WHALEXTRA

The Ondo State Police Command said it had arrested and prosecuted no fewer than 30 confirmed kidnap suspects while hundreds of armed robbery and other criminal suspects were nabbed in the first half of 2025. According to a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Olayinka Ayanlade, on Sunday, the period under review was under the leadership of the outgoing Commissioner of Police, Mr Wilfred Afolabi. Afolabi, the statement confirmed, has been redeployed from the state following the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. “If anything, his (Afolabi’s) tenure in Ondo State has been marked by notable achievements, including the arrest and prosecution of over 30 confirmed kidnappers, the dismantling of 83 cult gangs, and the apprehension of numerous armed robbers and car snatchers. These successes are a testament to his dedication, effectiveness, and leadership,” the PPRO stated. He however denied a report that Afolabi was removed following the ‘...

A t least two people were killed when firefighters tackling a blaze were ambushed by an unknown number of gunmen in an ongoing standoff in the northwestern US state of Idaho on Sunday, the local sheriff said. The blaze was still raging on the mountainside in Kootenai County as law enforcement exchanged gunfire with the shooter or shooters, Sheriff Robert Norris told reporters. “We now have two deaths. We have an unknown amount of casualties. We still have civilians that are coming off of that mountain… We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak,” he said at a press conference. The shooter showed “no evidence of wanting to surrender,” he continued, adding: “As soon as somebody has a clear shot, I encourage them to take that shot to neutralize the threat.” He said authorities believed the two people who were killed were firemen. Earlier, local fire chief Pat Riley described himself as “heartbroken” by the attack.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he believed the war between Iran and Israel was finished, as both sides were keen to end the fight. Asked why he was confident the conflict was over, Trump told reporters: “I dealt with both and they’re both tired, exhausted.” “They fought very, very hard and very viciously, very violently, and they were both satisfied to go home and get out,” said Trump. VANGUARD NEWS

Again, the Senate has issued a 10 day ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited NNPCL to respond to 11 critical financial queries related to discrepancies in its audited financial statements, warning that failure to comply could attract serious constitutional consequences. The Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Aliyu Wadada, SDP, Nasarawa West at a resumed hearing yesterday however rejected a written request from the NNPCL seeking a two-month extension to compile responses and documents. Recall that last week, the Committee had expressed outrage over what it described as mind-boggling and unacceptable, financial irregularities uncovered in NNPC’s books, including over 200 trillion naira in unexplained receivables and undocumented legal and audit fees spanning the years 2017 to 2023. The disputed figures, comprising ₦103 trillion in “accrued expenses” and another ₦107 trillion listed as “receivables” were uncovered during the committee’s review of NNPCL’s financia...

The gruesome killing of a local farmer, Rabiat Atere, by suspected armed bandits at Oka Akoko, in Akoko South West Local Government Area of   Ondo State , has sparked outrage. Atere was reportedly attacked on her farm in Oka on Monday evening. The deceased, who hailed from Uba in Oka-Akoko, was said to have invested heavily on the farm before she was violently killed. A source who spoke to The Nation on Wednesday said the middle-aged woman whose corpse had already been deposited at the hospital morgue in Iwaro Oka was tilting on her farmland when the bandits struck. “It is a sad incident, but her lifeless body was discovered, and she was taken to a mortuary in Iwaro,” said, after pleading anonymously. Condemning the dastardly attack in strong terms, the bereaved youths of the community have called on the security agencies to smoke out the suspected marauders and perpetrators to face prosecution. The youths, under the aegis of Akoko Youth Forum (AYF), claimed that the killing of At...

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu   will on Thursday sign into law four historic tax reform bills set to overhaul Nigeria’s fiscal landscape, streamline tax administration, and boost investor confidence. The four bills — the Nigeria Tax Bill, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill — were recently passed by the National Assembly following extensive stakeholder consultations and technical reviews. The ceremonial signing is scheduled to take place at the State House, Abuja. A statement on Wednesday by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the legislation as a major step forward in President Tinubu’s economic reform agenda, with the new legal framework expected to simplify tax compliance, enhance revenue generation, and improve the overall ease of doing business in Nigeria. “These laws will significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading ...

T he Federal Government on Tuesday commenced the implementation of bachelor’s degree programmes across 15 approved Federal Colleges of Education in Nigeria . This move follows President Bola Tinubu’s recent assent to the legislation empowering Federal Colleges of Education to award both the Nigeria Certificate in Education and Bachelor’s Degrees in Education. Speaking at a one-day sensitisation programme in Abuja, on ministerial deliverables and the education sector roadmap, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, announced the development. Enitan, represented by the Director of Educational Planning, Julie Uzor, noted that the dual certification model is aimed at revitalising teacher education and addressing dwindling enrollment. “This policy allows Colleges of Education to concurrently award the NCE and Bachelor’s Degrees in Education. As outlined in the Federal Colleges of Education Act, 2023, this dual mode enhances access, improves quali...

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun , said no fewer than 53 suspects have been arrested in connection with the recent wave of deadly attacks in Benue and Plateau states that claimed dozens of lives and left several others injured or displaced. Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Egbetokun described the June 13 massacre in Yelewata community in Benue State as a “coordinated attack of terror.” Egbetokun said 26 were arrested for the attack in Yelewata, 22 suspects in connection with the Plateau attacks and another five in Benue for a more recent attack. He stated that 47 persons were killed and 27 were injured in the Yelewata attack, adding that two general-purpose machine guns and eight AK-47 rifles used in the attack were recovered.