Opposition political parties have criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu over the Presidency’s admission that terrorist groups may have infiltrated Nigeria’s security architecture, describing the disclosure as further evidence of the Federal Government’s failure to tackle the country’s worsening insecurity. The parties – the Social Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress, Young Progressives Party, Peoples Democratic Party and the National Democratic Coalition – said the revelation by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, underscored the need for urgent reforms, thorough investigations and the prosecution of any security personnel found collaborating with terrorists. The presidential aide, who spoke on The Link Up Podcast hosted by EchoRoom, said the Federal Government had already introduced measures to address insider threats but declined to disclose details for security reasons. The Presidency’s warning came amid unverified reports circulating on social media alleging that a soldier serving as a weapons instructor...

Two firefighters have been hospitalised after collapsing while battling a fire that engulfed the top floor of a three-storey residential building in the Ketu-Ikosi area of Lagos State. The spokesperson for the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Olawale Afolabi, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the fire began at about 6:31 am. Afolabi said the fire, which affected one of a pair of twin three-storey residential buildings at No. 11, Ademola Taiwo Street, Ketu-Ikosi, was caused by an electrical surge from a prepaid meter. He noted that collaboration with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service swiftly brought the inferno under control, preventing it from spreading to the adjoining building and nearby properties. Afolabi stated, “The incident involved one of a pair of twin three-storey residential buildings. Upon the arrival of the Tiger Squad, it was observed that the fire had engulfed the topmost floor of the affected building....

Details have emerged on the operation that led to the arrest of the self-styled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, Adeniyi Adeyemi. Adeyemi was arrested between 11am and 12pm last Tuesday inside a building in the Ijebu-Ijesa area of Osun State by the Intelligence Response Team led by a Chief Superintendent of Police, Moses Lohor, according to credible sources familiar with the operation. A senior police officer in the Osun State Police Command disclosed to Sunday PUNCH that Adeyemi’s location was first uncovered in Osogbo on July 9 after he reportedly evaded tracking by the Department of State Services. The officer stated that Adeyemi’s initial location in Osogbo was around the Aregbe-Fakule area of the state capital before Lohor’s team lost track of his whereabouts. “The Moses Lohor team were in Osun for surveillance ahead of the August 15 governorship election. They were mapping hotspots and collating other...

A Cardiff businesswoman has been jailed for more than two years after fraudulently obtaining £216,250 through the UK government’s Covid-19 Bounce Back Loan Scheme by making five false loan applications across four companies. UK website on Saturday said Rupali Wagh, 50, of Harrison Way, Cardiff, secured the loans between May and September 2020 by inflating the turnover of her businesses, obtaining duplicate loans for companies that had already received funding and using much of the money to settle personal debts and buy stocks and shares. She pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud at Cardiff Crown Court in November 2025 and was sentenced to two years and three months’ imprisonment at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Friday, July 17, following an investigation by the Insolvency Service. Commenting on the conviction, David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “Rupali Wagh systematically targeted a scheme designed to help genuine businesses...

Argentina head coach, Lionel Scaloni, and Spain coach, Luis de la Fuente, shared an emotional embrace on Saturday ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, rekindling a relationship that began nearly a decade ago when one was a teacher and the other a student. The two coaches met at the FIFA Fanatics event in New York on Friday, marking the first time ahead of a FIFA World Cup final that both finalists jointly engaged with fans before the tournament’s showpiece. After addressing supporters at the event, Scaloni walked across the stage and hugged De la Fuente in a moment that drew applause from thousands of fans in attendance. According to SportsStar, the pair’s relationship dates back to 2017 when Scaloni, having just retired from professional football, enrolled for his UEFA Pro coaching licence at the Spanish Football Federation’s academy in Las Rozas. De la Fuente was one of the...

The Bashar Chiefdom Community Development Association has said the reinstatement of Abdullahi Idris, as the Rekna of Bashar by Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang will strengthen peace and promote unity in Wase Local Government Area. The association described the governor’s decision as a significant step towards resolving a longstanding chieftaincy issue and deepening reconciliation within Bashar Chiefdom and the wider Wase Federal Constituency. In a statement issued on Friday, BACCODA said the reinstatement reflected Governor Mutfwang’s commitment to justice, grassroots peacebuilding and the preservation of traditional institutions. The statement was jointly signed by the association’s President, Dr. Zakari Mohammed, and Secretary, Yunusa Garba. “We, on behalf of the entire people of Bashar Chiefdom, extend our heartfelt commendation to His Excellency, Governor Caleb Mutfwang, for this noble and unifying gesture,” the association said. It described the restoration of the traditional ruler as “a triumph for justice, fairness and the collective desire...

President Bola Tinubu has expressed sorrow over the death of Dame EzinneAmaechi, mother of former Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi. In a statement on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu described the late matriarch, who died at the age of 89, as a woman of deep faith whose life was marked by love, sacrifice and selfless service. The President said Dame Amaechi was devoted to the Catholic faith, upheld strong family values and raised children committed to public service. He noted that her life reflected virtues of kindness, perseverance and humility, which endeared her to many. “My heartfelt condolences to Rt. Hon. Amaechi, the entire Amaechi family, the Catholic faithful, and the government and people of Rivers State over the loss of Dame Ezinne Amaechi, a champion of faith whose life was marked by humility and selfless service to...

A bus full of schoolchildren returning from a trip veered off the road in Uganda, killing 20 children and one adult, police said Friday. The east African country has a notorious road safety record, frequently recording bus or truck accidents along poorly maintained highways. The bus from King David Junior School in the capital, Kampala, was returning from a school trip to Sipi Falls in Kapchorwa District when it veered off the road, according to preliminary investigations by the police. “The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road, struck a large stone along the roadside, and overturned,” police said in a statement on X. “The crash claimed the lives of one adult male and 20 pupils, while three adult males and several juveniles sustained injuries,” it added. Police shared an image of a badly mangled and overturned bus, and said investigations were ongoing, with several...

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday struck down key provisions of the Electoral Act regulating political party membership registers and methods of candidate nomination, holding that they were inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution. A three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Justice Balkisu Aliyu, unanimously allowed an appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/750/2026, filed by the Zenith Party and set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, which had dismissed the suit. In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Eberechi Nyesom-Wike, the court declared Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 unconstitutional. The court held that the National Assembly could not, through an Act of Parliament, impose restrictions on political parties that conflict with powers already guaranteed to them under the Constitution. It ruled that Sections 221 and 222 of the Constitution recognise political parties as the bodies responsible for sponsoring candidates for elections and...

Newly recruited healthcare workers in Abia State have been advised to uphold the five principles of public trust in the state civil service. The advice was given to the 811 newly recruited healthcare workers on Thursday in Umuahia by the Chairman of the Abia State Civil Service Commission, Pastor Jerry, during a one-day orientation programme organised for them. Jerry listed the five principles as integrity, professionalism, respect, compassion and patriotism. She said, “As nurses, doctors, medical laboratory scientists, pharmacists, dentists, dental therapists and technologists, you are not just employees; you are frontline defenders of life. “As you step into public service under the Abia State Public Service Rules, you are now stewards of public trust. I want you to hold on to these five principles.” She further charged them to observe four key civil service disciplines. “Number one, be present. Absenteeism destroys trust. Clock in, serve and make an impact....