Author: Vardiafrica

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has presented certificates of return to winners of the by-elections held across six states on Saturday. The elections were held for senatorial offices in Enugu, Nasarawa North, Ondo South, and Rivers South-East and also for the Dawakin kudu/Warsaw federal constituency in Kano State and the Zuru State constituency in Kebbi State. The INEC chairman, Joash Amupitan, was represented by Supervising National Commissioner May Agbamuche-Mbu for Rivers State, who was supervising the presentation of the certificates. In her remarks, Agbamuche-Mbu congratulated the winners and urged them to serve their constituents diligently, saying the most important…

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has prohibited serving officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force from engaging in unauthorised social media activities, including creating videos, live streaming, posting skits and monetising content on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. The directive, contained in an internal circular dated June 22, 2026, warns that officers who violate the order risk severe disciplinary sanctions, including interdiction, salary forfeiture, demotion, dismissal from service and possible criminal prosecution. The circular, referenced SB:4065/IGP.SEC/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.1/11 and marked “Restricted – For Official Use Only,” was issued from the Office of the Inspector-General of Police…

Europe on Tuesday braced for more extreme weather as a deadly heatwave threatened fresh temperature records in Britain, with trains disrupted and hospitals across the continent preparing for an influx of heat-afflicted patients. The latest heatwave has raised fears of the effects of climate change-supercharged extreme weather on vulnerable people, while forcing the cancellation of outdoor events, causing transport chaos and shuttering schools. It comes just a month after a previous stretch of unseasonably high temperatures scorched western Europe, with scientists warning that the increasingly frequent, lengthy and intense periods of extreme heat are a clear marker of human-driven global…

The Government of the United Kingdom has expressed delight over the just concluded governorship election in Ekiti State, congratulating its winner, Governor Abiodun Abayomi Oyebanji. The British High Commission in Abuja, in a statement, congratulated the voters in Ekiti State for their participation in the governorship election and for their commitment to exercise their democratic rights. “We also offer our congratulations to Governor Abiodun Abayomi Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on his re-election. “We welcome the peaceful and orderly delivery of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and other stakeholders. Noting that this was…

Nigerian travellers have been reminded by the United States Mission in Nigeria to strictly comply with US immigration laws regarding their stay in the country. It urged applicants to stay only for the period authorised, keep their documents updated, and avoid actions that could jeopardise their eligibility for future entry into the United States. In a message posted on its official X handle Tuesday, it noted that complying with visa terms was key to protecting future travel and study opportunities. The mission stressed that following the rules was not only the right thing to do, but also a safeguard for…

The federal government yesterday convened an emergency stakeholders’ meeting on the rising price of cooking gas, stressing that key security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Police Force, will be involved in tackling product diversion, hoarding, speculative storage and other market practices blamed for escalating prices. At the meeting in Abuja, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the government remained committed to ensuring moderate cooking gas prices and improving access to cleaner energy for households, stressing that Nigeria’s gas resources must first serve…

WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated three individuals and six entities across Europe, the Middle East, and West Africa for facilitating financial transactions on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). This action targets key facilitators who enable ISIS to move funds among its regional affiliates and in so doing helps protect the rights of religious minorities who have been targeted by ISIS and ISIS-inspired violence.  Regardless of the financial instrument, method of transmission, or location of the funds, the Treasury Department will relentlessly pursue ISIS’s finances and disrupt their…

Leo Messi added another remarkable milestone to his legendary career this evening, becoming the FIFA World Cup™’s all-time leading men’s goalscorer as he scored his record-breaking 17th and 18th World Cup goals in a brace that led Argentina to a 2-0 victory against Austria in the group stage. With the brace, Messi surpassed former Germany forward Miroslav Klose, who previously held the record with 16 World Cup goals. The achievement comes during Messi’s sixth FIFA World Cup™ campaign, making him the first men’s player ever to appear in six editions of the tournament (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026). …

A total of 70 Nigerian youths with backgrounds in engineering, technology and geosciences on Thursday completed the 12-month Train 7 Human Capital Development (HCD) Basic Training Programme of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, Bonny, obtaining international certifications in diverse fields relevant to the oil and gas industry and its linkage sectors, including the Level 3 Proficiency of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) United Kingdom. Under the programme, which had rigorous classroom and on-the-job training on a live LNG (Train 7) Project, trainees had firsthand information in Google data analytics professional certification and project management fundamentals,…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has resigned as leader of the United Kingdom’s governing Labour Party, clearing a path for the country’s seventh prime minister in a decade. Starmer says he will remain as caretaker prime minister until his party selects a new leader. Nominations begin July 9. The popular former mayor of Greater Manchester, England — Andy Burnham — confirmed on social media that he’ll seek to succeed Starmer. Another contender, former U.K. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, posted a letter saying he will back Burnham’s bid. So Burnham could run for the Labour Party leadership — and ultimately prime minister — uncontested, and enter office…