Author: News Room

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has reaffirmed its preparedness for the 2027 general election. The electoral body noted this was done despite the delays surrounding the passage of the amended Electoral Act currently before the National Assembly. The Commission disclosed that it has already concluded work on the election timetable and schedule of activities, confirming it now awaiting legislative action on the proposed amendments. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made this known on Wednesday in Abuja during an engagement with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). He explained that although INEC has forwarded its recommendations to lawmakers, the timing of the…

Two hunters have been killed after suspected armed bandits attacked a group in a forest in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.The incident was contained in a post shared on X on Wednesday by security analyst  Makama. According to the post, the attack happened around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday inside the Kadidda Forest. “The hunters had gone into the forest for what was described as a hunting exhibition when they were ambushed by the attackers,” Makama wrote. The bandits were said to be many in number and armed with sophisticated weapons. Two of the hunters were shot at close…

Former England striker, Michael Owen, has insisted that Arsenal will not win the Quadruple this season. The Gunners remain in four competitons, following their 4-2 aggregate win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final. Mikel Arteta’s men are six points ahead at the top of the Premier League and finished first in their Champions League group with a perfect record. They will also play Wigan Athletic in the fourth round of the FA Cup. “The league is obviously nearly wrapped up. And yes, they could win the Carabao Cup,” Owen said on talkSPORT. “And then the two others are going…

The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, John Azuta-Mbata, has called on the Federal Government to prioritise adequate and sustained funding of the South-East Development Commission as a means of promoting national reconciliation and addressing long-standing grievances in the region. Azuta-Mbata made the call on Wednesday at the ongoing four-day South-East Vision 2050 Regional Stakeholders Forum in Enugu, describing the commission as a tangible demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to equity and justice. The forum, which began on Tuesday, is aimed at charting a unified socio-economic development roadmap for the South-East and repositioning the region as a global industrial hub…

The Enugu State Police Command has uncovered a transnational human trafficking syndicate and rescued a 25-year-old woman who was trafficked to Mali and forced into prostitution. The operation also led to the arrest of a 69-year-old suspect, Mr Eze Boniface, who allegedly played a key role in the trafficking scheme. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying Boniface was arrested by operatives of the Igbo-Eze North Police Division on January 21, following a complaint lodged by the victim’s parents. According to Ndukwe, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect and his accomplices,…

A member of the House of Representatives from Adamawa State, Muhammed Basil, has urged former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from partisan politics and assume the role of an elder statesman. Basil, who represents Jada/Ganye/Toungo/Mayo-Belwa Federal Constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, made the call barely two weeks after one of Atiku’s sons, Abba Atiku, declared support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Speaking with The PUNCH in an exclusive telephone interview from Abuja, the lawmaker said it was time for Atiku to step aside and allow younger politicians to take the lead.…

Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited hosted its clients at the 2026 Global Market Outlook event, bringing together industry experts to examine the evolving global financial landscape and its implications for Nigeria in 2026, where it revealed that the country’s growth outlook is optimistic. A statement from the bank on Tuesday stated that the well-attended event featured presentations from speakers drawn from Standard Chartered, including Manpreet Gill, Chief Investment Officer, Africa, Middle East and Europe; Lanre Olajide, Head of Wealth and Retail Banking, Nigeria; Ernest Adejumo, Head of Wealth Solutions; Uche Ugboh, Head of Treasury Markets; and Chima Eboh, Head of…

Nigeria has been confirmed among the nations that will compete in the men’s 3×3 basketball event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, which will be the country’s first appearance in the fast-growing format at the Games, The PUNCH Sports reports. The confirmation was made on Tuesday by Commonwealth Sport, which released the list of qualified nations for the basketball competitions scheduled to hold at the Scottish Event Campus from July 24 to 29, 2026. The announcement represents a significant milestone for Nigeria, which did not feature when the discipline made its Commonwealth Games debut at Birmingham 2022. 3×3 basketball…

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is pressing Google for more information about its plans to build a checkout feature into its Gemini AI chatbot. In a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Warren expresses concerns that the integration could allow Google and retailers “to exploit sensitive user data” or “manipulate consumers into spending more and paying higher prices.”Last month, Google announced that it will soon allow users to buy products directly within Gemini through the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a standard it developed in partnership with Shopify, Target, Walmart, Wayfair, and Etsy. The UCP is supposed to make it easier for…

The Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) has formalized its interim framework governing the custody of crypto and tokenized assets. The move outlined how dealer members are expected to safeguard client holdings while permanent crypto-specific rules remain under development.In a Tuesday notice, CIRO said the framework sets out its supervisory expectations for investment dealers operating crypto trading platforms, including custody limits, segregation standards, reporting obligations and tiered requirements for third-party crypto custodians.The self-regulatory organization said the framework operates through binding terms and conditions of membership, rather than through amendments to its core rulebook. It is intended to provide investor protection and…