Author: Faith Babatunde

Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has said the 2027 election will be his final attempt to become Nigeria’s president. The former Vice President made the declaration while addressing questions about whether he would seek the presidency again in 2031. Atiku said he had already decided not to contest another presidential election after 2027. Atiku has contested the presidency several times, making his latest declaration significant as the 2027 election approaches. He also reaffirmed his controversial position on petrol subsidy, saying he would restore a targeted intervention to reduce the pressure of rising fuel and transportation costs…

The Ogun State Police Command has dismantled an alleged baby factory at Abaren Village, Mowe, rescuing two pregnant women and four children while arresting six suspects. The operation was carried out on August 24 following intelligence gathered by operatives of the Mowe Division concerning alleged human trafficking and illegal adoption activities at the facility. Police spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, identified the arrested suspects as Florence Ogbona, Magdalene Julius, Chidike Egwuonwu, Onyechu Chidike, Stephen Ogbona and an attending nurse, Oseni Idaya. Two pregnant women, aged 23 and 20, were rescued during the operation. Four children, comprising two boys and two girls,…

The United Nations Children’s Fund and the National Population Commission have called for stronger efforts to ensure that every Nigerian child is registered at birth, describing legal identity as a fundamental right. The organisations raised the concern at a media dialogue focused on improving birth registration across South-West states and Edo, where they advocated digital and universal registration for children under one year. According to the information presented at the dialogue, only about 43 per cent of more than five million children born annually in Nigeria are registered on time, leaving more than half of children under five without official…

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has reaffirmed his plan to restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027, arguing that government must prioritise the purchasing power and welfare of Nigerians. Atiku made the clarification after one of his media aides appeared to suggest that the proposed subsidy would eventually be phased out. The presidential candidate said his position remained unchanged and stressed that the policy would focus on supporting domestic production rather than returning to the previous import-driven subsidy regime. According to Atiku, Nigeria is sufficiently endowed with resources to provide relief for citizens facing rising living costs. He linked…

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has revealed that he voted for an Arsenal player to win the Professional Footballers’ Association Players’ Player of the Year award before eventually receiving the honour himself. Fernandes made the revelation after being named the 2025/26 PFA Players’ Player of the Year at an awards ceremony in Manchester. The award, which is voted for by fellow professional footballers, recognised his outstanding campaign. Asked who he voted for, Fernandes said he selected an Arsenal player but declined to reveal the identity. “I vote for some Arsenal player. I won’t say who it was, but I voted…

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate fell to 15.43 per cent in July 2026, but rising food prices continue to put pressure on households across the country, according to the latest Consumer Price Index report by the National Bureau of Statistics. The July inflation rate declined by 0.48 percentage points from 15.91 per cent recorded in June, while core inflation also dropped to 14.97 per cent. Development economist and public policy analyst, Prof. Ken Ife, said the figures presented a mixed picture, describing the situation as a paradox because the overall inflation rate was slowing while food prices were increasing. According to…

Three out of every four men who underwent paternity testing with Smart DNA Nigeria were confirmed as the biological fathers of the children tested, according to the company’s 2025/2026 Annual DNA Testing Report. The report showed that 23.6 per cent of recorded paternity tests returned negative results, meaning the tested man was not the biological father. The figure represents a marginal decline from 24 per cent in the previous reporting period and 26.1 per cent in 2023. Smart DNA, however, cautioned against interpreting the figures to mean that one in four Nigerian children is not biologically related to the man…

President Bola Tinubu has renewed the tenure of Ali Muhammed Ali as Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria and Abdulhamid Dembos as Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority for another three years. The President’s decision was disclosed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who said the second term for both media executives will begin on October 20, 2026. Dembos, from Adamawa State, previously served as National President of the Radio, Television, Theatre and Art Workers Union and held several management positions within the NTA. He joined the organisation in 1989 and later served as…

Minister of Women Affairs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim and Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Chris Najomo, have been honoured at the 2026 Nigeria Most Influential Awards for their contributions to national development. Sulaiman-Ibrahim received the Minister of the Year Distinguished Service Icon Award, while Najomo was recognised with the Lifetime Achievement in Aviation Award during the 10th anniversary celebration of the awards in Abuja. Other award recipients included Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adeniyi, Assistant Inspector-General of Police Aishatu Baju and several figures from the public and private sectors. Late media entrepreneur Raymond Dokpesi was also honoured posthumously. The Minister…

A Lagos-based oncologist, Dr Temitope Olatunji, has urged Nigerians to take unusual symptoms seriously and embrace regular health screenings to improve the early detection and treatment of cancer. Olatunji, a Radiation and Clinical Consultant at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, said many people delay seeking medical attention after noticing changes in their bodies, reducing the chances of early intervention. She recommended annual health checks and urged people to report strange or persistent symptoms rather than ignoring them. According to her, early diagnosis gives doctors a better opportunity to identify diseases and begin appropriate treatment before they become more difficult…