Wike declared that he and his political allies would “resume full politics” by January 2026. Assuring his supporters that there was no cause for alarm, Wike urged them to remain resolute and steadfast. We have never wavered in our support for President Bola Tinubu,” Wike added. “One thing you should know about Nigerian politics is that some people believe that if you say ‘we will deal with Wike,’ money will come. Governors came and left, but none agreed to elevate our stools until Wike,” Nwuche said.

He was already a figure of some controversy, as would become a lifelong habit, among the younger pupils and staff at Dulwich college in south-east London. She was not personally acquainted with Farage and did not see or hear his alleged racism and antisemitism, she said. “Of course Farage directly abused pupils,” Deakin said. “Emms [the headteacher] called me in: he was quite a forbidding figure for me as a young teacher,” she said. I participated fully in College life and enjoyed teaching such lively, intelligent and talented pupils, whom I remember with affection.

The Gombe State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a 19-year-old casual worker in connection with the alleged killing of a fellow staff member within the Gombe Government House premises. The incident occurred on Thursday, December 26, 2025, and involved two casual staff members working at the Government House, the police said in a statement issued on Saturday. Abdullahi disclosed that further investigation, including a review of CCTV footage within the Government House, revealed that another casual staff member had assaulted the deceased shortly before his death. “At about 11:00 p.m. on the same day, the suspect was arrested at his hideout in Bagadaza Quarters, Gombe. “The Gombe State Police Command remains committed to ensuring justice is served and that all persons working within and around government facilities are adequately protected.

Daniel Ayantoye writes on how what should be a simple task, renewing a website hosting subscription locally, has become a source of frustration and financial loss for Nigerian businesses. As more Nigerians migrate operations online, local hosting companies have positioned themselves as cheaper alternatives to foreign providers, promising convenience, local support and easier payment options. For many, these experiences have become enough reason to avoid local hosting providers altogether. I don’t trust any Nigerian hosting company again,” said Joshua Sunday, a web developer, in a telephone interview with our correspondent. Worrisome public reviewsA check of public complaints posted on Trustpilot, an online review platform, revealed a mixed picture of local hosting companies.

Mikel Arteta praised Arsenal’s refusal to let their Premier League title challenge be ruined by injuries after they survived another debilitating 24 hours to beat Brighton 2-1 on Saturday. Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera were also ruled out, so Myles Lewis-Skelly came in at left-back and England midfielder Declan Rice started at right-back. Hailing Arsenal’s spirit and togetherness in adversity, Arteta said: “What I like is that we are having a lot of issues and we are dealing with it in an incredible way. That is the spirit and that is how much our players want it. We were a big threat but the margin of victory should have been much bigger,” Arteta said.

Super Eagles goalkeeper Adebayo Adeleye has backed Nigeria to maintain their winning start at the Africa Cup of Nations as they prepare to face Tunisia in a crucial group stage clash at Fez Stadium on Saturday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. “I think we did a great job in the game,” Adeleye said. “The most important thing is to win the game, and I am very happy we won. “For me, it was okay, and I believe my time will surely come as well.”Adeleye earned his Super Eagles debut in 2023. Tunisia also started their campaign strongly with a 3–1 win over Uganda and will be targeting another statement result.

In a swift and daring operation, the Oyo State Police Command has apprehended a suspected robber and recovered a stolen motorcycle following a late-night attack on two residents in the Olorunda Aba area of Ibadan. During the chase, one suspect abandoned the stolen motorcycle and fled into nearby bushland. The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Femi Haruna, commended the officers for their professionalism and swift action. He directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for detailed follow-up. The Oyo State Police Command reiterated its determination to combat armed robbery and to reinforce its commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.

Seven people, including two children and the driver, died when a Sharon bus lost control and veered off the 200km Gombe-Potiskum road, crashing into the bush in Yobe State. Four other passengers sustained injuries in the accident on Friday. The Police Motor Traffic Department promptly mobilised to the scene, evacuating the deceased and the injured to the State Specialist Hospital, Potiskum, for treatment and deposition. Sadly, two of the injured later succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. The Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ado, expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

A former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, is set to formally join the African Democratic Congress amid ongoing consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections. Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the party source said, “We are aware that Peter Obi is making plans to declare for the ADC on December 31 in Enugu. That must have informed his decision.”But the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said he could not confirm Obi’s planned defection. He said, “Don’t forget that by June or July, at the latest, we must have a presidential candidate. “Once a presidential candidate emerges and you see people also coming up to contest the governorship election, it will change the momentum,” he stated.

It was Nigeria’s second win in Group C and ensures they will top the standings, even with one first-round fixture still to play. Their six-point haul is three more than second-placed Tunisia, with Tanzania and Uganda on one point each. Osimhen had a series of narrow misses from as early as the eighth minute as Nigeria came out of the starting blocks swarming all over Tunisia. Tunisia won a fortunate penalty with five minutes left as the ball hit Bright Osayi-Samuel’s hand as he was trying to head clear. It is a first point for both sides in their pool after they opened their 2025 campaign with defeats by Tunisia and Nigeria respectively.

Naoya Inoue cruised to another commanding points win , this time at Alan Picasso's expense, during a dominant Riyadh Season debut with a Junto Nakatani-shaped showdown on tap for 2026 after the pair recorded contrasting victories abroad Saturday atop The Ring V card. Ring and undisputed junior featherweight champion Inoue (32-0, 27 KOs) bossed proceedings from the off, connecting on 158 more punches than Picasso (32-1-1, 17 KOs), had a 161-63 edge in jabs landed, 60 more power shots (167-107) and 30 more to the body (96-66). Inoue averaged 27 punches landed per round, while Picasso could only muster half that tally (14) per frame over 12, with 120-108, 119-109 and 117-111 the final scores after 36 minutes.

Sadio Mane’s equaliser earned 2022 champions Senegal a 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo in their heavyweight Africa Cup of Nations clash on Saturday. Both teams have four points but Senegal have a superior goal difference before their final group match against Benin on Tuesday. Sebastien Desabre’s Congolese side were seeking revenge after a dramatic defeat in the last meeting of the nations, in World Cup qualifying in September. DR Congo were therefore forced to settle for second place but can still make the World Cup if they win a one-off play-off against either New Caledonia or Jamaica in Mexico in March. It was a 10th AFCON goal for former Liverpool superstar Mane, who is appearing at his sixth tournament.

The Super Eagles were cruising to victory when leading 3-0 through goals from Osimhen, captain Wilfred Ndidi, and Ademola Lookman. But Tunisia refused to surrender in the top-of-the-table Group C clash, and Montassar Talbi and Ali Abdi scored to set up a tense finish. Nigeria have six points, Tunisia three, and Tanzania and Uganda one each, with the final round of group matches set for Tuesday. The showdown was the seventh time the Super Eagles and the Carthage Eagles had faced each other at an AFCON. Tunisia pulled one goal back with 16 minutes remaining.

The Federal Government has graduated over 7,000 newly recruited Forest Guards drawn from seven frontline states, with immediate deployment ordered to strengthen internal security and reclaim Nigeria’s forests from criminal elements. The initiative, coordinated through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), is aimed at denying terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal groups access to forested and hard-to-reach areas used as hideouts. Addressing participants at the ceremonies, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, described the initiative as a major step toward restoring state authority and protecting vulnerable communities. He said, “These Forest Guards are not just uniformed personnel. The Forest Guards are indigenous to their respective local government areas, a factor the government said would enhance terrain familiarity, intelligence gathering and community trust in tackling banditry, kidnapping and illegal exploitation of forest resources.

Lagos Blue Line train heads to Mile 2 Terminal during its commercial launch. Photo: Pius Utomi Ekpei / AFPLagos Blue Line train heads to Mile 2 Terminal during its commercial launch. In a notice shared on its official X account, LAMATA said the Blue Line will increase services from its regular 22 Sunday trips to 54 train trips for the day. LAMATA said normal weekday operations on the Blue Line, comprising 90 daily train trips from 6:30 a.m., will resume on Monday. Passengers are expected to use existing stations along the Blue Line corridor under normal operating conditions.