General news

• Panic grips Ilorin over rumoured bandit attack

  18-06-2026 20:05 via vanguardngr.com
  By Demola AkinyemiILORIN — Panic swept across Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Thursday following rumours of an impending bandit attack, prompting hundreds of parents and guardians to rush to schools to pick up their children.The scare, which spread rapidly across the city, led to anxiety among residents, particularly around public and private schools, as unverified reports circulated that suspected bandits had invaded the ancient city.In response to the rumours, forest guards and othe
  
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• Otti unveils aircraft named after Chinua Achebe, Obi of Onitsha

  19-06-2026 12:00 via vanguardngr.com
  …Obi of Onitsha hails United Nigeria Airlines for immortalising Igbo iconsBy Steve OkoUMUAHIA — Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, has described the naming of two newly acquired Boeing 737-800NG aircraft after late literary icon Chinua Achebe and the Obi of Onitsha, Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, as a fitting tribute to the enduring contributions of the Igbo people to scholarship, leadership and national development.Otti spoke in Lagos during the unveiling of the aircraft acquired by Unit
  
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• Nasarawa North Bye-Election: NDC predicts victory, rallies support for Dodo

  19-06-2026 11:57 via vanguardngr.com
  By Edwin Philip, LafiaThe national leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed confidence that its candidate, Arch. Ishaya Dodo, will emerge victorious in the Nasarawa North Senatorial bye-election scheduled for Saturday, citing widespread grassroots support and growing momentum across the district.Speaking at the grand finale of the party’s campaign in Akwanga on Thursday, the NDC National Vice Chairman for North Central, Engr. Banabas Ejisi, said the party was opti
  
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• Troops rescue captive, dismantle terrorist hideouts in Katsina offensive

  19-06-2026 11:52 via vanguardngr.com
  By Kingsley OmonobiTroops of the Nigerian Army under Operation Cleen Sweep have neutralised several terrorists, rescued a kidnapped victim and dismantled multiple terrorist hideouts during intensified offensive operations in Katsina State.The Army said the successes were recorded through sustained, intelligence-driven operations carried out by troops of the 17 Brigade Strike Group and Quick Response Force, alongside elements of the 8 Division Special Forces.According to a statement, the operati
  
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• Ojukwu property dispute: Firm kicks against attempt to enforce judgment under appeal

  19-06-2026 11:49 via vanguardngr.com
  — Seeks IGP’s interventionBy Henry OjeluOjukwu Transport Limited (OTL) has called on the Inspector-General of Police to intervene in what it described as moves to enforce a court judgment currently under appeal in a lingering dispute over several properties in Lagos.In a letter dated May 8, 2026, the firm alleged that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Bianca Ojukwu, and her lawyers were attempting to execute a warrant of possession based on a 2022 judgment delivered by Justice A.
  
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• IPOB rejects Nnamdi Kanu’s purported suspension, says Edoziem Group lost authority

  19-06-2026 11:40 via vanguardngr.com
  By Steve OkoThe Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has dismissed the purported suspension and expulsion of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, by the faction led by Chika Edoziem, describing the move as unconstitutional, null and void, and an exercise in futility by officials whose tenure had already been terminated.In a statement issued by IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful, the group said Edoziem and members of the dissolved third administration of the Directorate of State (DOS) lacked the authority to tak
  
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• US strike on alleged smuggling boat kills three

  19-06-2026 11:30 via vanguardngr.com
  The United States launched a strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, killing three men on board, officials said.The US military launched operation “Southern Spear” in early September, with President Donald Trump saying the country is effectively at war with drug cartels operating out of Latin America.More than 200 people have been killed as part of the strikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, according to a tally by AFP.&l
  
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• Nigerian newspapers review: [Insecurity] Govs seek swift establishment of state police

  19-06-2026 11:19 via vanguardngr.com
  In today’s Nigerian newspapers review programme, Today in the News, Vanguard leads with 36 state governors in the country again throwing their weight behind the immediate establishment of state police, to be constitutionally sound and aligned with federalism and citizens’ rights.Another headline features oil prices falling sharply on Thursday, dropping to their lowest levels since the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict, as an interim agreement between the Unite
  
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• Iran-US deal under strain after Swiss talks postponed

  19-06-2026 11:10 via vanguardngr.com
  A newly signed deal to end the Middle East war was already under strain on Friday, after talks in Switzerland were postponed and fighting flared between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.The developments came after Iran’s supreme leader announced he had only allowed the preliminary deal to the stop war to go ahead despite reservations, and as his top negotiator warned Washington the Islamic republic stood ready to retaliate in the event of any breach.Mediators in the conflict — includi
  
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• Troops rescue 17 kidnapped victims in Sokoto

  19-06-2026 11:00 via vanguardngr.com
  Troops of Operation Fansan Yamma have rescued 17 kidnapped victims from bandits in Kura Mota village, Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.A credible security source from the area disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.The source said the incident occurred on Thursday when a gang of bandits blocked the road and kidnapped the victims from two vehicles.“The gallant troops of Operation Fansan Yamma engaged the bandits in a fierce exchange of fire, with seve
  
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• French court confirms Moroccan football star Hakimi will stand trial for rape

  19-06-2026 10:42 via vanguardngr.com
  A French appeals court on Friday confirmed that Moroccan football star Achraf Hakimi will face trial for the alleged rape of a woman in 2023, which the Paris Saint-Germain defender denies.In February 2023, a woman then aged 24 told police in the Val-de-Marne region southeast of Paris that Hakimi had raped her.The PSG right-back and captain of the Moroccan national team, whose second match of the 2026 World Cup kicks off on Friday against Scotland, has consistently denied any wrongdoing.Shortly
  
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• NDC disowns circulating candidate lists for Imo, Abia, Anambra elections

  19-06-2026 10:28 via vanguardngr.com
  By Henry UmoruABUJA- THE Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has distanced itself from the  lists of candidates currently circulating on social media for elections in Imo, Abia, Anambra and other affected states, saying they are  fake and unauthorised.According to NDC, it was investigating the source of the fake lists, even though it had not disclosed the details of the candidates whose names had been officially submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).In a stat
  
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• Canada thrash nine-man Qatar 6-0 in dominant World Cup display

  19-06-2026 10:25 via vanguardngr.com
  By Enitan AbdultawabCanada secured the first FIFA World Cup victory in their history in emphatic fashion on Thursday night, thrashing nine-man Qatar 6-0 in a chaotic Group B clash at BC Place in Vancouver.A Jonathan David hat-trick inspired the hosts to a dominant win that was overshadowed by a serious injury to midfielder Ismael Kone, two Qatar red cards, and a heated post-match confrontation between players from both teams.David struck three times, while Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba added goa
  
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• 2027 polls: City Boy Movement, FCT APC, targets 42,000 volunteers

  19-06-2026 10:17 via vanguardngr.com
  The City Boy Movement, a political support group, has entered into a strategic partnership with the FCT chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to mobilise more than 42,000 volunteers ahead of the 2027 general elections.The partnership was formalised during a courtesy visit by the movement’s leadership to the FCT APC State Office in Abuja.Speaking at the event, the FCT Director and Coordinator of the City Boy Movement, Mr Bitrus Garki, said the initiative would focus on voter regis
  
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• Israeli minister says ‘all of Lebanon must burn’ after four soldiers killed

  19-06-2026 10:06 via vanguardngr.com
  Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said Friday that “all of Lebanon must burn” after Israel’s military announced the deaths of four soldiers there.“With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the entire world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not up for bargaining. All of Lebanon must burn,” Ben Gvir said in a statement.
  The post Israeli minister says ‘all of Lebanon must burn&rsqu
  
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• Transfer of sentenced persons agreement in line with Renewed Hope policy – FG

  19-06-2026 09:57 via vanguardngr.com
  Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement with Ethiopia to repatriate incarcerated Nigerians in line with the citizen diplomacy framework of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, explained this in a statement issued on Friday signed by Dr Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.She said the important diplomatic milestone, which placed priority on the Nigerian di
  
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• Leadway sustains support to Nigeria’s creative economy

  19-06-2026 09:45 via vanguardngr.com
  By Rosemary IwunzeLeadway Assurance Company Limited has sustained its support for the growth of Nigeria’s creative industry, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with the sponsorship of the largest leather exhibition in Nigeria, the Lagos Leather Fair (LLF), for the fourth consecutive year.The Lagos Leather Fair, now in its ninth edition, is set to hold on June 27 and 28, 2026, at the EPAC Center, Victoria Island, Lagos, under the theme “Beyond the Hide: Scaling Value, Build
  
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• NNPCL renews methane reduction deal with TotalEnergies

  19-06-2026 09:40 via vanguardngr.com
  By Obas EsiedesaThe Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has renewed its partnership with TotalEnergies to continue the deployment of advanced methane detection technology across its upstream operations for an additional 24 months as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet its decarbonisation targets.The agreement extends the use of the Airborne Ultralight Spectrometer for Environmental Applications (AUSEA), a drone-based technology designed to detect
  
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• AfCFTA Fund won’t deliver exports without reforms — Freight forwarders

  19-06-2026 09:36 via vanguardngr.com
  By Cynthia AloThe Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, APFFLON, has warned that Nigeria may fail to reap the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, despite the Federal Government’s approval of a proposed $1 billion credit facility aimed at supporting exporters and businesses.The association said that although access to finance is important, funding alone cannot solve the challenges undermining the competitiveness of Nig
  
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• Oil slumps to lowest price since US-Iran conflict

  19-06-2026 09:29 via vanguardngr.com
  •As cease fire deal eases supply fearsBy Yinka Kolawole,  with agency report  Oil prices fell sharply on Thursday, dropping to their lowest levels since the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict, as an interim agreement between the United States and Iran improved prospects for global crude supply.According to Reuters, Brent crude futures declined by $1.53, or 1.9 per cent, to $78.02 per barrel as of 1326 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $2.22, or 2.9
  
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• Shareholders of TotalEnergies fall victim of petrol price war

  19-06-2026 09:25 via vanguardngr.com
  •Wipes out profit, dividendBy Peter EgwuatuTotalEnergies Marketing Nigeria Plc has attributed its decision not to pay a dividend for the financial year ended December 31, 2025, to the severe challenges that confronted the downstream petroleum industry during the year.The company reported a loss after tax of N13.853 billion in 2025, reversing the N27.496 billion profit recorded in 2024, as intense price competition and market instability significantly impacted its operations.Speaking a
  
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• Iran to lodge complaint with FIFA over World Cup restrictions

  19-06-2026 09:24 via vanguardngr.com
  The Iranian football federation said Thursday it will lodge a complaint with FIFA claiming its team is being subjected to travel restrictions during the World Cup in North America.Iran wanted to fly from their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to the United States two days before their next match, against Belgium in Los Angeles on Sunday.But a spokesman for the Iranian federation said its request was turned down.“Despite having submitted its preparation schedule for the tournament well in
  
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• FG allocates 2 additional crude oil terminals to Swede Control Intertek

  19-06-2026 09:21 via vanguardngr.com
  By Elizabeth AdegbesanThe  Federal Government (FG) has allocated two additional crude oil export terminals to Swede Control Intertek Limited, one of the country’s pre-shipment inspection agents.The approval was announced in a statement signed by the Director of Trade and Exchange Department at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Aderinola Shonekan.According to the apex bank, the newly assigned terminals are the Cawthorne and Okwok terminals.The CBN stated: “This is to notif
  
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• Mexico become first team to reach World Cup knockout phase

  19-06-2026 09:18 via vanguardngr.com
  Co-hosts Mexico became the first team to reach the knockout rounds of the World Cup with a 1-0 win over South Korea at a delirious Guadalajara Stadium on Thursday.After a dreary first period, Luis Romo’s goal just after half-time thanks to a goalkeeping error put Mexico through as Group A winners with a match to go.Mexico stopper Raul Rangel made a superb double save in the dying minutes to preserve their lead.Finishing top keeps Mexico at home in the last 32 with a game against a third-p
  
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• Truck drivers, residents lament filth, open defecation along Nigeria’s ports corridor

  19-06-2026 09:09 via vanguardngr.com
  *NPA, Apapa LG bicker over situationBy Efe OnodjaeThe stench is stomach-churning, sickenning, even.The sight, ugly! Just visualize a middle-aged individual, male, crouched behind the culvert dividing an eight-lane highway, answering nature’s call. In bathroom terminology, doing Number One (urination) openly on the highway is bad enough.Doing Number Two, appetites in the full glare of passersby, while hiding beside the long queue of tankers and articulated vehicles heading to Nigeria&
  
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• Beyond bullets, negotiations and ransom: Yorubaland in the throes of terrorists

  19-06-2026 09:06 via vanguardngr.com
  *Boastful traditional rulers speak of mythical powers*Traditionalists, hunters say they are ready for battle*How practical is it for spiritual powers to confront AK-47, RPGsBy Dayo Johnson, Dapo Akinrefon, Olasunkanmi Akoni, Rotimi Ojomoyela, James Ogunnaike & Adeola BadruThe palace gates of Ife trembled with more than words. When the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, opened his mouth, he didn’t just speak, he summoned.In a nation bleeding from kidnappings, massacres, and forests tur
  
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• Beyond bullets, negotiations and ransom: Yorubaland in the grip of terrorists

  19-06-2026 09:06 via vanguardngr.com
  *Boastful traditional rulers speak of mythical powers*Traditionalists, hunters say they are ready for battle*How practical is it for spiritual powers to confront AK-47, RPGsBy Dayo Johnson, Dapo Akinrefon, Olasunkanmi Akoni, Rotimi Ojomoyela, James Ogunnaike & Adeola BadruThe palace gates of Ife trembled with more than words. When the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, opened his mouth, he didn’t just speak, he summoned.In a nation bleeding from kidnappings, massacres, and forests tur
  
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• Ugborodo : Oil rich Itsekiri community deep in crisis 

  19-06-2026 08:59 via vanguardngr.com
  Army confiscate four AK-47, arrest two Natives appeal for urgent govt intervention, panel of inquiry Say military presence only around oil facilities 
  By Jimitota Onoyume , Assistant News Editor Fear hangs in the salty air of Ugborodo, in the oil-rich Itsekiri community, also known as Excravos, in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, like a stubborn cloud that refuses to clear. Anxiety has gradually replaced the once familiar rhythm of communal life.Suspects
  
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• Stock exchange boss calls for targeted economic policy reforms

  19-06-2026 08:37 via vanguardngr.com
  By Efe OnodjaeChairman of Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), Dr. Umaru Kwairanga, has called for deeper policy reforms, stronger institutions and improved corporate governance to enhance Nigeria’s long-term economic competitiveness.Speaking at the 2026 PEARL Awards Corporate Summit in Lagos, Kwairanga said Nigeria’s economic transformation depends on the quality of its policy environment, institutional resilience and the ability of businesses to adapt to rapid global changes.He not
  
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• FG rolls out guidelines for transition to new tax regime

  19-06-2026 08:33 via vanguardngr.com
  •Clarifies pre-2026 tax obligationsBy Emma Ujah,  Abuja Bureau ChiefThe  Federal Government (FG) has released the General Guidelines for the implementation of the Tax Acts 2025, outlining the transition process from the repealed tax laws to the new tax framework, which takes effect from January 1, 2026.A major provision of the guidelines is that tax returns relating to accounting periods ending before January 1, 2026, will continue to be filed under the repealed tax laws, wh
  
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