Author: Vardiafrica

The Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, a Nigerian government agency, has issued a six-week notice to unregistered businesses in the country to register with the commission or face prosecution. This was disclosed in a statement issued by the CAC on Tuesday. According to the statement, failure to comply with the notice will attract a jail term or prosecution. The commission explained that it is a criminal offence under Section 863 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020, to carry on business in Nigeria as a company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, or under a business name without registration. It is…

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, April 28, dismissed a proposed three-day ceasefire by Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it a manipulative attempt to control the narrative of the ongoing war. In a video address on social media platform X, Zelensky questioned the sincerity of the Kremlin’s offer, which is scheduled to run from May 8 to 10 to coincide with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations. “Now there’s a new attempt at manipulation: for some reason, everyone has to wait until May 8,” Zelensky said. “ If Russia truly wants peace, it must cease fire immediately.”  The ceasefire was announced earlier…

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted permission to the federal government for its witnesses to testify behind camera in the terrorism charges brought against the Biafra nation agitator, Nnamdi Kanu. The Judge granted the permission on Tuesday while delivering ruling in an ex-parte application filed by the federal government lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Solomon, SAN. Adegboyega Solomon, while arguing the application, pleaded with Justice Omotosho that the identities of the witnesses needed to be protected for security reasons. He informed the court that the charges against Kanu bothers on terrorism, hence, the need to protect…

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the resumption of the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS) on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. The train service was suspended on April 10, 2025, due to multiple engine failures and other technical and operational challenges. The management of the NRC, led by Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, apologised to passengers, stakeholders, other interest groups, and Nigerians whose livelihood is daily impacted by the services. In a statement signed by Acting Deputy Director, Public Relations, NRC, Callistus Unyimadu, the management informed the public that engineers were working to rectify the situation, hence the necessity…

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested businesswoman, Aisha Achimugu, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Achimugu was arrested around 5 am on Tuesday shortly after her return from London. A top EFCC staff confirmed this to Channels Television in a telephone conversation on Tuesday. The socialite had been declared wanted in March by the EFCC over allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering. Her lawyer, Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), confirmed her arrest, saying, “Aisha Achimugu, who arrived voluntarily into the country from London, was arrested by the EFCC around 5 a.m. on Tuesday.” He criticised…

Vice-President Kashim Shettima says the defection of Sheriff Oborevwori, governor of Delta, and the entire state’s chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is a “political tsunami unprecedented in Nigeria’s history”. On April 23, Oborevwori and other PDP bigwigs in Delta state defected to the APC. Speaking in Asaba, the state capital, on Monday at a rally organised to welcome the governor and other new members to the APC, Shettima lauded Oborevwori and Ifeanyi Okowa, the former Delta governor, for their cordial relationship and for making history with the defection. “What testimony can be greater than the…

The Nigerian Government is set to pay the outstanding five months arrears of ₦35,000 wage award to federal government workers, according to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF). In a statement issued on Monday, the OAGF explained that the Nigerian Government had earlier paid five months’ wage award to federal government employees in instalments, adding that the outstanding arrears would be paid in instalments of ₦35,000 per month for five months. The first instalment of the outstanding wage award arrears would be paid after the April 2025 salary. “The wage award arrears would not be paid…

Spain and Portugal experienced a widespread power outage on Monday, leaving millions without electricity in a snap blackout. In Portugal, official sources told domestic media that the outage, which hit around late morning local time, was nationwide, while similar reports emerged from Spain. Madrid’s Barajas International Airport and Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado were closed after being left without power, and telecommunications have also been affected, with residents across the two countries saying they have no access to mobile networks. Meanwhile, other airports have come to a standstill throughout the Iberian Peninsula, and flights from Brussels and other European cities to Spain…

Catholic cardinals will meet on May 7 to start voting for a new pope, the Vatican announced on Monday, a week after the death of Pope Francis. So-called “Princes of the Church” under the age of 80 will meet in the Sistine Chapel to choose a new religious leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. The date was decided at meeting of cardinals of all ages early Monday, two days after the funeral of Francis, who died on April 21 aged 88. The Church’s 252 cardinals were called back to Rome after the Argentine’s death, although only 135 are eligible to…

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a temporary ceasefire in the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin has said the ceasefire will run from the morning of 8 May until the 11 May – which coincides with victory celebrations to mark the end of World War Two. In a statement it said Putin declared the ceasefire “based on humanitarian considerations”. Ukraine has not yet responded A translation of the statement said: “Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example. “In the event of violations of the ceasefire by the Ukrainian side, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will…