Author: News Room

A 33-year-old dispatch rider, Yahaya Nuru, was on Wednesday convicted and sentenced to a total of seven years’ imprisonment by the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos for the unlawful distribution of large quantities of tramadol and other prohibited drugs. Justice Musa Kakaki delivered the judgment after Nuru pleaded guilty to a four-count charge filed against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. At the arraignment, the prosecutor, Peter Ekuri, told the court that the convict, alongside others still at large, committed the offences in November 2025 at No. 6 Ashogbon Street, Lagos Island. “Nuru conspired with Abdulrazak and…

After weeks of calculations, quiet borrowing, and painful prioritisation, a widow and lecturer II (who preferred anonymity) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, finally scraped together N30,000, the statutory acceptance fee for her third son, newly admitted into the university she serves. It was not easy. She teaches, marks scripts, supervises projects, and publishes, yet her salary barely stretches far enough for three university students and another child in senior secondary school. “I heaved a sigh of relief,” she said. “At least, one hurdle crossed.” Then came the announcement: The acceptance fee was no longer N30,000; it was now N50,000,…

The Nigerian Exchange Regulation has confirmed the admission of an additional 3.16 billion ordinary shares of United Bank for Africa Plc to the Daily Official List of the local bourse. In the confirmatory letter dated 12 January, which was signed by the Head of the Issuer Regulation Department at NGX, Godstime Iwenkehai, the additional share listing followed the conclusion of the bank’s rights issue. The PUNCH reports that UBA has emerged as the latest lender to meet the new minimum capital requirement set by the Central Bank of Nigeria for banks with international operations, as its share capital crosses the…

Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina has emerged as a transfer target for fellow English Premier League side Everton, who are looking to address their right-back issues this winter, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. According to SportsBoom, Everton manager David Moyes is keen to strengthen the position during the January transfer window, with first-choice right-back Seamus Coleman having struggled with injuries this season. The 37-year-old has been limited to just one Premier League start. Nathan Patterson, who has been earmarked as Coleman’s long-term replacement, has also endured fitness problems and has likewise made only a solitary league start, forcing Moyes to rely…

Any ebook reader will let you cram a Beauty and the Beast-sized library’s worth of books in your pocket, but so will your phone. An ebook reader offers a more book-like reading experience, with fewer distractions and less eye strain, and many include extra features, like adjustable frontlighting. Some really are pocketable. Others are waterproof or offer physical page-turning buttons, while a few even let you take notes.I’ve been using ebook readers for nearly a decade, and I’ve gone hands-on with dozens, from the Kindle Paperwhite to lesser-known rivals like the PocketBook Era. Whether you want something your kid can…

Major US crypto exchange Coinbase says it has withdrawn its support for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, with CEO Brian Armstrong arguing that it would cause far more harm than good to the crypto industry in its current form.“This version would be materially worse than the current status quo. We’d rather have no bill than a bad bill. Hopefully we can all get to a better draft,” Armstrong said in an X post on Wednesday.“After reviewing the Senate Banking draft text over the last 48hrs, Coinbase unfortunately can’t support the bill as written,” Armstrong said.Coinbase CEO raises several concerns…

Andrew Garfield just swung into his blond era, showing off a long, shaggy hairstyle and a clean-shaven look during a recent outing in Las Vegas. The web-slinging Spider-Man actor, 42, debuted his light mane in a backstage photo after catching Penn and Teller’s magic act, which combines tricks and comedy. Garfield was joined by rumored girlfriend Monica Barbaro. “Great to have #andrewgarfield and @monicabarbaro at the show @riovegas over the weekend!” read the caption of a photo shared by the performing duo via Instagram on Tuesday, January 13. In the beaming snapshot, Andrew’s light tresses peeked out the sides of…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday published the revised voter register for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), ahead of the 21 February Area Council Election, with a total of 1,680,315 registered voters. INEC Director of Publicity and Voter Education, Victoria Eta-Messi, in a statement issued in Abuja said that the voter register had been presented to political parties during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja. Mrs Etta-Messi quoted the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for FCT, Aminu Idris, as describing the exercise as a critical constitutional requirement in the commission’s preparations for the election. Mr Idris, while speaking at the…

  Nigeria’s hopes of reaching a ninth Africa Cup of Nations final were dashed on Wednesday night after the Super Eagles fell to hosts Morocco in a tense semi-final decided by penalties in Rabat. Instead, it was the Lions who stayed on course for a first AFCON title in 50 years after edging Nigeria 4-2 in a shoot-out, following a goalless 120 minutes at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. The defeat ended Nigeria’s impressive run at AFCON 2025, where the Super Eagles had arrived in the semi-final unbeaten and tipped as favourites. The match itself was cagey and low on…

An agricultural expert from the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Dr Imam Isah Musa (PhD), has warned that the recent fall in the prices of staple food commodities, particularly rice and maize, could trigger a long-term food crisis in Nigeria if urgent corrective measures are not taken. Dr Musa noted that Nigeria is naturally endowed with vast, fertile and cultivable land suitable for the production of a wide range of food crops for human, livestock and industrial consumption. He explained that rice and maize have, over the years, emerged as highly strategic and…