Author: News Room

After Efe Ajagba and Elizabeth Oshoba’s WBC silver title triumphs and Moses Itauma’s collection of continental titles, 2026 presents the year for the trio to claim world championship glory, PETER AKINBO writes Efe Ajagba US-based Nigerian heavyweight Efe Ajagba has travelled the longest road of the trio, but the 31-year-old WBC silver heavyweight champion believes he is just one fight away from a world title shot. Born in Ughelli, Delta State, Ajagba took up boxing in 2011 after playing football and working in a bakery. Under coach Anthony Konyegwachie, he represented Nigeria at the 2016 Rio Olympics and won bronze…

Microsoft has a new head of security. Hayete Gallot, who left Microsoft in October 2024 to become the president of Google Cloud’s customer experience, is returning to the software giant as the executive vice president of security, reporting directly to CEO Satya Nadella.The move means Charlie Bell, formerly Microsoft’s security chief, is taking on a new role at the company. “I’ve also asked Charlie Bell to take on a new role focused on engineering quality, reporting to me,” says Nadella, in an internal Microsoft memo. “Charlie and I have been planning this transition for some time, given his desire to move from being…

Multicoin Capital’s co-founder, Kyle Samani, said he is stepping down as managing partner of the crypto investment firm after 10 years in the industry. Samani called it a “bittersweet moment” in a post on Wednesday, adding, “I am excited to take some time off and explore new areas of technology,” which he later revealed would include AI and robotics. He added that he is “more confident than ever that crypto is going to fundamentally rewire the circuitry of finance.”“The Clarity Act will unlock a tidal wave of new entrants and spur adoption unlike anything we’ve seen,” Samani said, adding that he…

A Texas girl was kidnapped while walking her dog and taken to a local hotel, where authorities found her and the man who allegedly abducted her. Graham Michael Dunn, 27, is accused of forcing the 12-year-old into his car the evening of Friday, January 30, when she had taken her dog out for a walk in Galveston, according to court documents viewed by KTRK-TV. The dog later showed up at her family’s home, alone, leading them to call the police, the TV station reported. The girl started to walk her dog around 7 p.m. that evening and “had not returned…

The Senate on Wednesday at plenary paid glowing tribute to the late Okechukwu Ezea, the Enugu North senator, who died on 18 November, 2025 at the age of 62. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Ezea, born on 11 August, 1963, represented Enugu North Senatorial District on the platform of Labour Party (LP). NAN also reports that before commencement of the valedictory session, the remains of late lawmaker were laid in state at the foyer of the senate chamber. The late senator’s wife, children and relatives were present at the session, following revocation of Senate Order 12…

An Igbo group under the umbrella of the Igbo National Council (INC) has launched a programme termed the Ballot Revolution campaign for 2027 electoral participation. The group said that the main purpose of the initiative is to mobilize for more effective political relevance through voting, targeting over 20 million voter registrations within the region. Expatiating on the initiative, the National Coordinator of the group, Chilos Godsent, stated in a press statement that the move is to encourage mass political involvement of the Igbo nation in the forthcoming 2027 general elections. He noted that INC believes votes are the strongest instrument…

The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has denied reports that it has selected a governorship candidate for the 2027 general elections. The party’s Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Idris, dismissed the claims as false in a statement issued on Tuesday. Idris said the APC leadership in the state is not aware of any decision or agreement on the choice of a governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 polls. He said the party remains open to aspirants interested in contesting under its platform but stressed that candidates would only emerge through party primaries. According to him, the APC does…

Niger Tornadoes technical adviser, Majin Mohammed, has expressed displeasure with his team’s stalemate with Bendel Insurance. The Ikon Allah Boys rallied to a 2-2 draw against Bendel Insurance at the Bako Kontagora Stadium in Minna. Henry Onyia gave Bendel Insurance the lead in the second minute, while Chinedu Nwosu grabbed the second goal in the 37th minute. Abdulaziz Dalhatu reduced the deficit for Tornadoes in the 59th minute, while Rickson Mendos equalised on the dot of 90 minutes. Mohammed admitted that they started the game slowly which affected contributed to the result. He said it wasn’t the result they planned…

A former building contractor has given detailed testimony about the renovation and management of high-value London properties linked to Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, as her bribery trial continued for a fifth day at Southwark Crown Court in London. Tony Mulcahy, a former director of Bear Rock Construction Ltd, told the court that his company carried out major refurbishment works between 2011 and 2014 on several properties allegedly used by Alison-Madueke and her family.  His evidence, supported by emails and financial records shown to the jury, described a business relationship with Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko that was…

A commercial motorcyclist has been allegedly stabbed to death by a member of a transport union tax collection group, popularly known as agberos, following an argument over a N100 ticket in the Ijoko area of Ogun State. PUNCH Metro gathered on Wednesday that the incident occurred on Tuesday night after a disagreement between the deceased and some levy collectors escalated into a violent confrontation. Although it was unclear at press time if the suspect had been arrested, the killing sparked protests by commercial motorcyclists across Lambe, Agbado and Akute communities on Wednesday. Some riders were seen confronting levy collectors in…