SOUTH-WEST NGR NEWS

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Aare Olayinka Segelu, has extended warm New Year greetings to residents of the state, urging them to uphold peace, unity, and a shared commitment to collective progress as 2026 begins. In his New Year message made available to journalists in Ibadan, Aare Segelu described the new year as a period for sober reflection, renewed hope, and purposeful action, urging the people of Oyo State to remain steadfast and united despite national challenges confronting the nation. He commended residents across the state’s various zones for their resilience and enduring spirit, noting that the strength of Oyo State lies in the cooperation and unity of its people, regardless of political, religious, or ethnic differences. “As we step into 2026, I celebrate the courage, patience, and resilience of the good people of Oyo State. These qualities continue to sustain our communities and support the steady progress o...

In a remarkable display of integrity, a Nigerian woman identified as Aisha Isah Yelwa, has returned N330 million mistakenly credited to her bank account.  Mrs. Yelwa, a petty trader based in Lapai, Niger State, revealed that she discovered the unusual balance in her First Bank account at about 3:49pm on Monday, December 29, 2025.  According to her, the discovery came days after she had lodged complaints with the bank over repeated debits linked to loans she previously obtained to sustain her business. She explained that while checking her account to confirm whether the debiting issue had been resolved, she was shocked to see an amount she had never handled in her life.  She noted that there was no credit alert, no transaction narration, and no identifiable source of the funds. “In order to be sure it wasn’t a display error, I made a transaction of N1 million from the account, and there was still no credit alert. That was when I became more confused and worried...

The driver of the vehicle in which British-Nigerian boxing heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, lost two of his associates in an accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, has been discharged from the hospital.  The Guardian learnt this following a visit to Duchess International Hospital, Lagos where the former world champion is currently recuperating from the injuries he sustained as a result of the accident. The driver has also given his statement and he could be prosecuted for reckless driving, following a visit to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) at the Sagamu interchange where the truck is packed.  “Anthony Joshua’s driver has been discharged from the hospital and he is currently giving his statement,” the spokesperson of the Nigerian Police Force, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, told the Guardian.  Also, according to an FRSC official, the truck driver fled the scene immediately after the crash involving Joshua and he is now been declared wanted. Promoted Conte...

Despite criticisms from different Nigerians, President Tinubu has said that the reformed Tax laws will kick effect as planned on January 1, 2026. The President stated this in a statement released last night, December 30. According to President Tinubu, the tax reforms are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a fair, competitive, and robust fiscal foundation for our country. The statement reads The new tax laws, including those that took effect on June 26, 2025, and the remaining acts scheduled to commence on January 1, 2026, will continue as planned. These reforms are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a fair, competitive, and robust fiscal foundation for our country. Sponsored Ads  The tax laws are not designed to raise taxes, but rather to support a structural reset, drive harmonisation, and protect dignity while strengthening the social contract. I urge all stakeholders to support the implementation phase, which is now firmly in the deliver...

Troops of the 13 Brigade Nigerian Army have rescued eight victims who were kidnapped along Ikang-Cameroon waterways.    Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Headquarters 13 Brigade Nigerian Army, Major Yemi Sokoya, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, December 30, 2025 said the operation followed credible intelligence from local communities indicating that militants intercepted a commercial boat and abducted six adults and two children.  “Troops of 13 Brigade Nigerian Army, operating from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ikang, have successfully rescued eight kidnapped civilians following a swift and coordinated response to a distress call on 29 December 2025,” the statement read.  Sponsored Ads   “The troops received credible intelligence from members of the local community that suspected militants had intercepted a commercial boat along the Ikang – Cameroon waterways and abducted eight civilians, comprising six adults and two...

A Nigerian hotel owner said that three of his staff were hospitalised with injuries after debris from munitions fell on his hotel following US airstrikes targeting militants in northwest Nigeria. The surprise US raid on Christmas Day targeted militants linked to the Islamic State group, according to sources in Abuja and Washington. The federal government had acknowledged that debris from the munitions fell in various locations, including “in Offa, Kwara State, near the premises of a hotel,” but stated that there were no civilian casualties. However, the owner of the Solid Worth Hotel in Offa, approximately 800 kilometres from the strike targets in Sokoto’s Tangaza district, told AFP that three workers were injured after what appeared to be a missile hit the hotel. “Suddenly on Christmas Day, around late evening past 10 pm, a bomb missile allegedly shot by the US military—maybe it misrode and hit my hotel,” said Taofeek Bello. “It landed inside the hotel building...

World boxing champion Anthony Joshua is recuperating in hospital following a road traffic accident that occurred along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway on (insert date). The accident, which occurred around midday, involved a Toyota Lexus jeep conveying Joshua and three other passengers. Two passengers lost their lives in the incident. They were identified as Ayodele Kelvin Olu (36), a Nigerian/British citizen, and Gami Sina (36), a British citizen. The Ogun State Government confirmed the incident and expressed its condolences to the families of the deceased. Upon receiving information about the accident, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, visited the hospital where Joshua was receiving treatment. He was later joined by Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Both governors remained at the hospital for several hours to oversee the situation and ensure that appropriate medical care was provided. Sponsored Ads Speaking on the incident, Governor Abiodun said...

The Ogun State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps has confirmed that the tragic accident involving the convoy of renowned British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua claimed the lives of two people on the Makun axis of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. The Ogun Sector Command confirmed that the accident happened at Sinoma, near Sagamu, involving two vehicles. In a press release, FRSC PRO in Ogun State, Afolabi Odunsi, blamed the crash on overspeeding and wrongful overtaking by the driver, who overtook from the right-hand side and rammed into a stationary vehicle. The accident occurred when the Lexus SUV conveying Joshua, with registration number KRD 850 HN, collided with a stationary truck along the road on Monday, December 29. In the accident involving five persons, Anthony Joshua sustained injuries, while two fatalities were recorded, and two others were rescued unharmed. Anthony Joshua, who was in one of the vehicles, was taken to an undisclosed hospital by his securit...

Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State is reportedly set to defect from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the first week of January, according to Daily Nigerian. Governor Yusuf currently controls 25 of the 27 NNPP members in the Kano State House of Assembly, following the deaths of two members. The defection is set to take place without the backing of the former Governor of Kano State and NNPP leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who has rejected the move. Sponsored Ads In a related development, Governor Yusuf is said to have initiated steps to remove his deputy, Aminu Abdulsalam, through impeachment. This is reportedly to clear the way for Murtala Sule-Garo, the APC deputy governorship candidate in the 2023 governorship election, to assume the deputy governorship position. The political maneuver has stirred discussions among Kano State political observers, highlighting ongoing realignments ahead of upcoming elections.

Two police inspectors have lost their lives after g¥nmen suspected to be members of IPOB/ESN att@cked a Distress Response Squad (DRS) patrol team in Enugu State. According to security sources cited by Zagazola Makama, the att@ck occurred around 8:30 p.m. on december 27, 2025, along Zik Avenue near Good Shepherd Specialist Hospital in Enugu. The a§§ailants, numbering about six and operating in an ash-coloured Lexus RX 350 SUV, reportedly opened fire on the patrol team and set their Hilux vehicle on fire. The officers k+lled in the att@ck were identified as Inspectors Valentine Iheme and Ani Anayo, both attached to the DRS unit. During the operation, the att@ckers seized three AK-47 rifles, each loaded with 30 rounds of live amm¥nition. Promoted Contents Sources disclosed that the Enugu State Police Command has deployed all tactical teams and available assets to track down the suspects, recover the stolen w£apons, and neutralise the thr£at. The command has also as...

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Saturday arrested the leader of the gang that kidnapped and m8rdered a renowned professor of neurology, Ekanem Philip Ephraim.  LIB reported that Professor Ekanem, a consultant at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), was abducted on 13th July, 2023 by unknown gunmen who posed as patients at her private clinic at Atimbo Road, Calabar.  Nine suspects were arrested in connection with the kidnap and are currently in prison custody awaiting trial.  A credible security source confirmed to security analyst Zagazola Makama on Monday, December 29, 2025 that the gang leader, Patrick Essien Etim, 23, and his accomplice, Bassey Antiha Asuquo, 40, were apprehended at a medical facility in Cross River State while planning to kidnap another medical bigwig.  According to the source, the DSS had been tracking the kidnap ring since Ephraim’s killing in July 2023, when gunmen posing as patien...

I am a resident of Ibadan and a direct victim of the January 16th bomb blast incident that affected Adeyi Street and adjoining streets including Dada Oyelese, Ibikunle, Ekiti, and Osun Streets. I state clearly that I am not politically affiliated, nor do I engage in partisan discussions. Like many affected residents, I am career-focused, law-abiding, and intentionally detached from political chaos. However, tragedy has forced my voice into the public space. On the night of the incident, lives were lost including close friends. Properties were destroyed. My apartment and vehicle suffered severe damage. Families and neighbours fled through smoke and confusion. This is not hearsay; this was a real life experience. It has now been publicly stated that ₦50 billion was released and expended as intervention and compensation relating to this incident. ₦50 billion is not a small figure. Even ₦1 billion is substantial. As a direct victim, I respectfully and lawfully request enumerati...

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA have arrested a notorious drug trafficker identified as Nwobodo Chidiebere Basil who was previously convicted of dealing in 30.10kg methamphetamine in 2023. A statement released by Femi Babafemi, spokesperson of the agency today December 28, says Basil was re-arrested following the seizure of 75 parcels of cocaine weighing 1.50 kilograms concealed in factory sealed sachets of cold-water starch heading to the United Kingdom at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos. Babafemi mentioned that three cargo agents identified as Jubrin Firdausi Hassana; Kuku Daniel Oluwasegun; and Igwe Chioma Jane involved in the attempt to export the consignment to the UK were swiftly arrested on Saturday 20th December 2025 before further investigations unraveled 37-year-old Nwobodo Chidiebere Basil as the mastermind.  ‘’He was arrested in a follow up operation on Sunday 21st December at a po...

A former member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdul-Rasak Ademola Abdullahi, popularly known as Omo Sheu, has passed away. Hon. Abdullahi, who served in the 9th Oyo State House of Assembly representing Ibadan South East State Constituency 1, died on Sunday night after a prolonged battle with a kidney-related illness. During his time in the Assembly, Omo Sheu was known for his grassroots connection and commitment to the welfare of his constituents, particularly in Ibadan South East. His legislative tenure was marked by advocacy for community development and improved social services. His death has thrown the political circle in Oyo State, especially Ibadan South East, into mourning, with colleagues, constituents, and party faithful remembering him as a dedicated public servant. Details of burial arrangements are yet to be announced by the family. Promoted Contents 

The United States has resumed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations over Nigeria’s north-east, focusing on militant activity in the Sambisa Forest, days after airstrikes on ISIS fighters in Sokoto State. The development was disclosed on Saturday by Sahel-focused t+rrorism tracker Brant Philip, who shared flight-tracking data showing a US aircraft operating over Borno State. According to the data, the aircraft was a Gulfstream V — a long-range jet often modified for ISR missions. “The United States resumed ISR operations today on ISWAP in the Sambisa forest, Borno State in northeast Nigeria, after a pause of one day following the strikes in Sokoto State,” Philip wrote on X. He explained that Saturday’s operation targeted the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the ISIS affiliate active mainly in Nigeria’s north-east and the Lake Chad basin. Flight-tracking records reviewed by open-source analysts show that the US began its current ISR missio...

Popular personal shopper on X Aunty Esther who was diagnosed with cancer and ‘refused’ blood transfusion has d!ed. The deceased trended earlier this month after new updates revealed she allegedly declined a blood transfusion recommended by her doctors. She had earlier informed her followers that her test results were out, confirming cancer in her breast and armpit. She also thanked everyone who contributed financially to her treatment. However, one of the coordinators handling donations, Sir Dickson, announced that he and another medical volunteer have stepped away from her case.  According to him, doctors advised that she needed a blood transfusion before starting chemotherapy, but she rejected it due to her Jehovah’s Witness faith. According to Dickson, her church allegedly warned she would be disfellowshipped if she accepted blood, and some family members insisted that “whatever happens is God’s will.”  In an upda...