Human and vehicular movements were halted for several hours on Monday as residents of Idokpa Community in Aduduwawa blocked a major highway leading into and out of Benin, Edo State. The residents, protesting several weeks of power outage in the community, barricaded the bypass, causing hours of gridlock. “We are protesting because of the power outage that has crippled our businesses. During a phone interview with PUNCH Metro on Monday, a BEDC official said the outage was not deliberate. “The power outage being experienced in some parts of Edo is not deliberate; it is due to a shortage of gas used to generate power,” the official said.

City University Cambodia MSc recipient, Margret Oniye (left); The Guardian Adaku Onyenucheya; Secretary General, Merchant Seafarers Association of Nigeria and USA, Prof Alfred Oniye; and Provost of the association, Captain Samson Iwori after receiving the maritime media and journalist awards at the Sailors and Awards night held in Apapa. The Merchant Seafarers Association of Nigeria and USA (Merchant Navy – Sail Navy) has honoured The Guardian and its maritime reporter, Adaku Onyenucheya, with top industry awards in recognition of their exceptional contribution, advocacy and commitment to promoting maritime journalism and sectoral development. Oniye said The Guardian and Onyenucheya have demonstrated exceptional consistency in spotlighting reforms, challenges and milestones within the maritime sector, while providing a credible platform for engagement and accountability. “The Guardian Newspaper and its maritime correspondent were honoured for their unwavering commitment to maritime journalism. This recognition is an evidence to the power of the media in driving maritime awareness and accountability,” he stated.

Disturbed by the lack of access to care for children with limb loss in Nigeria, the IREDE Foundation, in partnership with NNPC/Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), has embarked on improving their health condition through its 3D printed prosthetic limb production. She said that the conventional process of producing prosthetic limbs often involves Plaster of Paris (PoP) casting, which can be uncomfortable and emotionally taxing, particularly for teenage children. At this stage, the focus is on learning, gathering data, and refining the technical processes involved in 3D-printed prosthetic production. Managing Director, SNEPCo, Ronald Adams, said the partnership had progressed from providing prosthetic limbs to supporting advocacy and sustainability. He said the donation of a 3D printing machine would enable local manufacturing of prosthetic limbs, supported by trained personnel skilled in advanced 3D production techniques.

In an internal circular dated December 18, 2025, and referenced MDL.360/25/T/VOL.1-062, the management disclosed that it had uncovered alleged illegal dealings in NRC properties by some officers without due authorisation. While the unions alleged that several NRC properties were unjustly converted, the property management company maintained that all transactions followed due process. However, Opeifa insisted that the approval, clearance, or lease of any NRC land falls strictly within the exclusive authority of the Managing Director. He warned that no Railway District Manager is permitted to engage in any form of transaction, allocation, or disposal of NRC landed property without explicit written approval from the Managing Director of the NRC to the Managing Director of the Railway Property Management Company Limited. “You are therefore strongly warned and advised to desist forthwith from any unauthorised dealings in NRC landed properties and to strictly adhere to this directive,” the memo read.

“We have heard so much of the Tanzanian stars, but they should worry about how to stop the Super Eagles. “I can tell you Mr President has already approved the houses and the land for the Super Eagles, the National Awards, and the monies for the Super Falcons. The Super Eagles, meanwhile, are being rewarded for finishing as runners-up at the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire. “As I speak to you, I have in my possession all the Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) for the houses of the players in Lagos and Abuja for both the Super Eagles, Super Falcons and D’Tigress,” he added. Most notably, the Super Eagles boycotted training for 24 hours during the World Cup playoffs in November over outstanding payments.

Business and industry leaders have urged Nigerian entrepreneurs to rethink and reinvent their business models to remain competitive and achieve sustainable growth. This was at the two-day 10th Annual Entrepreneurs Conference and Expo organised by the Masterpiece Resource Development Centre (MRDC), themed, ‘Reinvent, Innovate, Strategise, Expand’, held in Lagos. Also, the Chairman of Japaul Gold & Ventures Plc, Segun Oloketuyi, urged entrepreneurs to pursue their goals with fairness, discipline and integrity. He cautioned them against living above their means or allowing competition to intimidate them, noting that focus and prudent financial management are essential for sustainable business success. Chairman of the MRDC Board, Dr Abiola Popoola, charged entrepreneurs to see the two-day conference as a deliberate investment in their capacity and business future.

The United States will partially suspend the issuance of certain visas to Nigerian nationals from January 1, 2026, following a new presidential proclamation on border and national security. It also applies to immigrant visas, with limited exceptions. Other exempted categories include lawful permanent residents of the United States and participants in certain major international sporting events. However, the US Mission noted that such applicants “may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission to the United States” under the new rules. Recent weeks have seen a series of restrictive measures by the United States that have heightened concerns among Nigerians seeking to travel, study or migrate to the country.

The DK Metcalf incident on Sunday -- in which the Pittsburgh Steelers receiver appeared to take a swipe at a Detroit Lions fan -- could end up with the wideout getting disciplined by the NFL. While there's an alternative angle of the moments before Metcalf's punch, there's only one side to what was said that led to the receiver confronting the fan -- Metcalf didn't speak to reporters after the win over the Lions. He initially said "My words don’t matter because it was on camera," but then spoke more about what he said went down:“What, my full name isn’t is DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf," Kennedy said. “I got word, obviously, I’m not condoning putting your hands on a fan or punching a fan, but he did call [Metcalf] a racial slur,” Johnson told his co-host Shannon Sharpe. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Did Lions fan say DK Metcalf full name before punch, per report?

The Nigeria Police Force has foiled an alleged fraud valued at N17.03m involving imported goods from Canada, with the arrest of a 52-year-old suspect at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The consignment comprised 12 NEC projectors and 12 Automatic External Defibrillators (AED Plus), with a total naira value of N17,032,160. Speaking on the development, the Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, CP Ogunbode Olufunke, said she immediately ordered a discreet and intelligence-driven investigation upon receipt of the complaint. The CP added that operatives of the command acted on credible intelligence to track and arrest the suspect, who has since confessed to his involvement in the crime. “The command remains resolute in deploying intelligence-led policing strategies to safeguard Nigeria’s airports and protect the travelling public,” she said.

This year, a mashup of beloved flavor profiles spread like wildfire at bars across the country. The tropical and agave pairing was a favorite this summer, exemplified from Daisy in Los Angeles to Cantina Rosa in Chicago. The mascot of the trend should be the Coconut Margarita served at El Camino in New York City. Will Wyatt, creator of the bestselling drink, credits its popularity to the fact that “people like the comfort of ordering something they know, and are pleasantly surprised when they get it and the texture is just that of a classic Margarita, since we aren’t using any coconut cream or anything. It’s just tropical and refreshing.”Read More →

In the female category, Wazbak Queens continued their dominance, defeating Unification Ladies 1–0 to retain their crown and make history as the first female team to win the Cohesion Football Tournament back-to-back. Champions of the Under-13 male category, O&A Sports Academy, were awarded a ₦100,000 grant prize. In the female category, champions Wazbak Queens also walked away with ₦500,000, while finalists Unification Ladies received ₦250,000. Cohesion Football Tournament is giving young people like us a real chance, and I applaud the organisers of this grassroots engagement for the community,” said Emmanuella while speaking at the competition. Since its inaugural edition in December 2019 with just 12 teams from Mushin and Surulere, the Cohesion Football Tournament has grown steadily in scale and impact.

The Lagos State Government has issued a stern warning to hotels, restaurants, and event venues against unjustified price hikes and the cancellation of confirmed bookings during the ongoing Detty December festivities. The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, confirmed this in an interview with TVC News on Monday. “If a commitment has been made, especially where deposits or agreements exist, vendors must honour it. He noted that the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) have been fully briefed and are on standby to intervene. Members of the public who have evidence of breached agreements, cancelled bookings, or sudden price increases after confirmation have been encouraged to report such cases.

The Super Eagles held their fourth training session at their base in Fes, Morocco, on Sunday, ahead of their Group C clash against Tanzania in the 2025 AFCON on Tuesday, The PUNCH reports. Nigeria and Tanzania will face off at the Complex Sportif de Fes, in the first match of Group C on Tuesday. Following their arrival in Morocco last Thursday, the team began to put finishing touches to their preparation with two training sessions on Friday before more sessions on Saturday and Sunday. After Tuesday’s group opener, Nigeria will take on Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles on December 27 and Uganda’s Cranes on December 30. The 2025 AFCON kicked off on Sunday with hosts Morocco taking on Comoros.

The Federal Government has approved the introduction of mandatory pre-employment drug testing for prospective applicants into the Public Service. He said Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments and Parastatals have been directed to make drug testing a core requirement in the recruitment of new personnel. He noted that the policy was informed by concerns over the rising rate of drug and substance abuse, particularly among youths. In November, the Nigeria Customs Service mandated drug testing for all incoming recruits and serving officers to enhance discipline and border security. Additionally, a July directive approved university-wide drug screening, signaling a nationwide push to address substance abuse.

Decorates 46 newly promoted comptrollersThe Federal Government has said that it is working towards introducing a new emergency passport, the Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP), to replace the current Single Travel Emergency Certificate (STEC) by next year, 2026. The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap, made this known at the decoration of 46 newly promoted Assistant Comptrollers of Immigration (ACIs) to Comptrollers of Immigration on Monday in Abuja. The Comptroller General charged the decorated comptrollers to demonstrate heightened vigilance and uncompromising professionalism in the face of Nigeria’s security challenges. “At this advanced stage of your careers, professional competence must be matched with strong leadership attributes. “Considering the current security challenges our nation faces, we must remain vigilant and unrelenting in the fight against multifaceted threats.