Author: News Room

The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has confirmed that all children and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Schools, Papiri, in Niger State, have been rescued and reunited with their families. The Rev. Bulus Yohanna, Catholic Diocese of Kontagora and proprietor of St. Mary’s Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School, disclosed this in a statement released on Thursday. He said a total of 230 persons — comprising 12 staff members, 14 students and 204 pupils — were verified to have been abducted and later rescued through the efforts of the Federal Government, the Niger State Government and security agencies. Yohanna said…

The 2023 New Nigeria Peoples Party presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has expressed sorrow over the sudden passing of two serving members of the Kano State House of Assembly, Hon. Aminu Ungogo and Hon. Sarki Daneji. PUNCH Online reported that Daneji’s death came shortly after the passing of Ungogo, who was the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations. While the cause of Daneji’s demise remains unknown, Ungogo, a member of the NNPP, reportedly died after a brief illness. In a statement via X on Thursday, Kwankwaso said he joined thousands of mourners in paying final respects to the lawmakers, who…

The coming year is set to be crucial for Ethereum scaling. In 2026, the Glamsterdam fork will bring perfect parallel processing to the chain and ratchet up the gas limit to 200 million, up from 60 million today.A significant number of validators will switch over from reexecuting transactions to verifying zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs instead. This sets the Ethereum layer 1 on a path to scale up to 10,000 transactions per second (TPS) and potentially beyond, though that target won’t be hit in 2026.Meanwhile, data blobs will increase (potentially up to 72 or more per block), enabling the layer 2s (L2s)…

Ali Larter (L) and Hayes MacArthur Eric Charbonneau/Paramount via Getty Images Ali Larter and her husband, Hayes MacArthur, have been by each other’s side for two decades. The pair first crossed paths in 2005 while filming the movie Homo Erectus and went on to pursue a relationship. “I told my boyfriend after three weeks that I wanted to marry him and that we could do it tomorrow,” Larter told Cosmopolitan in 2007. “I look forward to that time when I’m home with babies.” Larter and MacArthur announced they were engaged in 2007. “Since I was 15 years old, all I…

The authorities of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) have insisted that the university has appointed the renowned Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a visiting professor. The university restated its position in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday. Appointment and refutal In a statement on Wednesday, the spokesperson for UNN, Agha Inya, announced that the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Simon Ortuanya, had signed a letter dated 18 December, appointing Ms Adiche, a graduate of the university, as a visiting professor. The statement said that Mr Ortuanya, a professor, also appointed African Development Bank executive Kevin Urama and a professor from the…

The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has confirmed that all children and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Schools, Papiri in Niger, have been rescued and reunited with their families. Rev. Bulus Yohanna, Catholic Diocese of Kontagora and Properitor of St. Mary Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday. He said a total of 230 persons comprising 12 staff members, 14 students and 204 pupils were verified to have been abducted and later rescued through the efforts of the Federal and Niger State governments, as well as security agencies. Yohanna said all rescued children had…

Seven persons have been confirmed injured and hospitalised following a fire outbreak at the 22-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House on Martins Street, Lagos Island. The blaze, which erupted at about 5p.m. on Christmas Eve, spread beyond the high-rise structure, affecting nearby buildings including the seven-storey Radio Nigeria complex, Oluwole Plaza, a mosque and several adjoining properties. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, confirmed the development in an update issued on Christmas Day by its spokesperson, Nosa Okunbor. According to preliminary findings, the fire originated from the fourth floor of the building before rapidly spreading to other levels, prompting emergency…

Tunisia midfielder Mejbri Hannibal says the win over Uganda has boosted the team’s confidence going into the game with Nigeria. The North Africans overpowered the Cranes of Uganda 3-1 in their first game at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday. Tunisia lay down a marker with an impressive display against Paul Put’s men. The Carthage Eagles will head into their next group game against Tunisia full of confidence. Hannibal said the victory over Uganda was important for Tunisia. “It was important for us to start with victory. Obviously, it gives us momentum going into the next games” Hannibal…

Former Governor of Kano State and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has unveiled over 300 PhD holders produced through the Kwankwasiyya scholarship programme at the maiden annual convention of Kwankwasiyya scholars held in Kano. Kwankwaso described education as the most enduring legacy any leader could bequeath to society, saying sustained investment in human capital remains the true measure of good governance. This was disclosed in a statement released and signed by Dr Mansur Hassan, National President of the Kwankwasiyya Scholars Assembly, and issued to journalists in Kaduna on Thursday. Speaking on Wednesday at the convention, which brought…

The Benue State Police Command successfully foiled a kidnap attempt on Christmas Day and rescued one Geoffrey Akume. The command’s spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, disclosed in a statement released on Thursday, made available to newsmen in Makurdi. Edet said the incident occurred in the early hours of the day at Tiortu, along Gboko/Makurdi Road. The police spokesperson explained that the victim, who was on transit from Gboko to Makurdi, was accosted by armed men suspected to be kidnappers at Tiortu. She said they forcefully abducted the victim and were in the process of taking him deeper into a nearby thick…