Author: Naija Daily News

The Enugu State Government has announced the arrest of a woman, Mrs Ogechi John, over the alleged killing of her nine-year-old stepdaughter, Amanda John, in Enugu. In a statement released on Monday through Governor Peter Mbah’s WhatsApp media platform, the government identified the suspect as an indigene of Oderiko in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. According to the statement, Mrs John was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in connection with the death of the child, who was allegedly beaten to death at their residence in Nchatancha, Emene, Enugu East Local Government Area. The government, citing…

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday played a video recording in which a Zaria-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Abdulkadir Sani, standing trial over an alleged coup plot, told investigators he had warned suspected conspirators that their mission would fail and that members of the group would eventually betray one another. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik also ordered a joint trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness of statements and video recordings the prosecution sought to tender against the six defendants. The ruling followed objections by defence counsel, who argued that the statements were obtained in violation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the list of top-performing candidates in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin from Ekiti State emerging as the highest scorer nationwide. The list was unveiled on Monday during the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions held in Abuja. Owoeye scored 372 out of a maximum of 400 points in the examination. She selected the University of Lagos as her institution of choice, where she intends to study MBBS. Enwere Kingsley Ikenna from Imo State followed closely with a score of 370. He chose Nile University…

Photo: Ilebaye Odiniya, 2023 BBN All-Star winner The father of former Big Brother Naija All Stars winner, Ilebaye Odiniya, has spoken publicly for the first time following the viral family altercation involving his daughter, claiming he was provoked before allegedly assaulting her during a confrontation at their residence in Abuja. Emmanuel Odiniya, in a voice note reportedly shared on Facebook on Sunday by Kogi-based journalist Jeremiah Promise Enemona Ocheme and now circulating online, said the incident was not motivated by hatred for his daughter but by frustration over what he described as a drastic change in her behaviour after winning…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) screening committee for the Rivers State House of Assembly has dismissed as false a purported list of cleared and uncleared aspirants for the 2027 elections, saying the document did not originate from the committee or the party leadership. Reports had earlier emerged that the committee had concluded the screening of 98 aspirants seeking to contest the party’s primaries, with claims that 65 aspirants allegedly linked to the state governor were not cleared, while 33 said to be loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, were cleared by the committee chaired…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has retained 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into universities for the 2026/2027 academic session. The decision was announced on Monday during the board’s annual policy meeting held in Abuja, following a vote by vice-chancellors and other stakeholders present at the meeting. JAMB also approved 150 as the minimum admission benchmark for colleges of nursing, while polytechnics will admit candidates from 100 marks out of the 400 obtainable marks. The scores, officially known as the National Minimum Tolerable UTME Scores, mean that no tertiary institution is permitted to admit candidates who score…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) screening committee for the Rivers State House of Assembly has disqualified 32 aspirants reportedly backed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, including former factional Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo and two other lawmakers loyal to the governor. The committee, however, cleared 29 serving lawmakers aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, led by Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol, to participate in the party’s primaries ahead of the 2027 State Assembly election. Also said to have secured the party’s nomination form is the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, who is reportedly seeking to contest for a…

The Delta State Police Command has recorded another breakthrough in its ongoing crackdown on illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse with the arrest of a suspected drug baron and two female accomplices in Warri metropolis. The command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe, confirmed the development, saying the operation was part of intensified efforts by the police to curb the circulation and abuse of hard drugs across the state. According to him, the suspects, identified as Favor Isaac, 25, Favour Felix, 24, and Samson Precious, 19, were arrested following credible intelligence on the activities of suspected drug dealers operating within the Ogbomoro and…

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State says it is witnessing what it described as an unprecedented wave of political interest and participation ahead of the 2027 general elections, following the emergence of eight governorship aspirants on the party’s platform. The party disclosed this in a statement issued by its Rivers State Chairman, Chukwudi Dimkpa, who said the growing interest in the ADC reflects increasing public confidence in the party as a credible alternative political platform. Dimkpa also described the decision of former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, to seek the party’s presidential ticket as a major milestone in…

The Nigeria Customs Service has handed over several stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada after intercepting them at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, in what officials described as a breakthrough in the fight against transnational vehicle theft syndicates. The recovered vehicles, including exotic brands such as Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, and Mercedes-Benz, were formally handed over to Canadian authorities during a ceremony held at Tin Can Island Port on Monday, May 4, 2026. The Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, received the vehicles from the Customs Area Controller of the Tin Can Island Command, Frank Onyeka. This…