Author: Naija Daily News

A French court on Friday sentenced a former high school student to 15 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of his Spanish teacher in 2023. The defendant, now 19, had been charged with murdering Agnes Lassalle, 53, at a school in the southwestern seaside town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. After three hours of deliberation, judges at a juvenile criminal court handed down a sentence slightly below the 16 years sought by prosecutors and well under the maximum 20-year term he faced. The court heard that Lassalle was stabbed in the chest during a lesson in February 2023. The student, who was…

A Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja has awarded N1 billion in damages against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in a defamation suit filed by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello. The senator, however, rejected the judgment and vowed to challenge it at the Court of Appeal. Her decision was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja by her media aide, Mike Idoko. The judgment, delivered by Justice A. S. Ibrahim in suit number HCL/16/2023, arose from comments made by Akpoti-Uduaghan during a live appearance on The Morning Show on Arise Television on November 4, 2022. During the programme, the…

The Federal Government has approved an increase in peculiar allowances, welfare benefits, and exit packages for civil servants in a move aimed at improving their take-home pay and boosting morale across the public service. The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, disclosed the development during a briefing in Abuja on Friday, noting that the reforms are designed to address growing concerns over workers’ welfare amid rising living costs. According to her, the increment affects employees under the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS) and the Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS). She explained that…

President Bola Tinubu on Friday administered the oath of office to Muttaqha Rabe Darma as the new Minister of Housing and Urban Development, following his confirmation by the Senate. Dr Darma replaces Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, who recently resigned from the position. Speaking during the brief ceremony held at the State House in Abuja, President Tinubu congratulated the new minister, describing his appointment as coming at a critical period in Nigeria’s development. “You have a very rich and interesting background. As a leader, we need competent hands like yours,” the President said. “There is no doubt that you have rendered valuable…

Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested a suspected kidnapper and cultist, Ubong Michael, popularly known as “Ubong Boy,” in Ikot Aka Village, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area. The command’s Public Relations Officer, Timfon John, disclosed in a statement issued in Uyo on Thursday that the suspect was apprehended on April 22, 2026, following credible intelligence. Items recovered from him include a human skull, a human bone, two live cartridges, and a dagger. According to the police, the suspect has confessed to his involvement in criminal activities and is currently assisting investigators in tracking other members of…

One person has been confirmed dead while another has been declared missing following an attack by a wild elephant in Innayin Community, Oyo State. The incident reportedly occurred around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday when residents raised alarm over the sudden appearance of the animal in the area. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed this in a statement, noting that operatives swiftly responded to a distress call in collaboration with local vigilantes and hunters. According to the statement, the lifeless body of one Ibrahim Tijani, 45, was discovered in a nearby bush with injuries consistent with…

A High Court sitting in Maiduguri has sentenced a 33-year-old woman, Salamatu Saidu, to five years’ imprisonment for trafficking two persons through fraudulent means. The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons disclosed the development in a case update shared on its Facebook page on Thursday, noting that the conviction was secured on Monday. According to the agency, Saidu was arraigned, convicted, and sentenced on the same day by Justice Bukar Umar of the Borno State High Court. NAPTIP stated that the offence contravened Section 26(2) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, which…

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has announced plans to build a 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery in East Africa, mirroring the scale of his flagship facility in Nigeria, as part of a broader push to strengthen industrial capacity across the continent. Dangote announced on Thursday at a high-level summit in Nairobi attended by African leaders, financiers, and industry stakeholders focused on addressing the continent’s energy and infrastructure challenges. Speaking at the event, Dangote told William Ruto and Yoweri Museveni that the proposed refinery would depend heavily on strong government backing and consistent policy support. He disclosed that the project forms part of…

The Nigerian military has inaugurated a general court-martial to try 36 personnel accused of involvement in an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of Bola Tinubu. The court-martial, constituted by the Defence Headquarters, was inaugurated on Friday at the Scorpion Mess in Asokoro, Abuja, under tight security. Proceedings were held behind closed doors, with journalists—including accredited defence correspondents—denied access to the venue. Security operatives also prohibited the use of mobile phones to document the arrival of the accused, who were conveyed to the location in an Army Headquarters Garrison bus at about 8:53 a.m. The military trial is running concurrently…

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, on Thursday declared that he is now operating as a “freelance politician” with no firm allegiance to any political party. Mohammed made the statement while hosting a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, alongside stakeholders from the South-East in Bauchi. Speaking during the meeting, the governor explained that the engagement focused on national unity and collaboration rather than partisan considerations. He noted that the current political landscape has created room for broader consultations among opposition figures. “Neither PDP nor ADC is standing alone. I am a freelance politician now, and my party is…