Author: News Room

Two suspected senior commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group, on Monday, pleaded guilty to a 32-count terrorism charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja after months of contesting the case. The defendants, Mahmud Usman (also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas and Mukhtar), identified by the prosecution as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, and Abubakar Abba (also known as Mahmud al-Nigeri and Malam Mamuda), alleged to be the group’s deputy leader and chief of staff, changed their pleas before Judge Emeka Nwite. Their lawyer, Bala Dakum, told the court that, after consulting with the defendants, they had decided to abandon…

MOPO, a pay-per-use battery technology company based in Sheffield, UK, but focused on Africa, has reached an understanding with Nigeria for a $75 million (approx. ₦120 billion) expansion, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing a statement by the firm. The deal allows MOPO to team up with the Rural Electrification Agency—the government department responsible for deepening access among the unserved and underserved—on a pilot programme that will run through this year. The project is scheduled for delivery in 2030. MOPO, regarded as the largest provider of battery rental services on the continent, uses off-grid solar power stations with recharging facilities to…

The Anambra State Police Command has intensified surveillance patrols across strategic locations in the state as part of efforts to strengthen security and reassure residents of their safety of lives and property. This was contained in a statement issued by the Spokesman for the command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, on Monday. According to Ikenga, the exercise, which began on Monday, is aimed at providing real-time situational awareness and supporting intelligence-led security operations targeted at denying criminal elements any opportunity to operate within the state. Ikenga described the exercise as a proactive step aimed at enhancing public safety, strengthening rapid-response capabilities, and…

Strategy, the world’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, is raising fresh capital through sales of its Class A common stock while maintaining its current Bitcoin holdings.Strategy raised $263.5 million through sales of its MSTR common stock under its at-the-market (ATM) program between July 13 and July 19, according to a Form 8-K filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.The company made no Bitcoin purchases or sales during the reporting period, leaving its holdings unchanged at 843,775 BTC, acquired for a total purchase price of $63.69 billion. The average acquisition cost of its holdings is $75,476, according to…

Blake Lively is not letting her latest legal battle with Justin Baldoni get in the way of a good time. The Gossip Girl alum, 38, attended the 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium with three of her friends on Sunday, July 19, sharing a glimpse of their sun-soaked day via her Instagram Stories. Posing for a selfie just steps away from the pitch prior to the game commencing, Lively beamed for the camera while wearing jeans and a white T-shirt beneath a printed open shirt. She paired her summery ensemble with a chunky statement necklace and sunglasses.…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the C to withdraw a bill seeking to compel social media platforms and bloggers operating in Nigeria to establish physical offices with verifiable addresses in the country. The organisation made the call in a letter dated 18 July and addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas. The letter was signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare. SERAP argued that the proposed legislation could lead to the exclusion or shutdown of social media platforms in Nigeria and expose millions of Nigerians to…

Sir Keir Starmer has formally resigned as the United Kingdom’s prime minister, saying “my work is done” as he handed over power to his successor, Andy Burnham, after two years in office. In his farewell address outside 10 Downing Street on Monday, Starmer reflected on his time in office and expressed pride in his government’s record. “I go with good grace, I go with a smile and I go proud of everything that we have achieved,” he said. The outgoing prime minister also pledged his support for Burnham as he prepared to assume office. Following his speech, Starmer travelled to…

Asset manager Grayscale plans to establish regular cash distributions from rewards generated by its Ether (ETH) and Solana (SOL) staking exchange-traded products (ETPs), giving holders recurring access to yield generated by underlying assets. In Form 8-K filings submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Grayscale said it intends to amend the trust agreements governing the Grayscale Solana Staking ETF (GSOL) and the Grayscale Ethereum Staking ETF (ETHE) around Aug. 7. The amendments would require each trust to convert staking rewards into cash no less often than quarterly and distribute net proceeds to shareholders. The framework could make staking returns more…

As Team Argentina and Team Spain faced off on the 2026 World Cup pitch, they received an onslaught of cheers from a sea of famous faces. The highly anticipated FIFA championship tournament held on Sunday, July 19, featured Argentinian star Lionel Messi hoping to lead his team to another victory over Spain. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. “We will give it our all,” Messi, 39, said in a pregame press conference, also acknowledging that he once gave 19-year-old Spanish athlete Lamine Yamal a bath in a now-viral photoshoot almost two decades earlier. “Looking at that photo is crazy. Well,…

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday granted Bello Bodejo, the national president of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, bail in the sum of N2 billion in his alleged $2.63 million money laundering trial. Judge Inyang Ekwo admitted Mr Bodejo to bail with two sureties in the like sum. The judge also fixed 5, 6 and 7 October for the commencement of the trial. As part of the bail conditions, the judge ordered that one of the sureties must be an Abuja resident with a three-year tax clearance certificate. The second surety must own landed property worth N2 billion in…