Author: Naija Daily News

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Imo State has arrested a 52-year-old orphanage owner, Tochukwu Ogaranya, alongside five pregnant women aged between 25 and 33 over alleged involvement in child trafficking. The command also disclosed that five newborn babies were rescued from the suspects. The NSCDC Commandant in the state, Basil Igwebueze, made this known on Saturday in Owerri while briefing journalists on recent operations carried out by the command. Igwebueze said the suspects, including an alleged accomplice identified as Godwin Nnamdi, 47, were apprehended at an orphanage in the World Bank area of Owerri, where they…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has fixed 18 years as the minimum age for the registration of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) as part of new measures aimed at strengthening identity verification and improving security across Nigeria’s banking system. The directive was contained in a set of circulars issued by the apex bank to banks, financial institutions and payment service providers on March 12, 2026. Under the new rule, only individuals aged 18 and above will be eligible to enrol for a BVN. The CBN said the policy is intended to strengthen customer identification processes and reduce the misuse…

Members of a reconciliation committee drawn from camps loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are expected to meet on Monday as efforts intensify to resolve the party’s prolonged leadership crisis. A senior PDP official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, disclosed that the joint panel would reconvene to harmonise conditions presented by both factions in a bid to restore unity within the party. Officials from the governors’ camp, the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC), and the party’s National…

Nigeria’s football community has been thrown into mourning following the death of former Super Eagles midfielder Henry Nwosu at the age of 62. The news of his passing was confirmed by former Nigerian international Segun Odegbami, who shared the announcement in an emotional message that quickly circulated across the country’s football community. Nwosu was widely regarded as one of the most talented midfielders of his generation. Renowned for his creativity, vision and composure on the ball, he played a key role during one of the most successful periods in Nigerian football. He was a prominent member of the Green Eagles…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday handed over a total sum of $225,895 and ₦62,790,000 to foreign victims of fraud from the United States and South Africa. EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja, noting that the restitution ceremony was presided over by the Secretary to the Commission, Mohammed Hammajoda. Representatives of the victims’ countries attended the event, including the Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mike Fukuda, and the Acting High Commissioner of South Africa to Nigeria, Lindi Mminele. Speaking during the handover, Hammajoda described corruption as…

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared a total of N1.894 trillion as Federation Account revenue for February 2026 among the Federal Government, state governments and local government councils. This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations in the Office of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. According to the statement, the revenue distribution was approved during the March 2026 FAAC meeting held in Abuja. The committee stated that the N1.894 trillion distributable revenue consisted of N1.274 trillion from statutory revenue and N619.119 billion from Value Added…

Armed bandits have attacked the residence of a businessman, Sufiyanu Garba, in the Badariya area of Birnin Kebbi metropolis in Kebbi State, killing him and abducting his pregnant wife. The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday in Birnin Kebbi, the capital of the state. A senior brother to the abducted woman, Shehu Mohammed Yauri, disclosed the development to journalists in Birnin Kebbi on Friday. According to him, the attackers forcefully gained access to the residence and shot Garba before whisking away his wife, identified as Zainab Mohammed Yauri, to an unknown destination. Yauri said the deceased had since…

A 16-year-old boy, Emmanuel Danladi, has allegedly shot and killed his 15-year-old friend, Titus Joseph, with a dane gun belonging to his father in Kwamba, Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State. The tragic incident reportedly occurred on March 1 while the two teenagers were playing at Emmanuel’s residence in the community. According to reports, Emmanuel allegedly picked up the fully loaded Dane gun owned by his father, Danladi Baba, a member of a local vigilante group, and shot Titus in the stomach at close range. The victim died from the gunshot wound. Police operatives from the Maje Division were…

Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has rejected claims by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, that he attempted to recruit him into his campaign during the 2023 presidential election, describing the allegation as baseless and not deserving of serious attention. Obi clarified a statement issued in Abuja on Friday through his media aide, Ibrahim Umar, maintaining that he had no dealings with Bwala and would not associate with what he described as transactional politics. The statement noted that the allegation would ordinarily not warrant a response but said a clarification had become necessary…

Former Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, has dismissed as fake a viral graphic circulating on social media which claims he described Peter Obi as “a great man but not fit for president now” ahead of the 2027 election. The graphic, which has been widely shared online, attributes the statement to Melaye in his capacity as a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), suggesting he questioned Obi’s suitability for the presidency. However, reacting to the claim on his official account on X on Friday morning, Melaye categorically denied making the statement. “This is fake and not from me,” he wrote.…