General news

• Nigeria solid minerals exports hit N354bn

  10-07-2026 08:01 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Gabriel EwepuNigeria’s solid minerals exports have sustained uptrend rising to N354 billion in 2025, up by 2018 percent from N117.29 billion recorded in 2023. The figure for nine months 2024 was N199.6 billion with full year estimated to be over N266 billion.Similarly, revenue generated for the Federation Account climbed to over N70 billion, representing a 337.5 per cent increase from N16 billion recorded in 2023Disclosing the performance at the maiden Annual Lecture of the Facult
  
  Read more

• Trump dismisses New York mayor’s threat to arrest Netanyahu

  20-07-2026 20:51 via vanguardngr.com
  
  US President Donald Trump on Monday vowed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not face arrest at a UN summit in New York, after the city’s new mayor said he was investigating the move.Mayor Zohran Mamdani admitted he was unsure if he had the power to order police to detain a foreign leader but said he was discussing the matter with his legal team ahead of the UN General Assembly in September.“Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while
  
  Read more

• ICPC grills Gbajabiamila over PFIPC

  20-07-2026 20:25 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, ABUJA
  Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, on Monday appeared before the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to answer questions about the alleged fake federal agency, the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).His appearance at the commission followed its invitation after President Tinubu directed the ICPC to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the scandal surrounding th
  
  Read more

• I rejected N50m offer to campaign for Adeleke – VDM on fallout with Davido

  20-07-2026 20:18 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has opened up about his reported fallout with Nigerian music star Davido.In a viral video circulating online, VDM claimed their relationship deteriorated after he turned down an alleged N50 million offer to campaign for Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is Davido’s uncle.His comments come amid growing speculation over why the pair are no longer seen together publicly.Speaking in Pidgin English, VDM recounted
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Oriire rescue shows gains from security coordination, says coalition

  20-07-2026 19:55 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Luminous JannamikeThe successful rescue of 44 pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire, Oyo State, points to improving coordination among Nigeria’s security agencies, the Coalition of Civil Rights Groups on Security Sector Reforms (CCRGSR) said on Monday.Addressing journalists in Abuja, the coalition said the operation, completed around July 10 after the victims were abducted in May, demonstrated how closer collaboration among the military, police and intelligence agencies was yielding b
  
  Read more

• PFIPC: CBN opens govt accounts only on OAGF authorisation – Director tells Reps probe panel

  20-07-2026 19:50 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Gift ChapiOdekina, AbujaA Director at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Hamisu Abdullahi, has told the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged establishment of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) without a valid legal framework that the apex bank only opens accounts for government agencies upon receiving formal approval from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).Abdullahi, who represented the CBN Governor before t
  
  Read more

• Osun ALGON suspends transport union activities over rising violence

  20-07-2026 19:43 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Shina Abubakar, OsogboThe Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Osun State chapter, has suspended the activities of all transport unions across the state following reported clashes between rival groups that have raised concerns over the safety of lives and property.The association said the decision was necessary to prevent the situation from escalating into a full-blown crisis.Addressing journalists in Osogbo on Monday on behalf of the ALGON chairman, the Vice Chairman, Mr Lan
  
  Read more

• Mary Habila: 300 CSOs cancel protest over Umahi

  20-07-2026 19:38 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Luminous JannamikeABUJA — Gender for Social Justice and Good Governance, GFSJGG, and about 300 civil society organisations have cancelled their planned nationwide protest over the death of Miss Mary Habila after the coalition said its fact-finding exercise found no basis to hold the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, responsible for the incident.The planned demonstrations were called off after the coalition said fresh findings from its inquiry changed the picture that informed its
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Habila’s Death: Ebonyi women group urges calm, supports autopsy to determine cause

  20-07-2026 19:36 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Jeff Agbodo, AbakalikiA women’s organisation in Ebonyi State, Ohanivo Women Association (OWA), has called for calm and restraint following the death of Mary Habila at the residence of the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi.The group also expressed sympathy with the family of the deceased, urging members of the public to avoid making unverified allegations and allow due process to determine the circumstances surrounding her death.In a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Mrs F
  
  Read more

• Nigeria leads Africa’s telecom agenda ahead of ITU conference

  20-07-2026 19:35 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Progress GodfreyABUJA – Nigeria on Monday assumed the chairmanship of the 7th Ordinary Session of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference Preparatory Committee (CPC), leading Africa’s drive for a common position ahead of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-26) in Doha later this year.The chairmanship followed the election of the Director of Internal Audit at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mrs Stella Erabor, a
  
  Read more

• Top 10 youngest players to win the FIFA World Cup

  20-07-2026 19:32 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Enitan AbdultawabWinning the FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of international football, but only a handful of teenagers have experienced lifting the famous trophy.From Pelé’s iconic triumph as a 17-year-old in 1958 to Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal making history in 2026, these are the youngest players ever to become World Cup champions.1. Pelé (Brazil) – 17 years, 249 daysPelé remains the youngest player in history to win the FIFA World Cup. The
  
  Read more

• ECOWAS signs agreement to advance Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project

  20-07-2026 19:29 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Obas Esiedesa, AbujaThe Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has signed the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for the implementation of the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), marking a major milestone towards the realisation of the multibillion-dollar energy project.The agreement was signed by Heads of State and Government at the 69th Ordinary Summit of ECOWAS held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and provides the legal and sovereign framework for the 6,900-kilometre pipeline.The
  
  Read more

• Ballon d’Or organisers release update on World Cup’s impact on 2026 award race

  20-07-2026 19:21 via vanguardngr.com
  
  With the 2026 FIFA World Cup now concluded, Ballon d’Or organisers have moved to dispel the long-held belief that winning football’s biggest international prize automatically guarantees the sport’s most prestigious individual honour.As debate intensifies over who could succeed Lionel Messi as Ballon d’Or winner, organisers examined the award’s history and concluded that while World Cup success boosts a player’s chances, it is far from a guarantee.According to
  
  Read more

• Nigerian army warns public against fake SSC 50/2027 recruitment advertisement

  20-07-2026 19:20 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Kingsley OmonobiThe Nigerian Army has raised the alarm over a fake recruitment advertisement circulating on social media and other online platforms, inviting applications for the Short Service Combatant Commission (SSCC) Course 50/2027.The Army, in a statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, described the advertisement as fraudulent and warned members of the public to disregard it.“The Nigerian Army categorically states that this advertisement is fa
  
  Read more

• NNPC’s N7.13tn: What does Nigeria have to show for it, ADC asks

  20-07-2026 19:17 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Luminous JannamikeABUJA – The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has challenged the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) to account for the N7.13 trillion recorded as energy security expenditure in the company’s audited 2024 financial statements, saying Nigerians deserve to know what the country has to show for the spending.For the opposition party, the issue is not simply the size of the expenditure but whether trillions of naira in p
  
  Read more

• Two Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists bag life sentences after pleading guilty

  20-07-2026 19:12 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Ikechukwu NnochiriABUJA— Two commanders of Ansaru, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, Mahmud Usman (also known as Abu Bara’a) and Abubakar Abba (popularly called Mahmud Al-Nigeri or Isah Adam/Mallam Mamuda), were on Monday handed life sentences by a Federal High Court in Abuja.The duo were convicted after they pleaded guilty to a 32-count terrorism charge preferred against them by the Department of State Services (DSS).Trial Justice Emeka Nwite sentenced the convicts to life
  
  Read more

• Fake Agency Probe: OHCSF, CBN distance selves from PFIPC, reveal inactive accounts

  20-07-2026 19:09 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Gift ChapiOdekina, AbujaABUJA — The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have distanced themselves from the establishment and operations of the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), as investigations by the House of Representatives continued on Monday.The institutions made the disclosures before the House Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged creation of the council without a valid lega
  
  Read more

• 10 iPhones with the best battery life

  20-07-2026 19:05 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Apple’s Pro Max and Plus models for iPhones consistently lead the pack in battery endurance due to their larger physical dimensions, larger battery capacities, and power-efficient displays.Here are the 10 iPhones with the best battery life, ranked by overall real-world endurance and battery capacity.1. iPhone 17 Pro Max
  Battery: 5,088 mAhThe first iPhone to break the 5,000 mAh threshold. Paired with the 3nm A19 Pro chip, it lasts well beyond a full day of heavy streaming, gaming, and navi
  
  Read more

• FCCPC resumes digital lending regulation as court vacates restraining order

  20-07-2026 19:02 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has resumed the implementation and enforcement of the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025 (DEON Regulations), following a judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which upheld the validity of the regulations.Justice A.L. Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on Monday dismissed the suit filed by the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria Ltd/Gte (WASPAN),
  
  Read more

• Nigeria’s N80trn debt figure exaggerated – FG

  20-07-2026 19:01 via vanguardngr.com
  
  .Says it has not borrowed anything near N80trillion being bandied .As Senators lament non-implementation of 2026 budget By Henry Umoru, ABUJATHE  Federal Government of Nigeria has declared that the Nation’s debt profile is exaggerated, as monies borrowed under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu within the last three years are nowhere near the N80 trillion being bandied by public commentators and erroneously reported by Journalists.Speaking in Abuja on Monday when he appeared befor
  
  Read more

• Nigeria’s debt figures exaggerated – FG

  20-07-2026 19:01 via vanguardngr.com
  
  .Says it has not borrowed anything near N80trillion being bandied .As Senators lament non-implementation of 2026 budget By Henry Umoru ABUJA- THE  Federal Government of Nigeria has declared that the Nation’s debt profile is exaggerated, as monies borrowed under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu within the last three years are nowhere near the N80 trillion being bandied by public commentators and erroneously reported by Journalists.Speaking in Abuja on Monday when he appeared
  
  Read more

• Transport Union Crisis: Adeleke condemns violence, threatens return of park management system

  20-07-2026 19:00 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Shina Abubakar, OsogboOSOGBO — Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has condemned the violence that trailed a clash between rival factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state, directing security agencies to arrest a factional leader of the union, Kazeem Oyewole, popularly known as Asiri Eniba.A faction of the NURTW had earlier on Monday staged a protest against the leadership of Nurudeen Wakili, also known as Alowonle, accusing him of turning the union
  
  Read more

• Oriire teachers were beheaded to force release of Ansaru commanders — DSS

  20-07-2026 18:58 via vanguardngr.com
  
  …moves to appeal life sentences for two convicted terrorist leaders…says punishment does not fit gravity of offencesBy Luminous JannamikeABUJA — The Department of State Services, DSS, says it will appeal the life sentences imposed on two senior commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group, insisting the punishment falls short of the gravity of the crimes for which they were convicted.For the DSS, the case is about more than securing convictions. The agency says the events surrou
  
  Read more

• FG: Nigeria’s debt figures inflated, Tinubu administration has not borrowed ₦80trn

  20-07-2026 18:54 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Henry UmoruABUJA — The Federal Government has dismissed claims that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has borrowed close to ₦80 trillion within its first three years in office, describing such figures as exaggerated and a product of accounting adjustments and misinterpretation of debt data.The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, gave the clarification on Monday while appearing before the Senate Committee on Finance, cha
  
  Read more

• SDP: Court adjourns trial to August 17 as chairman cites strong financial evidence

  20-07-2026 18:52 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Henry UmoruABUJA — The alleged financial crime case involving some former officials of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has been adjourned to August 17, 2026, following the inability of the court to sit.The National Chairman of the SDP, Professor Sadiq Abubakar Gombe, who spoke to journalists after appearing in court on Monday, expressed confidence that the prosecution had assembled sufficient evidence to prove the allegations against the defendants.Gombe said the matter could not pro
  
  Read more

• Senior Ghana politician jailed for 20 yrs over illegal mining

  20-07-2026 18:46 via vanguardngr.com
  
  A Ghanaian court jailed an influential opposition politician for 20 years on Monday after finding him guilty of illegal mining, the most high-profile conviction in the long-running battle against the crime.The gold-rich country has been battling an explosion in illegal mining, known locally as “galamsey” — as well as the environmental pollution, threats to cocoa production and political corruption that have flourished in its wake in recent years.Authorities say galamsey operat
  
  Read more

• 105 missing as flood hits Afghan town

  20-07-2026 18:46 via vanguardngr.com
  
  More than 100 people are missing and nine bodies recovered after a major flood hit the capital of Afghanistan’s Nuristan province on Monday, the governor’s office told AFP.In Parun town, “105 people are missing, nine dead bodies are recovered”, said Feraidon Samim, spokesman for the Nuristan governor. The missing include the town mayor and government employees, he told AFP.AFP journalists who visited the remote northeastern area last month said a market, shops and other
  
  Read more

• FCT Police begin trial of four officers over alleged extortion, illegal traffic duty

  20-07-2026 18:44 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Kingsley OmonobiABUJA — The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has commenced orderly room trial of four police officers accused of abandoning their official duties, engaging in unauthorised traffic enforcement and allegedly extorting money from a motorist in Maitama District, Abuja.The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, ordered the disciplinary proceedings following the arrest of the officers over the alleged extortion of the Chairman of the Inde
  
  Read more

• Cardi B, Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye fuel dating rumours

  20-07-2026 18:44 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Mary AgbabiakaAmerican rapper Cardi B and Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye have once again fueled dating rumours after being seen together in Venice, Italy.Their repeated public appearances continue to draw attention from fans and media, with their latest outing sharing a relaxed dinner setting with close proximity and visible ease, reinforcing speculation about a possible romantic connection.The renewed buzz comes when the pair were spotted dining at Gio’s Restaurant inside the St
  
  Read more

• Lagos pays N3.1bn compensation to landowners affected by public projects

  20-07-2026 18:39 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Olasunkanmi AkoniLAGOS — The Lagos State Government has disbursed over ₦3.1 billion as compensation to more than 300 landowners whose properties were acquired for various public infrastructure projects across the state.Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who presented the compensation cheques to the beneficiaries on Monday at Alausa, Ikeja, said the exercise reflected the administration’s commitment to responsible governance, fairness and respect for the rights of residents.The go
  
  Read more

Follow @GeneralNews_NGR on Twitter!