WHALEXTRA

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”.