Author: Adejuyigbe Francis

Nigeria’s NNPC Hails Near-Elimination Of Pipeline Theft In Major Boost To Oil Sector. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has announced a significant milestone in its fight against crude oil theft, declaring that pipeline theft across its network has been nearly eradicated. Speaking at a regional security forum in Abuja on 25 August 2025, NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari credited the achievement to robust collaboration with Nigeria’s defence and intelligence agencies, particularly in the Niger Delta, where most of the country’s oil infrastructure is located. Ojulari revealed that pipeline and terminal receipts have reached nearly 100%,…

NDLEA Apprehends Drug Syndicate Linked To Wrongful Detention Of Nigerian Pilgrims In Saudi Arabia. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully dismantled a criminal syndicate operating at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano, Nigeria, responsible for the wrongful detention of three Nigerian pilgrims in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The agency announced the arrest of a 55-year-old suspected drug kingpin, Mohammed Ali Abubakar, also known as Bello Karama, alongside five accomplices, following a swift investigation into the trafficking plot. The three detained pilgrims—Mrs Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mrs Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Mr Abdulhamid Saddiq—were apprehended in Jeddah…

APC Slams PDP Governors, Urges Them To ‘Eat Humble Pie’ Over Party’s Decline. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has sharply rebuked governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), dismissing their claims that the ruling party is destined for defeat in the 2027 Nigerian general elections. In a fiery statement issued on Monday, 25 August 2025, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka described the PDP as a “terminally ill” party, urging its governors to focus on salvaging their own fractured organisation rather than casting aspersions on the APC’s governance. The rebuttal follows a communiqué from the PDP Governors’ Forum, chaired…

Brazilian President Lula Welcomes Tinubu In Brasília To Bolster Nigeria-Brazil Relations. On Monday, 25 August 2025, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warmly received Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Planalto Palace in Brasília, marking the start of a significant state visit aimed at deepening ties between Nigeria and Brazil. The Nigerian leader was honoured with a ceremonial military parade, featuring a meticulously drilled guard of honour and a 21-gun salute, underscoring the importance of the diplomatic engagement between Africa’s largest economy and Latin America’s leading nation. President Tinubu, arriving from Los Angeles after attending the 9th…

Liverpool Snatch Dramatic 3-2 Victory Over Newcastle In Premier League Thriller. In a pulsating Premier League encounter at St James’ Park on Monday, 25 August 2025, Liverpool secured a thrilling 3-2 win against Newcastle United, with 16-year-old debutant Rio Ngumoha scoring a sensational last-gasp winner. The match, part of the second round of the 2025/26 Premier League season, showcased high drama, including a red card and a late fightback from a ten-man Newcastle side. The game began with Liverpool asserting early dominance. In the 36th minute, Ryan Gravenberch broke the deadlock with a stunning long-range strike into the bottom…

Lagos Doctors Issue Ultimatum For Indefinite Strike Over Unpaid Salaries. The Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has warned of an indefinite strike if the state government fails to address the issue of withheld salaries by 25 August 2025. The threat, announced following an emergency general meeting (EGM) at the weekend, comes in solidarity with the Medical Guild, which represents doctors employed by the state and has already issued a 21-day ultimatum demanding the refund of unauthorised deductions from July 2025 salaries and full payment of August wages. In a communiqué signed by NMA Chairman Dr…

Pastor Adefarasin Sparks Debate, Claims Nigeria’s Nationalist Icons Are Not True Founding Fathers. Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Paul Adefarasin, has ignited widespread controversy with a bold assertion that Nigeria’s celebrated nationalist leaders—Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello, and Tafawa Balewa—cannot be considered the country’s true founding fathers. Delivering a sermon in Lagos on Sunday, 24 August 2025, the cleric argued that Nigeria’s formation was orchestrated by British colonial powers for economic gain, rather than by the vision of its revered independence leaders. Adefarasin challenged the notion that Nigeria’s existence was divinely ordained, attributing its creation…

PDP Initiates Zoning Process For 2027 Presidential Ticket To Foster Unity. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has launched the zoning process for its 2027 presidential ticket, a strategic move aimed at promoting unity and equity within the party ahead of the next general elections. The decision was announced on Monday, 25 August 2025, during the party’s 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at its national headquarters in Abuja, following deliberations by the zoning committee chaired by Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri. Governor Diri revealed that the decision to zone the presidential ticket was finalised at a PDP Governors’ Forum…

Atiku Abubakar Confirms 2027 Presidential Bid To ‘Rescue Nigeria From Crisis’. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared his intention to contest the 2027 Nigerian presidential election, vowing to lead efforts to address the nation’s deepening economic and social challenges. The announcement, made through his long-time aide and 2023 campaign spokesperson, Tunde Olusunle, comes amid speculations about his political future and his role in the newly formed opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Speaking from his holiday home in the United Arab Emirates, Atiku dismissed recent comments attributed to him suggesting he was not keen on pursuing…

Sunday Igboho Appeals To Ooni of Ife For Intervention Over Wanted Status And Frozen Accounts. Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, widely known as Sunday Igboho, has sought the intervention of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, to secure his removal from the Federal Government’s wanted list and to unfreeze his bank accounts. During a visit to the Ile-Oodua Palace in Ile-Ife on Saturday, 23 August 2025, Igboho, accompanied by a large entourage, apologised for past verbal attacks against the monarch and pleaded for assistance in resolving his legal and financial challenges. Igboho was declared wanted by the Department…

Nigerian Air Force Airstrikes Neutralise 35 Terrorists Near Cameroon Border. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has delivered a significant blow to terrorist operations, killing at least 35 jihadist fighters in precision airstrikes near the Nigeria-Cameroon border. The operation, conducted in the early hours of Saturday, 23 August 2025, targeted militants massing in the Kumshe area of Borno State, who were plotting an attack on ground troops, according to NAF spokesperson Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame. Acting on multiple intelligence reports, the NAF’s Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai executed successive strikes on four identified terrorist assembly points. The operation neutralised…

Diplomatic Void Sparks Concern As Nigeria Delays Ambassadorial Appointments. The prolonged absence of ambassadors in Nigeria’s 109 diplomatic missions worldwide has raised alarm among career diplomats, who fear the delay is undermining the nation’s global influence. Over a year after President Bola Tinubu recalled all 83 envoys in September 2023, no replacements have been appointed, leaving embassies, high commissions, and consulates reliant on junior diplomats to manage critical international relations. The recall, which included 41 non-career and 42 career diplomats, was ordered without a clear explanation, and the subsequent failure to appoint new ambassadors has drawn sharp criticism. The…