General news

• 3 countries Nigeria will face in 2027 AFCON qualifiers

  28-08-2026 13:12 via vanguardngr.com
  Nigeria’s Super Eagles have been handed a three-team group for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON qualifiers, with Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau standing between them and a place at the continental tournament.The draw, conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Cairo on May 19, 2026, placed Nigeria in Group L alongside the three countries.The 2027 AFCON will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
  Tanzania’s presence in
  
  Read more

• UK deploys response team to Nepal after floods

  29-08-2026 12:48 via punchng.com
  
  The UK has deployed a Rapid Deployment Team to Nepal to support British nationals affected by devastating floods. Find out more about the UK Nepal floods rRead More: https://punchng.com/uk-deploys-response-team-to-nepal-after-floods/
  
  Read more

• Shettima opts for low-key 60th birthday celebration

  29-08-2026 12:48 via punchng.com
  
  Vice President Kashim Shettima requests no public celebrations or ads for his 60th birthday, urging focus on national development and prayers for Nigeria.Read More: https://punchng.com/shettima-opts-for-low-key-60th-birthday-celebration-discourages-birthday-adverts/
  
  Read more

• Gunfire, as Niger insurgents attempt to storm presidential palace

  29-08-2026 12:30 via vanguardngr.com
  Niger’s presidential guard on Saturday repelled “insurgents from within the armed forces” who tried to enter the presidential palace in Niamey, where shooting was ongoing, a security source told AFP.Heavy gunfire was heard in several neighbourhoods of the capital throughout the night, notably in the city centre near the presidential palace.There were also shootings in the airport area where there is a major military base.The state television signal was cut for just over an hou
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Iran president backtracks, admits US sanctions hurting economy

  29-08-2026 12:28 via vanguardngr.com
  Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has admitted that US sanctions on his country are hurting its economy, despite just days ago insisting they would achieve nothing.“Some say sanctions have no effect at all; to those people, I really don’t know what to say,” Pezeshkian told state TV in an interview late on Friday.“We are in a war situation, and we must accept these wartime conditions,” he added.On Monday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent laid out plans for
  
  Read more

• 27 die in Church bus crash

  29-08-2026 12:21 via vanguardngr.com
  A minibus carrying churchgoers collided head-on with a truck in central Zimbabwe, killing at least 27 people, police said Saturday, in the latest deadly road crash to hit the country.The crash occurred at around 1830 GMT on Friday near Chivhu, about 140 kilometres (87 miles) south of the capital Harare, police said.The foreign-registered haulage truck was overtaking another vehicle when it collided with the minibus, which was carrying worshippers to a conference.Both vehicles were carrying an &
  
  Read more

• Shettima bans congratulatory advertisements on his birthday

  29-08-2026 12:07 via vanguardngr.com
  Vice President Kashim Shettima has appealed to well-wishers to refrain from placing congratulatory advertisements in newspapers or airing celebratory messages on radio, television and digital platforms on his 60th birthday.Read Also: Broken Systems: How graft sabotages Nigeria’s growth, governanceShettima made the appeal on Saturday in a statement issued by Mr Stanley Nkwocha, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications.Recall that Kashim Shettima’
  
  Read more

• I depend on God to lead Ekiti right — Oyebanji

  29-08-2026 12:06 via punchng.com
  
  Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji emphasizes his reliance on God for divine guidance in leading Ekiti towards peace and economic prosperity. Learn moreRead More: https://punchng.com/i-depend-on-god-to-lead-ekiti-right-oyebanji/
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• BBNaija: Your peace call not convincing – Nomy tells Tram

  29-08-2026 12:01 via vanguardngr.com
  Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) season 11 housemate Nomy has said she is not convinced that fellow housemate Tram was sincere in his call for them to “squash their beef”.Tram recently pulled Nomy aside for a heart-to-heart conversation, telling her he wanted to move past their previous volatile history and even suggesting she align with the “right side” of the house because the next five weeks, according to him, would be “hell”.“You’re feisty, just li
  
  Read more

• VIDEO: K1 prostrates for Obasanjo at Olota of Ota’s 60th birthday

  29-08-2026 11:52 via punchng.com
  
  Former President Olusegun Obasanjo joined Fuji legend King Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, on stage during the 60th birthday celebration of the Olota of Ota, Oba Professor Abdulkabir Adewale Obalanlege, in a moment that captured traditional Yoruba respect and cultural display. The now-viral video shared on Instagram by #k1deultimatedigitalmedia on Friday showedRead More: https://punchng.com/video-k1-prostrates-for-obasanjo-at-olota-of-otas-60th-birthday/
  
  Read more

• Police rescue two Colombian women held captive in Lagos

  29-08-2026 11:52 via punchng.com
  
  Two Colombian women, lured to Nigeria and held captive by a human trafficking syndicate, have been rescued by the Nigeria Police Force in Lagos.Read More: https://punchng.com/police-rescue-two-colombian-women-held-captive-in-lagos/
  
  Read more

• Interpol rescues 2 Colombian women lured to Nigeria by traffickers

  29-08-2026 11:32 via vanguardngr.com
  By Kingsley Omonobi​In furtherance of the fight against transnational organised crime, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the National Central Bureau (NCB-INTERPOL), Lagos Annex, have successfully rescued two foreign nationals lured to Nigeria and held captive by a human trafficking syndicate.​Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Aniete Iniedu, made this known on Saturday, saying, “The successful operation followed actionable intelligence received from INTERPOL-
  
  Read more

• Rescuers claw through mud as Nepal, China flood missing toll nears 3,000

  29-08-2026 11:31 via vanguardngr.com
  Rescuers in Nepal and China were battling Saturday to locate thousands of people missing days after a deadly, tsunami-like wall of water and debris swept through the Himalayan region, engulfing entire villages.The latest figures from both countries put the number of missing close to 3,000, with 633 bodies recovered — and reports of some dead possibly swept downstream as far away as India.Rescue worker Kawan Koirala, from the Nepal Scout Disaster Response Team, said they were struggling in
  
  Read more

• Ex-FIRS chairman Nami emerges Niger PDP governorship candidate

  29-08-2026 11:23 via vanguardngr.com
  The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially named former Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, Muhammad Nami, as its flagbearer for the 2027 Niger State governorship election.This was disclosed in a press statement released by his campaign team on Saturday.According to the statement, Nami will lead the PDP’s push to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.Nami, a technocrat and tax administrator, previously contested
  
  Read more

• VIDEO: Why Yoruba movies dominate cinema, digital platforms over Igbo — Francis Duru

  29-08-2026 11:20 via punchng.com
  
  Nollywood actor Francis Duru explains why Yoruba movies are more prevalent on cinema and streaming platforms than Igbo films, urging Igbo filmmakers to adaRead More: https://punchng.com/video-why-yoruba-movies-dominate-cinema-digital-platforms-over-igbo-francis-duru/
  
  Read more

• How friend deceived me to sell my kidney, bought phones with payment — Victim

  29-08-2026 11:20 via punchng.com
  
  A Nigerian victim recounts how his friend allegedly deceived him into selling his kidney, then spent the payment on phones and gadgets. Learn more about thRead More: https://punchng.com/how-friend-deceived-me-to-sell-my-kidney-bought-phones-with-payment-victim/
  
  Read more

• Hamzat urges South-West govs to deepen regional integration

  29-08-2026 11:20 via punchng.com
  
  Lagos Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat calls on South-West governors to deepen regional integration for economic growth, stressing collaboration over constitRead More: https://punchng.com/hamzat-urges-south-west-govs-to-deepen-regional-integration/
  
  Read more

• ESCRAVOS: Ugborodo urge NCDMB to execute Navy facility projects

  29-08-2026 11:05 via vanguardngr.com
  Ugborodo Community Management Committee, UCMC, has urged the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, to urgently commence the execution of infrastructural projects earmarked for the Nigerian Navy Escravos Ship facility at Madangho in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.UCMC also commended the member representing Warri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, for strengthening the operational capacity of the Nigeria Police
  
  Read more

• Nigerian football reform: Gusau’s board resignation alone not enough – Adokiye

  29-08-2026 11:01 via vanguardngr.com
  By Jacob AjomIn what looked like a volcano, the Nigerian football scene was taken by storm with a torrent of resignations that swept away the Ibrahim Gusau-led board of the Nigeria Football Federation.
  The General Secretary Alhaji Mohammed Sanusi was not spared either, as he too left his office. Furthermore, Boards and Chief Executives of all the domestic leagues, the NPFL, NNL, NWFL and others were also swept away by the hurricane. There have been a lot of reactions by prominent stakehold
  
  Read more

• National TV signal cut in Niger after heavy gunfire

  29-08-2026 11:01 via vanguardngr.com
  Niger’s national television was off air on Saturday after a night of heavy gunfire in parts of the capital, including around a military base near the city’s airport which has been attacked twice this year by jihadists.Niger has been ruled for three years by a military junta that has struggled to contain jihadist violence, which has blighted the West African country for around a decade.The origins of Saturday’s shooting were not immediately clear but the military said: “I
  
  Read more

• Police arrest four more suspected vandals, recover iron poles in Cross River

  29-08-2026 10:49 via punchng.com
  
  The Cross River State Police Command has arrested four additional suspects and recovered iron materials in connection with the alleged vandalism and theft of facilities belonging to Akamkpa Quarry Limited, also known as Sterling Global. This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, and made available toRead More: https://punchng.com/police-arrest-four-more-suspected-vandals-recover-iron-poles-in-cross-river/
  
  Read more

• ‘Run, they shoot you, stay, abduction; not even chicken left’ — Zamfara woman recounts bandit terror

  29-08-2026 10:49 via vanguardngr.com
  By Ibrahim Hassan-WuyoA 55-year-old woman, Fatima, has recounted the horror of bandit attacks in Zamfara State, saying residents are often left with the grim choice of being shot if they flee or abducted if they stay.Read Also: 2027 Campaign: What we want to hear from candidates – Stakeholders“One nearby village has become completely deserted. There is not even a chicken left there,” she said.Fatima, who spoke to the BBC, said bandits attacked her community around 2am, dividin
  
  Read more

• Gusau’s legacy: Four years of failure and a resignation too late

  29-08-2026 10:42 via vanguardngr.com
  By Douglas Baye-Osagie Ibrahim Gusau’s resignation as President of the Nigeria Football Federation should not be mistaken for an achievement. After four years in charge, he leaves behind a federation facing one of the darkest periods in Nigerian football history. His decision to finally step aside came only after mounting pressure, public anger and intense scrutiny following a succession of failures across Nigerian football.Gusau may describe his departure as a patriotic decision tak
  
  Read more

• Troops arrest 3 alleged terrorist collaborators, destroy enclaves in Kaduna, Katsina

  29-08-2026 10:38 via vanguardngr.com
  By Kingsley OmonobiTroops of Operation Fansan Yamma have recorded operational successes in Kaduna and Katsina, with the arrest of 3 suspected terrorist collaborators, the interception of weapons and ammunition, as well as the destruction of identified terrorist enclaves during separate operations conducted on 27 and 28 August 2026.Lieutenant Col Aliyu Danja, Military Information Officer, made this known on Saturday, saying, “Troops of Sector 1 acted on information regarding the apprehensi
  
  Read more

• Nepal floods leave trail of destruction, aid challenge

  29-08-2026 10:34 via punchng.com
  
  Devastating Nepal floods leave a trail of destruction, with over 2,400 missing and 620 dead. The government appeals for aid to tackle recovery challenges.Read More: https://punchng.com/nepal-floods-leave-trail-of-destruction-aid-challenge/
  
  Read more

• Kano-Katsina rail project 80% complete — FG

  29-08-2026 10:22 via vanguardngr.com
  By Nnasom DavidThe federal government has reaffirmed its determination to complete and commission the 284-kilometre Kano-Katsina railway project by December 2026, despite challenges earlier posed by insecurity, land disputes and the seasonal slowdown in construction activities.The assurance was given during a joint inspection of the project by officials of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Federal Ministry of Finance, representatives of lending institutions and the project contractor.The
  
  Read more

• Police detain officers over fatal shooting of driver in Rivers

  29-08-2026 10:05 via vanguardngr.com
  The Police Command in Rivers says it has detained some officers over the alleged shooting and killing of a commercial driver in Port Harcourt.The command’s spokesperson, ASP Blessing Agabe, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Port Harcourt on Friday.Agabe said the incident occurred on Thursday after an altercation between the driver, identified as Anthony Obodo, and a police officer.According to her, the altercation degenerated into a scuffle, during which one of the officers all
  
  Read more

• FG sets up task force over diphtheria outbreak in Katsina, Kano

  29-08-2026 09:57 via vanguardngr.com
  The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has activated an emergency task force to contain the diphtheria outbreak among children in parts of Katsina and Kano States.This is contained in a statement on Friday in Abuja by Ado Bako, Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.It said the ministry constituted the task force in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCD
  
  Read more

• Police nab female students over viral assault video in Plateau

  29-08-2026 09:53 via vanguardngr.com
  The Police Command in Plateau has arrested some female students over a viral video showing them allegedly attacking another female student in Pankshin Local Government Area.The Command spokesman, SP Alfred Alabo, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Jos.Alabo said the Commissioner of Police, CP Ayodeji Faniyan, directed the Area Commander in Pankshin to investigate and arrest those involved immediately.“Immediately the CP got wind of it, he directed the Area Commander in Pankshin LG
  
  Read more

• Two Nigerians extradited to US over schemes linked to teenagers’ deaths

  29-08-2026 09:49 via vanguardngr.com
  Two Nigerians have been extradited to the United States to face federal prosecution over alleged financially motivated sextortion schemes targeting American minors.The suspects, Adebola Festus Adekunle, 26, and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, 24, were arrested in Nigeria in August 2023 following an international operation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).They were extradited on Thursday and appeared separately in federal courts in Mississippi and North Carolina on Friday, the U.S. Depar
  
  Read more

Follow @GeneralNews_NGR on Twitter!