Author: Naija Daily News

Photo: President Bola Tinubu and Wale Edun, Minister of Finance BY Douglas Maha, Abuja Nigeria’s public debt is projected to hit ₦162.03 trillion ($249 billion) following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s request for new external borrowings totalling $21.5 billion, €2.19 billion, ¥15 billion, and a €65 million grant as part of the 2025–2026 borrowing plan. In letters submitted to both chambers of the National Assembly, Tinubu said the funds will finance critical infrastructure, agriculture, education, healthcare, and security projects aimed at reducing poverty, improving food security, and stimulating job creation. At the current exchange rate of ₦650/$, the proposed loans amount…

Team Delta is cruising to overall victory on the 22nd National Sports Festival (NSF) official medals table in Ogun with 226 medals. Delta is in a clear lead of 33 other states on the medals, has won 92 gold, 59 silver and 75 bronze, bringing the state’s total medals to 226. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bayelsa continues the chase with 64 gold, 42 silver and 49 bronze medals, totalling 155. Ogun, the host state, remains third with 53 gold, 44 silver and 52 bronze, with a total of 149 medals. Meanwhile, Rivers returns to fourth position with…

Property owners in Abuja’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who faced the risk of having their properties sealed due to unpaid ground rent have been granted a crucial reprieve. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has intervened to pause the enforcement actions and provide a 14-day grace period for defaulters to clear their outstanding payments and update their land ownership documents. The president’s gesture saved the National Secretariat of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which owes several million in unpaid ground rent for over two decades. The Wadata House building housing the secretariat had earlier been sealed off by a combined…

By Deborah Nnamdi Justice Adekunle Adeleye of the Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti on Monday sentenced 56-year-old Jayeoba Oluwafemi to life imprisonment for the rape of his 14-year-old stepdaughter. The convict was arraigned on December 4, 2020, on a single count of rape. The charge read in part: “The defendant, on October 26, 2020, at Ado Ekiti within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did rape a fourteen-year-old girl, contrary to Section 31(2) of the Child’s Right Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.” In her testimony before the court, the victim, who was a primary six…

An explosion near the busy Mararaba-Nyanya Bypass in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday afternoon has left one man injured, prompting a swift response from security agencies and raising fresh concerns about public safety in the Abuja metropolitan area. The incident occurred around 2:50 p.m. on May 26, 2025. Police authorities confirmed that a male victim was injured in the blast and is currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital. His identity and condition have not yet been disclosed. According to the FCT Police Command, officers from its Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit were immediately dispatched to the scene…

Photo: Sheikh Ahmad Gumi – says action politically motivated Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, a prominent Islamic scholar based in Kaduna, Nigeria, has been deported from Saudi Arabia and barred from participating in the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage, despite holding a valid visa. The decision by Saudi authorities has stirred reactions across Nigeria’s religious and diplomatic communities. Gumi, who has since returned to Nigeria, confirmed his deportation in a post shared Monday on his verified Facebook page. He revealed that although he had been issued a Saudi visa, he was denied entry upon arrival in Medina and forced to return to Nigeria. According…

By Deborah Nnamdi The Catholic community in Niger State has been thrown into mourning following the tragic loss of one of their reverend fathers identified as Father James Omeh, who, along with a female passenger and member of the church, Charity John, was swept away by floodwaters in Lapai Local Government Area, Niger State. Before his passing, Father Omeh was the Parish Priest of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Gulu and also served as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Coordinator for Lapai LGA. The unfortunate incident occurred on Saturday, May 25, 2025, while Father Omeh and Charity were returning…

By Deborah Nnamdi Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, has withdrawn a proposed bill that sought to make voting compulsory for all eligible Nigerians. The bill, which was co-sponsored by Hon. Daniel Asama Ago, aimed to amend the Electoral Act 2022 to mandate compulsory voting as a strategy to enhance democratic engagement. In a statement released on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, the Speaker explained that the withdrawal came after extensive consultations with a wide range of stakeholders across the country. “From the outset, the bill was introduced with the…

The Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) have made good their threat to seal the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), popularly known as Wadata Plaza, over accumulated unpaid statutory ground rent. The enforcement action was carried out on Monday afternoon by officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), with support from a multi-agency task force comprising the military, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and vehicle inspection officers. The heavily armed team arrived at the PDP headquarters in the Wuse Zone 5 area of…

Photo: Dr Akinwumi Adesina, AfDB President By Ese Williams No fewer than 6,000 delegates have converged on Abidjan for the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group’s 2025 Annual Meetings. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a key highlight of the meetings will be the election of a new AfDB President to succeed Dr Akinwumi Adesina, whose second five-year term ends on August 31. The event, which will officially open on Tuesday, marks the opening of strategic discussions with the theme: “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development.” Participants include African Heads of States and Governments, Finance Ministers, Central…