Primate Elijah Ayodele, the leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, a Nigeria-based Christian ministry, has commissioned a newly built mosque in Lagos State, south-west Nigeria, and named it after Abibatu Mogaji, the mother of Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The ceremony took place during Ayodele’s annual thanksgiving event on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at Oke-Afa in Lagos State. The gathering attracted guests from religious groups, traditional institutions, politics, and the entertainment industry. Organisers said attendees included Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, described as the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, a prominent market leadership title, and a daughter of President Tinubu, represented by delegates.…
Author: Oluwadara Akingbohungbe
The United States has imposed sanctions on eight Nigerians accused of having links to Boko Haram, the Islamist armed group based in northeastern Nigeria, as well as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and cybercrime-related activity, freezing any assets or property connected to them under United States jurisdiction. The names appeared in a 3,000-page sanctions publication dated Tuesday, February 10, 2026, issued by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and seen on Monday, February 16, 2026, at 10:44 in the morning West African Time (WAT, GMT+1). The document lists Specially Designated…
The Adamawa State Government in northeastern Nigeria has announced temporary road closures and called on residents to welcome Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during a one-day working visit to Yola, the state capital, on Monday, February 16, 2026. The announcement, issued on Sunday, February 15, 2026, was signed by the Adamawa State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Iliya James. He said the measures were to support a smooth and secure visit by the president, who is also Nigeria’s Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The state listed the routes expected to be affected as Airport to Kofare Road via Galadima Aminu…
Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 32 Artillery Brigade say they killed two suspected armed terrorists and recovered an AK-47 rifle during an operation in Ondo State, in southwestern Nigeria. The army said the troops, operating from the Forward Operating Base in Auga, carried out the mission along the Akunu to Auga Road on Saturday, February 14, 2026, after receiving what it described as credible human intelligence about the movement of suspected criminals in the area. In a statement signed by Major Irabor Njoka, the Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, the army said the troops moved quickly, intercepted the suspects,…
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the government of South Sudan to release the country’s First Vice President, Riek Machar, and other opposition figures, as African leaders renewed attention on the slow pace of South Sudan’s peace process. The position was contained in a statement issued on Monday, February 16, 2026, signed by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to Nigeria’s President on Media and Communications in the Office of Nigeria’s Vice President. Tinubu was represented by Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, at the African Union High-Level Ad Hoc Committee for South Sudan, also known as the C-5 Plus…
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs has called on Muslims across Nigeria, a West African country, to search for the crescent that signals the start of Ramadan immediately after sunset on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, in West African Time (WAT, GMT+1). The council said the date aligns with 29 Sha’aban 1447 Anno Hegirae (A.H.), and the result of the sighting will determine when the fasting month begins. Ramadan is observed by Muslims worldwide and is based on the lunar calendar, meaning its start is tied to the appearance of the new moon. The announcement was conveyed on behalf of…
A message shared online by the Instagram account “mazitundeeednut” has been credited to Prince Arthur Eze, who is often described as the richest man in Igbo land, a term commonly used for Nigeria’s mainly Igbo-speaking south-east region. In the post, Eze urged Nigerians to stand behind Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying public support is important for the country’s progress. He also tried to reassure those who are worried about the state of the nation, arguing that Nigeria will look different after an eight-year period and adding that change is already starting. As he put it, “Everybody should support Tinubu.”
Nigerian activist and social critic Aisha Yesufu has sparked widespread controversy after reportedly describing Nigerians living abroad as “the most stupid set of Nigerians.” The remark, which has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter), was shared in a post by High Chief Lawrence Igbins Okoro (@HighChiefOkoro) on Sunday evening. In the post, Okoro wrote: “The most stupid set of Nigerians are Nigerians in diaspora.” – Aisha Yesufu He accompanied the statement with a video clip and the caption: “Crowd Funding – Powered by Obidients In Diaspora. 🤣🤣🤣🤣” The post directly quotes a fundraising appeal by Dr. Yunusa Tanko, Interim National…
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has instructed Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, to travel to Kano State in northern Nigeria at the head of a senior federal delegation to sympathise with victims of the Singer Market fire and offer support to affected traders. A statement issued from the State House and signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said the delegation is due to depart Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, on Monday, February 16, 2026. The statement said the team will convey the President’s condolences to traders who lost goods and property described as worth billions…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria’s election management body, has published the personal particulars of candidates and their running mates for the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State, in southwestern Nigeria. In a statement issued on Sunday, February 15, 2026, the Osun State Public Affairs Officer of INEC, Musa Olurode, speaking on behalf of the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Doctor Mutiu Agboke, said 14 political parties completed the upload of candidates’ names and required documents within the period provided by the commission. “The submission followed the conclusion of party primaries and the closure of the designated portal…