Author: Press Room

Plagued by filthy conditions, crumbling roofs, and a severe shortage of health workers, PUNCH Healthwise’s investigation shows the shocking decay of several primary healthcare centres in Akwa Ibom State, leaving vulnerable residents, especially pregnant women, at risk of preventable death as many turn to traditional birth attendants for delivery. Patrick Odey reports When 36-year-old Mary Okon began counting down to her expected date of delivery in June 2025, she was filled with excitement and hope. The Akwa Ibom State indigene had spent months preparing for the arrival of her first child. She bought baby clothes and other essentials, eagerly looking…

LeBron James broke the NBA record for most regular-season games played on Saturday, taking the court for his 1,612th game in the Los Angeles Lakers last-gasp 105-104 victory against the Orlando Magic. The 41-year-old basketball icon’s appearance took him one clear of the mark of 1,611 held by Robert Parish since his retirement in 1997. The four-time NBA champion had equalled Parish’s tally on Thursday in stunning fashion, posting a triple-double in the Lakers’ win over the Heat in Miami. It had looked as if James’ milestone appearance on Saturday would be tinged with disappointment, with Orlando poised to end…

The Senate has explained the reason it refused to take a position on the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act seeking to criminalise dual party membership, insisting that it could not deliberate on the matter until it is formally transmitted from the House of Representatives. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, made the clarification in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, on Friday. He said, “Even if any amendment is coming, we are running a bicameral legislature. So, we can’t comment on it until it gets to us. If anything scales through the first and second…

By Christabel Ndoeche The World Happiness Report has found that higher levels of social media use are generally associated with lower life satisfaction among young people, particularly in English-speaking countries, while moderate use may have positive effects. The report on Saturday identified a significant decline in youth wellbeing in a group of English-speaking countries—referred to as NANZ (North America, Australia, and New Zealand)—with similar but less severe patterns observed in the United Kingdom and Ireland. According to the report, “cellphone access to the internet had a positive partial correlation with individual life evaluations in every global region, except in NANZ,…

Two terrorist attacks in Nigeria have been listed among the world’s deadliest incidents, according to the 2026 Global Terrorism Index. The report ranked an attack on Darajamal village in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State as the 10th deadliest terrorist incident globally. Sunday PUNCH gathered that the incident occurred on September 5, 2025, when gunmen stormed the community, killing 58 villagers and five soldiers. According to the report, about 30 of the attackers were reportedly killed by the Nigerian Army after the incident. “The gunmen attacked the village of Darajamal, Bama Local Government Area, Borno State, on September 5,…

Inflation remained above 20 per cent in six states and the Federal Capital Territory in February 2026, highlighting persistent price pressures at the subnational level despite a marginal easing in Nigeria’s headline rate. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics’ latest Consumer Price Index report showed that headline inflation slowed slightly to 15.06 per cent in February from 15.10 per cent in January. However, disaggregated figures indicate that several states continue to experience significantly higher inflation, driven largely by food prices and local cost dynamics. An analysis of the report shows that Kogi recorded the highest all-items inflation at 23.6…

Agency Report The Nigerian Conservation Foundation has called for urgent action to halt deforestation, noting that Nigeria has lost nearly 90 per cent of its forest cover in three decades. The foundation made the call in a statement issued on Saturday in Lagos by the Director of Communications, Policy and Advocacy, Mr Kunle Olawoyin, to mark the International Day of Forests, observed every March 21. Olawoyin said the 2026 theme: “Forests and Economies,” underscored the crucial role forests play in supporting environmental sustainability, livelihoods, and national development. According to him, Nigeria currently records one of the highest deforestation rates globally,…

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, and former governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, have called on Nigerians to support the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027, citing his ongoing reforms and economic policies as key to national development. According to a statement made available to PUNCH Online, the duo made the call on Saturday during an interfaith prayer session organised by The Mandate Movement and held in the Ikeja area of the state to commemorate President Tinubu’s 74th birthday. Speaking at the event, Obasa said that the continuity of Tinubu’s administration beyond 2027 was crucial to…

Chelsea’s hopes of Champions League qualification suffered another damaging blow as Everton stormed to a 3-0 win on Saturday to compound a miserable week for Liam Rosenior’s men. Dumped out of the Champions League 8-2 on aggregate by holders Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, the Blues have now lost four consecutive games to put Rosenior under pressure just over two months into his reign. Beto struck twice for the Toffees as they surged into contention for a top-five finish, before Iliman Ndiaye rounded off Everton’s best win so far at their new home. Only two points now separate the sides as…

Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has criticised two major decisions taken by FIFA and CAF, saying they raise serious concerns about how football is governed in Africa, Soccernet.ng reports. The first issue involves Nigeria’s protest against DR Congo during the World Cup qualifiers. Nigeria had accused DR Congo of wrongly registering some Europe-born players, arguing that the country does not allow dual nationality for football eligibility. The Nigeria Football Federation believed it had a strong case and hoped FIFA would punish DR Congo and restore Nigeria’s place in the intercontinental playoffs for the 2026 World Cup. However, FIFA dismissed…