Author: bibncollar

Abuja – The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has begun a sweeping nationwide operation to seize and destroy all alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles below 200 millilitres. The enforcement drive, which kicked off on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, marks the full implementation of the Federal Government’s ban on these products.Operations are being conducted simultaneously across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, targeting markets, motor parks, retail outlets, bars, supermarkets, and other distribution channels.NAFDAC enforcement teams have already moved against manufacturing facilities found producing the banned items in defiance of regulatory directives. The…

Maiduguri — The Boko Haram terrorist group has released a video obituary mourning one of its media operatives, Abu Salim al-Barnawi, who was killed in a clash with Nigerian troops during a foiled attack on a military base in Borno State.The three-minute, three-second video, which features al-Barnawi displaying his communication equipment at various locations, was shared on Wednesday by Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Media Information Officer of the Headquarters Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI.According to military sources, al-Barnawi was among scores of terrorists neutralized by troops in an intense firefight in the Lake Chad Basin area last…

Owerri — Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has underscored technology and skills development as critical drivers of Nigeria’s economic prosperity, urging the nation to fully embrace innovation to compete effectively in the global economy.Governor Uzodimma made the remarks on Monday during the commissioning of a new Skill Acquisition Centre in Owerri North Local Government Area. The facility, established by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in partnership with Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi, representing Imo East Senatorial District, aims to equip young Nigerians with practical, technology-oriented vocational skills.“The centre will prepare our youths for the realities of the Fourth…

Abuja – President Bola Tinubu has extended warm congratulations to Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN) on her election as the first elected female President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), describing the milestone as a significant victory for merit, excellence, and gender inclusion in Nigeria’s legal profession.In a statement issued by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu praised Badejo-Okusanya’s distinguished career, marked by integrity, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to justice. He noted that her emergence reflects the growing recognition of women’s critical contributions to nation-building and the administration of justice in the country.The President expressed confidence…

Lagos — In a landmark ruling that seeks to clarify overlapping regulatory mandates, the Federal High Court has affirmed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (FCCPC) powers to oversee consumer lending and competition in Nigeria’s digital economy while declaring that the Commission cannot issue telecommunications licences.Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, in a judgment delivered on Monday in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/760/2026, dismissed the legal challenge filed by the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN) against the FCCPC’s Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-traditional Consumer Lending (DEON) Regulations.The court held that the DEON Regulations are valid, deriving their authority from relevant provisions…

Abuja – The Association of Meter Manufacturers of Nigeria (AMMON) has withdrawn its lawsuit against the federal government, removing a major legal obstacle to the deployment of 1.55 million smart meters across key government intervention programmes.The withdrawal, formalised through a Notice of Discontinuance at the Federal High Court in Kano, follows intensive mediation led by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe. The minister convened a high-level meeting with AMMON and relevant government agencies to resolve the dispute, according to a statement from the Ministry of Power.AMMON’s earlier legal action had secured an injunction in April 2026, stalling bidding processes for…

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…