Author: Vardiafrica

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a constitutional amendment bill to establish state police nationwide. The passage marks a significant step in Nigeria’s long-running debate over decentralising policing and tackling insecurity. The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to Provide for the Establishment of State Police; and for Related Matters (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026,” was approved during consideration at the Committee of the Whole, presided over by Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas. The voting commenced after the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the House Committee on…

Seriake Dickson, national leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), says the opposition party is doing its candidates a favour by giving them the opportunity to contest elective positions on its platform in the 2027 elections. Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Wednesday, Dickson dismissed suggestions that the NDC should be grateful to Peter Obi, its presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, or any other political figure for joining the party. “Don’t make it look like anyone is doing NDC a favour. No one is,” Dickson said. “Rather, the NDC and I and my colleagues are doing people…

The Senate, on Thursday, moved to protect its institutional integrity and reaffirm adherence to constitutional procedures by nullifying a warrant of arrest purportedly issued by the Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC) against a former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Engr. Mele Kyari. The motion, sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, also formally dissociated the Senate from comments attributed to Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who reportedly described the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) as “a bunch of criminals and thieves” during a Public Accounts Committee hearing earlier on Wednesday. The Senate emphasised that legislative…

The first batch of Nigerians opting to return home following the latest wave of xenophobic violence in South Africa arrived in Lagos on Thursday, with 268 returnees landing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport aboard an Air Peace flight. The returnees touched down at about 10:30 a.m., marking the beginning of a government-backed repatriation exercise for Nigerians affected by the unrest in South Africa. The evacuation flight was initially scheduled for Monday but was later shifted to Wednesday due to delays in processing travel documentation. Authorities say more than 1,000 Nigerians have indicated interest in returning to the country. Speaking…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has assured that the pace of work on the 3.75-kilometre Okrika-Borikiri Road, with three bridges linking Okrika and Port Harcourt Local Government Areas of Rivers State, will increase following the payment of compensation to property Speaking during an inspection of the bridge in Okrika, the NDDC Assistant Director, Utilities, Infrastructural Development and Waterways, UIDW, Engr. Martins Isichei, stated that the issue of compensation for property owners at the Borikiri end of the bridge had been settled. He noted: “The NDDC has paid compensation to property owners along the Borikiri alignment, and we are expecting the…

Amid rising tension in the House of Representatives, over the position of minority leader, the House, on Wednesday,  adopted a resolution barring  first time members from occupying principal officers position. The resolution effectively stalled the nomination of the member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, from emerging as the minority leader. Ugochinyere was nominated, last Wednesday by 61 members out of 81 of the opposition caucus, as minority leader, to replace Kingsley Chinda, who resigned from the position, the day before, in line with extant rules of the House. Order 7 Rule 9 of the House Standing Rules,…

The US state department says it has uncovered birth tourism-related fraud networks in Africa, where foreign nationals allegedly used fake documents and visa “fixers” to secure entry into the US and obtain birthright citizenship for their children. One of the discoveries was linked to a US embassy in West Africa and reportedly involved over 100 foreign nationals. The state department did not disclose the country involved. “We shut it down, revoked these foreign nationals’ visas, and are coordinating with local authorities to systematically identify and cut off any similar operations,” the statement issued by the department on Wednesday reads. According…

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded a privately operated aircraft and suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) following an incident in which the aircraft made an emergency landing on a roadway in Ogwashi-Uku, near Asaba, Delta State. In a preliminary report issued on Wednesday, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, said the aircraft encountered difficulties while attempting to land at Asaba Airport and executed a missed approach at approximately 7:43 a.m. local time. According to the NCAA, the aircraft subsequently landed on a roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area. Personnel…

Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has donated medical equipment to the Model Primary Health Care Centre, Orogbum Community, in Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State, as part of its efforts to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and improve access to quality Speaking during the handover at the Health Centre, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, stated that the intervention aligns with the Commission’s mandate to enhance healthcare delivery and improve the well-being of people in communities across the region. He noted that access to functional healthcare facilities remained critical to sustainable development and reiterated the Commission’s determination to support…

A fire outbreak on Wednesday disrupted activities in a section of the Senate wing of the National Assembly complex in Abuja, raising concerns over safety within the nation’s legislative headquarters before it was swiftly contained by emergency responders. The incident occurred shortly after the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) concluded the screening of Zainab Marwa as the North-east representative on the commission’s board. The fire reportedly started in the kitchen area attached to Hearing Room 107, where the screening had taken place. Sources within the National Assembly said the blaze was believed to have been triggered…