UTME 2026 kicks off nationwide with 2.2m candidates
The 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination got underway on Thursday across Nigeria, with over 2.2 million candidates sitting the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board test at 966 accredited computer-based centres in a seven-day exercise scheduled to run until April 22. At the Rosa Mystica Academy CBT centre in Byazhin, Kubwa, within the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory,...
Malema jailed five years over rally gunfire
South African radical opposition leader Julius Malema has been sentenced to five years in prison after a court found him guilty of illegally discharging a firearm at a party rally eight years ago. Magistrate Twanet Olivier delivered the sentence on Thursday, ruling that Malema had deliberately violated firearm laws when he fired an assault rifle into the air at an...
Court orders UI to reinstate students suspended for protesting tuition hike
A Federal High Court in Ibadan has ordered the University of Ibadan to immediately reinstate three students who were suspended for protesting a hike in tuition fees, ruling that the university violated their constitutional right to fair hearing. Justice Nkeonye Maha, who delivered the ruling on Wednesday, set aside the decision of the university's Central Student Disciplinary Committee, which had...
Oil prices stable amid US-Iran peace talks
Oil prices were little changed on Thursday, April 16, 2026, on scepticism that peace talks between the United States and Iran will reach a deal to end the war that has bottled up oil output from the key Middle East producing region. Brent crude futures were down 26 cents to $94.67 a barrel at 0611 GMT, while U.S. West Texas...
Airlines to suspend flights over fuel hike
Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has warned that domestic flights may be suspended from April 20, 2026, over the persistent rise in the price of Jet A1, otherwise known as aviation fuel. The AON said in a notice signed by its president, Dr Abdulmunaf Sarina, on Wednesday, April 15. Sarina said the price of Jet A1 had increased to N3,300 per...
Senate gives NNPC April 29 deadline to explain N210trn audit queries
The Senate, through its Committee on Public Accounts, has given the management of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited April 29 deadline to appear before it to account for the N210 trillion flagged in audit reports from 2017 to 2023. The committee directed the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Bayo Ojulari, to appear alongside the immediate past GCEO,...
Bayern sink Real Madrid as Arsenal edge Sporting to reach Champions League semi-finals
Late strikes from Luis Diaz and Michael Olise sealed a dramatic 4–3 win for Bayern Munich over Real Madrid on Wednesday, clinching a 6–4 aggregate victory and setting up a semi-final with holders Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The tie was level at the break in the second leg after a scintillating opening half, with record 15-time European champions Real going ahead...
UNILAG student recounts rape ordeal in lecturer’s underground office
A 20-year-old undergraduate of the University of Lagos has testified before an Ikeja High Court, narrating in detail how her lecturer, Dr Samuel Ojogbo, allegedly lured her into a windowless underground office and raped her following an examination in August 2025. Giving evidence on Tuesday under examination-in-chief by state counsel Owolabi Azeez, the student said the incident began on August...
Malami, son plead not guilty to terrorism-linked firearms charges
Former Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami (SAN) and his son, Abdulaziz Malami, have pleaded not guilty to a fresh five-count amended charge filed against them by the Federal Government, as their trial over alleged illegal possession of firearms and terrorism-related offences continued before a Federal High Court. At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, prosecution counsel Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN) informed...
Contractors may get part-payment on N1.8trn debt this week — Reps
Members of the House of Representatives have signalled that the Federal Government may begin releasing funds this week to settle part of the N1.8 trillion owed to contractors who executed capital projects in the 2024 fiscal year, raising cautious hopes among thousands of businesses that have waited months for payment. The lawmakers, speaking separately, declined to specify the expected disbursement...
