Author: News Room

Challenges facing the economy and insecurity, especially associated with elections in a developing economy like Nigeria, will be the focus of discussion at the seventh yearly lecture of Freedom Online (www.freedomonline.com.ng) on 3 September in Lagos. Freedom Online, according to a statement by its Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Gabriel Akinadewo, is focusing on how to tackle insecurity during the lecture “because it has become a monster, threatening to consume the nation-state called Nigeria.” “What does the future hold for Nigeria after the 2027 general elections? How will the election be conducted in a way that will be acceptable to all? Will the…

Femi Otedola, the chairman of First HoldCo Plc, acquired 95.7 million new shares in the banking group, taking his stake in the company to 27.70 per cent. In a regulatory filing signed by the group’s Company Secretary, Abiola Baruwa, on Monday, Mr Otedola purchased 95,699,240 additional shares at N131.48 per share, valued at N12.58 billion. The additional share purchase represents 0.21 per cent of the company’s outstanding shares and was made through Calvados Global Services Limited. After the purchase, Mr Otedola now holds about 12.14 billion shares in the financial institution, representing 27.70 per cent of the company’s outstanding shares.…

France and Saudi Arabia on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding for a six-billion-euro ($7 billion) Saudi investment to create three theme parks near Paris, including one likely to be manga-themed, the office of the French president said. The French presidency’s Elysee Palace said the agreement for the “colossal” project was signed during a two-day visit to France by Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The investment will see the construction of three theme parks near Cergy-Pontoise, some 30 kilometres northwest of Paris, it said. French President Emmanuel Macron on X hailed the “unprecedented announcement”, saying…

The FTC and Zillow have announced a settlement that ends the case alleging that a 2025 “partnership” between Zillow and Redfin violated antitrust laws. The FTC had alleged Zillow agreed to pay Redfin to syndicate its listings, while Redfin would end its own advertising contracts and promise not to compete with Zillow for multifamily listings.The FTC’s settlement proposal allows Redfin to continue syndicating rental listings from Zillow “unencumbered by the anticompetitive restraints” in the original deal, but also requires Redfin to restart its own rental listings advertising business, which it wound down as part of the partnership.Daniel Guarnera, director of…

Strive purchased 1,110 Bitcoin for about $81.5 million last week, bringing its total holdings to 21,356 BTC. According to a Monday filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the company paid an average of $73,409 per Bitcoin (BTC), including fees and expenses, for purchases made between Aug. 17 and Aug. 21.Strive’s cash and cash equivalents rose by $17.1 million to $171.9 million over the period, while its Class A shares outstanding increased by 3.65 million to 79.89 million. Bitcoin was trading near $79,000 on Monday, about 8% above the average price Strive paid for its latest purchase.The purchase lifted…

The Osun State Government has constituted a 10-member committee to verify victims of election-related violence and oversee the disbursement of the N500 million endowment fund promised by Governor Ademola Adeleke after his re-election victory. The committee, announced on Monday, is expected to receive and verify petitions, claims and supporting evidence from people affected by the violence and recommend appropriate relief for those found eligible. The development comes barely a week after Mr Adeleke announced the fund following his victory in the 15 August governorship election, during which he acknowledged that the political contest had come at a heavy human cost,…

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has said that a possible sudden wheel or bogie defect, along with the manner of brake application, may have contributed to the derailment of the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS) in Delta State. NRC disclosed this in its preliminary report on the incident, which occurred on 8 June near the Goodluck Jonathan Railway Station, Owa-Oyibu, Agbor, Delta State. The report was signed by NRC’s Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, on Monday. The train departed Itakpe at noon, carrying 482 people, comprising 442 passengers and 40 operational personnel, and derailed while approaching the Outer Home signal of the…

Veteran actor and screenwriter Taiwo “Ogogo” Hassan was buried at his residence in Ilaro, Ogun State, shortly after a special prayer for him at the Asade Agunloye Pavilion. Kira, one of Ogogo’s daughters, confirmed on her Instagram page that the actor was buried on Monday in accordance with Islamic rites. “God, they’ve buried my daddy,” she wrote. Several of Ogogo’s colleagues, friends and associates attended the burial to pay their final respects. They included Madam Saje, Dele Odule, Yinka Quadri, Jide Kosoko, Femi Adebayo, Toyosi Adesanya, Ireti Osayemi, Sunny Alli, and Muyideen “Lala” Oladapo. Ogogo’s burial ground (Credit_ Instagram@citypeopletv) Others…

Troops of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have intercepted three suspected gun runners and rescued six kidnapped victims in separate operations in Zamfara State. The operations, conducted on Sunday, August 23, 2026, also led to the recovery of an AK-103-2 rifle, one magazine and 30 rounds of ammunition, according to the Joint Task Force. The Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday. Danja said troops from Sector 2 intercepted a vehicle conveying three suspected gun runners along the Kaura Namoda–Shinkafi Road. He said…

The Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI) and Blockchain Association (BA) filed a lawsuit against Illinois officials regarding the state’s 0.2% tax on cryptocurrency, expected to be enforced starting in January 2027. In a lawsuit filed Friday in the Circuit Court of the Seventh Judicial Circuit for Sangamon County, lawyers for the two crypto advocacy groups challenged Illinois’ digital asset tax on the grounds it violated the US Constitution, the state’s constitution, federal and state due process laws and the federal Internet Tax Freedom Act. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed the measure into law as a “privilege tax” in June as part…