Mark Fletcher Jr. 'tried to sneak' Indiana football player with sucker punch
ETAI-assisted summary A Miami running back sucker punched an Indiana defensive tackle following the CFP national championship game. Indiana's Tyrique Tucker was attempting to congratulate Miami's Mark Fletcher Jr. after the Hoosiers' 27-21 victory. MIAMI GARDENS, FL — Indiana football defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker tried to offer congratulations to Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. after a 27-21 win in the CFP national championship game Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium. Fletcher stunned Tucker with a sucker punch that left the IU defender "stunned." "I was just trying to congratulate him on the game," Tucker told The Herald-Times.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 15:25 UTC
INEC Warns Against Fake 2027 Election Timetable
The Independent National Electoral Commission has warned the public to disregard a false article circulating online claiming the Commission has released the timetable for the 2027 General Elections. The details in the false article—including specific election dates, campaign periods, and party primary windows—are entirely speculative and without any official basis. They do not represent the plans or position of INEC,” the statement added. INEC will make official announcements regarding the 2027 General Elections through the proper channels at the appropriate time,” the statement emphasised. Voters unable to collect their PVCs during this period may do so later at INEC Area Council offices across the FCT.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 14:47 UTC
Interior minister visits passport office unannounced, berates delays
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Tuesday paid an unannounced visit to the Nigerian Immigration Service passport office in Gwagwalada, Abuja, where he criticised delays in passport processing and warned applicants against making extra payments. The minister inspected operations at the VIP and Children section of the passport office and engaged both officials and applicants, questioning why applicants were still waiting long after the office was expected to commence operations. Because I can see some people waiting downstairs, and our responsibility is to be efficient,” the minister said. Tunji-Ojo also faulted the under-utilisation of the VIP and Children section, noting that applicants waiting in other sections could have been redirected to ease congestion. The minister reiterated that passport offices must prioritise efficiency and fairness.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 13:48 UTC
DSS arrests Abubakar Malami after release from Kuje prison
File Copy: Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar MalamiFormer Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), was on Monday taken into custody by security operatives shortly after his release from the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja. Officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service confirmed that Malami was released after meeting his bail conditions. The court granted bail to Malami, his wife, and his son in the sum of N500 million each, with strict conditions. Malami had been in EFCC custody since December 8, 2025, after failing to meet earlier bail conditions. On December 18, a Federal Capital Territory High Court, presided over by Justice Babangida Hassan, upheld his detention as lawful.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 12:55 UTC
Mark Fletcher Jr. throws punch at Indiana player, hugs Fernando Mendoza after national championship
ETMIAMI GARDENS, FL — There's a lot of emotion in the wake of a hard-fought College Football Playoff national championship game. Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. ran the gamut after Indiana's 27-21 win over the Hurricanes. The junior running back rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns as Miami stayed close to the No. Mark Fletcher Jr. is a junior running back for the Miami Hurricanes. Fletcher ran for 1,192 yards, 5.5 per carry, and 12 touchdowns in 14 games this season.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 08:47 UTC
Apple Google Partnership, Tata Punch and More | Tech360
This episode of Tech360 covers Apple's unified creative subscription challenging Adobe, Tata Punch's impact on the compact SUV segment, and the Apple-Google partnership bringing Gemini to Siri. It also includes a flagship smartphone comparison between the iQOO 15, OnePlus 15, and Galaxy S25, followed by on-ground coverage from Davos 2026 focusing on AI, governance, and global trust. Watch through the full episode to know more!
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 08:41 UTC
ADC, Obidient Collaboration Aims to Unseat APC in 2027
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has expressed confidence that the collaboration between the party and the Obidient Movement will dislodge the All Progressives Congress from power in 2027. Odigie-Oyegun, a former National Chairman of the APC, spoke on Monday in Benin during the mass defection of members of the Obidient Movement into the ADC in Edo State. Welcoming the Obidient Movement on Monday, Odigie-Oyegun said the influx of the Obidient Movement into the party signalled the readiness of Nigerians, particularly the youth, to engage in the struggle for a leadership change and national rebirth. Also speaking, the Edo State Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Asemota Idiogbe, said the ADC provided the most viable platform to challenge the APC both in Edo State and at the national level. The Edo State Chairman of the ADC, Kenneth Odion, welcomed the Obidient Movement into the party, saying the development positioned the ADC for strong electoral performance in future elections.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 08:12 UTC
2026 Tata Punch base Smart trim image gallery - Introduction
The base trim of the facelifted Tata Punch is dubbed 'Smart', prices for which start at Rs 5.59 lakh (ex-showroom) for the petrol-manual variant and extend to Rs 6.69 lakh (ex-showroom) for the CNG-manual powertrain. Feature offerings for the 2026 Punch Smart trim are mostly functional, including LED headlights with a follow-me-home function, powered front windows, keyless entry, idle start/stop, drive modes (City and Eco), manual climate control, and a 4-inch part-digital driver's display. Safety features include 6 airbags, ESC, hill hold assist, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX child seat anchorages, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and more.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 06:41 UTC
50th anniversary: A’Court lists 360 cases for speedy hearing
She added that the National Industrial Court had consistently supported the Court of Appeal with both court and residential accommodation. Justice Dongban-Mensem urged lawyers and litigants to ensure their matters were ripe for hearing and cautioned against unnecessary delays. While acknowledging Lagos’ appeal as a city, she stressed that the sitting was strictly for work. Justice Dongban-Mensem also called on lawyers, litigants, and the media to protect public confidence in the judiciary. In her closing remarks, Justice Dongban-Mensem urged all stakeholders to uphold integrity and professionalism as the court marks its golden jubilee.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 06:34 UTC
Miami RB Mark Fletcher Jr. throws punch at Indiana player after Hoosiers' national championship game win
Miami running back Mark Fletcher threw a punch at Indiana defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker after Monday night’s national title game. It’s unclear what prompted Fletcher to go after Tucker following the Hoosiers’ 27-21 win over the Hurricanes. He made a point to congratulate Miami native Fernando Mendoza after the game. Fletcher is a Miami native, too, and the title game was Mendoza’s first college start in his home city. Both scores cut Indiana’s lead to three points, but Miami never led at any point during the game.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 05:44 UTC
Unpaid debts: Protesting contractors block finance ministry again
There was tension on Monday at the entrance of the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja as protesting indigenous contractors blocked the premises, preventing the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, from entering the complex. The protesters, operating under the banner of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria, barricaded the main gate in protest over unpaid obligations allegedly owed by the Federal Government. He warned that the continued neglect of indigenous contractors was hurting the domestic economy and worsening financial distress within the sector. In December 2025, President Bola Tinubu constituted a multi-ministerial committee to address the debt owed to federal contractors, estimated at about N1.5tn. This budgetary provision follows mounting pressure from indigenous contractors and civil society groups who, in 2025, raised alarm over unpaid contractual obligations.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 05:21 UTC
Military discovers B’Haram underground storage, fuel dump
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have uncovered an underground Boko Haram logistics storage facility stocked with medical supplies, fuel and other critical materials after overrunning several terrorist enclaves in the Timbuktu Triangle area of Borno State. The Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Uba Sani, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday. Sani explained that the operation was supported by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai, which provided persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance coverage throughout the advance. “The air-ground synergy enabled real-time tracking of terrorist movements, deterred adversary reinforcement, and enhanced the precision and confidence of ground operations,” he said. However, Sani revealed that at about midday, the advancing troops came under armed drone attacks launched by the terrorists.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 04:39 UTC
Abuja stadium to gulp N24bn from NSC’s N203bn budget
The upgrade of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, is expected to gulp the sum of N24,642,000,000 from the N203,602,968,852 budget allocated to the National Sports Commission in the 2026 appropriation bill, The PUNCH reports. Chairman of the NSC, Shehu Dikko, had targeted the end of 2025 to commence work on the stadium as part of broader efforts to revive Nigeria’s sports infrastructure. Its poor condition forced the Super Eagles to relocate their home matches to the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. This is aside from N15,500,000,000 earmarked for the construction of a sports secretariat at the stadium. Meanwhile, the NSC has also earmarked N4,222,800,000 for Nigeria’s participation in the 2026 Commonwealth Games, scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 04:23 UTC
Kano Gov Meets Tinubu Amid APC Defection Speculation
Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf on Monday met with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid heightened speculation over his planned defection to the All Progressives Congress. The visit comes amid Yusuf’s planned defection from the New Nigeria People’s Party to the ruling APC, a move that has been postponed multiple times since early January. Mustapha Kwankwaso, and other cabinet members loyal to Kwankwaso have reportedly vowed to resign immediately if the governor officially joins the APC. A lawmaker and APC chieftain in Kano, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, claimed in a viral video that President Tinubu had directed that the APC’s ongoing e-registration exercise be suspended in Kano until Governor Yusuf formally joins the party. In a birthday statement on January 5 to mark Yusuf’s 63rd birthday, Tinubu lavished praise on the Kano governor, highlighting his infrastructural achievements and commitment to grassroots development.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 04:17 UTC
Rugby Australia investigating Waratahs training punch-up
Open Extended ReactionsRugby Australia [RA] is investigating a training ground punch-up between NSW Waratahs forwards Angus Scott-Young and Miles Amatosero, which has sidelined the former Queensland Reds back-rower and left him with a fractured eye socket. Given the franchise is now being operated by RA, the national body is conducting an investigation alongside Waratahs management. "The NSW Waratahs and Rugby Australia are aware of an incident that occurred recently during a Waratahs preseason training session and are reviewing the matter," a statement provided to ESPN reads. NSW will play two trial matches, against the Reds and Brumbies, before they then open their Super Rugby Pacific season at home to Queensland on Feb. 13. The Waratahs' Wallabies, including star backs Max Jorgensen and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, returned to training last week following a break that followed Australia's end-of-season tour to Japan and Europe.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 02:25 UTC