Author: News Room

A 10-year impact report by She Writes Woman (SWW) has identified the South-west, particularly Lagos State, as the region with the highest number of reported mental health distress cases in Nigeria. The report, unveiled on Sunday in Abuja and obtained by PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, analysed over 25,000 real-time distress calls received through the organisation’s nationwide toll-free helpline. It found that nearly 50 per cent of callers were from the South-west, with Lagos accounting for the largest share. The report also revealed that 55 per cent of callers experienced suicidal ideation, while one in five reported a combination of suicidal…

Ebonyi, which calls itself the ‘Salt of the Nation,’ is blessed with vast mineral wealth and fertile plains suited for large-scale cultivation of rice and other agricultural products. For decades, communities in Abakaliki, Izzi, Ezza, and Ikwo cultivated rice largely by hand and mainly for subsistence. The narrative began to change as calls for food self-sufficiency grew, and both federal and state governments made deliberate efforts to reduce rice imports. Aside from Ebonyi, other notable rice-producing states in Nigeria are Kebbi, Jigawa, Kano, Ekiti, Benue, Kaduna, Niger, Cross River, and Ogun. No longer the dusty, stone-filled Grains of Ebonyi rice…

Hours after businessman and philanthropist Olakunle Churchill stated that he was not legally married to actress Rosy Meurer, a photograph of the pair together resurfaced online. PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Churchill, in a post on his Instagram page, clarified that his relationship with Ms Meurer was limited to an introduction ceremony. He also dismissed rumours of divorce, adding that he hadn’t been served any legal separation documents. However, shortly after his clarification, a photo emerged showing the businessman celebrating their eighth wedding anniversary, prompting renewed public debate over the accuracy of his claims. Mr Churchill posted the photo on…

Nigeria’s Super Falcons now know their pathway to the 2028 Summer Olympics, with a second-round clash against either Sudan or Comoros confirmed following Wednesday’s draw in Cairo. The ceremony, conducted at the headquarters of the Confederation of African Football on Wednesday, officially set Africa’s qualification route in motion. Nigeria, as one of the continent’s top-ranked sides, were seeded and granted a bye into the second round, delaying their entry but not reducing the scale of the challenge ahead. The Super Falcons will face the winner of the first-round tie between Sudan and Comoros, with the fixtures scheduled for 1-9 June.…

The Osun State Government has dismissed allegations by the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, that public schools in the state are plagued by inadequate infrastructure and a shortage of teachers. The rebuttal was issued on Friday in Osogbo by the Chairman of the Osun State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Temitope Mustapha, during a one-day workshop organised for members of the state’s timetable committee. Mustapha stated that the administration of Ademola Adeleke had prioritised education and was committed to ensuring that no school in the state was neglected. He said both urban and rural schools were benefiting from…

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Okutepa, who served as lead counsel for Senator David Mark in the legal proceedings concerning the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, has praised the Independent National Electoral Commission for adhering to the Supreme Court’s ruling without needing any prompting. In a statement posted on his X account via @sanjsokutepa on Friday, Okutepa lauded INEC for proactively restoring the leadership status of the ADC on its portal, rather than waiting to be served with the apex court’s judgment. On Thursday, the Supreme Court instructed David Mark to return to the Federal High Court for…

Troops of the 159 Battalion have arrested two suspected terrorists during a routine stop-and-search operation in Yobe State. The incident was disclosed in a post shared on Friday on X by security analyst Zagazola Makama. According to the post, the suspects were arrested on April 30 at about 8:00 a.m. at a military checkpoint in Kanama. The suspects, identified as Dahiru Mohammed, 40, and Ismail Adamu, 34, both from Geidam, were intercepted while returning from Damasak Market. Security sources said troops carried out a routine search, which led to their arrest after suspicious items were discovered and incriminating information was…

Nollywood actress, Bimbo Ademoye was recently captured in a tense moment on set after a group of area boys reportedly stormed her outdoor movie location, demanding “settlement.” In a video shared on X by user Usmanashafe, on Thursday, the actress is seen standing her ground, confronting the men who insisted she pay them for filming in their neighbourhood. Visibly upset but composed, Bimbo made it clear she had no issue supporting them financially on her own terms but strongly rejected the way they approached her. “I am a street girl, let me tell you. Ask around when it comes to…

Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, has made it clear that he is not ready to leave Galatasaray. Osimhen has said he has found a home with the Rams in Istanbul. The Nigerian has been linked with a summer exit, with clubs like Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid among his admirers, ​The 27-year-old only completed a €75 million permanent transfer to Galatasaray last year. Osimhen has now spoken about the love and affection the club and its supporters lavish on hi, ​”God has put me on that path to prepare me for the greatness I’m in right now,” Osimhen told journalist…

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has commended President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council over the approval of Phase 1A of the Lagos Green Line Rail Project. In a post via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, Sanwo-Olu described the move as a major milestone for transportation development in the state. He wrote, “On behalf of the Government and people of Lagos State, I express my sincere gratitude to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council for the approval of Phase 1A of the Lagos Green Line Rail Project.” He also noted…