Author: News Room

The gunmen that kidnapped a medical doctor, Abu Ibrahim Babatunde and his brother, Abu Tahir, in Auchi, the administrative headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area, Edo State have demanded N200 million ransom for their release. DAILY POST reports that the victims were kidnapped on January 1, 2026, along City Pride Road, Igbira Camp in Auchi. A source close to the family, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the kidnappers contacted the victims’ relations on Saturday, demanding N200 million to effect their release. The source added that negotiations is ongoing with the family of the victims and the abductors…

Three countries have been booked their places in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Host nation Morocco became the latest to seal their progress with a narrow 1-0 win over Tanzania on Sunday. The Atlas Lions came into the match as heavy favourites, but failed to score as many goals as they would have loved. But in the 64th minute, Brahim Diaz scored the winner, as Morocco qualified into the next round. They will now face the winner between South Africa and Cameroon, who play later tonight. Morocco join Mali and Senegal in the quarter-finals.

Gunmen have demanded N200 million ransom for the release of two brothers, Ibrahim and Tahir Abu, who were kidnapped in Auchi, Edo State, on January 2. The father of the abductees, Momoh Tahir, told The PUNCH on Sunday that the kidnappers contacted the family to demand N200 million. After negotiations, he said, the ransom was reduced to N100 million, and the family hoped further discussions would lead to an additional reduction. He said, “They have been in touch with us since they were kidnapped. They asked for N200 million, but we were able to negotiate N100 million. We are still…

The Benue State Police Command has confirmed a fire outbreak at the building housing the Mobile Police 13 unit in Makurdi, which also contains the unit’s armoury. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Udeme Edet, acknowledged the incident but said details were still being gathered. “Yes, I am aware of the fire outbreak at the Mopol 13 facility in Makurdi, but I will get back to you,” she told journalists. PUNCH Online learnt that the fire occurred in the early hours of Sunday, destroying several office rooms as well as the armoury section of the unit. An eyewitness who spoke…

I do not have the power to foresee the next politician who will move from one party to the other. Neither can I foretell who will win the ongoing African Cup of Nations though you can guess right where my heart lies. Because I carry grammar anointing, however, I stand by the record of the outgoing year to predict that many people will make the errors below in 2026. Am not around Yes! Many will write ‘am’ when they mean the contracted form of ‘I am’. For instance, they will write: ‘Am tired.’ ‘He says am not supposed to be…

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has announced that prominent former leaders of the Peoples’ Democratic Party and known supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have resolved to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The political figures include former PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus; former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara; former Rivers State Governor, Celestine Omehia; and former Minister of Transport, Dr Abiye Sekibo. Governor Fubara made the announcement on Thursday at the New Year banquet organised by the Rivers State Government at Government House, Port Harcourt. He acknowledged the presence of the political figures at the…

Nigerian insurers are projected to record a combined Profit After Tax of N10.59bn for the first quarter of 2026, according to company filings with the Nigerian Exchange Group. The forecast reflects strong contributions from major players, including AIICO Insurance Plc, Regency Alliance Insurance Plc, AXA Mansard Insurance Plc, and International Energy Insurance Plc. AIICO Insurance Plc leads the sector with a projected PAT of N5.06bn, driven by an insurance service result of N3.26bn and net investment income of N20.85bn. Its cash flow outlook shows a net increase in cash and cash equivalents of N4.87bn, bringing closing cash balances to N24.08bn.…

Matheus Cunha saved Manchester United from a rare defeat against fierce rivals Leeds as the Brazilian’s equaliser salvaged a 1-1 draw at Elland Road on Sunday. Rubem Amorim’s side trailed to Brenden Aaronson’s second-half strike before Cunha dragged them level moments later. In a bitter rivalry keenly felt among two feuding fan bases, Leeds have now gone eight matches without a win over United since an FA Cup triumph at Old Trafford in 2010. United’s failure to take all three points cost them a chance to move into the Premier League’s top four. Amorim’s men sit in fifth place after…

Plaud has updated its compact NotePin AI recorder. The new NotePin S is almost identical to the original, except for one major difference: a button. It’s joined by a new Plaud Desktop app for recording audio in online meetings, which is free to owners of any Plaud Note or NotePin.The NotePin S has the same FitBit-esque design as the 2024 original and ships with a lanyard, wristband, clip, and magnetic pin, so you can wear it just about any way you please — now all included in the box, whereas before the lanyard and wristband were sold separately.It’s about the…

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has announced a change in its policies related to trading and monitoring following a $3.9 million exploit of the Flow blockchain last week.In a Friday announcement, Binance said it would remove nine spot trading pairs from the exchange beginning on Saturday, including one for Flow (FLOW)/Bitcoin (BTC). In a separate notice, the company included FLOW and three other tokens on its monitoring tag list. The tag is featured in tokens exhibiting “notably higher volatility and risks compared to other listed tokens,” the exchange said, noting that tokens with the monitoring tag are at a high risk of…