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 BAUCHI STATE POLICE COMMAND PRESS RELEASE POLICE CLAMP DOWN ON CRIMINAL INTIMIDATION, KIDNAPPING ATTEMPT AND GRIEVOUS HURT; TWO SUSPECTS ARRESTED The Bauchi State Police Command has recorded another significant breakthrough in its sustained onslaught against criminality, with the arrest of two suspects for criminal intimidation cum attempted kidnapping and causing grievous hurt. In the first instance, on 12th October, 2026, operatives attached to Bununu Division, led by the DPO, acted on actionable intelligence and diligently tracked and arrested one Musa Buba 'M' 25 years old of Dull Village, for criminal intimidation and attempt to commit kidnapping. The suspect had called one Idris (other names withheld) 'M' of Kururuwa Village via Dull, via GSM No. 09038****95, threatened him and demanded the sum of Five Million Naira (₦5,000,000:00) as ransom, with a threat to kidnap him to an unknown destination should he fail to comply. During interrogation, the suspect voluntar...

 Engineer caught on video poisoning coworker before she suffered horrific health problems A California chemical engineer, who pleaded no contest to poisoning a colleague, was caught on hidden video allegedly pouring cadmium into her water bottle. David Xu, a metallurgist at Berkeley Engineering and Research, spiked his colleague Rong Yuan’s food and water with cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, for nearly 18 months between 2017 and 2019. “My blood was frozen,” Yuan told The San Francisco Standard of the first time she watched the video. “I almost died. I experienced death so, so close so many times. I cannot let him go.” Yuan suffered a series of alarming health problems, including persistent vomiting, hair loss, and a strange sour taste in her mouth. Her condition deteriorated to the point that she required repeated hospital visits while struggling to understand what was making her sick. When Yuan emailed her colleagues on Nov. 27, 2018, to report severe vomiting and take a sick day, X...

 PRESS RELEASE  NO 546/ EDSGH/2026 OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, EDO STATE  No Mercy for Cultists Who Refuse to Renounce, Governor Okpebholo Warns Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has warned cult members who refuse to renounce their membership and continue engaging in cult-related activities that his administration will show them no mercy. Governor Okpebholo gave the warning during a mass voluntary renunciation and denunciation of cultism, themed “Restitution, Rehabilitation and Safer Edo State,” held at the Sir Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub on Airport Road, Benin City. The governor commended the youths who publicly renounced their membership of various cult groups, saying they had chosen the right path to save their lives and spare their families further pain. He said his administration would continue its fight against crime and criminality until Edo State was safe for residents. “On our part, we are not afraid to go after cultists and criminal elements in the state. Please ta...

 Nicki Minaj Urges Celebrities to Speak Out on Christian Persecution in Nigeria Global hip hop star Nicki Minaj has revealed that her spiritual connection to Nigeria stems from her pastor, who is originally from the West African nation. Speaking during a recent public event, the rapper called on fellow celebrities and social media influencers to use their platforms to bring attention to reported violence against Christians in the region. A Personal Connection to Nigeria Minaj made the comments during an X Takeover event held at Tesla's Giga Texas facility in Austin, Texas. Addressing the audience, she explained that her link to Nigeria extends beyond her massive local fanbase, often called Nigerian Barbz. She credited her Nigerian pastor with deepening her personal relationship with the country and bringing the plight of its Christian population to her notice. The rap icon noted that accounts describing the brutal treatment of individuals solely because of their Christian faith dee...

Scarlett Johansson shows off her dramatic back tattoos in a red-hot strapless dress Scarlett in scarlet! Scarlett Johansson just delivered one of her most memorable red carpet moments yet at the London Film Festival on October 10th. The actress was there for a special screening of her new animated film Ray Gunn, and her look was both striking and deeply personal. The 41-year-old star stunned in a bright scarlet red strapless dress from Hermès. The dress featured a beautifully gathered bust, a sculptural ballooning midi skirt, and even pockets a perfect red carpet detail!  She kept the styling simple and elegant, pairing the dress with matching red strappy sandal heels and a bold gold pendant collar necklace. Her blonde blunt bob was styled in soft, effortless waves with a center part, letting the dress and her meaningful ink be the stars of the show.  The open back of the gown showed off her large back tattoos, including a delicate vine of roses and a sweet little lamb.  ...

 83-year-old convicted grandma, South African lady arrested with Colos, Meth shipments •  As NDLEA seizes large consignments of illicit drugs in Lagos, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo sweeps; recovers assorted rifles, ammunition in Plateau.   At 83, most grandmothers are asking for rest. Not Mrs. Uloma Uchechi Sunday, who was arrested again by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with consignments of Methamnphetamine and Colorado concealed around her waist, barely a year after she was nabbed, prosecuted and convicted for the same offence. The octogenarian was arrested on Wednesday 7th October 2026 at her home in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa LGA, Abia State, with quantities of Methamphetamine and Colorado tied to her waist with a wrapper. Her re-arrest followed credible intelligence indicating that she runs a notorious drug joint that harbours criminal elements who terrorise the community. Uloma's first encounter with the law was o...

 Lindsay Lohan shares rare family photos with son Luai, 3, and husband Bader Shammas on fall outing. Lindsay Lohan is enjoying the best of fall with her family! The actress just shared some sweet new photos on Instagram from a sunny autumn day out with her husband Bader Shammas and their little boy Luai, who is now 3 years old. In the carousel posted on Friday, the family of three can be seen taking a walk together holding hands. Lindsay also included some cozy fall moments beautiful autumn leaves, a peaceful water feature, little Luai running through the grass, and a couple of casual selfies from their day out.  Everyone was dressed in comfy, warm outfits perfect for the season. She kept the caption simple with just a few fall emojis 🍁🍂 letting the photos speak for themselves. The post comes just a few months after she celebrated Luai's 3rd birthday in July with a heartfelt tribute calling him the greatest blessing in their lives.

 A Maryland bus driver and her only passenger, a 10-year-old boy, teamed up to save a kitten. She lost her job as a result of the good deed.  Cynthia Morgan has been a bus driver for Harford County Public Schools for the last 11 years. That long history of dedicated service came to an abrupt end after a simple act of kindness. On Thursday, October 1st, Cynthia was driving her bus route. At the time, the only student on the bus was 10-year-old Alex Thomas.  As the pair traveled along the route, they noticed a small kitten on the side of the road. The kitten was all alone and seemed lost and scared. Cynthia and Alex decided that they could not drive on and leave the kitten to its fate. Cynthia made a quick decision that would ultimately lead to her losing her job. She pulled the bus over and asked Alex if he would mind getting the kitten for her on the rural road. Alex, who was also invested in the kitten's safety, readily agreed and in seconds was back in the bus with the ...

 Ethiopian forces regain control of border city near Eritrea Ethiopian government forces and their allies entered Adigrat, near the border with Horn of Africa neighbour Eritrea, days after Eritrean troops were pushed back from the strategic city. The reported incursion by Eritrean troops, which Eritrea has denied and Reuters could not independently verify, has raised fears of a return to all-out war along Ethiopia's northern border where the two nations have clashed before. Conflicts elsewhere in the region and tensions across the Red Sea have further raised the stakes. The fighting that broke out last month has been the biggest escalation since ​the Tigray war, in which hundreds of thousands of people died.

 FIRST LADY ADVOCATES END TO CHILD MARRIAGE, GREATER INVESTMENT IN GIRLS  Nigeria's First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu wants families, communities, leaders and  policymakers to do more in protecting the rights of every girl, end child marriage, and invest in her general well-being, noting that when girls thrive, families prosper, communities grow stronger and nations advance. The First Lady made the appeal In a statement to commemorate the 2026 International Day of The Girl child, observed under the theme “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights. Celebrating the voices, strength, potential, and leadership of girls everywhere, the First Lady insists that every  girl deserves the freedom to learn, grow, and pursue her dreams without discrimination, violence or harmful practices limiting her future.

 Ogbaru Council Dissolves All Revenue Contracts, Orders Immediate Halt to Operations ‎ ‎By Ngozi Okoli ‎ ‎The Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State has dissolved all revenue contracts operating within the council, directing contractors, agents and companies to immediately stop all activities carried out under the existing agreements. ‎ ‎The directive was contained in an official notice issued by Ogbaru Local Government Area on October 8, and addressed to the general public. The notice was signed by Lady Dr. Okpala Augustina Obum, HLGA, on behalf of the council chairman. ‎ ‎According to the notice, all revenue contracts entered into by the local government have been terminated with immediate effect, bringing an end to existing arrangements with revenue collectors and other contractors operating on behalf of the council. ‎ ‎Consequently, all individuals, companies, agents and contractors engaged under the dissolved agreements have been directed to discontinue their operations...

INEC Rules Out Real-Time Results Until Nigeria Adopts Electronic Voting The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Anambra State, South East, Nigeria, has given a response to growing concerns on real-time voting and transmission of the 2027 Nigeria general election results. At a stakeholders’ meeting in Awka on Friday, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Queen Elizabeth Agwu says the electoral body is yet to migrate fully to a virtual voting system, implying that the world should not expect polls outcomes real-time. Agwu, who highlighted the Commission’s preparedness ahead of the forthcoming general elections, reiterated its preparedness to conduct free, fair, and transparent exercise. The Resident Electoral Commissioner told her audience that the majority of the staff have been trained, and more BVAS machines procured, pointing out that INEC has undergone infrastructural audit across states.

 EFCC Recovers $104,950 for American-Based Businesswoman in Lagos The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday, October 9, 2026, handed over $56,000 recovered in a suspected  procurement fraud case to an American-based businesswoman, Mrs Adeshola Oshilaja. The handover was performed at its Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, Ikoyi, Lagos, bringing the total amount recovered for her to $104,950. The latest recovery represents the outstanding balance of the funds, following the earlier payment of $48,950 directly to Oshilaja by the defendant, Babatunde Samuel Akinsanmi. The recovery and handover followed an investigation into a petition filed by Oshilaja over the alleged failure of her business associate and family friend, Akinsanmi, to account for funds provided for the procurement of 10 dump trucks from China. According to the petition, Oshilaja transferred $104,950 to two Chinese companies, Jinan Goneng Power Technology Company and China Howo Heavy Truck Industry Limi...

Benue seals two schools over forced textbook purchases The Benue State Government has sealed Orenda and Opal Schools over alleged violations of its textbook policy and complaints that pupils were victimised for failing to buy prescribed books directly from the schools. The Benue Education Quality Assurance and Examinations Board said the action followed petitions from parents and the failure of the school proprietor and administrators to honour an invitation to address the complaints. The board’s Executive Secretary, Dr Terna Francis, led officials of its Directorate of Enforcement and Compliance to the schools, where a court order authorising the sealing of the premises was served on the proprietor before the facilities were locked. According to a statement issued by the board’s Information Officer, Jeffrey Adzam, on Thursday, the government’s policy allows parents to reuse textbooks previously purchased for older children. “Parents are also permitted to obtain textbook lists from sch...

 Anambra Governor Soludo Approves Federal Government and ASUU Agreement for Ojukwu University Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has officially approved the comprehensive implementation of the 2025 Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities agreement for the staff of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University. The landmark directive is scheduled to take effect in January 2027. The development was announced in a public statement on Friday by the university's Public Relations Officer, Dr. Harrison Madubueze. According to the spokesperson, the official approval was communicated to the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Kate Omenugha, through Professor Peter Onwualu, who serves as the Chairman of the university's Governing Council. A Major Boost for Staff Welfare and Motivation In reaction to the announcement, Professor Omenugha highly commended Governor Soludo for his decisive action. She expressed deep appreciation to the governor on behalf...

 A 6-year-old boy exhibited an unbelievable amount of courage and love, placing himself in harms way to protect his little sister during a frenzied knife attack by their own mother. Dawson Gosnell may look like your ordinary, average 6-year-old boy.  However, behind that adorable little face is the mind of a warrior. A fierce defender and shrewd survivor who will put himself between danger and those he cares for.  In a world where the familial bonds that once seemed sacrosanct are now  seemingly eroding around us, one little boy from South Carolina is a reminder of unconditional love.  59-year-old Jan Mull is the grandmother of Dawson and his little sister, 3-year-old Hazel Gosnell. When her two grandchildren were in the midst of the worst crisis of their little lives, Jan was the lifeline they reached for to pull them back to safety.  Dawson is the son of Jan's late son Blake.  That crisis was in the form of their mother, 35-year-old Taylor Gosnell. T...

 Drones target Eritrean troops inside Ethiopia, conflict monitor says Drone strikes targeted Eritrean forces deployed inside northern Ethiopia overnight, a conflict monitor said on Thursday, following an incursion that ​has brought the Horn of Africa neighbours closer to the brink of outright war. The strikes, believed to have been ‌carried out by Ethiopia's military on Wednesday and Thursday, targeted Eritrean military vehicles near the Tigrayan town of Adigrat as they withdrew from positions, the US-based conflict monitor ACLED said, Reuters reported. On Wednesday, witnesses said they saw Eritrean troops being transported in trucks through Adigrat, which is about 25 km (15 miles) inside Ethiopia. That was the ​first confirmation of Eritrean forces’ presence in northern Ethiopia since fighting broke out last month between Ethiopia's military and a rebel ​alliance. In a meeting with UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. ​Mohammed on Thursday, Ethiopia's foreign minister, Ged...

 EFCC Arraigns Two for Money Laundering in Lagos    The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, arraigned  Ali Bala (a.k.a Barrister Ahmed)  and  Yusuf  Umar Anka before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, over an alleged theft and money laundering to the tune of £110,000.00 (One Hundred and Ten Thousand Pound Sterling).    The duo are standing trial on a ten-count charge bordering on stealing, laundering of funds and retention of stolen property.   Count one reads: ‘That you, ALI BALA (a.k.a Barrister Ahmed) and YUSUF UMAR ANKA, sometime in 2025 in Lagos within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conducted financial transactions of proceeds involving your unlawful activities to disguise the source of the stolen £110,000.00 (One Hundred and Ten Thousand Pound Sterling).   Another counts: reads: “That you, A...

 BLACKOUT HITS KARU, KEFFI, AKWANGA & ENVIRONS AS THREE TRANSMISSION TOWERS COLLAPSE Three towers along the Karu-Keffi-Akwanga 132kV Transmission Line corridor have collapsed as a result of rainy and windy conditions. A statement by the Transmission Company of Nigeria TCN says with this development, all 33kV outgoing feeders at the Keffi and Akwanga Transmission Substations are currently without electricity TCN  further notes that it has mobilised its engineers to the site to  assess the extent of the damage to enable them determine requirements needed to commence restoration activities. The statement regrets the inconvenience this development will cause electricity customers taking supply from substations affected by the tower incident assuring that bulk power supply will be restored quickly as soon as repair work is completed.

 Marwa commends security agencies over rescue of 20 kidnapped corps members  The Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has commended the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies for the safe rescue of the 20 prospective corps members and one other person recently abducted in the South East. Reacting to the cheering news on the outcome of the operation by security forces, the NDLEA Chairman described the rescue as a victory for the nation and proof of what coordinated, intelligence-driven operations can achieve. "The safe return of these young Nigerians to their families is a testament to the courage, professionalism and unity of purpose of our security agencies," he said, adding that "Our corps members are the nation's best, serving their fatherland with hope and idealism. Nigeria owes them protection, and today our gallant m...