Author: Vardiafrica

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the military, the police, and the Department of State Services (DSS) to track down and apprehend those responsible for the attack on Kasuwan Daji community in Niger state. In a statement on Sunday, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said the president also directed security agencies to urgently rescue all victims abducted during the attack. Tinubu gave the directives following the killing of 42 villagers in Niger state by terrorists suspected to be fleeing from Sokoto and Zamfara after the United States air strike on Christmas eve. Women and children were also…

The federal government has withdrawn the criminal charge against Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central. The notice of discontinuance was filed in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025 between the federal government and Akpoti-Uduaghan. The document, dated December 12, 2025, was brought pursuant to sections 108(1), 108(2)(a) and 108(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. “The Office of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation intends to discontinue proceeding in this matter,” the notice reads. The notice was signed by M.B. Abubakar, director of public prosecutions of the federation, and Aderonke Imana, the assistant chief state counsel. The filing was made on…

At least 30 people were killed when terrorists attacked a village market in Kabe District, Borgu Local Government Area of Nigeria’s Niger State, police said Sunday. The attackers stormed Kasuwan Daji market in Demo village on Saturday, setting the market ablaze, looting shops, and abducting an unspecified number of residents, according to the Niger State Police Command. “On January 3, 2026, at about 9 pm, information received revealed that at about 4.30 pm of the same date, suspected bandits from the National Park forest along Kabe District invaded Kasuwan Daji, located at Demo village via Kabe, burnt the market, looted…

President Bola Tinubu has held a private meeting with the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, in Paris, France, where both leaders discussed global affairs and issues affecting Africa. The closed-door lunch marks the first public appearance of President Tinubu since he departed Nigeria on December 28, for Europe on an end-of-year break and ahead of an official engagement in the Middle East. President Tinubu had left Lagos on Sunday, December 28, to continue his end-of-year break before proceeding on an official visit to the United Arab Emirates. A statement earlier issued by the Special Adviser to the…

The Janaza (funeral prayer) for the close associates of boxing star Anthony Joshua is set to be held on Sunday in London. Sina Ghami and Abdul Latif Kevin Ayodele tragically lost their lives in a road accident in Nigeria last Monday. Anthony Joshua was also involved in the accident but escaped with minor injuries. At the London Central Mosque, several people were gathered for the Janaza (funeral) prayer, with a funeral for Ghami expected to take place at Hendon Cemetery and Crematorium from noon. A wake for the pair is also scheduled to take place from around 3pm at Cavendish…

The African Union (AU) has expressed concern over the US invasion in Venezuela and capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. It describes the situation as troubling, emphasizing that Venezuela’s complex internal challenges can only be resolved sustainably through political dialogue. The AU made the position in a statement, as reactions continue to pour in after the US military operation. It expressed solidarity with Venezuela, calling for peace, stability and respect among nations. Countries in Africa like South Africa have described the US action as a violation of the UN Charter, restricting use of force against the territorial integrity of…

The National Assembly has released the Certified True Copies, CTCs, of four landmark tax reform Acts recently signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, making them available for public record, verification, and reference. House of Representatives Spokesman Akin Rotimi said the release was directed by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen. He explained that the documents include the endorsement and assent pages personally signed by the President. According to Rotimi, the decision followed public concerns and allegations about possible alterations to the laws, as well as the circulation of unauthorised and…

Resident doctors under the umbrella of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have announced plans to resume a total and indefinite nationwide strike beginning Monday, January 12, 2026. This decision follows the expiration of several ultimatums and what the association describes as the Federal Government’s total failure to implement a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in late 2025. Announcement of the planned industrial action was made in a statement issued on Saturday by NARD President, Dr. Mohammed Suleiman, after an Extraordinary National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting held on January 2. Tagged “TICS 2.0” — Total, Indefinite, and Complete Strike…

President Donald Trump said the U.S. “successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela” and said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were “captured and flown out of the Country.” The announcement on Trump’s social media platform came shortly before 4:30 a.m. Saturday a few hours after several explosions were heard in Venezuela’s capital city of Caracas, witnesses said, and photos and videos showed plumes of smoke and a large fireball in the night sky Trump said the operation was carried out in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement and said he would hold a news conference at 11…

Several explosions rocked Caracas early Saturday, with a CNN team reporting that parts of the Venezuelan capital have been cut off from the electricity grid. The first blast was recorded at about 1.50am local time, according to the network. “One was so strong, my window was shaking after it,” Osmary Hernandez, a CNN correspondent, said. Several neighbourhoods lost power and aircraft could be heard flying after the explosions. The cause of the explosions was not immediately clear. A video obtained and verified by CNN showed two plumes of smoke billowing into the night sky amid flickering city lights, with an…