Author: Vardiafrica

The Ondo State Government has approved death sentences for those convicted of kidnapping. According to the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Kayode Ajulo, who spoke on behalf of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Saturday, after the monthly State Executive Council meeting, kidnappers will be sentenced to death after conviction. Ajulo emphasised that the move was part of efforts to strengthen security and ensure the safety of residents across the state. The state has recently battled incessant cases of kidnapping, with most of the victims killed and huge ransoms paid by the victims’ families. Ajulo also emphasised that kidnapping…

Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, stated that the Commission’s mandate to facilitate the sustainable development of the Niger Delta was exemplified in Okirika. According to Ebie, the NDDC Board and Management were facilitating the development of the region in collaboration with other stakeholders. “We believe in support, collaboration and the prayers of everybody. We are an interventionist agency that collaborates with local, state, and federal governments,” he said. He stated that the NDDC was not in competition with any other entity. He advised that people should discard the notion that the…

President Bola Tinubu has called on West African nations to end the practice of exporting raw minerals without processing them locally — a trend he described as the “pit-to-port” dependency — urging instead for investment in regional value chains, manufacturing, and innovation. Speaking on Saturday at the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, the Nigerian leader stressed the urgency for collective economic transformation across the region. “The era of warm pit to the port must end. We must turn our mineral wealth into domestic economic value, jobs, technology, and manufacturing.…

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has raised its ex-depot price for premium motor spirit, also known as petrol, to N880 per litre. The hike represents a N55 increase from the previous rate of N825 per litre. Abubakar Shettima, national president of IPMAN, confirmed the development to TheCable on Saturday. “We are aware that the refinery has reviewed the price to N880 per litre. Our members have been informed,” he said. The development comes days after the refinery offered nationwide logistics for petrol, and diesel distribution. The refinery said it also acquired 4,000 new compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered tankers to enhance its fuel distribution capacity across the…

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has vowed that the Nigerian Army will track down and bring to justice all those responsible for the recent spate of killings and attacks in Benue, Plateau, and other parts of the North-Central region. Oluyede, who gave this assurance during a media chat organized by the Nigerian Army in Akure, the Ondo State capital, expressed optimism that the perpetrators would be arrested, saying, “We shall go after them, and by God’s grace, we will get them.” Represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major…

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the National Opposition Coalition Group (NOCG), comprising major national political figures, including a former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register its newly formed political party, All Democratic Alliance (ADA). The group is chaired by a former Senate President, David Mark. The development followed a meeting of the coalition in Abuja on May 6, 2025, according to a statement by the group dated May 19 and signed by Amaechi and Umar Ardo as the Chairman and Secretary of the New Platform Committee (NPC), respectively. The…

Governor Josh Stein of North Carolina has officially declared June 14, 2025, as “Igbo Day” across the state. The proclamation honours the vibrant Igbo community, whose roots trace back to southeastern Nigeria. With thousands of Igbo residents—some having lived in the state for over half a century—the community has become an integral part of North Carolina’s social, economic, and cultural fabric. In a statement signed by Governor Stein, he stated that Igbos in North Carolina are involved in many charitable causes and have contributed significantly to their economy. According to him, they thrive in education, law, medicine, information technology, and the arts, and they continue…

The Federal Government has closed its case in the ongoing trial of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu. Kanu is being tried for terrorism and treason. Counsel to the Federal Government, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, announced that the prosecution has closed its case on Thursday This was after the 5th prosecution witness, PW-5, identified as EEE for security reasons, was led in evidence and cross-examined by Kanu’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja. Awomolo informed the court that after calling five witnesses in the trial, the…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hascommissioned a host of projects, including 300-bed hospital, Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development and 100 CNG buses, Kafanchan township road among others. Tinubu made the commissioning on a one-day official visit to Kaduna State, saying the state is rising star in Nigeria’s development landscape, praising Governor Uba Sani for transforming a state once gripped by fear into a beacon of peace, growth, and unity. This was as he disclosed that, N100 billion has been voted for Kaduna’s light rail in the 2025 federal budget. Speaking during a grand civic reception in his honour at Murtala…

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed the visa centres for France, Belgium, and Italy situated at Mukhtar El-Yakub House in the Central Business District of Abuja. The enforcement operation was carried out with the support of personnel from the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, following resistance from staff members at the centre during the sealing process. Sealing off the centre on Thursday, the Director, Surveillance and Investigations Department of FCCPC, Mrs Boladale Adeyinka, said the move was due to the failure of the centre to receive a letter of the…