Author: bibncollar

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the recent terrorist attack on Yashikira community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, where armed bandits reportedly set the Emir’s palace ablaze and abducted several women and children. In a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group expressed outrage that the community was allegedly left at the mercy of the attackers for hours without any intervention from security agencies. HURIWA described the incident as another indication of the worsening insecurity across the country, warning that Nigeria was gradually slipping into lawlessness, fear and widespread…

The Federal Government has announced plans to train 100,000 Nigerians in the manufacturing and assembly of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure as part of efforts to boost local capacity and promote cleaner transportation. Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, stating that at least 1,000 people from each state would benefit from the programme, while 100 Nigerians would also be sponsored to China for advanced training under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The initiative follows a strategic partnership between Nigeria and Chinese firm New Power Technology aimed at localising the production…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has thrown out a lawsuit seeking to prevent former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election. Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the case filed by Johnmary Jideobi lacked merit and constituted an abuse of court process. The judge held that the plaintiff failed to prove how Jonathan’s potential participation in the election would personally affect him, thereby lacking the legal standing required to institute the suit. The court also imposed a N21 million penalty on the plaintiff, awarding N20 million to Jonathan and N1 million to the Attorney General…

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) says Nigeria’s Digital Switch-Over (DSO) programme is expected to unlock a N605.2 billion advertising market as the country transitions fully from analogue to digital terrestrial television broadcasting. Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, the Director-General of the NBC, Charles Ebuebu, said the nationwide rollout of the DSO is scheduled to begin on June 17, 2026, while the final shutdown of analogue broadcasting is planned for December 31, 2028. According to him, the transition will transform Nigeria’s broadcasting industry by improving infrastructure access, content distribution, and revenue generation for media organisations and content creators.…

Justice Stephen Daylyop Pam of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has ordered the temporary freezing of funds and assets belonging to Beijing Seajets International Forwarder Company Limited over an alleged unpaid debt of $117,000 owed to Wellman Group Limited. The court also restrained Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and all banks operating in Nigeria from releasing or transferring any funds to the Chinese firm pending the determination of the suit. The orders were issued in suit No. FHC/PH/CS/55/2026 following an ex parte application filed by counsel to the plaintiff, Wellman Group Limited. According to the…

Pope Leo has issued the strongest apology yet from a Catholic pontiff over the Church’s historic involvement in slavery, admitting that the institution was slow to condemn the practice and at times helped legitimise it. In his first papal encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, the pope described slavery as “a wound in Christian memory” and acknowledged that Church authorities once regulated forms of subjugation, including the enslavement of non-Christians. He also admitted that some ecclesiastical institutions owned slaves during the Middle Ages. “For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely ask for pardon,” Leo wrote, expressing deep sorrow for the…

Shares of Ferrari fell more than six percent on Tuesday after the luxury automaker introduced the Luce, its first fully electric vehicle, signaling a historic shift in the company’s direction and design approach. The Maranello-based carmaker revealed the new model during an event in Rome, explaining that the name “Luce,” meaning “light,” reflects clarity and forward movement. The launch comes as several luxury automotive brands, including Porsche and Lamborghini, scale back or reassess their electric vehicle strategies due to slowing global demand for EVs. Following the announcement, Ferrari’s Milan-listed shares dropped sharply in early trading, falling as much as…

The Federal Government has cancelled $717.7 million in undisbursed intervention funding from the World Bank meant to support Nigeria’s troubled electricity sector after both parties agreed to discontinue the Power Sector Recovery Performance-Based Operation. The cancelled amount represents the remaining balance of the $1.52 billion power sector recovery programme initiated to improve electricity supply, strengthen financial sustainability, and reform key institutions within the sector. According to the World Bank, the decision followed the government’s inability to meet critical reform targets tied to the additional financing package approved in 2023. The bank noted that worsening macroeconomic conditions, especially the sharp…

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has launched a major crackdown on alleged economic sabotage by shutting down the operations of Inner Galaxy Steel Company and Jiuxing Integrity Industrial Ltd over their suspected involvement in the vandalism and recycling of stolen railway infrastructure across Nigeria. According to a statement released on Monday by NSCDC spokesperson, Afolabi Babawale, the action followed the discovery of what authorities described as a sophisticated criminal network accused of dismantling critical railway assets and converting them into steel products valued at billions of naira. The Corps revealed that it obtained court orders authorising the…

The Lagos State Ministry of Health has reassured residents that there is no immediate threat to the state despite the ongoing Ebola outbreak in parts of Central and East Africa, stressing that its biosecurity and emergency response systems remain fully active. Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, said the state government was closely monitoring the situation following directives from Babajide Sanwo-Olu. According to the ministry, the outbreak — currently limited to Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo — has resulted in about 177 deaths from nearly 700 suspected cases. The World Health Organization has classified the situation as…