General news

• 20m Nigerian children lost between primary, secondary school

  30-06-2026 17:21 via vanguardngr.com
  
  as FG vows to scraps failed education policyBy Joseph Erunke, AbujaThe Federal Government on Tuesday revealed that more than 20 million Nigerian children who enrolled in primary schools never made it to senior secondary education, exposing what it described as one of the country’s gravest education crises.In a decisive move to reverse the trend, the government also announced plans to abolish the controversial disarticulation policy that separated Junior Secondary SchoolsJSS,from Senior Se
  
  Read more

• How DSS arrested ex-minister Nnaji

  01-07-2026 16:41 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Soni Daniel, AbujaOperatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Wednesday arrested former Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, as he was preparing to board a private jet to Abuja.Security sources said Nnaji, who resigned in October last year under controversial circumstances, was arrested by DSS operatives at the request of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over allegations of c
  
  Read more

• CBN revokes 46 MFBs’ licences

  01-07-2026 16:37 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau ChiefThe Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revoked the operating licences of 46 Microfinance Banks (MFBs).A statement by the CBN’s Ag. Director of Communications, Mrs. Hakama Sidi-Ali said the revocation becomes effective today.She said the revocation was in accordance with its powers under Sections 12 and 13 of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA), 2020.“The revocation was approved by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Olay
  
  Read more

• We build bridges, roads without mortgaging Osun – Adeleke

  01-07-2026 16:34 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Shina Abubakar, OsogboOsun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has disclosed that his administration is building roads and bridges without mortgaging the future of the younger generation.The Governor spoke at the inauguration of the 672-meter Lameco Flyover, which began construction in October 2023 as part of the administration’s N100 billion special infrastructure projects.Speaking at the commissioning of the flyover on Wednesday in Osogbo, Governor Adeleke said the project is one of sever
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Military kills 224 terrorists, rescues 279 victims in NW, NC operations

  01-07-2026 16:34 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The Defence Headquarters says troops neutralised no fewer than 224 terrorists, arrested more than 423 suspects and rescued 279 kidnapped victims during operations across the North-West and North-Central in the second quarter.The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the operational activities of the Armed Forces for the second quarter on Wednesday in Abuja.Onoja said the successes were recorded through sustained offensive operati
  
  Read more

• World Cup 2026: Davido places $12,000 bet on Senegal to beat Belgium

  01-07-2026 16:20 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Emmanuel OkogbaPopular Nigerian musician Davido has placed a high-stakes bet of $12,000 on Senegal to defeat Belgium in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match on Wednesday.The bet, placed via the betting platform Stake, also includes additional selections: Both Teams to Score and Under 3.5 goals.According to details from the betting slip, Davido will get a payout of $123,872.51 if all selections win.This latest high-profile bet by the music star comes as football fans across Africa clos
  
  Read more

• Suspected herdsmen kill 10, injure 15 in fresh Benue attack

  01-07-2026 16:11 via vanguardngr.com
  
  …Alia orders manhuntBy Peter DuruNo fewer than 10 persons were reportedly killed and over 15 others injured in the early hours of Wednesday when suspected armed herdsmen attacked Sai community in Mbajir Council Ward of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue State.The latest attack came less than a week after the killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Ardo Risku Muhammad, who was ambushed and murdered at Okudu com
  
  Read more

• ‘I’m profiting because the stock market is up,’ Trump defends $1bn crypto earnings

  01-07-2026 16:10 via vanguardngr.com
  
  US President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended earning around $1.2 billion from his family’s cryptocurrency activities last year, saying “everybody’s profiting” from his time in power.“You know why I’m profiting, because the stock market’s going up, everybody’s profiting,” Trump told reporters as he prepared to take his first flight on a new Air Force One plane gifted by Qatar.Asked about criticisms that he was using his position to enrich
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Jigawa approves N7.5m initial deposit for 2027 Hajj exercise

  01-07-2026 16:02 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board has directed intending pilgrims to make an initial deposit of N7.5 million for the 2027 Hajj exercise.
  Its Director-General, Alhaji Ahmed Umar, said this in a statement by the board’s spokesman, Habibu Yarima, on Wednesday in Dutse.
  Umar, who spoke during a meeting with the board’s zonal officers, said the measure was in line with its resolve to prepare for a hitch-free Hajj exercise.
  He said that only 87 days remained until the September date
  
  Read more

• Full List: Olise tops assists chart at 2026 World Cup

  01-07-2026 15:59 via vanguardngr.com
  
  France winger Michael Olise has moved to the top of the assists chart at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after another impressive display in Les Bleus’ Round of 32 victory over Sweden.Olise registered two assists in France’s comfortable 3-0 win, helping Didier Deschamps’ side book a place in the Round of 16, where they will face Paraguay.The Bayern Munich star set up two second-half goals to take his tally to five assists in the tournament, making him the outright leader in the playma
  
  Read more

• Why I quit acting in 2019 — Deyemi Okanlawon

  01-07-2026 15:51 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Popular Nollywood actor Deyemi Okanlawon has disclosed that he temporarily stepped away from acting in 2019 after becoming dissatisfied with the quality of roles he was offered and the financial rewards that came with them.Speaking during a recent episode of the CreativiTea podcast, the actor reflected on a challenging period in his career, explaining that acting no longer gave him the sense of fulfilment he had hoped for.Okanlawon said he had resigned from his corporate job to pursue acting fu
  
  Read more

• US signs agreement to build permanent embassy in Jerusalem

  01-07-2026 15:48 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The United States on Wednesday signed an agreement to build a new embassy compound in Jerusalem, in a move that Israel said reflected the “unbreakable alliance” between the countries.During his first term, US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 2017 and ordered the relocation of Washington’s diplomatic mission from Tel Aviv.But the services were spread across several locations in Jerusalem until a single permanent site could be fou
  
  Read more

• 2027: Era of ballot box snatching, results manipulation over, INEC declares

  01-07-2026 15:41 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Omeiza Ajayi, AbujaChairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan SAN, has declared that the era of ballot box snatching and manual manipulation of election results is gone, assuring Nigerians that current technological safeguards are robust enough to protect every vote cast in the 2027 general elections.Amupitan made the declaration on Wednesday in Abuja when he received the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lan
  
  Read more

• ‘I’m profiting because…’ – Trump defends $1bn crypto earning

  01-07-2026 15:36 via vanguardngr.com
  
  US President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended earning around $1.2 billion from his family’s cryptocurrency activities last year, saying “everybody’s profiting” from his time in power.“You know why I’m profiting, because the stock market’s going up, everybody’s profiting,” Trump told reporters as he prepared to take his first flight on a new Air Force One plane gifted by Qatar.Asked about criticisms that he was using his position to enrich
  
  Read more

• Trump says Iran talks were ‘very good’ 

  01-07-2026 15:32 via vanguardngr.com
  
  President Donald Trump hailed the progress on Wednesday of indirect talks between Iran and the United States, saying there had been “very good meetings” in Doha.“As far as things are going, the denuclearization of Iran is moving along well. They’ve had very good meetings, and we’ll see,” Trump told reporters as he prepared to board his new Qatar-gifted Air Force One plane for a trip to North Dakota.“We hit them very hard… but we’re getting
  
  Read more

• Navy discovers illegal crude oil storage hub, recovers 20,500 litres in Rivers

  01-07-2026 15:31 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The Nigerian Navy has discovered and neutralised another illegal crude oil storage facility in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers.
  The Director of Naval Information, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, said the operation was carried out by personnel of Forward Operating Base (FOB) BONNY under Operation DELTA SENTINEL.
  According to Folorunsho, personnel acted on credible intelligence and conducted an operation around the Bethel Community axis, where they uncovered
  
  Read more

• FG vows stronger health reforms as NHEA honours 31 healthcare champions

  01-07-2026 15:28 via vanguardngr.com
  
  … Recognition of excellence will drive innovation, accountability, resilience in sector — Salako
  By Chioma ObinnaThe Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system through reforms, strategic investments and stronger partnerships, as the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Awards, NHEA, honoured 31 outstanding healthcare institutions, professionals and innovators.
  Speaking at the 2026 edition of the awards held in Lagos, the Minister o
  
  Read more

• IHRDA raises concern over defamation judgment against SERAP

  01-07-2026 15:26 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA) has expressed concern over the N100 million defamation judgment awarded against the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), warning that the ruling could have a chilling effect on civic space and public-interest advocacy in Nigeria.In a statement issued on June 24, the pan-African human rights organisation said the judgment, delivered by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on May 5, 2026, rais
  
  Read more

• Ebola outbreak could cost Africa $3.6 bn, says UN

  01-07-2026 15:09 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo threatens tens of thousands of jobs and could cost Africa up to $3.6 billion, the United Nations warned.The UN Development Programme said the epidemic was “sparking a far-reaching socioeconomic crisis which could push 985,000 more people into poverty”.“The Ebola crisis also risks eliminating tens of thousands of jobs, disrupting education and healthcare services, and costing African economies up to $3.6 billion if b
  
  Read more

• Oyo abduction: NUT suspends strike, directs teachers to resume work Thursday

  01-07-2026 14:59 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Adeola BadruThe Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has suspended its strike across public schools in Oyo State, directing teachers to resume work on Thursday, following renewed engagements with the state government and assurances of enhanced security measures after the abduction of teachers and pupils in Oriire Local Government Area.In a statement jointly signed by the union’s Oyo State Chairman, Hassan Ajibola Fatai, and Secretary, Olukayode Salami, on Wednesday, the union announced that
  
  Read more

• 120 dead in latest Sudan cholera outbreak – WHO

  01-07-2026 14:58 via vanguardngr.com
  
  A cholera outbreak in Sudan has killed 120 people, with another 1,102 suspected cases since May in isolated war zones, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.More than three years of war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have decimated the country’s healthcare system.This is Sudan’s third wave of cholera in as many years, and began only two months after the last outbreak was declared over in March.Between July 2024 and March 2026, over
  
  Read more

• No new insurgency group in Kebbi – Commissioner

  01-07-2026 14:43 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Kebbi State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed, has dismissed reports of the emergence of a new insurgency group in the state, calling it “Sai Malam”.
  Ahmed stated this when he led a high-level media delegation on a courtesy call to the Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Malam Ali M. Ali, in Abuja on Tuesday.
  He described the insinuation as not only an outright lie but also a calculated misinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
  Th
  
  Read more

• Injured Serena’s Wimbledon doubles bid with sister Venus in doubt

  01-07-2026 14:42 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Serena Williams could be forced to pull out of the Wimbledon doubles event after the American legend suffered a knee injury in her first round singles defeat.Williams, playing her first singles match in four years, was beaten by Australia’s Maya Joint in a three-set epic on Centre Court late on Tuesday evening.The 44-year-old, who retired in 2022, made a sensational comeback in June, playing doubles tournaments at Queen’s Club and Berlin.She is due to join forces with sister Venus W
  
  Read more

• Fake NAFDAC registration used to smuggle unregistered drugs into Nigeria — Customs

  01-07-2026 14:41 via vanguardngr.com
  
  …as Custom hands over N53.39bn worth of seized drugs, expired pharmaceuticals to NDLEA, NAFDACBy Efe OnodjaeThe Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has uncovered an attempt to smuggle unregistered pharmaceutical products into Nigeria using a fake registration number belonging to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this on Wednesday during the handover of seized narcotic drugs and expired pharmac
  
  Read more

• Beyond the Books: The Lessons I Took Home from Dr. Jerry Oluranti’s Historic Launch

  01-07-2026 14:36 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Samuel Oluwamuyiwa Olaniyan (BigsamOAP)It is not every day that a community witnesses an event capable of inspiring a generation. The recent launch of three books by renowned business executive, humanitarian, and community leader, Dr. Jerry Oluranti, was one such occasion. For me, it was more than a ceremonial unveiling of books; it was a masterclass in leadership, philanthropy, faith, and purposeful living.The first lesson was Dr. Oluranti’s unwavering commitment to community developm
  
  Read more

• How to Apply: FRSC opens 2026 recruitment portal, invites applications for positions

  01-07-2026 14:35 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has announced the commencement of its 2026 recruitment exercise, with interested and qualified Nigerians invited to apply for vacancies in different cadres of the organisation.According to a recruitment notice issued by the corps, online applications will open on Friday, July 3, 2026, and remain available for four weeks through the agency’s official recruitment portal.The notice, dated June 24, was signed by the Deputy Corps Marshal and Head of Adminis
  
  Read more

• Party deregistration rulings endangering Nigeria’s multiparty democracy – IPAC

  01-07-2026 14:31 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has expressed concern over recurring court judgments ordering the deregistration of political parties, warning that they threaten Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
  The National Publicity Secretary of the council, Mr Martins Egbeola, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that the developments constituted a disturbing trend.
  Egbeola said that unchecked judicial pronouncements could weaken the country’s multi-party politic
  
  Read more

• International Criminal Court says Mali, Burkina, Niger withdrawals undermine justice

  01-07-2026 14:24 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The executive body of the International Criminal Court Wednesday voiced concern over the recent withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, saying it undermined the global pursuit of justice.The military-led West Africa states announced in September they were pulling out of the ICC, which prosecutes individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity.The three countries said in a joint statement last year that the court, based in The Hague, was “an instrument of neo-colonialist repres
  
  Read more

• Village People singer Victor Willis dies at 74

  01-07-2026 14:13 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Victor Willis, lead singer of the disco group Village People whose hit “Y.M.C.A.” became a fixture at rallies for US President Donald Trump, has died, his spouse said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. He was 74.“It is with profound sadness that I must announce the death of my husband, VICTOR WILLIS. Victor passed away on Tuesday June 30, 2026 as a result of a short, but aggressive illness,” the post on Willis’s official page said.The Texas-born musician co-founded V
  
  Read more

• Two killed, four suspected attackers neutralised in Plateau

  01-07-2026 14:11 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Golok Nanmwa, JosTwo persons have been killed in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, while four suspected attackers were neutralised during a separate confrontation in Jos South Local Government Area, according to the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM).BYM disclosed this in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong, in which the association condemned what it described as recurring attacks on communities and called for urgent intervention by se
  
  Read more

Follow @GeneralNews_NGR on Twitter!