An aspirant for the Ondo State House of Assembly, Ondo West Constituency II, Akinpelumi Oyewale, has commended Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for commissioning key road and social infrastructure projects across parts of the state. Oyewale gave the commendation in a statement marking the governor’s first year in office, describing the inauguration of the Igoba Community Road, Alagbaka Extension Road behind SIB, and the Oba Afunbiowo Housing Estate Road in Akure North and Akure South Local Government Areas as evidence of purposeful governance. He noted that improved road infrastructure would enhance commercial activities, boost security and ease movement for residents, motorists and…
Author: Adeboye
The Edo State Government on Thursday pulled down a building in the Amagba area of Benin City allegedly linked to suspected cultists, as part of its intensified crackdown on violent groups operating in the state. The property was reportedly used by members of the outlawed Aye Confraternity, two of whom were arrested at the premises in connection with recent cult-related killings. Five other suspects were said to have fled during the operation. The demolition was executed by the Special Security Squad, code-named Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers in Edo State, under the supervision of the Principal Security Officer to…
A Magistrate’s Court in Lagos State has ordered the remand of a 23-year-old man, Abidemi Emmanuel, in a correctional facility over the alleged rape of a Lagos-based content creator, Fems Thrift, and her friend. The defendant was arraigned on Tuesday on charges bordering on sexual assault. The court subsequently adjourned the matter till March 19, 2026, for continuation of hearing. Confirming the development on Thursday, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, disclosed that the suspect was remanded following his arraignment, adding that investigations were ongoing. “The suspect has been arraigned and remanded in a correctional facility.…
The United States Department of Justice has disclosed details of a tax fraud operation involving a Nigerian national, Matthew Akande, who was convicted for attempting to obtain more than $8.1m through fraudulent tax refund claims targeting over 1,000 Americans. In a statement issued on Thursday, US authorities confirmed that Akande received an eight-year prison sentence after investigators uncovered the scheme, which yielded about $1.3m in illegal refunds before it was halted. Officials said the 37-year-old suspect operated from Mexico before his arrest at Heathrow Airport in October 2024, following an extensive probe into the cybercrime network. According to prosecutors, Akande…
Residents of Utono community in Ngaski Local Government Area of Kebbi State have been thrown into panic after a letter, allegedly from suspected terrorists, demanded N100 million before the group would be allowed to enter the town to “preach.” The letter, reportedly delivered to community leaders in the early hours of Thursday, warned that the threat should not be ignored. “This is not a joke. We are coming to preach. You must pay us N100 million. If you refuse, you will face the consequences and have no one to blame but yourselves. Even if you call soldiers, they cannot stop…
The University of Abuja has called on members of the public to assist in locating a female undergraduate who has been declared missing. In a statement released on Thursday by the Acting Director of Information and University Relations, Dr Habib Yakoob, the institution identified the student as Sadiya Usman, a 100-level student in the Department of Accounting. According to the statement, Usman was reported missing after she left her residence at Kontagora Estate, Gwagwalada, at about 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 18, 2026. She was said to be heading to the university’s Main Campus to sit for her Computer-Based Test…
The Plateau State Government has arrested a bar operator and another woman over the alleged trafficking of three teenage girls to Ghana for prostitution. The prime suspect, identified as Mrs Yakubu, who runs a bar in the Rantya area of Jos, was on Thursday paraded at the headquarters of the State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission alongside the three victims recently brought back from Ghana. Two of the victims, aged 18 and 19, hail from Adamawa State, while the third is an indigene of Plateau State. Addressing journalists, the Chairperson of the commission, Olivia Dazyam, disclosed that the agency acted…
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, on Wednesday ordered the remand of a Lagos-based businessman, Adesiyan Kayode Olayinka, over an alleged N230 million foreign exchange investment fraud said to involve Artificial Intelligence-generated images of Peter Obi. Olayinka was arraigned on a six-count charge instituted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretences, fraudulent advertisement and stealing, contrary to the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act and the Criminal Code Act. The charges were read to the defendant in open court, and he pleaded not guilty to all counts.…
Grief has enveloped Erinmope-Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State following the death of one of seven persons abducted by gunmen, despite the payment of a N25 million ransom to secure their freedom. Relatives disclosed that while six victims have been released, the corpse of the deceased woman has not been recovered, leaving the family unable to conduct burial rites. The abduction occurred on January 24, 2026, when armed assailants stormed the community and kidnapped five women, including a nursing and a pregnant mother, with an initial ransom demand of N100 million. The crisis escalated after two persons…
No fewer than 34 fasting Muslims were reportedly killed when suspected terrorists launched coordinated attacks on several villages in Kebbi State. According to the police, the assailants, identified as members of the Lakurawa group, stormed communities in the Bui district of Arewa Local Government Area at about 1:15pm, unleashing gunfire on residents and razing property. The Kebbi State Police Public Relations Officer, Bashir Usman, confirmed the incident on Thursday, saying the attackers struck multiple villages, including Mamunu, Awasaka, Tungan Tsoho, Makangara, Kanzo, Gorun Naidal and Dan Mai Ago. A security report made available to journalists indicated that more than 30…