Author: Vardiafrica

An explosion has rocked the Action Peoples Party (APP) secretariat in Rivers state. Grace Iringe-Koko, Rivers police command spokesperson, confirmed the incident to TheCable on Monday. Iringe-Koko said the command has deployed its bomb disposal team to the scene. “We have heard about the incident. We already sent our bomb disposal team to that place to ascertain what really happened,” she said. “I cannot say if it was bomb explosion yet. We have commenced investigation. The damage wasn’t that much.” She added that details would be made public after the conclusion of investigation. In June, an explosion occurred near the Hotel…

Iran’s Vice-President Mohammed Javad Zarif has resigned from President Massud Pezeshkian’s cabinet just 11 days after his appointment. He took to X (formerly Twitter) to explain his decision. “I am not satisfied with my work and regret that I have not been able to fulfill expectations,” he said on X. He also hinted that the selection of ministers for Pezeshkian ‘s new cabinet had been the reason for his decision. According to Mr Zarif, at least seven of the 19 ministers nominated were not his first choice Zarif was President Pezeshkian’s right-hand man during his presidential election campaign and, due…

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is probing the destruction of the country’s passport by a lady and has also invited the woman for questioning. A viral video captured the female traveller identified as Favour Igiebor destroying the Nigerian Standard Passport – said to belong to her husband – at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. It was initially unclear the reason for her action but in a Monday statement, the NIS spokesman Kenneth Udo said the incident is a violation of the law. “The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has launched a formal investigation following the circulation of a…

In response to a new, more virulent strain of monkeypox (mpox) which has been discovered in some African countries, the Federal Government has implemented a stringent health screening protocol for incoming international travellers. This measure, announced by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention aims to curb the spread of the Clade Ib subclade of monkeypox, which has been increasingly impacting several African nations. The new variant of monkeypox started ravaging African countries especially DR Congo in September 2024. Nine days ago, the World Health Organisation said it was considering…

The Organized Labour has firmly rejected the explanation provided by the Nigerian Police regarding what it describes as an “invasion” of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) headquarters. The rejection follows a police statement on Friday, August 9, claiming that their operation was not targeted at the NLC but rather focused on apprehending a foreign national linked to criminal activities across Nigeria and other African countries. The police maintained that the operation, which took place within the NLC headquarters building, was legally sanctioned and aimed at a rented shop within the premises that was being used by the suspect as a…

Amidst the clamour for good governance and reduction in the cost of living in the country, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo has asserted the Federal Government’s firm determination to advance the nation’s gas resources as the surest pathway to economic prosperity. The Minister stated this in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Wednesday when he visited the facilities and projects of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), where he serves as the co-chair of the Governing Council. He stated that Nigeria is endowed with vast natural gas resources of about 209 trillion cubic feet…

Nigeria’s head coach Rena Wakama has been honoured as the Best Coach at the Paris 2024 Olympics, despite the D’Tigress not advancing to the final four. Wakama’s leadership was instrumental in guiding Nigeria’s senior women’s national basketball team, known as the D’Tigress, to a historic performance at the tournament. Under his guidance, the team achieved several milestones, making a significant impact on the competition. Wakama, who is 32 years old, led the D’Tigress to notable victories, including their opening-day win over Australia. This victory marked Nigeria’s first-ever success in a Group phase match at the Olympics. The team continued to…

Rwanda’s all-powerful President Paul Kagame was sworn in Sunday for a fourth term, saying regional peace was a “priority” in the face of ongoing conflict in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. Kagame swept to victory in elections last month with a staggering 99.18 percent of the vote, giving him another five years in office. Several dozen heads of state and other dignitaries from African nations joined the inauguration ceremony at a packed 45,000-seat stadium in Kigali, where many were dressed in the green, yellow and blue colours of the Rwandan national flag. The outcome of the July 15 poll…

President Joe Biden, in his first TV interview since dropping out of the White House race, warned that Republican candidate Donald Trump was “a genuine danger to American security.” “Mark my words, if he wins… this election, watch what happens,” Biden told CBS News in a pre-taped interview broadcast on Sunday. “He’s a genuine danger to American security. Look, we’re at an inflection point in world history… and democracy is the key.” Biden, 81, has kept a low profile since withdrawing after his flailing debate performance against Trump underlined fears about his age and mental abilities. In the short TV…

Poland says seven of its nationals did not fly Russian flags in Kano, a city in North-West Nigeria. Andrzej Szejna, Polish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, told private radio station RMF FM that the six students and the teacher “were in the wrong place at the wrong time”. The seven Polish nationals were accused of playing a “suspicious role” in protests against government policies and economic hardship, the Department of State Services said upon their arrest on Thursday. The Polish foreign ministry, however, said they were students and a teacher. Africa’s most populous country is struggling with its worst cost-of-living…