The Federal Government has opted for a low-key celebration for the country’s 66th Independence Day anniversary, with President Bola Tinubu scheduled to address the nation on October 1. This was disclosed by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in a statement made available to Saturday PUNCH on Friday. According to the statement, the Federal Government has inaugurated an Inter-Ministerial Committee responsible for organising the event in Abuja. The committee is chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. Speaking after the inauguration, Akume, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Political and Economic Affairs Office, Bekearedebo Warrens, said the occasion would afford Nigerians an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices of the nation’s founding leaders. “The 66th Independence Anniversary provides an opportunity for Nigerians to reflect on the contributions, sacrifices and enduring legacies of the nation’s founding fathers and...

The Enugu State Police Command has confirmed the killing of a prominent politician, Prince Ikechukwu Oloto, popularly known as “Okanga Mo,” in Nsukka. Responding to inquiries on Friday, the command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said Oloto was found in a pool of blood with deep suspected machete cuts to his head and stomach. Ndukwe said, “Investigation is ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the murder of Ikechukwu Oloto, male, about 53 years old, in Nsukka. “The Police received a report on September 17, 2026, at about 5:45 p.m., that he had been found in a pool of blood in his residence. Operatives promptly responded and found him with deep suspected machete cuts to his head and stomach. “He was rushed to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead by the attending doctor. His remains were deposited at a mortuary for preservation and autopsy, while a manhunt has been launched for...

Suspected thugs allegedly disrupted a campaign rally involving supporters of the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, in Warri, Delta State. The incident was brought to public attention by Esther Umoh, identified as a photographer associated with Obi, who alleged in a post on X that politically sponsored thugs had attack members of the campaign group. Umoh alleged that the attackers targeted members of the entourage of the Delta State governorship candidate, as well as other supporters of the Obidient and Kwankwasiya movements who were campaigning in the area. “As of this morning, politically sponsored thugs reportedly opened fire on @MamaPee__, @Drmopaul, @dchrisiyovwaye, the Delta State governorship candidate, members of his entourage, and other Obidient and Kwankwasiya supporters who were out campaigning in Warri,” she wrote. A video circulated alongside the claims also showed a chaotic scene, with a voice heard saying, “Look...

South African police on Thursday recovered the body of a ninth woman east of Johannesburg, as a string of deaths continued to raise concern and prompted the Nigerian Consulate-General in Johannesburg to issue a safety advisory to Nigerians living in the affected areas. Police have imposed a lockdown in Kempton Park in the Ekurhuleni municipality and mounted roadblocks after three partially naked bodies were found this week. “We cannot continue picking up bodies,” the Deputy Police Chief, Tebello Mosikili, told journalists in Dawn Park, where the latest body was found by the roadside. Police offered a 400,000 rand ($25,000) reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer or killers, while South Africa’s Democratic Alliance offered a further $31,000. Mosikili said investigators would determine whether Thursday’s discovery was linked to the earlier murders or whether they were dealing with a copycat. The Nigerian Consulate-General, in a safety advisory dated...

Juventus began their quest for Europa League glory with a 5-0 thrashing of NEC Nijmegen, while Bournemouth secured an impressive victory at Real Sociedad on their European debut on Thursday. Crystal Palace were 4-0 winners over Lech Poznan, but Celtic suffered another European embarrassment as the Scottish champions were beaten 3-1 at home by Ferencvaros. Juventus expect to be competing among Europe’s elite in the Champions League, but the failure to qualify last season has at least allowed them the chance to end a 30-year wait for a continental trophy. The Italian giants were far too strong for their Dutch visitors in Turin as Nico Gonzalez, Kerim Alajbegovic and Nick Woltemade, with his first goal since joining on loan from Newcastle, made it 3-0 before half-time. Zeki Celik and Randal Kolo Muani rounded off the scoring after the break as Juventus made a better start than rivals AC Milan, who...

Surgeons at Redeemer’s Health Village, Ogun State, say robotic surgery reduces patients’ pain and shortens hospital stay because it uses smaller incisions that cause less tissue damage. They explained that the use of robotic technology gives surgeons enhanced visualisation and greater precision during operations, which can help minimise blood loss and postoperative discomfort while supporting faster recovery. The experts stated this on Wednesday at the Redeemer’s Health Village in Ogun State after the facility successfully performed its first robotic-assisted surgery. The hospital’s first robotic-assisted prostate cancer surgery was carried out on a middle-aged man at the facility. Urology experts, the in-house medical team, and robotic surgeons from RoboMed Global Inc., a US-based company, performed the procedure. Announcing the feat, the Chief Executive Officer of Redeemer’s Health Village, Dr. Ademola Dada, said the robotic-assisted surgery was a minimally invasive procedure with greater surgical precision that’d ensure faster recovery for the patient....

US President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to cut trade with the European Union after the bloc proposed to make Canada its first-ever associate member. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen raised the prospect a day before Canadian leader Mark Carney was due to address the European Parliament. Her pitch comes as both Canada and the EU seek to pivot away from an aggressive United States under Trump’s leadership. “I think it’s laughable,” Trump told reporters when asked about the plan. “If they do that, if I think it’s at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe, on many things.” He added, “If it’s a good intention, that’s fine. If it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe, which is a possibility.” Von der Leyen pitched closer cooperation on tech, defence and energy to Carney, who became the first non-European...

Manchester United’s problems mounted as they crashed out of the League Cup after blowing a two-goal lead in a stunning 3-2 defeat against Brighton on Wednesday. Michael Carrick’s side slumped to their second successive home defeat following a wretched collapse in the third round at Old Trafford. United led through goals from Shea Lacey and Mason Mount inside just 10 minutes. But Charalampos Kostoulas sparked Brighton’s revival, and Pascal Gross equalised before Maxim De Cuyper grabbed the winner to leave Carrick shell-shocked as his team were booed off. It was another brutal blow for United after their controversial 1-0 home defeat against Manchester City on Sunday. The referees’ governing body admitted that VAR officials were wrong to allow City striker Erling Haaland’s winner, which left United with only one win from their first four Premier League matches. Having led United to third place last season in his spell as interim...

The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, reserved judgment in an appeal by the Independent National Electoral Commission against a Court of Appeal judgment voiding provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 dealing with political party primaries and membership registers. The appeal, marked SC/CR/495/2026, arose from a suit filed by the Zenith Labour Party at the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging provisions of the Electoral Act which the party contended were inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution. A seven-man panel of the apex court, presided over by Justice Adamu Jauro, reserved judgment after hearing arguments from the parties. “This matter is now reserved for judgment, at a date to be communicated to the parties,” the Judge said. INEC is the appellant, while the Zenith Labour Party is the respondent. The original suit, marked FHC/ABJ/509/2026, was filed by the ZLP against the disputed provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. The Federal High Court, Abuja Division,...

The retired Bishop of Ibadan Diocese, Anglican Church, Joseph Akinfenwa, has charged the four newly consecrated bishops of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, to protect the dignity of the episcopate and make their lives a reflection of the gospel. Akinfenwa also decried the level of hunger, insecurity and other forms of hardship in the country, urging church leaders not to shy away from speaking truth to power and holding the nation’s leaders accountable. The retired bishop said he was unsure whether the nation’s leaders were reading the news reported by the media daily, adding that the situation in the country would have been better if they did. Akinfenwa stated this on Tuesday while speaking at the ongoing 15th General Synod of the Church of Nigeria and the consecration of four new bishops at Our Saviour’s Anglican Church, Ikenne Remo, Ogun State. The clergyman said that, in addition to praying...