Author: damazah@gmail.com

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandma following the discovery of 13kg of cocaine in her luggage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. This was contained in a statement issued by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday. in Abuja. The anti-drug agency said the drugs were concealed in peels of plantain, which appeared as real plantains and were packed among other food items. Mr Babafemi said the suspect, who works as a caregiver in the UK, was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the…

For the first time in more than three decades, Nigeria will once again be represented in the singles draw at Wimbledon. History was made in London this week as Aurum Tennis Academy star and Nigeria’s brightest tennis prospect, Oluwaseun “The Shark” Ogunsakin, secured qualification for the Wimbledon Junior Championships. On Thursday, 3 July, the teenager booked his place in the main draw, becoming the first Nigerian since 1990 to compete in the singles event at Wimbledon and the country’s first singles representative at any Grand Slam in more than a decade. The feat marks another milestone in what has already…

Robert Richardson, christened “Big Bad Bob” by Brad Pitt, took time of his insanely busy schedule to spend his July 4 weekend in the Czech Republic. The occasion was the world premiere of Robert Richardson: The White Devil, an eye-opening documentary directed by Czech filmmaker Jana Hojdová. The film began life as a student project in 2016, with Hojdová writing a letter on spec, not expecting a reply. But not only did Richardson reply, he invited the director to visit him in the States — little realizing that the imminent COVID epidemic meant that his houseguest would be staying a…

Following the completion of The Three-Month Sprint series, our editorial roadmap dictated a sharp turn into a four-part methodology series exploring the inner workings of the Decoupling Sovereignty Index (DSI). That exploration will still come. However, the remarkable public interest generated by our detailed account of the 91-day journey that yielded a macro-theoretical trilogy prompted an unexpected, yet necessary, detour.  Readers were intrigued not only by the three analytical constructs themselves, but by the process that made them possible. How did an independent newsroom develop three original analytical constructs in just 91 days? What institutional philosophy made such an experiment…

The Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education is expected to announce the FBISE Inter Results 2026 during the last week of August. The new tentative schedule applies to both HSSC-I and HSSC-II examinations. This means students awaiting their first-year and second-year results could receive their marks before the end of August. However, the board has not yet disclosed separate dates for Classes 11 and 12. It has also not confirmed the exact time for the result announcements. Therefore, students should wait for a formal FBISE notification before treating the schedule as final. Results Important for University Admissions The HSSC-II…

Armed groups in military-run Mali have launched renewed coordinated attacks in several towns across the country.The assaults on Saturday targeted army positions, including a base used by its troops and Russian forces.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listA separatist Tuareg-led group and a regional al-Qaeda affiliate claimed responsibility for the attacks, which took place more than two months after the capital, Bamako, and several other locations were targeted in a coordinated ⁠assault by the same groups.Here’s what to know:Where did the attacks take place?In an initial statement, the Malian army confirmed attacks on five positions: in Aguelhok, Anefis and…

In its statement, Nigeria’s foreign ministry said Iroegbu was reportedly killed in Pretoria by officers from the Tshwane Metro police department. Joe, killed on 28 June, was attacked outside his shop in the city of eMalahleni, the ministry said.Abuja said it was placing the South African government “on notice” and that “all options remain on the table… if the uncultured and provocative trend of intolerance and apartheid-style behaviour of South Africa against foreigners is not addressed”.Nigeria has said it will seek compensation from South Africa for its citizens who have left the country, adding that Abuja had begun documenting businesses…

Crude prices have fallen. So why is petrol still expensive? Consumers demand relief, while marketers insist on sustainable margins, reports Festus Akanbi For millions of Nigerians, the recent decline in global crude oil prices has brought little relief at the filling station. Although international oil prices have retreated sharply following the easing of tensions in the Middle East, the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) has remained stubbornly high, rekindling debate over whether Nigeria’s deregulated downstream petroleum market is truly delivering the benefits of competition or merely protecting industry margins. The controversy has drawn regulators, marketers, refiners, economists and consumer…

As the afternoon heat rose to a dizzying 41.7C (107F) in eastern Brandenburg on Sunday, taking German temperatures to unprecedented highs, Mario, 65, took precautions but did not panic. Two years ago, a fierce heatwave had prompted him to buy a powerful device that few Germans own: an air conditioning unit.“The summers are slowly getting warmer,” says the retired handyman in Neuzelle on the German-Polish border, whose bungalow is now among the 6% of German homes with fixed air-conditioning. “And as you get older, the heat gets harder to endure.”Europe is reeling from its worst heatwave on record, and as…

Unlike many politicians who built their careers within party structures, Alex Otti entered government after decades in the financial sector, rising to Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank.  Vanessa Obioha examines whether the Abia State Governor is attempting to chart a different course ahead of the 2027 elections. Nigerian politics has a rich history of bankers who left the revolving doors of the banking halls for the swivelling chairs of politics. Alex Otti, the governor of Abia State, falls into this category. It is generally expected that bankers should be more disciplined in public offices. After all, they spend years…