Udoito is a prominent activist and advocate for the rights of the Ekid people concerning ancestral lands in the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve. Azare said police investigations revealed that the defendant allegedly accused His Excellency, Umo Eno, the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, of unlawfully selling ancestral lands in Eket Local Government Area to private entities and misappropriating the proceeds. 2, Laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2022, and the Internal Security and Enforcement Law, Cap. 4, Laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2022,” the Commissioner said. According to the commissioner, Udoito has been remanded in correctional custody after pleading not guilty to the charges.

The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has denied a report claiming that the Federal Government has paused the issuance of implementation guidelines for the new tax laws due to uncertainty. A media report (not The PUNCH) had stated that the Nigerian government halted the issuance of guidelines for the implementation of the new tax laws, quoting Oyedele as having instructed the Nigeria Revenue Service and the Joint Revenue Board to wait because the final version of the laws was unclear. He explained that the uncertainty prompted him to instruct his team to obtain a printed copy of the laws from the Government Printer, as stipulated by the Acts Authentication Act. “The Acts Authentication Act says whatever the Government Printer publishes is the evidence of the law that was passed,” Oyedele said. Reacting in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, Oyedele shared a screenshot of a the report headline and watermarked it “Fake News.”

The 2026 Tata Punch facelift has recently been launched in India, with prices starting from Rs 5.59 lakh (ex-showroom). Interior: Black & grey dashboard, black fabric seats, 2-spoke steering wheel and semi-digital cluster. Black & grey dashboard, black fabric seats, 2-spoke steering wheel and semi-digital cluster. Tata Punch Pure+Powertrain Ex-Showroom Price 1.2-litre NA Petrol Rs 6.99 lakh (MT), Rs 7.54 lakh (AMT) 1.2-litre NA Petrol+CNG Rs 7.99 lakh (MT), Rs 8.54 lakh (AMT)Key Features (over Pure): –Exterior: Wheel covers, body-coloured door handles and shark fin antenna. Tata Punch: Engine SpecificationsEngine 1.2-litre petrol 1.2-litre petrol with CNG 1.2-litre turbo petrol Max Power 88PS 73.5PS 120PS Peak Torque 115Nm 103Nm 170Nm Transmission 5-speed manual/5-speed AMT 5-speed manual/5-speed AMT 6-speed manualCompetition CheckThe Punch rivals the likes of Hyundai Exter, Citroen C3, and select variants of Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger and Maruti Fronx/Toyota Taisor.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen drinks from a glass as she attends a joint press conference with Serbia's President after their meeting in Belgrade on October 15, 2025. Business Insider reports on Wednesday that the European Commission confirmed that Nigeria, alongside South Africa, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique and Tanzania, had strengthened its AML/CFT regimes and no longer posed “strategic deficiencies” under EU assessment standards. The commission noted that the affected countries had implemented reforms that brought their financial systems in line with international standards set by the FATF. Reacting to the development, the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, described Nigeria’s removal from the list as a major boost to investor confidence. Removed from EU’s financial ‘high-risk’ list!Congrats to President @officialABAT on this achievement.

File: Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun. The Federal Government achieved an 85 per cent capital expenditure performance in the 2024 fiscal year following the extension of the budget implementation period, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has said. Edun said, “In terms of the capital budget. Edun acknowledged that capital expenditure in 2025 would be lower, explaining that the government chose to focus on completing existing projects rather than initiating new ones. He described the capital expenditure outcome as part of a broader fiscal effort anchored on discipline and transparency.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Thursday, presided over the 156th National Economic Council meeting at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. Tinubu gave the directive at the Federal Executive Council meeting held on December 10, 2025. He tasked NEC to collaborate with the Ministry of Livestock Development in developing a roadmap for transforming Nigeria’s livestock industry. At its 155th meeting held on December 18 2025, NEC responded by inaugurating a committee on livestock development to expedite the implementation of livestock production and ranching reforms nationwide. The committee was tasked to review recommendations from the Presidential Livestock Reform Committee and the Ministry of Livestock Development, as well as identify interested states for the programme’s implementation.

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have stepped up cooperation to strengthen border security and curb smuggling activities in northeastern Nigeria, as enforcement agencies intensify coordination along key border corridors. He said Customs remained committed to working closely with sister security agencies in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities. “The visit underscores the importance of inter-agency cooperation in enhancing security operations and ensuring the effective execution of our mandates,” Tako said. In response, Bande described the Nigeria Customs Service as a strategic partner in national security and assured the Customs delegation of the NSCDC’s readiness to provide tactical support when required. He said such support would be particularly focused on border protection and management, adding that security agencies in Adamawa State operate as a unified front.

Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, has disclosed that over 879 new programmes were introduced in Nigerian universities in 2025, based on the recently approved Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS). This development is aimed at transforming the Nigerian University System (NUS) to produce globally competitive graduates. According to Ribadu, the CCMAS is a framework that guides Nigerian university programmes, with a focus on 70 per cent core content and 30 per cent university-specific content. The new programmes incorporate 21st-century skills such as digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving, which vary by discipline. He emphasised that his administration is committed to achieving these objectives to reform and reposition the NUS.

Yesterday, the index appreciated by 934.62 points, representing a gain of 0.56 per cent to close at 166,771.95 points. Wapic Insurance followed with a decline of 6.76 per cent to close at N3.31, while Livestock Feeds shed 6.67 per cent to close at N7. Transactions in the shares of Access Holdings led the activity with 53.411 million shares worth N1.238 billion. Lasaco Assurance followed with account of 38.991 million shares valued at N100.206 million, while Veritas Kapital Assurance traded 32.795 million shares valued at N69.592 million. Tantalizers traded 30.128 million shares worth N89.545 million, while DEAP Capital Management and Trust traded 28.598 million shares worth N114.045 billion.

A 31-year-old man has been sentenced to six years in prison for killing another man in an unprovoked one-punch attack near his home in Whitehall in Dublin two and a half years ago. Christopher O'Neill, from Larkhill Road in Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the manslaughter of 33-year-old Martin Lynn on 30 July 2023. Judge Martin Nolan described it as a "pretty awful case" and said it was hard to understand why O’Neill did what he did. A motorcyclist went by but came back, got off the motorbike still wearing his helmet and for no apparent reason and without any provocation, punched Martin Lynn in the face. Afterwards the Lynn family said they were extremely disappointed with the leniency of the sentence.

The Rivers State House of Assembly failed to reconvene amid ongoing impeachment proceedings, raising tensions in the oil‑rich state. Meanwhile, a Federal High Court struck out criminal charges against socialite Natasha Akpoti, while an Edo doctor abducted by gunmen regained freedom after a reported N50 million ransom. In sports and culture, Super Falcons star Asisat Oshoala renewed calls for a Nigeria‑led AFCON co‑hosting bid, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu congratulated Nigerian artistes on their AFRIMA victories. Impeachment drama as Rivers Assembly fails to reconveneThe Rivers State House of Assembly failed to reconvene amid ongoing impeachment proceedings against the state governor. https://punchng.com/three-siblings-killed-during-lagos-fire-buried-in-anambra/The tragic burial drew community mourning and renewed calls for improved fire safety enforcement in urban settlements.

London mayor Sadiq Khan on Thursday joined the chorus of warnings on the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs, saying that the UK capital risks “an era of mass unemployment”. The Labour mayor’s comments are to be included in a London speech late Thursday outlining the opportunities and risks posed by AI. He will urge swift action to harness those benefits before the technology “becomes a weapon of mass destruction of jobs”. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office on Thursday said that “AI is going to reshape the world of work”. Analysts from US research firm Gartner have suggested that AI will create more jobs than it eliminates by 2027.

The Trump administration’s dismantling of federal agencies has hit cancer research hard. Hundreds of medical grants were cancelled, disrupting clinical trials for brain cancer, heart disease and other conditions that had been treating 74,000 patients. How was it possible, after so many years nursing children with brain cancer, that her own daughter had been hit by the disease? Leary, the Seattle children’s hospital doctor, helps lead several nationwide collaborative bodies for childhood brain cancer. He said that the NCI, which leads most US cancer research, spent more last year in extramural grants than in any previous year, and that “pediatric brain cancer research remains a high priority”.

Nigerian football fans have criticised Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea for what they described as biased and poor officiating during the Super Eagles’ semi-final defeat to Morocco on Wednesday night. The Nigeria-Ghana rivalry led many fans to believe the referee had an extra incentive against the three-time champions, with some pointing to historical tensions between both nations. But it seems he’s been extra biased and has made so many wrong calls. “How will a referee give yellow card to someone they pulled his shirt? Laryea has been a FIFA-listed international referee since 2014 and is a regular official in the Ghana Premier League.

Initially named in Nigeria’s 54-man provisional list, Aina was omitted from the Super Eagles’ final 28-man squad for the tournament, which began on December 21, 2025. In Aina’s absence, Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has deployed Bright Osayi-Samuel at right-back, while Blackburn Rovers defender Ryan Alebiosu also enjoyed some decent outings in the position before picking up an injury. Sometimes it’s been hard to watch, but I’m really happy for them, man,” Aina told SuperSport. “I think they’re playing really well. It’s a joy to see because everyone’s been waiting for the Super Eagles to play like this.