Author: bibncollar

Ilorin, Kwara State — Residents of Awun village in the Oro-Ago district of Kwara State have collectively paid N60 million in ransom to secure the release of three community members abducted by suspected bandits four months ago.The victims, whose ages ranged between four and 15 years, were kidnapped during an invasion of the community. According to sources close to the village, prolonged efforts to secure government intervention proved unsuccessful, prompting indigenes both at home and in the diaspora to levy themselves and raise the substantial sum.In addition to the N60 million cash payment, the kidnappers demanded and received various food…

Kaduna – A businessman, Lawal Hamisu, on Tuesday urged a Shari’a Court in Magajin Gari, Kaduna, to compel his ex-wife, Maman Muhammad, to vacate his house, claiming ongoing domestic turmoil and his desire to bring his ailing mother home for proper care.Hamisu’s counsel, H.B. Debo, told the court that his client had already pronounced triple talaq (divorce) on Muhammad but permitted her to remain in the house initially to look after their children. The arrangement, however, has soured, with the businessman accusing his former wife of turning their children against him.“She has poisoned my children’s minds against me and they…

Abuja — Nigeria’s Senate has passed a bill formally renaming the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to the Insurance Regulatory Commission (IRC).The upper chamber on Tuesday approved the National Insurance Regulatory Commission (Repeal & Enactment) Bill, 2026 after considering the report of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions. Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru (APC, Lagos East), Chairman of the committee and sponsor of the bill, presented the report.Lawmakers said the rebranding was necessary because the existing name has become confusing in light of the history and structure of Nigeria’s insurance industry. The new legislation also seeks to shield…

Kaduna — A 27-year-old woman, Fatima Lawal, who has completed her Higher National Diploma (HND), has been dragged before a Sharia court by her father, who is seeking judicial intervention to compel her to accept a suitor and marry.Lawal Hamisu, a father of 11, appeared before Sharia Court II sitting at Magajin Gari, Kaduna, on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, praying the court to compel his daughter to present a serious suitor for marriage.Through his counsel, H.B. Debo, Hamisu told the court that his daughter entertains several admirers but has failed to bring forward any for a formal marriage proposal. He…

Abuja — A total of 143 companies have qualified for the final commercial bidding stage of Nigeria’s 2025 Petroleum Licensing Round, setting the stage for intense competition over 50 oil and gas blocks across the country’s key hydrocarbon basins.The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) announced that the successful prequalified firms will participate in the Commercial Bid Conference scheduled for Tuesday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja. Participation is by strict invitation only, limited to companies that cleared the rigorous technical and financial screening process.The 50 blocks on offer include 16 Niger Delta Onshore, 18 Niger Delta Shallow Water,…

Abuja — Prominent legal practitioner and counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to conduct a thorough legal review of the cases of South-East detainees held in prolonged custody.In an open petition titled “From Conflict to Concord: A Statesman’s Opportunity to Complete Nigeria’s Unfinished Promise of Reconciliation in the South-East,” Ejiofor highlighted the humanitarian and legal concerns surrounding the continued incarceration of many individuals from the region, some of whom have been in detention for several years.Ejiofor argued…

Owerri — Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has drawn a bold parallel between President Bola Tinubu and Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, describing the Nigerian leader as a transformative figure capable of turning around the nation’s fortunes.The governor made the remarks on Saturday at a state dinner in Owerri, which concluded a three-day national media tour by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and the Presidential Communications Team. The tour focused on key federal and state government projects in Imo.“In President Bola Tinubu, we have another Lee Kuan Yew,” Uzodimma declared, according to a statement issued by the Director…

Abuja, July 20, 2026 — The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has clinched a major institutional partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), securing ₦120 million to implement a comprehensive nationwide Justice for Children and Young People programme.The landmark agreement, signed under the leadership of NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, runs from July 9, 2026, to March 30, 2027. It signals a strong resurgence of donor-funded institutional collaborations for the NBA following the conclusion of its long-standing support from the MacArthur Foundation.The initiative aims to strengthen access to justice for children and young persons across Nigeria through a multi-pronged…

ABUJA — A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail in the sum of ₦500 million to Jimoh Yisawu, the former Managing Director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited, who is facing an eight-count money laundering charge.Justice Inyang Ekwo granted the bail on Monday after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence counsel. Yisawu, who pleaded not guilty to all counts, was accused of indirectly converting proceeds of unlawful activity amounting to over $789,950 and making large cash payments outside the formal banking system.The charges, filed by the Federal Government on June 22, 2026, allege violations…

Lagos — The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has lifted its suspension and will immediately resume full implementation and enforcement of the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025.The move follows a landmark ruling by the Federal High Court in Lagos, which upheld the validity of the regulations and dismissed a legal challenge brought by the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria Ltd/Gte (WASPAN).In a judgment delivered on Monday, Justice A.L. Allagoa dismissed WASPAN’s originating summons in its entirety in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/760/2026. The court ruled that the DEON Regulations were validly made pursuant to…