Author: damazah@gmail.com

Bayelsa State has begun moves to introduce scrabble and chess into its secondary schools, with the Commissioner for Sports Development, Daniel Igali, leading a delegation from the Ministry of Sports Development to the Ministry of Education to commence planning for the state’s maiden Secondary Schools Scrabble Championship. The initiative follows a directive from Governor Douye Diri, who unveiled the plan during the sixth edition of the Governor Diri National Scrabble Classics. The meeting with the Commissioner for Education, Emelah Gentle, focused on developing a practical roadmap for rolling out scrabble across secondary schools in the state, while both ministries also…

The Ogun State Government on Thursday recorded a major breakthrough in its fight against kidnapping, with the successful rescue of the seven students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, in Remo North Local Government Area, who were abducted by suspected kidnappers earlier this week. Governor Dapo Abiodun, while addressing journalists at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, in the company of security chiefs and some of the rescued students, reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that kidnappers and other criminal elements have no hiding place anywhere in Ogun State. The governor disclosed that the rescue was achieved through a coordinated security…

By Udeme Akpan, Energy Editor The Senate Committee on Privatisation has commended Eko Electricity Distribution Plc (EKEDP) for its improved operational performance since the privatisation of Nigeria’s power sector, while pledging to push for solutions to persistent challenges undermining electricity distribution across the country. During an oversight visit to EKEDP’s headquarters in Marina, Lagos, the Committee reviewed the company’s operational performance, financial position and the broader challenges confronting the electricity distribution segment. The nine-member delegation, led by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Privatisation, Senator Shuaibu Isa Lau, was received by the EKEDP management team led by the Managing Director,…

Horror story NFH made headlines when reports surfaced about a 2021 incident in which a Kentucky man in his 30s began visibly crying, pulled his knees to his chest, and shook his head as he was wheeled into surgery to have his organs harvested. The man, Anthony Thomas Hoover II, had overdosed and had been unresponsive for two days before his family agreed to donate his organs, believing he would not recover. But as the organ retrieval neared, he began showing signs of improvement, which allegedly went ignored by organ procurement workers while making the hospital staff deeply uncomfortable. NFH’s…

The Green party may be close to overtaking Labour’s membership figures, after Labour suffered a 20% drop in 2025, according to its latest accounts.The return by the Labour party shows its number of members had fallen from 333,235 to 264,754 at the end of 2025 compared with a year earlier.In May, the Green party claimed its membership total was 230,000, which would put it within 34,000 members of overtaking Labour.A spokesperson said figures had “quadrupled” in the last year since Zack Polanski became leader. Its membership stood at 186,441 at the end of December.ShareKey eventsClosing summary The Green party may…

It could be hundreds of years before habitats destroyed by wildfires in Wales recover, an environment watchdog has said.Nick Thomas, from Natural Resources Wales (NRW), said if soil had been incinerated in upland areas rich in peat, which grows at about a millimetre a year, it could take centuries for the vegetation to come back.He called 2026 the worst year Wales had ever experienced.As well as damage to natural habitats and animal life, Thomas warned loss of soil could increase flood risks, because it no longer acts as a “sponge” holding water on high ground.Wales has witnessed huge wildfires this…

Uefa is in something of a pickle as it tries to get rid of Infantino.The easiest route to success was the slow turning of the vice throughout this week, hoping to exert enough pressure to force him to quit.Yet the Swiss appears to have no intention of walking away.European football looks like an outlier, struggling to gain enough support to topple him. On Thursday, Lamin Kaba Bajo, the president of the Gambia Football Federation, praised Infantino’s “courage” and for the U-turn, and said he was “willing to give him my support more than ever”.Only Jordan, one of the few countries…

Hill and Jean were speaking ahead of Diaspora Calling! By Ms. Lauryn Hill, a one-day festival that will make its UK debut at the Milton Keynes National Bowl on Friday.The event will feature performances from Hill, Jean, Erykah Badu, Giggs, Fireboy DML, YG Marley and Zion Marley, with comedian Dave Chappelle hosting.Reflecting on the anniversary of The Score, Jean said the Fugees’ ambitions had always extended beyond music.”I remember saying from a very young age, we’re not going to do music, we’re going to be a movement,” he said.He said the themes explored by the group three decades ago remain…

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has submitted an interim report to President Bola Tinubu on its investigation into the alleged fictitious Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC). A major highlight of the report is the discovery of two additional fake agencies. The ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, disclosed this on Thursday after briefing Mr Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, exactly 30 days after the President ordered a probe into the matter. Mr Aliyu said the commission recommended the prosecution of the self proclaimed Director-General of the organisation, Adeniyi Adeyemi, over alleged forgery, impersonation and related…

Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi displaying some of seized pump action at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos this evening. …Two suspects arrested, principal suspect on the run By Godwin Oritse The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Thursday recorded another breakthrough in its anti-smuggling campaign with the interception of a container containing concealed parts of pump-action rifles and the seizure of illicit cannabis-infused products valued at ₦373.8 million at the Tincan Island Port Command. Addressing journalists during a press briefing this evening, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, described the seizures as a significant victory…