Davido and his wife, Chioma, lost their three-year-old son in October 2022 after he drowned in a swimming pool at their Banana Island residence in Lagos.

In a recent interview with ABC News’ Rocsi Diaz, the singer described the incident as life-changing, saying it gave him a deeper perspective on resilience and purpose.

He added that the strength he and his wife showed during the difficult period has inspired many, with several people approaching him to thank him for encouraging them to stay strong in their own hardships.

The host asked, “Having to go through the loss of your son at that period, being able to step away and look back into your career, gave you a refocus and reappreciation of how you wanted to move going forward.”

Davido responded, “Of course, it changed my life. I know how many people who randomly come to me at the airport to tell me how my strength has inspired them in hard times. I was telling my wife the other day that I’m proud of how we bounced back. Now, we got twins. They are big and shouting everywhere. For us to be able to go through the loss of our son and be able to bounce back in a major way is huge.”

Source: Vanguardngr

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The decision was announced by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, the Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, who described the development as ‘an abomination’ and a serious departure from biblical truth.

The announcement came during the opening session of the 14th Church of Nigeria Conference of Chancellors, Registrars and Legal Officers, held on Tuesday at the Church’s national secretariat in Abuja.

With the theme ‘Called as a Watchman’, the event brought together legal minds from across the Church to discuss matters of doctrinal integrity, justice, and governance.

Primate Ndukuba delivered the keynote address titled ‘The Decade of the Reign of God: Progress, Challenges, and Prospects.’

Reacting to the Church in Wales’ elevation of a lesbian bishop, the Primate said, “We reject the election of the Right Reverend Cherry Vann as the Archbishop of Wales.”

He compared it to the 2003 consecration of Gene Robinson in the Episcopal Church (USA), which had also led to Nigeria severing ties with that province.

“Just as the Church of Nigeria took steps after the election of Gene Robinson in the United States, we are severing every tie and relationship with the Church of Wales,” he said.

Primate Ndukuba also criticised what he described as the growing influence of revisionist teachings within sections of the Western Church.

“These individuals have not relented from their evil agenda; rather, they have intensified it. What they call their wisdom and culture is an abomination to God,” he declared.

Despite cutting formal ties with the Church in Wales, the Church of Nigeria reaffirmed its support for orthodox Anglicans in the region through platforms such as the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON).

“We pray that the Church of God in Wales will rise up, and that the faithful among them will stand strong. We, the Church of Nigeria, alongside GAFCON, will stand with them,” Ndukuba assured.

Looking ahead, the Primate said the Church of Nigeria plans to expand its global mission, with new registrations underway in countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland.

“We feel that the Lord is calling us back to Europe for mission,” he said.

The Primate also used the opportunity to highlight the Church’s ongoing contributions to the GAFCON movement.

He revealed that the Church of Nigeria had recently contributed $2.5 million to the GAFCON Endowment Fund and was planning a local Nigerian GAFCON Endowment worth $2.3 million to support orthodox Anglican work and mission.

On constitutional and legal matters, Ndukuba urged legal officers to strengthen the Church’s internal reforms and national engagement.

“You are to understand yourselves to be watchmen for the Church. You defend the Church against all forms of aggression. As modern-day watchmen, we must first listen to God, then speak His truth in love, knowing our duty lies in obedience,” he said, calling on legal professionals to support the Church’s constitutional review and advocate for a new Nigerian constitution.

Source: Vanguard Nigeria

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Confirming the arrests, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said the incident was reported on July 30, 2025, by one Mr. Innocent, a resident of Jikwoyi Phase II.

According to her, Mr. Innocent informed the Jikwoyi Police Division that his 16-year-old daughter, Miss Lead Way Innocent, had left home on July 18, 2025, to sit for an examination at Government Secondary School, Karu, Abuja, but never returned.

He later received a phone call from unknown persons demanding a ransom for her release.

“Upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Jikwoyi Division immediately launched a discreet investigation,” SP Adeh stated.

“Through coordinated intelligence gathering and digital tracking, the phone number used to contact the complainant was traced to a residence in Jikwoyi Phase II. Operatives proceeded to the location, where Miss Lead Way Innocent was found in the company of one Mrs. Tina Mayowa, the wife of Mr. Mayowa Adedeji. The two were seen eating and conversing freely, showing no signs of distress.”

Further investigations led to the arrest of Miss Joy Innocent, elder sister of the alleged victim, and her boyfriend, Mr. Mayowa Adedeji.

Police findings revealed that Joy conspired with her boyfriend—who is legally married to Mrs. Tina Mayowa—to fake the kidnapping of her younger sister in a calculated attempt to defraud their father.

It was also discovered that Lead Way Innocent was not only aware of the plan but actively participated in it. She willingly stayed with the suspects throughout the period of her supposed abduction, while Joy remained at home, pretending to be unaware of her sister’s whereabouts, as their father frantically tried to raise the ransom.

The suspects are currently in custody and assisting the police with further investigations.

There is a music section with a set of drums. Sash-wearing church wardens move around to enforce order.

But it is also different. For hours, the only sounds are exclamations and thunderous bursts of drums, with their vibrations the cues for when to pray, kneel or respond to the preacher’s calls for “Hallelujah.”

This is a church for deaf people in Somolu, a mixed-income suburb, where about 50 to 60 people worship weekly.

Imoh Udoka, a father of two children, has attended the church for 36 years. He was 9 years old when he contracted meningitis, losing his hearing as well as access to his faith. Most churches in Nigeria do not have accommodation for deaf people.

Then Udoka, now a teacher of sign language, discovered the church via community outreach. “Here in this church, we have access to worship God in our sign language,” he told The Associated Press.

‘God also understands us’

Remi Akinrenmi is one of the pastors. Every Sunday, he mounts the pulpit with charismatic energy to preach in sign language. His big frame makes for a commanding presence.

On one Sunday, he preached about the sinister consequences of jealousy. On another, he preached the importance of faith. Attendees waved their hands above their heads in response to “Praise the Lord.”

Most important for Akinrenmi is that members see the church as a community.

“There was no community for us before the deaf church started,” he said. “Now, we see each other and say, ‘Oh, you are deaf, too. I am also deaf.’ And we are now together and have formed a community.”

God understands every language, he said: “With sign language, God also understands us.”

Disability advocates say that in the absence of inclusive churches and institutions, churches like this and a handful of affiliates in southern Nigeria are crucial, especially in African societies where the perception of people with disabilities is influenced by traditional beliefs. Some see a disability as a divine punishment.

“An exclusive space like this church offers them an opportunity for a safe space to be able to connect and relate,” said Treasures Uchegbu, founder of Speaking Fingers, a sign language advocacy group in Lagos. “They can say, ‘I am not a deaf person just standing alone, I have other deaf people around.’”

How the church came to be

The church organises evangelism outreach programs to other deaf communities in Lagos. It also runs a teaching unit for sign language, a vital tool for understanding the world better, according to Akinrenmi.

Hearing children of church members also attend the classes to better relate to their parents and others, and some hearing students attend church services for immersion learning.

The church started in 1956 in colonial Nigeria as the Christian Mission for Deaf Africans. In today’s Nigeria, an estimated 10 million people out of the population of 220 million are deaf or have difficulty hearing.

There is limited infrastructure in Nigeria for people with disabilities, and laws to improve their welfare and prevent discrimination are barely enforced. Efforts by advocates to push for more inclusive legislation have not materialised. They blame a lack of political will.

Oluwakemi Oluwatoke-Ogunjirin, a 49-year-old worker with the Lagos state government, was born deaf. She attended hearing churches with her family, but always felt lost.

Depending solely on public infrastructure in other parts of life, she struggles to get by. But at the church, she said, she has found a community where she can feel safe and understood.

“The church goes beyond faith; we have people like ourselves that we can talk to as friends,” Oluwatoke-Ogunjirin said.

With the church’s help, she has improved her sign language and can communicate widely, breaking the isolation she grew up with.

“The sign language makes life very easy for us,” she said. “It helps us communicate beyond the church.”

Delivering judgment on Thursday, July 31, 2025, Justice Hannah Ajayi acquitted four other defendants—Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Jamiu Uthman, Suleiman Muyideen, and Abdulrahman Jamiu—of all charges, stating that there was no evidence linking them to the crime.

Bello was found guilty of luring Hafsoh Lawal to his residence on February 10, 2025, under the guise of a romantic relationship, only to kill and dismember her body.

Justice Ajayi described the act as “cruel, wicked, and an extreme display of human wickedness.” She stated that evidence presented during the trial proved that the victim was killed for ritual purposes and the illegal trade of human body parts.

She also dismissed Bello’s claim of love and intention to marry the victim as a calculated ploy to deceive her.

Upon arrest, police found a cutlass believed to have been used in the murder, a bottle containing blood, the victim’s palm, and her personal belongings in Bello’s room. Other decomposed body parts were later recovered at a nearby dumpsite.

Bello was consequently sentenced to death by hanging, while the four others were discharged and acquitted.

Source: Linda Ikeji Blog

In recent years, criminal gangs in the region, known in the country as bandits, have taken to kidnapping people as a means to raise money.

In this incident, 56 people were taken from Banga village, Kauran Namoda local government area in March. The gunmen then demanded a ransom of one million naira ($655; £485) per captive, media in Nigeria report.

Local government chairman Manniru Haidara Kaura said that most of those killed were young people who “were slaughtered like rams”.

“What happened was that the bandits demanded ransom money, and after some back-and-forth, they were given what they asked for. They then released 18 people, including 17 women and one young boy, on Saturday,” Haidara added.

“Only they [the gunmen] know why they killed them. They are senseless and heartless people. They forget that they are killing their own brothers, and we will all meet before Allah.”

Residents said three pregnant women who were among the hostages gave birth while in captivity, but all the new-borns died due to lack of care.

Survivors recounted being forced to witness the brutal killing of fellow hostages before being allowed to leave the forest.

Sixteen of those released on Saturday are in hospital receiving treatment, while the bodies of the 38 killed by the bandits are unlikely to be returned as in these cases corpses are rarely released.

In a statement, the Zamfara government condemned the killings calling them “barbaric and cowardly” and declared that such atrocities added to its resolve to wipe out terrorism from the state.

“To the grieving families, we share your sorrow and pray for strength and healing. To the good people of Zamfara, remain united and vigilant. Report suspicious activities, and together, we will defeat evil.”

The government has said that the killers would be brought to justice.

In an attempt to curb the spiralling and lucrative kidnapping industry, a law was enacted in 2022 making it a crime to make ransom payments. It carries a jail sentence of at least 15 years; however, no-one has ever been arrested on those charges.

It also made abduction punishable by death in cases where victims die.

But families often feel forced to pay to save their loved ones, citing the government’s inability to ensure their safety.

BBC

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The body of the former president, accompanied by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and some family members of the late former president, landed at the airport runway at about 1:59 pm.

President Bola Tinubu and some members of Buhari’s family were on the ground to receive the remains.

The body was, thereafter, taken to Daura, the ex-president’s hometown, where he will be buried.

See photos below:

Source: ChannelsTV

Buhari, a former military ruler after a coup in the 1980s, returned to frontline politics to become the first Nigerian president to oust an incumbent through the ballot box in 2015. He was re-elected for a second term four years later.

Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima and government officials were in London on Monday to organise the repatriation of the former president’s remains.

Katsina state governor Dikko Umaru Radda said after consultation with Buhari’s family, it was agreed the body would arrive in Nigeria on Tuesday for burial the same day in his home town of Daura.

Among those who paid tribute to Buhari was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who posted on the X platform that “his wisdom, warmth and unwavering commitment to India–Nigeria friendship stood out.”

Buhari earned a devoted following for his brand of anti-corruption conviction politics, especially in Nigeria’s largely Muslim north.

He referred to himself as a “converted democrat” and swapped his military uniform for kaftans and prayer caps.

Ibrahim Babangida, another former military ruler who toppled Buhari in a coup in 1985, said he knew Buhari as a deeply spiritual and humble man.

“We may not have agreed on everything, as brothers often don’t, but I never once doubted his sincerity or his patriotism,” Babangida said in a statement.

After leaving office in 2023, Buhari spent most of his time in Daura, away from the public eye.

His successor, Bola Tinubu, inherited a country grappling with double-digit inflation, foreign exchange shortages, economic hardship, low oil production and insecurity that had spread to most parts of Nigeria.

Buhari’s supporters, however, viewed him as Nigeria’s conscience because he had a reputation for shunning corruption and ostentatious lifestyles often associated with the country’s political elites.

To his critics, Buhari was “an absentee landlord — a leader who governed by delegation, who disappeared for long stretches (often to London for medical treatment), and whose aloofness felt like abandonment,” the local BusinessDay newspaper said.

Source: Reuters

The court ruled that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The tragic incident occurred on 28 October 2023 at the lecturer’s residence in Gbaiko. Joy, who had been employed as a housemaid earlier that month, was introduced to the victim’s household by Pastor Ojo Peters of the Voice of Mercy Church, which both the victim and Joy’s mother attended.

During her brief stay, Joy reportedly began stealing valuables, including foreign currency. Upon discovery, Dr. Adefolalu dismissed her.

Following the dismissal, Joy allegedly conspired with two accomplices—identified as DJ Wallex and DJ Smart, who are currently at large—to attack the lecturer.

In her confession to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Joy detailed how her friends stabbed the lecturer multiple times before bludgeoning her with a wooden stool.

The attackers stole the victim’s phones, a laptop, and more foreign currency before fleeing the scene.

In delivering the judgment, the judge noted that the evidence—including Joy’s confession and in-court testimony—clearly established her role in the crime.

Although Joy was only 14 years old at the time of the offence, she was sentenced to life imprisonment, as Nigerian law prohibits the death penalty for minors.

Her two accomplices remain at large as investigations continue.

According to the figures, at least 2,266 people were killed in the first half of 2025, compared to 1,083 in the first half of 2024 and 2,194 for the full year last year.

Nigeria’s military has been stretched thin, fighting a multi-front war against Boko Haram and other insurgencies in the northeast, banditry and kidnappings in the northwest, herder attacks in the central states and secessionists in the southeast.

The situation has worsened lately, with 606 people killed last month alone, including in attacks by gunmen on the Yelewata and Dauda communities in central Benue state, where around 200 people were killed.

Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission Tony Ojukwu, disclosing the figures during a presentation in the capital, Abuja, called for urgent and decisive action from the government.

“These were not mere figures on a report; they were fathers, mothers, children, and breadwinners; families torn apart, livelihoods destroyed, and futures extinguished in moments of senseless brutality,” Ojukwu said.

The agency reported 857 people abducted in the first half of 2025, though this was a decline from 1,461 in the same period last year.

The report also noted a trend of attacks against law enforcement and local security forces, with more than 17 soldiers killed in Kaduna and Niger States and over 40 members of the Civilian Joint Task Force killed in the northwestern Zamfara state.

Source: Reuters

Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have chosen the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their new political home after breaking away from their respective parties – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP).

This is one of the biggest shake-ups in Nigerian politics since the end of military rule in 1999.

Some political heavyweights from Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) party have also thrown their weight behind the formation.

Why have they joined forces?

The announcement is the culmination of a series of talks between the leaders to put up a united front in the 2027 election, rather than splitting their vote.

Tinubu won the 2023 election with just 37% of the vote after opposition supporters were divided between Abubakar who got 29%, and Obi with 25%.

Obi had broken away from the PDP after the party chose Abubakar as its presidential candidate.

At their unveiling with the ADC, interim chairman David Mark said it was an attempt to save the country’s democracy and to stop Nigeria from becoming a one-party state.

Both the PDP and LP are also battling internal crises which some believe were instigated by external forces.

Analyst Shehu Iliyasu said Abubakar and Obi are learning the lessons of the last election.

“Both Atiku [Abubakar] and Obi felt they came so close in 2023 and would have maybe won on a joint ticket so they want to amend their mistake by working together this time around,” he told the BBC.

Who else is in the ADC?

Tinubu’s biggest challengers in the last elections, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are the face of the coalition.

Although there’s a long way to go before candidates are officially announced, political commentators are predicting that 78-year-old Abubakar will have another shot at the presidency – it would be his fifth attempt – with former Anambra governor Obi, 63, as his vice-presidential pick.

Other political heavyweights in the coalition include former Senate President David Mark, who like Atiku is leaving the PDP, along with its former chairman Uche Secondus, and former Tinubu ally turned foe Nasir El-Rufai and powerful minister in the last dispensation Rotimi Amaechi.

Is the ADC a new party?

No. The politicians are joining an already existing party which has an acronym closer to the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) they wanted to register.

The party was originally named Alliance for Democratic Change when it was formed in 2005, but it was renamed the African Democratic Congress by the time the party was registered with the Nigerian Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec).

The ADC’s Jamilu Danladi said they were sceptical of getting ADA ready in time and that is why they instead went for the ADC.

Registering a new political party is a difficult process. The Inec chairman recently announced that it had received over 100 applications from associations and groups that have submitted letters of intent to become political parties.

Many of those won’t make it, as apart from other conditions, the group must have a presence in at least 24 out of Nigeria’s 36 states and have a headquarters in Abuja.

The ADC’s Dumebi Kachikwu came fifth in the last presidential election and it currently has two members of parliament in the lower chamber.

Despite not being one of the big parties in Nigeria, the ADC has a good national spread and an active political machinery in each state, which will no doubt be boosted with the money and support of the political heavyweights who have joined it.

Its first presidential candidate in 2007 Professor Pat Utomi was instrumental in it getting national acceptance as he’s a renowned economist.

Can Obi and Abubakar work together again?

This is the question on the lips of many, as Obi’s large support base do not want to see him play second fiddle to anyone else – and this is why he quit the PDP to join the Labour Party in the last election.

Obi himself has dismissed speculation that he would be the vice-presidential candidate, while Abubakar would go for the top job.

“I’m going to contest for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and I believe I am qualified for it,” he said in an interview with Channels TV.

While Abubakar’s supporters feel with him being the only former vice-president seeking the presidency, every other politician naturally comes second.

When both politicians worked together in 2019 with Obi serving as Abubakar’s running mate, they lost to the APC’s Muhammadu Buhari.

When Obi left the PDP for LP in 2022, it was a peaceful separation without rancour.

The former governor said at the time that he was moving to LP because it aligned with his aspirations.

As if both knew fate would bring them back together, neither spoke ill of the other either before or during the 2023 campaign.

Inec provisions says the procedure for the nomination of candidates by political parties for various elective positions in the country should be through primaries or consensus.

It remains to be seen whether the ADC will be able to find a consensus or if it will have to hold a potentially divisive primary election to choose its presidential candidate.

What are their chances in 2027?

Analyst Ben Kenneth say he believes the coalition has a better chance of defeating Tinubu than last time.

“If you look at what Atiku and Obi got in the last election, it’s clear to see that they would’ve won assuming they worked together, so it’s a good thing they have realised they need each other,” he told the BBC.

However, another analyst Sani Hamisu feels 73-year-old Tinubu has a better chance now than in 2023.

“In Nigeria and Africa, when a leader is in office seeking a second term, he hardly loses, it is very rare and that’s why I feel Tinubu has a better chance now than when he wasn’t in office in 2023,” he said.

Is Tinubu going to run again?

The ruling APC has already endorsed the current president, whose tenure expires on 29 May 2027, to seek a second term.

However, questions over his health will linger as he’ll be 75 by the next election and 79 if he were to be elected and finish his second term.

Some media reports say his recent trips abroad were for medical reasons but the presidency has denied that, saying the president is healthy and in good shape.

The APC says it is not bothered by his rivals joining the ADC which it does not see as a real threat.

Acting chairman Ali Bukar Dalori told BBC Hausa the coalition would have no impact on the APC.

“Nobody is talking about a coalition except in Abuja. Even in Abuja, they are in a hotel, and when they are defeated in elections, they will leave the country,” he said.

What does this mean for the PDP and Labour Party?

The country’s biggest opposition party, the PDP had ruled out joining the ADC, preferring to face the APC on its own.

The Labour Party also called on its supporters to remain focused and resolute behind the party, denying any plans to join a coalition.

For the LP, losing Peter Obi who single-handedly raised its profile to new heights will be a huge blow, and some say it’s unlikely to recover in the near future.

The other biggest loser to the coalition is the PDP which has lost several big names.

Analyst Iliyasu Hadi believes the PDP is set to lose its status as the country’s biggest opposition party to the ADC.

“When you look at the calibre of politicians in the ADC and those remaining in the PDP, it’s clear to see that the ADC will soon become Nigeria’s main opposition party, [it’s] just a matter of time,” he said.

For the moment, neither party seems to have any other candidate of the calibre of either Abubakar or Obi.

However, they do control 11 states, which gives them a strong base, as long as those governors don’t defect to either the APC or the ADC.

Source: BBC

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Borno state police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso said in a statement that a woman with an improvised explosive device strapped to her body, infiltrated a crowd at the fish market before detonating it among civilians.

Daso said those injured were taken to hospital.

Local residents said at least 30 people were injured.

Borno state is the heartland of an insurgency – primarily driven by the Islamist armed group Boko Haram – that has been raging for the past 16 years, killing thousands and displacing at least 2 million people, according to aid agencies.

Additionally, 10 others were said to have sustained injuries from the explosion.

Confirming the incident, the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Adamu Ibrahim, said the suspected explosion involved an Explosive Ordnance Disposal, EOD, personnel in a military-grade mortar vehicle.

According to him, “I received a call about the incident that had happened. When I arrived, I found that it was a suspected explosion – possibly an EOD on a military mortar bomb vehicle that exploded.

“Fifteen people were affected and rushed to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. I rushed to the place and found out that five died and 10 are receiving treatment.

“The case is under investigation, but from the information I got, the vehicle came from Yobe state.

“Preliminary findings suggest the explosive material was being transported by a trailer, but it remains unclear whether the vehicle was carrying military personnel or contractors,” Ibrahim said.

Meanwhile, at the time of filing the report, the authorities have yet to confirm the exact cause of the explosion.

The development has caused panic among residents in the state.

In the footage, female staff at Olabisi Onabanjo University in south-western Ogun State are seen touching some students’ chests as they queue to enter an examination hall.

The university has not yet commented on the video, but a student leader defended the bra policy as being part of the institution’s dress code aimed at maintaining “a distraction-free environment”.

However, he acknowledged that other ways were needed to enforce the policy that has been condemned by critics as archaic, sexist and likened to sexual assault.

A senior official at campaign group Human Rights Network told the BBC that students could sue the university for violating their rights.

“Unwarranted touches on another person’s body is a violation and could lead to legal action. The university is wrong to adopt this method to curb indecent dressing,” Haruna Ayagi said.

A student who did not want to be named told the BBC that the university enforced a strict moral code despite not being a religious institution.

She said their clothes were always being checked.

In response to the outcry, the president of the university’s students’ union, Muizz Olatunji, said on X that the university promoted “a dress-code policy aimed at maintaining a respectful and distraction-free environment, encouraging students to dress modestly and in line with the institution’s values”.

He added that the policy was not new, and the union had “engaged with the institution to explore alternative approaches to addressing indecent dressing, focusing on respectful and dignified interactions between students and staff”.

He also published the dress code, which included a ban on any clothes “capable of making the same or opposite sex to lust after the student in an indecent manner”.

The university was founded in 1982 as Ogun State University when Olabisi Onabanjo was state governor. It was renamed after him in 2001.

An internal memo from the head of the ministry’s HR department urges staff to attend a solemn prayer session and fast for the next three Mondays.

Some Nigerians have responded by questioning the government’s commitment to the task of bringing down the high cost of food.

A press release from the agriculture ministry on Saturday downplayed the issue, saying the call for prayers was not an official policy to tackle food insecurity but was intended to boost staff wellbeing.

“Just as the already existing monthly aerobic exercise and establishment of the gymnasium in the ministry are for physical fitness”, it continued, “as the regular medical check-ups of staff are for their health”.

At least 4.4 million people in Nigeria do not have enough food, according to UN estimates, with the country experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation following policy changes brought in by the new government since 2023.

The ever-increasing price of basic food staples was one of the triggers for nationwide cost-of-living protests last year. Yams, for example, quadrupled in price from one year to the next.

Critics see the appeal for divine intervention as proof that the government is shirking its responsibility to citizens and taking a fatalistic attitude.

But officials say they have taken numerous steps to tackle the crisis, including giving farmers more than 1,000 tractors and over two million bags of fertiliser.

Exasperated reaction to the call to prayer online has ranged from people saying the ministry’s leadership should be replaced with pastors and imams, to simply saying “Nigeria is a joke”.

Keeping animals as pets is a recent trend in Nigerian society, where traditionally, people were more likely to live with chickens or goats reared for food.

Over the past two decades, there was a rise in the number of households in urban areas keeping pet dogs, often for security in a country plagued by violent crime, but also for companionship.

No precise data are available on dog ownership, but a 2023 survey by research agency TGM Statbox indicated that around 42% of Nigerians own pets.

However, in a sign of economic hard times hitting across society, that is an increasingly expensive luxury.

One dog owner, Peter Anthony, a student who lives with his parents in the southwestern city of Ibadan, said feeding his German Shepherd, Flora, was never previously a concern for the family.

“Before the whole high cost of living saga, feeding her was so easy,” he said, waiting for Flora at a pet hospital where she had been treated for an ear condition.

“But now, by the time you pick out that money from your pocket, you’d know that something has left you,” he said.

The family now feeds Flora a smaller daily ration of noodles mixed with fish or eggs, Anthony said.

Flora’s owners are among the lucky ones who are still able to keep their dog healthy, even footing vets’ bills.

In a crisis that began when government removed a fuel subsidy and devalued the naira currency in May 2023, inflation has been in double-digit territory, hitting 34.80% last December, the highest in three decades, before easing to 23.71% in April.

Latest World Bank data shows that 31% of Nigeria’s more than 200 million citizens live below the international extreme poverty line of $2.15 per day.

FEELING THE PINCH

While pet owners are not among the country’s poorest, they are feeling the pinch. Some dog breeders say they are reducing their activity because so many pet owners are struggling.

Sarah Mokelu, who has a business importing dogs from Russia, has reduced the frequency of her trips there to about once every three months, from twice a month previously, because of surging prices and a drop in sales.

During her twice-a-month trips, she said she would bring between 15 and 20 dogs. Now, during her last trip in May, she brought in six dogs.

“Feeding has really humbled a lot of people,” said Mokelu, 63, at her home in the Ejigbo neighbourhood of Lagos.

“There was a feed we bought about six months ago for 40,000 naira ($25.70), now we’re buying for 70,000 naira.”

This price, for a 15-kg (33-lb) bag, is the same as the country’s minimum monthly wage of 70,000 naira.

Akindele Olunloyo, CEO of a dog importing company called Pet Lovers Nigeria, said all of his costs – animals, food, transport, permits, airport fees – had risen so much that he had changed his business model.

Olunloyo runs an online platform that helps Nigerians buy and sell pets. He said 90% of the people on the site were interested in buying and selling dogs at a price range of 20,000 to 100,000 naira, well below the price he might charge for an imported dog, which could be in the 300,000-500,000 naira range.

“I now import only for clients who are interested in buying their own food, high net worth Nigerians who place specific orders,” he said.

CHANGE OF DIET

Several breeders said they had switched from imported dog foods to cheaper alternatives, like mixing rice or noodles with fish eggs.

As imported dog food has become unaffordable for many, business has improved for local pet food producers.

“People not being able to afford the foreign kibbles … made people to look in our direction,” said Theresa Iwhewhe, who owns a pet hospital and pet food producing company in Ibadan.

There is hardly any data on locally produced pet foods. But research firm ReportLinker says imports into Nigeria are expected to decline to 769,000 kg by 2028, down from around 1.3 million kg in 2023.

($1 = 1,558.3100 naira)

Speaking during the June Holy Ghost Service themed “Destined for Greatness (Part 2)” at Redemption City in the early hours of Saturday, June 7, Adeboye, affectionately called Daddy GO, emphasized the critical need for spiritual direction and staying where God has placed you.

He raised concern over the growing trend among young Christians who frequently switch churches, always showing up as newcomers.

Recalling his own early Christian walk, he said, “There were three major ministries that were making waves, and they were very good. There were different temptations to go from one to another.”

Despite these temptations, Adeboye said God gave him a clear and sobering instruction, “God spoke to me, in a very specific manner, ‘Son, I brought you here. This is where you will stay. The day you leave this denomination, your firstborn will d+e.’”

At the time, RCCG was relatively unknown, operating out of a small building in Ebute-Metta, Lagos.

He shared how, even as a university lecturer, God told him to submit to a spiritual leader with no formal education, “I was a lecturer in the university. My father in the Lord didn’t go to secondary school, not even primary. But God said this is where you will stay.”

Pastor Adeboye urged believers, especially the youth, to prayerfully discover where God wants them to be, and stay there.
“Discover where God wants you to stay, and stay there,” he advised.

He also clarified that his statement was not a claim that RCCG is superior, “I am not saying we are better than any other denomination,” he concluded.

Nigeria’s military has been strained by widespread security issues, particularly a 16-year insurgency in the northeast led by Islamist militant group Boko Haram and its offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province. Security forces and civilians have been attacked and killed, and tens of thousands of people have been displaced.

Defence Chief of Staff, General Christopher Musa, who spoke at a security conference in the capital Abuja, said “border management is very critical,” citing Pakistan’s 1,350 km (839 miles) fence with Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia’s 1,400 km barrier with Iraq as successful precedents.

This is the first time a top Nigerian official has publicly suggested such a measure.

“Other countries, because of the level of insecurity they have, had to fence their borders,” he said.

Nigeria borders Niger Republic, Cameroon, Benin, and Chad, which are all grappling with escalating militant campaigns across the Sahel.

Nigerian authorities often attribute its prolonged insurgency, including recent attacks on military stations, to foreign fighter infiltration.

Nigeria’s longest border (1,975 km) is with Cameroon in the northeast, a Boko Haram hotspot. It also shares 1,500 km with Niger and 85 km with Chad, nations that have lost territory to armed groups.

Musa warned Nigeria’s perceived wealth makes it a target.

“It is Nigeria that everybody is interested in. That is why we need to secure fully and take control of our borders,” he said. “It is critical for our survival and sovereignty.”

Despite boasting one of Africa’s largest cattle populations, Nigeria’s milk output of 700,000 tonnes a year lags its annual consumption of 1.6 million tonnes.

This shortfall means the country imports around 60% of its milk.

“Our goal is ambitious but achievable; to double Nigeria’s milk production from 700,000 tonnes to 1.4 million tonnes annually in the next five years,” he said.

Maiha said Nigeria’s cattle population, exceeding 20 million, consists largely of low-yield pastoralist breeds.

A Nigerian farm has already imported over 200 heifers from Denmark, building its herd through intensive breeding, Maiha said.

So far, eight new pasture species have been registered, the first in 48 years, and a national strategy for animal genetic resources with support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation has been launched, he said.

“With over 20.9 million cattle, 60 million sheep, and 1.4 million goats already, we are not starting from zero, we are building from strength,” Maiha said.

In areas like Chorkor, a densely populated fishing community in Accra, lighter skin is increasingly viewed as a status symbol—and children have become the newest victims of this dangerous trend.

Mothers are applying creams containing banned and harmful ingredients such as hydroquinone, mometasone, and tretinoin—substances prohibited by Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA). In more extreme cases, some parents even resort to using household bleach, including hypochlorite-based products like Parazone.

Caro, a fishmonger and mother of two, admitted to bleaching her children’s skin as early as age three.

“They were born dark. I didn’t like that,” she confessed. “Now their skin is lighter. That’s beauty.”

She uses a product called Skin Light, one of the most popular on the market despite containing banned chemicals. Though Caro is aware of the dangers, she continues the practice. “Yes, it can cause kidney failure or skin cancer. But I’ve found my way around it,” she claimed. The financial cost, she added, is high—but the social pressure is even higher.

Caro is not alone.

Naa Ashorkor, another mother in Chorkor, said that maintaining fair skin is a major priority for many parents in her community. “Some use bleach found in detergents,” she said. “It’s what makes them look acceptable.” In their eyes, fair skin symbolizes beauty, class, and opportunity.

Emmanuel Nkrumah, Head of Cosmetics at the FDA, warned that the use of hypochlorite and similar chemicals on human skin—especially that of children—is extremely dangerous. “It’s not designed for the skin. It’s toxic,” he stressed.

The obsession with skin lightening has gone beyond creams. Some women now undergo intravenous treatments, injecting bleaching agents directly into their bloodstream. These procedures are often offered at unlicensed beauty clinics across urban areas, costing as much as GH¢1,500 per session.

Dr. Titus Beyuo, a gynaecologist and former Deputy General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association, confirmed a rise in the number of mothers bleaching their newborns. He revealed that, in some cases, the motivation is to avoid questions about the baby’s paternity. “It’s happening more than we think,” he noted.

Back in 2018, the FDA issued a public warning against the use of cosmetic pills by pregnant women attempting to lighten their unborn children’s skin. Today, intravenous bleaching poses an even greater threat. “It affects every part of the body,” Dr. Beyuo warned.

Presidential Advisor on Health and former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Nsiah Asare, condemned the practice.

“Parents do not have the right to bleach their children. There are laws to protect children from harmful practices,” he said.

Although research on child skin bleaching in Ghana remains limited, the World Health Organisation estimates that over a third of Ghanaians use skin-lightening products. In Nigeria, the figure is as high as 77%, while in Mali it’s around 25%.

In Chorkor, the practice is deeply ingrained. Residents like Quaynor Allotey, whose own sisters bleach their children’s skin, are alarmed but often feel powerless. The community’s perception of beauty—closely tied to skin tone—continues to fuel the demand.

Behind every bottle of bleaching cream and every bar of whitening soap lies a painful truth: children are being taught that their natural skin is not enough. The harm is not only physical but also psychological, cultural, and generational.

But this cycle can be broken.

The true beauty of Ghana lies not in the colour of one’s skin, but in the strength, diversity, and dignity of its people. It’s time to say enough. We must protect our children.

Let this documentary be more than a report. Let it be a call to action—for public education, stronger regulation, and a national cultural awakening.

No child should grow up believing they must change their skin to be loved, accepted, or respected. Let self-worth shine brighter than any cream ever could.

This investigation was supported by Nigeria Health Watch.
Source: Kwetey Nartey

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Fighting back tears, he says, “I can’t afford to take care of him. I can’t afford to feed him the way he should be fed.”

His two-year-old American Eskimo barks as his owner turns his back and walks out of the St Mark’s Animal Rescue Foundation in the Lagos suburb of Ajah.

Dr Mark Afua, a vet and chairman of the rescue centre, takes Hanks and puts him in a big metal cage – one of many in the single-storey building designed for dogs, cats, snakes and other animals.

Hanks wheels around in circles in his cage, and Dr Afua tries to calm the distressed, fluffy-haired dog.

Mr Maxwell, an online media strategist, was recently made redundant. His job-hunting means he is never at home and so feels unable to look after Hanks.

“I’m trying to get whatever I have to do to survive. I don’t even have the time now [to look after Hanks] because I’m always out looking for jobs,” he told the BBC.

The 33-year-old’s decision was difficult to make, but it is one that many pet owners are taking in the face of the rising cost of living in Nigeria.

Africa’s most populous nation has been hit by high inflation since President Bola Tinubu came to power two years ago and removed a long-standing fuel subsidy.

The inflation rate surged from 22% in May 2023 to 35% in December 2024, a 28-year high, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Inflation has since fallen back to 24%, but this means that prices are still continuing to rise, just not as quickly as before.

The economic crunch has meant that some companies have had to downsize to keep afloat in the face of rising operating costs, pushing young people like Mr Maxwell into an already saturated labour market.

Animal rights activists and animal shelters say that they are seeing an unprecedented number of abandoned animals as the cost of looking after pets spirals out of control.

Prices for pet food and veterinary care have jumped by more than 100% as some things, especially medication, are imported, and the local currency has plummeted against the dollar.

“About 10 years ago, when we started this project, we really didn’t have people giving up their dogs because they were unable to feed the dogs,” Dr Afua told the BBC.

“Right now, we have 10, 12 animals being dropped in a month.”

Some, like Mr Maxwell, hand their pets over to a shelter for adoption, but others simply abandon their animals.

Animal cruelty campaigner Jackie Idimogu, who is president of My Dog and I – a dog-lovers’ community in Lagos that often helps to rehome pets, says she has noticed the change.

“Now they don’t even have that patience [to find new owners]. They just tie the dog out to a post on the road or they just unleash it on the road,” she told the BBC.

The 32-year-old says more than 50% of her income as a furniture maker and interior designer now goes on looking after her four dogs.

“I’m spending roughly 250,000 naira ($158; £117) every month on pets,” she says, adding that this includes someone to walk the dogs and look after them when she was not around.

But Ms Idimogu says she cannot bear to give them up.

“As a single lady, I have no kids of my own yet. My dogs are my babies. I don’t see any difference between myself as a dog mum and a human mum. I don’t think I have it in me to give up any of my babies for any reason whatsoever.”

Instead, she has chosen to adapt her lifestyle – fewer luxuries for herself like jewellery, expensive hair styles and spa visits and fewer treats for her pets like chicken, yoghurt treats and car rides.

“I used to be flashy, but now I had to tone down because of my dogs.”

The same goes for Amartya Odanokende, who goes by the name “Jason the Cat Guy” on social media, where he likes to impart his love of felines to his fellow Nigerians who often regard cats with suspicion because of their association with witchcraft.

He spends approximately $160 a month on food for five big cats and some kittens, plus another $7 on 10kg of cat litter. Since he got his Prussian cats in 2020, he says what he spends has gone up 100%.

Such a “skyrocketing maintenance cost” is a concern, and he worries about getting into debt.

Lagos sales executive Iyke Elueze is also struggling to look after her 10 dogs.

“There’s a particular brand of food I used to use. It was just about 30,000 naira then. That same brand of dog food is 165,000 naira,” he told the BBC.

He credits his first dog, Hennessey, with saving his life at a time when he was struggling with depression; nonetheless, he would like to get rid of some of his animals as he now needs to prioritise his toddlers.

But the 36-year-old fears that his dogs could end up being eaten, as they are considered a delicacy in some parts of southern Nigeria.

Celebrity chef and Guinness world record breaker Hilda Baci once came under fire on social media after she admitted to making a dog-meat themed menu.

“I am very careful with who adopts my dogs. I don’t want my dogs ending up in any other person’s pots,” said the father-of-two.

Mistura Ibrahim, a young tattoo artist in Lagos who has made it her mission to help cats after saving two who were about to be stoned, is depressed about the situation and is finding it hard to find new homes for others she continues to rescue.

“I get some calls from people that I’ve given cats to in the past, and they say that they really cannot afford to keep the cats.”

She no longer feeds her cats tinned meals, opting to give them food from her own plate.

Her advice is to take pet welfare seriously: “It’s just like having a child. If you can’t afford to have a child, then don’t bring a child into the world.”

For Dr Afua, who uses the profit from his veterinary practice to fund his shelter, it is getting harder to house the unwanted animals.

“We try to help the animals get homes quickly, but I’m careful [about] the homes they go to so they don’t come back. And some animals will never find homes because of previous abuse.”

With St Mark’s Animal Rescue Foundation caring for more than 60 dogs at the moment – around twice its capacity – would he ever turn away an animal?

“I don’t have the heart to. As I speak, I have dogs and cats everywhere. My office and home are full – and I still make room for the next.”

Source: BBC

Africa’s most populous country and biggest energy producer, Nigeria is battling insecurity on many fronts, including a long-running insurgency in the northeast and armed kidnapping gangs in the northwest.

Captain Reuben Kovangiya, spokesperson for the military’s anti-insurgency operation, said the arrests were part of a crackdown on racketeering involving ammunition.

Local media reported that 18 soldiers, 15 policemen and eight civilians were taken into custody.

“It is part of the counter-arms and ammunition racketeering operation conducted in every theatre of operations,” Kovangiya told Reuters. “If any personnel engage in any act that is inimical to the system, they are arrested and tried.”

Kovangiya did not elaborate on the types and numbers of weapons sold but said the suspects would be prosecuted.

Nigeria has this year experienced a surge in attacks by militants from Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province, who have overrun some military bases in the northeastern state of Borno.

In the course of most of the raids, militants have seized weapons from army bases.

Source: Reuters

Halfway through his term, Tinubu acknowledged the pain his reforms had unleashed, adding that he did not take the patience of Nigerians for granted.

“Today, I proudly affirm that our economic reforms are working. We are on course to building a greater, more economically stable nation,” he said.

On the day he took office in May 2023, he announced the end of a long-standing fuel subsidy – a move that caused a huge surge in prices, leaving many Nigerians unable to buy enough food to eat.

Nigeria’s biggest opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described Tinubu’s two years in office as a “massive disappointment”.

In a statement released to mark Tinubu’s second anniversary, the party which lost power in 2015 said the president had failed Nigerians.

But Tinubu said the situation was now improving: “Despite the bump in the cost of living, we have made undeniable progress. Inflation has begun to ease, with rice prices and other staples declining.”

Inflation was 24% last month, according to the official figures, compared to 22% when he took over.

This is an improvement from this time last year when it stood at 34%. Weeks later Nigerians took to the streets in a nationwide protest that left several people dead.

A fall in the rate of inflation does not mean that prices are falling – just that they are rising at a slower rate than before.

The World Bank predicts that Nigeria’s total output, or GDP, will grow by 4% this year – a faster rate than the 3% when Tinubu took over.

However, unemployment remains a major concern, with many graduates still complaining about not being able to find jobs.

The president said he had little choice about removing the subsidy, saying the huge cost was a “chokehold on our nation’s neck, strangling our nation’s future”, while allowing corruption to thrive.

After his inauguration and under what he called a “Renewed Hope Agenda”, Tinubu pledged to tackle economic instability, improve security nationwide, reduce corruption, reform governance, and lift Nigerians out of poverty.

Public affairs analyst professor Adeosun Olufemi told the BBC he feels the president has made positive gains in some areas, adding that the governors of Nigeria’s 36 states should take the blame for some of the problems over the past two years.

“After the president announced fuel subsidy removal, money allocated to state governors increased heavily but what have they done with it?” he asked.

The president, 73, won the bruising 2023 election with 37% of the vote – defeating former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former governor Peter Obi in a three-way race.

There is massive speculation that some of the major political parties could form a coalition ahead of the next election in 2027 to challenge Tinubu, who is expected to seek a second term.

Nollywood actor Godwin Nnadiekwe has been hospitalised with internal bleeding after being kicked in the chest by fellow actor Zubby Michael during a film shoot.

His management released an official statement on Saturday evening, confirming the incident and his condition.

“We regret to inform you that actor Godwin Nnadiekwe was rushed to the hospital this evening. He is undergoing treatment for internal bleeding following an incident involving a kick to the chest during filming with his colleague Zubby Michael,” the statement read.

“We are committed to providing the best possible care and will ensure timely updates are shared with the public and the AGN board. We appreciate your concern and well wishes for Godwin at this time. Please keep Godwin in your thoughts.”

Before the statement, Nnadiekwe had shared details of the incident on Instagram, clarifying that Michael’s kick was not part of the scripted action and stressing the need for stricter safety protocols on set.

“Just wanted to share an incident that happened on set a few days ago. This isn’t to call anyone out, but it’s a serious reminder to prioritise each other’s safety on set,” he wrote.

“During a scene, I received a kick to the chest from my colleague, which wasn’t part of the script or directed by the director. It has caused me serious pain. I had to get medication for my chest to feel better today. I did all this by myself. No assistance!”

Nnadiekwe also criticised the lack of medical support during the shoot and called for greater accountability in Nollywood productions.

“When we work without insurance policies or readily available first aid, unexpected physical actions like this—even if accidental—can have real consequences. Let us commit to sticking to the script and ensuring everyone feels safe and respected.

“What if something more serious had happened? Or if this had gone south? Every action on set, particularly physical ones, must be intentional and within the director’s vision.

“Please let us all look out for each other and ensure our sets are always safe spaces where everyone feels secure and protected. Our health and safety are paramount. Our well-being should always come first. Peace!!!”

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See post below: 

The Anambra State Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, disclosed this in a social media video, saying the matter was brought before her on Tuesday.

Two of the pregnant girls are his master’s daughter and salesgirl, while the eight others were impregnated just two months after he returned to the village, having been sent packing by his boss.

According to Obinabo, in a live video she shared on social media seeking advice, she said: “I want advice from the public because this one is beyond my capacity.

“This boy was sent to learn a trade at the age of 18 and, three months into the apprenticeship, he impregnated his oga’s daughter and his salesgirl. He was sent packing. Two months after that, he impregnated eight others in the village.

“The mother reported the matter to my office, saying anytime she sees a girl coming towards her house nowadays, her heart would jump and that she needs help.

“This matter is beyond me; that’s the reason I want the public to help me come up with a solution. Is it spiritual?

“I asked the boy the magic he uses in luring the girls to bed, but he told me he always tells them that he loves them and would like to marry them anytime he acquires wealth.”

She said: “This problem is beyond me because of the boy’s age and the number of pregnant girls involved. That’s why I need help to solve it.”

In April 2020, the IMF provided the financing to help Africa’s largest oil exporter cope with a collapse in crude prices, which severely impacted its finances and tipped the economy into recession.

IMF resident representative to Nigeria, Christian Ebeke, said in a statement that, as of April 30, the country had “fully repaid the financial support” it received under the Fund’s Rapid Financing Instrument, a facility that provides urgent balance of payments funding to member nations.

“Nigeria is expected to honor some additional payments in the form of Special Drawing Rights charges of about $30 million annually,” Ebeke added.

The most recent data from the Debt Management Office shows that Nigeria spent $4.66 billion last year to service its foreign debt, with $1.63 billion of that amount going to the IMF.

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According to Daily Trust, the women, whose names were withheld, allegedly took the herbs three days after their husband wedded a third wife from his hometown in Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State.

The husband at the centre of the incident, Musa Muhammad, confirmed the development to the publication, saying his two wives were rushed to a clinic in nearby Madalla town in Niger State. There, they were diagnosed with organ damage allegedly caused by the herbal concoction they consumed.

He explained that the women underwent surgery at the hospital and were discharged on Monday.

Muhammad further revealed that the herbal mixture was usually supplied by a local herbalist and typically came in liquid form, which the women mixed with milk before drinking. However, on this occasion, the herbalist provided them with a powdered version.

“My attention was called from my main house that my two wives were not feeling fine because I passed the night at a different house where my new bride resides,” he narrated.

“So, I rushed there and found them rolling on the ground, complaining of stomach pain. Initially, I invited a nurse from the community who placed them on a drip, but there was no improvement. I then took them to a clinic in Madalla town where they underwent tests and surgery.

“They were discharged after about a week there,” he said.

Muhammad added that efforts were underway to locate the female herbalist for investigation to prevent others from falling victim.

A medical doctor, Mrs. Taiye Anifowose, has warned women against consuming such herbs, noting they can cause significant harm to internal organs.

Dr. Anifowose, a gynecologist, also cautioned that these substances could have long-term effects on the reproductive system.

The crash occurred on February 9, near the California-Nevada border, during a flight operated under visual flight rules (VFR) despite adverse weather conditions that required instrument flight rules (IFR).

The NTSB report concluded that the pilot became disoriented after entering instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), lost control of the aircraft, and crashed into the terrain.

All six people on board were killed, including Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group.

The NTSB attributed the accident not only to the pilot’s poor decision-making but also to multiple safety failures on the part of the helicopter operator. These included:

• Inadequate pre-flight risk assessment

• Failure to log and address critical maintenance issues

• Non-compliance with required regulatory safety standards

A critical detail in the report revealed that the helicopter’s radar altimeter, an essential tool for flying in poor visibility, was not functioning before the flight.

Despite a company mechanic’s unsuccessful attempt to repair it, the pilot and the Director of Maintenance were aware of the issue but allowed the flight to proceed.

The pilot later picked up the passengers without discussing the equipment malfunction or the poor weather conditions with the flight follower, the NTSB report added.

Investigators believe that the pilot’s failure to switch to instrument flight rules, despite the deteriorating weather, led to spatial disorientation, a condition where pilots lose their sense of direction, ultimately resulting in the fatal crash.

The findings have sparked renewed calls for stricter oversight of charter flight operations and have intensified scrutiny on safety compliance among private aviation providers.

The tragic incident occurred on Thursday and quickly went viral, with footage capturing the final moments of the entertainer as he appeared visibly distressed before collapsing.

Disturbing, who was also a cobbler and musician, had gained prominence through his active involvement in the Justice for Mohbad movement.

In a statement shared on TikTok, his wife, Omowunmi, revealed that he struck his head against a stone during the fall.

She explained that she was in the kitchen at the time when neighbours alerted her to the emergency.

“Yesterday morning, my husband was on TikTok Live while I cooked his food. Suddenly, he had a seizure, fell, and hit his head on a stone. Blood was coming out of his head. A young boy and some neighbours saw him, thought he had fainted, and poured water on him. They called me from the kitchen,” she said.

He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors placed him on oxygen. However, he sadly passed away on Friday morning.

Omowunmi further revealed that the late TikToker had a medical history of seizures and was undergoing treatment, dismissing online speculation that his death was the result of a spiritual attack.

“The last time he had a seizure was in February. It is purely a medical issue,” she said.

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The group included 15 failed asylum seekers and 11 foreign nationals who had completed prison sentences in the UK. Seven of the individuals reportedly returned voluntarily.

The charter flight, which took off on Thursday, marks the second deportation operation to Ghana and Nigeria since the current government assumed office, bringing the total number of returnees to the two countries to 87.

UK officials say the operation reflects a growing partnership between the British government and its counterparts in Accra and Abuja to curb irregular migration and enforce immigration laws.

“This flight demonstrates how international partnerships deliver on working people’s priorities for swift returns and secure borders,” said Angela Eagle, the UK’s Minister for Border Security and Asylum.

“Through the Plan for Change, we’re going further in restoring order to a broken system, accelerating returns of those with no right to be here and closing expensive asylum hotels,” she added. “I thank the governments of Ghana and Nigeria for facilitating this operation, which reflects our joint commitment to disrupt organised immigration crime and protect our borders.”

According to the Home Office, more than 24,000 people have been returned since the current administration took over—a figure representing an 11% increase over the same period last year.

Deportations of foreign national offenders have also increased by 16%, with 3,594 criminals removed.

Baroness Chapman of Darlington, Minister at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, said international cooperation remains key to tackling irregular migration.

“Working with other countries and partners around the world is critical to tackling irregular migration—by working internationally, we will meet this global challenge together,” she said. “I welcome our strong cooperation with Ghana and Nigeria to return those with no right to be in the UK, secure our borders, and deliver on the Plan for Change.”

The UK government noted that Immigration Enforcement ensures all deportations are conducted in a “dignified and respectful manner.”

The operation comes on the heels of the recent Organised Immigration Crime Summit hosted by the UK, which brought together representatives from over 40 countries—including Ghana and Nigeria—to advance global efforts against human smuggling and irregular migration.

The Plan for Change is one of the UK government’s flagship strategies aimed at tightening border controls, reducing asylum backlogs, and repatriating individuals who have no legal right to remain in the country.

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The World Bank made this projection in its Africa Pulse report, released on the sidelines of the ongoing Spring Meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington, DC.

The report, among other findings, painted a dire picture of poverty in Nigeria, noting that while economic activity has shown some positive signs, the underlying challenges associated with resource dependence and fragility are expected to escalate poverty levels. This requires focused and effective governance reforms and inclusive economic policies.

The report noted that while Nigeria saw higher-than-expected economic growth in the final quarter of 2024, particularly in its non-oil sector, the country’s status as a resource-rich and fragile nation means it faces a concerning outlook for poverty reduction.

The report indicates that poverty rates in resource-rich, fragile countries, including Nigeria, are expected to increase by 3.6 percentage points between 2022 and 2027. This makes Nigeria part of the only group in Sub-Saharan Africa with a projected rise in poverty.

The report stated: “Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest extreme poverty rate globally, and a large share of the poor is concentrated in a few countries. About 80 percent of the world’s estimated 695 million extreme poor resided in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, compared to 8 percent in South Asia, 2% in East Asia and the Pacific, 5 percent in the Middle East and North Africa, and 3 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

“Within Sub-Saharan Africa, half of the 560 million extreme poor in 2024 resided in four countries. Non-resource-rich countries are expected to continue reducing poverty faster than resource-rich countries.”

“Thanks to higher prices of agricultural commodities, non-resource-rich countries will see higher growth overall, despite fiscal pressures. Conversely, resource-rich countries are not expected to grow at the same rate given decelerating oil prices. As a result, resource-rich countries are expected to see less progress in terms of poverty reduction.”

“Importantly, poverty in resource-rich, fragile countries (which include large countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria) is expected to increase by 3.6 percentage points over 2022–2027, being the only group in the region with increasing poverty rates.”

“This follows a well-established pattern: resource wealth combined with fragility or conflict is associated with the highest poverty rates—an average poverty rate of 46% in 2024, 13 percentage points above non-fragile, resource-rich countries.”

“Meanwhile, non-resource-rich, non-fragile countries saw the biggest gains in poverty reduction since 2000 and fully closed the gap in poverty with other non-resource-rich countries by 2010.”

Consequently, the report suggests that for resource-rich countries like Nigeria, improving fiscal management and developing a stronger fiscal contract with citizens is crucial.

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The pastor, whose name was given as Peter James, was, until the incident, the head of charge of Christ Apostolic Church.

He was initially dragged to the palace for  allegedly impregnating the minor, said to be a member of the choir of the church.

According to close sources, the pastor had earlier allegedly impregnated their daughter and aborted the pregnancy without their knowledge.

The family source added that the cleric had earlier confessed to being the one who impregnated the girl.

However, trouble reportedly started when the pastor later denied ownership of the pregnancy, for which the matter was later intervened by the zonal headquarters of the church.

All efforts by his colleagues to persuade the pastor to accept responsibility for the pregnancy proved abortive.

According to the mother of the girl, Mrs. Victoria Bernard, the pastor denied the pregnancy because of the girl’s deformity and reported the issue to the police.

Governor Bago issued the directive during a security meeting held in Minna on Tuesday, stating that the measure was part of efforts to curb the resurgence of insecurity in the state capital.

“Anyone found in possession of any weapon, including knives and sticks, should be treated as an armed robber, and if killed, the parents must pay for the bullet before releasing the corpse. Anyone keeping dreadlock hair should be arrested and shaved,” he stated.

This pronouncement coincided with the governor’s imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew across Minna on Tuesday.

Governor Bago further pledged to deploy the full force of his administration against those responsible for perpetuating insecurity in the state.

DAILY POST reports that there has been a surge in attacks and killings in Benue and Plateau States over the past fortnight.

The announcement has been met with mixed reactions—some jubilant, others critical—as many argue it infringes on their right to personal choice.

People have posted videos of themselves crying, saying that they could not withdraw their investments and worried that their money had gone.

Some furious customers ransacked a CBEX office in the south-west city of Ibadan, carting off chairs, air-conditioners and a solar panel. CBEX has not yet publicly commented.

The company had promised that investors would double their money every month. Nigeria is currently facing straitened economic times, and many are desperate to find a way to boost their income.

One investor, identified as Ola, told BBC Pidgin that he feared he had lost 450,000 naira ($280; £210).

“I was ready to withdraw all my investment just last week, but my friend told me to be patient and wait – and now it has crashed,” Ola said.

Many others have shared similar stories online, with one person talking about losing $16,000.

The problem was first noticed over the weekend, but the anger boiled over when Monday came and people were still not able to access their money.

Some investors who made complaints on the private messaging service Telegram received responses from CBEX.

They were told that the problem was the result of a hack and that things will be resolved soon.

Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (Sec), which regulates the investment sector, has not yet responded to a BBC request for comment. But Sec has previously warned citizens about the risks surrounding unregulated digital platforms and potential Ponzi schemes

For some, the situation brings back painful memories from 2016 when another popular financial scheme, called MMM, froze its transactions, leaving many investors heartbroken.

Members were supposed to receive a 30% return on their investment in just 30 days. It launched in Nigeria in November 2015 and, according to its founders, had up to three million members before it collapsed.

Gwaska Dankarami was said to have been a high-value target who reportedly served as second-in-command to an Islamic State-linked leader.

The alleged gang leader had been hiding in the Munumu Forest, with authorities reporting that several other criminal hideouts were also destroyed across the state on Friday.

His apparent death comes after bandits kidnapped 43 villagers and killed four others in a deadly attack on a village called Maigora in the northern Katsina State earlier this week.

The police had said that it deployed security forces in pursuit of the kidnappers.

However, this is not the first time Dankarami’s death has been reported.

In 2022, the Nigerian Airforce claimed to have killed him in a similar operation.

The Katsina State commissioner for internal security and home affairs, Nasir Mua’zu, said the killing was a significant milestone in the fight against banditry in the state.

“It is expedient to state that this successful mission has significantly disrupted the criminal networks that have long terrorised communities across Faskari, Kankara, Bakori, Malumfashi, and Kafur,” Mua’zu added.

Security forces said they had also recovered and destroyed two machine guns and locally fabricated shotguns.

In a separate operation on Thursday, security forces killed six bandits, including their commander, while several other bandits escaped with bullet wounds.

Seven motorcycles were also intercepted and recovered during the intelligence-led operation.

Katsina, the home state of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, has witnessed sporadic attacks by bandits and kidnappers that have claimed many lives.

The state governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has expressed the government’s determination to eliminate criminals and ensure every forest is thoroughly monitored to protect residents.

The authorities said that the operations are part of a broader effort to restore stability in the state and the north-west region of Nigeria, which has witnessed repeated banditry attacks.

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In an emotional post shared on Instagram on Thursday, Ogala recounted the surreal encounter, stating that she was told by a divine voice that her time on earth was not yet over.

“I may not have much time now. I have to speak up. I died a few days ago. God gave me a second chance,” she wrote.

The actress described her heavenly vision as serene and majestic, where she felt completely free of earthly burdens.

Ogala claimed she was a queen and had servants attending to her.

“I saw myself in heaven. Very peaceful. All my burden was “lifted. I didn’t want to come back. It was so cool and smooth. The feeling is out of this world. I was a queen. I had servants and gold coins everywhere. Believe me, this is what I saw,” she said.

Sharing a short video from the day of the incident, Ogala continued, “I died as you are seeing me here. I was dead physically but I was in heaven. And God said to me, my child go back, it’s not your turn yet.”

 

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A post shared by Doris Ogala U (@dorisogala)

She added that she was gently led through a beautiful passage before being told to wait for her time.

Ogala’s testimony has sparked conversations online, with many fans expressing awe and support, while others have responded with curiosity, asking if there were servants in heaven.

Babagana Zulum called for more military assistance for soldiers fighting the insurgency.

The Nigerian government has downplayed the governor’s fears, saying security in the country has improved in the last 18 months.

Borno state has been at the centre of a 15-year insurgency by Boko Haram, which has forced more than two million people to flee their homes and killed more than 40,000.

At the height of its insurgency in 2015, Boko Haram controlled huge areas in Borno state before being beaten back.

The militant group gained international notoriety in April 2014 when it kidnapped more than 270 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok, also in Borno state.

Following a relative lull, the militants have been targeting army bases, police stations and rural communities.

In January, an ambush by the Boko Haram breakaway faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), reportedly killed at least 20 Nigerian soldiers, while another attack in the same period left 40 farmers dead.

Governor Zulum said it was disheartening that the group now attacked and kidnapped people in many communities almost on a daily basis.

In a meeting with national security officials, he said that Borno State was “losing ground” against the jihadists.

Security analysts say the concentration of soldiers in north-western Nigeria to deal with banditry and kidnappings has led to a reduction in the number of troops on the frontline with Boko Haram in Borno and other parts of the north-east.

The fight against the militants became even more challenging after neighbouring Niger withdrew its troops from a regional force set up to tackle the jihadist group.

Another analyst, Hamisu Sani, told the BBC that it wouldn’t be easy to defeat Boko Haram, but it wasn’t impossible.

“No matter how our military weakens them, they can always regroup and will remain a threat,” he said.

“The solution would be to crush the fighters in their entirety – which is possible given the right support to our military.”

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The trip is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and promoting Ghanaian businesses abroad under the government’s Economic Diplomacy Blueprint.

As part of the visit, Mr. Ablakwa toured businessman, Sir Sam Jonah’s 501-hectare real estate development in River Park estate.

The project is a partnership between Dr. Jonah’s investment firm, Jonah Capital and Mobus Property and Houses for Africa.

The CEO of Mobus/Houses of Africa Nigeria, Kojo Ansah Mensah, welcomed the Minister on behalf of the project’s Ghanaian founders — Sir Dr. Sam Jonah, KBE, and Ehunabobrim Nana Prah Agyensaim VI, King of the Owirenkyi Kingdom.

Mr Ablakwa, who doubles as the North Tongu MP, commended Nigerian authorities, including the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, for their support in safeguarding investor interests.

He emphasised Ghana’s commitment to assisting its businesses abroad: “Let River Park be a clarion call for Ghanaian and Nigerian businesses to build legacies together,” he declared.

In a post on Facebook, Mr. Ablakwa touted the River Park Estate as an “enduring symbol of Ghanaian enterprise and cross-border collaboration,” and assured developers of diplomatic support to navigate local challenges in Nigeria.

Timothy Omotoso had denied the 32 charges in a trial that was broadcast live and gained huge interest across the country.

In 2018, one witness told the court she had been raped by the pastor, who ran a church in the city of Port Elizabeth, when she was 14 years old.

When delivering the verdict on Wednesday, the judge presiding over the trial said that Mr. Omotoso had been found not guilty because prosecutors had mishandled the case.

South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) shared a similar assessment, saying that “former prosecutors in the case acted improperly and the accused were not sufficiently cross-examined by the state.”

The NPA said it would now “consider its legal options” and that the drawn-out nature of the trial was partly down to Mr. Omotoso filing numerous legal challenges.

For his part, Mr. Omotoso told the media he thanked God for the verdict.

His co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zikiswa Sitho, were also found not guilty.

Mr. Omotoso was dramatically arrested at an airport in 2017 as he sought to leave the country.

His trial was the first prominent rape case to be broadcast live in a country where sexual violence is rampant.

The hearings attracted huge interest and raised difficult questions about victims’ rights, impartiality, and whether justice is best served by having television cameras in courtrooms.

Following Wednesday’s verdict, Mr. Omotoso will be deported to Nigeria, South African media outlet News24 reported.

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The unexpected move, which happened on Monday, has sparked widespread speculation, with fans and industry insiders debating its significance.

This isn’t the first time Wizkid has taken such an action.

The Grammy-winning artiste previously wiped his page clean in August 2019 and July 2022, both times ahead of the release of his album More Love, Less Ego.

While the reason behind his latest social media reset remains unclear, fans are eagerly watching for any signs of a new project or major announcement.

On Friday, dozens of the group’s members marched in solidarity with Palestine, but violence broke out when they clashed with soldiers and police.

Critics say Nigerian security forces have increasingly resorted to using force, including live ammunition, to quell protests, and that this could radicalise groups like IMN.

Police in a statement on Saturday accused the protesters of “a violent assault” on security personnel armed with firearms and other lethal weapons in Abuja’s Wuse 2 neighbourhood.

One member of the security forces had died and 19 suspects had been arrested, he said.

Sidi Munir Sokoto, a senior IMN member blamed the military for the violence, saying the protest was peaceful. He put the death toll at five.

An army spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Isa Sanusi, head of Amnesty International Nigeria, called for an impartial investigation.

“The army used live ammunition on the protesters. It appears they approach IMN protesters always with the intent to kill,” Sanusi told Reuters, also putting the death toll at five.

Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province militants have mainly operated in the northeast of Nigeria, attacking security forces and civilians and killing and displacing tens of thousands of people.

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In the latest assault, Boko Haram insurgents and ISWAP fighters struck an army base in the Wajiroko area of Borno State at about 2100 GMT on Monday and set military equipment on fire, the sources said.

One of the soldiers in the Wajiroko brigade said at least four soldiers had been killed and several others injured, including the brigade commander.

Armed fighters in light tactical vehicles also stormed an outpost in Wulgo, a village about 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) from the Cameroonian border town of Fotokol, killing 12 soldiers and injuring a dozen others, Cameroon’s Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.

A military source who asked not to be named told Reuters the raid that targeted soldiers who are fighting the insurgency as part of a multinational task force took place between midnight and 3 a.m. local time on Tuesday.

The source added the militants were suspected to have initially launched their attack using drones before advancing with a ground assault. “They looted an important stockpile of weapons,” the source said.

Videos shared on social media showed bloodied bodies lying on the ground after the attack, charred patrol vehicles and damaged buildings. Reuters could not independently verify those videos.

A Nigerian army spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. Cameroon army spokesperson Cyrille Serge Atonfack Guemo confirmed the attack but said the casualty figures were still unclear.

Makinta Modu, a member of a local militia recruited to help the Nigerian army, said in the Wajiroko attack militants overran an army “forward operation base”.

“Around 10:30 p.m. (2130 GMT) air force fighter jets came for reinforcement … and killed many of the ISWAP fighters that captured the military base,” Modu said. It was not clear whether the army had regained control over the base.

Although weakened by military assaults and internal fighting over the years, Boko Haram and ISWAP have stepped up attacks on military and civilian targets in Borno this year.

An Islamist insurgency has plagued the northeast of Africa’s most populous country for more than a decade, while kidnapping and banditry are rampant in the northwest and gang and separatist violence is common in the southeast.

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In her petition, Linda told the court that she could no longer cope with her husband’s constant need for sex, which she described as unbearable.

“I urge the court to dissolve this marriage because I can’t stand his excessive sexual urge. He likes sex too much, and I can’t bear it,” she said. She further alleged that Felix frequently subjected her to long hours of sexual activity, even when she was in distress.

“Most times, he would have sex with me from midnight till early hours of the morning. Even when I am crying, he will not stop.

“It has been three months since I moved out of his house. His relatives have been pleading with me to go back to him, but they do not know what I am facing,” she added.

Linda also accused her husband of resorting to violence whenever she refused his advances, stating that he had beaten her in front of their two children.

In his defense, Felix admitted to his actions but pleaded with the court not to grant his wife’s request, expressing his willingness to change.

“I took my uncles and friends to her parents’ house to plead with her. But she refused to listen to us; instead, she walked out on us,” he said. He further begged the court for time to reconcile with his wife, assuring them that he was ready to control his sexual urges.

Presiding over the case, Judge John Dauda adjourned the matter until May 6 to allow for reconciliation efforts, urging both parties to maintain peace in the meantime.

Tinubu, in a television broadcast, said he had received security reports in the last two days of “disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them.”

“With all these and many more, no good and responsible president will standby and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the constitution to address the situation in the state,” added Tinubu.

Police said earlier they were investigating the cause of a blast in Rivers state that resulted in a fire on Nigeria’s Trans Niger Pipeline, a major oil artery transporting crude from onshore oilfields to the Bonny export terminal.

Rivers, in the Niger Delta, is a major source of crude oil and militants have in the past blown up pipelines, hampering production and exports.

The state has been embroiled in a political crisis pitting factions of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against each other. The state lawmakers had also threatened to impeach the governor and his deputy.

Tinubu’s state of emergency enables the federal government to make regulations to run the state and also allow authorities to easily deploy security forces to bring order if needed.

Tinubu nominated a retired vice admiral as caretaker to run the affairs of Rivers State for an initial six months.

The president said he had sent a copy of his proclamation to the National Assembly, which can endorse or reject his decision.

“For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function in accordance with their constitutional mandate,” said Tinubu.

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Sharing the news on Instagram, Nengi announced that she gave birth on February 21, 2025.

Describing her daughter as “the purest form of love” and “the most precious gift,” she expressed gratitude for the new chapter in her life.

Alongside her announcement, she shared heartwarming visuals of her pregnancy journey and delivery.

“My greatest blessing, my heart in human form, my purpose. God knew I needed you, my baby… I love you more than words could ever explain. It’s us forever,” she wrote.

Her announcement has drawn congratulatory messages from fans, followers, and colleagues in the Nigerian creative arts industry.

Read the full post below:

 

View this post on Instagram.

 

A post shared by Nengi Hampson (@nengiofficial)

 

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Okoye was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges of laundering N1.38 billion, $1 million, and £34,537.59.

He pleaded not guilty and was initially remanded in the Ikoyi Correctional Facility by Justice Alexander Owoeye.

His counsel, Inibehe Effiong, had requested that he be kept in EFCC custody instead, but the prosecution counsel, Larry Peters Aso, opposed the request.

During Friday’s hearing, the defense filed a bail application, which the prosecution countered with an affidavit, arguing that Okoye posed a flight risk and could interfere with witnesses.

On Monday, the judge ruled in favor of granting bail, setting conditions that require Okoye to provide two sureties, each with landed property in Lagos worth N100 million.

The court must verify the property documents, and Okoye is prohibited from traveling outside Nigeria without approval.

Justice Owoeye stated that Okoye would remain in custody until he meets the bail conditions. His trial is set to begin on April 14, 2025.

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