Author: News Room

Gabonese football has been plunged into crisis after a disastrous Africa Cup of Nations campaign prompted sweeping state intervention, including the banning of senior players, suspension of the national team, and the dismissal of the entire coaching crew. The breaking point came on Wednesday night when an injury-time winner from Bazoumana Toure sealed a dramatic 3–2 defeat for Gabon against defending champions Ivory Coast. That loss confirmed a humiliating group-stage exit at AFCON, with Gabon finishing bottom of Group F behind Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Mozambique. Within hours, the fallout escalated beyond football. Government pulls the plug Appearing on Gabonese…

The Lagos State Government has constituted a Technical Recovery and Demolition Committee to manage the planned demolition of the fire-damaged Great Nigeria Insurance, GNI, Building on Lagos Island, as emergency response operations continue at the unstable site. The decision followed a second inspection visit by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on January 2, 2026, according to an update issued on Friday by the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service. The committee, headed by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, has been tasked with developing and executing a carefully controlled demolition strategy for the affected structure and its immediate environment. Authorities…

Former Kano Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasiyya State Caucus have denied reports and public claims suggesting that the former governor or his supporters plan to defect to another political party. The caucus said the decision was reaffirmed at a meeting held on Friday, January 2, 2026, at Kwankwasiyya House in Kano. A statement issued after the meeting said the group firmly opposed what it described as false and unauthorised discussions about defection. According to the caucus, such claims do not reflect the values or operational style of the Kwankwasiyya Movement. It characterised the reports as misleading and urged…

Operatives of the Kwara State police command, have arrested three persons over suspected arson attack on a residential facility in Ilorin, the state capital, over alleged religious issues. They are Salihu Saka, Abubakar Salihu, and Yekini Olohuntele. The incident occurred at Isale-Koto area of Ilorin metropolis on January 1,2026 at about 7.p.m, according to the spokesperson of the state police command, SP Adetoun Ejire Adeyemi, in Ilorin on Saturday.‎‎The spokesperson said “The Kwara State Police Command is aware of a video circulating online. The video depicts an elderly woman saying her place of residence was completely razed by fire. ‎”The…

Adekunle Gold, has become the first musician to sell out Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts, formerly known as National Theatre in Lagos. The singer reached the milestone after selling out the 3,560 capacity venue on Friday December 26 2025. On Thursday, January 1, 2026, the singer was presented with two plaques, one for becoming the first artiste to sell out and headline the theatre, another for the management and record label that organised the concert. Adekunle performed alongside Olamide and the show was graced by other notable stars including Yinka Ayefele and Adewale Ayuba. Celebrating his…

Mozambique head coach, Chiquinho Conde has listed three ways his team will approach their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, Round of 16 tie against the Super Eagles of Nigeria. Conde insisted that the Mambas will face the Super Eagles with humility, tranquility and a lot of responsibility. Speaking at his pre-match interview ahead of the encounter on Monday,the 60-year-old, however, admitted that the Eric Chelle’s side are the favourite to win the match. “Mozambique have shown that we’ve a strong team and against Ivory Coast and Cameroon, we failed the details, but now [AFCON Round of 16] it is…

A mental illness survivor, Tony Ademiluyi, has inaugurated a website aimed at ending the stigmatisation of mentally challenged persons in Africa. In a statement made available to Sunday PUNCH, Ademiluyi said the website, tagged “Africa Mental Health,” was established in December 2025 in response to growing concerns over the deteriorating state of mental health on the continent. “Mental illness in Africa is highly misunderstood and in most cases is viewed as a spiritual attack from the devil. “The patients are mostly stigmatized by family and friends as they are taken from one spiritual home to another and, in most cases,…

The Adamawa State Command of the Nigeria Police has warned motorists not to exceed 50 kilometres per hour on city roads, following a road crash linked to illegal racing and reckless driving in Yola. The warning was contained in a traffic advisory issued by the command, signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, on Saturday morning after a serious accident occurred around 7 pm on Friday at the Bekaji Underpass, along the Unity Flyover–Bekaji Flyover axis. According to the police, the crash involved two young men driving separate Mercedes-Benz vehicles, with eyewitnesses reporting that the incident…

As the year opens up, many of us living with sickle cell disease find ourselves in a reflective space. Gratitude at the beginning of the year is not simply a list of blessings; for people living with chronic illness, it is an intentional practice that allows us to recognise our survival, honour our bodies, and acknowledge the deep work we have done to stay afloat. It is a way of saying: I am still here, and that is enough. Living with SCD means living in a body that often feels unpredictable. Pain crises, fatigue, organ complications, and mobility challenges shape…

A member of the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, has said that the performance of the former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the 2023 presidential election was largely influenced by religious and tribal sentiments. He said Obi’s performance was influenced particularly among Northern Christians who feared that their freedom of worship might be threatened under a Bola Tinubu presidency. The lawmaker representing Yagba Federal Constituency in Kogi State stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday. Abejide, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, made the remarks following Obi’s defection to the party on…