Author: News Room

In Nigeria, an estimated 75,000 women die every year from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. This translates to about 206 women every day and one woman every seven minutes. In other words, the country loses the equivalent of an entire town of women to pregnancy-related deaths. Yet, these losses do not register as a national catastrophe and remain invisible, except as personal tragedies and anecdotes. Why have these deaths remained invisible in national and public discourse despite the sheer magnitude of the numbers? The answer lies not only in contemporary governance failures or weak health systems but in a…

Banks operating in Nigeria have reported a broad rise in loan defaults across households and businesses, showing growing stress in the credit market despite improved loan supply and rising demand. According to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Credit Conditions Survey for the fourth quarter of 2025, lenders recorded higher default rates on secured, unsecured, and all categories of corporate lending during the period under review. The findings point to worsening repayment capacity among borrowers as high interest rates, weak consumer incomes, and elevated operating costs continue to weigh on economic activity. “Lenders reported higher default rates for Secured, Unsecured, and…

Former Nigeria Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick has confirmed he has no intention of returning to the leadership of the body, ending years of speculation about a potential third stint, The PUNCH reports. Speaking to News Central TV in Morocco, the administrator said he is still relatively young at 55 years old and technically capable of continuing as NFF president, but he has no intention of seeking another term. “I’m young. I’m 55. I can still be an NFF president. But do I want to be? Never,” Pinnick said. Pinnick led the NFF from 2014 to 2022, serving two full…

Jetpay, a fintech and cryptocurrency company owned by Blord Group, is expanding its crypto business across Nigeria, planning to open regional offices as it seeks to deepen market reach and attract more users to digital asset trading. The move comes after several years of operations focused on cryptocurrency conversion, payments and gift-card trading, and reflects a broader push by local fintechs to scale amid growing demand for alternative financial services. The expansion was disclosed by Blord Group founder Linus Ifejirika in a video posted on his verified Facebook page. He said Jetpay has maintained continuous crypto trading operations for seven…

Magic Eden CEO and co-founder Jack Lu says his company will be well-positioned for the “supercycle” where “finance merges with entertainment” amid a recent boom in prediction markets and betting.“Speculation is mainstream now. And Magic Eden is building for this world,” Lu posted to X on Monday.“Prediction markets are all over Emmys and the news. Betting is the second fastest growing industry in the US after AI. Sportsbook sponsorships are all over everyone’s favorite sports broadcasts. Hyper casual games + real-money gaming are converging.”Lu’s remarks come as prediction markets’ trading volumes reached a record $814.2 million on Monday, smashing the…

Many Summer House fans noticed the writing was on the wall regarding the downfall of Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula’s marriage. Cooke and Batula, who got married in 2021, announced four years later that they decided to “part ways as a couple.” “After much reflection, we have mutually and amicably decided to part ways as a couple,” the pair wrote in a joint Instagram statement in January 2026. “We share this with a heavy heart and kindly ask for your grace and support while we focus on our personal growth and healing.” They continued, “It feels ironic to ask for…

Suspected bandits have abducted about 163 worshippers during a church service in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The abduction occurred on Sunday. The Chairperson of the c in Kajuru LGA, Enoch Kaura, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES during a telephone interview on Monday. Mr Kaura stated that while 172 people were initially abducted, nine managed to escape shortly after the attack. “The attack occurred while members were in the middle of the service. The bandits arrived in large numbers, blocked the church entrance, and forced the congregation into the bush,” Mr Kaura explained. “It has been…

Journalist and public affairs commentator Muhammad Mahdi Shehu has announced his acquittal by a Federal High Court sitting in Kano, sharing the outcome in a post on his verified X account on Monday. According to the post, the court on January 19, 2026, upheld a no-case submission and discharged and acquitted Shehu and his company, Dialogue Global Links Limited, of all six criminal charges brought against them. Shehu stated that the charges, instituted in 2021 by the Office of the Inspector-General of Police on behalf of the Katsina State Government, were based on alleged cybercrime, defamation, peddling of fake documents,…

Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf on Monday met with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid heightened speculation over his planned defection to the All Progressives Congress. The governor, dressed in his signature flowing white northern babanriga and a red Kwankwasiyya cap, was spotted by our correspondent making his way to the President’s office at 4:13pm local time. He departed the Villa about three hours later but declined to speak to journalists. However, our correspondent learnt that the governor is due to return later in the week to provide the President with feedback on the issues…

The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of one of its officers, Inspector Victor Okus, for shooting two of his colleagues at a popular supermarket in Port Harcourt on Sunday afternoon. The command said the incident occurred while the affected officers, attached to the 14 Police Mobile Force, Yola, were on joint guard duty with military personnel in the state. Although details surrounding the shooting were not immediately disclosed, the police identified the victims as Inspector Ibrahim Sani and Inspector Daniel Dauda. In a statement issued on Monday, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko,…