Starzs to sign shipbuilding contractNigeria may see fresh investment by indigenous shipowners following the return of more than $27 billion in oil and gas Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) and the long-awaited activation of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF). Tugboats, which support anchoring and crude export operations, remained in demand as long as Nigeria continued exporting oil. NIMASA’s Director-General, Dr Dayo Mobereola, said the revised interest rate reflected the government’s commitment to easing the financial burden on indigenous operators. Beyond Nigeria, indigenous operators are also looking outward, as Ogbeifun disclosed that the lessons of the downturn had reinforced the need to think continentally rather than nationally. Speaking on human capital, Ogbeifun stressed the challenge of providing mandatory sea-time training for cadets, a costly obligation many shipowners struggle to meet.

Led by Dr Usman Bugaje, a former member of the House of Representatives, the MCE is demanding a total departure from manual processes. The coalition’s primary demand is the mandatory electronic transmission of results from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). Without decisive reforms, the 2027 elections face a crisis of legitimacy that will open the doors to political instability,” Bugaje stated. In a scathing contribution, renowned political economist Professor Pat Utomi described the state of the nation as dangerously on the brink. “If these demands are not implemented, we must take it that the powers-that-be are ready for war with the Nigerian people,” Utomi warned.

2026 Tata Punch EV Facelift Revealed Ahead Of Launch | V3CarsTata Motors have revealed the exterior design of 2026 Punch EV facelift ahead of its official launch later this month. The Punch EV facelift gets subtle cosmetic updates, focused mainly on revised plastic elements, while sheet metal remain unchanged. Tata Punch EV Facelift: What’s Changed On The Outside? At the front, the Punch EV facelift gets a reworked fascia with a cleaner, more EV-specific design. The Punch EV facelift is expected to retain the following features from the outgoing model:10.25-inch digital instrument clusterVentilated front seats360-degree surround view cameraWireless phone chargerConnected car technologyElectric sunroofAuto-dimming IRVMAmbient lighting6 airbags as standardTata Punch EV Facelift Battery, Range And PerformanceThe 2026 Punch EV facelift is expected to retain its existing battery and electric motor options.

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, on Monday, affirmed the decision of the Senate to suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti, holding that the red chamber acted within its powers. The appellate court held that Senator Natasha was wrong on the February 20, 2025, incident when the Senate President allocated a new seat to her and refused to accept the order. To worsen the situation, the Court of Appeal held that the refusal of Senator Natasha to appear before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Petition and Privileges did not help her matter. However, the court faulted the contempt charge against Senator Natasha and the N5 million fine imposed on her by Justice Binta Nyako. According to the Court of Appeal, the failure by the trial court to serve forms 48 and 49 on the Kogi Senator was fatal.

L-R: The ADC governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Niyi Aborishade, the state Chairman, Yinka Olona and the state Deputy chairman, Tiamiyu Abidikungun during the programme in Ibadan. The Chairman of the African Democratic Congress in Oyo State, Yinka Olona, on Monday said Governor Seyi Makinde is free to join the party if he is willing to abide by its rules and internal democratic processes. Speaking on reported defection rumours, the ADC chairman said the party’s doors remain open to all interested political actors but warned that no individual could hijack its structure. He stressed that the party operates a strong internal democratic system that must be respected by new entrants. “The difference between our party (ADC) and others is very clear.

At least four people, including a woman and her child, were killed overnight in Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, local officials said on Monday, as Moscow launched missiles and drones across several regions. In the eastern town of Bohodukhiv, a woman and her 10-year-old son were killed in a residential area, officials said. In the southern port city of Odesa, one person was killed and two others injured, according to regional Governor Oleh Kiper. He said residential infrastructure and a gas pipeline were damaged in an attack on a building and accused Russia of committing “another war crime … against civilians”. READ ALSO: US, Russia to Reestablish High-Level Military-to-Military DialogueIn the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, at least nine people, including a 13-year-old girl, were wounded in drone strikes, Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said.

Magistrates in Cross River State have commenced an indefinite strike action following the failure of the state government to address their longstanding demands. The action, which took effect from Monday, 9 February 2026, was announced by the Magistrates Association of Nigeria (MAN), Cross River State Chapter, in Bulletin No. MAN further recalled that it had earlier embarked on a warning strike and later declared an indefinite strike through Bulletins No. “Sequel to the failure of the Government of Cross River State to address our demands despite several written and oral appeals, we are hereby embarking on an indefinite strike action from Monday, 9th February 2026, until our demands are met,” the bulletin stated. The strike is expected to disrupt magistrate court activities across the state, affecting the administration of justice at the grassroots level.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has revealed that 53 migrants are feared dead or missing after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya, with only two survivors rescued, the UN migration agency said. It was reported that the boat overturned north of Zuwara on Friday after departing from Al-Zawiya late on 5 February. “According to survivor accounts, the boat carrying migrants and refugees of African nationalities departed from Al-Zawiya, Libya, at about 11pm on 5 February. Approximately six hours later, it capsized after taking on water,” the IOM said. READ ALSO: Four killed in Russian drone attacks across UkraineIt called for stronger international cooperation to dismantle the networks, as well as safer migration routes to help prevent further tragedies like the one in which 53 dead or missing after a migrant boat capsizes in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Imo State Police Command, in collaboration with sister security agencies and community stakeholders, has arrested 15 criminal suspects for offences such as kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, hoodlums linked to IPOB/ESN, child trafficking, murder, and theft. Briefing newsmen at the Imo State Police Command, Owerri, on Monday, the Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso, described it as a notable achievement in the fight against terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, and other violent crimes across the state. He said that the command’s major breakthrough was the arrest of five notorious kidnap suspects, who include Chinonso Ugochukwu, Chibuzor Okafor, Ohaka Chukwuka, Ezekwe Chizoba, and Ezekwe Chinyere, all of Orsuobodo in Oguta LGA of Imo State. According to him, they were arrested for their involvement in a series of IPOB/ESN-related terrorism, kidnapping, murder, and other violent crimes within the Oguta locality and its environs. He further disclosed the arrest of Chinaemerem Ogamba of Ubaheze Omoma in Oru-East LGA in Imo State, for the murder of one Izanga of Oru-East LGA, and recovered one locally made pistol.

Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has joined a group of protesters at the National Assembly on Monday to kick against the Senate’s alleged rejection of e-transmission of election results. The protesters brandished placards with various inscriptions, including “Take legislative action on Electoral Act Amendment”, Make electronic transmission of election results mandatory”, and “Defend democracy”, among others. He threatened that failure to implement electronic transmission in real time will lead to mass action before, during, and after the election, or to a total boycott of the election. At the meeting, NEC deliberated on the President’s report, which highlighted the Senate’s alleged rejection of a proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Amendment Bill. However, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has dismissed claims that the Senate has removed e-transmission as a means of transferring election results.

Even a short afternoon nap can help refresh the brain and improve its ability to learn, researchers say. The lead researcher, Professor Christoph Nissen of the University of Freiburg in Germany, said that even short naps can improve how the brain processes and stores new information. Sleep helps reset the brain. “A short nap can help you think more clearly and keep working with better focus,” he said. Because scientists cannot directly study brain connections in healthy people, they used safe, noninvasive techniques to measure brain activity.

A non-governmental organisation, Ominira Initiative for Economic Advancement, has called for the establishment of separate courts to handle land-related matters in the country. The group noted that this is due to the fact that 50 per cent of cases in courts are land-related matters. The group noted that there is a need for the government to create separate courts for land-related matters in order to decongest the existing courts in the country. “We have seen that 50 of cases at different courts in Nigeria are land related matters simply because there is no proper land administration in Nigeria. There is a need to have specialised courts for land-related matters.

Abductors of two residents of Ora Igbomina, a community in Osun State along the boundary with Kwara State, have demanded N100 million to release the victims. Residents said the attack occurred minutes before midnight, as the gunmen stormed the house and fired shots into the air to scare people before whisking their targets away into the bush. Immediately after the incident, the Osun State Police Command said it launched a manhunt for the perpetrators of the crime. Ora Igbomina has been under repeated attacks from suspected bandits who often penetrate the community through the Kwara boundary. The PUNCH reports that Owolabi was abducted by gunmen on December 15, 2025, and later released on January 12 in Oro Ago, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, after his family reportedly paid a ransom running into millions of naira.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe and New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs got into it early in the fourth quarter of their Super Bowl LX matchup in Santa Clara, California. AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementThings started after Jobe was covering Diggs on a route in the final period of the game. Jobe came in and blindsided Diggs after he was already out of bounds, away from the play in question. Eventually, as an official was trying to separate them, Jobe threw a left-handed punch that drilled Diggs right in the facemask. As a flag wasn't thrown on the field, the NFL wasn't able to step in and assess further punishment, either.

The political storm in Rivers State may be easing following a late-night intervention by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. According to The Nation on Monday, the President reportedly held talks with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and other key leaders from the state. While the details of the meeting remain under wraps, The Nation reports that Governor Fubara accompanied Wike to his residence in Guzape, Abuja, after the discussions. The report added that Fubara allegedly begged the minister, vowing never to show him disrespect again, signalling a potential reconciliation between the state’s powerful political figures.