Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Manny Ita At least nine Nigerian soldiers have been confirmed killed and 22 others remain missing following a sophisticated ambush by fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Mobbar Local Government Area. The attack, which targeted a military patrol on Friday, January 23, 2026, has prompted a large-scale search-and-rescue operation that entered its sixth day this morning, Thursday, January 29. ​According to military and militia sources, the commanding officer of the Damasak military base, a Major, was leading a foot patrol of approximately 30 soldiers when they were intercepted by insurgents about 25 kilometers from…

Manny Ita Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, the former Chairman of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), has initiated a legal action at the National Industrial Court in Abuja, claiming ₦1 trillion in damages for what he describes as his “unlawful, unconstitutional, and oppressive” removal from office. The lawsuit, marked NICN/ABJ/241/2020, names the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Federal Government of Nigeria as defendants. Jaja alleges that his removal was a retaliatory act of “victimization” following his efforts to reform the Commission and address deep-seated issues within Nigeria’s intellectual property governance framework. ​The legal battle…

Manny Ita The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, in collaboration with Dr. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, has officially announced the establishment of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Centre for Arts and Vocations (BATCAV). The plans were unveiled during a news conference in Lagos on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, where the organizers detailed a landmark fundraising art exhibition scheduled to take place on February 5 at the Muson Centre in Victoria Island. Curated by Artifact Galleries, the exhibition serves as the primary vehicle to generate the resources necessary to build what organizers…

Manny Ita ​Justice Keziah Ogbonnaya of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Zuba has ordered the remand of the former National Coordinator of the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP) under the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Alhaji Danjuma Mohammed, at the Suleja Correctional Centre. Mohammed was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, alongside Prince Chibuike Echem on a 54-count amended charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretense, and forgery. The prosecution alleges that between May 2022 and February 2024, the defendants defrauded the Managing Director of Diamond Leeds…

FIFA Men’s football: Transfer fees hit record $13bn By Elegbede Abiodun Clubs from England were once again both the number-one spender and the number-one recipient of transfer fees. International transfer fees in men’s football hit a record $13.08 billion (10.9 billion euros) in 2025, world football’s governing body said on Wednesday. FIFA said in its annual Global Transfer Market report that there was an all-time record of 86,158 international transfers completed in 2025. Women’s football accounted for 2,440 transfers (+6.3%) and total spending of $28.6 million, a year-on-year increase of more than 80%. The joint transfer total from men…

Manny Ita The Federal Government has earmarked a total of ₦13,124,747,575 for the procurement of arms, ammunition, and related security hardware in the 2026 Appropriation Bill. This allocation, which forms part of the broader ₦5.41 trillion defense and security sector budget, is spread across several key security institutions to bolster internal security and counter-insurgency operations. According to budget documents, the Nigerian Air Force is set to receive the largest portion of this specific fund, with ₦6.13 billion dedicated to aircraft platforms and munitions, including ₦1.79 billion specifically for the acquisition of 2,000 AR-M5T assault rifles. ​The distribution of the…

Chaos as Lagos Police fire tear gas over Makoko demolition protesters By Elegbede Abiodun On Wednesday, men of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command fired tear gas to disperse residents protesting demolitions in Makoko and Iyana-Oworo. The demonstration, which drew hundreds of residents to the Lagos State House of Assembly complex in Ikeja, quickly turned chaotic when police began deploying teargas around 1:30 pm. Workers, passersby, and protesters fled the scene in panic. Eyewitnesses reported multiple injuries, though organizers have not yet confirmed casualty figures. Protesters carried banners calling on the government to halt…

Manny Ita Administrative activities at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and its affiliate agencies have resumed today, January 29, 2026, following a National Industrial Court ruling that mandated the immediate suspension of a nearly two-week-old strike. The court order, issued on Tuesday by Justice Emmanuel Subilim in the suit filed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, held that while workers possess the right to industrial action, such rights are not absolute once a trade dispute has been formally referred to the court for adjudication. Justice Subilim cited Section 18(1)(e) of the Trade Dispute Act, emphasizing that any ongoing strike…

Manny Ita The Nigerian Senate has deferred a public debate regarding the December 25, 2025, United States airstrikes in Sokoto State, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio ruling on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, that the matter must be handled in an executive session. The decision followed a point of order raised by Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central), who argued that the unilateral authorization of foreign military strikes on Nigerian soil constitutes a “complete violation” of the 1999 Constitution and a breach of the United Nations Charter. Ningi maintained that the National Assembly was not consulted prior to the operation, warning…

Manny Ita PwC Nigeria, in partnership with BusinessDay, is hosting an exclusive executive roundtable today, January 29, 2026, at the Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos. The forum, themed “Nigeria’s Economic Outlook 2026: The Executive Playbook for Growth, Resilience, and Efficiency,” serves as a high-level strategic session for chief executives and C-suite leaders to analyze the federal government’s 2026 Budget. The primary objective is to evaluate how the private sector can transition from the “macroeconomic stabilization” phase of 2025 into a period of sustainable, multi-sectoral expansion. ​Sam Abu, Country Senior Partner at PwC Nigeria, noted that while the…