Gary Lineker quits BBC role after social media post sparks backlash

Former England football captain Gary Lineker will leave the BBC at the end of the season, it was confirmed on Monday, days after he shared a social media post that contained anti-Semitic imagery. “Gary Lineker will leave his presenting role following the conclusion of Match of the Day for the 2024/25 season,” the BBC said in a statement. “He will not be part of the BBC’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup or next season’s FA Cup coverage.” Last week Lineker apologised “unreservedly” for sharing an Instagram story about Zionism,…

Suspected IPOB fighters kill soldier who sneaked out to attend party

A Nigerian Army soldier attached to Operation Udoka has been killed by suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra after sneaking out of his duty post to attend a party in Anambra State. The incident was said to have occurred on the evening of Saturday, May 18, 2025, at the Forward Operating Base in Uli. It was gathered that the soldier had attended the event — a strippers’ party titled “Ladies’ Jamboree” — while wearing his military camouflage uniform. According to a security source, the soldier was discovered…

Navy arrested 215 oil theft suspects, destroyed 468 illegal refineries in 2024

The Nigerian Navy says it apprehended no fewer than 215 suspected oil thieves and 26 vessels in 2024. It also said that 468 illegal refinery sites were deactivated within the period under the auspices of Operation Delta Sanity. The Chief of Policy and Plans (Navy), Rear Adm. Ibrahim Dewu, made this known on Monday in Abuja during a news conference on the activities lined up to commemorate the 69th Anniversary Celebrations of the Navy. Dewu said that an estimated quantity of 6.5 million litres of stolen crude oil and seven…

Radda mourns as ex-Katsina military administrator Akaagerger dies at 69

The Katsina State Governor, Mallam Dikko Radda, has received news of the passing of Colonel Joseph Akaagerger, who served meritoriously as Military Administrator of Katsina State from August 1998 to May 1999. This is contained in a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Mohammed, and made available to newsmen on Monday in Katsina According to the statement, Radda remembered the immense contributions of Col. Akaagerger to the state during a critical transition period in Nigeria’s history. “In the brief but impactful period he spent steering the affairs of…

Olubadan suspends two chiefs over land grabbing

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakulehin has suspended two family chiefs known as Mogaji, and removed their traditional beads over land grabbing. They are Mogaji Kukula, Kamorudeen Kolawole of Kukula family, Oke – Ofa Baba Isale in Ibadan North East Local Government, and Mogaji Samsudeen Bello of Ekerin Ajengbe family, Isale Osi in Ibadan South West Local Government of Oyo State. The suspension order, which takes immediate effect, was given on Thursday, during the Olubadan Land Matters Committee meeting at the Old Olubadan Palace, Oja Oba, Ibadan, the…

Solve LP crises before vying for presidency, Akpabio taunts Obi

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Thursday threw a jab at ex-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, urging him to focus on resolving the internal crises within his party before aspiring to lead Nigeria. Akpabio issued the taunt during the Valedictory Session in honour of the late Niger Delta elder statesman and former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark. He suggested that Obi’s fixation on national issues would be better grounded if he first demonstrated leadership within his own party, which is enmessed in protracted leadership crises. “If you…

Kaduna mobilises residents for identity card enrollment

The Kaduna State Residents Identity Management Agency has embarked on a sensitization and advocacy tour to mobilize residents for the ongoing resident registration and identity card enrollment exercise in the state. The Executive Secretary of KADRIMA, Dr. John Danfulani, led the tour to several Chiefdoms and emirates in Southern Kaduna, where he addressed royal fathers and community stakeholders on the importance of the initiative. Addressing residents of Kachia on Thursday, Danfulani explained that the exercise aims to build a comprehensive database of all residents in Kaduna State, which would aid…

DHQ links foreign herdsmen to Benue, Plateau killings

The Defence Headquarters has attributed the recent spate of violent attacks in Benue, Plateau, and other parts of Nigeria to foreign herders who have infiltrated the country through its porous borders. Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye said linguistic and physical evidence suggests that many of the attackers are not Nigerian nationals. “When you hear them speak, you can often tell they are not from here. For example, the Hausa spoken in Nigeria differs from that spoken…

FG begins overhaul of NYSC scheme, plans teachers’, medical corps

FG Approves ₦77,000 Monthly Allowance For NYSC Members

The Federal Government has set up a committee to carry out major changes to the National Youth Service Corps. The goal is to make the scheme stronger, more useful to national growth, and better suited to the needs of Nigerian youths. This decision followed rising concerns about the safety of corps members, poor facilities, and whether the NYSC still fits into today’s social and economic realities. The inauguration of the committee happened in Abuja on Tuesday, with key people from government, civil society, and private businesses in attendance. Speaking at…

Nigeria loses N1.3bn to tomato ebola in three states – Minister

The Federal Government says Nigeria has so far lost more than N1.3 billion to the outbreak of Tuta absoluta, commonly known as the tomato leaf miner or “Tomato Ebola” in three states. The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, said this at the ongoing four-day capacity-building workshop for financial institutions on Wednesday in Abuja. The workshop is organised by HortiNigeria in collaboration with the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending Plc. Kyari said the outbreak had consequently led to the surge of a 50-kilogramme basket…