Author: Naija Daily News

By Sadeeq Kamsela Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday evening declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, after suspected militants attacked the 180,000bpd Trans-Niger Pipeline in Gokana Local Government Area of the state. The attack followed threats by various groups to disrupt oil production in the state following the protracted political crisis between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his estranged godfather, Nyesom Wike, his predecessor and current FCT Minister. Development confirmed the Naija Daily News exclusive this morning Background to the Crisis:Rivers State, a resource-rich region in southern Nigeria, has long been a hotbed of political rivalry and unrest.…

By Deborah Nnamdi Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has placed a one-month suspension on three commissioners due to their absence from the State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting on March 17. The suspended commissioners are Messrs Solomon Azi (Grants and Donor Agencies), Victor Chukwu (Environment), and Ikeuwa Omebe (Rural Development). This information was disclosed by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Jude Okpor, during the weekly EXCO meeting briefing on Tuesday. He explained that the commissioners were absent without prior approval. Okpor further stated that the governor had instructed that the suspended commissioners forfeit all privileges associated with…

By Sadeeq Kamsela, Abuja There were concerns about a looming state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday, following a militants’ strike on the strategic Trans-Niger pipeline in the Gokana Local Government Area of the state. The 180km Trans-Niger Oil Pipeline runs from the Nun River fields to Rumuekpe in Rivers State, and it is an artery for production by the parent Shell Petroleum Development Company in Rivers and Bayelsa states. The facility was divested by SPDC and transferred to Renaissance Energy Group just weeks before the attack. Although the group behind the attack on one of Nigeria’s key oil…

By Deborah Nnamdi Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested one Ndifreke Isaiah Nelson for the alleged murder of his girlfriend, Emem Monday Effanga, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. A statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, on Monday recalled that sometime in February 2025, the Command received a report that the deceased was found dead in her apartment under suspicious circumstances. She said upon arrival at the scene, operatives observed visible marks of violence on her face and neck, suggesting she had been strangled and beaten to…

By Deborah Nnamdi Max Air, an indigenous carrier, has announced it will resume domestic flight services on March 21, 2025. This follows a three-month suspension of operations after a tire burst incident involving one of its aircraft at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano. At the time of the incident, Michael Achimugu, the Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs at the NCAA, stated that the airline would undergo a comprehensive safety and economic audit over three months. The safety audit would include a re-inspection of Max Air’s organization, procedures, personnel, and aircraft. He said: “It is instructive…

By Deborah Nnamdi President Bola Tinubu has appointed the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Kaduna State. Other principal officers the President appointed for the university include Prof. Qurix Williams Barnabas (Vice Chancellor), Sanusi Gambo Adamu (Registrar), Ibrahim Dalhat (Bursar), and Prof. Daniel Abubakar (University Librarian). A statement by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, added that President Tinubu also approved the appointment of Mr Thomas Etuh, representing the North Central, Chief Fabian Nwaora (South East), Prof Femi Taiwo (South West) and…

By Deborah Nnamdi The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has authorized the revocation of 4,794 land titles due to the non-payment of Ground Rent for over 40 years. In areas such as the Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape, a total of 8,375 property owners have failed to pay Ground Rent for the past 43 years. This was disclosed in a press briefing by the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, along with the Director of Lands for the Federal Capital Territory…

By Deborah Nnamdi The PDP in Lagos State has stated that it will not mourn the defection of the party’s 2023 governorship candidate, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Adediran, also known as Jandor, to the APC. Mr. Hakeem Olalemi, the Vice Chairman (Central) of the Lagos State PDP, made this statement during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in response to Adediran’s return to the APC on Monday. Olalemi emphasized that Adediran’s departure from the PDP was not surprising, adding that the former candidate’s purpose in the party was to spy and undermine its efforts in the state. “He (Adediran)…

By Deborah Nnamdi The Rivers State Police Command has refuted claims that hoodlums attacked and set fire to the Port Harcourt residence of Chief Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). On Sunday night, several online media outlets reported that Wike’s home was under siege and had been set ablaze by unknown assailants. However, in a statement released on Monday, Police Public Relations Officer Superintendent Grace Iringe-Koko labeled these reports as false and misleading. Iringe-Koko stated: “The attention of the Rivers State Police Command has been drawn to a misleading and malicious report circulating on various online…

The Chairman of Honeywell Group, Chief Oba Otudeko, a former Managing Director of First Bank, Olabisi Onasany, and others are discussing “settlement” in an alleged N12.3 billion fraud case under the supervision of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. Otudeko’s counsel, Chief Wole Olanipeku, (SAN), informed Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court Lagos on Monday that “parties were exploring a settlement, in the case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as reported by NAN. The EFCC’s suit is reportedly against Otudeko, Onasanya, a former board member of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Soji…