Author: Naija Daily News

By Deborah Nnamdi The Catholic Diocese of Awka in Anambra State has announced with profound sorrow the passing of one of its priests, Reverend Father Anthony Udogu, who died in the early hours of Monday while playing lawn tennis. Until his passing, Fr. Udogu served as the Parish Priest of St. Francis Parish, Awka, and Dean of the Awka Il Deanery. Born on December 24, 1964, he was ordained to the priesthood on August 19, 1995, and passed away on May 19, 2025. His death was confirmed in a brief statement released on Tuesday by Rev. Fr. Charles Ndubisi, Chancellor…

by Deborah Nnamdi The World Health Organization (WHO), on Tuesday formally adopted a historic Pandemic Agreement aimed at strengthening the global response to future health crises. The decision follows more than three years of negotiations prompted by the shortcomings exposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The agreement seeks to avoid the fragmented and chaotic response that marked the early stages of the Covid-19 outbreak. It focuses on improving international coordination, disease surveillance, and equitable access to vaccines and treatments during future pandemics. The plan was officially approved at the WHO’s annual decision-making assembly in Geneva. “It’s a historic day,” WHO Director-General…

Farmers across the United Kingdom are facing mounting anxiety as the nation endures its driest spring in over 170 years—an extreme weather event that is severely impacting crop growth, depleting water reserves, and threatening the agricultural economy. According to the UK’s Met Office, only 80.6 millimetres of rain has fallen since the start of March, marking an unprecedented dry spell well below the previous spring record of 100.7 millimetres set in 1852. With May drawing to a close, meteorologists say the country is on track for the driest spring since detailed weather records began. The lack of rainfall is already…

By Douglas Maha, Abuja BudgIT has raised serious concerns over alleged budgetary anomalies amounting to N6.93 trillion in the proposed 2025 national budget. The group, a leading Nigerian civic technology organisation advocating for fiscal transparency, claims that thousands of projects were inserted into the budget by Nigeria’s National Assembly without adequate justification or alignment with national development priorities. The questionable N6.93 trillion worth of suspicious projects represents about 11 per cent of Nigeria’s total N54.2 trillion budget for the year. In a statement published via its verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, BudgIT revealed that a total of 11,122 projects were…

By Deborah Nnamdi Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson-Okojie has debunked rumors claiming she is battling cancer, following speculation sparked by her recent weight loss. The rumors emerged after a clip from her cooking show, Mercy’s Menu, in which she mentioned a past cancer scare, gained widespread attention online. In a recent video shared on social media, Mercy thanked her fans and well-wishers for their concern and reassured them that she is in good health. She clarified that the viral clip had been taken out of context and urged the public to avoid spreading false information. She said: “First and foremost, thank…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it will release the results of 379,000 candidates who took part in the rescheduled Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) this Wednesday. JAMB spokesperson Dr. Fabian Benjamin confirmed the new release date for the rescheduled results, telling news media outlets, “The results of the candidates who took the rescheduled exam will be released on Wednesday.” The affected candidates sat for the exam between Friday and Monday, following technical and human errors that marred the original UTME exercise in parts of the country, especially in Lagos and the South-East. JAMB was forced to act…

Photo: INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the official list of political parties and candidates cleared to participate in the Anambra State governorship election scheduled for November 8, 2025. The list, which was displayed at the entrance of INEC’s state headquarters in Awka, includes 15 political parties, each presenting both governorship and deputy governorship candidates. George Nnadubem Muoghalu and Chiedozie Alex Okoye of the Julius Abure-led faction were listed as candidates and running for the Labour Party, respectively. Among the notable contenders are Nicolas Chukwujekwu Ukachukwu and Uche Lilian Ekwunife of the All Progressives…

By Deborah Nnamdi Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested 120 individuals suspected of involvement in internet fraud following coordinated raids across various parts of Lagos State. In a statement released by the Commission’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 carried out the operation on Monday, May 19, 2025. Oyewale stated that the suspects included 95 men and 25 women. Their arrests were based on actionable intelligence and several weeks of surveillance linking them to cybercrime activities. During the raids, EFCC agents seized 26 luxury vehicles, a collection of high-end jewelry, smartphones, laptops,…

By Deborah Nnamdi Police operatives from the Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad of the Enugu State Police Command have arrested a 24-year-old native doctor, Ejike Emmanuel Chinonso, for allegedly owning firearms and ammunition. According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, which was made available to newsmen in Enugu on Monday, the arrest led to the recovery of various weapons from Chinonso’s shrine located in Ugwuochie-Iwollo, Ezeagu Local Government Area. Items seized include a locally made pistol, a revolver pistol, one expended cartridge, two live rounds of ammunition, one live .38 special caliber round, and a live…

By Deborah Nnamdi The Delta State Police Command has apprehended two individuals suspected of being serial phone snatchers during a routine stop-and-search operation. According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, officers stopped a commercial tricycle (keke) and found seven mobile phones in the rider’s possession during a search. The passengers were unable to unlock the phones, arousing suspicion and leading to further investigation. SP Edafe disclosed this through a video shared on his X (formerly Twitter) social media platform on Monday. Edafe, issuing a public advisory to commuters through the video, said: “As you go about your…