Author: Maryam Sulaiman

Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived back in Nigeria after standing in for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States. Shettima had left Abuja on September 20 after being directed by President Tinubu to lead the Nigerian delegation to the annual international gathering. During the event, the Vice President engaged in several high-level meetings and outlined Nigeria’s stance on critical global and regional issues. A statement released on Monday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President), confirmed…

Early Sunday morning, an explosion rocked Arab Road in Kubwa, Abuja, after a motor vehicle crashed into a gas store. The incident, which happened around 6:15 am, triggered a massive shockwave felt by residents several kilometers away. In Dantata Estate, located roughly two kilometers from the crash site, occupants reported that buildings vibrated violently from the blast. One resident described the moment: “The explosion was loud enough to wake people from their sleep, and we could feel the buildings shaking. Everyone was wondering what had happened.” The impact and subsequent fire destroyed nearby commercial shops, along with a shelter stand…

The Federal Government has successfully brought back a fresh group of 105 distressed citizens from South Africa in the wake of continued xenophobic and Afrophobic hostility directed at foreign Africans. This latest arrival pushes the total number of repatriated citizens to 1,821 since organized returns commenced in June. The group, which consists of 82 adults and 23 children, landed in Lagos aboard South African Airways Flight SA060 at approximately 8:30 pm on Thursday, September 24, 2026. They were met upon arrival by representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, the…

Military troops have intercepted 44 family members linked to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and rescued nine abducted individuals during multiple operations across the country. The security operations also resulted in the arrest of several suspected kidnappers and accomplices, alongside the recovery of various arms and ammunition, according to an official intelligence update. In Borno State, personnel from the 222 Battalion intercepted 43 ISWAP family members at Kawuri in Konduga Local Government Area. Early findings indicate the group fled captivity in Yuwe following internal clashes between rival Boko Haram factions (JAS) and ISWAP. The individuals were subsequently transferred…

The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abubakar Audi, has promised complete cooperation with the presidential inquiry investigating the deaths of 37 illegal miners while in the Corps’ custody in Niger State. Audi shared this during a sympathy visit to the Emir of Minna, His Royal Highness Umar Farouk Bahago, as well as to the families of those affected and the survivors. He explained that the trip was aimed at offering his personal condolences and standing alongside the families in their time of mourning. The NSCDC chief promised the families that no officer found responsible…

Dozens of United Nations delegates walked out in a show of support for Palestine on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped up to address the General Assembly. Netanyahu labeled those exiting as “moral cowards,” while supporters in the audience stood and applauded. Throughout his speech, the prime minister defended Israel’s military actions across the Middle East, including operations in Gaza and Iran, while rejecting claims of genocide. He highlighted steps he said Israel had taken to protect Palestinian civilians, accusing Hamas of utilizing them as “human shields.” He referred to the genocide accusations regarding Gaza as “the greatest…

A new $660 million refined petroleum pipeline is set to connect Ethiopia and Djibouti, with financial support from Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote. According to a Thursday announcement from Ethiopian Investment Holdings, the project features a 120-kilometer line connecting Damerjog port to a receiving distribution facility in Dewele. Storage infrastructure will also be established at both ends of the pipeline, which is targeted to start operations within 18 months. As a landlocked nation, Ethiopia depends heavily on Djibouti’s port facilities to receive crucial imports, including refined fuel. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed highlighted the project’s strategic importance, stating it “will reduce…

Victor Kingombe, a young doctor working in one of Congo’s newly impacted regions, passed away on Thursday at an Ebola treatment facility in Kisangani. After his passing was confirmed, family members and fellow medical professionals assembled for his burial, observing from afar as health workers clad in complete personal protective equipment loaded his remains into a coffin. “Our internal medicine doctor is gone. Doctor Victor, why? Why, Doctor? Our internal medicine doctor,” one of his colleagues, fellow doctor Agnes Kalokola cried. Cases were first logged in Kisangani, Tshopo province’s main city, in late June. The specific facility where Kingombe passed…

‎Fellow Africans,‎Every September, we watch our leaders step up to the podium at the United Nations General Assembly, delivering masterclasses in eloquence. We speak of equity, we demand reform, and we demand respect. Yet, as the echo of our speeches fades, the global power balance remains frozen in 1945.‎‎ We remain spectators in a system built without us, designed to run without us, and content to decide for us.‎‎Speeches alone will not dismantle this diplomatic cartel. Asking nicely for a seat at a table built on our exclusion has failed for decades.‎‎Perhaps the most potent, thunderous statement we can make…

Disease surveillance operations are expanding beyond the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo as the country battles an Ebola outbreak of unprecedented scale. Official government figures released Tuesday confirm over 7,700 cases and more than 3,700 deaths linked to the epidemic across the nation. In response to the escalating crisis, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is scaling up field interventions at displacement camps and along primary transport corridors, including key points along the Congo River. At the Bende-Bende port in Kinshasa, IOM personnel perform routine health screenings, logging passenger information on health forms and checking body temperatures. Response…