Author: Vardiafrica

The prosecution informed the court that its opening statement could not be delivered as scheduled and would instead be presented when the matter resumes on Tuesday. Proceedings in the alleged corruption trial of former OPEC President and ex–Nigerian Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, were stalled on Monday at the Crown Court in Southwark due to technical difficulties. A source in Court 4 told SaharaReporters that no substantive progress was made before Mrs Justice Thornton after prosecutors complained of the absence of internet access in the courtroom, a problem that prevented the case from moving forward. The prosecution informed the court that…

Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, has asked President Bola Tinubu to intervene and order the release of the state’s LG allocations.  BACKGROUND In February 2025, the Osun government held elections in the 30 local councils of the state. The exercise was marred by violence, disputes, and legal battles as the sacked LGA chairpersons elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) sought to reclaim their seats, citing a court judgement. Lateef Fagbemi, the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice, advised Adeleke to direct the state electoral commission to halt the process. Fagbemi said the ousted LGA chairpersons must be…

In a move to enforce compliance with the state’s directive against the controversial Monday sit-at-home order, the Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the immediate shutdown of the Onitsha Main Market and other adjoining markets for one week, in the first instance. The governor announced that if traders failed to open at the expiration of the one-week shutdown, the market would be closed for another week and subsequently for longer periods. “And let me tell you this: as I’m speaking to you now, when I finish this. This whole main market and all the adjoining …will be locked down…

Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said Sunday she has had “enough” of Washington’s orders, as she works to unite the country after the US capture of former leader Nicolás Maduro. Rodríguez has been walking a tightrope since being backed by the US to lead the country in the interim, balancing the need to keep Maduro loyalists on board at home while trying to satisfy the White House. Now, almost a month into her new role, she has pushed back on the US amid ongoing pressure, including a series of demands for Venezuela to resume oil production. “Enough already of Washington’s…

A coalition of Nigerian student leaders under the auspices of the Joint Council Leadership Students, have commenced mobilisation of students nationwide to protest what they described as deplorable condition of federal roads across the country, leading to recurring deaths of students and other Nigerians. The nationwide protest is scheduled to hold on 4th February, 2026, to further press on the Federal Government to prioritize federal roads and intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as well as demand for removal of the Minister of Works over alleged incompetency. In a joint statement on Sunday in Abuja by the Chairman of the…

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has taken over the criminal case brought against a senior lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC). The development, however, stalled Ozekhome’s planned arraignment before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the three-count charge filed against him by the ICPC and in which he is accused of, among others, forgery. At the day’s proceedings, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), said he was representing the AGF and informed the…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has congratulated Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), operator of the NNPC Ltd/CNL Joint Venture, on the successful completion of the Awodi-07 appraisal and exploration well located in the shallow offshore western Niger Delta. The Awodi-07 well was drilled as part of the Joint Venture’s ongoing efforts to further delineate and unlock hydrocarbon potential within its asset portfolio. Drilling operations commenced in late November 2025 and were concluded in mid-December 2025, with all activities executed safely, efficiently, and in strict compliance with approved operational and regulatory standards. Following the completion of comprehensive testing, logging,…

The  US military is increasing materiel deliveries and intelligence sharing with Nigeria, Africom’s deputy commander told AFP, as part of a broader American push to work with African militaries to go after Islamic State-linked militants. The Pentagon has also kept open lines of communication with militaries in the junta-led Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, Lieutenant General John Brennan said.The increased cooperation with Abuja follows Washington’s diplomatic pressure on Nigeria over jihadist violence in the country, but also as the US military is becoming “more aggressive” in pursuing IS-linked targets on the continent.Under the Trump administration, “we’ve gotten…

A massive winter storm made for a brutal travel day Monday, with widespread cancellations and delays at some of the nation’s busiest airports. Widespread snow, sleet and freezing rain threatened nearly 180 million people — more than half the US population — in a path stretching from the southern Rocky Mountains to New England, the National Weather Service said Saturday night. After sweeping through the South, the storm moved into the Northeast Monday and was expected to dump about 30 to 60 centimetres of snow from Washington through New York and Boston. More than 10,800 flights were cancelled on Sunday,…

French President Emmanuel Macron wants to fast-track legislation to ban social media for teens under the age of 15, with parliament slated to vote on a draft proposal on Monday. We take a closer look in this edition of Tech 24. “The brains of our children and teenagers are not for sale,” Macron said in a recorded video he provided to French broadcaster BFM. “Our teenagers’ emotions are not to be manipulated – either by American platforms or by Chinese algorithms.” Macron, in the video shared on Saturday, said he had asked the government to “activate the accelerated procedure” so the ban can be enforced…