Author: News Room

A Nigerian man, Okitipi Samuel, has been taken into custody by the Nigeria Police Force for his alleged role in a global cyberattack on Microsoft 365 users. The Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the outcome of investigations carried out by the National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force. Hundeyin said the centre, under the leadership of its Director, Commissioner of Police Ifeanyi Uche, commenced investigations in collaboration with Microsoft, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency. According to…

It is not an exaggeration to say that the average Nigerian driver often behaves like an unintentional suicide risk. The danger does not usually come from mechanical failure or acts of fate but from our everyday recklessness and collective disregard for the basic rules that govern road use. We eat while driving. We drink while driving. We answer phone calls, scroll social media, record videos, and even livestream while behind the wheel. Each act may appear trivial in isolation, yet together they form a culture of danger that has turned Nigerian roads into silent killing fields. This recklessness is not…

The race for the Osun and Ekiti State governorship elections is heating up as the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party battle for control, while the African Democratic Congress says it is poised to make a strong impact in both states. PDP National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, told Sunday PUNCH that both states are PDP strongholds and expressed confidence that the party will emerge victorious. Meanwhile, ADC National Youth Leader, Balarabe Rufai, in an interview with our correspondent, stated that with the backing of the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, ADC is set to take control of Osun and…

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr Mulisiu Oseni as Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, following the confirmation of the commission’s board members by the Senate. Oseni’s appointment indicates that Tinubu has dropped Abdullahi Ramat, whose name he had initially sent to the Senate for confirmation in August. The PUNCH reports that Ramat, a former Chairman of the Ungogo Local Government Area in Kano State, was nominated for the NERC chairmanship position by Tinubu on August 7, according to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. His nomination came when the…

The Gates Foundation has invested $27m in Nigeria’s Primary Health Care Challenge Fund over the past four years, with the bulk of the funding deployed as performance-based awards to drive reforms and improve service delivery at the state level. According to the foundation, about 70 per cent of the $27m investment was dedicated to performance awards under the Challenge Fund, which was designed as a proof of concept to incentivise state governments to prioritise, reform and sustainably finance primary health care. Speaking on behalf of the foundation during the Nigeria PHC Challenge Fund event in Abuja on Friday evening, the…

Celtic have been criticised for their treatment of Kelechi Iheanacho after the Nigerian striker suffered his second hamstring injury since joining the Scottish club in August. Iheanacho lasted just 30 minutes during Celtic’s League Cup final defeat to St Mirren on Sunday before pulling his hamstring, having been Celtic’s best performer before the injury. Football pundits Peter Martin and Tam McManus described the former Leicester City striker as a “panic buy” and accused Celtic of “battering” him with fitness work despite his lack of match sharpness after leaving Sevilla. “Iheanacho does have good movement. Can hold the ball up. Can…

Lagos nightlife came alive over the weekend as American rapper Rick Ross made an unexpected appearance at a crowded club, leaving partygoers in awe. The Miami-born artiste, who was in the city for the TAPE Lagos pop-up event, took the stage on Saturday night, igniting the room with his presence. Guests danced under sparkling chandeliers, while the energy on the dance floor reached a fever pitch. The night’s excitement was amplified by Israel DMW, whose high-energy moves and dramatic leaps caught the attention of fans and quickly went viral on social media. Although the club played popular Afrobeats hits from…

Uncertainty continues to loom over the fate of 115 students still in captivity in Niger State, with families and communities remaining on edge, even as 100 schoolchildren were recently freed from abductors, writes Chika Otuchikere For Niger State residents and the government of Governor Mohammed Bago, the waiting is not over, even after 100 school children regained their freedom from dreaded terrorists. An estimated 115 abductees, including pupils, students, and teachers of St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State, are still languishing in the terrorists’ den somewhere in Niger State or…

After briefly going dark in the US to comply with the divest-or-ban law targeting ByteDance that went into effect on January 19th, TikTok quickly came back online. It eventually reappeared in the App Store and Google Play as negotiations between the US and China continued, and Donald Trump continued to sign extensions directing officials not to apply the law’s penalties.Finally, in mid-December, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew told employees that the agreements for selling stakes to create a joint venture that includes Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX as part owners have been signed, and the deal is expected to close…

Coinbase, the largest US-based crypto exchange, has appointed George Osborne, a former United Kingdom chancellor of the exchequer, to run the company’s internal advisory council.The decision to appoint Osborne, who began working as a Coinbase advisor in 2024 during its battle with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), is part of Coinbase’s strategy of expanding its influence with foreign governments, according to Reuters.Osborne announced the new lead position on Thursday, framing it as a learning opportunity. He said:“Serving on Coinbase’s advisory council for over two years, I have seen the blockchain revolution and the potential to spread ownership to…