Author: Naija Daily News

The Senate on Thursday confirmed the nomination of Muttaqha Darma as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria following his screening in plenary. Darma, who was nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was cleared after responding to lawmakers’ questions on his competence, policy direction, and strategies to address Nigeria’s housing crisis. During the screening, the minister-designate pledged to work closely with the National Assembly to tackle the country’s significant housing deficit. He outlined plans focused on strengthening leadership, expanding access to affordable housing, and improving institutional capacity within the sector. According to him, bridging what he described as a…

The House of Representatives on Thursday called on the Federal Government to urgently deploy additional troops to affected communities in Borno State and Kaduna State following a wave of violent attacks by bandits. The resolution followed the adoption of two motions of urgent public importance moved during plenary by Midala Balami and Gabriel Zock, who represent constituencies in the two states. Presenting his motion, Balami decried the persistent attacks in Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency, particularly in Mussa Ward, Leho, Pubagu, Kwajaffa, Harang, and surrounding communities. He drew attention to the recent abduction of about 20 persons along the Biu–Buratai–Damaturu road, including…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally written to the Senate seeking approval to secure a fresh $516,333,070 loan from Deutsche Bank to finance the Sokoto–Badagry 1,000km Super Highway project. The request was contained in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and read on the floor during Thursday’s plenary. In the correspondence, the President explained that the loan forms part of the already approved borrowing plan for the ambitious highway project, which is expected to boost connectivity and economic activities across multiple regions of the country. Tinubu urged the Senate to grant expeditious consideration and approval…

By Deborah Nnamdi No fewer than 12 persons have been confirmed dead, while 14 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a fatal road accident at Egono village along the Benin–Auchi–Lokoja highway. Eyewitnesses said the victims were travelling in a truck conveying both passengers and goods when the vehicle veered off the road. The truck reportedly overturned and trapped several occupants after the driver attempted a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Edo State confirmed the incident on Wednesday, attributing the crash to wrongful overtaking. Spokesperson for the Edo State Command of the FRSC, Patricia Onwochei,…

By Deborah Nnamdi The immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has been arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja over his alleged involvement in the bugging of the telephone line of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu. El-Rufai pleaded not guilty on Thursday after a five-count amended charge, marked FHC/ABJ/99/2026, was read before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik. However, proceedings were stalled midway during the hearing of his bail application after the judge observed that a document referenced by the defence counsel, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), was not in the court’s file. Following a request by the defence, which…

A total of ₦2.036 trillion generated as Federation Account revenue for March 2026 has been distributed among the Federal Government, state governments, and local government councils. The revenue was shared during the April 2026 meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) held in Abuja, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation. The total distributable revenue comprised ₦1.320 trillion from statutory revenue, ₦515.391 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT), and an augmentation of ₦200 billion. A communiqué from FAAC indicated that a total gross revenue of ₦2.364 trillion was available…

Troops of Operation Enduring Peace have neutralised two suspected armed gunmen during an ambush operation in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State. The operation, carried out on Tuesday near Doruwa Babuje in the Marit general area, followed credible intelligence on the movement of suspected criminals believed to be responsible for a series of attacks in surrounding communities. This was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday in Jos by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Chinonso Polycarp Oteh. According to the statement, troops launched the operation at about 7:49 p.m. after receiving reports linking the…

The Nigeria Police Force in Rivers State has dissolved its tactical teams as part of a restructuring effort aimed at improving operational efficiency and professionalism. The command’s spokesperson, ASP Blessing Agabe, disclosed this on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, noting that the move followed a directive from the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu. According to Agabe, the disbanded tactical teams have been merged into a newly created unit known as the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), which is tasked with responding swiftly to incidents of violent crime while upholding established rules of engagement and respecting fundamental human rights. She explained that…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a series of key appointments across major education institutions under the Federal Ministry of Education, including the National Examinations Council (NECO), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the Federal Polytechnic N’yak-Shendam, and the National Library of Nigeria. According to the announcement, Professor Modupe Adeola Adelabu has been appointed Chairman of NECO’s Governing Board, while the incumbent Registrar, Professor Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, will remain in office. For NBTE, the President named Professor Babatunde Salako as Chairman, alongside the earlier reappointment of the Executive Secretary, Professor Idris M. Bugaje, for a second and final five-year…

Photo: When the going was good – Tinubu and Edun President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dismissed his finance minister, Wale Edun, bringing an abrupt end to the tenure of one of his closest allies in government, amid allegations of financial impropriety and internal disquiet within the administration. A brief statement issued on Tuesday from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation said the decision was taken to “strengthen cohesion and synergy in governance” and to enhance economic performance. No further details were provided. However, multiple presidency sources said Edun had come under sustained pressure in recent…