Author: News Room

Prominent leaders of the National Democratic Coalition, Col Tony Nyiam (retd.) and Chief Ayo Opadokun, have rejected claims by former Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), that leaders of the pro-democracy group requested an extension of military rule in 1998. The duo also challenged Abdulsalami’s assertion that the late winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola, was not poisoned, insisting that his account of the events surrounding Abiola’s death was unconvincing. Abdulsalami, in his recently launched autobiography, “Call of Duty,” claimed that some NADECO leaders privately appealed to him to prolong the military transition after…

The Kwara State Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress, Bayo Fabiyi, and two others have been abducted while allegedly attempting to deliver ransom for the release of a kidnap victim in Oko-Irese, Irepodun Local Government Area of the state, PUNCH Metro gathered on Tuesday. The incident, said to have occurred on Sunday, has sparked concern in the community amid reports that the victim, whose release was being negotiated, may have been killed before the ransom team arrived at the designated location. Sources familiar with the development told PUNCH Metro that Fabiyi, a driver, and another associate embarked on the mission…

Let us begin with a number that should end any argument about whether Nigeria’s telecommunications regulatory environment is performing at the level the economy requires. In Q1 2026, Nigerians spent N3.33tn on internet data. The telecoms sector contributed 9.19 per cent of Nigeria’s real GDP — its second-highest quarterly contribution in two years. In full-year 2025, the sector contributed N18.5tn to the economy, growing at 26.34 per cent year-on-year in Q4 alone. Telecommunications is now the fourth-largest contributor to Nigeria’s real GDP, behind only crop production, trade, and real estate. A sector of this size and growth rate deserves a…

The Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to Nigeria, Mr Legesse Haile, has paid a strategic visit to the headquarters of Specific Tools & Techniques Limited in Lagos to explore new opportunities for investment, digital infrastructure development, and cross-border collaboration between Ethiopia and Nigeria. ST&T, one of Nigeria’s leading engineering and facility management companies with over two decades of operational excellence in the telecommunications and power sectors, is currently expanding its operations across several African countries, including Ethiopia. During the visit, Ambassador Legesse held high-level discussions with the company’s investors, executive management team, and board members on opportunities…

The National Sports Commission has announced a landmark increase in prize money for the Nigeria Premier Football League, with next season’s champions set to receive a record N1bn, up from the current N200m, as part of sweeping reforms aimed at transforming domestic football, The PUNCH reports. The announcement was made by NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko during a high-level strategic meeting with officials of the Nigeria Football Federation on Tuesday in Abuja. The meeting, held at the commission’s headquarters, was attended by Dikko, NSC Director-General Bukola Olopade, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, NFF General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi and Super Eagles head…

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a lawsuit against Kentucky on Tuesday after the state sued prediction market operators last week, accusing them of operating unlicensed and illegal gambling platforms.The lawsuit, filed in federal court, seeks to block Kentucky’s legal action against five prediction markets filed on Wednesday last week, calling for declaratory and injunctive relief. It names Kentucky Governor Andrew Beshear, Attorney General Russell Coleman and the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation, among others.“Kentucky is the latest state attempting to shut down federally-regulated event contracts,” CFTC Chair Mike Selig said in a statement. “As I’ve consistently pledged,…

James Handy’s death certificate reveals new insight after his fatal stabbing. The death certificate, obtained exclusively by Us Weekly on Tuesday, June 23, shows The Top Gun: Maverick actor, 81, was cremated on June 17, just days after his girlfriend Wendy Gledhill’s son, Michael Gledhill, allegedly stabbed him to death on June 3. Handy’s immediate cause of death was listed as multiple traumatic injuries, including a stab wound to the torso and neck compression inflicted by another. The death certificate also revealed that Handy had no underlying health conditions that contributed to his passing. His time of death was listed…

The Abia State Government says it has empowered the State Harmonised Task Force, in collaboration with security agencies, to impound any motorcycle found operating within the metropolitan cities of Aba, Umuahia and Ohafia. The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Tuesday, while briefing reporters in Umuahia on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting, presided over by Governor Alex Otti. Mr Kanu said any impounded motorcycle would be released only upon payment of a N50,000 fine within 30 days of impoundment. He said that failure to pay within the stipulated period would result in forfeiture of…

The Anambra State Government has intensified efforts to reclaim public land, restore the state’s original master plan and enforce physical planning regulations. This is evident in the commencement of the third phase of the operation to restore the masterplan, as the state reaffirms its commitment to eliminating shanties and unauthorised structures across the state. The operation tagged, ‘Show your building permit’, is being carried out by the state ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, targeting major commercial hubs and communities across the state. The government said such is aimed at restoring order, enhancing environmental sustainability, and promoting planned urban…

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, on Tuesday urged residents of Anambra State to stop shielding criminals and provide timely intelligence to security agencies, warning that a culture of silence was enabling kidnappers, cultists and other criminal elements to thrive in communities. The IGP made the call during a strategic stakeholders’ engagement on security held in Awka, the Anambra State capital. Represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the South-East, DIG Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, the IGP said effective crime-fighting requires active collaboration between the police, communities, traditional institutions and other stakeholders. He noted that the engagement, being held…