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
EU weighs response to Trump’s Greenland tariff threat: punch back or punching bag?
After a weekend of US President Donald Trump threatening to slap tariffs on EU countries for opposing his drive to acquire Greenland , the question on European lips on Monday was: will the bloc finally punch back? A string of national leaders has come out against the US president’s gambit, part of a long-running campaign to make the giant autonomous Danish territory part of America, with speculation mounting that the use of duties could trigger European retaliation. Advertisement“If Greenland goes it’s all over, everything is gone … Nato, everything,” according to an EU official who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the sense of panic in Brussels. Already, political groups in the European Parliament have signalled that they would not vote for an EU-US tariff deal reached last summer. An emergency meeting of the bloc’s 27 national leaders has been convened for Brussels on Thursday, with some expected to meet Trump in Davos before then.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 02:16 UTC
Telus delivers voluntary severance package ‘gut punch’ to workers
Nearly 700 workers for Telus in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec have received voluntary severance packages in what the United Steelworkers (USW) is calling a “New Year gut punch.”Voluntary severance packages (VSPs) offer money for workers to leave their jobs. United Steelworkers members received 527 VSPs, as well as 171 members from two Quebec locals of the Canadian Union of Public Employees. “All of those things are made very clear to folks who are being offered the package.”Making sales a bigger part of a workers role has already had an impact on some Telus technicians, Phillips said. Many of these workers were hired to do repairs and installation but are now expected to make sales while they work. Phillips said the USW is monitoring Telus’ financial situation closely and many workers are feeling resentment for becoming the punching bag for their employers’ financial pressures.
Source:Punch
January 20, 2026 00:25 UTC
LP, Ogun govt clash over alleged sale of housing estates
The Southwest Labour Party Vice Chairman, Comrade Abayomi Arabambi with the newly inaugurated leadership of the Ogun State chapter of the partyThe Labour Party has accused the Ogun State Government of allegedly selling government-owned housing assets, a claim the state government has dismissed as baseless and misleading. The National Vice Chairman (South-West) of the party, Abayomi Arabambi, alleged that the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun was disposing of public housing assets, including the Ibara Housing Estate in Abeokuta, buildings of the Ogun State Housing Corporation, and other properties under the corporation’s control. According to the party, rather than selling public estates, the government should focus on road construction, rehabilitation of existing housing facilities and strengthening the Housing Corporation to fulfil its mandate of providing affordable housing. The party demanded the immediate suspension of all housing asset disposals, full disclosure of beneficiaries and processes in line with Freedom of Information Act requests allegedly submitted over two months ago, and an independent audit of the Ogun State Housing Corporation. Reacting, the Ogun State Government dismissed the allegations as “hogwash,” describing them as the product of ignorance.
Source:Punch
January 19, 2026 23:46 UTC
Akor Adams scores brace for Sevilla on AFCON return
Sevilla striker Akor Adams made a memorable return from the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday, coming off the bench to score twice and secure a 2–2 draw against Elche, PUNCH Online reports. The hosts doubled their advantage 10 minutes into the second half through Germán Valera. Adams, who enjoyed a strong AFCON campaign in Morocco with Nigeria, was introduced at the start of the second half. The 25-year-old Adams featured in all seven of Nigeria’s AFCON matches, finishing the tournament with two goals and two assists as the Super Eagles claimed the bronze medal. Sevilla coach Matías Almeyda had confirmed that both Adams and Ejuke would be available for the Elche game after completing their AFCON commitments and arriving in Spain on Sunday.
Source:Punch
January 19, 2026 22:40 UTC
Customs intercept four live pangolins in Ogun
The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Ikeja, said it intercepted four live pangolins during a targeted patrol at Alapa Creek, Ajilete community, in Ogun State. Upon spotting the officers, the suspects fled into the creeks, abandoning both the pangolins and the boat”, he stated. According to him, to ensure the welfare of the animals, the seized endangered species were handed over to the Wildlife Conservation Centre for safekeeping. Aliyu reaffirmed the unit’s commitment to enforcing wildlife protection laws and partnering with stakeholders to eradicate trade in endangered species. PUNCH Online reports that CITES is a multilateral international agreement established in 1973 to regulate international trade in wild animals and plants.
Source:Punch
January 19, 2026 20:33 UTC
Tinubu, others mourn late Ilorin Chief Imam
According to the President, the late Islamic scholar played a significant role in promoting religious harmony, peaceful coexistence and community development. Tinubu prayed Almighty Allah to grant the late cleric Al-Jannah Firdaus and comfort his family, the Ilorin Emirate and the Muslim Ummah. “For over 40 years, Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Imam Solih led the Muslim community with erudition, humility and devotion. Also reacting, the Senator representing Kwara Central, Saliu Mustapha, described the death of the Chief Imam as a monumental loss to Ilorin Emirate and the Muslim world. Sheikh (Dr) Muhammad Bashir Imam Solih, born in the 1950s, was appointed the 12th Chief Imam of Ilorin in 1983.
Source:Punch
January 19, 2026 20:03 UTC
Morocco's king joins Trump's 'peace board' initiative
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has accepted US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his “Board of Peace” as a founding member, the Moroccan foreign ministry said on Monday. ”Welcoming President Donald Trump’s commitment and vision to promoting peace,” the monarch “has graciously accepted this invitation”, the ministry said in a statement published by MAP news agency, adding the country would “ratify the charter establishing this board”. The US-led initiative aims to “contribute to peace efforts in the Middle East and adopt a new approach to resolving conflicts around the world”, it said. The board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, but its charter does not appear to limit its role to the Palestinian territory. Others who have received invitations to join the new board, such as Putin, have not yet announced whether they will accept.
Source:Punch
January 19, 2026 20:00 UTC
Ex-OPEC president Alison-Madueke in UK court for corruption trial
Former OPEC president Diezani Alison-Madueke appeared in a London court on Monday, ahead of her full trial on bribery charges relating to her time as Nigeria’s oil minister. Preliminary proceedings, including technical matters and jury selection, began this week, with Alison-Madueke in attendance. Alison-Madueke, who was in office from 2010 to 2015, was the first woman oil minister in Nigeria and the first female president of the global oil cartel OPEC. “We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts,” the NCA said at the time. The trial is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 26 and is expected to last 10 to 12 weeks.
Source:Punch
January 19, 2026 19:49 UTC
Saraki pays tribute to late Ilorin Chief Imam
He described the late Chief Imam as an institution whose influence transcended the Ilorin Emirate and Kwara State, noting that his more than four decades of leadership on the mimbar made him a moral compass and spiritual authority for generations of Muslims. “Ilorin, Kwara State and the entire Nigerian Muslim Ummah have lost a rare gem, an accomplished scholar and a symbol of faith, moderation and service. “The late Chief Imam served diligently as the spiritual head of Ilorin and as Chairman of the Kwara State Council of Ulama, Alfas and Imams. Recalling his personal relationship with the late cleric, Saraki described it as one of father and son. Sheikh Salihu, who served as the 12th Chief Imam of Ilorin, was widely respected for his deep knowledge of Islamic theology, humility and dedication to the unity of the Muslim Ummah.
Source:Punch
January 19, 2026 18:57 UTC
Destiny Boy’s mother reveals son battled with long mysterious illness
Saida, the mother of popular Afrobeat star Afeez Adeshina, popularly known as Destiny Boy, has revealed the real reason behind the death of her son. “Destiny went to rest. Oba Edu said we should ensure he’s properly treated and that he will take care of himself. He wouldn’t have gone to Ife if Destiny Boy were in good condition. They invited his father too before he was taken to the hospital.”Recall that Destiny Boy died on Sunday at the age of 22 years.
Source:Punch
January 19, 2026 18:11 UTC