Author: Press Room

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has introduced new penalties for individuals and businesses found guilty of bypassing electricity meters. In its newly-issued revised ‘Order on Unauthorised Access, Meter Tampering, and By-pass’ posted on its X page on Tuesday, NERC said the new order will strengthen enforcement against electricity theft and ensure compliance with metering regulations. NERC added that the new order took effect on January 22. “This amendment aligns with the Electricity Act 2023 and the Customer Protection Regulations (CPR) 2023, which allow Distribution Companies (DisCos) to disconnect unauthorised connections without notice and prescribe reconnection conditions,” NERC said. “The…

Funke Akindele’s newly released movies, “Everybody Loves Jenifa” and “Alakada! Bad and Boujee”, have pushed Nigerian cinemas to record ticket sales of over ₦1 billion in one week. According to Nile Media Entertainment Group data, tickets worth N1.02 billion were sold between December 20 and 26, 2024, a record high for Nigerian cinemas. “Today, we’re proud to share an incredible milestone: the Nigerian box office has crossed 1 billion Naira in a single week in 2024,” the independent entertainment company stated. Funke Akindele’s movie, “Everyone Loves Jenifa,” has had 153,800 total ticket sales as of December 26 and has made…

A frantic race by tech giants to develop ever more powerful artificial intelligence (AI) could have “harmful” effects, leading researcher Yoshua Bengio warned Thursday as scientists marked the start of the Paris global summit on the technology. The computer scientist and 2018 winner of the prestigious Turing Prize was presenting the first-ever International AI Safety Report, compiled under his supervision, at Paris’s ENS university. Bengio pointed to AI risks that are already widely acknowledged, such as its use to create fake or misleading content online. But the University of Montreal professor added that “proof is steadily appearing of additional risks,…

The Edo State Police Command has arrested a member of a local vigilante in Benin City for allegedly killing an artisan and setting his corpse ablaze. The Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, disclosed this on Sunday in Benin City.Yamu said the suspect was arrested by operatives of the Textile Mill Road Division following a distress call received from members of the public at about 8 a.m. on February 20, 2025. He said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the Textile Mill division received a call that they saw the corpse of a middle-aged man…

Healthwise Physicians have debunked the claim that delaying urination could cause kidney disease, maintaining that there is no evidence to back such a claim. The experts said an obstruction in the urinary tract, which causes urine to flow backward, could, however, be a risk factor for developing kidney disease apart from other established causes. The doctors told PUNCH Healthwise in separate interviews that no place in medicine justifies the claim that holding back urine voluntarily could cause kidney failure. Kidney disease is rapidly becoming a major health concern in Africa, with Nigeria bearing a significant impact. As kidney disease cases…

The Federal Government says it will deploy bullet-resistant guard booths (vehicles) in four custodial centres and the National Headquarters of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to forestall external attacks. Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, while commissioning 39 duty escort vehicles, including mini green Maria and five bullet-resistant guard booths, at the weekend in Abuja, said the vehicles are meant to ease the movement of inmates to and from the courts, as well as to protect strategic duty posts from external attacks. The minister said, “The guard-booths will therefore aid early threat detection and facilitate effective combat,” and would…

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Amendment has rejected all 31 proposals for the creation of states, citing failure to meet constitutional requirements. The House received proposals for the creation of 31 new states on February 6, 2025. However, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, announced that none of the 31 requests for state creation in Nigeria met the constitutional requirements for consideration. Kalu, who also chairs the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, disclosed this on Friday at a two-day retreat in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State. The retreat was organised by…

Wife of President Bola Tinubu and Senator, Remi Tinubu on Monday, joined the global community in commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, marking the start of the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. Gender-based violence remains one of the most widespread human rights violations, with nearly one in three women worldwide experiencing physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. In Nigeria, harmful practices like child marriage and female genital mutilation are still prevalent, often justified by cultural or religious norms. In a statement on Monday, she said although Nigeria is making remarkable progress, however,…

The Super Eagles have been drawn against Tunisia, Tanzania and Uganda for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The Nigerian team was drawn in Group C during the ceremony that was held in Morocco on Monday. The mouthwatering encounter in the group will see Nigeria battling against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia. Champions on home soil in 2004, Tunisia eliminated Nigeria in the semi-final before defeating Morocco in the final. The Tunisian team also knocked out Nigeria in the Round of 16 of AFCON 2021 in Cameroon. Nigeria defeated Tunisia 4-2 on its way to the AFCON final…

The Edo State Police Command on Sunday said it has arrested a member of a local vigilante in Benin for allegedly killing an artisan and setting his corpse ablaze. The Public Relations Officer of the command, Moses Yamu, said the suspect was arrested by operatives of the Textile Mill Road Division following a distress call received from members of the public at about 8 am on February 20, 2025. He said the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Textile Mill division received a call that they saw a corpse of a middle-aged man, Lasan Osaze Erhabor, lying under a…