Author: News Room

Mackenzie Shirilla’s mother, Natalie Shirilla, revealed that her daughter has gained weight and looks healthier as she serves her two concurrent 15 years to life sentence in prison for a fatal car crash that killed her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and their friend Davion Flanagan. “She’s actually gained a little bit of weight, she looks healthier,” Natalie, 51, told The Daily Mail of Mackenzie, 21, in an interview published on Sunday, June 14. While Natalie said that Mackenzie is doing “physically better,” she added that “she’s still mentally struggling.” Mackenzie was arrested after she drove 100 mph into a brick building…

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Apo, Abuja, on Monday dismissed an application by former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Developments, Sadiya Unar-Farouq, seeking to set aside a warrant of arrest earlier issued against her. The judge, Jude Onwuegbuzie, ruled that Ms Farouq failed to appear before the court without a valid reason, holding that the law empowers the court to issue a bench warrant when a defendant deliberately absents herself from criminal proceedings. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Ms Umar-Farouq alongside Bashir Alkali and Sani Mohammed on charges of criminal…

A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta has sentenced a 29-year-old woman, Eniola Adedeji, to 45 years’ imprisonment for trafficking one minor (name withheld) for sexual exploitation in Cotonou, Republic of Benin. Adedeji, who was arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on various human trafficking offences, was, however, found guilty on nine of the charges and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for each count charge, with the jail terms to run concurrently. The Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Ogun State Command, Bose Jimoh, disclosed this in a statement forwarded to our correspondent on…

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested five suspects linked to a kidnapping and banditry network operating on the outskirts of Abuja, including a heavily pregnant woman who served as a cook and logistics supplier for the criminal gang and their hostages. The FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, while parading the suspects before journalists in Abuja on Monday, said the arrests followed a clearance operation at the Byazin area of the FCT on June 11, 2026, during which some bandits were arrested, others were neutralised, and victims were rescued. According to him, the woman, identified as Hauwa Shafiu,…

Babatunde Raji Fashola is one of the few Nigerian political leaders who still command respect across party lines. Even many of his critics acknowledge his intellect, competence, and ability to engage public issues thoughtfully. Given how highly I have rated him over the years, it is hard for me to criticise his views. That image of his is why his recent comment on elections attracted attention. Speaking at The Platform on Democracy Day, Fashola argued that elections were inherently imperfect and that Nigerians, especially the opposition, should focus more on strengthening institutions than endlessly disputing election outcomes. He noted that…

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has congratulated Edo Queens Football Club on their outstanding achievement, describing the team’s success as a proud moment for the state and a testament to the talent, determination, and resilience of Edo athletes. In Sunday’s final game against Bayelsa Queens, the Edo Queens secured a 0-0 draw, enough for them to finish with 10 points from five games. The Benin team won three games, drew one and lost one. The win confirmed the Edo Queens as the top team of 2026 NWFL, further highlighting the team’s strength, consistency, and competitive spirit. The Governor, in…

The Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, Anambra State, has dismissed five staff members, including two professors, two senior lecturers, and one principal assistant registrar for gross misconduct. In a statement on Monday, the university’s Public Relations Officer, Dr Harrison Madubueze, said the officers were dismissed at the 122nd meeting of the Governing Council held on Friday. Madubueze said those dismissed for misconduct include Prof. C.C. Nwabachili, immediate past Dean of Faculty of Law and Prof. Chike Osegbue of the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences. Others are Dr I.H. Iheukwumere and Mr Emeka Nwabunnia – both from the…

Some of the fighters in Sunday’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event on the White House lawn will be paid bonuses in stablecoins issued by the Trump family crypto company World Liberty Financial.On Monday, World Liberty confirmed that UFC would pay up to $250,000 in bonuses using USD1, the US dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by the company. UFC had previously made a similar announcement before the event. The price of USD1 jumped above $1 on June 12 and remained there, according to CoinMarketCap data at last look. Trading volume in the past 24 hours was up more than 93%, at $2.38 billion.World Liberty…

While Mackenzie Shirilla is currently behind bars, her personal life has been the subject of fascination for true crime fans after rumors of her alleged lesbian hookups inside of the Ohio Reformatory for Women have made the rounds. While speaking to The Daily Mail in an interview published on Sunday, June 14, Natalie Shirilla revealed what her daughter’s life in prison has been like. At one point during the interview, Natalie, 51, reacted to the 36 misconduct “tickets” that Mackenzie, 21, has received for violating prison rules. “A lot of the tickets she got were for stuff she wouldn’t even…

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s bid for the presidency in the 2027 general election took a major hit after the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the deregistration of five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the party he recently adopted to run for president again. Delivering judgement on Monday, Justice Peter Lifu directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC alongside four other political parties for failing to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration. The other affected parties are the Accord Party (AP), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party…