Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

File: Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has suspended the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and 20 other officers over the reported deaths of 37 people in the Corps’ custody. The officers were suspended pending the conclusion of an independent investigation into the deaths, which occurred on Thursday, September 17, 2026. The Ministry of Interior announced the suspension in a statement signed by the minister on Saturday. The statement said the suspension was in addition to the setting up of a 10-member independent committee to investigate the incident.…

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume. Photo: OSGF The Federal Government has opted for a low-key celebration for the country’s 66th Independence Day anniversary, with President Bola Tinubu scheduled to address the nation on October 1. This was disclosed by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in a statement made available on Friday. According to the statement, the Federal Government has inaugurated an Inter-Ministerial Committee responsible for organising the event in Abuja. The committee is chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. Speaking after…

Prepaid meters Ikeja Electric Plc has commenced refunds to customers who previously paid for their electricity meters under the Meter Asset Provider programme. The company disclosed this during its September virtual stakeholder engagement, a monthly platform for educating customers, providing operational updates and addressing issues affecting service delivery. In a statement, Ikeja Electric explained that eligible customers would receive refunds through credits applied to their vending transactions over the approved refund period. “Customers can monitor their refund status online using their meter number or account number. The refund dashboard provides details including the meter cost, refund count, monthly refund amount,…

The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has unveiled a three-certificate model aimed at making Colleges of Education more attractive to young Nigerians and reversing declining enrolment in teacher training institutions. Under the new model, students admitted into Colleges of Education will graduate with three qualifications, a National Certificate in Education (NCE), Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree and a skills certificate. The NCCE Executive Secretary, Angela Ajala, disclosed this shortly after a conference involving provosts of Colleges of Education across the North East at the College of Education (Technical), Gombe. Ajala said the new structure was part of a…

Nigerian cultural leader Tonye Rex Idaminabo  One of Nigeria’s cultural leaders has been recognised for contribution to the Flavours of Nigeria Festival and promotion of heritage. BRAMPTON, ONTARIO — Nigerian cultural leader Tonye Rex Idaminabo has received formal recognition from the Corporation of the City of Brampton for his contribution to the Flavours of Nigeria Festival and his work supporting the celebration and promotion of Nigerian heritage, traditions and artistic expression. Idaminabo was presented with a Certificate of Recognition for Cultural Leadership by the City of Brampton in recognition of his valuable contribution to the festival and his participation in…

France’s national football team head coach Zinedine Zidane holds a press conference to unveil France squad for the upcoming Nations League matches, at the French football federation (FFF) heaquarters in Paris on September 18, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) Zinedine Zidane confirmed on Friday that Kylian Mbappe would be his France captain after naming his first squad since being appointed as the successor to Didier Deschamps as coach of Les Bleus. Real Madrid superstar Mbappe shone in his role as skipper at the World Cup and finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 10 goals, although France were…

Nigeria Premier Football League club Ikorodu City have celebrated their players Michael Atata and Aderemi Adeoye after the duo received Super Eagles call-ups. Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle on Thursday unveiled his squads for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar on September 25 and Guinea-Bissau on September 29, as well as the international friendly against Russia. Atata and Adeoye made the 24-man squad for the friendly with Russia, scheduled for October 6. Atata is one of three goalkeepers listed, alongside Stanley Nwabali and Samuel James. Adeoye is among eight midfielders named, along with Wilfred Ndidi, Chibuzor…

The stakeholders in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector have called for concerted efforts to tackle challenges threatening the industry’s growth, particularly persistent damage to telecom infrastructure. They have raised the concerns against the backdrop of data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which showed that road contractors, vandals and excavation crews severed 74,276 fibre-optic cables across the country in April 2026. The figure rose to 79,121 in May, while the NCC had recorded more than 5,000 discrete fibre-cut incidents in the first half of the year by the time it convened a stakeholders’ workshop in August. Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC,…

FCMB Capital Markets Limited has acted as Joint Issuing House and Bookrunner on the ₦274.19 billion Series 1 Development Bond issued by the Bank of Industry (BOI), in one of the largest sub-sovereign bond issuances through Nigeria’s capital market. The five-year, 17.60 per cent fixed-rate bond, due in 2031, was issued through BOI Financing SPV Plc under the bank’s $1 billion Multi-Currency Instruments Programme. Initially priced at ₦250 billion, the transaction was oversubscribed following strong demand from institutional investors. BOI subsequently exercised its green shoe option to accommodate the additional demand, increasing the final issuance to ₦274.19 billion. FCMB Capital…

President Bola Tinubu and Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, Paris. Photo: X / @aonanuga1956 President Bola Tinubu on Thursday met with French President Emmanuel Macron for a private dinner at the Élysée Palace in Paris. The dinner was disclosed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on X on Friday. Onanuga said the meeting reflected the enduring relationship between Nigeria and France and their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation.