Author: Vardiafrica

Five suspected masterminds of the 2022 bombing of St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State have pleaded not guilty to nine counts of terrorism filed against them by the Federal Government. The suspects, Idris Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdul Malik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Abubakar, who were arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court on Monday, August 11, 2025, are accused of being members of Al-Shabab terrorist group with a cell in Kogi State. The office of the Attorney-General is prosecuting the case on FG’s behalf. AGF, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/301/2025, preferred nine counts against…

US President Donald Trump has said homeless people must “move out” of Washington DC as he vowed to tackle crime in the city, but the mayor pushed back against the White House likening the American capital to Baghdad in Iraq. The Republican president has also trailed a news conference for Monday about his plan to make the city “safer and more beautiful than it ever was before”. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, said: “We are not experiencing a crime spike.” Trump signed an order last month making it easier to arrest homeless people, and he last week ordered federal law…

The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) Act has introduced new penalties for the unauthorised disclosure of confidential information and documents by staff members. The NRS Act is among the four bills recently signed into by President Bola Tinubu. The others are the Nigeria tax (fair taxation) law, the Nigeria tax administration law, and the joint revenue board (establishment) law.The regulations are expected to take effect from January 1, 2026. In Part VI (miscellaneous provisions) of the NRS Act, the law states that all internal records including institutional information, memoranda, and communications are classified as confidential. “Without prejudice to the provisions of…

In a press release signed by its president, Christopher Piwuna, the union expressed growing frustration among its members, citing poor welfare, inadequate funding, and the government’s failure to honour signed agreements. The warning comes in response to a recent declaration by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who stated, “not again ever in this country will ASUU or tertiary institutions…go on strike.” While the minister hinged this optimism on a strategy of dialogue and meeting union demands, ASUU insists that action must follow words. “While ASUU share his optimism about dialogue and maintaining relationships, the government needs to go…

The Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ibas, has commended the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for partnering with the State and citing key projects such as the ongoing Kaa-Ataba Bridge, linking Khana and Andoni Local Government Areas, and the Okrika-Borokiri Bridge in Okrika Local Government Area. The Administrator gave the commendation while receiving the Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, during a courtesy visit to the Government House in Port Harcourt. The Minister was accompanied by the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, as well as Directors from the ministry and NDDC. Vice Admiral Ibas described the…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in collaboration with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), has concluded a six-month Technical and Vocational Training Programme, equipping 100 Nigerian youths with high-demand technical skills in eight critical trade areas. The close-out ceremony was held on Friday at the Raw Materials and Research Development Centre (RMRDC), Abuja.  The programme forms part of the Board’s Human Capacity Development initiatives under the Nigerian Content 10-Year Strategic Roadmap, designed to close identified indigenous manpower gaps in the oil and gas industry and its linkage sectors. Beneficiaries were drawn from the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System (NOGIC-JQS) platform and underwent…

Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has vowed that he would change the Nigerian constitution if elected President in 2027. Amaechi made the vow while speaking during an X space tagged ‘Weekend Politics’, on Friday. He also vowed to end corruption within one month as President, or resign. “If I become President I will change the constitution from indigeneship to citizenship. “If I do not end corruption in Nigeria within one month, I will tender my resignation. “I challenged the present FCT minister Wike to take a walk along the streets of Port Harcourt, which will reveal who is healthy…

The Nigeria Police Force has denied allegations by activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, that he was tortured while in detention, insisting his arrest was for alleged forgery, cyberstalking, and other offences. Sowore was detained on Wednesday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja after honouring an invitation from the IGP Monitoring Unit. He was released on Friday, within the 48-hour constitutional limit. In a Facebook post, he described the detention as “illegal and unjust.”Sowore claimed police broke his hand and denied him proper medical care. “They have not brought a doctor, only a nurse. Instead of treatment, they brought…

The Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh has urged the Management and staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to consolidate on the successes recorded by the Commission in the past two years. Speaking during an interactive meeting between the ministry, executive management and staff of the Commission at the NDDC Event Centre in Port Harcourt, Engr Momoh observed that the “success of NDDC is the success of the Ministry of Regional Development.” He stated: “In the past two years, significant developments have taken place in the Niger Delta region, and this is because of the hard work…

Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, says he has been freed from police custody after what he described as an “unjust” detention. In a post shared on X on Friday, Sowore accused the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police (IGP), of acting unlawfully. He said the police “capitulated” to the demands of the revolutionary movement that had called for his release. “I have been released from unjust, unwarranted and unlawful detention,” he wrote. “However, it is nothing to celebrate, work tongues, but I can’t do without thanking you all for not giving up.…