Suspected gunmen opened fire on the convoy of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Friday as he arrived to register with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in his hometown of Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State. Witnesses said bursts of gunfire rang out in parts of the community as the former minister’s convoy approached the venue of the registration exercise, sending residents and supporters who had gathered for the event scrambling for safety. Security operatives later moved into the area and restored calm, preventing further disruption to the gathering. Despite the incident, Amaechi proceeded with the registration and later addressed supporters in the community. The Rivers State Police Command had not issued an official response to the incident at the time of reporting. Speaking after the event, Amaechi condemned the attack but praised the swift response of security agencies, saying their intervention helped stabilise the situation. He said...

Jobs in the United States (US) fell unexpectedly last month, raising fresh doubts about the strength of the country’s labour market. Although economists had widely expected hiring to remain broadly stable, official figures released by the US Labor Department showed payrolls declined by 92,000, while the unemployment rate edged up to 4.4 per cent.  It represents the sharpest monthly fall in employment since October, when a federal government shutdown disrupted economic activity. The figures also come amid wider economic uncertainty, with analysts warning that rising oil prices linked to tensions surrounding the US-Israel war involving Iran could weigh on global growth. Job losses were recorded across nearly every sector, including healthcare, typically one of the most resilient sources of employment, posted declines after strikes disrupted services during the month. Federal government employment also continued to shrink, with the Labor Department reporting that the sector lost a fur...

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) will mobilise an additional 50,000 graduates in 2026, following approval from President Bola Tinubu. NYSC's Director-General, Brig Gen Olakunle Nafiu made the announcement on Friday during the commissioning of a remodelled clinic at the scheme's headquarters to mark his first year in office. Nafiu explained that the move was intended to ease delays in mobilisation and expand opportunities for prospective corps members. “ Government listens and acts when people bring up issues that are in their name. In response to long waits for mobilisation, Mr President approved an additional 50,000 corps members in the 2026 budget ,” he said. With the new addition, the NYSC plans to mobilise 418,000 corps members next year, reflecting the scheme’s growth since 1973.  Nafiu stressed that while only some graduates are eligible each year, mobilisation has increased alongside the expansion of tertiary institutions nationwide. READ ALSO : Kidnapped NYSC Mem...

The Imo State Government has completed the reconstruction of the 33.1-kilometre Owerri–Onitsha Road, a key transport corridor linking several communities and serving as a major gateway into the state. Governor Hope Uzodimma said on Friday that the project forms part of the administration’s wider effort to upgrade road infrastructure across Imo to improve mobility, stimulate commerce and strengthen economic activity. According to the governor, the newly rebuilt highway was designed to withstand heavy traffic and provide smoother, safer and faster travel for commuters and businesses moving goods within and beyond the state. The road passes through five local government areas, Owerri Municipal, Owerri West, Mbaitoli, Oru East and Oru West, connecting urban and rural communities along the route. READ ALSO : Tinubu Approves Six Major Road Projects, New Carter Bridge Design Uzodimma stated the reconstruction also addressed a previously deteriorated section at the Mgbidi–Oguta intersection, w...

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed injectable “ mini livers ” designed to support failing organs, offering a potential new treatment for patients with severe liver disease. Researchers say the technology could eventually help thousands of people awaiting liver transplants by providing temporary or long-term support without the need for major surgery. The team, led by biomedical engineer Sangeeta Bhatia, described the engineered tissues as “ satellite livers ” capable of performing key biological functions normally handled by the organ. “ If we could deliver these cells into the body while leaving the sick organ in place, that would provide booster function ,” Bhatia said in a statement. In experiments conducted on mice, the miniature grafts produced several enzymes and proteins typically generated by the liver and remained functional in the body for at least eight weeks. The liver, the body’s largest internal organ, carries out around 500 essen...

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the diplomatic postings of 65 Nigerian ambassadors to various countries and international missions, including the United Nations (UN). The appointments cover 31 career diplomats and 34 non-career envoys, whose nominations were confirmed by the Senate in December 2025. In a statement issued on Friday, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the ambassadors-designate had now been assigned to their respective missions abroad following the president’s approval. READ ALSO :  Nigeria Denies Plans for US Military Base Among the non-career ambassadors given postings are former presidential aide Reno Omokri, who will serve in Mexico, and former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode, posted to Germany. Others include former presidential adviser Ita Enang, assigned to South Africa, and former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, who will represent Nigeria in Qatar. The statement revealed that the appointments ...

The Nigerian Army is set to recruit and train more than 28,000 new soldiers within the next year, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu, has announced. The recruitment drive, approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aims to bolster the Army’s operational strength and enhance its response to security threats across the country.  New personnel will undergo training before being deployed to support ongoing operations, particularly in regions grappling with insurgency and other security challenges. In a separate development, the Army has deployed an additional battalion to Kwande Local Government Area (LGA) in Benue State and is upgrading its operational capabilities with modern equipment and improved aviation support, including plans to deploy helicopters for missions such as Operation Whirl Stroke. Military authorities describe the recruitment as part of a broader strategy to increase troop numbers, improve community-based intelligence collaboration, and reduce response times ...

The family of an abducted member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), identified as Abba, say they fear he has been killed by his captors despite paying a ransom of N10 million for his release. Relatives said communication with the kidnappers abruptly stopped after the payment was made, raising fears that the corps member may have been murdered. Family sources told security analyst and counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama that the abductors initially demanded N10 million to secure Abba’s freedom but later made additional demands even after the money was delivered. According to the sources, the kidnappers subsequently asked the family to provide motorcycles in addition to the ransom already paid. “ Since receiving the N10 million ransom payment, Abba’s abductors have completely cut off all communication with the family ,” the sources said. The family said it had refused to meet the new demands after the sudden silence from the kidnappers, saying the lack of communication had...

Nigeria’s military has dismissed suggestions that its partnership with the United States (US) involves plans to establish a foreign military base in the country. The clarification was given by the Director of Defence Information at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Maj Gen SM Uba, during an X (formerly Twitter) Space discussion on Thursday. Speaking during the session, Uba disclosed the relationship between the Nigerian Armed Forces and the United States Army was limited to professional military cooperation and did not include any proposal to site an American base on Nigerian territory. According to him, the collaboration focused on training programmes, operational capacity development, intelligence sharing and technical cooperation aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s defence capabilities. “ The partnership between the Nigerian Armed Forces and the United States does not imply the establishment of a US military base in Nigeria . “ It is purely based on bilateral military cooperation to supp...

The Federal Government has said it now has the capability to identify and apprehend foreigners who overstay their visas in Nigeria. According to the Federal Government, the development follows the creation of new digital monitoring systems by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS). The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the 2026 Sectoral Performance Review Retreat of the Federal Ministry of Interior. Tunji-Ojo revealed the government now possesses detailed immigration records covering the past decade, enabling authorities to track individuals who entered the country and determine whether they complied with the terms of their visas. “ With that, we can access, in the last 10 years, everybody who has entered, where you came from, everything. We have all your records . “ We know the exact people who have overstayed in our country and we will go after them, with due respect, because outside Nigeria they go after irregular immigrants and we m...

Nigeria’s telecommunications regulator on Thursday, directed operators to report any cyber attack within four hours of detecting it, under a new framework designed to strengthen the country’s digital security. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) announced the directive in its Cyber Resilience Framework for the Nigeria Communication Sector (CRF-NCS) released in February 2026.  NCC stated that the policy is intended to improve national security oversight and protect subscriber data across Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure. Under the framework, telecommunications companies must notify the NCC through a dedicated reporting portal within four hours of identifying a cyber threat.  Operators are also required to provide updates every four hours and submit a comprehensive incident report within 24 hours. READ ALSO : Tinubu Orders Suspension of FAAN Cashless System at Airports The regulator said the measure will help build real-time awareness of cyber threats across ...

Health specialists have advised against wearing earplugs every night to block out noise during sleep, warning that frequent use could interfere with the ear’s natural cleaning process and lead to medical problems. Otolaryngologists, doctors specialising in ear, nose and throat conditions, say earplugs remain safe for occasional use but should not become a nightly habit.  Instead, they recommend creating a quieter sleep environment through alternative measures such as white-noise machines, fans or improved soundproofing in the bedroom. According to sleep and health researchers, the human ear maintains what experts describe as a delicate ecosystem designed to trap and remove dust, bacteria and wax.  Tiny outward-facing hairs and wax-producing glands help prevent debris from reaching the eardrum, while a natural process known as epithelial migration gradually pushes wax out of the ear canal. Regularly inserting objects such as earplugs, earbuds or cotton swabs can disrupt that pr...

President Bola Tinubu employed discreet diplomacy to prevent Washington from taking a hostile stance towards Nigeria over claims of genocide. Alhaji Isa Aremu, Director-General of the Michael Imodu Institute for Labour and Employment Studies made the claim on Wednesday. Speaking on in Ilorin at the institute’s fifth Ramadan lecture series, organised by its Muslim community, Aremu said Tinubu avoided public confrontation with his United States (US) counterpart, Donald Trump, and instead worked quietly through diplomatic channels to defuse the issue. He argued that restraint and behind-the-scenes engagement helped avert wider tensions at a sensitive moment, adding that a more combative response could have deepened divisions at home.  Aremu also pointed to subsequent remarks by Trump praising the work of Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, on social welfare as evidence that diplomacy had yielded results. READ ALSO :  Tinubu Orders Suspension of FAAN Cashless System at Airports ...

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to suspend the cashless payment system recently introduced by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). Keyamo announced the president’s directive on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. According to the minister, the president instructed the aviation ministry to halt the current arrangement and review the system to ensure it operates without creating difficulties for airport users. He said Tinubu had asked officials to “ go back to the drawing board, suspend the present system and perfect a system that will work perfectly without putting unnecessary pressure on citizens .” READ ALSO : Tinubu Approves Six Major Road Projects, New Carter Bridge Design The minister added that the president also urged authorities to take a swift decision on a revised framework, including the possibility ...

Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup through the inter-confederation play-offs have been dashed after FIFA confirmed the final line-up for the tournament, naming DR Congo as Africa’s representative. The decision was disclosed in an accreditation notice circulated to the media on Wednesday, in which the world football governing body outlined the tournament format and listed the six participating nations. DR Congo’s inclusion effectively shuts the door on the Super Eagles, whose place had been uncertain following a dispute over the outcome of the CAF play-off tie between the two sides in November 2025. READ ALSO : Super Falcons Rally to Beat Cameroon 3–1 in WAFCON Warm-Up The Nigeria Football Federation had lodged a formal protest with football authorities, alleging that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during the decisive encounter. That match ended 1–1 after regulation time before DR Congo secured victory through a penalty shoot-out. With FIFA’s latest confirmation of...