Author: bibncollar

FIFA has ditched its controversial plan to sell a slice of the World Cup to private investors, folding under intense pressure from member associations who accused the governing body of putting the game’s soul up for auction. President Gianni Infantino confirmed the climbdown on Friday evening, just days after the proposal first surfaced. The scheme aimed to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling roughly a 20 percent stake in a new commercial unit that would oversee FIFA’s competitions, including the World Cup. “Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions…

For years, the mere mention of the Tiger Base Unit of the Imo State Police Command has evoked fear across the South-East. To some families, it is remembered not simply as a police tactical unit, but as a place where loved ones allegedly disappeared for months or years without trial; where wives, girlfriends and siblings claim they were punished for crimes they insist they never committed; and where, according to one of the applicants now before the court, an innocent man was left fighting for his life after police bullets ripped through his abdomen while officers pursued another suspect. What…

Owerri — The Imo State Police Command has arrested seven suspected armed robbers operating around the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) and Ihiagwa community in Owerri West Local Government Area. The arrests followed an intelligence-led operation after a Federal Polytechnic, Nekede student reported being robbed at gunpoint along the FUTO-Ihiagwa road on July 18, 2026. Police spokesperson Henry Okoye said officers first detained three suspects, Stanley Nwachukwu, Moses Okezie and Gabriel Confidence. The men, who allegedly confessed to membership of the Vikings Confraternity, provided information that led to the arrest of four others: Emeka Oguike, Gideon Kadiri, Nnodim David…

Eze Paulinus Ezekureme, traditional ruler of Ochia Autonomous Community in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, and five members of his cabinet were killed on April 10, 2026, when armed men intercepted their vehicle and set it ablaze. The monarch had returned to Nigeria only weeks earlier after nearly five years abroad. He left Ochia with his aides bound for Owerri in a Toyota Sequoia. Police say the attackers stopped the vehicle along the route. By the time help arrived, the six men had been burnt beyond recognition. The killings were initially attributed to unknown gunmen. No group claimed…

The Nigerian Bar Association has alerted its members to a Supreme Court directive prohibiting the use of the title “Barrister” as a prefix to names in all official engagements at the apex court. In a notice issued on 31 July 2026, the NBA said the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court released a memorandum dated 13 July 2026 on the directive of the Chief Justice of Nigeria. The memo requires all litigation staff, legal practitioners, court registrars and lawyers appearing before the Supreme Court to stop using “Barrister” before their names in official correspondence, court records, documents, identity materials and…

A Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed a ₦5 billion copyright lawsuit against Nigerian gospel artiste Osinachi Joseph Egbu, popularly known as Sinach, and affirmed her as the sole author and copyright owner of the globally acclaimed song “Way Maker.” Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa delivered the judgment on July 24, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/402/2024. The court held that music producer Michael Oluwole (also known as Maye) failed to prove claims of co-authorship or co-ownership of the musical work. Oluwole, who produced the track for Sinach, filed the suit on March 8, 2024, through his counsel. He sought declarations recognising…

The World Health Organization said Saturday that the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the country. As of July 30, health authorities had confirmed 3,605 cases and 1,587 deaths, a case fatality ratio of 44 percent. The outbreak, which began in the Mongbwalu health zone of Ituri province, has now spread to five provinces, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé and Tshopo and 49 health zones. Epidemiological week 30 produced the highest weekly totals so far, with 567 new cases and 296 deaths. WHO warned that…

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja has ordered the Nigeria Police Force to pay N12 million in damages to Kasarahchi Aniagolu, a reporter with The Whistler newspaper, over her abduction and unlawful detention. Justice Bello Kawu delivered the judgment in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Aniagolu against the Inspector-General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force. The journalist was arrested, assaulted and held for eight hours on 21 February 2024 in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, during a police operation targeting illegal bureau de change operators. Aniagolu, represented by Adekunle Kosoko of Seasons Law Firm,…

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has established a Transition Committee (TC) to ensure a seamless handover to its newly elected national officers. In a notice dated July 30, 2026, NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, announced the committee’s formation. It will work alongside a parallel Transition Committee to be set up by President-elect Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo Okusanya, SAN, so the incoming administration can begin serving members without delay. The TC is charged with managing the transition process and resolving any issues that arise during the handover. It may operate through hybrid meetings or without physical gatherings and is expected to…

ABUJA — The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has successfully intervened to stop a planned replacement of obsolete prepaid electricity meters, ensuring consumers are not forced to pay for infrastructure failures beyond their control. Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, disclosed this on Thursday during a stakeholder engagement on consumer protection and regulatory cooperation in Nigeria’s electricity sector held in Abuja. Bello said the commission acted after widespread public concern over the proposed replacement of obsolete Unistar prepaid meters by one of the electricity distribution companies. Consumers feared they would be compelled to buy…