Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has approved the deployment of the Chief of Army Staff Intervention Battalion, a special forces unit, to Plateau State in north-central Nigeria. The army said the troops are already in Plateau State and have been assigned to intensify operations following what it described as a resurgence of terrorist attacks in the area. A statement issued on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, said the soldiers were received at the Headquarters of the Nigerian Army’s 3 Division. The General Officer Commanding of 3 Division and Commander of Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace, Major…
Author: Oluwadara Akingbohungbe
Cambridge University in the United Kingdom has transferred legal ownership of 116 Benin cultural objects to Nigeria, more than a century after they were taken during the 1897 British punitive expedition against the Benin Kingdom in present-day southern Nigeria. The items, which include bronze works and other heritage pieces, were held by the university’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge, a university city in England. The legal title has now been returned to Nigeria, even though the artifacts are still physically in Cambridge’s custody. The change follows years of calls by Nigerian authorities and rising international pressure on Western…
Nigeria’s Senate will meet in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, for an emergency plenary session as public anger grows over amendments to a bill that would update the country’s election law. The session comes after the Senate passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill, 2026, and removed the words “real-time” from provisions on the electronic transmission of election results. Critics say the change could allow delays during collation and increase the risk of post-poll interference ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, while Senate leaders have argued that electronic transmission remains permitted under the bill.…
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has announced that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will conduct its presidential primaries without zoning arrangements or forced consensus, ensuring an open contest for all aspirants. In a recent interview on Trust TV’s “30 Minutes” program, El-Rufai emphasized the party’s commitment to transparency and fairness in the selection process for its 2027 presidential flagbearer. “There will be no zoning, no consensus, and no forcing anyone to step down. Everyone will be given the opportunity to contest, and whoever wins will be supported by all,” El-Rufai stated. El-Rufai, who officially joined the ADC in November…
Nigeria’s Court of Appeal in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, has ruled that Nigeria’s Senate acted within its powers when it suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District in Kogi State, north-central Nigeria, for misconduct. The appellate court reached the decision in a unanimous ruling by a three-member panel. It said the suspension did not breach the senator’s parliamentary privilege or her constitutional rights. The court, however, set aside the contempt proceeding and the ₦5 million fine that had been awarded against Akpoti-Uduaghan. The sanction was linked to a satirical apology connected to Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio,…
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Monday, February 9, 2026, pledged that his government would defeat terrorism and banditry, saying the threats were “unacceptable” and not consistent with the country’s values. He spoke while opening the Second National Economic Council Conference at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, where senior federal officials and state governors met to discuss national development planning and economic coordination. “I promise you here that I’ll play my part. Seven zones of mechanisation are coming. I promise Nigerians that this will be delivered, and I am here again to further find ways to…
In a moment that has sparked widespread criticism and highlighted the fragility of political alliances, activist Aisha Yesufu was captured on video directing protesters to take down a banner displaying Peter Obi’s image during a live interview at a demonstration outside the National Assembly. The event, which unfolded on Monday amid calls for mandatory electronic transmission of election results, underscores a dramatic shift in Yesufu’s stance toward the former Labour Party presidential candidate she once championed. From “Our Messiah” to “Remove That Banner”: Aisha Yesufu Disowns Obi on Live Camera Yesufu, who was a prominent frontline supporter of Obi during…
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, met with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Nyesom Wike, Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, amid signs that tensions in Rivers State may be easing. The meeting took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. A report by The Nation, a Nigerian newspaper, said the talks included other key political leaders from Rivers State, an oil-producing state in southern Nigeria’s Niger Delta region. The discussions were not made public. However, the intervention has drawn attention because the dispute in Rivers State has involved influential political actors and has shaped…
Peter Obi, a prominent Nigerian politician and a leading presidential hopeful ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, on Monday led protesters to Nigeria’s National Assembly, the federal legislature in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. Obi arrived with supporters and stood near the entrance to the parliamentary complex as the protesters demanded approval of real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units. The call is linked to an Electoral Amendment Bill under consideration by lawmakers, part of ongoing debates on how Nigeria should conduct and verify elections. Aisha Yesufu, a Nigerian activist known for civic advocacy, was also seen among the supporters…
Elon Musk, the United States-born entrepreneur who founded Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, says the company is now prioritising plans to build a “self-growing city” on the Moon, Earth’s nearest neighbour in space. Musk shared the statement on X, the social media platform he owns, on Monday, 9 February 2026. He said the Moon allows quicker progress because missions can be launched far more often than trips to Mars, the planet targeted in many long-term human settlement plans. According to Musk, SpaceX can send missions to the Moon about every 10 days, with a flight time of about…