PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

 ARREST OF THREE (3) SUSPECTED CULTISTS, RECOVERY OF FIREARMS AND DANGEROUS WEAPONS The Lagos State Police Command has arrested three suspected cultists during an intelligence-led operation in Imota, recovering firearms, ammunition, and other dangerous weapons. The operation followed credible information from members of the public on the activities of suspected cultists in Imota. Acting on the credible intelligence, operatives of the Command stormed the location and arrested Jelili Adeyemo ‘m’,  37 years; alleged to be the armourer of the group, Bisoye Adewale ‘m’ 42 years, and John Okeafo ‘m’ 60 years. Recovered exhibits include one Beretta pistol, one locally made pistol, seven (7) Dane guns, ten (10) live cartridges, seven (7) expended cartridges, one stun gun, two (2) handcuffs, and four (4) cutlasses and other exhibits.  Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects are members of the Aiye Confraternity, while the recovered Beretta pistol allegedly belongs to ...

  EDO POLICE LAUNCH JOINT SECURITY INTERVENTION IN IYAHNOMO FOLLOWING COMMUNITY CLASH  The Edo State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that, following the viral video depicting incidents of violence and the complaints received from residents of lyanomo Community, the Command has commenced a coordinated joint security operation on 2Oth July, 2026, aimed at restoring peace and strengthening public confidence in the area. The operation involves personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), who were deployed to strategic locations within the community. The security presence is nota temporary measure; personnel will remain in the community for as long as necessary to maintain law and order while investigations continue to identify, arrest, and prosecute those responsible for the violence. This intervention is designed to protect law-abiding residents, prevent further criminal activities, and ensure that members of t...

 NACIWA  Rolls  Out Abuja Leadership  Declaration,  Seeks Institutional Independence in Anti-Graft War   The Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa, NACIWA, has adopted the Abuja Leadership Declaration, committing member institutions to operational  independence in the fight against transnational crimes and other corrupt practices.    The Declaration also committed  member nations to  transformational leadership, responsible use of artificial intelligence, talent development and stronger regional cooperation in the fight against corruption.   This  Declaration was adopted on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at the ECOWAS Commission Headquarters, Abuja, at the end of a two-day NACIWA Mid-Year Leadership Conference 2026, themed:  “Transformational Leadership for Effective Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa.”   The motion for the adoption of the Declaration was moved by the President of NA...

Appeal Court Affirms Final Forfeiture of N293m,  Properties Linked to Major General Atewe   The  Lagos Division of the  Court of Appeal has affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos, ordering the final forfeiture of over N293.97 million, multiple landed properties and investment assets linked to a retired military officer, Major General Emmanuel Jebe Atewe, to the Federal Government.   In a unanimous judgment read by Justice Boloukuromo Moses Ugo on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, the appellate court dismissed Atewe's appeal against the judgment of Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, which granted the application of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for the final forfeiture of the assets.   The forfeited assets include the sum of N293,970,000.00, 30,000 MTN -linked units in Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, several high-value properties in Abuja, including plots of land at the Outer Northern Expressway, Jahi, S...

 NAFDAC begins nationwide mop-up of banned sachet, PET bottle alcohol The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has commenced a nationwide enforcement operation to remove alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate bottles below 200 millilitres from circulation. The agency said the exercise is in line with the Federal Government’s ban on the production, importation, distribution, sale and use of alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets and PET bottles smaller than 200ml. According to NAFDAC in a statement shared on X on Wednesday, the enforcement operation is being carried out across the six geopolitical zones following the closure of non-compliant manufacturing facilities. The agency said the exercise forms part of its ongoing efforts to protect public health. “NAFDAC enforcement teams are conducting coordinated operations in markets, motor parks, retail outlets, bars, and other distribution channels to identify, seize, and remove bann...

 Angelina Jolie source says she 'just wants everyone to heal' as four of her children seek to remove 'Pitt' from their surnames Four of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's children have now filed to legally remove "Pitt" from their surnames, with a source close to Jolie saying the actress hopes the family can move forward. According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Vivienne filed a petition on July 21 to change her name to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie. The reason for the request is listed as "personal." Vivienne joins her siblings Zahara, Maddox and Shiloh, who have also sought to legally remove "Pitt" from their names. Shiloh's petition was granted in August 2024, while the requests filed by Zahara and Maddox are still pending. Commenting on the latest filing, a source close to Jolie said the actress is focused on healing rather than conflict. "Angie hasn't been fighting and isn't angry. She just wants everyone to heal,...

 Actor Brad Pitt's daughter Vivienne files to legally drop 'Pitt' from last name Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, the 18-year-old daughter of Hollywood actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, has filed a legal petition to remove "Pitt" from her surname. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Vivienne is seeking to change her name from Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie, citing "personal" reasons for the request. The move follows her recent professional use of the surname Jolie, as she was credited as Vivienne Jolie in the Playbill for the Broadway production of The Outsiders, which she helped produce alongside her mother. Vivienne is the latest of the former couple’s children to distance herself from the Pitt surname. Her sister, Shiloh, previously obtained court approval to legally remove "Pitt" from her name after turning 18. Siblings Zahara and Maddox have also sought similar name changes. Sources close to Brad Pitt previous...

 The Ghana Prisons Service has commissioned a new bakery and workshop facility at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons, just hours before Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, began serving his jail sentence following his conviction in the Samreboi mining case. The facility was commissioned in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as part of activities to mark this year's Nelson Mandela International Day on July 18. Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, said the project forms part of the Service's broader prison reform agenda under the Think Prisons Ghana 360 initiative, which seeks to make correctional facilities centres for rehabilitation rather than punishment alone. "This project is a key milestone in the Service's transformational journey under the Think Prisons Ghana 360 Degrees initiative," she said. "Launched last year, this comprehensiv...

 Sharon Osbourne remembers Ozzy Osbourne one year after his death, saying fans should remember his humour and authenticity Sharon Osbourne says she wants fans to remember Ozzy Osbourne for his humour, honesty and personality as she reflects on his life one year after his death. Speaking to BBC Radio WM in an interview shared on Wednesday, July 22, Sharon said the Black Sabbath frontman was someone who remained true to himself throughout his career. The 73-year-old television personality and former manager of Ozzy said she hopes people remember “how funny he was — funny and charismatic and real.” Sharon recalled that Ozzy often told people to celebrate his life through his music. “As Ozzy would say, ‘when you want to remember me, just yank up the music really loud, as loud as you can get it, and just head bang,’” she said. She described him as authentic and said he was always direct about who he was. “He never tried to be anything other than what he was,” Sharon said. “He would tell...

Love Island USA season 7 couple Olandria Carthen and Nic Vansteenberghe split after more than a year together Olandria Carthen and Nic Vansteenberghe have ended their relationship more than a year after leaving the Love Island USA season 7 villa together. A source confirmed to PEOPLE that the couple “decided to part ways,” explaining that maintaining their connection became difficult because of the distance between them and their individual schedules. “They still remain close friends,” the source said. “They share a deep love and respect for each other and will always support one another whenever possible.” Carthen, 28, and Vansteenberghe, 25, developed their relationship during the season’s Casa Amor twist, which introduced new contestants and gave islanders another opportunity to explore connections. Carthen previously revealed that she initially held back from pursuing Vansteenberghe because he was paired with Cierra Ortega, who had been coupled with him earlier in the season. After...

 EFCC Arraigns Man for Alleged N5m Fraud in Abuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, 20 July 2026, arraigned one Auwal Ibrahim before Justice M.A. Madugu of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT,  High Court, Bwari, Abuja, for alleged fraud. The defendant was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy, impersonation and obtaining under false pretence to the tune of N5,307,000.00 (Five Million, Three Hundred and Seven Thousand Naira). Count one reads: “That you Auwal Ibrahim and Malam Yahaya Babangida (now at large), between the 21st day of April 2026 to 28th day of April, 2026 at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did conspire between yourselves to cheat by impersonation and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 96 of the Penal Code Laws of the Federation and under Section 97(1) of the same Law.” Count two reads: “That you Auwal Ibrahim and Malam Yahaya Babangida (now at Large), be...

  Deputy arrested for relationship with 14-year-old boy.  In Homer, New York (Cayuga County area), a 25-year-old Cayuga County Sheriff’s deputy named Hunter R. Lawrence of Auburn was arrested by New York State Police for an explicit relationship with a child. Investigators allege Lawrence met the boy online, communicated with him on Snapchat, and engaged in sexual activity with him 10 to 15 times between February and May while the victim was 14 and 15 years old. The alleged encounters took place in Lawrence’s pickup truck on a dead-end road near the boy’s home and at least once at Lawrence’s residence. Lawrence allegedly invited the underage boy on a trip to Nashville, said he planned to go to bars there, and asked the boy if he had a fake ID. The boy reportedly found it odd coming from a cop and did not go. Lawrence allegedly told investigators he believed the boy was 18. The boy had told him he was 18 when they first connected. Under New York law, that is not a defense.

 Mom and toddler burn to death after man crashes into them. A Silicon Valley man allegedly turned his Tesla into a deadly weapon slamming into stopped traffic at over 100 mph and burning a young mother and her nearly 2-year-old daughter alive. 31-year-old Zachary Chernicky of San Jose is charged with two counts of murder in the December 2, 2025 crash. According to prosecutors data from the vehicle allegedly showed him traveling 142 mph about 15 seconds before impact and still hitting 102 mph when he plowed into the Lexus carrying Ivana Balistreri, 29, and her daughter Lilliana. District Attorney Jeff Rosen put it bluntly, when someone drives 140 mph, the driver is the shooter and the car is the bullet. Chernicky walked away with only minor injuries.

 ‘I have gone back to our family ’-Gov Fubara says as he declares support for Wike’s governorship candidate The governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has declared his support for the governorship candidate backed by the Rainbow Coalition that is being led by his predecessor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. Fubara spoke on Wednesday during the commissioning of the Rivers Medical Industries Project in Port Harcourt, where he endorsed Kingsley Chinda, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as his preferred successor. “We have made peace in the state, and we have a total agreement. I am supporting our rainbow party, our rainbow coalition. President Bola Tinubu is our president and is the one we are supporting. OK Chinda is the governorship candidate that I am supporting, and anybody who believes in me will support him and every candidate under the rainbow. For those of you saying, ‘Fubara, let’s stay, we want to collect something before we run,’ the...

 STATEHOUSE PRESS STATEMENT PRESIDENT TRUMP LAUDS PRESIDENT TINUBU'S DECISIVE LEADERSHIP AGAINST TERRORISTS   US President Donald Trump has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his decisive leadership “on behalf of the Nigerian people.”   In a letter to President Tinubu, President Trump applauded Tinubu’s resolve “to tackle the issues plaguing Nigeria, especially the violence affecting Christian communities.”   According to Trump: “It is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against these terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous.”   The US-Nigeria relationship flourished in recent times, with the two sides working closely in key areas, especially in tackling security challenges afflicting parts of Nigeria.   In November last year, President Trump and President Tinubu agreed to establish a Joint Working Group co-headed by the National Security Advisers of Nigeria and the United States. Through the work of t...

 An Oklahoma woman discovered her husband ra-ped and impregnated her 10-year-old daughter. The mother forced her daughter to give birth at home. The daughter was only 11-years-old.  If that's not all terrible enough, it only gets worse.   When Cherie Walker, 34, found out her daughter was S/A'ed, and became pregnant by her husband, Dustin Walker, 35, she did the unthinkable. The 10-year-old victim lived with her mom and her stepfather, Dustin, as well as her maternal grandmother, Michelle Justus in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Her stepfather forced himself on her and in the process, the young girl became pregnant.  When Cherie Walker discovered this awful incident occurred, she did everything except help her traumatized and scared daughter. Cherie pulled her daughter out of school immediately and hid her daughter from the public. She also denied her any healthcare. 36 weeks went by and the pregnant 11-year-old had not seen any doctors for over a year. She had to live und...

 PRESS STATEMENT SERVICE-WIDE VOTE: ATIKU HAUNTED BY THE GHOST OF HIS SORDID PAST Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has become more disoriented and misguided than ever before in the history of his failed serial presidential bid. His recent allegation that the 2026 budgetary Service-Wide Vote (SWV) was set aside to fund President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 reelection campaign is either highly mischievous or shows disturbing ignorance of basic principles of public finance.  Beyond the headline allegation, Atiku did not advance any facts to verify his sensational claim, which is based purely on conjecture and calculated to inflame, mislead, and distract Nigerians from the visible and steady progress recorded under President Tinubu’s administration. You would think that a former Vice President, a man with the longest-standing ambition to be president of Nigeria, would understand the concept and instrume...

 Nolan Wells’ family releases independent autopsy findings as pathologist says cause of death remains undetermined Nolan Wells’ independent autopsy has not determined how the 18-year-old student-athlete died, but the pathologist who reviewed his remains has outlined several unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding his death. During a news conference on Wednesday, July 22, attorney Ben Crump presented preliminary findings from Dr. Roger J. Mitchell, who conducted the independent examination on behalf of Wells’ family. Mitchell said the manner and cause of Wells’ death could not be determined at this stage. He also said he could not rule out foul play, although he did not identify any fractures or deep tissue injuries on Wells’ body. The report noted several limitations, including the condition of Wells’ remains when the examination took place, the lack of access to certain body parts that remained with law enforcement, and the absence of information about how Wells e...

 Lisa Rinna says consistency, exercise and adjusting her alcohol intake have helped her maintain the same weight since age 20 Lisa Rinna says she has maintained the same weight since she was 20 by focusing on consistency rather than strict routines or extreme diets. The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star discussed her approach to fitness and health during an appearance on Morgan Stewart’s SiriusXM podcast on Wednesday, July 22. “I’ve been the same weight since I was literally 20 years old. I’m very, very, very lucky,” Rinna, 63, said. She explained that regular exercise has been part of her lifestyle for years, but said she does not follow intense workout plans. “I think the thing about me is I’m just consistent. I don’t do anything crazy,” she said. Rinna added that she has experimented with different diets over the years but does not follow a strict eating plan. “I’ve tried everything, but I’m not crazy about anything,” she said, explaining that she chooses foods based ...

 Man jailed in Ghana for attempting to steal police armoured vehicle   The Kwadaso Circuit Court in Kumasi has sentenced a 26-year-old unemployed man to one month in prison for attempting to steal a police armoured vehicle at Nkawie in the Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipality of the Ashanti Region, Ghana.   According to Adom Online, Ebenezer Frimpong, a native of Antwi Agyeikrom in the Atwima Mponua District, was arrested on April 15, 2026, after allegedly taking possession of the police vehicle. He changed his plea from not guilty to guilty during court proceedings on Tuesday, July 21, following a psychiatric examination by doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, which found him fit to stand trial.   The psychiatric report, which had been outstanding for months, was presented before the court, presided over by His Honour Jephthah Appau, who sentenced Frimpong based on his guilty plea.   On April 14, 2026, General Lance Corporal Joshua Denkyi, a police dri...

 OPERATION HADIN KAI ELIMINATES ISWAP CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER, OTHERS AND FURTHER DEGRADES TERRORIST PROPAGANDA NETWORK Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) has confirmed the elimination of Abu Salim al-Barnawi, a notorious Boko Haram/ISWAP raid commander turned chief photographer and propaganda operative, during the failed terrorist attack on a military location last week. Further reports confirmed Abu Salim was eliminated alongside other members of the ISWAP mobile media team including Abu Umar Khattab and Abu Khalid Usman. It could be recalled that the video camera was recovered among the other items stated in OPHK official statement  The terrorist group has now been compelled to acknowledge his death through the publication of an obituary, exposing yet another significant loss within its dwindling ranks. Intelligence indicates that Abu Salim al-Barnawi previously led cross-border terrorist raids into Cameroon before being reassigned to the group’s media wing, where he was responsible for...

NASARAWA POLICE COMMAND FOILS KIDNAPPING IN AKWANGA LG; RESCUES FOUR VICTIMS The Nasarawa State Police Command has successfully foiled a kidnapping operation and rescued four kidnapped victims during a swift tactical response by police operatives attached to Andaha Division, Akwanga Local Government Area. According to a statement by the command's public Relations Officer, SP Rahman Nansel, the incident occurred on the 21st of July, 2026, at about 9:40 p.m., following a distress call reporting that suspected kidnappers were operating around Megona Filling Station, Andaha, along the Akwanga–Jos Road. The Divisional Police Officer immediately mobilised and led a team of operatives to the scene. On sighting the police, the armed hoodlums opened fire on the operatives, leading to a gun duel. However, the police responded with superior tactical firepower, forcing the criminals to abandon their victims and flee into the surrounding bush with varying degrees of injuries. The four kidnapped...

 Court Jails One for N3.5m Fraud in Maiduguri Justice B.T Zannah of the Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri, on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, convicted and sentenced one Yagana Musa Mohammed to six months imprisonment. The convict was arraigned by the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one -count amended charge for the offence of criminal misappropriation to the tune of N3,500,000.00 (Three Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira). The charge reads: "That you, Yagana Musa Mohammed, sometimes in 2025 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court dishonestly misappropriated and converted to your own use the aggregate sum of N3,500,000.00 only, money belonging to Mohammed Tukur Yaji, during the course of your work while assessing to the State of Qatar and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 296 of the Penal Code Law and Other Matters Connected therein and punishable under Section 297 of th...

 Kenyan lawyers boycott courts over alleged judicial corruption Kenyan lawyers staged a nationwide boycott of court proceedings on Wednesday to protest alleged judicial corruption and chronic delays. Cases in the East African nation take an average of two years to conclude, according to official records, with lawyers blaming graft and systemic inefficiencies. "The court boycott is going on in courts across the country, with many lawyers heeding the call," Charles Kanjama, the president of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), told reporters. However, the judiciary said that accountability mechanisms already exist through the Judicial Service Commission and the Office of the Judiciary Ombudsman, where complaints against judges and judicial officers can be lodged and investigated, according to a statement released prior to the boycott. It also defended its recent performance, saying it achieved a case clearance rate of 104 per cent for the first time in several years. After the natio...

 26-year-old woman who made false rape claim against ‘kind’ UK banker and tried to blackmail him for money is jailed in Hong Kong  A woman who falsely accused a banker of rape has been jailed for six years.  Isabel Anonia Barbra Eudora Rose from Hackney, East London, was convicted of blackmail and perverting the course of justice after she demanded £100,000 from the UK banker she accused of rape.  The 26-year-old was sentenced at the District Court in Hong Kong on Wednesday, July 22, with Judge Adriana Noelle Tse Ching finding her guilty of blackmail and perverting the course of public justice. She blew kisses and waved to her mum as she was led away, with Judge Adriana Noelle Tse Ching saying she had “not shown an iota of remorse for her wicked behaviour”.  The 26-year-old was handed her guilty verdict after a six-day trial in March, which laid bare her twisted plot.  Rose met the man she accused, known as X at the trial, while travelling in Thailand and f...

" Today, I officially turn 18... Dear God, thank You for the gift of 18 beautiful years. As I step into this new chapter, I pray for Your continued guidance, wisdom, favor, protection, and grace. May my life always reflect Your goodness and purpose. Happy 18th Birthday to me! Here's to greater heights. 🙏❤️ Thank you to everyone of you supporting my brand over the years. 🙏🙏🙏". More photos below. 

 Mother, daughter and son-in-law arrested as detectives bust online sexual exploitation ring targeting job seekers in Kenya Detectives have dismantled a suspected family-run online s3xual exploitation network in Nairobi, Kenya, arresting a mother, her daughter and her son-in-law.    The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.   According to the statement, detectives also rescued five women allegedly trafficked through fake job offers and forced to produce explicit online content.    DCI said officers from the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU) conducted the operation in the Mihang’o area of Embakasi East Constituency, where the women were found confined in two bedrooms inside a residential house.   According to preliminary investigations, the victims had been promised lucrative employment opportunities but were instead subjected to online sexual exploitation for commercial gain. ...