Author: Vardiafrica

The Senegalese go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president in an unpredictable race after three years of turmoil and political crisis. Some 7.3 million voters are registered in the West African nation where two favourites have emerged: the ruling coalition’s former prime minister Amadou Ba and anti-establishment candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye. They were both once tax inspectors but now appear to have little in common. Ba, aged 62, is offering continuity, while the 43-year-old Faye promises profound change and left-wing pan-Africanism. Both say they will claim a first-round victory — but a second round looks probable…

Scores of schoolchildren abducted from Kuriga, Kaduna State have been released, two weeks after they were taken away in what was one of Nigeria’s largest mass kidnappings in years.  The students, about 287, were kidnapped when the gunmen on motorcycles rode through their school, taking them away in an incident that sparked outrage and condemnation from several quarters including the UN children’s welfare agency UNICEF. But weeks after the gunmen locally known as bandits seized the schoolchildren, mostly between 8 and 15 years old, Governor Uba Sani said they have regained their freedom. “In the name of Allah the Beneficient, the…

The Defence Headquarters in Abuja have declared one of the leaders of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa wanted. Ekpa’s name was published on the Military’s wanted list alongside 96 others from various parts of the country. In a banner displaying the pictures of the suspects, the Defence Headquarters said it declared 97 persons wanted for terrorism, violent extremism and secessionist threats against the state. Most prominent among the wanted persons is Ekpa who is controlling a faction of IPOB and has been credited with the declaration of the notorious Monday sit-at-home in the South-East zone. The…

The Debt Management Office (DMO) of Nigeria has disclosed that Nigeria’s public debt rose to ₦97.34trn ($108bn) as of the fourth quarter of 2023. DMO made this known in a statement made available to journalists on Friday. This increase in debt levels was basically attributed to new domestic borrowing initiatives undertaken by the Federal Government. The new borrowing by the government is aimed at partially financing the deficit outlined in the 2024 Appropriation Act, alongside disbursements from both multilateral and bilateral lenders. The statement partly read, “Nigeria’s Public Debt Stock as of December 31, 2023 was ₦97.34 trillion or $108.229…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has announced an initiative to establish FCT Rapid Response Team aimed at addressing security issues in Abuja. During a meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, on Friday, Wike disclosed plans to create a collaborative force comprising the Army, Police, Department of State Services, DSS, and Civil Defence. The objective, according to him, is to enhance the city’s capacity to combat crime effectively. Wike emphasised the importance of equipping the rapid response team with state-of-the-art technology to bolster their crime-fighting capabilities in the nation’s capital. He outlined…

As the clamour for state police grows stronger, the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has faulted 16 governors’ submission of a report on the matter to the National Economic Council (NEC).  On Thursday, NEC confirmed receiving memoranda from 16 governors who expressed their support for establishing state police to address the myriads of security challenges facing the nation. Although the names of the governors were not given, 20 other governors were yet to forward their reports to enable the NEC to act on them. Barely a day after the announcement, Governor Makinde who appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics…

A goal in each half was all Nigeria needed to claim the bragging rights against Ghana’s Black Stars in a 2-1 win on Friday evening. The Super Eagles scored first courtesy of Cyriel Dessers’ penalty and a sweet finish from Ademola Lookman of Atalanta. But Jordan Ayew scored a late spot-kick to give the 10-men Ghana a consolation. Nigeria, fresh off a great campaign where they finished runners-up at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) were without the CAF Player of the Year Victor Osimhen, and defender William Troost-Ekong among others. Both are nursing injuries. But from the blast of…

Catherine, Princess of Wales, on Friday announced that she has cancer and is in the early stages of chemotherapy, asking for “time, space and privacy” as she completes her treatment. Kate, as she is widely known, said the discovery of cancer, after successful abdominal surgery in January, was “a huge shock” but she was “well and getting stronger every day”. The 42-year-old princess did not disclose the exact nature of the cancer but described the last few months since she went into hospital as “incredibly tough” for her and her family. “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London…

Several gunmen burst into a large concert hall on the edge of Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with automatic gunfire, killing at least 40 people, injuring more than 100 others and setting fire to the venue in a brazen attack just days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on power in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described the attack as a “huge tragedy” and which state authorities are investigating as terrorism. The attack, which left the concert hall in flames with a collapsed roof, was the deadliest attack in Russia in years and came as…

President Bola Tinubu on Friday urged Nigerians to patronise made-in-Nigeria products and services to sustain the recent gains of the naira in the foreign exchange market. He said the recent appreciation of the value of the naira against the dollar does not spell Uhuru yet. Therefore, he called for more collaboration from citizens, whom he urged to blow the whistle on persons seen engaging in practices that undermine the local currency. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed these to journalists when he delivered Tinubu’s message at a State House briefing on Friday Upon assuming…