Suleja, Niger State – August 5, 2025 – At least 22 people have died and 20 others sustained injuries in a devastating lorry crash that occurred in the early hours of Monday along the Suleja–Lapai highway in Niger State. The accident happened at about 3:40 a.m. when a heavily loaded lorry transporting passengers and goods from Kano to Lagos lost control and veered off the road. The vehicle, carrying 42 male passengers in addition to cargo, crashed with such force that it was left mangled, with bodies strewn across the roadside, according to eyewitness accounts. Confirming the incident, the Niger…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Seventeen-year-old Nafisa Abdullah Aminu, a determined student from Yobe State, Nigeria, has made history by emerging as the world’s best in English language skills at the prestigious 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals held recently in London, United Kingdom. Representing Nigeria through Nigerian Tulip International College (NTIC), Yobe, Nafisa outperformed over 20,000 participants from 69 countries, including many from native English-speaking nations. This remarkable feat highlights not only her exceptional talent but also the strength of Nigeria’s educational system. The TeenEagle competition is known for its rigorous evaluation of various aspects of English proficiency, including vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension, writing, and oral…
Amid swirling rumours about his resignation, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, has reaffirmed his leadership role on the global stage by delivering a powerful keynote at the 48th Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition. Addressing the event virtually, Ojulari urged African nations to take ownership of their energy transition by leveraging indigenous resources, fostering regional collaboration, and embracing innovative technologies. The conference was themed: “Building a Sustainable Energy Future: Leveraging Technology, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and Policy.” “Africa’s energy future is not pre-determined,” Ojulari declared. “It will be shaped by…
Chinese internet giant Baidu has announced plans to roll out its autonomous robotaxis on the rideshare platform Lyft in Germany and the United Kingdom by 2026, pending regulatory approval. The move marks a significant step in Baidu’s global expansion in the self-driving car market, according to a joint statement released by both companies on Monday. This European initiative follows a similar deal Baidu reached last month with Uber to deploy robotaxis across Asia and the Middle East, signalling the company’s ambition to lead the global autonomous driving sector. Baidu’s fleet of driverless vehicles, branded under Apollo Go, is expected to…
Russia is set to begin human clinical trials of a groundbreaking personalized mRNA cancer vaccine by late 2025, targeting melanoma initially and later expanding to other cancers like non-small-cell lung cancer. Developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, the vaccine is designed using artificial intelligence (AI) to tailor treatment to each patient’s unique tumor genetics. This approach aims to train the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells more effectively than traditional treatments. The vaccine’s development involves analyzing a patient’s tumor DNA and utilizing AI algorithms to create a custom mRNA vaccine within about a…
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has condemned the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, over what it describes as an unlawful clampdown on the media following his recent order to shut down Badeggi FM, a privately-owned radio station in Minna. In a statement released on August 2, CJID lead, Busola Ajibola criticized the governor’s directive—which includes the revocation of the station’s licence, the marking of its premises for demolition, and instructions for the profiling of its owner by security agencies—as a blatant abuse of power and an assault on constitutional freedoms. “The governor has no legal authority…
ASHENEWS reports that the Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago’s shutdown instruction of the Badeggi FM station is being followed by a demolition notice. Officials of the State Urban Development Board were sighted at the premises of the station, inscribing “Visit NUDB – 2/08/25”. This online platform REPORTED that Bago, during an APC caucus meeting on Saturday, directed security agencies to seal the station, profile its owner, and urged the revocation of the station’s broadcast license. This came a few days after a certain Barrister Yusuf Lakpene asked security agencies to identify critics of the Governor and arrest them. Reactions have…
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of cocaine and tramadol concealed in 71 vehicle side mirrors being exported to Libreville, Gabon, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. The first batch of the consignment, containing 57,420 pills of tramadol 225mg and 57 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.6kg, was intercepted on July 19, 2025, on an Air Côte d’Ivoire flight. Cargo agent Ihekweme Osinachi Benedict was arrested immediately, leading to the arrest of Uzochukwu Godspower Chukwurah the next day. Further investigations uncovered 11 more parcels of cocaine (1kg) hidden in four side mirrors…
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umaru Bago, demanding the immediate reversal of the unlawful shutdown of Badeggi FM 90.1, a privately owned radio station based in Minna, the state capital. In a letter signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization condemned the governor’s directive as a flagrant violation of constitutional and international legal standards guaranteeing freedom of expression, media freedom, and the rule of law. Governor Bago had reportedly ordered the closure of Badeggi FM following allegations that the station had broadcast materials considered…
The Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners Forum (ABMPF) has threatened to boycott all official activities of the Niger State Government in protest against the shutting down of the Badeggi FM, an act it describes as continued harassment and suppression of press freedom in the state. This stance follows the controversial shutdown order issued by Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago against Badeggi FM, a privately owned radio station in Minna. According to ABMPF Chairman Abdullahi Yelwa, the station remains operational despite what he termed the Governor’s “illegal orders.” Speaking after a meeting with Badeggi FM’s Chief Executive Officer, Mohammed Shuaibu Badeggi, Yelwa alleged…