T he Lagos State Government is sending a clear message to husbands: paying bride price does not give you the right to force your wife into sex. Speaking on Monday at the launch of the Lagos Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr. Babajide Martins, warned that any man who forces his wife into sex without her consent risks life imprisonment under state law. The event was organized by the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, DSVA. Martins explained that while Nigerian law does not classify forced sex within marriage as rape, Lagos State takes a different stance.  Under the Lagos Criminal Law, the offence is called “sexual assault by penetration.” He said if a husband ignores his wife’s refusal during a disagreement and goes ahead to force her, he can be arrested and prosecuted. The maximum punishment is life in prison. “When there is a problem between a husband and wife and she says no, that decision must be respected,” Martins said. “If ...

P resident Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced that 21 people abducted in Kogi State last week have been rescued alive. The group includes 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps and 6 other Nigerians. They were freed on Sunday in the forests of Ofu Local Government Area following a joint operation by the military, police, DSS and local vigilantes. In his statement, the President said the victims 8 men and 13 women are receiving medical care and will soon be reunited with their families. “I am delighted to receive the news that the fifteen members of the National Youth Service Corps and six other innocent and law-abiding Nigerians abducted last week in Kogi State have regained their freedom,” Tinubu said. Although the rescue was successful, the President said the operation is not over. He ordered security agencies to keep going until every suspect linked to the abduction is arrested. “Those responsible will face the full weight of the law, and our security agencies will pursue every...

T he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is holding up a mirror to itself. Three years into his tenure, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede on Monday announced that the agency has dismissed more than 40 of its own officers for corruption and financial malpractice. He also confirmed that at least five others are currently facing prosecution in court. Olukoyede made the disclosure in Abuja during a media briefing to mark his stewardship at the commission’s headquarters. He said the decision was not easy, but necessary if the anti-graft body wants to keep its moral authority. “In the last two and a half to three years, I have approved the dismissal of over 40 staff on account of corruption and financial malpractice. More than five are being prosecuted right now,” he said.  Some of those cases, he explained, have already entered the court record and are open for public viewing. Others are still being processed, with case files being prepared for prosecution. The chairman was blunt about w...

L ionel Messi has retired from international football. The 39-year-old confirmed the decision on Monday in an Instagram statement , ending a 21-year career with Argentina that saw him become the nation’s most-capped player and all-time top scorer with 125 goals in 207 games. Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, and to Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024. He also captained the team to victory in the 2022 Finalissima. This summer he took Argentina to another World Cup final, where they lost 1-0 to Spain in extra time on July 19. In his statement, Messi said the choice was painful but necessary. A post he first wrote on July 21, two days after the final, was updated after the death of his father, Jorge, on August 8.  “Today, after what happened with my dad, I am even more convinced than before,” Messi wrote. “I always gave it my all for this jersey. Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I’ve given everything I had. ...

H uman rights activist and 2027 presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has welcomed the Department of State Services’ decision to pause his alleged cybercrime trial, but says that is not enough. The DSS had instructed its lawyer to seek an adjournment of the case until after the 2027 elections, to avoid interfering with Sowore’s participation in the polls. Reacting in a statement, Sowore described the development as proof that resistance works. He said the agency had been “forced to eat humble pie” over a prosecution he called unlawful and futile from the beginning. “We have fought too many of these battles to be intimidated now and we have prevailed again and again,” he said. “From the brutal days of military dictatorship, through the dark years of Buhari, and now under the Tinubu regime, we have remained standing, resisting, organising, and fighting.” Quoting Martin Luther King Jr., Sowore added, “A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent,” stressing that oppression grows only w...

  F or the family of the truck driver abducted in Yewa North last week, Monday brought the news they had been praying for. He is home safe. Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command rescued the driver and killed two suspected kidnappers during a raid on their hideout. The driver was taken around 11:10pm on August 25, 2026, near Ajibawo in Ibese. After the distress call came in, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit went to work. Acting on solid information, they tracked the gang to a hideout along the Papalanto-Ilaro Road. What happened next was tense. As police moved in, the suspects opened fire. Officers returned fire. When the shooting stopped, two of the kidnappers were dead. Others escaped with gunshot injuries. Police said teams are already searching for them. Inside the hideout, officers recovered two AK-47 rifles, 25 rounds of 5.6mm ammunition, two mobile phones and N2 million believed to be proceeds from crime. The truck driver was also found and freed without harm. ASP Oluborode Ope...

P resident Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the African Union to step in and end the repeated attacks on Africans and other foreigners living in South Africa. Represented at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly in Luanda, Angola, the President said the violence was damaging African unity and the peaceful life the continent is trying to build. Tribune Online reported the statement. He made it clear that while South Africa has the right to enforce its immigration laws, the attacks on migrants must not continue. “Nigeria wishes to express its concern over the recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa,” the statement said. To address it, Tinubu asked AU leaders to include the matter on the agenda of the 40th Ordinary Session of the Assembly coming up in January 2027, so concrete steps can be taken. According to Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Nigeria has already starte...

F riday night at IMAX Cinemas, Lekki, started like any other. People were buying popcorn, taking selfies, and waiting for their movies. Within minutes, that calm turned into chaos. A man carrying a machete and a knife tried to walk into the cinema. Security guards at the gate stopped him. Witnesses said the man looked lost, and many believed he was on drugs. When the guards refused him entry, he snapped, Vanguard Newspaper reported. What followed was deadly. The Lagos State Police Command said the man attacked and stabbed one guard to death, and left another guard injured. Before police could fully respond, an angry crowd surrounded the suspect. The man, described as looking homeless, was beaten by the mob and died at the scene. Giving an update, police spokesperson SP Adebisi Abimbola confirmed the toll to Vanguard Newspaper:   “Two people have been confirmed dead. We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.” She said detectives are still trying to identi...

A re you a newly admitted student checking for your name on the JAMB matriculation list and finding nothing? You are not alone.  The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board says it is not a system error. Most cases happen because three simple steps have not been completed. In a message shared on its official X page on Friday, JAMB explained what candidates need to do to get their names on the list. First, JAMB said many students forget to accept their admission on CAPS. That is the Central Admissions Processing System. If your JAMB portal still shows “Not Admitted” or you never clicked “Accept,” your name will not appear. The board advised students in this situation to return to their school and ask them to process the admission properly. Second, some schools have not sent student details to JAMB. Even after you accept admission, your institution must verify you and forward your information to JAMB. “Your institution admission office has not forwarded your verified matriculation d...

P opular socialite Afolabi Kazeem Micheal, better known as KC Luxury, will remain in NDLEA custody for another month after a Lagos court approved the agency’s request to extend his detention. Justice Akintayo Aluko granted the order on August 20 to give the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency more time to investigate allegations against him, The Cable reported. KC Luxury was picked up by NDLEA officers on August 13 at Murtala Muhammed International Airport while he was said to be heading to Paris. The arrest followed the interception of 184.5kg of cocaine. The NDLEA described the seizure as the largest ever made from a courier firm in the country. Chairman of the agency, Buba Marwa, told the court that the socialite was in possession of €7,750, £2,800, N100,000 and luxury jewelry at the time of his arrest. Another suspect, Lawal Kehinde, who works with a logistics company linked to the package, was also arrested. Investigators told the judge that Nigeria is being used to move illegal...

P resident Bola Tinubu has directed a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football, citing the need to fix structural problems that have led to repeated failures to qualify for major tournaments. The directive was announced on Thursday in a statement shared on X by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. According to the President, the reform should strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, player development, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football. “Football is Nigeria’s most popular sport. It receives the most public support, investment and national attention,” Tinubu said. “Yet it continues to struggle largely because of structural deficits within the system.” He noted that while other sports have recorded progress since the National Sports Commission was re-established, football has not made the same gains. The President said it is important for Nigerian football to match the country’s talent, pas...

T he leadership of Nigerian football has changed after NFF President Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau and members of the Executive Committee reportedly resigned on Wednesday. The federation is yet to issue an official confirmation, but the move comes after months of pressure over poor results and poor management, according to a report by Independent Newspaper Nigeria. The immediate trigger was the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. It is the first time Nigeria will miss the tournament since it started in 1991. Under Gusau, other national teams and clubs also struggled to qualify for major competitions. Players and officials also complained of unpaid allowances and delayed payments. Gusau had said he wanted to seek re-election, but calls for him and the board to step down grew louder. Stakeholders asked for a full review of the federation. There were also concerns about possible FIFA sanctions if government was seen interfering. But some analysts said reforms co...

R elief may be on the way for thousands of drivers stuck for months on the Benin-Asaba highway. The Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Wednesday ordered the company handling the road to leave the site immediately. He said the firm has failed to fix the road and should write the Federal Government to end its contract, as reported by Champion Newspaper . Speaking at a meeting in Edo Government House, Benin, Umahi said the concessionaire, Benin Asaba Expressway Concession Company, has not added any value to the project. “You should be removed from this site. You don’t have the capacity to fix this road,” the minister said. He also asked the company to clear all blockages causing traffic jams right away. Umahi directed the Ministry of Works to get the Independent Engineer to measure the work done so far. He warned that any bad work, including asphalt removed against the contract, will not be paid for. The cost of repairs will also be added. To ease the pain on road users, he said the bad p...

I t’s official. The Headies are back, and this year a breakout star is leading the race. Organisers unveiled the full nominee list for the 18th Headies Awards on Tuesday. The big night will hold in Toronto, Canada, on October 25, 2026, celebrating the best songs and performances released between August 1, 2024, and April 30, 2026. This year’s nominations cover 35 categories, reflecting a music scene that keeps growing bigger, bolder, and more diverse. From chart-topping veterans to fresh faces breaking through, everyone got a seat at the table. Topping the list is newcomer Fola, who earned 10 nominations off the success of his debut album 'Catharsis'. Close behind is Omah Lay with 8 nods, while Wizkid and Mavo both picked up 7 nominations each. Heavyweights Davido and Asake also pulled in 6 nominations each. On the female side, Ayra Starr and Tiwa Savage lead with 5 nominations apiece. The battle for 'Song of the Year' looks set to be a thriller. In the running are Kunm...

T he Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, says solving Nigeria’s unemployment problem will take more than government action. He wants communities and private businesses to take the lead. The monarch spoke in Osogbo while unveiling the second branch of Ojaja Moore, his youth-focused enterprise hub. According to Champion Newspaper , Oba Ogunwusi told the gathering: “At this point in our nation, we all must do our part. We cannot keep waiting on government alone. There should be stronger community participation and business-driven projects.” He noted that even traditional rulers must step in to create opportunities for young people. “Nigeria is at a point where we must back our youths. That is the reason we are growing Ojaja Moore,” he stated. The Ooni said the brand was set up to give young Nigerians a chance to earn, create, and build. He described Ojaja Moore as a place for young makers to show their talent and turn ideas into products and income. “It is important for our youth to showca...