Senate suspends Electoral Act debate, Shariah council demands Amupitan’s removal
Although the House of Representatives has already passed the bill, the Senate stressed the need for a more deliberate review process. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, underscored the importance of caution, particularly as preparations for future elections intensify. The council said Muslims across the country would not recognise or legitimise any election conducted under the leadership of an INEC chairman whose integrity, it claimed, is under a cloud. “How can Nigerians, especially Muslims, repose confidence in an INEC chairman who has been linked to such a divisive narrative,” the council’s president questioned. He warned that proceeding with elections under the current INEC leadership could worsen tensions.
Source:Punch
January 29, 2026 06:57 UTC
AFCON 2025 sets digital record with over 5 billion views
The CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 recorded a landmark digital footprint, generating a record 6.1 billion digital impressions and 5.2 billion video views across social media platforms. For comparison, AFCON 2023 recorded approximately 2.1 billion digital views, meaning the 2025 edition nearly tripled that total. “The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 is now the most viewed football continental competition, generating an extraordinary 5.2 billion video views,” CAF said. According to the body, one of the biggest areas of growth came from the African diaspora, with millions of new users engaging with AFCON 2025 content throughout the tournament. “From breathtaking goals and dramatic match moments to behind-the-scenes access and fan reactions, content from TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Morocco 2025 travelled at remarkable speed across borders, languages and cultures, reinforcing the competition’s status as a truly global spectacle.
Source:Punch
January 29, 2026 06:51 UTC
Ogun bridge railing collapse injures roadside trader
A yet-to-be-identified male roadside trader was injured on Wednesday after a railing attached to a bridge under construction collapsed on him in the Ojuore area of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State. Akinbiyi said the trader was trapped beneath the fallen railing before being rescued by sympathisers, TRACE officials, and site engineers. He said, “A serious accident occurred today at the Ojuore road construction site when a section of the railing of the bridge under construction unexpectedly gave way. “The victim’s family has since taken custody of him and transported him to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention,” Akinbiyi added. He noted that efforts were ongoing to remove the fallen railing, while TRACE officials and the police remained at the scene to manage traffic and ensure safety.
Source:Punch
January 29, 2026 05:06 UTC
FG earmarks over N13bn for arms purchase
The Federal Government has earmarked over N13.12bn for the procurement of arms, ammunition and related equipment for Nigeria’s security agencies in the 2026 appropriation bills. The Nigerian Air Force accounts for the largest share of the allocation, with N6.13bn set aside for various aircraft platforms, arms and ammunition. The Nigerian Immigration Service has been allocated N702.7m for arms, ammunition, webbing and ballistic protection equipment, while the Nigeria Police Force will receive N1.03bn for arms, ammunition and protective gear. The Department of State Services is expected to spend N1bn on arms and ammunition under the 2026 budget. Analysts note that unless further procurements are approved, Nigeria’s arms acquisition spending could decline further in 2026 despite mounting security challenges across the country.
Source:Punch
January 29, 2026 04:35 UTC
Nigeria's Oil Revenue Hits N55.5tn from Crude Sales in 2025
Crude oil production opened the year strongly at 47.70 million barrels in January, before falling to 41.02 million barrels in February. Production rebounded in the final quarter, reaching 43.44 million barrels in October, 43.08 million barrels in November, and 44.08 million barrels in December, according to the NUPRC. Applying this average price to Nigeria’s total crude oil production of 530.41 million barrels, estimated gross crude oil revenue for 2025 stood at approximately $38.23bn. Converted at an exchange rate of N1,450 to the dollar, this translates to about N55.5tn in crude oil earnings for the year. Missed targetIn the 2025 budget, Nigeria planned to produce at least 2.1 million barrels of oil (crude oil and condensate) per day.
Source:Punch
January 29, 2026 03:30 UTC
APC Manages Defections, Internal Crises Ahead of 2027 Polls
Those in attendance included the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang; Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; Kebbi State Governor, Mohammed Idris; Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru; Sokoto State Governor, Ahmad Aliyu; Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo; Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia; Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno; Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, among others. Last year, the APC unveiled a detailed timetable of activities for its nationwide ward, local government, state and zonal congresses, which will culminate in the party’s national convention. The emergency-style consultation by the APC leadership is coming at a time of unprecedented political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the ruling party recording its biggest wave of defections since it took power in 2015. The defected governors are Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers State, from the Peoples Democratic Party); Peter Mbah (Enugu State, PDP); Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta State, PDP); Douye Diri (Bayelsa State, PDP); Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom State, PDP); Agbu Kefas (Taraba State, PDP); Abba Yusuf (Kano State, from the New Nigeria Peoples Party); and Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau State, PDP). Control of these congresses is seen as crucial, as they will ultimately shape the composition of the party’s National Working Committee at the March national convention.
Source:Punch
January 29, 2026 01:53 UTC
Lawyers' absence stalls ex-JAMB registrar's fraud trial
The absence of lawyers for both the prosecution and defence on Wednesday stalled proceedings in the alleged N5.2bn fraud trial of a former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Dibu Ojerinde, at the Federal High Court in Abuja. When the matter was called before Justice Obiora Egwuatu, neither the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission nor Ojerinde was represented in court. The ICPC alleged that he committed multiple financial infractions while heading the National Examinations Council and JAMB, including abuse of office and fraudulent diversion of public funds to the tune of N5.2bn. The judge held that the elements of the offences had been identified by the prosecution’s witnesses, requiring the defendant to open his defence. The commission said the alleged offences contravened Sections 19, 24, 25(1)(a) and (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, 2006.
Source:Punch
January 29, 2026 01:01 UTC
Bukka Hut Empowers Small Businesses with Annual Yard Sale
Bukka Hut has reiterated its commitment to supporting small business owners following its annual Bukka Hut Yard Sale 6.0, which was held in December 2025. Bukka Hut said it acted swiftly to address the situation by compensating affected vendors and making provisions for their continued participation. The company stated that it paid each affected business owner at the Lekki location a compensation of N50,000 and guaranteed them slots at the upcoming Bukka Hut Yard Sale 7.0. He said, “The Bukka Hut Yard Sale was created to empower budding entrepreneurs, as this is one of the ways we give back to the communities we operate in. Bukka Hut noted that preparations had already begun for Yard Sale 7.0, stressing its goal of creating accessible opportunities for small businesses to scale.
Source:Punch
January 29, 2026 00:48 UTC
Old Windows quirks help punch through new admin defenses
Microsoft patched a bevy of bugs that allowed bypasses of Windows Administrator Protection before the feature was made available earlier this month. He added that he likely only found it because he was previously familiar with the OS's "weird behavior when creating the DOS device object directory." Because the kernel creates a DOS device object directory on demand, rather than at login, it cannot check whether the user is an admin during the creation process. Further, due to a separate security mitigation Microsoft implemented to prevent C drive hijacking, the system service launching the process ignores the impersonated token's DOS device object directory. Microsoft fixed this by preventing DOS device object directory creation when impersonating a shadow admin token at the identification level.
Source:Punch
January 28, 2026 16:47 UTC
Iran Warns US of Strong Retaliation Amid Trump's Threats
Iran will deliver an unprecedented retaliation to any US attack, its mission to the United Nations said Wednesday, in response to a military threat from President Donald Trump. The Iranian mission, warning against US intervention, also referenced the United States’ casualties and expenditures in its past two wars. Trump on Wednesday renewed threats to attack Iran, saying “time is running out” to make a deal on nuclear weapons. They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse!”Trump has repeatedly left open the option of new military action against Iran after Washington joined Israel’s 12-day war in June aimed at degrading Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Source:Punch
January 28, 2026 16:44 UTC
Senate suspends Electoral Act amendment debate for review
The Senate on Wednesday deferred consideration of the report on the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2026, opting to subject the proposed amendments to further scrutiny before taking a final decision. The decision followed deliberations on the report of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters during plenary, which was held in the absence of the committee’s chairman, Senator Simon Lalong. In addition, the upper chamber agreed to reconvene in an executive session to enable closed-door discussions on sensitive aspects of the proposed electoral reforms, reflecting concerns over the far-reaching implications of the legislation. Although the House of Representatives has already passed the bill, the Senate insisted on a more deliberate review process. The committee consequently recommended that the Senate consider and pass the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2025, as amended, noting that the proposed reforms are designed to expand voter participation, safeguard against electoral malpractice and strengthen the institutional capacity of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Source:Punch
January 28, 2026 16:12 UTC
Peter Obi knocks Tinubu over frequent grid collapses
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the frequent collapse of Nigeria’s national electricity grid, warning that the situation contradicts the President’s 2022 campaign promise to deliver steady power in his first four years or not seek a second term. In a post on his X account on Wednesday, Obi noted that the national grid collapsed twice in January 2026 alone, while in 2025 it reportedly failed about 12 times. At this rate, we may soon hear of trips to Palau or Vanuatu while critical issues remain unattended at home,” he added. He further urged Nigerians to focus on demanding accountability and responsible leadership rather than being preoccupied with the next election. PUNCH Online reports that the national grid collapsed again on Tuesday, marking the second system failure in just four days in January 2026.
Source:Punch
January 28, 2026 15:39 UTC
Police Uncover N7.7bn Telecom Fraud in Nigeria, Arrest 6
The Nigeria Police Force has uncovered a ₦7.7 billion cyber-enabled telecommunications fraud and arrested six suspects linked to the illegal diversion of airtime and data resources belonging to a telecom company. In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Benjamin Hundeyin, the police said the operation was carried out by the National Cybercrime Centre following a petition from the affected company. “They include Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu, and Masa’ud Sa’ad,” the police said. Items recovered from the suspects include “two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM and laptop retail outlets containing over 400 laptops, 1,000 mobile phones, as well as a Toyota RAV4 vehicle — all proceeds of the crime.”The police also said “substantial sums of money traced to the suspects’ accounts were recovered,” and that “the suspects would be charged to court on the completion of the investigation.”Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the officers involved in the operation. The statement quoted the IGP as saying he “commended the officers involved in the investigation for their professionalism.”He also “reiterated the unwavering resolve of the Nigeria Police Force, through the NPF–NCCC, to safeguard Nigeria’s digital and financial ecosystems, dismantle cyber-criminal networks, and ensure that offenders are held accountable regardless of position or affiliation.”
Source:Punch
January 28, 2026 15:28 UTC
AI in Journalism: Adapt to Thrive, Don't Get Replaced
The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Oyo State Council, Akeem Abas, has said that Artificial Intelligence can only replace journalists without updated digital skills. Abas said this in Ibadan on Wednesday at a two-day AI training, organised by the state council in collaboration with the American Open University, Nigeria. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the training is entitled “Empowering Journalists with Artificial Intelligence for Ethical, Innovative and Future-ready Journalism”. “This training of 120 journalists is a direct fulfilment of that promise; AI will not replace journalists, it will only replace journalists who refuse to learn,” he said. Meanwhile, the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, described the emergence of AI as a good development.
Source:Punch
January 28, 2026 15:21 UTC
Omokri: Sowore cannot rely on my withdrawn statements
Reacting, Omokri admitted that he made the remarks in the past but said he later discovered they were untrue and withdrew them publicly. “In that judgment, the honourable court declared that there were no criminal charges or convictions against the President,” Omokri stated. Addressing the legal argument raised in court, Omokri said Sowore could not rely on statements he had withdrawn years earlier to defend later publications. “Therefore, Mr Sowore cannot rely on statements I made between 2022 and 2023, and then publicly withdrew in 2023, as a defence for statements he made in August 2025,” he said. One clip showed Omokri in a 2023 ARISE News interview saying, “Drug lord is not an unprintable name.
Source:Punch
January 28, 2026 14:46 UTC