WHALEXTRA

The federal government has commended the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, for his strategic role in securing Nigeria’s election into Category C of the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for the 2026–2027 biennium. According to a statement by the Agency’s spokesperson, Osagie Edward, obtained by The Nation at the weekend, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, acknowledged Mobereola’s instrumental leadership and effective campaign coordination in a letter dated January 28, 2026. The statement indicated that the commendation letter addressed to the Director General highlighted his pivotal role in Nigeria’s victory at the IMO Council elections held in London. According to Edward, the minister noted that Mobereola’s strategic engagement with IMO Member States and effective campaign management were pivotal to Nigeria’s resounding success, reflecting a high level of dedication...

  The   Oyo State   Police Command has recovered various quantities of suspected  illicit drugs  from a criminal hideout in Ibadan. The Command said the seizure followed credible intelligence provided by a strategic partner, which led operatives to the location. In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, said the information indicated that an apartment on Abanise Street in the Academy area of Olomi, Ibadan, was being used to store a large consignment of suspected illicit drugs. According to the statement, the apartment was allegedly linked to one Oluwadamilare Adedayo, a male resident of the address, who was believed to be using the premises for illegal activity. The Command said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to rid the state of criminal elements and curb the circulation of illicit substances.

No fewer than 173 people lost their lives in 1,156 emergency incidents recorded across Lagos State in 2025, according to data released by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA). A breakdown of the emergency statistics showed that despite the fatalities, the total number of emergencies recorded in 2025 declined compared to figures from 2024. The report revealed that road crashes accounted for the highest number of incidents, with 394 cases recorded during the year. This was followed by tanker and truck-related accidents with 249 incidents, while fire outbreaks accounted for 204 emergencies. On a monthly basis, February 2025 recorded the highest number of emergencies with 122 cases. April followed closely with 121 incidents, while May recorded 119 cases. The data also showed that Alimosho Local Government Area had the highest number of emergencies in the state, recording 180 incidents. Eti-Osa followed with 144 cases, while Ikeja recorded 139 emergencies.

The naira depreciated against the dollar at the official  foreign exchange market  on Monday to begin on a bearish note. The Central Bank of Nigeria’s data showed that it dropped to N1,390.36 per dollar on Monday, down from N1,386.55 traded last week Friday. This means that the Naira weakened by N3.81 on Monday when compared to last week’s close of work exchange rate. Meanwhile, at the black market, Naira remained unchanged at between N1460 and N1470 per dollar on Monday, the same as on Friday, according to multiple Bureau de Change operators in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja. Recall that after last week’s currency trading, the  naira appreciated significantly  across official and parallel foreign markets. The apex bank data showed that Nigeria’s external reserves stood at $46.18 billion as of January 29th, 2026.

Rap icon Nicki Minaj declared Wednesday she was Donald Trump’s “number one fan,” adding that “hate” directed at the US president made her support him more. Republican Trump called the provocative singer-songwriter up on stage after she announced her support for so-called “Trump Accounts,” which provide trust funds for children. “I will say that I am probably the president’s number one fan, and that’s not going to change,” said Minaj, who wore a furry white coat as she embraced Trump and took the podium. “And the hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more.” The Trinidadian star, 43, added that she would not let the billionaire president’s opponents “get away with bullying him and you know, the smear campaigns. It’s not going to work.”

  OPERATIVES of the Delta State Police Command have arrested a 28-year-old suspected internet fraudster (Yahoo boy) for allegedly killing his friend after a disagreement over a $1,000 transaction. Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Bright Edafe, who confirmed this, said the incident took place at Agbarho community, Ughelli North Local Government Area on January 21, 2026. He said the suspect, Mr. Oghenegare, who is currently in detention at the state command headquarters, Asaba, and the deceased, identified as Mr. Courage, were into the business of internet fraud and somehow, had a disagreement. Edafe said the suspect confronted the deceased and hit him on the head in the ensuing fight. He lamented the increasing rate of murder cases being recorded in the state due to hot temper, drug abuse and issues that could be resolved. Meanwhile, the suspect, in a video, said the deceased who he admitted as being his childhood friend had “logged” him out of the process of the transaction.

Former presidential adviser Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has predicted that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) could suffer an implosion  if former Vice President Atiku Abubakar secures the party’s presidential ticket for the 2027 general election. Baba-Ahmed made the assertion on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s  Politics Today , where he spoke on the dynamics within the coalition-backed party and the ambitions of its leading figures. According to him, Atiku is strongly positioned to emerge as the ADC’s flagbearer if the party conducts a national convention, a development he believes would trigger an exodus of aggrieved aspirants and supporters. “If ADC goes to convention, and it certainly will, because that’s what former Vice President Atiku wants, he will get the ticket,” Baba-Ahmed said. “And then, a lot of people will walk out because a lot of people are in that party only for the same thing. They want the ticket.”

  FOLLOWING the dispute over the rotational chairmanship of the Oyo State Council of Obas between the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as  Sunday Igboho , yesterday, urged the monarchs to work together to address insecurity in the South West and advance its development agenda. This came as the Egbe Omo Oyo Niiwa Nitooto, yesterday, insisted that the primacy of the Alaafin of Oyo in the Council of Obas is settled by history, sacred by tradition, and non-negotiable under any political arrangement. Ads by  Recall that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State had named Oba Ladoja the new chairman of the Council of Obas and Chiefs. Under the new arrangement, the permanent chairmanship of the council is to rotate among the Olubadan, the Alaafin, and the Soun of Ogbomoso.

A federal officer has shot a man in the leg in the US city of Minneapolis after being attacked with a shovel as he tried to make an arrest, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says. In a statement on X, the DHS said Wednesday's shooting happened after a car chase involving a Venezuelan national who was in the country illegally. It ended in a crash and the driver was joined by two more people who all attacked the officer, it said. DHS said the man who was shot was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Tensions have been running high in the city since an immigration agent shot dead a woman last week, sparking protests that spread to other US cities. On Wednesday night, clashes broke out between protesters and law enforcement in the Hawthorne area of Minneapolis, near the scene of the shooting.

  Nigeria were drawn with Egypt, Zambia and newcomers Malawi for the defence of their ​Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in March when the draw ‌was conducted in Rabat on Thursday. The ‌2026 finals will be played in  Morocco  from March 17th to April 3rd, eight months after the ⁠last tournament, which was also hosted in ‌Morocco, where  Nigeria  beat the hosts ​in the final. WAFON Group Draw Group A (Rabat Moulay Hassan ⁠Stadium): Morocco,  Algeria ,  Senegal ,  Kenya , Group ‌B (Rabat Al Madina Stadium): South Africa,  Ivory Coast ,  Burkina Faso ,  Tanzania Group C (Casablanca): Nigeria,  Zambia ,  Egypt ,  Malawi Group D (Fes):  Ghana ,  Cameroon ,  Mali ,  ⁠Cape Verde

The Federal Government yesterday said its concerted efforts and international collaboration in tackling terrorism would have no negative effect on the overall economy. Such decisive actions, it believes, have the potential to reinforce investor confidence and economic growth. Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy,  Mr. Wale Edun , in a statement, said the country’s security operations were designed to strengthen security rather than create uncertainty in financial or investment circles. Edun spoke against the background of concerns in some quarters on the joint security operation conducted by Nigeria and the United States (U.S.) against identified terrorist elements in Sokoto on Thursday. He explained that the context of the operation was crucial to understanding its broader economic implications.

  Nigeria’s health sector  requires all-round reforms in 2026, the   Nigerian Medical Association   (NMA) has said. The association said its position was informed by the alleged lapses the sector recorded in the outgoing year. The NMA said the sector, in 2025, recorded a weak policy focus, persistent workforce crises and poor financing. It noted that the lapses have continued to undermine healthcare delivery across the board. In a year-end review of the Federal Government’s health sector performance, the Lagos Chairman of the association, Dr. Saheed Babajide Kehinde, described the performance of the sector as “highly unfortunate, unacceptable and disappointing”.

Manager Thomas Frank is confident he is the right man to take Tottenham Hotspur forward, saying his history of turning around slow starts proves ​he can help lift the Premier League club out of their current malaise. Tottenham  are 14th in the ‌table, with one win in their last eight ‌league matches  ahead of Sunday's visit  to ninth-placed  Crystal Palace . " At  Brondby , I didn't win the first eight games and then we were unbeaten in nine. ⁠At  Brentford , we lost eight out of 10 games ‌and then we were unbeaten in 10, "  Frank , who joined  ​Spurs  in June, told reporters, referring to his two previous clubs. So I am ‍convinced we will see a similar pattern here. I'm not in doubt of that, because I ‍know how ‌to make a competitive team. We will make a very competitive team here, as well. "

  Bafana Bafana go into Monday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Group B clash against Zimbabwe with the edge in the head-to-head record with their old foes, having claimed nine wins to six with three draws in 18 past meetings. South Africa ’s neighbours to the north were the first team they played in a competitive fixture after readmission to international football, when they received a rude awakening in Harare with a 4-1 loss in 1992. Here is a rundown of every clash between the two sides over the past 33 years. 1994 African Nations Cup Qualifier Zimbabwe  (2) 4  (Takawira 8’, Gumbo 19’, P. Ndlovu 49’ pen, 58’)  South Africa (1) 1  (Kambule 21’)

Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has said the Federal Government will operate a single budget from March 2026. Agbese disclosed this on Friday in an interview with journalists in Abuja, stating that the repeal and re-enactment of both budgets would ensure a coherent and predictable funding structure. He said the repeal and re-enactment of the budget is intended to align the nation’s budgeting system with global and international best practices. According to him, it would also ensure transparency and accountability at all levels and lessen the burden of oversight during implementation.

  The chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has reaffirmed that the implementation of the  new tax reforms  will commence on January 1, 2026. Oyedele assured that the reforms under the new tax laws are intended to provide relief to Nigerians and stimulate economic growth. He disclosed this while addressing journalists following the visit of the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee, NTPIC, chaired by Joseph Tegbe, to President Bola Tinubu at his residence in Lagos. According to Oyedele: “The plan to commence the two remaining new laws on the 1st of January 2026 will go ahead as planned on schedule because these reforms are designed to provide relief to the Nigerian people.

  As Nigerians join the rest of the world in celebrating Christmas today,   President Bola Ahmed Tinubu   has reiterated his commitment to the protection of all faiths in an atmosphere of religious tolerance and harmony. He said his Administration would build on sustained engagements with leaders of major faiths to prevent conflict and promote peaceful coexistence, as part of broader efforts to strengthen national unity and stability. President Tinubu acknowledged the contributions of the Christian leaders to national development and urged them to sustain the tempo. In his Christmas message, the President said dialogue with Christian and Muslim leaders had remained central to his administration’s response to religious intolerance and insecurity, noting that such engagements would be expanded to reinforce harmony across the country. Statesmen, politicians, traditional rulers and religious leaders, who also felicitated Christians, renewed their appeals for mutual understand...

  Nigeria and the United States  yesterday launched a joint military operation to flush out terrorists in the Northwest, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed last night. The Federal Government confirmed in a statement by the ministry that it remained engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States (U.S.), in addressing the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the joint operation in a tweet on his X handle. He said the attacks were on Islamic States of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Sokoto State. The statement by the Foreign Affairs Ministry was signed in the early hours of today by Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.

Nollywood actress  Doris Ogala  has finally broken her silence following her release after being arrested by  Pastor Chris Okafor  over alleged marriage betrayal claims. In an emotional post on Instagram, Doris revealed that much is happening behind the scenes, including things she wants to share with the world and lessons she hopes people will learn. For now, however, she is seeking God’s guidance before taking any action. According to her, she is unsure of her next step, but one thing is certain; when the time comes, she will speak her truth without fear. She emphasized that she does not wish harm on anyone and that neither jail nor intimidation scares her. She said: “I am not afraid of going to jail. I am not afraid of anyone. All I want is to speak my truth, and my truth I will speak.”

  Singer, Abdulrasheed Bello popularly known as JJC Skillz allegations resurfaced this week as the veteran Nigerian singer accused former associates of  betraying  him during their early struggles abroad. JJC Skillz allegations emerged from a fresh interview , reopening old wounds within Nigeria’s music industry. The artist, born Abdulrasheed Bello, claimed the events happened many years ago while they all lived in the United Kingdom. JJC Skillz allegations centre on claims of conspiracy, deception, and personal sacrifice during that period. Speaking on Echo Room, JJC Skillz alleged that Don Jazzy, D’banj, and others planned against him behind his back.