Author: Naija Daily News

By Deborah Nnamdi The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed a gas explosion at the Onitsha Head Bridge market, which claimed one life and left six others injured. The Command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed the incident in a statement issued on Saturday in Onitsha. According to Ikenga, the explosion occurred on Friday at a plumbing materials market along Uga Street. Preliminary investigations suggest that the blast was triggered when a welding gas cylinder exploded due to excessive heat while a welder was working on a metal object. He said police officers from the Onitsha Head Bridge Divisional Headquarters assisted…

By Douglas Maha, Abuja Nigerians living abroad will now be required to pay $50 (about N80,000) to obtain a Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN), following the launch of a remote BVN registration platform by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS). The NRBVN platform allows diaspora Nigerians to register for a BVN online without visiting Nigeria, a move aimed at boosting financial inclusion and integrating the diaspora into Nigeria’s economy. In contrast, BVN registration remains free for residents in Nigeria. To register, applicants must sign up at nrbvn.com, provide personal information, upload supporting documents—including…

The Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has urged the private sector to invest in women-led tech hubs and support workplace policies that empower women in the society. The Minister, Dr Bosun Tijani, made this call on Friday in Abuja, during a press conference to mark this year’s World Telecommunications and Information Society Day 2025 (WTISD-25) celebration coming up on Saturday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event is celebrated globally by the Telecommunications Community all over the world every May 17. The theme of this year’s WTISD-25 is: “Gender Equality in Digital Transformation”. Tijani, represented…

By Douglas Maha, Abuja Nigeria’s external reserves have posted their first sustained increase in 2025, rising by $364 million between April 30 and May 14, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). This marks the first two-week upward trend in Nigeria’s foreign reserves since peaking at $40.92 billion on January 6, 2025. CBN data shows reserves climbed from $37.934 billion at the end of April to $38.298 billion by mid-May, reflecting a 0.96% increase. The growth follows four months of steady decline, triggered by high foreign exchange (FX) demand, falling oil revenue, and external debt service obligations that drained…

By Douglas Maha with agency report Shell Plc transferred $5.34 billion to the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2024, making Africa’s top oil producer its largest sovereign beneficiary worldwide, even as the energy major retreats from onshore oil operations. The figures, disclosed in Shell’s annual Payments to Governments report, show Nigeria ahead of traditional top recipients like Brazil, Oman, and Norway. The UK-headquartered company made total government payments of $28.1 billion globally last year. Shell’s payments to Nigeria surged nearly 41% from 2023, driven largely by production entitlements and royalties tied to its upstream joint ventures. Over 70% of the…

By Deborah Nnamdi Ghanaian immigration officials reported that more than 2,000 undocumented foreign nationals were detained in Accra on Friday during a coordinated operation aimed at dismantling criminal networks and addressing the rise in street begging. According to the Immigration Service, 2,241 individuals were arrested during early morning raids—of these, 1,332 were children. Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak stated on Facebook that the operation was initiated in response to growing concerns over organized street begging involving foreign nationals. “This activity poses a national security threat and tarnishes our country’s image,” he wrote. Mubarak noted that many of those apprehended had entered…

By Deborah Nnamdi The Ebonyi State High Court sitting in the Ohaukwu Judicial Division has sentenced four individuals to death by hanging for the murder of 26-year-old Chinonso Elom, popularly known as Oscar. The incident occurred on February 5, 2023, in the Ngbo community, Ohaukwu Local Government Area, where both the victim and the convicts hail from. Those sentenced to death are Anthony Elom (alias Tidy), Chibueze Onwe (alias Chief), Chukwuemeka Ugah (alias Parity), and Uchenna Odono, who is reportedly related to a senior council official. According to court findings, the four, along with an accomplice, ThankGod Onwe—currently at large—arrived…

By Deborah Nnamdi Cristiano Ronaldo, the Al-Nassr star forward, has claimed the top spot on Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes for the third straight year, further cementing his dominance in global sports. Forbes estimates Ronaldo’s total earnings at $275 million (approximately £206 million), a $15 million increase from the previous year. Much of this boost comes from lucrative off-field ventures, including endorsements and sponsorship deals driven by his staggering 939 million social media followers. This marks the fifth time in his career that Ronaldo has led the prestigious list. Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry rose to second place with…

By Deborah Nnamdi A woman known only as Gift, believed to be in her early 40s, has been taken into custody by officers of the Nkpolu Police Division in Diobu, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for allegedly severing the tip of her male lover Mr. Sunday’s penis. The incident occurred on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Bishop Okoye Street, Mile 3, Diobu, Port Harcourt. According to reports, the conflict began when her lover, Sunday, requested sex, but Gift refused, allegedly because he uses sex-enhancement drugs that cause him to last excessively long during intercourse. It was learned that Mr. Sunday allegedly…

By Deborah Nnamdi In response to the growing challenges of climate change, food insecurity, and youth unemployment in West Africa, the ECOWAS Commission has approved multimillion-dollar grants to support the establishment of training centres focused on Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA). These centres aim to equip young people with the skills needed to build sustainable agribusinesses. Dr. Gle Koffi Emmanuel, Chairman of the Regional Steering Committee for EOA and representative of the ECOWAS Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture, announced the launch of the inception workshops in Lagos. The events were organised in collaboration with the West African Secretariat of Ecological…