Author: News Room

Recently, the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, said at an event that he was waiting for the Federal Government to approve the creation of state police. This happened days after the abduction of teachers and pupils from two schools in the state. His comment came at a time I had been wondering what happened to the Amotekun Corps, the state-owned security outfit. At the time Amotekun was created years back, I stated a few things on this page. One of them was that I hoped Amotekun wouldn’t go the way of most government agencies after they were created. I…

The African Democratic Congress has criticised the All Progressives Congress for celebrating the inauguration of residential quarters for judges, describing the action as unethical and capable of undermining public confidence in the independence of the judiciary. In a statement issued on Thursday, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said that while judges deserve decent accommodation, security and welfare, such provisions are constitutional obligations of government and should not be presented as favours from political office holders. PUNCH Online reports that President Bola Tinubu on Monday unveiled the Court of Appeal Abuja Division Building Complex in Dakibiyu, Abuja, as part…

Nigerian Grammy-winning singer, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, performed at the opening ceremony of the Obama Presidential Centre in Chicago on Wednesday, joining a lineup of global music stars at the high-profile dedication event marked by music, applause and celebratory scenes. According to CBS News on Thursday, the ceremony was held at John Lewis Plaza on the 19-acre campus and formally dedicated the $850 million centre ahead of its public opening on June 19, with community celebrations scheduled through June 21. Tems was among a star-studded lineup of performers that included Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, John Legend,…

The French Embassy in Nigeria has disclosed that approximately 2,000 students are currently studying in France under its international mobility programme. The Deputy Head of Cooperation at the French Embassy, Pierre Andriamampianina, made the disclosure at the France Alumni Day 2026 held at the Résidence de France in Abuja on Thursday. “In the last three years, the demand has grown 235%. We have currently around 500 files made by students per year. We have around 2,000 students in France,” he said. He added that demand for places had grown sharply, with applications rising by 235 per cent over the last…

Amazon Prime Day 2026 lifts off on June 23rd and will hopefully deliver the best deals of the summer. We’ve been covering the most notable pre-Prime Day discounts happening, and come next week, we’ll be bringing you many more deals — ones we can’t tell you about just yet. As usual, expect to see price drops on a range of product categories, including smart home, headphones, smartwatches, monitors, 4K TVs, outdoorsy gear, and more. The sale will conclude at 3:01AM ET on June 27th.We’ve put together this package so you can see all of our sprawling coverage in one convenient…

Several US government agencies responsible for financial regulation have issued a proposed rule as part of the implementation of stablecoin-focused legislation, pushing for similar identification guidelines for issuers as banks under federal law.The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), National Credit Union Administration and the US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) on Thursday proposed that stablecoin issuers be treated as regulated financial institutions in regard to verifying users’ identities. The proposed rule comes as part of the implementation of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act,…

Broadcaster Rafael van der Vaart is apologizing after causing controversy with an offensive comment about Team Japan at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “It was never my intention to offend, hurt or discriminate against anyone. I oppose racism in all its forms and have respect for people of every background, ethnicity and culture,” van der Vaart said in a statement obtained by People on Thursday, June 18. He continued, “I understand that some people may have found my words offensive or hurtful. I sincerely regret that. If my comment has caused pain or upset, I would like to offer my…

The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria has urged security agencies to abandon arrests, detention and intimidation as tools for resolving disputes with journalists, insisting that democratic societies possess sufficient mechanisms to address disagreements between the media and the state. Speaking at a security summit organised by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), the President of IPI Nigeria, Musikilu Mojeed, said tensions between journalists and security agencies should be managed through dialogue, professional accountability structures and judicial processes rather than coercive actions. The two-day summit, starting on 18 June, is in collaboration with the State Security Service (SSS). The first day…

The Osun State Government has written to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone XI Headquarters, Osogbo, seeking police protection for council chairmen elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in the February 22, 2025, local government election, to enable them to resume office. The state government also urged the police to remove council chairmen elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress who are currently administering the local government areas. A copy of the letter dated June 18, 2026, titled “RE: Osun Local Government Affairs; Need to Provide Security for Elected Officials and Local Government Staff,” was…

A few weeks ago, we were wrapped in the joy and excitement of the Ileya festivities. Like millions of Nigerians, people travelled from different parts of the world to reconnect with family, friends, and familiar places. Mine was Abeokuta, and as always, it was a memorable homecoming. The day after the celebration, I found myself at a popular relaxation spot, soaking in the atmosphere that accompanies festive periods in Ogun State. At a nearby table sat five middle-aged men engrossed in a passionate discussion about the politics of the state while downing their booze. Their conversation traversed administrations, personalities, victories,…