Author: News Room

UBA Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of United Bank for Africa Plc, has distributed essential materials worth several millions of naira and dollars to school students, orphanages, internally displaced persons camps, and vulnerable communities across Nigeria and 19 other African countries where the bank operates. As part of its Food Bank and Giving Back drive, the Foundation said in a statement on Sunday that it impacted over 100,000 individuals with essential items and cash gifts between November 2025 and January 2026. The initiative was aimed at easing the financial strain associated with the end of the year and the…

Ex-Man United striker, Wayne Rooney believes Manchester United supporters were given a rare reminder of the club’s glory days after witnessing a change in atmosphere that he likened to the Sir Alex Ferguson era. As reported by BBC Sport on Monday, Rooney said the home crowd “felt something” that has been missing for more than a decade, suggesting the energy inside Old Trafford during the Manchester Derby echoed the intensity and belief that defined United under Ferguson. Rooney, who won five Premier League titles alongside Carrick at United, thinks there was a big difference in the home crowd under the…

In January 2025, French authorities freed Ledger co-founder David Balland after kidnappers demanded a large ransom in cryptocurrency. The case illustrated what crypto crime can look like when it leaves the screen and becomes a physical hostage situation.In fact, crypto-related disputes and theft are increasingly linked to real-world violence, including abduction attempts and ransom schemes designed to force victims to hand over access.That is the logic of a wrench attack. Instead of hacking a wallet, criminals use threats or force to make the holder unlock it or send the funds themselves.Scams and hacks still dominate in volume, but some of…

The mystery woman spotted kissing Desmond Scott amid his divorce from Kristy Scott has now been identified. Us Weekly can confirm that model Marissa Springer, 24, was the woman kissing Desmond at the Houston, Texas, bar. Springer told Us that Desmond was out at the bar with his friends and “in good spirits.” The PDA-filled moment made headlines on Thursday, January 15, after TMZ obtained the footage. Us Weekly reached out to Desmond for comment at the time. News broke earlier this month that Kristy filed for divorce from Desmond after 11 years of marriage. In the filing obtained by…

The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has dismissed claims by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) that the federal government established a gold refinery in Lagos in violation of the federal character principle. It said the allegations contained in a statement signed by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) spokesperson, Abubakar Jiddere, were not true and misleading. In a statement on Sunday in Abuja, Segun Tomori, the special assistant to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said the minister had not made any such announcement. “There was nowhere in the Minister of Solid Minerals announcement that the Federal Government…

Nigerian stocks reported their third straight week of gain last week, driven by gains from oil & gas equities. All the sector indexes appreciated during the week, taking the year-to-date return to 6.8 per cent. Investor confidence has been strong in the market since the beginning of the year, marked by high buying interest across sectors. “Early-year portfolio repositioning and fresh inflows are likely to sustain demand, particularly for fundamentally strong stocks with clear earnings strength and attractive dividend prospects as investors position ahead of full-year earnings releases,” said analysts at Meristem Securities in their outlook for the week. PREMIUM…

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has asked the Nigerian government to clarify the contents of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on health cooperation signed with the United States. The opposition party cited what it said were conflicting public statements by both governments about the agreement. PREMIUM TIMES reports that Nigeria and the United States signed the five-year MoU on 19 December 2025. In a statement released the next day, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare described it as a technical framework to strengthen health security, expand primary healthcare and increase domestic health financing. The ministry said the MoU…

A fresh report has revealed that the United States may have relied partly on information provided by Emeka Umeagbalasi, a screwdriver trader based in Onitsha, Anambra State, before launching recent airstrikes in Nigeria. According to a New York Times investigation, Umeagbalasi, founder of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has been cited by US Republican lawmakers in pushing claims that Christians are being systematically targeted and killed in Nigeria. On December 26, the United States carried out airstrikes on ISIS terrorists in northwestern Sokoto State, an operation the US said was conducted at the request…

Suspected armed men have reportedly kidnapped Prince Emorioloye Owoloemi, a prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State and Director-General of the Asiwaju Media Team, a political support group for President Bola Tinubu. It was gathered that the abduction took place at about 9 a.m. on Friday at the Okonga/Olodo Junction in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area. The gunmen were said to have arrived in two Hilux vehicles, stormed Owoloemi’s office and forcibly whisked him away to an undisclosed location. His whereabouts remain unknown as of the time of filing this report. Reacting to the…

Former Chelsea attacker, Solomon Kalou, has slammed Morocan forward, Brahim Diaz for wasting the opportunity that could have seen his side win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations trophy. Diaz missed a spot kick in the very last minute of the full-time, opting for a weak panenka after he was brought down in the eighteen yard box. Senegal went on to defeat Morocco to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON. The second half was tilting towards a 0-0, until the referee disallowed Ismaila Sarr’s header for a foul on Achraf Hakimi. In the 97th minute, the Atlas Lions…