The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, has rescued more than 180 children allegedly trafficked from five states by criminal syndicates operating under the cover of civil society organisations. The agency also recovered one more child from the custody of a nurse at the Federal Medical Centre, Onitsha. The nurse reportedly…

Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, will begin charging businesses about ₦14 per message sent to Nigerian numbers from October 1, 2026. The new rate affects companies using the WhatsApp Business Platform to communicate with customers. According to Meta, ordinary WhatsApp users will not be affected and will continue to use the app for free.…

The Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy says Nigeria’s maritime sector has recorded major transformation since its creation in August 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Minister, Adegboyega Oyetola, disclosed this on Sunday while presenting the Ministry’s 3-year scorecard. He said agencies under the Ministry generated ₦1.83 trillion in revenue in 2025. That…

Meta has announced a new billing policy for the WhatsApp Business Platform that will affect companies using WhatsApp to send service and utility messages. According to Arise News, WhatsApp Business Platform users will begin to pay per message for service and utility communications starting from October 1, 2026. This means that businesses that send notifications…

Operatives of the STS-FID have arrested three suspects in Nasarawa State over a shocking case of alleged organ harvesting and human trafficking. The arrests were carried out on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at about 6pm in Auta Balefi, Karu Local Government Area of the state. Those in custody include 23-year-old Emmanuel Ode, who is said…

The Department of State Services, DSS, has directed its lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, to seek an adjournment of the alleged cybercrime case against AAC presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, until after the 2027 presidential election. A source close to the DSS legal team said the decision was taken to allow Sowore participate fully in the 2027…

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Niger Delta University Branch, has suspended its indefinite strike after reaching a new agreement with the Bayelsa State Government. ASUU-NDU had shut down academic activities over the government’s delay in paying the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, CATA, and Professional Allowance to lecturers. Speaking to journalists on Saturday in Yenagoa,…

Lecturers withdraw from lectures, exams, meetings as union gives FG-ASUU 2025 agreement implementation ultimatum. The Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo chapter, ASUU-UNIMEDO, has declared a total and indefinite strike over the failure of the Ondo State Government to implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement and pay accrued arrears from January…

Kogi Police confirm kidnapping along Ofu/Itobe–Onicha-Igo axis, 11 rescued, 15 still in captivity. Gunmen have abducted 15 National Youth Service Corps members returning from the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA, Bayelsa State. The attack happened on Wednesday, August 26, 2026 around 4:40 p.m. along the Ofu/Itobe–Onicha-Igo axis in Ofu LGA, Kogi State, not…

Snaresbrook Crown Court lists charges including attempted rape and assault by penetration. Nigerian dancer and socialite Iweh Odinaka, popularly known as Poco Lee, is facing five sexual offence charges in the United Kingdom. Snaresbrook Crown Court in London confirmed the charges on Wednesday. The court also said a reporting restriction is in place to protect…

New award to cover universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide. The Federal Government has rolled out a ₦365 million yearly prize to reward top academic research, innovation and intellectual performance in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the initiative in Abuja on Wednesday. He said the scheme is designed to…

Motorists stranded for hours as single lane remains open at Sinowa. Severe traffic gridlock has trapped commuters on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway after a trailer accident in the early hours of Tuesday left only one lane open for movement. PUNCH Metro gathered that the trailer fell at about 1am on Tuesday at the Sinowa section of…

Nigerian dancer and entertainer Iweh Pascal Odinaka, popularly known as Poco Lee, is at the center of reports claiming he will appear in a London court on September 15 over assault allegations. Reports circulating online claim Poco Lee was arrested in the UK in connection with a rape and sexual assault allegation, with some accounts…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has introduced a new system that allows candidates to verify and upload their O’Level results from home, beginning with results issued by the West African Examinations Council, WAEC. This was disclosed in a statement by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, on Sunday. According to the Board,…

Hundreds of shops have been destroyed in an early Monday morning fire outbreak at the popular Oranyan Market, Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of Oyo State. The inferno, which reportedly started around midnight, affected several sections of the market. Eyewitness accounts said the fire started in the middle of the market following an explosion. The…

Mary Habila, who reportedly died at the Abuja residence of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has been buried in Kaduna amid growing calls for an independent autopsy and a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. The burial, which was attended by family members, relatives and sympathizers, took place in a solemn atmosphere…

The Kogi State Government has launched a full investigation into the deaths of four members of the same family in Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area, after they reportedly ate amala. The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, announced this in a statement issued on Saturday. According to Fanwo, Governor Ahmed Ododo has directed…

A boating accident in northwest Nigeria has claimed the lives of no fewer than 51 people in Sokoto State on Thursday, officials and residents say. The incident happened in the Goronyo area. According to Ibrahim Musa, a former councillor in the district, 46 of those who died have already been laid to rest by locals.…

African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has condemned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the detention and arraignment of two people accused of cyberbullying the agency. Sowore, in a statement on X on Thursday, said he witnessed the court proceedings involving one of the defendants, Maryam Isa Shehu, a final-year student of Bayero…

Nigerian singer and dancer Poco Lee has been linked to reports of an arrest in the United Kingdom over an alleged rape incident. The claim, which is currently circulating on social media, says the entertainer was taken into custody in connection with a sexual offence. As of press time, there has been no official confirmation…