Author: Vardiafrica

President Bola Tinubu has asked the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to Kebbi state, over the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in the state. Matawalle, who was formerly governor of Zamfara State, was asked to remain in the state to monitor security efforts to secure the release of the abducted students. Gunmen abducted 24 students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town, Kebbi State, around 4 am on Monday. Matawalle, who is expected to arrive in Birni-Kebbi on Friday, gained some experience in dealing with banditry and mass kidnapping during his tenure as governor of…

Nasir Idris, governor of Kebbi, has raised concern over the “withdrawal of military personnel” from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, shortly before bandits abducted several students. Idris spoke on Friday in Birnin Kebbi while receiving Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), who visited the state to commiserate with him over the attack. He said the development was troubling, especially as the state had earlier obtained intelligence indicating a likely assault and promptly convened a security meeting to address it. “As a responsive government, when we received intelligence on a possible attack, we summoned a security meeting,” NAN…

Gunmen have kidnapped an undisclosed number of students during an attack on St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, Niger State. It was learnt that the attackers stormed the school, said to be a private Catholic school located in the Agwara Local Government Area of the state, in the early hours of Friday. Sources said the gunmen arrived in large numbers, riding on over 60 motorcycles and accompanied by a van. They were said to have shot the school’s gatekeeper, leaving him with serious injuries. A source in Agwara who confirmed the incident said, “Yes, it happened between 3 and…

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of terrorism. The sentencing was announced on Thursday by Justice James Omotosho of the federal high court, Abuja. Kanu was handed the life imprisonment sentence for Counts 4, 5 and 6 of the seven-count charges, while he was handed a 20-year jail term for Count 3. Delivering judgment, James Omotosho, the presiding judge, held that the prosecution had successfully established every allegation. He said Kanu offered no credible defence and “deliberately refused” to challenge the evidence presented in court. The judge…

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has refuted international claims alleging religious genocide in the state, stressing that although Benue is grappling with significant security challenges, its situation does not amount to genocide. Alia made the remarks at a consultative forum on protecting the rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Forcibly Displaced Persons (FDPs), organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Abuja. “In my state of Benue, we don’t have any religious, ethnic, racial, national or state genocide. We don’t have that. “Do we have insecurity in the state? Yes, we do. But it is not genocide.…

A total of N2.094 trillion from the October 2025 Federation Account revenue has been shared among the Federal Government, the 36 States and the 774 local government councils. The allocation was confirmed at the November 2025 meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in Abuja. According to the FAAC communiqué, the N2.094 trillion distributable revenue consisted of N1.376 trillion statutory revenue, N670.303 billion Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue, and N47.870 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL). FAAC reported that gross revenue for October stood at N2.934 trillion. From this amount, N115.278 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while…

Trial judge James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) to remove Biafra agitator Nnamdi Kanu from the courtroom over his unruly behaviour. Mr Omotosho gave the order following Mr Kanu’s insistence that the judgement, scheduled for delivery, would not proceed. The leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) stood his ground and refused to move out of the courtroom despite the pleadings by the SSS officers for the defendant to comply with the court order. Mr Omotosho then stood down the matter and directed the security officers…

Super Falcons and Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, has won the 2025 Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year for the third consecutive year. The announcement was made during the prestigious award ceremony taking place at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Rabat, Morocco. The 24-year-old edged out Morocco’s Khadija Er-Rmichi and South Africa’s Andile Dlamini to win the award and reaffirm her dominance as Africa’s top goalkeeper. At Paris FC, she helped lift the Coupe de France Féminine, and also played a key role in the Super Falcons’ record-extending 10th WAFCON title, keeping four clean sheets and earning the…

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Birnin Kebbi, capital of Kebbi state, to meet families of the schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga. Shettima arrived the state on Wednesday afternoon on President Bola Tinubu’s directive. Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima’s spokesperson, said the vice-president was received by Nasiru Idris, state governor; state officials; traditional rulers; and security chiefs on the trip. Tinubu had directed Shettima to visit the state and reassure parents and guardians of the kidnapped girls that the federal government is committed to securing their swift and safe return. “The President has made it clear that bringing these…

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has fined Qatar Airways the sum of N5 million for violating consumer rights. Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection Directorate of the Authority, Michael Achimugu made this know on his X handle, formerly known as Twitter on Wednesday. He disclosed that letters of investigation (LOI) written to the airline over other cases may lead to further sanctions if not treated satisfactorily. “Glad to announce that, today, the NCAA has sanctioned @qatarairways to the tune of five million naira being penalty for consumer protection-related infractions. In addition, the letters of investigation (LOI) written to the…