelé has been acquired by NR Sports, the company owned by Neymar Santos Sr, father and manager of football star Neymar Jr. Neymar Sr announced the acquisition on Tuesday during an event at the Pelé Museum in Santos, the city forever linked with Pelé’s iconic career. “We are proud to reach this milestone,” he said, describing Pelé’s name as “a very strong brand” with lasting global influence. “We want to enhance its identity and bring it into the present.” Although the full terms of the deal remain confidential, Brazilian media reported an…

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on the Federal Government to take swift and decisive action to safeguard citizens amid rising insecurity across the country, insisting that the situation now demands an immediate, excuse-free response from national leaders. CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, made the appeal on Wednesday during the opening ceremony of the 32nd Triennial General Assembly of the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), held at the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Wuse II, Abuja. Addressing delegates, clerics, and leaders of member churches, Okoh warned that Nigeria’s worsening security challenges require unified Christian advocacy and firm national responsibility.…

By Deborah Nnamdi President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive security lockdown across forests in Kwara State in response to a surge in kidnappings and terrorist activities. The directive, announced on Tuesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, also mandates the Nigerian Air Force to intensify aerial surveillance over deep forest areas believed to be hideouts of armed groups. The order extends to parts of Kebbi and Niger states, where ongoing rescue efforts are underway. According to Dare, the President instructed that round-the-clock air surveillance be maintained to back up ground troops already deployed…

By Deborah Nnamdi The 24 schoolgirls abducted from Maga in Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State have regained their freedom, the Presidency announced on Tuesday. In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu welcomed the safe return of the girls and commended the security agencies for their coordinated efforts in securing their release. Tinubu urged the security forces to intensify ongoing operations to free other students still in captivity across the country. “I am relieved that all the 24 girls have been accounted for. Now, we must, as a matter…

Former militant leader and Niger Delta activist, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, has warned Boko Haram insurgents to stay away from Port Harcourt, declaring that he would not hesitate to confront and kill any terrorist who attempts to operate in the city. In a viral video posted on Tuesday amid rising cases of killings and kidnappings across the country, Asari-Dokubo said his commitment as a Muslim would not prevent him from defending himself or his community if attacked. “If Boko Haram comes to Port Harcourt, you know sey my business na to kill them,” he said. “I dey Zamfara dey kill them, I…

The Federal Government has explained why full details of the recent rescue of 38 abducted members of the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, are not being disclosed. Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy, said on Tuesday that such operations involve intricate planning and coordination among multiple security units, including local intelligence, which cannot be made public. “The process of securing or freeing victims of kidnappings is often a complicated one involving several steps and multiple security personnel, even local intelligence. The ultimate goal is to free the captives and apprehend the terrorists. The…

File photo: Comptroller-General, Customs, Adewale Adeniyi By Deborah Nnamdi The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, on Tuesday announced a new policy requiring compulsory drug testing for all recruits and serving officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). Speaking at the closing session of the CGC’s 2025 Conference in Abuja, Adeniyi said the measure is part of the ongoing recruitment exercise and aims to prevent substance-dependent individuals from joining the Service. “The Nigeria Customs Service has concluded arrangements to subject all incoming officers and men to a mandatory drug test,” said Adeniyi, as quoted in a statement by Customs spokesperson Abdullahi…

By Deborah Nnamdi Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has said he would join calls for the pardon and release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, if Kanu demonstrates genuine remorse and commits to peace. Kanu was convicted on seven counts of terrorism by the Federal High Court in Abuja. Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Gumi insisted that a non-kinetic approach remains the most viable way to address Nigeria’s worsening insecurity. “This Kanu that was imprisoned for terrorism for agitating that our soldiers should be killed—if this same Kanu now…

The Ugborodo Graduates Association has rejected a recent publication by the Gbaramatu Female Graduates Association claiming ownership of Sahara, a land the Ugborodo community insists has always belonged to the Itsekiri people. In an open letter signed by the association’s president, Comr. Dogho Besidone, and its PRO, Onogho Gbubemi, the group said it would ordinarily not respond but felt compelled to do so because the statement, in their view, was influenced by actors beyond those who signed it. They dismissed the existence of any community known as “Sarabubor,” insisting that the area in question—Sahara—is Ugborodo ancestral land backed by documented…

Dangote Industries has entered into a landmark agreement with Honeywell to supply advanced refinery technology and services that will enable the expansion of its refining capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2028. The deal, announced on Tuesday and reported by Reuters, is seen as a major step toward positioning Africa’s largest refinery as one of the world’s biggest petroleum processing hubs. Under the partnership, Honeywell will provide state-of-the-art catalysts, equipment, and technical expertise to allow the refinery to process a wider variety of crude oil grades. This operational flexibility is considered crucial as Dangote accelerates preparations for…