Author: Naija Daily News

By Deborah Nnamdi The Senate on Wednesday confirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s nominees for the positions of Service Chiefs after a two-hour closed-door screening session. Those confirmed include Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Wahidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Vice Marshal Kennedy Aneke as Chief of Air Staff. The confirmation followed President Tinubu’s formal request to the upper chamber to screen and approve the nominees in line with constitutional provisions. During the closed-door session, senators engaged the nominees on their plans to…

By Deborah Nnamdi There was mild drama at the National Assembly on Wednesday when representatives of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) walked out during a session with the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies. The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, was absent and had delegated a Director, Mufutau Bello, to represent him at the meeting. Trouble began when Bello asked journalists covering the proceedings to leave the room, claiming that the documents he intended to present contained sensitive information. However, members of the Committee rejected the request, insisting that their proceedings were public and…

By Sadeeq Kamsela, Abuja In what has become a norm, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, flipped on another pronouncement as he reduces the number of criminals slated for presidential pardon by more than 80%, which the list reducing from 175 to 34. The President, who signed instruments of clemency and pardon, said the decision was informed by citizens’ constructive engagement on the issue, which had generated widespready criticism over the number of hardened criminals included. Among those whose names on the list generated uproar, was Kelvin Oniarah, a Kokori indigene, who carried out daring kidnap operation and even forced…

File Photo : Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede The newly appointed Service Chiefs have paid courtesy visits to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Minister of Defence in Abuja, as part of their familiarisation tour following their appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last week. The delegation, led by the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, comprised the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sunday Aneke. Their visits come as the Service Chiefs…

By Deborah Nnamdi The House of Representatives on Tuesday expressed deep concern over growing security threats to the National Assembly, including intelligence reports of a terrorist plot to bomb the legislative complex. Chairman of the House Committee on Internal Security, Hon. Garba Ibrahim Muhammad, raised the alarm during a public hearing on a bill seeking to establish a Legislative Security Directorate, held at the National Assembly complex in Abuja. The proposed legislation, titled “A Bill for an Act to Provide for the Establishment and Functions of the Legislative Security Directorate in the National Assembly; to Provide for the Qualification and…

File photo: Senate President, Godswill Akpabio By Deborah Nnamdi The Senate has scheduled Wednesday for the screening and confirmation of the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, and other Service Chiefs. The decision followed a formal request from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, conveyed in two separate letters to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and read during Tuesday’s plenary. In the letters, President Tinubu cited Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as the legal basis for the nominations, urging the Senate to consider the matter…

By Deborah Nnamdi Scanfrost, one of Nigeria’s leading home and kitchen appliance brands, has unveiled Guinness World Record–breaking chef and culinary entrepreneur, Hilda Baci, as its newest brand ambassador. The company described the partnership as a celebration of excellence, innovation, and the Nigerian spirit — values both Scanfrost and Hilda embody. Announcing the collaboration, Mr. Ajit Nair, Group Managing Director of C.G.C.L., said the company was delighted to welcome Hilda to the Scanfrost family. “Her authenticity, energy, and entrepreneurial drive reflect the values that have guided Scanfrost for over four decades. Together, we look forward to inspiring Nigerians to create…

By Deborah Nnamdi There is growing tension within the University of Jos (UNIJOS) community following the alleged murder of a student by his friend and coursemate, who reportedly buried the body in a shallow grave. The incident occurred on Friday at Rurso community, where both students lived in an off-campus apartment. The victim, identified as Peter Mafuyai, a 300-level student of Banking and Finance, was allegedly killed by Nanpon Timnan, a 200-level student of Agriculture. According to reports, the two friends were often seen together and had spent most of the day playing football before proceeding to a music studio…

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, has launched Grokipe­dia, a new online encyclopedia aimed at competing with Wikipedia, which the billionaire entrepreneur has repeatedly accused of ideological bias. The platform, released on Monday and described as version 0.1, went live with more than 885,000 articles—a fraction of Wikipedia’s seven million English-language entries. Despite that, Musk declared the new site “already better than Wikipedia” and promised that an upcoming version 1.0 would be “10 times better.” “The goal of Grok and Grokipedia.com is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,” Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter). “We will…

By Deborah Nnamdi Amazon has confirmed plans to lay off up to 30,000 corporate employees starting Tuesday, marking its largest round of job cuts since 2022. The move is part of a broader effort to reduce costs, streamline operations, and address overhiring that occurred during the pandemic-driven expansion. According to a Reuters report citing sources familiar with the matter, the planned reduction represents about 10% of Amazon’s 350,000 corporate workforce, though it accounts for only a small fraction of the company’s global headcount of roughly 1.55 million employees. The layoffs will affect several key divisions, including human resources—known internally as…