Author: Maryam Sulaiman

President Bola Tinubu has directed state governments to accelerate the rollout of the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme, aiming to deliver noticeable reductions in transport fares for more Nigerians starting October 1, 2026. According to a statement released on Saturday, the President noted that the decision was agreed upon during an August 27 meeting with all 36 state governors. Following that meeting, an implementation committee chaired by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was set up under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. “I am aware of the considerable work already underway by the committee, PI-CNG & EV, the states, and other critical…

A student pilot and a flight instructor were killed on Friday when a small aircraft crashed during a training flight in southern Kenya, police said. The aircraft crashed near wind turbines in Kipeto, a hilly area of Kajiado County, southwest of Nairobi, according to Kajiado West police commander Maureen Kuto. The identities of the two victims had not been immediately released. Images from the crash site showed the aircraft shattered into several large sections scattered across a dry field. Red-and-white tape was used to cordon off the area as personnel in reflective jackets worked around the wreckage. Dozens of uniformed…

Ayodele Odularu, a Nigerian lecturer serving at the University of Fort Hare in South Africa, was discovered dead at her home in the Eastern Cape Province. News reports indicate that the 51-year-old scholar passed away on August 16, as confirmed by her brother, Gbadebo Odularu, who spoke with reporters on Saturday. Her brother stated that the family does not believe her passing was due to natural causes, noting that the exact circumstances surrounding her death remain uncertain. Because of this uncertainty, the family is demanding a full investigation into the incident. In a GoFundMe campaign launched on behalf of the…

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has postponed the closure of its base in Unity State to address ongoing security concerns and looming natural disasters. The decision follows a March 1, 2026 attack on the remote town of Abiemnhom, where heavy gunfire forced thousands of residents to seek safety at the nearby UN compound. Mongolian peacekeepers opened the gates, offering shelter and medical care to dozens of injured individuals. Months later, families are still attempting to rebuild homes and crops lost to burning and looting, while continuing to live under the threat of renewed violence. In response to…

Leaders from the C64 opposition platform in the Democratic Republic of Congo have firmly condemned the death of Manassé Lomboto Bomegola, a senior figure in the ADD-Congo party who died during anti-government demonstrations on September 15. Although local authorities initially authorized the march in Kinshasa, security forces eventually dispersed the crowds using tear gas after violent clashes erupted. At a press conference on September 17, Dieudonné Bolengetenge, secretary-general of the Ensemble pour la République party, placed direct blame on security forces, the national army, and members of the ruling UDPS party’s Force du Progrès militia for the death. Bolengetenge asserted…

New allegations have emerged regarding the deaths of suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State. In response, the Federal Government ordered the immediate suspension of the state commandant, Suberu Aniviye, and opened a full investigation. An anonymous source within the Niger State NSCDC office claimed the detainees died from suffocation, extreme heat, and severe overcrowding. The source revealed that cells meant to accommodate three to five people were crammed with over 15 suspects, forcing some to sleep on top of each other. The source added that poor hygiene and a…

Prominent South African sports broadcaster Owen Ndlovu has been found dead following his abduction during a carjacking near Johannesburg. Police reported that the 54-year-old was kidnapped on Tuesday evening while picking up his wife from a church in Katlehong, east of Johannesburg. According to provincial police spokesperson Col Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, three men—one reportedly armed with a handgun—approached the couple as they left the building. The attackers pushed Ndlovu’s wife away, forced him into the back of his Ford Raptor pickup truck, and sped off. Authorities later located the abandoned truck in Walkerville, south of Johannesburg. The next morning, local residents…

The Federal Government plans to establish a national call centre to handle and resolve power supply complaints from electricity consumers nationwide, according to Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe. Tegbe made the announcement on Wednesday during the commissioning of a three-megawatt hybrid mini-grid project alongside a renewable energy workshop and training facility at Yakubu Gowon University in Abuja. “My office is working on a call centre where electricity complaints across the country can be lodged and resolved,” he said. The minister noted that the call centre initiative will generate sustainable job opportunities for young Nigerians. He added that the government is…

More than one million vulnerable people in South Sudan face the immediate threat of losing critical food support, according to a warning issued on Tuesday by the World Food Programme (WFP). The United Nations agency cited a dangerous combination of ongoing internal conflict, mass displacement, severe climate disruptions, and the spillover effects of the neighboring war in Sudan. These compounding crises are being severely compounded by sharp reductions in international humanitarian funding. “7.8 million people today, more than half the country’s population, struggle to find food each day. 2.2 million children and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding mothers require urgent…

The United States has introduced targeted visa restrictions directed at foreign nationals connected to race-based discrimination, incitement to violence, and expropriation of land without compensation in South Africa. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that the policy targets individuals accountable for or complicit in carrying out measures that facilitate uncompensated land seizures or systemic racial discrimination. This directive does not constitute a broad visa prohibition on South African citizens as a whole. American officials have not publicly identified targeted individuals or released estimates on the total number of people affected. The action escalates diplomatic friction between Washington and Pretoria…