NCDC: Lassa fever killed 215 Nigerians in 2025 as CFR hit 18.7%
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says 215 deaths were recorded from Lassa fever in 2025, with the case fatality rate (CFR) rising to 18.7 per cent, higher than the 16.3 per cent recorded in 2024. The NCDC disclosed this via its Lassa Fever Situation Report for Epidemiological Week 52 (December 22–28, 2025) published on the agency’s...
Edo doctor regains freedom after 2 weeks in kidnappers’ den
A medical doctor abducted by gunmen alongside his brother in the Auchi area of Edo State, Abu Babatunde, has regained his freedom after spending two weeks in captivity. Babatunde, a House Officer at Edo State University Teaching Hospital, Iyamho, was kidnapped alongside his younger brother, Abu Tahir, a newly-graduated medical doctor from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, on January 1, 2026. The...
NCoS arrests 20-year-old for drug smuggling at Kano High Court
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Kano State Command, has arrested a 20-year-old man for allegedly attempting to smuggle a substance suspected to be Indian hemp into a custodial facility at the Kano High Court premises. The arrest was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday in Kano by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSC Musbahu Lawan-Kofarnasarawa. He said the suspect, a...
Nigeria’s crude oil output dipped to 1.422mbpd in December 2025 — OPEC
Nigeria’s crude oil production fell marginally to 1.422 million barrels per day in December 2025, from 1.436 million bpd recorded in November, according to the latest Monthly Oil Market Report released by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries on Wednesday. The data show that Nigeria has now missed its OPEC-assigned production quota for the fifth consecutive month, highlighting persistent output...
₦246bn NEDC allocation not meant for salaries alone — Budget office
The Budget Office of the Federation has rejected claims that the North East Development Commission (NEDC) operates a ₦246 billion salary budget, describing the allegation as misleading and rooted in a poor understanding of the federal budgeting process. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Director-General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu, clarified that the ₦246.77 billion allocation reflected against...
Torn apart: Guinean mother deported from Belarus, baby left in orphanage
Mariam Soumah, a 23-year-old mother from Guinea, has been separated from her infant daughter Sabina for nine months after being deported from Belarus without her child. Soumah is now in Guinea, while Sabina remains in a Minsk orphanage. The young mother traveled to Belarus on a student visa, hoping to eventually reach the European Union. But her plans unraveled after she fell...
Super Eagles coach: Why I brought on Chukwueze for penalties against Morocco
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has justified his decision to introduce Samuel Chukwueze shortly before the penalty shootout against Morocco, despite the winger missing his spot kick in Nigeria’s semi-final defeat. Nigeria bowed out of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Wednesday after losing 4-2 on penalties to Morocco, following a goalless draw after extra time. Misses from...
AFCRD 2026: Tinubu, Shettima, Akpabio, others honour fallen heroes
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday led Senate President Godswill Akpabio, members of the Federal Executive Council, National Assembly, service chiefs, and diplomatic corps to honour the nation’s fallen and living heroes. The event, which involved the laying of wreaths at the National Arcade in Abuja, was the climax of activities for the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day (AFCRD). First...
Fire razes filling in Jos
A petroleum and cooking gas filling station along the Bukuru Expressway in Jos, the Plateau State capital, was gutted by fire on Thursday morning, sparking panic among residents and motorists in the area. The filling station, located close to the Jos South Local Government Secretariat, was reportedly engulfed by flames that began around a major underground petroleum discharge tank, raising...
Oil prices drop as Trump calms Iran fears
Oil prices retreated from multi-month highs on Thursday, January 15, 2026, after United States President Donald Trump calmed market anxiety over potential U.S. military action against Iran. A selloff in tech stocks extended into Asian trading, following declines on Wall Street, as investors rotated out of high-flying chip and artificial intelligence-related names while searching for bargains in other parts of...
