), has warned that Nigeria’s relative prosperity and porous borders are fuelling the country’s security challenges, leaving it vulnerable to both external threats and internal destabilisation. “One of our sins is that Nigeria is prosperous. We are paying the price for being prosperous,” he said. He added: “If you live in Nigeria for too long, you may not be able to swear that we are prosperous. There are also people out there who are strategic and who never want this country to bear a name at all — Nigeria everywhere.

An expert has linked repeated heading of footballs to progressive brain disease following an inquest into the death of former Scotland defender Frank McQueen. According to BBC Sport on Monday, a consultant neuropathologist at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Professor Willie Stewart, examined McQueen’s brain after his death. He told the inquest that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) was present in multiple areas of the brain and that a membrane within the brain appeared torn. “CTE contributed to his death significantly,” Prof Stewart said, adding that the only available causal evidence for the condition was repeated head impacts, specifically from heading a football. Prof Stewart said these symptoms were typical among professional football and rugby players with long playing careers.

Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Tax Policy and Fiscal Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele. Photo: State HouseThe Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has revealed that Nigerian workers are beginning to receive higher take-home pay following a reduction in Pay As You Earn (deductions under the newly implemented tax laws. New Tax Reform FrameworkThe federal government recently began implementing a new tax reform framework anchored on the Nigerian Tax Act and the Nigerian Tax Administration Act. Oyedele had previously stated that about 98% of Nigerian workers will either pay no PAYE tax or lower taxes under the new framework. He also noted that approximately 97% of small businesses will be exempt from corporate income tax, value-added tax (VAT), and withholding tax, while large companies will also benefit from reduced tax liabilities.

The Defence Headquarters on Monday said investigations into alleged misconduct by some officers revealed claims of a plot to overthrow the government. In October 2025, the DHQ announced the arrest of 16 officers over acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations. “The comprehensive investigation process, conducted in accordance with established military procedures, has carefully examined all circumstances surrounding the conduct of the affected personnel. Uba added, “Accordingly, those with cases to answer will be formally arraigned before appropriate military judicial panels to face trial in accordance with the Armed Forces Act and other applicable service regulations. “The Armed Forces remain resolute in maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, loyalty, and respect for constitutional authority.”

Nigerian players have emerged as the dominant force in the International Federation of Football History and Statistics women’s Africa XI, with four Super Falcons stars included in the best women’s team on the continent for 2025, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The IFFHS noted that the XI is a projection for 2025 rather than a retrospective award, based on statistical analysis and expert assessment of player performances at club and international level. The organisation said the selection reflects the nations currently shaping the growth and competitiveness of women’s football in Africa, with strong representation from Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco and Zambia. Founded in 1984 in Germany, the IFFHS is an independent body recognised by FIFA and widely respected for its global statistical research and annual rankings. Its continental teams of the year are regarded as benchmarks, often drawing attention to standout performers across the globe.

The Nigeria Union of Teachers, FCT Wing, has directed all primary and secondary school teachers in the territory to join the ongoing strike action initiated by the Joint Union Action Committee. While the NUT noted initial reservations regarding the organisational approach of the JUAC-led strike, the union emphasised that the intervention of the NLC necessitated a unified front. “All teachers in FCT primary and secondary schools are to stay away from classrooms starting Monday. The union reaffirmed its commitment to negotiating with authorities until all outstanding demands specifically affecting teachers are met. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Federal Capital Territory Administration began an indefinite strike on January 19 over unresolved welfare concerns.

A standoff has emerged between the House of Representatives and its Minority Caucus over an ad hoc committee investigating alleged alterations to Nigeria’s tax laws. The Chairman of the Minority Caucus ad hoc committee, Afam Ogene, warned on Sunday that dismissing the committee’s interim report would embolden impunity and undermine the National Assembly. “No political caucus, whether majority or minority, possesses the procedural authority to establish a committee that carries the status of a parliamentary body,” Rotimi added. It continues to discharge its assignment, and upon conclusion, it will lay its report before the House in plenary,” Rotimi said. Analysts say the dispute highlights the delicate balance between political advocacy by minority lawmakers and formal parliamentary authority in Nigeria’s National Assembly.

Governor Osun State Nurudeen Adeleke has condemned the continued occupation of local government secretariats by All Progressives Congress chairmen and councillors, describing their self-awarded tenure extension as illegal and unconstitutional. To further emphasise his point, the governor said the APC officials approached the Federal High Court seeking an extension of their expired tenure. “Assuming, without conceding, that the APC chairmen and councillors had any tenure, the tenure expired on October 22, 2025. “In Osun State, it seems that the APC chairmen and councillors, whose so-called tenure have expired, are above the law,” he said. He said he has written to the heads of relevant federal security agencies regarding actions that threaten peace and order in Osun State.

The Oyo State Government on Monday commenced week-long activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the state’s creation with an opening ceremony held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan. The Chairman of the Oyo @50 Anniversary Committee and former member of the House of Representatives, Saheed Akinade-Fijabi, had earlier disclosed that the programme was structured to combine thanksgiving, reflection, intellectual engagement and cultural celebration. Oyo State was created on February 3, 1976, by the military government of the late Gen. Murtala Mohammed, with Brig. David Jemibewon serving as the first military governor. Families of deceased former governors are expected to receive honours on behalf of their late relatives, while notable indigenes who have contributed to the state’s development will also be recognised during the celebration.

A former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has returned to Nigeria from London and is expected to proceed to Kano on Monday for key political engagements amid ongoing political realignments in the state. Ganduje arrived in Abuja aboard a British Airways flight at about 5:30 am on Monday after attending the graduation ceremony of his daughter, Fatima, at King’s College, London. Confirming his return, Ganduje’s Chief of Staff, Muhammad Garba, in a statement on Monday, said the former Kano State governor would immediately resume party activities in Kano. “He has returned to the country this morning and will proceed to Kano later today to take part in important political engagements,” Garba said. “He is scheduled to participate in the APC e-registration exercise and also play a key role in activities surrounding the reception of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf into the party,” he said.

Patriots punch ticket to Super Bowl LX with win in Denver The Patriots defeated the Broncos, 10-7, in the AFC Championship Game.

Welcome to Monday’s roundup of Nigerian newspaper headlines, where we scan the papers and then gently remind power that citizens are still awake. The committee’s chair, Afam Ogene, says calling the interim report ‘overtaken by events’ just because certified copies suddenly showed up is a slippery slope that rewards bad behaviour. Nigerians must also demand timelines, transparency, and accountability, because in a democracy, laws are not magic documents that change shape when the lights go off. Nigerians must ask for accountability for decades of failed leadership, civilian and military alike, and push for institutions strong enough to outlive strongmen. Nigerians must insist on transparent security plans, timely responses to kidnappings, support for victims’ families, and real accountability from state and federal representatives who go silent when lives are lost.

At first, Makoko residents thought the low metallic hum vibrating across the lagoon was a distant generator or the rumbling of trucks on the nearby Third Mainland Bridge. “You could hear the machines before you could see them.”Makoko – Nigeria’s largest informal waterfront community – has existed for more than a century. During the December demolitions, government forces used teargas, say waterfront residents, which they allege led to the deaths of five people. “They destroyed it as though it meant nothing.”View image in fullscreen View image in fullscreen People salvage wood and belongings from the debris. Several residents say they have started sleeping on boats.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted a 30-year-old Brazilian woman, Ingrid Benevides, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, with 30.09 kilograms of heroin concealed in factory-sealed coffee packs valued at over N3bn. The suspect, a private security officer in Brazil, was arrested on Friday, January 23, 2026, upon her arrival in Abuja aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431, following intelligence-led surveillance. These later tested positive for heroin, weighing a total of 30.09 kilograms, making it the single largest heroin seizure at the Abuja airport,” the statement read. According to the NDLEA, the arrests and seizures are part of sustained efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks, curb cross-border smuggling, and cut off the supply of illicit drugs to criminal and terrorist groups across the country. Nigeria continues to face significant challenges from drug trafficking both domestically and across its borders; however, the NDLEA has intensified intelligence-driven operations targeting drug importation, distribution networks, and local trafficking syndicates.

The Chief Executive Officer of Shell Plc, Mr Wael Sawan, has praised President Bola Tinubu’s leadership for creating a healthy climate for investments to thrive and restoring investor confidence. According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Sawan emphasised that Nigeria, under the Tinubu administration, is one of the countries attracting significant investment from global oil companies. “We have really been in a space where we are very keen to invest in Nigeria. At the meeting, Tinubu approved the gazetting of targeted, investment-linked incentives to support the proposed Bonga Southwest deep offshore oil project by Shell and its partners. “My expectation is clear: Bonga Southwest must reach a Final Investment Decision within the first term of this administration,” Tinubu stated.