By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Lagos State Government has disbursed over ₦1 billion as accrued pension rights to 543 retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme, reaffirming its commitment to the welfare and financial security of retired public servants. The payment was announced on Friday, 30 January, 2026 at the 113th Retirement Benefit Bond Certificate Presentation Ceremony held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, where beneficiaries from across the state’s public service received confirmation of their entitlements. The exercise, according to officials, was part of the state’s sustained effort to ensure prompt and transparent settlement of retirement benefits. Delivering a…
Author: Abimbola Ogunaike
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By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola Terrorists have again struck Niger State, killing one person, abducting five others and setting ablaze a church building and a police station in Agwarra Local Government Area, worsening the security situation in the region. The attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday, 2 February, 2026 with Gazzelle’News gathered that the assailants first set fire to the United Missionary Church of Africa (UMCA) in Agwarra at about 6 a.m. before moving to Sokonba village, which shares a border with Kabe, a community attacked recently. The attackers reportedly looted food items and other valuables before killing an…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The traditional ruler of Iwoye-Ketu in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State,Oba Isaac Oyero has raised fresh concerns over worsening insecurity in the border community, warning that the absence of adequate Nigerian security presence has left residents exposed to criminal activities. The monarch disclosed this On Sunday, 1 February, 2026 in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Abel Babatunde, while reacting to the recent attack on operatives of the Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service at Akokoro, a village under Iwoye-Ketu, during which two officers were injured. According…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has rescued a truck driver trapped after a fully loaded containerised truck overturned along Shagamu Road in Ikorodu. The incident occurred around midnight on Sunday, 1 February, 2026 at Oke Gbegun, near Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), when the 40-foot container truck suffered a brake failure, lost control and toppled, pinning the driver inside the tractor head and disrupting traffic flow in the area. Confirming the development in a post on its official X handle, LASTMA said its operatives arrived at the scene while the driver was still trapped in…
The Executive Chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji has challenged critics of the new tax law to provide evidence that low-income Nigerians are being burdened. Speaking during a media parley organized by Arise TV to enlighten the public on the tax reforms, he said: “I challenge anyone to show me a single clause in the new tax laws that imposes more taxes on the poor. The fact is simple — the poor contribute very little to taxes worldwide, and Nigeria is no different.” He explained that the new laws are designed to protect low-income earners and stimulate…
Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) has commenced a turnaround maintenance activity at the Bonga Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel. The exercise is a statutory and integrity assurance programme aimed at extending the life of the facility. “The schedule maintenance activity is designed to ensure the FPSO continues to operate safely and efficiently for the next 15 years, while reducing unplanned deferments and strengthening the asset’s overall resilience,” said SNEPCo Managing Director, Ronald Adams. “We expect to resume operations in March following the completion of the turnaround.” The scope of work includes statutory inspections, certification and…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Nigeria Premier Football League has banned the Bako Kantagora Stadium in Minna from hosting top-flight matches, thereby forcing Niger Tornadoes to relocate their home fixtures for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season. The league’s Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi, disclosed the directive in a letter dated Friday, 30 January, 2026, following the implementation of new broadcast and television rights agreements that impose stricter technical and infrastructural requirements on match venues. Accordingly, the NPFL said the Kantagora Stadium no longer meets the minimum standards required to stage league fixtures under the revised broadcast framework. As a…
By Chuks Collins, Awka The Anambra State Police Command has blamed the social media for spreading fears and doubt on the possibility of all markets in the State resuming normal operations Monday, 2 February, 2026. A press statement from the stable of the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Tochukwu Ikenga yesterday, accused the social media of spreading fears among residents. According to the statement, “the Police Command has identified a deliberate, recurring pattern of coordinated social media posts aimed at spreading fear, misinformation, and bigotry among the public. “These misleading narratives are intended to cause panic, undermine public confidence, and…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman, Uche Onyekwere, for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. Onyekwere, 47, was apprehended last Thursday, at the airport’s arrival hall during the inward screening of passengers on a South African Airways flight from Brazil via Johannesburg. NDLEA officials acted on intelligence that led to his selection for further checks. A body scan conducted on the suspect indicated the presence of concealed substances. A subsequent strip search uncovered a large wrap of a white powdery substance, later confirmed to…
Leaders from several West African countries have agreed to pursue a new, structured approach to regional cooperation aimed at tackling terrorism, cross-border crime, and deepening insecurity across the sub-region. The commitment was reached at the end of a two-day High-Level Consultative Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security held in Accra from January 29 to 30, 2026. The meeting was chaired by Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, with Presidents Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone and Joseph Boakai of Liberia leading their respective delegations. Representatives from Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo also participated. Discussions at the conference focused…