Author: Naija Daily News

Global crude oil prices surged on Thursday toward $84 per barrel, marking the highest level recorded this year and significantly exceeding Nigeria’s 2026 budget benchmark of $64.85 per barrel. According to Bloomberg, Brent Crude, the global oil benchmark, rose by about 12 per cent within the first three days of the week, while West Texas Intermediate traded close to $78 per barrel. The spike in prices comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East as the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran disrupted crude oil flows to major importers. Reports indicate that global oil prices have continued…

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has taken over the prosecution of a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and his son, Abdulaziz Malami, over alleged terrorism-related offences and unlawful possession of firearms. The development emerged on Wednesday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, when the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), informed the court that the case file had been transmitted from the Department of State Services (DSS) to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation. Oyedepo told the court that he was informed by counsel to the DSS that…

Gunmen on Wednesday night shot a farmer and abducted his wife in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, the police have confirmed. The spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force in the state, Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed the incident in a statement issued on Thursday. According to him, the attack occurred at about 8:45 p.m. along Oda Road in Akure when suspected kidnappers invaded the residence of a tomato farmer, Adesida Daniel, in the Isagba Community. Jimoh said the farmer sustained a gunshot injury to his right hand while attempting to resist the assailants who had reportedly abducted his wife. “During the…

The Akwa Ibom State High Court, Ikot Ekpene, has sentenced a lecturer at Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Abel Udo Jacob, and his accomplice, Innocent Nicholas Ntokon, to a combined 11-year jail term for their involvement in a N50 million extortion scheme. Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Augustine Odokwo held that the duo subjected a businessman, Edikan Jacob Jackson, to years of threats, intimidation, and financial exploitation that resulted in losses exceeding N50 million. The court found that between 2016 and 2020, Ntokon, described as a leader of the Klans Confraternity, orchestrated a sustained campaign of terror against the victim by allegedly…

Multimedia company MultiChoice Group has announced plans to discontinue its streaming platform, Showmax, after eleven years of operation. The decision was communicated to subscribers in an email sent on Thursday, informing them that the service will be shut down in the near future following a review by the company’s board. “We’re writing to inform you of an important update regarding Showmax,” the message to subscribers read. “Following a comprehensive review, the Showmax Board has made the decision to discontinue the Showmax service in the near future.” The company said the move is part of efforts to strengthen its broader digital…

The family of a Florida man who took his own life has filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging that its Gemini artificial intelligence chatbot spent weeks fostering an elaborate delusional narrative before ultimately encouraging him to die. Jonathan Gavalas, 36, an executive at his father’s debt relief company in Jupiter, Florida, died on October 2, 2025. His father, Joel Gavalas, who discovered his body days later, filed a 42-page complaint in a federal court in California on Wednesday. The suit is the latest in a series of legal actions targeting AI developers over alleged chatbot-linked deaths. OpenAI is currently facing…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the arrest of fugitive drug lord, 58-year-old Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, describing the development as a breakthrough in the fight against international drug trafficking. According to the agency, Ilomuanya had been on the radar of British authorities for more than 15 years before his eventual arrest on Monday, February 23, 2026, in Lagos during a coordinated operation by the agency’s Special Operations Unit. The arrest brings to an end a prolonged manhunt linked to his extensive record of drug-related offences in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom, underscoring what officials described as…

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has inaugurated a Committee on State Policing, describing the move as a critical step toward strengthening Nigeria’s internal security architecture and deepening community-based law enforcement. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, Disu said the task before the committee was both significant and timely, stressing that Nigeria’s evolving security challenges require innovative thinking, strategic collaboration and bold reforms to make policing more responsive to local realities. He explained that the committee has been mandated to develop a workable framework for the operation of state policing without undermining the national security structure. According to…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday directed the immediate suspension of the cashless payment system recently introduced at airports across the country, citing widespread hardship and traffic congestion caused by the policy. The directive followed complaints of severe gridlock and passengers missing flights within the roughly one week of the system’s implementation. The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed the President’s decision while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. According to the minister, the President expressed concern over the welfare of Nigerians affected…

World football governing body FIFA has confirmed DR Congo as Africa’s representative in the inter-confederation play-off tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, effectively ending Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying. In an accreditation notice issued to journalists ahead of the tournament, FIFA listed the six participating teams, confirming DR Congo as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) entrant. The announcement leaves out the Nigeria national football team, whose football federation had challenged the outcome of the African play-off tie played in November 2025. The Nigeria Football Federation had filed a protest alleging that DR Congo fielded ineligible players in the match,…