General news

• ECOWAS — beyond the glitter of new edifices

  15-07-2026 04:07 via vanguardngr.com
  
  President Bola Tinubu’s ribbon-cutting for a gleaming new ECOWAS headquarters in Abuja offered a flattering image of ambition — but brick and glass do not heal the fractures that threaten the community’s very purpose. Fifty-one years after its founding in 1975 in Lagos to promote economic integration, collective security, free movement and democratic stability across West Africa, ECOWAS today is severely diminished by the absence of trust and political will.That trust was rent
  
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• Customs, police strengthen strategic partnership through engagement

  15-07-2026 20:03 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Godwin OritseThe Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening inter-agency collaboration in strategic communication, public engagement and information sharing.This was disclosed during a courtesy visit by the Force Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Anietie Okokon, to the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller of Customs (DC) Abdullahi Maiwada, at the Service Headquarte
  
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• Army urges Nigerians to stop demoralising troops with false social media narratives

  15-07-2026 20:00 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The Nigerian Army has urged Nigerians to desist from spreading false and misleading narratives on social media that undermine the morale of troops, saying personnel continue to make enormous sacrifices to safeguard the country.The Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, made the appeal while receiving the executive members of the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DECAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.Anele said the increasing spread of misinformation and disinformati
  
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• Tinubu to address UNGA in September

  15-07-2026 19:59 via vanguardngr.com
  
  —To collaborate with UN to address porous borders in West AfricaBy Johnbosco AgbakwuruABUJA — PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has confirmed he will attend this year’s United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, in New York and deliver a high-profile speech on Nigeria’s reform successes.The Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, ,Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking with State House correspondents after meeting with the President
  
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• Oyo Kidnap: APM questions APC over ‘reported bandit links’

  15-07-2026 19:58 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Luminous JannamikeABUJA — The Allied People’s Movement (APM) on Wednesday alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had questions to answer over its ‘reported connection with bandits’, saying the ruling party’s fierce opposition to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s call for a United Nations-backed investigation into the abduction of schoolchildren and their teachers was suspicious.The opposition party said the debate had moved beyond Makinde’s
  
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• Kano tops fresh voter registration with 182,749 as registrants cross 2.4m

  15-07-2026 19:55 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Omeiza AjayiABUJA: Kano State has emerged the leading state in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s INEC ongoing Continuous Voter Registration CVR exercise, recording 182,749 completed registrations, the highest of any state in the country, according to the Commission’s Phase III, Week Nine data as of 10th July 2026.The figures showed that Kano’s total comprised 60,325 completed online registrations and 122,424 physical registrations, representing 7.50 percent of
  
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• Osun poll, nationwide elections top priority, Amupitan tells Plateau SANs

  15-07-2026 19:49 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Omeiza AjayiABUJA: Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has said the Commission’s immediate focus is on the forthcoming Osun State governorship election and preparations for future nationwide electoral activities.He disclosed this on Wednesday when he received a congratulatory visit from the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria SANs resident on the Plateau.The delegation, led by Pius A. Akubo, SAN, paid a courtesy visit to Prof. Amup
  
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• It is time to make Safe Schools Initiative work — NAPTAN, NUT

  15-07-2026 19:39 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Adesina WahabWith terrorists continually targeting schools as soft targets for criminal activities, stakeholders have renewed calls for the effective implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative.Speaking on the issue, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, advocated the implementation of state police to strengthen security across the country.“We know that security is an issue that concerns all of us. Commu
  
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• FG offers Shell $11.50 per barrel tax credit to unlock $20bn Bonga Deepwater project

  15-07-2026 19:34 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Udeme Akpan with Agency ReportThe Federal Government has approved an enhanced production-linked tax credit of $11.50 per barrel for Shell Plc and its partners in a move aimed at unlocking the long-delayed Bonga Southwest Aparo deepwater oil project, a development expected to attract about $20 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) into Nigeria.
  The incentive, approved by President Bola Tinubu, is designed to pave the way for a Final Investment Decision (FID) on the offshore project, which h
  
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• I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and chose Robotic Surgery here in Kelina Hospital, Lagos – Mr Austin shares his story

  15-07-2026 19:30 via vanguardngr.com
  
  I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and chose Robotic Surgery here in Kelina Hospital, Lagos. As it is now, what you can get outside the country, you can get here, and you will even have more care when you are here than when you are there – Mr. Austin Kolawole shares his storyProstateCancer #RoboticSurgery #KelinaHospital
  The post I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and chose Robotic Surgery here in Kelina Hospital, Lagos – Mr Austin shares his story appeared first on Vanguard New
  
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• Dangote Refinery shields Nigerians from global fuel price shock – S&P

  15-07-2026 19:27 via vanguardngr.com
  
  …competitive pricing protects consumers from import driven increases
  By Udeme Akpan
  Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals continues to shield the Nigerian market from external price shocks, maintaining stable domestic fuel prices within a commercially acceptable range despite rising international gasoline prices, higher freight rates and tightening global supply conditions that are increasing costs for fuel importers across West Africa, according to the latest market intelligen
  
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• FG, NDDC mobilise $500m Niger Delta agric fund to galvanize food production

  15-07-2026 19:19 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Gabriel EwepuABUJA – The Federal Government on Wednesday mobilised a $500 million Niger Delta Agricultural Investment Fund to galvanise food production, employment generation, and industrialisation in the Niger Delta region.The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima while delivering his speech at the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit, jointly convened by the Office of the Vice President and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), at the Banquet Hall, Pr
  
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• Police arrest Asaba content creator over alleged rape, death of 20-year-old

  15-07-2026 19:18 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Egufe Yafugborhi & Ochuko AkuophaASABA — The Delta State Police Command has arrested Asaba-based content creator, Ifeanyi Ogbonna, 40, popularly known as “Odogwu of Asaaba,” over the alleged rape of a 20-year-old woman, Favour Agbro, who police said later died after ingesting a toxic substance.The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, said in a statement on Wednesday that the arrest followed a petition alleging that on June 1, 2026, the decea
  
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• JAMB warns candidates against ‘backdoor’ admissions

  15-07-2026 19:17 via vanguardngr.com
  
  …as NUC unveils crackdown on over-admission, AI misuse… working with varsities to automate transcript requestBy Joseph Erunke, AbujaThe Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board ,JAMB,has issued a stern warning to admission seekers, declaring that candidates who accept “backdoor” admissions from tertiary institutions outside its Central Admissions Processing System ,CAPS, do so at their own risk and may ultimately forfeit recognition as legitimate students.The warning c
  
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• Argentine VP calls English ‘pirates’ ahead of World Cup semi-final

  15-07-2026 19:09 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Argentina’s Vice President Victoria Villarruel called the English “usurping pirates” ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final between the two countries’ teams.“Tomorrow we play against the usurping pirates. It’s not just another match,” Villarruel said in a post on X.The iconic match will take place against the backdrop of a lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, known in Spanish as the Malvinas, in the South Atlantic Ocean.&ldq
  
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• BBNaija season 11 to debut July 26 with N160m grand prize

  15-07-2026 19:01 via vanguardngr.com
  
  MultiChoice Nigeria has announced that the 11th season of the Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) reality television show will premiere on Sunday, July 26, 2026.Organisers announced this at a press briefing on Wednesday and also revealed that the winner of this year’s edition will receive a record-breaking grand prize of N160 million — the largest reward since the reality show was launched in 2006.Preparations for the new season began earlier this year with physical auditions conducted from
  
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• Police arrest 22-year-old, recover firearms, suspected Indian hemp in Lagos

  15-07-2026 19:00 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Esther OnyegbulaOperatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a 22-year-old suspect, Olamide Suleiman, during a stop-and-search operation in the Aguda area of the state, recovering firearms and substances suspected to be Indian hemp.The command also said it had launched a manhunt for a fleeing accomplice linked to the recovered weapons.According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, the suspect was intercepted along Adetola Road, Aguda, during a routine st
  
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• PDP denies missing INEC deadline

  15-07-2026 18:56 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Luminous JannamikeABUJA – Claims that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, failed to submit the names of its presidential and vice-presidential candidates before the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, deadline were on Wednesday rejected by the party, which insisted it complied fully with the electoral timetable.The rebuttal came after a report alleged that the PDP was among three political parties that failed to upload their presidential tickets before INEC shut its nominat
  
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• FG resolves Passport verification glitches, joins ICAO global trust network

  15-07-2026 18:54 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Omeiza AjayiABUJA: The Federal Government said it has strengthened the international authentication of Nigerian passports by successfully importing all its Country Signing Certificate Authorities CSCA into the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO Public Key Directory PKD.This was disclosed in a statement issued by the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service, DCI Akinsola Akinlabi, who said the ceremony marking the successful import was held on Monday, 1
  
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• 50,000 Police Constable Recruitment: PSC releases names of successful applicants

  15-07-2026 18:36 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Kingsley OmonobiThe Police Service Commission (PSC) has released the names of successful applicants shortlisted for recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force as Police Constables.The release followed the conclusion of a comprehensive recruitment exercise described by the commission as inclusive, transparent and equitable.In a statement by its spokesman, Torty Njoku, the commission said the exercise was conducted in collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Nigeria Police Force, Fede
  
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• Exam halls should be sanctuaries not crime scenes, Atiku condemns Kogi abductions

  15-07-2026 18:28 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Omeiza AjayiFormer Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that an examination hall should be a sanctuary of hope, not a crime scene, condemning the abduction of the Principal of Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, a National Examinations Council NECO ad hoc official and students who were writing their NECO examination in Kogi State.In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congres
  
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• Tinubu-Shettima ticket created to defraud Nigerians — Adebayo

  15-07-2026 18:18 via vanguardngr.com
  
  …Says Prophet warned Muslims against using religion for politicsBy Henry UmoruABUJA — The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2027 general election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has described the Muslim-Muslim ticket adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election as a political strategy designed to exploit religious sentiments.Adebayo said Nigerians were not interested in religious considerations ahead of the 2027 presiden
  
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• 93 percent of inmates are State offenders, half don’t need jail — Tunji-Ojo

  15-07-2026 18:14 via vanguardngr.com
  
  ..’How we freed 4,000 inmates in one day’By Omeiza AjayiABUJA: Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has disclosed that 93 percent of inmates in Nigerian custodial facilities are state offenders, with only 7 percent held for federal offences, adding that a significant proportion of these inmates do not require incarceration in the first place.Tunji-Ojo, who spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at the Regional Conference on the Classification of Prisoners and the Use of Technology in P
  
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• Police rescue kidnap victim in Osun, foil ransom exchange

  15-07-2026 18:12 via vanguardngr.com
  
  …Parades suspected cultistsBy Shina Abubakar, OsogboThe Osun State Police Command on Wednesday disclosed that it rescued a kidnap victim, Haruna Yusuf, 50, following a gun duel with suspected kidnappers.The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, also revealed that operatives of the command foiled a ransom exchange and recovered ₦2.217 million from the scene.Gotan said the command received a report on July 9, 2026, that Yusuf, a herdsman, had been abducted by four suspected kidnappe
  
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• Kogi School Abduction: Examination centre was a ‘Miracle Centre’ — Police

  15-07-2026 18:10 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Boluwaji Obahopo, LokojaThe Kogi State Police Command has launched a massive rescue operation following the abduction of four persons by suspected kidnappers who attacked an examination centre located at an abandoned Government Secondary School in Olowa, Dekina Local Government Area of the state.The victims were identified as the school principal, Elder Daniel Iyanaa; a National Examinations Council (NECO) official, Mr. Solomon Audu; and two female candidates, Dorcas Sunday and another candi
  
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• Iran FM visits Qatar days after Iranian attacks

  15-07-2026 18:06 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Iran said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi travelled to Qatar on Wednesday to pay tribute to its deceased former emir, days after the Islamic republic launched salvos at the gas-rich emirate.Araghchi is scheduled to “meet with Qatari authorities and offer his condolences”, the foreign ministry said in a statement, following the death on Sunday of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who ruled the Gulf state from 1995 to 2013.The visit comes amid renewed hostilities between Iran and the
  
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• I’ll sue contractor over faulty NASS microphones, Akpabio warns

  15-07-2026 17:56 via vanguardngr.com
  
  …Situation embarrassing Nigeria, says Senate PresidentBy Henry UmoruABUJA — President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has threatened legal action against the contractor responsible for the renovation of the National Assembly complex over persistent technical faults affecting facilities in both the Senate and House of Representatives chambers.Akpabio, who spoke during plenary on Wednesday, expressed displeasure over repeated microphone failures in the Senate chamber, descri
  
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• Troops rescue 13 kidnap victims, foil terrorist operations in Zamfara

  15-07-2026 17:54 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Kingsley OmonobiTroops of Operation Fansan Yamma have rescued 13 kidnapped victims and disrupted terrorist operations during separate intelligence-led missions in Zamfara State.The operations were carried out in Anka and Kaura Namoda Local Government Areas of the state.The Military Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, who confirmed the development, said troops of Sector 2 in Bagega acted on credible intelligence about the movement of armed terrorists on motorcycles towards Tu
  
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• Tinubu approves N3.6bn ITF scheme for tailors, targets 200,000 artisans

  15-07-2026 17:50 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Progress GodfreyABUJA — President Bola Tinubu has approved N3.6 billion for the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) further training programme aimed at supporting tailors and strengthening Nigeria’s informal sector.The Federal Government is targeting about 200,000 artisans for the 2026 edition of the programme, which is designed to improve technical skills, create jobs and boost entrepreneurship among artisans.The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer o
  
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• World Cup 2026: Ronaldo fans behind ‘FIFA favouring Messi’ conspiracy theories — Mikel Obi

  15-07-2026 17:49 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Ayobami OkerindeFormer Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has dismissed claims that FIFA is favouring Lionel Messi and Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting such conspiracy theories are being driven by supporters of Cristiano Ronaldo.Mikel made the remarks in a video from The Rest Is Football podcast that has been making the rounds on social media, where he responded to comments by former England midfielder Joe Cole ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final between England a
  
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