Author: News Room
The late Herbert Wigwe was, by many considerations, one of the most consequential bankers in Nigeria. As the chief executive of Access Holdings, he helped transform a mid-tier lender into West Africa’s largest banking institution. But when he died in a helicopter crash in the California desert in February 2024, alongside his wife, son, and two others, the full scale of his financial world had barely been told. PREMIUM TIMES can now report, drawing on corporate filings across multiple jurisdictions, UK property registration data, and company records in Nigeria, Cyprus, the United States, Mauritius, the Isle of Man, and Jersey,…
Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, Rashid Afegbua, has banned unlawful stop-and-search, harassment, profiling, extortion and other unprofessional conduct among police personnel in the state. He said such acts are now strictly prohibited in any part of the state, emphasising that any personnel found culpable will be sanctioned. Afegbua gave the order today when he launched the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU, in line with the ongoing reforms in the Nigeria Police Force and the provisions of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020. He used the opportunity to disband the tactical formations including the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, Anti-Kidnapping Squad, and Anti-Cultism…
House of Representatives aspirants on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, say former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would be voted out if he becomes president in 2027 and fails to deliver on his promises. The aspirants made the remark on Friday at a press conference in Abuja, organised in collaboration with the Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM). The event followed the defection of Obi and former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to the NDC amid political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections. One of the aspirants for Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency…
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, is hoping to have Rodri available for Saturday’s Premier League game against Brentford. Rodri, who has been out since the 2-1 victory over Arsenal on April 19, is set for a fitness test on Friday. Guardiola admitted that Rodri “does not feel completely comfortable” but did not rule out his return on Saturday. When asked if Rodri would be available, Guardiola told reporters: “We will see this afternoon.” He added: “We have survived without him for many months. He still doesn’t feel completely comfortable. “When will he be ready? We will see this afternoon. Hopefully it will be tomorrow.”…
The Nigerian community has been thrown into mourning over the death of a six-year-old, Ayomide Bennett, after she fell from a 28-floor apartment in North York, Toronto, Canada. In a GoFundMe created this week by one Adebisi O, Diaspora Tales gathered that Bennett, who fell off the window, was autistic but “deeply cherished for her innocence, spirit, and light.” “Her life was tragically cut short following a devastating fall from a 28th-floor apartment at 200 Chalkfarm Drive,” the GoFundMe statement read. “This heartbreaking loss has left her family, friends, and community in profound grief. It is also a deep loss…
I had a lengthy banter with an elderly friend recently. One of the issues our conversation bordered on was why older men are bent on going for women with whom they have a significant age gap when remarrying. “Isn’t that when companionship should be most paramount to a man?” I asked. His response was that from age 50, going into the 60s, a man would need “help” to become sexually aroused. And such help, according to him, is often the visual stimulation that a younger woman represents. Using himself as an example, he told me that sometimes the highest sexual…
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Kogi State, Mustapha Obaje, has withdrawn from the race for the Idah Federal Constituency seat ahead of the 2027 general elections, citing the need to preserve party unity and respect internal decisions of the APC leadership. Obaje announced his decision on Friday during a press conference in Abuja, where he said the move followed consultations with key stakeholders in the party, including Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo. The withdrawal comes amid ongoing political realignments within the APC in Kogi State, as party leaders begin early consultations and power negotiations ahead of the…
The President/Group Chief Executive Officer of Transnational Corporation Plc, Owen Omogiafo, has said the Federal Government has commenced repayment of longstanding debts owed to power generation companies, describing the move as the most significant progress yet in resolving liquidity challenges in Nigeria’s electricity sector. Omogiafo disclosed this in an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the company’s 20th Annual General Meeting held in Abuja on Friday. “For us in Transcorp Power and Transafam, we have actually signed our settlement reconciliation contracts. For Transafam, they started the payments. And for Transcorp Power, they will start sometime this year,” she said.…
Nigeria’s Falconets travel to Lilongwe on Saturday (today), holding a two-goal advantage over Malawi in their bid to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, as the two-time finalists look to extend a record of appearing at every edition of the tournament since its founding in 2002. The Falconets won the first leg one-nil to two-nil in Ikenne-Remo last Saturday, with an own goal from Maureen Kenneth and a strike from Kindness Ifeanyi giving Nigeria a comfortable cushion heading into the return fixture at the Bingu National Stadium. Kick-off is set for 3pm Malawi time,…
Beauty entrepreneur and bridal make-up artist, Dagana Blessing, has said her recently concluded DB Experience was created to empower young women with practical skills, mentorship and business knowledge needed to thrive in Nigeria’s growing beauty industry. The event, which attracted over 200 participants, focused on bridal makeup training, branding, professionalism and career development for aspiring beauty creatives. Speaking on the inspiration behind the initiative, Dagana explained that she wanted to create opportunities for young creatives who lack access to mentorship and proper industry guidance. According to her, many upcoming makeup artistes are talented but struggle with visibility, structure and business…
