Tunde Bakare Nigerian police have arrested a 33-member gang over a November attack in which 38 people were abducted from a church in central Kwara state, police said on Tuesday, as part of a nationwide crackdown on violence. Federal police spokesperson Anthony Okon Placid said the gang carried out the November 18 attack on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku town and was also responsible for other kidnappings, cattle rustling, and armed robbery across the region. The 33 suspects were arrested in coordinated raids across Kwara and neighbouring Kogi state following human and technical intelligence, part of a wider operation…
Author: Orientalnews Staff
Joyce Onwuka The African Development Bank has reportedly approved a $200 million loan to support Nigeria’s plan to expand its national fiber-optic network and accelerate its digital transformation, the institution said on April 10. The funding is part of the D-VIBE (Digital Value Chain Infrastructure for Broadband Expansion) project, a flagship government initiative designed to increase the country’s fiber network from 30,000 to 120,000 kilometers. This aims to connect all 774 local government areas, including schools, health centers, farming zones, and rural communities, while strengthening cross-border links with neighboring countries such as Benin, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad. Estimated at $2 billion,…
Yemisi Izuora In line with commitment to driving innovation and supporting a more efficient and transparent capital market, the Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), has rolled out a range of new services aimed at improving investor experience, fostering inclusion, and strengthening market resilience. The new introductions which are Joint Accounts, Premium Investor Tiers, API Access, and Expanded Data Services, reflect CSCS’s continued evolution as Nigeria’s premier market infrastructure committed to deepening the Nigerian capital market. The introduction of Joint Accounts makes it easier for families, business partners, and co-investors to manage and monitor their investments together. This not…
Roland Iwuchukwu Nigeria’s Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian conglomerate, Rashmi Metaliks Group, on Tuesday, 14 April 2026, in Kolkata, India, for a projected investment of $1 billion over a three-year period. This followed the Minister’s tour of the Rashmi Metaliks Steel Plant in Kolkata, where he commended the scale of the operations and advanced technology deployed at the facility. He also lauded the company’s integrated operations — spanning Direct Reduced Iron (DRI), pig iron, billets and finished ductile iron pipes — describing them as a strong…
Tunde Bakare The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the Nigerian Police Force have renewed their commitment to strengthen the existing synergy between both agencies towards enhancing the security of Corps Members nationwide. The Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, stated this when he paid a courtesy visit on the Inspector General of Police, Mr Olatunji Disu, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. While congratulating Disu on his appointment, General Nafiu commended the IGP on the recent inauguration of his crack team. The Director General added that the Police has been instrumental to the success of NYSC…
Tunde Bakare A former Director-General (DG) of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Major General Johnson Olawunmi (Rtd) has described the Scheme as still relevant to national integration and development, over 50 years after it’s Inception. He added that the NYSC had continued to live up to the ideals that informed its establishment and met the expectations of Nigeria in all ramifications, despite the challenges faced by the Scheme. Olawumi emphasised that the relevance of the Scheme could not be over emphasised, highlighting the NYSC’s notable achievements in the areas of community development, critical interventions in national programmes, unity,…
Yemisi Izuora As preparations intensify for the Ekiti State governorship election, the International Press Centre (IPC) and the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO) are convening high-level media–stakeholder forum from April 15 to 16, 2026, aimed at reinforcing electoral accountability and safeguarding the integrity of the process. The engagements are within the framework of Component 4 (Support to Media) of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Phase II (EU-SDGN II) programme and will bring together journalists and key institutional actors to interrogate the evolving dynamics shaping the electoral environment and the media’s critical role in enabling informed political choices. Deliberations on the…
Uche Cecil Izuora The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced a new capacity‑building initiative focused on harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve revenue generation, remittances, and reconciliation within the Service. The training programme, held at the Ladi Kwali Hall of the Abuja Continental Hotel on Monday, 13 April 2026, brought together senior Customs officers, technology specialists, and members of the House and Senate Public Accounts Committees. During the opening session, Comptroller‑General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to transparency and modernisation in public financial management. He said AI is now central to understanding trade patterns, strengthening operations,…
Yemisi Izuora Nigeria is hosting the first ECOWAS Brown Card Zonal Meeting 2026 In Lagos, which has the presence of the Commissioner for Insurance, National Insurance Commission, Mr. Olusegun Ayo Omosehin. Omosehin, honoured the meeting with his attendance of the 1st Zonal Meeting of 2026 hosted by the Nigerian National Bureau of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme in Lagos from April 13–16, 2026. Theme: “The Digital Divide: Managing Change in the Brown Card Operational Strategy for Effective Cross-Border Claims Settlement.” Stakeholders from across West Africa will meet to boost digital integration, speed up cross-border claims,…
Agency Report Africa’s history was one defined by extraction and dependence. It’s time for a new future – one designed for Africans, by Africans, founded on interdependence and shared prosperity. Africa stands at a pivotal moment in its development journey. The continent’s resource abundance, the energy access imperative, industrial growth potential and youthful citizens present enormous commercial prospects. But the next frontier of African energy will need to be defined differently. This definition will be shaped by whether we are bold enough to build solutions that are truly designed for Africans, by Africans, and with long-term national and continental…