Author: Press Room

The Kogi State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to a sustained crackdown on criminals across the state, assuring residents that decisive efforts are ongoing to restore peace and rescue abducted victims. The assurance was given on Saturday by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, who disclosed that security agencies are actively tracking the whereabouts of criminals, with major operations already underway to free victims from captivity. The reassurance came on the heels of a protest by the people of Kabba/Bunu community, who held a demonstration during the week to draw attention to the incessant banditry activities in…

The House of Representatives has released the certified true copies (CTCs) of four tax reform Acts recently signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following public concerns over alleged alterations and the circulation of unauthorised versions of the laws. The release, ordered by the Speaker of the House and Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is aimed at promoting transparency and restoring public confidence in the legislative process.House spokesman Akin Rotimi, who disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, said the decision followed reports that multiple and conflicting versions of the tax laws were in circulation. A member of the House…

Super Eagles and Fulham winger Samuel Chukwueze has revealed he wouldn’t take on a managerial role in football when he hangs up his boots, Soccernet.ng reports. The 26-year-old is currently on International duty with the Nigerian National team in Morocco, as the three-time AFCON winners look to add a fourth trophy to their cabinet. Before the AFCON 2025 tournament kicked off, the AC Milan loanee was in good form for Marco Silva’s side, scoring two goals and providing three assists in his final five games for the Cottagers. He’s taken the same form into Morocco as well, providing two assists…

A mental illness survivor, Tony Ademiluyi, has inaugurated a website aimed at ending the stigmatisation of mentally challenged persons in Africa. In a statement made available to Sunday PUNCH, Ademiluyi said the website, tagged “Africa Mental Health,” was established in December 2025 in response to growing concerns over the deteriorating state of mental health on the continent. “Mental illness in Africa is highly misunderstood and in most cases is viewed as a spiritual attack from the devil. “The patients are mostly stigmatized by family and friends as they are taken from one spiritual home to another and, in most cases,…

Former unified heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has returned to the United Kingdom following a tragic car crash that left him hospitalised and claimed the lives of two of his friends. As earlier reported by The Guardian on Friday, Joshua arrived at London Stansted Airport aboard a private jet on Friday night and was subsequently taken to his mansion to continue his recovery. A source disclosed that the boxer was initially scheduled to depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport at 14:10 but was delayed until 15:45 for undisclosed reasons. According to the source, his private jet eventually landed at London…

Bitcoin enters 2026 trading near $89,700, locked in consolidation after December’s volatility. Buyers continue to defend the $88,000–$88,500 zone, while momentum remains restrained. Technical structure points to compression, not weakness, with higher lows, stabilizing indicators, and cautious sentiment shaping the outlook. Whether Bitcoin breaks above $90,500 or revisits lower support will likely set the tone for its next major move.Why Bitcoin (BTC/USD) Is Continuing to Defy the OddsRecent price action points to a clear stalemate. December’s volatility may have grabbed headlines, but Bitcoin has since settled into a tighter range, forming higher lows while struggling to reclaim the upper $90,000s.…

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have been the in-from team at the 2025 AFCON even as many still regard hosts Morocco as the favourites to win the tournament France head coach Didier Deschamps has named Egypt, Cameroon and Morocco as the leading contenders to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reports. Deschamps’ choices comes as the continental showpiece in Morocco moves into the knockout phase and Nigeria continue to impress with commanding performances. Speaking at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, the World Cup-winning coach confirmed he has been following the AFCON closely, even if not watching every match in…

Private petroleum depots across Lagos and other key fuel trading hubs have raised the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) to as high as N800 per litre, Sunday PUNCH can report. Data obtained from petroleumprice.ng on Saturday showed that the average cost of petrol at private depots increased sharply within 48 hours, tightening margins for marketers and raising fresh concerns over an imminent spike in retail pump prices nationwide. In Lagos, Dangote depot, which consistently offers the lowest petrol price sold PMS at N703 per litre on Friday, up from N702.50 on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. While the increase…

Former Super Eagles and West Bromwich Albion striker Brown Ideye has advised the Nigerian National team to play in a certain way against Mozambique, Soccernet.ng reports. The 37-year-old played all six games for Nigeria at the AFCON 2013 tournament, making history under the mentorship of the late Stephen Keshi. Ideye was impressed with the flawless record Eric Chelle’s men maintained throughout the group stage games in Morocco. Now, speaking from experience, the former Dynamo Kyiv forward urged the Super Eagles to play with more urgency in their knockout games, as they have no chance to rewrite any mistakes. Brown Ideye…

Nigeria’s banking industry shut 229 physical branches in one year as customers increasingly turned to Point of Sale terminals for their daily transactions. This is according to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s 2024 financial sector statistical bulletin. The data showed that the number of Deposit Money Bank branches across the country fell from 5,373 in 2023 to 5,144 in 2024, even as electronic payments, particularly through POS channels, surged sharply. The statistics cover branches and cash centres of commercial, merchant and non-interest banks across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The total number of licensed banks rose from…