G hana will begin their World Cup campaign in Toronto without Thomas Partey after Canadian authorities denied the midfielder entry. BBC reported that the 32-year-old’s visa application was turned down by the Canadian government, ruling him out of the opening match against Panama. He remains with the Black Stars’ training camp in Boston and cannot join the team for the fixture. Partey, now with Villarreal after leaving Arsenal, is facing court charges. He has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault linked to four women between 2020 and 2022. His trial is set for next year and he has not been convicted. Fifa said it does not control immigration decisions, noting that host countries alone decide who enters their borders. Canada’s immigration rules block entry for anyone charged with or convicted of serious crimes. Partey denies all allegations and is awaiting trial. Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz defended the selection before the tournament, saying: “If the ...

T ension gripped a home in Akure on Thursday after a domestic fight turned violent and left a man nursing a deep cut. Police in Ondo State have taken Olatunde Mary into custody. She is accused of attacking her husband, Olatunde Julius, with a cutlass during a heated quarrel. In a report by Vanguard Newspaper , officers said the clash happened around 2:30 p.m. on June 12, 2026. The matter was later brought to the Gender-Based Offences Unit at the state police headquarters in Akure. There, investigators said Mary’s actions during the argument caused serious injury to her husband’s left hand. Julius was rushed to a hospital for treatment. Medical staff attended to the wound and recorded details of the injury. While that was going on, police spoke with both husband and wife and collected statements. They also gathered other evidence linked to the incident. After reviewing what they had, officers said they found enough grounds to charge Mary. She was later brought before a court to face pro...

F ederal University Birnin Kebbi has called on students to be more careful with their safety following the death of one student, Channels Television reported on its website. University officials warned students to stay away from late-night trips, move in groups when they must go out, and quickly alert security agencies about any strange person or activity around them. The school said protecting students’ lives and wellbeing remains a top priority. The deceased was laid to rest on Thursday. Janazah prayers were held at the mosque inside Federal Teaching Hospital, Birnin Kebbi, before burial. In a message of sympathy, the university management condoled with the family, friends, classmates, and the entire student body. It prayed that the student’s soul finds peace. At the same time, some students who asked not to be named shared concerns with Channels Television about safety near hostels outside the campus. They said many students deal with threats such as robbery attacks, stolen phones,...

T he House of Representatives has voted to amend the constitution and allow states to run their own police, marking a key shift in Nigeria’s security structure. According to a report by Vanguard Newspaper, lawmakers on Thursday approved the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 during a session of the Committee of the Whole led by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who chairs the Constitution Review Committee, presented the report and pushed for support, saying decentralised policing is needed to fight insecurity.  The vote was done by show of hands. It ended with 289 members in support, one abstention, and no votes against. The bill amends Section 214 to create two policing levels: Federal Police and State Police. The National Assembly will define how the Federal Police is structured and set minimum rules for state police outfits. States must pass their own laws and meet national standards before their police can ope...

U nited States officials stopped Omar Abdulkadir Artan from entering the country over “vetting concerns,” cutting short his historic trip to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Artan, who was set to become the first Somali to referee at a World Cup, landed back in Mogadishu this week to a hero’s welcome after U.S. Customs and Border Protection turned him away at Miami International Airport. According to CNN, Artan arrived with a valid visa but was taken for a lengthy secondary inspection. After the check, officers ruled him inadmissible. A clip of the CNN report was shared on X by reporter Larry Madowo, who also presented the story in the video. A CBP spokesperson told CNN that a World Cup match official was denied entry due to “vetting concerns.” The agency did not name Artan, but he is the only Somali referee selected for the tournament. CBP described the extra screening as routine, noting that admissibility decisions are made case by case using law enforcement, national security, and immigrati...

P resident Bola Tinubu has set up an Ebola task force and approved N10 billion for emergency response, the Presidency announced Tuesday. The fund will help the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention strengthen readiness and carry out urgent public health work nationwide, said Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila will chair the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats. Members will come from federal agencies and state governments. The move follows new Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, which raised fears of spread to Nigeria. Tinubu approved the plan after a stakeholder review led by Gbajabiamila. The meeting included the Ministry of Interior, FAAN, Nigeria Immigration Service, NCAA, Lagos State Government, and others. All states with international airports and border points must now submit response plans and budgets for join...

P olice across Nigeria have begun a new operation to impound vehicles driving without number plates or with plates that are covered, defaced, or altered.  Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu issued the order Tuesday during a public speech. You can watch his full statement in the video below. According to Disu, officers will now pull over and seize any car that tries to hide its identity. He said security agencies have noticed a rise in vehicles on Nigerian roads that have no registration or use plates that are deliberately blocked. “In several parts of the country, we are seeing more cars with no number plates. Others have plates that are hidden, damaged, covered, or changed so they cannot be traced,” Disu said in the address. “This breaks the law and we will no longer accept it.” The new rule requires every vehicle in Nigeria to display its official registration number. Any car caught without plates, or with plates that are hidden or tampered with, will be stopped, taken by ...

N igeria may take action against South Africa after a new wave of attacks on Nigerians and other Black African migrants, Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Monday. Briefing State House reporters at the Presidential Villa on June 8, 2026, Ojukwu said Nigeria is deeply disappointed by the violence and by South Africa’s poor response. She called the targeting of Black African migrants troubling, adding that the attacks cut deeper because Nigeria supported South Africa’s fight to end apartheid. The minister blamed South African security agencies for failing to protect foreigners. “Nigeria is deeply disappointed by the response of South African authorities and security agencies to the attacks,” she said. As tension rises, she confirmed that Nigeria is finalizing plans to fly stranded citizens home. President Bola Tinubu has approved the use of a presidential aircraft for the evacuation. Ojukwu also dismissed claims by some South African officials that the Nigerians attacke...

S tudents in Ogun State now worry more about safety than schoolwork. Armed gangs have stepped up attacks in Remo North, targeting students with robberies, kidnappings, rape, and killings, according to report by Daily Post Nigeria. Blessing, an HND 2 student at The Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, said the criminals now use a new method. They force one student to knock on other doors at night. “I avoid staying out late because they’ll go to someone’s door. Once the person opens, they’ll take them to the next door and make them call out their neighbor,” she said. In Ipara, a girl once screamed for help, but no one went outside. By morning, gunmen had held a gun to a woman’s daughter’s head and emptied her bank account. Last month, five Gateway ICT Polytechnic students were kidnapped on the Isara-Ode road on their way from a restaurant. They stopped for men with torchlights, thinking they were police. The men were kidnappers. Between 2009 and 2026, the school has recorded at least 105 r...

N igeria has postponed its planned evacuation of citizens from South Africa after running into unexpected logistics problems, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday. Spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa confirmed the flight has been rescheduled but did not disclose the new date, departure time, or what caused the delay. The number of returnees on the first plane and the arrival city Lagos or Abuja are yet to be announced. Sources say Air Peace will operate the repatriation flight. Ebienfa declined to confirm the airline’s schedule. The postponement comes as the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria completes documentation for over 1,000 citizens following a recent spike in xenophobic attacks. The screening exercise began Thursday. To prevent detentions, the High Commission secured waivers from South African authorities for Nigerians with immigration violations, allowing them to leave on the government flights. Nigeria’s evacuation comes after Ghana flew home nearly 300 nationals two weeks ...

F emi Vega has released a new single, "Skeleton," featuring Zlatan. The Nigerian singer dropped the track as his latest step forward, marking a clear shift in both sound and image. "Skeleton" is a lively song that mixes current Afrobeat rhythms with a deeper, soulful feel. Vega’s calm vocals play off Zlatan’s energetic style. The track speaks on growth and staying true to himself while handling industry pressure. It’s built for the dancefloor, but the lyrics carry weight. The single comes ahead of Vega’s upcoming EP, 'VEGA', set for release on 18 June. "Skeleton" gives fans an early look at the project’s direction. The release arrived with a bold promo photo. Shot in warm tones, it shows Vega in a simple, refined portrait. The image contrasts with the track’s raw energy, highlighting two sides of his style: grounded yet sharp. Vega previously performed as PlayboyCasted before announcing his new name in early February 2024. He described the switch t...

  K anya King CBE, the chief executive and founder of the MOBO Awards, has died aged 57 following colon cancer. The MOBO Organisation said she passed away calmly on 3 June 2026, surrounded by family and close friends. King set up the MOBO Awards in 1996. To fund it, she remortgaged her home. At the time she was a single mother living on a Kilburn council estate and working as a TV researcher. She launched the event without support from the music industry, after being told that Black music was “too niche” to succeed. In its statement, the organisation said: “What Kanya created was never simply an awards ceremony. It was an act of cultural justice. MOBO did not just celebrate Black music; it legitimised it, amplified it and transformed the cultural landscape of the UK. Born in north London to a Ghanaian father and an Irish mother, King built a stage that helped launch the careers of Stormzy, Little Simz, RAYE, Craig David, Ms. Dynamite, Amy Winehouse and Central Cee. Today, the awar...

A ccording to a recent report by The Guardian Newspaper , the Federal Capital Territory Police have begun a clampdown on cars with dark windows and hidden license plates in Abuja.   Commissioner Ahmed Muhammed said the order from Inspector General Tunde Disu followed findings that criminals often use such vehicles to hide their identity. More than 30 cars have been seized so far, and drivers who violate the rule will face prosecution.   At a press briefing on Friday at the command headquarters, Muhammed asked for public cooperation and highlighted key successes in recent operations.   On May 25, 2026, officers raided a hideout in Runji Village, Zuba, and arrested three men who appeared in viral videos wearing military uniforms and holding AK-47 rifles. The suspects are Umar Babangida, 25, Adamu Yeti, 22, and Yahaya Idris, 24, all from Rijana in Kaduna State. They told police the weapons came from a gang leader known only as “Esco,” who remains at large. Ite...

F IFA has taken back free World Cup tickets sent to 60 fans after a website fault, the BBC reported .   The fans will now have to pay the full cost if they still want the tickets, FIFA said. The tickets were first issued at zero charge because of a glitch during the payment stage.   “FIFA can confirm that around 60 supporters received notice on Wednesday, June 3 about tickets that were allocated at no cost due to a problem with payment,” the body said. It added that it “is sorry for any issues caused”.   Ticket Talk Network, a social media account that flags ticketing errors, shared a notice showing the fans have one week to pay. If they do not, the tickets will be removed from their accounts. The tickets were for early round games in Toronto.   The World Cup kicks off on Thursday, June 11 in Canada, the United States and Mexico.   The error adds to FIFA’s ticketing troubles. Although FIFA earlier said the event would be a sell-out, seat...

T he Independent National Electoral Commission has explained how FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, obtained actor Emeka Ike’s private voter registration details.   According to PREMIUM TIMES newspaper report , INEC spokesperson Mohammed Haruna said on Thursday that a joint investigation by the commission and the police found that the screenshots were sent to Mr Olayinka by the electoral officer for Abuja Municipal Area Council.   Security operatives initially questioned four people, including three INEC staff and an INEC official’s daughter. Phones belonging to one official and her daughter were also seized during the probe.   Mr Haruna said an INEC official first accessed Mr Ike’s information from the voter register. She then used her daughter’s phone to take a screenshot of the data and shared it with the AMAC electoral officer.   The AMAC electoral officer later forwarded the screenshot to Mr Olayinka. Police have detained...