Author: Naija Daily News

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 Abbas Tajudeen, has withdrawn a proposed bill that sought to make voting compulsory for all eligible Nigerians.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…

Unrelated photo of an accident scene Deborah Nnamdi with Agency Report The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Monday confirmed that at least 19 people lost their lives and eight others sustained injuries in a tragic road accident that occurred on Sunday along the Lokoja-Obajana road. State Sector Commander Mr. Kumar Tsukwam disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja. According to Tsukwam, the survivors suffered various injuries, including bruises, cuts, fractures, dislocations, and burns. The fatal crash took place around 4 p.m. on Sunday at the Gadabiu community in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State.…

By Deborah Nnamdi A group of heavily armed kidnappers launched an attack early Monday morning on Grow Homes Estate, located in the Chikakore area of Kubwa—Abuja’s largest suburban community—holding residents hostage for over an hour. Frightened residents reported that the incident occurred between midnight and 1:30 a.m. One resident, who witnessed the abduction of a man and a woman, said the woman was later found within the estate at daybreak and released by the kidnappers for reasons that remain unclear. However, he was unable to confirm the total number of people taken during the attack. “The incident happened around midnight.…

Photo: Rivers Police Spokesperson, Grace. Eringe-Koko (SP) had yet to respond to our inquiry. By Didimoko A. Didimoko Diobu and other environs in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, have been gripped by panic as armed youths and cult groups rain mayhem on residents. Naija Daily News investigation revealed that no fewer than six persons were killed in the areas in cult-related violence in May. Last weekend, armed groups patrolled, shooting ceaselessly from Abonema Wharf Road through Udi to the Elechi Beach area. The gang members move in packs of over 20 menacing-looking boys and sometimes block an entire section of any…

Photo: Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Peter Obi of the NNPP and LP A faction of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) led by Chief Wole Adesina has raised serious concerns over what it described as two disturbing developments threatening the party’s unity and constitutional integrity. It would be recalled that the party has emerged as a beautiful bride for opposition politicians, who are cobbling together a coalition of anti-APC and anti-Tinubu forces to dislodge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2025. In a statement released on Monday by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Alfa Mohammed, the group condemned the growing influx of…