Author: News Room

The 82 Division, Nigerian Army, has assured traders in the Onitsha Main Market and traders in other economic centres in the region of security and safety. This is contained in a statement issued by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations 82 Division, Lt.-Col. Olabisi Ayeni, on Tuesday in Enugu. Ayeni said that traders and other law abiding citizens would be protected with every necessary measure. According to him, security forces remain fully deployed, on alert while intelligence-led kinetic operations are ongoing to dismantle the remnants of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and ESN from their hideouts. “The Headquarters,…

A former Peoples Democratic Party House of Representatives candidate in Lagos State, Naheem Balogun, has formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress. According to a statement obtained by PUNCH Online on Tuesday, Balogun made the declaration at a ceremony held at the De-Echo Event Centre, Egbeda, which attracted ADC leaders and supporters from Alimosho Local Government Area. Recall 2023 Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour,  had formally defected to ADC in September 2025, and it is likely he recontests under the party. The development came on…

Popular Nollywood actor Bolanle Ninalowo has stepped into the political arena, joining the campaign efforts of President Bola Tinubu. The actor announced in an Instagram post on Tuesday that he has been appointed as the Atlanta, United States, coordinator for “Relax Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria,” a prominent pro-Tinubu advocacy group. Sharing a flyer of his appointment, which featured the logo of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress, and that of the RTIFN, Ninalowo wrote, “Honored to serve as Coordinator! Atlanta/USA for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.” He also shared other flyers revealing the son of the President, Seyi Tinubu, as the…

Microsoft says it is working on the Publisher Content Marketplace (PCM), an AI licensing hub that shows usage terms set by publishers. That way, AI companies can easily shop the terms and set up deals to use online content for “grounding” their AI models, while the content owners get usage-based reporting to help set prices.Microsoft says it’s been codesigning PCM with companies including Verge parent Vox Media, The Associated Press, Condé Nast, People, and others. The AI boom has been largely fueled by content ingested without payment, and many of the previously mentioned publishers have filed lawsuits and/or arranged content…

Tian Ruixiang Holdings Ltd (Nasdaq: TIRX) said it has entered a strategic agreement under which an unnamed investor would contribute 15,000 Bitcoin in exchange for an equity stake in the company. At Bitcoin’s (BTC) price of about $75,000 at the time of writing, the proposed contribution would be valued at about $1.1 billion. Tian Ruixiang said the agreement also includes a strategic partnership focused on artificial intelligence and crypto initiatives, including the creation of a joint innovation lab to develop AI-powered trading and risk management tools, blockchain infrastructure, decentralized applications and products spanning layer-2 networks, DeFi and nonfungible tokens.The company described…

The Kardashian-Jenner family has always been famous for keeping their exes close — and that’s still true for Kim Kardashian and her younger sister Kylie Jenner’s former partner Travis Scott. The Skims cofounder, 45, revealed in a new interview that she doesn’t hesitate to contact Scott, 34, for the occasional fashion-related indulgence. “I’m not that girl to call in family favors, I just don’t,” Kardashian said during an interview with Complex for the outlet’s “Sneaker Shopping” video series published on Monday, February 2. “[But] I had to call to get the Travis pinks. And then they show up.” The reality…

Gospel music icon Ron Kenoly has passed away. His death was announced by Bruno Miranda, his music director for over two decades. The announcement was shared on Mr Kenoly’s official Instagram page on Tuesday. According to the statement, the veteran worship leader died on Wednesday. He was 81. No details were given about the cause of death. Mr Miranda described Mr Kenoly as a mentor and spiritual father whose life and ministry were rooted in discipline, humility, and a deep understanding of worship. “Today, February 3, 2026, we said farewell to Dr Ron Kenoly,” he wrote, noting that their relationship…

A report by the policy think tank Agora Policy has blamed weak competition in Nigeria’s cement industry for persistently high cement prices and rising construction costs nationwide. The report, published on Tuesday by Agora Policy, a Nigerian think tank committed to finding practical solutions to urgent national challenges, revealed that the high cement prices have also hindered affordable housing and infrastructure delivery in the country over the years. According to the report, despite achieving formal self-sufficiency in cement production in 2012, cement prices in Nigeria remained elevated, with industry profitability consistently above levels observed across Sub-Saharan Africa. In September 2025,…

Nigerian actress and singer Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has weighed in on the ongoing debate over the marketing strategies filmmakers and actors use to promote their movies in cinemas and on streaming platforms. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the discussion gained traction after filmmaker Kunle Afolayan stated at the Lagos Business of Film Summit that he would not resort to dancing to promote a film. Afolayan described the relentless demands of constant content creation required for modern film promotion as unsustainable. But his colleague, Funke Akindele, responded to the remarks, saying she was not standing in the way of his progress and stressing…

The Niger State House of Assembly has sounded the alarm regarding the worsening water crisis in Minna and other major towns, urging the state government to take urgent action. Hon. Yakubu Abdulmalik Bala, the member representing Katcha Constituency, presented a motion during plenary highlighting the dire situation. He cited obsolete water infrastructure, poor maintenance, and insufficient supply as some of the primary challenges confronting the sector. Bala argued that access to safe and potable water is fundamental to human survival, public health, sanitation, and socio-economic development. He warned that the absence of a coordinated and sustainable short-, medium-, and long-term…