T he Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered INEC to stop removing the African Democratic Congress and four other parties from its list, halting a Federal High Court ruling for now. A three-judge panel led by Justice A. B. Mohammed made the decision on Monday. The judges said Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court was wrong to give judgment after the appeal court told him on May 22 to wait and pause the case. The panel said the lower court’s action broke court rules and disrespected the system. It called it “the highest form of judicial impertinence” and reminded that the Supreme Court once said any judge who ignores such orders is “unfit for the bench” because it is “judicial rascality.” “Courts must protect their good name. This court has power over the lower court. To go ahead with judgment after this court’s clear order is a serious breach of the law and the 1999 Constitution,” the court said. It then agreed to stop the judgment from being carried out until the appeal is heard. ...

A climber known online as Yemen’s “Spider-Man” has died after falling into a deep volcano crater while climbing rocks without safety gear, reporting for the Associated Press , Samy Magdy wrote. Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar, 30, lost his footing and dropped 120 meters into Hardah Dam crater in Dhale province, southern Yemen, on Friday, civil defense officials said. The agency also shared a short video that captured the moment he fell. The 10-second clip shows Antar climbing a steep rock wall with his bare hands. White Arabic names are painted across the stone. He holds the rock with his right hand, raises his left, then slips and falls out of view. Rescue teams, including divers and water specialists, were sent to bring out his body. Divers found him about 30 meters underwater at the bottom of the crater. Officials said the four-hour rescue was difficult because the walls were steep and rocky. Hardah Dam, also called Haradhat Damt, is near Damt city in Dhale. It is a popular landmark with tall r...

Picture credit: Vanguard Newspaper A 16-year-old girl told police on Monday, June 16, 2026, that a woman she trusted brought her from Imo State to Lagos with a promise of an office job, but forced her into sex work for four months, according to Vanguard Newspaper report . The girl, Chidinma, said she was learning baking in Imo before the woman took her to a tall building in Balogun market on Lagos Island. When she arrived, the woman removed her clothes and left her in only underwear. Other young girls were inside the same room. The woman then pushed men into the room and gave Chidinma a blue pill that made her confused and weak. She said she slept with no fewer than 30 men every day, and sometimes as many as 60. Each man paid between N5,000 and N10,000, but the woman gave her just N1,000 or N1,500 to buy food. Whenever she asked men to use protection and they refused, they reported her. The woman would then drag her into another room, beat her with an iron rod until she bled, and punc...

A merican singer Oliver Tree died on Sunday after two helicopters collided mid-air in Brazil. He was 32. The crash happened Sunday morning in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, a suburb west of Rio, France 24 reported. One helicopter had five people on board, including Tree. The other carried only the pilot. Both aircraft fell into the parking lot of an electric car dealership and caught fire. No one survived. Police said Tree was listed on the passenger manifest. The six victims were badly burned, so officials are still confirming identities. Also on Tree’s helicopter were a Brazilian music producer, an Argentine video director, and Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim, known as “Gaspi”. The fire spread to about 20 electric cars. Firefighters said lithium battery fires burn hotter and release toxic smoke, making them harder to put out. Burger King worker Thamires Santos, 27, said she heard a loud explosion that shook her shop. “Helicopter parts were flying everywhere,” she said. Fire service spokes...

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the African Democratic Congress and four other political parties. Justice Peter Lifu gave the order on Monday after throwing out all preliminary objections from the defendants. He ruled that the parties failed to win at least 25 per cent of votes in the last general elections, as the Constitution requires. The parties affected are ADC, Accord, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party and Zenith Labour Party. Justice Lifu directed INEC to remove them from its register and stop them from contesting any future elections, including the 2027 general polls. The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators. The group joined the Attorney-General of the Federation in the suit and named INEC as the first defendant. The forum told the court that political parties must show national spread and electoral performance to remain re...

P rime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has revealed plans to stop children under 16 from accessing major social media sites, saying the step is needed to protect their mental health and give them a safer childhood. Speaking on Monday from outside No. 10 Downing Street in a live broadcast by Sky News, the Prime Minister called the proposal a “big moment” for Britain. He argued that technology now takes up too much of young people’s time and that government action could no longer wait. Starmer said the plan marks real change for children and their future. He accepted that social media has some benefits, but insisted the government’s main responsibility is safety. Speaking as a parent, he said he understands the fears many families have and, like all parents, only wants his children to be happy and protected. He asked whether anyone truly believes social media is a safe and happy place for children, adding that the answer is obvious. Under the proposed law, Parliament will consider the bill bef...

Anambra university vows zero tolerance as Governing Council takes disciplinary action. C hukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University has dismissed five staff members after finding them guilty of sexual harassment, abuse, threats, extortion and other misconduct. The university’s spokesperson, Harrison Madubueze, announced the dismissals on Sunday in Awka. He said the Governing Council approved the action during its 122nd meeting on 12 June. Those affected include two professors. C.C. Nwabachili, who recently served as dean of the Faculty of Law, and Chike Osegbue from the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences. Two lecturers from the Microbiology Department at the Uli Campus were also sacked. They are I.H. Iheukwumere and Emeka Nwabunnia, both under the Faculty of Natural Sciences. The fifth person is Ifeoma Kakulu. She was a principal assistant registrar and served as examination officer for the Faculty of Law when the alleged incidents occurred. Mr Madubueze said inves...

A recent report by Chima Azubuike published on Punch Newspaper showed how rain turns life upside down for over 4,000 people in Afghanistan Community, Garko Ward, Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State. Each rainy season, floodwater covers their only wooden bridge and cuts them off from clinics, schools and markets. What should be ordinary rainfall has become a threat to survival. In 2024, Hajiya Fatima, a 25-year-old mother of two, went into labour at 40 weeks. Heavy rain was falling that evening. She recognised the signs and got ready to go to the health centre where she had received antenatal care. But the bridge that connects her community to the nearest town was already flooded. Her older children dashed into the storm to call for help. Hours later, she gave birth at home. The bleeding continued and would not stop. By the time the water went down enough for anyone to cross, both Fatima and her newborn had died. Community leader Ishaq Afghanistan told Punch that the delay kille...

A n Abuja federal court has ordered the arrest of Uche Nnaji, ex-Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, after the ICPC asked for a warrant. The Cable reported that the court granted the order on Thursday. The ICPC filed the request through an ex parte motion in case FHC/ABJ/CS/1160/2026. The motion was dated June 3 and submitted on June 4, with an affidavit sworn by David Nelson attached. President Bola Tinubu named Nnaji minister in August 2023. He later stepped down after claims surfaced that the academic certificates and NYSC document he presented during Senate screening were fake. ICPC lawyer Osuobeni Akponimisingha told the court Nnaji ignored multiple invitations for questioning. He asked the court to permit the commission to publish Nnaji’s name as wanted in newspapers, on social media, and other platforms. The ICPC also sought a bench warrant allowing its officers, other security agents, and even private citizens to arrest Nnaji and bring him in for probe. The judge a...

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...