Author: Vardiafrica

The Russian government has warned the United States against supporting Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday that U.S. military assistance to Israel could radically destabilise the situation in the Middle East. Ryabkov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that Russia cautions the U.S. against supplying such assistance to Israel – or even considering it. He added that the Kremlin was in contact with both Israel and Iran. The warning came as U.S. officials indicated that Iran has 24 to 48 hours to surrender and save itself from American invention as…

President Bola Tinubu has visited surviving victims of last Friday’s brutal attack in Yelewata community in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. Tinubu visited the North-Central state following the attack which left over 59 people dead and several others injured. The President went straight to the hospital after arriving at the Tactical Air Command, Nigerian Air Force Base, Makurdi, at about 12:58 pm on Wednesday. He later left the hospital for the new Banquet Hall of the Benue State Government House where he is expected to meet with major stakeholders in the state in view of the violent attacks that have…

President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Makurdi following renewed attacks in Benue state. The president landed at the tactical air command, Nigerian Air Force base in Makurdi at 12:58 pm on Wednesday. Tinubu is expected to meet and address stakeholders in the state on the lingering violence that has claimed the lives of many residents. On June 14, suspected herders murdered over 100 residents in Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma LGA. The incident has sparked nationwide outrage as many Nigerians criticised the president for not showing immediate interest to visit the affected communities. However, Tinubu, who was initially scheduled to visit…

A medical doctor based in Florida, United States, Vipul Patel, has performed a prostatectomy, which removes part or all of the prostate, on Fernando da Silva of Angola, sending a robot to Africa to perform the surgery, according to The Independent. The doctor who doubles as the Medical Director, Global Robotic Institute at Orlando’s Advent Health, said that the 67-year-old da Silva has been diagnosed with prostate cancer since March. Quoting ABC News on Tuesday, The Independent reported that in June, Patel cut out the cancer using transcontinental robotic telesurgery, and the surgery was a success. Prostate cancer is very…

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) is currently facing controversy over the nomination of Michael Odey as its chairman. Odey, who comes from Cross River State, has been questioned regarding his eligibility to lead a state electoral body in which he is not a native. This nomination has attracted significant attention, especially since the current Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Ibok Ekwe Ibas, is also from Cross River. In defense of his appointment, Odey asserted that there are no legal barriers preventing his nomination under the RSIEC enabling law. “With utmost respect, I have reviewed the RSIEC’s enabling law, and…

The National Assembly has officially transmitted the much-anticipated tax reform bills to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent. This was confirmed by Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, during a press conference in Abuja. President Tinubu had initially forwarded four tax reform bills to the National Assembly in 2024 for legislative consideration. The bills, aimed at overhauling Nigeria’s tax system, sparked extensive debate across both legislative chambers before eventually being passed. A harmonised version of the bills was adopted by both chambers on May 25, 2025, paving the way for…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that the notice it received from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regarding its upcoming national executive council (NEC) meeting did not meet the requirements set out in electoral regulations. In a letter dated May 30, the PDP had informed INEC of its plan to hold the 100th NEC meeting on June 30 at its national secretariat in Abuja. The notice was signed by the party’s acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, in line with the 21-day notification requirement for such gatherings. However, in a response dated June 13, INEC stated that the notice…

US President Donald Trump appeared to indicate that the United States has been involved in the Israeli attack on Iran in a social media post. “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran. Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured “stuff.” Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. In a second post, Trump said, “We know exactly where the so-called “Supreme Leader” is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there -…

President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the construction of the annex office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja. Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony on Tuesday, Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, commended Tinubu for attending the ceremony. Yakubu said the commission has long struggled with congestion at its current headquarters, which was commissioned in December 1997. He said the building, originally designed for a smaller structure, has become overstretched due to the expansion of INEC’s operations over the years. “Our present national headquarters is severely congested. Today, there are 13 full-time Commission members, 22 Departments/Directorates and 1,048 staff. Every facility…

China has issued urgent calls for its citizens to leave both Iran and Israel as conflict between the two Middle Eastern nations intensifies, warning that the escalating violence poses serious risks to civilians and could spiral into a broader regional crisis. In a statement posted online on Tuesday, June 17, the Chinese Embassy in Iran announced that it had coordinated with Iranian authorities to facilitate the safe departure of Chinese nationals. “The Chinese Embassy in Iran has coordinated with the Iranian side to facilitate outbound travel and reminds Chinese citizens currently in Iran to leave the country… as soon as…