AFCON 2025: Senegal, Morocco advance to semi-finals
Morocco and Senegal on Friday booked places in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after winning their respective quarter-final encounters. Senegal reached the last four after edging Mali 1–0 in a tense West African derby played in Tangier on Friday. Iliman Ndiaye struck early in the 27th minute of the match, a goal the Teranga Lions defended resolutely...
13 state assemblies add over ₦1trn to 2026 budgets
No fewer than 13 State Houses of Assembly across the country have collectively added more than ₦1tn to their states’ 2026 budgets, following legislative reviews and amendments to appropriation bills submitted by governors. The increase emerged from an analysis of the original budget proposals presented by governors and the final appropriation laws passed by the assemblies, with the gaps reflecting...
How bandits stormed Kwara monarch’s palace, kidnapped seven royal family members
Bandits numbering about 20 reportedly invaded the palace of the monarch of Adanla community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State on Boxing Day, kidnapping seven members of the royal family and injuring two others, according to the Coordinator of the Kwara South Joint Community Security Watch Network, Mr Olaitan Oyin-Zubair. Oyin-Zubair said the attack occurred at about 6:30...
Patient alleges urinary damage, files ₦800m claim against Lagos hospital
A Lagos-based architect, Alfred Ogene, has filed a legal claim against R-Jolad Hospital Nigeria Limited, alleging gross medical negligence that he says caused permanent damage to his urinary system and severe physical and psychological trauma. In a memorandum issued through his lawyers, Nojim Tairu & Co., and signed by Joseph Aborisade, Ogene said he was admitted to the hospital in...
Forensic audit exposes 8,452 ghost workers on Osun payroll
A forensic audit firm, SALLY TIBBOT Consulting Limited, has accused the Osun State Government of inserting 8,452 alleged ghost workers into the state payroll and paying them a total of ₦13.7bn annually. The allegation was made by the firm’s Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sa’adat Bakrin-Ottun, through the company’s legal counsel, Jiti Ogunye, during a press conference held...
‘Russia should be taken seriously’: Putin warns Ukraine, West with weapon not used since 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin has launched an Oreshnik hypersonic missile aimed at intimidating Ukraine and sending a signal of Russian military might to Europe and the United States at a crucial juncture in talks to end the war. Putin has repeatedly boasted of the speed and destructive power of the Oreshnik, which Russia first fired at Ukraine in November 2024. Since...
Trump warns of more US strikes in Nigeria
United States President Donald Trump has suggested that additional US military strikes could be carried out in Nigeria if attacks on Christians persist, following a US operation conducted in the country on Christmas Day. Trump made the remark in an interview with The New York Times published on Thursday, where he was asked whether the December 25 strike against Islamic...
I started Zenith Bank with ₦20m in 1990 — Jim Ovia
Founder of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia, has recounted how the financial institution was established in 1990 with a start-up capital of ₦20 million, urging young Nigerians to remain focused and determined despite challenges. Ovia made the disclosure in an interview shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday by a user, AjMachalaa, where he reflected on the bank’s modest beginnings...
Governor offers automatic employment to first class graduate in Yobe
Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni has offered automatic employment to Surayya Kabir, a first-class graduate of Physics Department of Yobe State University (YSU), Damaturu. The governor’s Director-General of Press and Media Affairs, Mamman Mohammed, made this known via a statement issued on Friday, January 9, 2026. Kabir was offered an employment as a Graduate Assistant at the Physics Department of...
Industrial Court bars resident doctors from planned strike
The National Industrial Court in Abuja has restrained the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and two of its officials from embarking on any form of industrial action scheduled to begin on January 12, 2026. Justice E. D. Subilim issued the interim injunction on Friday in a suit marked NICN/ABJ/06/2026, filed by the Federal Government and the Attorney General of...
