Author: Naija Daily News

Photo: Think Business Africa Report President Bola Tinubu is not the largest borrower among Nigeria’s democratically elected presidents since 1999, according to a new report released by economic policy research firm Think Business Africa. The report, titled “Who Borrowed Most? Nigeria’s Presidential Debt Record 1999–2025,” challenged widespread claims that the current administration has accumulated more debt than all previous governments combined. It argued that such assertions fail to account for key economic factors, particularly the impact of exchange rate reforms on Nigeria’s existing foreign debt obligations. According to the report, a substantial portion of the increase recorded in Nigeria’s debt…

Nigerian Afrobeats star, Davido, used the international platform of the 2026 FIFA World Cup countdown concert to draw global attention to the worsening security situation in Nigeria, particularly the plight of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State. The award-winning singer took to the stage wearing a customised black leather jacket decorated with green buttons bearing the names of pupils and teachers kidnapped during coordinated attacks on schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State in May 2026. The attacks, which targeted schools in the Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota communities, resulted in the abduction of several students and teachers and…

Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has reaffirmed that democracy remains the most suitable system of government for Nigeria, describing it as the best framework for managing the country’s ethnic, religious and cultural diversity while promoting national unity and development. In a goodwill message marking the 2026 Democracy Day celebration, Fubara said June 12 represents more than a historic date in Nigeria’s political history, noting that it symbolises the sacrifices, resilience and aspirations of Nigerians in their quest for freedom, justice and representative governance. The governor congratulated Nigerians at home and in the diaspora and paid tribute to…

Tragedy struck in Rivers State on Wednesday as two female students sitting the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and a commercial motorcyclist lost their lives in a road accident along the Choba Bridge section of the East–West Road in Port Harcourt. The victims were reportedly returning home after writing their examination when the motorcycles conveying them collided with a moving truck near the busy Choba Bridge axis in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. Eyewitnesses said the students had just completed their WAEC papers at Odoha Community Secondary School in Emohua Local Government Area before embarking on the journey…

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police across Nigeria, a major step in the country’s long-running efforts to decentralise policing and strengthen internal security. The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for the Establishment of State Police and for Related Matters (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026,” was approved during consideration by the Committee of the Whole, presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. The proposal received overwhelming support from lawmakers after the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the House…

The Rivers State Government has announced plans to begin a statewide enforcement exercise aimed at shutting down unapproved private schools operating across the state. The exercise, which will commence on June 15, 2026, was disclosed in a public notice issued by the State Ministry of Education. According to the ministry, the enforcement drive will target private schools operating without registration and approval from the government, as well as approved schools that have failed to meet their financial obligations to the state. The Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwaogor, urged proprietors of affected schools to regularise their operations and settle all…

The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced five men, including two citizens of the Republic of Niger, to 25 years imprisonment each for their involvement in terrorism-related activities linked to the November 2025 attack on St. Joseph Catholic Church and its boarding school in Papiri, Niger State. Justice Binta Nyako handed down the sentence on Thursday after the defendants pleaded guilty to a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, support for terrorism, unlawful possession of firearms, and failure to disclose information about a known terrorist. The case, prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS), was concluded shortly after the…

Photo: Unrelated photo of a flooded community Hundreds of residents of Oro-Owo Community in Rumueme Kingdom, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, have been left counting their losses after a torrential rainfall triggered widespread flooding that submerged homes, shops, and major access roads within the area. The downpour, which swept across parts of Port Harcourt on Wednesday, inundated residential neighbourhoods and commercial premises, forcing some families to evacuate while others struggled to salvage household belongings and business goods from the rising waters. Several properties were reportedly damaged as floodwaters overwhelmed streets and drainage channels. The latest flooding incident has…

By Deborah Nnamdi A fire outbreak at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Wednesday triggered panic and forced the evacuation of lawmakers, parliamentary staff and visitors from a Senate hearing room before the blaze was successfully contained. The incident occurred at Senate Hearing Room 107 shortly after the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), chaired by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, concluded the screening of Dr. Zainab Marwa as the North-East representative on the commission’s governing board. Eyewitnesses said proceedings had barely ended when thick smoke suddenly began billowing from an adjoining kitchen section of the hearing room,…

By Deborah Nnamdi The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that some governorship aspirants in Nigeria spent between N20 billion and N30 billion to secure electoral victories, warning that the trend poses a significant threat to democratic governance and fuels corruption in public office. Olukoyede made the disclosure on Wednesday while delivering the inaugural High-Level Guest Speakers’ Series organised by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies (CPSS) at the University of Ilorin. The lecture was themed, “De-risking and Mobilising Critical Stakeholders for Peaceful and Credible 2027 Elections in Nigeria.” According to the…