Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

Tensions flared during plenary on Monday as a dispute over seating arrangements led to a heated exchange between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the senate leadership. The controversy began when Senator Natasha’s seat was relocated upon resumption of the session, but she refused to comply with the change. The Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, had raised a point of order, citing sections of the Senate rule book to justify the reassignment of seats. Monguno explained that the changes were necessary to accommodate shifts caused by some opposition members moving to the majority wing. The changes, he argued, are within the constitutional…

Controversial Nigerian singer, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has been granted bail by the Isabo Magistrate Court in Abeokuta following his arraignment on charges of assault and obstruction of government officials. Portable, who had earlier surrendered himself to the police at the Lagos State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) on Wednesday after being declared wanted by the Ogun State Command, was transferred to the Ogun State Police Headquarters, Eleweran, before being presented in court on Thursday. The singer faced a five-count charge, including conspiracy, assault, restriction, being armed with cutlasses and guns, and conduct likely to cause harm. He pleaded…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr. Saviour Enyiekere as the chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), marking a significant step in strengthening the administration of Nigeria’s legislative body. This was contained in a statement issued by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday. Enyiekere, an environmental specialist and former Deputy Chief of Staff to the Senate President, will serve a five-year renewable term. In addition to the chairman’s appointment, President Tinubu also approved the selection of 12 commission members, with two representatives drawn from each of Nigeria’s six…

The Katsina State Hisbah Board has banned all nightclub activities across the state, citing Islamic principles and the need to uphold moral values. The Hisbah Commander-General, Dr Aminu Usman (Abu Ammar), announced this in a statement issued in Katsina on Wednesday. He stated that nightclub owners must shut down their establishments to curb immoral practices, protect societal values, and address security concerns in the state. “The board warned that violators would face strict penalties. Security agencies have been instructed to ensure full compliance with the order. “We are committed to building a morally upright society and ensuring peace and security…

Controversial Nigerian street pop singer Habeeb Okikiola Olalomi, popularly known as Portable, has been brought before the Isabo High Court in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The police had declared Portable wanted on February 18 over an alleged attack on three officials from the Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority (OGPDPA). After surrendering to the police in Lagos on Wednesday, Portable was transferred to the Ogun State Police Command and subsequently taken to court on Thursday. The incident in question occurred on February 5 when OGPDPA officials attempted to seal Portable’s bar due to lack of proper permits and insufficient airspace…

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has reiterated the troops’ commitment to securing Zamfara State, vowing that notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, would soon be eliminated. Oluyede said this in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital while briefing journalists at the Headquarters of Operation Fansan Yamma. He said the wanted terrorist has been on the run and should keep running. “Bello Turji is on the run as we speak and for everywhere he goes, we follow him there. Let him keep running, it is just a matter of time, he would be removed from the space,” the army…

The All Progressives Congress (APC), in Osun State has announced its withdrawal from the local government elections scheduled for Saturday, February 22, 2025. The decision was communicated in a letter signed by the Osun APC Secretary, Alao Olabisi Kamoru, and addressed to the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSSIEC, on Wednesday. The APC cited the recent Appeal Court judgment in Akure as the basis for its withdrawal, stating that the ruling had rendered the planned election unnecessary and unlawful. The letter referenced Appeal No. CA/AK/270/2022, which reinstated previously elected local government officials. The letter reads: “Recall that the judgment of…

Nigeria may face a tanker shortage as the Federal Government on Wednesday disclosed plans to ban 60,000- and 45,000-litre capacity trucks. While most tankers hauling petroleum products across the country are around 45,000 litres, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said such capacity would be outlawed. Coming amidst rising tanker accidents that have been fueling deaths and the destruction of properties, NMDPRA issued an immediate ban on petroleum products tankers with a 60,000-litre capacity. In the absence of pipelines, Nigeria relies on tankers to haul petroleum products across the country, a development that has remained a menace…

All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant in the November 8 Anambra State governorship, Prof. Obiora Okonwko, has said he is on a rescue mission to salvage the state from being plunged further into the abyss. He spoke yesterday at the APC Secretariat in Abuja after collecting the N50 million nomination and expression of interest forms. The forms were bought for him by a group under the aegis of Anambra Coalition for Progressive Change. The Chairman of the United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited declared himself as a frontline runner in the off-season poll. “I am from Anambra Central, the votes are domiciled…

US airline Delta will offer $30,000 to each passenger on a plane that crashed as it landed at Toronto airport this week, the carrier told AFP on Wednesday. “This gesture has no strings attached and does not affect the rights” of passengers, a company spokesman said. On Monday, a Delta Air Lines plane that departed from the US city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, hit the runway hard at Toronto’s main airport and flipped upside down. A fireball and thick plumes of black smoke engulfed the plane as it skidded to a halt on its roof but none of the 80 people…