Author: Press Room

By Stephen Angbulu Armed groups, criminal bandits, and jihadist forces kidnapped 91 health workers and killed 15 others across 101 separate incidents of violence against Nigerian healthcare facilities between 2023 and 2025, fresh data from international conflict monitoring reports obtained by The PUNCH reveals. This is as the attacks reached a three-year high of 43 incidents in 2025 alone, spreading from 12 to 16 states and tripling in Zamfara State, where violence displaced over 74,648 people from December 2025 to May 2026. The figures are contained in Care in the Crosshairs: Violence Against Health Care in Conflict 2025 report, published…

Survivors of human trafficking have recounted how they were lured from Nigeria with promises of jobs and a better life in Côte d’Ivoire, only to end up in forced labour, prostitution and sexual exploitation. The rescued victims include Monica, 17; Juliet, 18; Rejoice, 25; Joy, 22; and Monica, 38, who said traffickers exploited their desire for a better future with false promises of employment. According to a statement issued on Thursday by the founder of the Global Anti-Human Trafficking Organisation, Prosper Michael, the victims were rescued in a joint operation involving the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in…

Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare has responded publicly to reports claiming he disrupted a Wolverhampton Wanderers training session during the club’s pre-season preparations, Soccernet.ng reports. The Nigeria international insists he has remained professional throughout the ongoing transfer saga.The 25-year-old forward issued a statement on his social media accounts on Wednesday evening after several reports suggested he staged a protest at Wolves’ training camp in Portugal. Ajax-linked Arokodare rejected those claims and said the reports did not reflect what had happened. Instead, he stressed that he remains committed to the Championship club and is simply carrying out his responsibilities while still…

Erling Haaland has been handed a record £15.5m price tag as Fantasy Premier League unveiled major changes and new features ahead of the 2026/27 season. The Manchester City forward’s valuation is the highest in Fantasy history, while Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has received the joint-biggest price increase, rising by £3m to £12m. Arsenal defender Gabriel will cost £8m, making him only the third defender ever to reach that price. According to the Premier League’s official Fantasy Premier League website on Wednesday, one of the biggest changes for the new season will be live updates to mini-league standings. “For those…

The CAF Champions League stands as the flagship of African club football, showcasing the finest clubs on the continent, as Soccernet.ng reports. ​Under the current format, clubs from across the continent qualify and compete in two preliminary rounds. However, some top-ranked teams bypass these initial stages by virtue of their standing in CAF’s rankings. ​These two preliminary rounds trim the field down to 16 teams. Afterward, the remaining clubs are divided into four groups of four for the competition proper. ​This is typically when the tournament truly begins, ensuring that only the absolute best clubs advance to the latter stages.…

XRP price is trading around $1.13, up about 2% over the past 24 hours. Those modest gains hide a much larger binary risk approaching. A Senate deadline could determine whether XRP secures the regulatory clarity many institutional investors want or loses its biggest legislative catalyst for now. That possibility still appears underpriced, leaving traders on edge.Meanwhile, the crypto market is sending mixed signals. Bitcoin and Ethereum have spent the past two days moving sideways, and large-cap altcoins, including XRP, are following suit. XRP has traded between $1.12 and $1.16 during the past day, reflecting consolidation with no decisive trend. The…

By Dirisu Yakubu The House of Representatives on Wednesday stepped down a bill seeking to prohibit the production, importation, distribution, sale and consumption of unbranded and unfortified edible oils in Nigeria following extensive debate among lawmakers over its potential impact on public health, existing regulatory frameworks and rural livelihoods. The proposed legislation, sponsored by the member representing Ehime/Mbano/Ihitte Uboma/Obowo Federal Constituency of Imo State, Chike Okafor, was presented for second reading during plenary but was deferred after members raised concerns over its provisions and the inadequate circulation of copies of the bill. Leading the debate, Okafor said the bill was…

Deputy Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State for the 2027 governorship election, Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, has declared that the PDP is the only credible platform capable of rescuing Ogun State from its socio-economic and developmental challenges. She spoke on Tuesday during a visit to her Ijemo community in Abeokuta South Local Government Area. The event drew a large crowd of party supporters, community leaders and residents, with the PDP deputy governorship candidate receiving a rousing welcome alongside the party’s Ogun Central Senatorial candidate, Iyabo Obasanjo, and other party stalwarts. Addressing the gathering, Sowunmi-Kolapo said the people of…

The controversy over the N12.8tn Service-Wide Vote contained in the 2026 Appropriation Act deepened on Wednesday as the All Progressives Congress and the media office of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar traded accusations over the size, purpose and transparency of the allocation. The APC dismissed Atiku’s concerns over the provision as mischievous and borne out of ignorance of basic public finance principles, while the former Vice-President’s media office challenged the Federal Government to explain the sharp increase in the allocation and publish details of how the funds would be spent. The controversy began after Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African…

Ethereum is pressing against a price level that has capped every rally. ETH trades at $1,925, little changed over the past 24 hours. But the $2,000 mark remains both a technical ceiling and a psychological flashpoint. What’s changed is who’s bidding, and why.Fundstrat’s Tom Lee posted on X that capital tied to the AI sector is rotating from chip stocks into Ethereum. He framed ETH as the new digital infrastructure play for AI-focused portfolios. The thesis argues that decentralized compute and data networks could attract capital that previously favored names like Nvidia. $ETH strengthening as "AI downstream" assets gain traction…