There is something deeply troubling about a lie that refuses to go away—especially when that lie is carefully crafted to divide people along religious lines. The now-viral video claiming that the residence of Matthew Hassan Kukah, along with the Sokoto Catholic Cathedral and a ₦1 billion pastoral centre, was set ablaze by “Islamists” is one such lie. It is false. It has always been false. And yet, it keeps resurfacing—repackaged, reposted, and weaponised. ASHENEWS is pleased that the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has once again set the record straight. In clear and measured language, the Diocese confirmed that there was…
Author: Editor
A 14-year-old female student has reportedly been killed by a stray bullet in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, sparking renewed concerns over public safety and calls for accountability. The tragic incident occurred on Saturday within the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital quarters, where the victim was said to be carrying out routine household activities when she was struck by a bullet. As of the time of filing this report, the source of the gunfire remains unclear. There were no reports of insurgent attacks in the area, and security agencies have yet to provide an official account of what transpired. However,…
The Federal Government has significantly increased its 2026 borrowing plan to ₦29.20 trillion—an ₦11.31 trillion jump from the earlier ₦17.89 trillion projection contained in the 2026 Abridged Budget Call Circular issued in December 2025. The revised figure is captured in the 2026 Appropriation Bill approved by the National Assembly and detailed in the House of Representatives’ Order Paper dated March 31, 2026, as well as the accompanying budget schedules reviewed by Channels Television. Reflecting mounting fiscal pressure, the country’s deficit is now projected at ₦31.46 trillion, up from the earlier estimate of ₦20.12 trillion. Total revenue for 2026 is expected…
INTRODUCTION: The Central Bank of Nigeria began 2026 with measured optimism, delivering a 50-basis-point rate cut in February that reduced the Monetary Policy Rate to 26.5 per cent, the first move to stimulate growth in the economy. That decision according to CBN reflected eleven consecutive months of disinflation, with headline inflation easing to 15.06 per cent in February, food inflation falling sharply, and external reserves climbing to 13-year high of $50.45 billion. However, just as the monetary easing was poised to support domestic demand and consolidate the recovery momentum, renewed geopolitical tensions introduced fresh external risks. The escalation of hostilities…
Justus Olugbenga Daniel has enjoyed the best of two worlds. He started as a consummate businessman, conquering the corporate world, and through this became a major contributor to the technological and economic development of the country via Kresta Laurel, the country’s leading brand in elevators, escalators, and associated engineering configurations, founded by him when he was 34. He thereafter veered into the slippery world of politics. In politics, he has also made his mark, becoming, in the process, a two-term governor of Ogun State between 2003 and 2011, and he was voted into office in 2023 as the Senator representing…
Global rights group Amnesty International and several civil society organisations have criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over remarks perceived as a threat against Channels Television anchor, Seun Okinbaloye. The backlash followed comments made by Okinbaloye during Politics Today, where he warned that Nigeria could be drifting toward a one-party state amid the controversy over the African Democratic Congress (ADC) leadership crisis and its derecognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Reacting during a live media chat on Friday, Wike said he was angered by the journalist’s comments, stating he “would have shot” Okinbaloye if…
The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) has approved $266.7 million to finance strategic projects across West Africa, with Nigeria receiving the largest share. The approvals were announced in a statement published on the Bank’s website on April 2, 2026, following its 95th Board of Directors meeting held on March 30. Of the total funding, over $241 million is earmarked for three projects in Nigeria. This includes $100 million for the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, $91.63 million for transport infrastructure development in Bauchi State, and $50 million for the construction of waste management facilities in Lagos. EBID said the Lagos…
Power always creates an illusion that those who wield it can dismiss the rule of law and do anything they like and get away with it. History is, however, full of examples that show that it is often impossible to get away with injustice or that the consequences for the power wielder could be very serious. From the day of his swearing in, President Bola Tinubu has been clear that the main purpose of his first term in office is to use it to obtain a second term. His method has been clear to all keen observers of Nigerian politics:…
In Part One, we established why the CBN’s new Baseline Standards for Automated AML Solutions rank among the world’s best. Here, we examine the risks those Standards create and the hard governance work that genuine compliance requires. A regulatory framework is only as valuable as the quality of its implementation. The CBN has been explicit on this point from the opening pages of its new Baseline Standards – they are designed to ensure “demonstrable effectiveness and not merely feature-based compliance or vendor-driven implementation”. That phrase is both an aspiration and a warning. It tells institutions precisely what the CBN will be…
Flutterwave has obtained approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to operate banking services in the country, marking a major milestone in the fintech company’s evolution and service expansion. The approval comes at a time of heightened regulatory scrutiny of fintech firms and virtual asset operators in Nigeria. Recently, the CBN launched a pilot programme targeting Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), including Flutterwave and Paystack, as part of efforts to strengthen oversight in the sector. Flutterwave disclosed the development in a post on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, noting that the banking licence represents a transition…