Author: Vardiafrica

The Nigeria Police Council (NP’) on Monday approved the appointment of the Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, as substantive Inspector-General of Police (IGP). Disu, until last week, was the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) in charge of Force CID Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, before being named Acting IG upon the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun as IGP. The Nigeria Police Council, presided over by President Bola Tinubu, unanimously approved the appointment of Disu as the 23rd IGP. The well-attended meeting, took place at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja, and lasted less than 30 minutes before the decision was reached.…

The Federal Government has taken steps to tighten control over the country’s petroleum revenues, following the inaugural meeting of the Implementation Committee for Executive Order 9, signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Key decisions reached include stopping NNPC Limited from collecting the 30% management fee and 30% frontier exploration fund deductions from profit oil and gas under Production Sharing Contracts with immediate effect. Gas flare penalties remittances into the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund have also been suspended. Contractors will now make direct payments of profit oil, royalty oil, and tax oil into the Federation Account, but with a…

Black smoke rose from the US embassy in Kuwait, while Kuwait mistakenly shot down US warplanes, causing no casualties, as Iran pressed on with a third day of retaliation. A US base and a power station were also targeted in what was the most dramatic escalation for the small Gulf country in decades. Blasts also rang out over the Gulf cities of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha and Manama as Iran targeted the United States’ allies after the killing of its supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. The US embassy in Kuwait did not announce it had been hit but issued a…

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has assured Nigerians that the commission possesses the capacity to electronically transmit election results in 2027, though he cautioned that a “100 per cent perfect election” cannot be guaranteed. Amupitan gave the assurance on Sunday during the Citizens’ Town Hall programme aired live on Channels Television and themed, ‘Electoral Act 2026: What it means for your votes and the 2027 elections.’ He urged Nigerians to temper expectations, stressing that while INEC would strive to deliver its best performance, perfection remains unrealistic. “Let me just appeal to Nigerians, because…

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has claimed that the former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, kept suspected wiretapping equipment—allegedly capable of intercepting private conversations and accessing sensitive security documents—at his Abuja residence. The anti-graft agency levelled the allegation against El-Rufai in detailed legal proceedings submitted to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, where he is seeking redress for alleged unlawful detention and the violation of his fundamental human rights.” According to court filings, the equipment was retrieved during a search conducted at the former governor’s residence in the presence of his wife, Hadiza El-Rufai, and…

Iranian media has confirmed the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, following a barrage of missile strikes orchestrated by Israel and the United States on Saturday.Khamenei’s daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law and son-in-law were also killed in the military operation Debate over whether Khamenei was indeed among those killed in the joint operation raged across the world late Saturday, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu choosing his words carefully when he said “there are many signs the supreme leader is no longer with us”. “The Supreme Leader of Iran Has Reached Martyrdom,” state broadcaster IRIB reported on Sunday morning. “This great scholar…

President Bola Tinubu has approved the reappointment of Ahmed Abubakar Audi as the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for a fresh five-year term. The renewal, which took effect from Friday, February 27, ensures that Audi continues in office following the expiration of his initial tenure. He was first appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari. The announcement of his reappointment was conveyed in a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Saturday. Audi’s first five-year term concluded last Friday, coinciding with activities marking the 2026 World Civil…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has enjoined operators in the midstream segment of the oil and gas industry to comply with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010, or risk attracting sanctions, including project withdrawal, suspension and criminal prosecution. The Board also reaffirmed that obtaining the Nigerian Content Equipment Certificates (NCEC) attracts zero processing fees, and it had banned the use of middlemen in all its transactions and confirmed that expired or misapplied NCECs will lead to automatic disqualification from tenders.These positions anchored the NCDMB Sensitisation Workshop for Midstream Companies and Stakeholders, held…

President Bola Tinubu yesterday charged members of the House of Representatives to as a matter of urgency consider constitutional amendments that would pave the way for the establishment of state police.Also yesterday, the President issued fresh directives to the nation’s security agencies to intensify and reinforce operations in Alkaleri Local Government Area and other affected parts of Bauchi State. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Itse Sagay, described the move to create state police as a “very good idea” that could significantly improve security in Nigeria, stressing that states willing to establish their own police forces should be allowed to…

In a dramatic escalation of regional conflict, Iran launched a broad retaliatory missile offensive early on Saturday, targeting United States military bases across the Middle East, striking the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet facility in Bahrain and prompting a wave of defensive actions and airspace closures across the Gulf. Bahrain’s national communications authority confirmed that a missile impacted the service centre of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Juffair, a critical hub for America’s naval command in the region. Sirens wailed and smoke was seen rising over the area as authorities urged residents to take shelter. Across the Gulf, several states…