Author: Mohammad Adamu

Scores of security personnel drawn from the Nigerian military, Nigerian police, Nigeria Immigration Service, Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) and others were on alert on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defence, Abuja, ahead of a planned mass protest by retired military officers. The retirees are demanding the implementation of consequential pension adjustments arising from salary increases approved for serving military personnel. It was learnt that the heavy deployment was ordered ahead of the demonstration, which had been organised over the non-implementation of the adjustments. The protesters attempted to move towards the front of the ministry as part of…

The University of Ibadan (UI) has emerged as Nigeria’s highest-ranked university in the July 2026 Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, overtaking the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the University of Nigeria (UNN). The ranking, which assessed 32,148 universities and higher education institutions globally, placed UI 1,291st worldwide, making it the top Nigerian institution in the latest edition. UNILAG followed in second place nationally, ranking 1,355th globally, while UNN came third in Nigeria and 1,397th worldwide. Covenant University, Ota, placed fourth in the country and 1,522nd globally, ahead of Landmark University (1,659th) and the University of Ilorin (1,883rd). Other universities in…

Human mascots, SMS mobilisation, Pidgin radio show, campaign jingle headline opening phase Group cites economic, security, education and infrastructure reforms The Hope Alive Initiative (HAI) has unveiled the first phase of its grassroots campaign in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 presidential election, combining street-level mobilisation with traditional and digital media platforms. The initiative, which begins on August 19, will feature the deployment of about 40 human mascots across strategic locations in Abuja, a city-wide SMS mobilisation campaign, a weekly Pidgin-language radio programme, “Wetin Tinubu Don Do Sef”, and an original campaign jingle. In a statement…

Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States fulfils commitments made in a memorandum of understanding, including lifting a naval blockade. Speaking in a televised address, Ghalibaf said Tehran’s conditions also include the removal of oil sanctions and the unfreezing of Iranian assets held abroad. The demands were part of a US-Iran truce reached in June that later broke down. War between Iran and the United States erupted on February 28 following US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic, sparking a wider regional conflict. Diplomatic efforts since April…

Venezuela’s earthquake death toll has climbed to 6,438, Parliament Speaker Jorge Rodriguez announced Monday, up from 6,301 the previous week. Nearly two months after twin quakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck near the coast on June 24, relatives and rescue teams are still combing through rubble for the missing. The disaster brought down at least 190 buildings. Authorities say roughly 60,000 homes were affected, with 24,000 rendered uninhabitable. Thousands remain in temporary camps, where conditions have worsened. Heavy rain in Caracas over the weekend destroyed several tents sheltering victims. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez’s government has pledged 4,000 new homes…

The EU Support to End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (ESGBV) Programme in Nigeria has backed the deployment of Nigeria’s first standardised justice-sector Violence Against Women (VAW) Reporting Platform prepared by the Federal Ministry of Justice, to strengthen accountability, case tracking and access to justice. This was disclosed on Monday at the Deployment and Operationalisation of the Violence Against Women (VAW) Reporting Platform and the National Training and Validation of the VAW in Abuja. The training was organised by the ESGBV Programme in Nigeria, implemented by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), in partnership with the Federal…

President Donald Trump has ordered a reduction in joint US-South Korea military exercises, citing his “good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in his latest break from a long-standing security alliance. South Korean officials said the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, a scheduled 11-day exercise, had already begun as planned when Trump’s announcement came. Seoul’s defence ministry confirmed the manoeuvres kicked off “as previously notified and scheduled,” while the presidential office said it remained in “close coordination” with Washington. Writing on Truth Social, Trump said he was “not happy” that the US had long ago agreed to the joint…

Barcelona are closing in on a deal to sign Manchester City midfielder Rodri for a fee of around €75 million ($87 million), according to reports.A Barcelona source said a statement confirming the move would be issued in the coming days. Rodri had earlier been linked with a move to Real Madrid following Spain’s World Cup triumph in July, but Barcelona pushed hard to secure the 30-year-old, who joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2019. The Ballon d’Or winner has dealt with injury setbacks over the past two seasons but played a central role as Spain won their second World Cup.…

Cristiano Ronaldo has said he believes this year will “probably” be his last as a professional footballer, in an interview with Vogue magazine published on Sunday. The 41-year-old Portuguese star, who has scored more than 950 goals for club and country, had previously spoken of retiring “soon” or within “one or two years.” “This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy,” he told Vogue, adding that his plans after football were “all mapped out.”Ronaldo said he has enough interests to fill the void football will leave, citing travel and padel among his…

Governor Ademola Adeleke has secured a second term in office after defeating his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Saturday’s Osun State governorship election. The Returning Officer, Joshua Ogunwole, announced early Sunday at the INEC Collation Centre in Osogbo that Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to Oyebamiji’s 444,815. Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress trailed in third with 17,180 votes. “Adeleke Ademola Jackson of the Accord Party, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is hereby returned elected,” Ogunwole said. INEC recorded 1,010,684 accredited voters, with 1,005,800 votes cast…