News In Bits

A United States District Court has sentenced a 37-year-old Nigerian, Henry Ezeonyido, to 27 months imprisonment for his role in a $1m insurance fraud. It was learnt in a statement by the US Department of Justice on Thursday that Ezeonyido perpetrated the fraud between October 2019 and February 2022.

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday pushed back against rising concerns that the wave of high-profile defections into the ruling All Progressives Congress may be steering Nigeria toward a one-party system, saying the defections are a reflection of the people’s democratic choices and aspirations.

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 Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has assured that Phase Three of the East-West Road, a 15km four-lane dual concrete road, stretching 15km from Eleme to Onne in Rivers State will be completed in December 2025. The Minister, who spoke while inspecting ongoing reconstruction of the road, also promised that the Eleme axis of the road would be opened to the public in 10 days.

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 Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has announced another reduction of N15 in the price of its high-quality Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol.

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 President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, inaugurated the newly appointed board and executive members of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL. The President inaugurated the team shortly before attending the All Progressives Congress, APC, National summit, at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

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 Over 13,543 terrorists and other criminal elements have been neutralised across Nigeria since May 2023. The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed on Thursday at the All Progressives Congress National Policy and Development Summit held at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja.

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 Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has debunked speculation that he is planning to abandon the Peoples Democratic Party for the mega platform being proposed by the opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 election. The clarification was made by his media aide, Paul Ibe when he featured Thursday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.

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 The crisis rocking Labour Party took a fresh twist on Thursday when one of the four factional national chairmen, Callistus Okafor, announced his exit from the party. Okafor, a former National Vice-Chairman of LP, broke the news at a press conference in Abuja.

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Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State says the state loses over $1 billion in investments every year due to cult-related violence.
In a statement issued in Benin, Okpebholo said cultism has not only led to the destruction of lives and property but has also scared away investors and weakened tourism.
He explained that the impact of cult violence has slowed Edo’s economy over the years, disrupting business activities and discouraging both local and diaspora investors.
“What we’ve seen in Edo goes beyond public unrest. It’s a major economic setback that weakens investor confidence,” he said.

Vanguard

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Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress have formally endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as their sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election. The endorsement came on Thursday during the APC National Summit at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.