Social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has said he will not submit to the police the evidence backing his allegation that some security personnel aid kidnapping and banditry in Nigeria. Otse, who reacted on Thursday to the invitation extended to him by the Nigeria Police Force, said he was prepared to honour the invitation but would prefer to present his evidence in court. “I’m not going to be giving the police my evidence. Why would I do that? I would be charged to court, and I would turn down the evidence in court,” he said in a video posted on his Instagram page. The police had earlier invited Otse to provide evidence backing his allegation that police officers manning checkpoints identify wealthy travellers and pass information about them to kidnappers to facilitate their abduction. The Force described the allegation as serious, unsubstantiated and damaging to the institution,...

The Kano State Government has appealed to the Federal Government to supply additional diphtheria vaccines to enable it to conduct mass vaccination against the disease across the state. The Director-General, Kano Centre for Disease Control, Prof Muhammad Abbas, requested while addressing a news conference on Tuesday night. The press conference followed the reported outbreak of diphtheria in Rano and some other local government areas by the state House of Assembly, which said the disease had led to the death of more than 50 children. “Kano State has even written to the Federal Government to get more and more vaccines so that we vaccinate our people,” the KNCDC DG said. He, however, appealed to residents, particularly parents, to ensure early reporting of diphtheria and other cases to health facilities for prompt treatment. “We are appealing to parents to please report early. Early presentation to healthcare facilities is what saves. “And even...

The Federal Government on Wednesday launched a $1bn social protection initiative aimed at moving vulnerable Nigerians from dependence on temporary palliatives to sustainable pathways of economic empowerment and self-reliance. The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, stated this at the launch of the Household Prosperity and Empowerment Social Protection Project and four other initiatives designed to strengthen the country’s humanitarian response and poverty reduction architecture. Senior Special Assistant on Media to the First Lady, Busola Kukoyi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday titled, ‘FG Launches $1bn HOPE Social Protection Programme.’ The initiatives were unveiled at an event themed ‘From Palliatives to Pathways.’ The First Lady said the five initiatives, although serving different purposes, shared the objective of improving the wellbeing of vulnerable individuals, families and communities across the country. “Under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, our nation is implementing far-reaching reforms to strengthen the economy,...

The pricing of the newly introduced airport car-hire service has sparked outrage among travellers and Nigerians online after a travel content creator revealed that a trip from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, to Ikeja could cost as much as N30,000. The development came to light after travel content creator Chris Joondeph, known as “Authentic Travelling”, shared a video on TikTok of his experience at the Lagos airport, where he sought the cost of a ride to the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja. Joondeph, who said he previously paid between N6,000 and N8,000 for the journey on Uber, was surprised when an airport car-hire operator quoted N30,000 for the trip. “Radisson, that’s in GRA Ikeja. It’s just 30,000,” the operator told him after checking the fare. Reacting to the price, Joondeph said, “It costs 30,000 to Ikeja, when it normally used to cost me at most 8,000 naira. Me, I...

Prospective international students seeking to study in the United Kingdom have been advised to prepare their documents, secure an unconditional offer from a licensed education provider and carefully check their information before submitting a Student visa application. UK Visas and Immigration gave the guidance in a video shared on its official X account, outlining the application process, required documents, payment, biometric information and what applicants should expect after submission. Here are the steps prospective students need to follow. 1. Check which visa you need Before beginning the application, prospective students should first confirm that they need a Student visa to study in the UK. UKVI advised applicants to use the visa-checking tool on GOV.UK to determine the appropriate visa. Applicants should also prepare their documents and other relevant information before starting the application. 2. Get an unconditional offer and CAS Applicants must have an unconditional offer of a place on...

Amnesty International and Yiaga Africa have condemned the Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Federal Capital Territory, Samuel Shekwolo, over alleged threats to eject residents who refuse to join or vote for the All Progressives Congress in 2027. Amnesty, in a post on X, described the alleged threat as a call to violence and an attack on freedom of association and the liberty of persons, adding that no public official has the right to make residence in any part of Nigeria conditional on membership of or support for a political party. Shekwolo, who was elected Kuje Area Council chairman on the APC platform in the February 2026 FCT Area Council election, in a video circulating on social media on Tuesday, warned residents who do not support the party to leave the council ahead of the 2027 general elections. The council chairman said his position was informed by what he described as...

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, on Tuesday approved the appointment of Mrs Titilayo Olayinka as the new Accountant General of the state. The Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode, said in a statement in Ado Ekiti that the appointment, which took effect immediately, came barely 24 hours after Olayinka’s retirement as Accountant General/Permanent Secretary in the State Civil Service, upon attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60. “With the appointment, Ekiti State has joined other states, including Enugu, Osun and Akwa Ibom, that have engaged seasoned retired accountants general to head the important office of Accountant General of the state, while other states like Kwara, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia and Katsina have sourced professionals outside the civil service to man their respective offices of State Accountant General,” he stated. The media adviser said Olayinka served meritoriously as Accountant General of the state between November 28, 2019, and...

The Oke-Ogun Council of Elders in Oyo State on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to the development, security, education and political advancement of the region. The council stated this in a communiqué issued after its meeting held at the residence of its leader and former Minister of State for Agriculture and Water Resources, Dada Bamidele, in Bodija, Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State. The communiqué was signed by Jare Ajayi, Remi Adegbola and Sola Ailako in Ibadan, the state capital. It enjoined politicians to ensure that peace was maintained as they embarked on political campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections. The elders, according to the statement, deliberated on various issues affecting the region and the state, including security, the economy, education, politics and social issues. The council said, “On security, we commend retired Brig Gen Kunle Togun (retd), Primate Samson Ojoawo and Mr Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Igboho, along with...

Stocks rose, and oil dipped on Tuesday as investors assessed a US plan for the “economic asphyxiation” of Iran, while tech firms struggled following another down day on Wall Street and ahead of earnings from chip titan Nvidia. With the war against Tehran in its sixth month, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the White House was declaring an “economic D-Day” on the Islamic Republic and threatened to hit countries that trade with it. The threat comes with talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz have stalled, and neither side is showing any sign of backing down — pushing oil prices up for most of August, which has in turn fanned long-term inflation fears and put pressure on bond markets. “Around the globe, our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone,” Bessent told journalists on Monday. “We are going to hold everyone...

Nigeria’s dependence on imported petrol showed further signs of rebounding in July as supplies from domestic refineries dropped sharply, forcing a bigger contribution from foreign imports despite the country’s expanding refining capacity. Latest statistics on Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations for July 2026, published on Monday, showed that domestic petrol supply fell by 21 per cent within one month, while petrol imports rose by nine per cent. The development points to the continuing challenge facing Africa’s largest oil producer as it seeks to replace decades of dependence on imported petroleum products with output from local refineries. The factsheet showed that total Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, receipts declined from 50.6 million litres per day in June to 45.5 million litres per day in July, representing a 10 per cent drop. However, the composition of the supply changed significantly. Domestic refineries supplied 32.5 million litres of petrol daily in...