Author: Naija Daily News

Tragedy struck the Olegabulu community in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State on Thursday night as gunmen stormed the palace of a traditional ruler, killing him, his wife, their son, and two other residents in a brazen attack that has plunged the community into mourning. Residents said the assailants, believed to be four in number, arrived on two motorcycles and moved into the area without raising suspicion before launching the deadly attack. Eyewitnesses disclosed that the gunmen went straight to the monarch’s palace where they opened fire, killing the traditional ruler, his wife, and their son instantly. A resident,…

The Edo State Police Command has rescued nine kidnapped victims from two separate abduction incidents along the Benin–Lagos corridor and adjoining forest areas. The Command disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by its Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, noting that the operation followed coordinated tactical efforts ordered by the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika. According to the statement, the victims abducted during a recent attack along the Benin–Lagos Expressway were all rescued alive after the deployment of tactical teams, intelligence assets, aerial surveillance, and sustained bush-combing operations. The police said the sustained pressure mounted on the kidnappers…

Founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, David Oyedepo, has told members of his congregation to give kidnappers his phone number if they are abducted, assuring that such encounters would lead to their release. The cleric remarked during a sermon that has since gone viral, stating that his past interventions in kidnap cases demonstrate what he described as spiritual authority over such situations. According to him, congregants also possess the same capacity if they come to understand it. “If anybody picks you, give them my number. If he is not cut down, then I’m not sent. You carry the same force…

No fewer than 30 traditional rulers across the southern parts of Kwara State have fled their palaces following a surge in kidnappings, killings, and violent attacks in their communities. Findings indicate that the affected monarchs have taken refuge in safer urban centres, including Ilorin, Osogbo, Offa, and Lagos, leaving behind a growing leadership vacuum in their domains. Communities affected by the development include Omugo, Afin, Oreke, Oreke Oke-Igbo, Olohuntele, Alabe, Ganmu Ailehri, Ologanmo, and Igbo Agbon, among others, where repeated attacks by armed groups have forced both residents and traditional leaders to flee. Residents say the absence of the monarchs…

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has advised Nigerian business owners in South Africa to temporarily shut down their businesses following a fresh wave of anti-foreigner protests in parts of the country. The commission said the directive was a precautionary measure based on an official circular from the Nigerian Consulate General in Johannesburg, which indicated that demonstrations in East London, Cape Town, Durban, and parts of KwaZulu-Natal had turned violent, leading to looting, property damage, and injuries. Despite the rising tension, NiDCOM ruled out any immediate evacuation of Nigerians, stating that such a move would only be considered if the situation…

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…