Joint Security Team Intensifies Manhunt For Armed Men Who Abducted Three In Enugu Church
A joint security team in Enugu State has intensified the trail of armed men alleged to have abducted three persons in a church at Inoyi, Affa Community in Udi Local Government Area on Sunday.
The joint security team comprised police operatives, Forest Guards, and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group.
Atiku Condemns Presidency’s Attack On Catholic Church, Cardinal Onaiyekan
Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the Presidency’s attack on the Catholic Church and John Cardinal Onaiyekan, accusing the President Bola Tinubu administration of growing intolerant of dissent and uncomfortable truths.
Atiku said the Presidency chose intimidation and political attacks instead of reflecting on the substance of the cleric’s message.
Wike-Loyal PDP Says INEC Publication Of Candidate Ends Speculation On 2027 Participation
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said the publication of its presidential candidate by the Independent National Electoral Commission has ended months of speculation over the party’s participation in the 2027 presidential election.
The party said those who predicted it would fail to produce a candidate had been proven wrong.
Female Motorist Dies In Lone Crash At Mongoro, Lagos – LASTMA
A female motorist has died in a lone road crash at Mongoro, inward Ile-Zik, after reportedly losing control of her vehicle and crashing into a roadside building, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has said.
The LASTMA spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed the information in a statement on Sunday, noting that preliminary investigations had shown the deceased was driving a Toyota Sienna with registration number LND 162 HB at the time of the accident.
Agunechemba Dismantles Gunmen’s Camps In Anambra, Recovers Machine Guns, Rocket Launchers
Anambra State security outfit, Agunechemba Security Squad, says it has dismantled suspected gunmen’s camps in Orumba North and Orumba South Local Government Areas, recovering a cache of arms, including two General Purpose Machine Guns and locally made rocket launchers.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Publicity Secretary of Agunechemba, Mr Nweke Nweke, said the locally made rocket launchers had been handed over to the Nigerian Army.
Army Officer, Policeman Killed As Over 70 Kidnapped In Zamfara Village
Several residents have been reportedly kidnapped, while an army officer and a policeman were confirmed killed in the Kasuwar Daji village of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area in Zamfara State.
It was learnt that the incident occurred on Sunday at about 1:40am. An eyewitness, Musa Garba, said that more than 70 people were abducted.
NDLEA Intercepts Cocaine Hidden In Mortar, Backpack Meant For China, Italy
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, says its operatives intercepted consignments of cocaine concealed in a local mortar and the false bottom of a backpack meant for shipment to China and Italy through a Lagos logistics company.
This is just as the agency said it arrested four suspects in multiple operations across the country.
Kwankwaso Welcomes APC Defectors Into NDC In Kano
The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Sunday, welcomed a group of defectors from the All Progressives Congress in Madobi Local Government Area of Kano State into NDC.
In a statement shared on his official X account, the former Kano State governor expressed delight over the development.
Team Nigeria Finishes Seventh At 2026 Commonwealth Games With 24 Medals
Team Nigeria wrapped up its campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with an impressive seventh-place finish on the final medals table, collecting 24 medals across athletics, weightlifting, para-sports and judo.
The Nigerian contingent secured 10 gold, seven silver and seven bronze medals, making it the highest-ranked African nation at the Games ahead of South Africa and Kenya.
Musa Recalls Mother’s Akamu, Akara Trade, Urges Nigerians Not To Look Down On Petty Traders
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has revealed that his mother sold akamu and akara to support the family, saying he is proud of her hard work and urging Nigerians not to look down on petty traders.
Musa made the remarks at a one-day training and financial empowerment workshop for widows and wives of service personnel at Lungi Barracks in Abuja.
‘Relying On Outdated Data’ – Presidency Fires Back At Atiku
The Presidency has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies against criticism by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, insisting that the administration’s reforms are delivering positive results despite initial challenges.
The Presidency also rejected allegations of fiscal recklessness, excessive borrowing and mismanagement of public finances, describing Atiku’s claims as misleading and based on outdated economic data.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated the government’s position in a statement issued on Saturday titled, “Facts, Not Fear: A Point-by-Point Response to Atiku Abubakar on Nigeria’s Reform Journey.”
Onanuga accused the former vice-president of basing his criticism on economic indicators from 2024 without acknowledging developments recorded since then.
The presidential spokesman said Nigeria’s economy had improved following the foreign exchange reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration.
‘Beer Parlour Meeting’ – Hashim Camp Rejects Tinubu Endorsement By Adeleke, Accord Leaders
The Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement (GHSM) has rejected what it described as an ‘illegal, politically contrived and inconsequential gathering’ held at the Osun State Government House, Osogbo, where Governor Ademola Adeleke and some Accord Party officials were reportedly said to have endorsed President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.
Naija News reports that the group, in a statement issued on Sunday by its National Coordinator, said the meeting had no constitutional backing and could not overturn the decision of members of the Accord Party.
The movement insisted that the party’s presidential candidate, Dr Gbenga Hashim, was duly elected during the party’s nationwide direct primary held on May 30, 2026.
GHSM said the mandate given to Hashim by members of the party could not be cancelled through a meeting held outside the recognised structures of the Accord Party.
It added that Nigerians already knew who was carrying the Accord Party’s presidential ticket, insisting that Hashim emerged as the party’s candidate through a nationwide direct primary conducted in line with the Electoral Act and guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Presidency Again Condemns Catholic Bishops For Attacking Tinubu
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, has criticised the Catholic bishops over their assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying they cannot reduce the government’s reform agenda to a story of failure.
Naija News reports that Dare argued that such a portrayal amounted to an unfair attack on the President, who, according to him, inherited a country facing severe economic and structural difficulties in May 2023.
The presidential aide stated this in a post on his 𝕏 account while reacting to comments by the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan.
Onaiyekan had spoken about the July 28, 2026 meeting between Tinubu and a delegation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
During the meeting, the bishops reportedly expressed concerns about the country’s economic hardship, insecurity and political climate.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time, Onaiyekan said the President disagreed with the bishops’ assessment of the economy and security situation.
According to the cleric, Tinubu maintained that his administration was recording progress and remained on the right path despite the concerns raised by the delegation.
The cardinal’s disclosure has since attracted responses from several presidential aides, who accused the bishops of presenting what they described as an incomplete picture of developments in the country.
Reacting, Dare said the administration’s reforms cut across several sectors and should not be dismissed because Nigerians were still confronting economic and security challenges.
The presidential aide described the bishops’ assessment as intellectually dishonest and unfair to Tinubu.
‘The Man Who Led Us To Win 2015, 2019 Elections’ – Buhari’s Ex-Aide Visits Amaechi
The former Senior Special Assistant to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, has paid a visit to the Vice Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi.
Naija News reports that Garba Shehu made this known in a post on his social media handle on Sunday.
He stated that he paid a visit to the former Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council over the demise of his mother.
Garba Shehu wrote: “Today, I paid a condolence visit to the man who led us in winning the 2015 and 2019 general elections as DG, HE Rotimi Amaechi, following the demise of his mother, Mrs Mary Amaechi who passed away at the age of 89.
“May God give him the strength to bear the loss.”
Recall that Amaechi, a former Rivers State Governor and Minister of Transportation, had lost his mother, Mary Amaechi, who died at the age of 89.
US Condemns Kaduna Killings, Makes Request From Tinubu
The United States has condemned the July 27 attack on a Kaduna State community, which reportedly left at least 30 people, including children, dead.
Naija News reports that Washington also called on the administration of President Bola Tinubu to intensify efforts to address the persistent killings, kidnappings and attacks on vulnerable communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
The US Bureau of African Affairs made its position known in a statement posted on its 𝕏 account, describing the incident as another tragic development in the region’s prolonged security crisis.
“The United States condemns the early morning July 27 attack on a village in Nigeria’s Kaduna State that reportedly killed at least 30 people, including children,” the bureau stated.
It also sympathised with the families of those killed and renewed its call for stronger measures to protect communities affected by the violence.
NDLEA Nabs Rivers Drug Dealer, Alleged Bandits’ Supplier
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted cocaine consignments concealed in a local mortar and the false bottom of a backpack for shipment to China and Italy.
The agency also arrested a suspected drug dealer in Rivers State and a man allegedly transporting tramadol to criminal elements in Zamfara State.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the developments in a statement to Naija News issued on Sunday.
According to him, officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations discovered the cocaine consignments at a logistics company in Lagos on Thursday, July 30.
The agency said 250 grams of cocaine were fitted into the base of a local mortar packed inside a carton and destined for China.
Another 500 grams of the drug were reportedly concealed in the false bottom of a backpack prepared for shipment to Italy.
The consignments were intercepted during routine checks by NDLEA operatives responsible for monitoring courier and logistics services.
In Rivers State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 38-year-old suspected drug dealer, Ugo Gift Okonkwo, at Eagle Island in Port Harcourt.
Seun Kuti Storms Out Of Jarvis And Peller Wedding
Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti stormed out of the white wedding ceremony of content creators Habeeb Hamzat (Peller) and Elizabeth Aminata Amadu (Jarvis) in Lagos.
Naija News reports that Kuti left the ceremony following a controversial remark made by the event’s master of ceremonies (MC).
The MC allegedly compared modern Afrobeats artistes to his late father, Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
According to Leadership, Kuti was recorded saying he was in the wrong place and expressing dissatisfaction with the comparison made during the reception as he exited the hall.
The star-studded event, which brought together numerous entertainment figures and digital creators, continued following the musician’s sudden departure.
I Wanted To Join Nigerian Army – Daddy Showkey
Veteran Nigerian musician, Daddy Showkey, has revealed how the breakup of the music group, Pretty Busy Boys, forced him to return to life in the garage, where he eventually discovered his talent as a solo artiste.
The galala music pioneer made the disclosure while reflecting on his journey to fame and the challenges he faced before establishing himself as one of Nigeria’s respected musicians, Naija News reports.
Showkey said he was initially uncertain about his next move after the group members went their separate ways, adding that he even considered joining the military before eventually returning to Lagos.
According to the singer, he returned to the garage after the breakup and struggled to decide what career path to pursue.
He said his initial plan was to join the Nigerian Army but abandoned the idea after finding the training too demanding.
Nigerian Wrestler Oba Femi Stuns Brock Lesnar At WWE SummerSlam
Nigerian professional wrestler, Oba Femi, recorded one of the biggest victories of his career after defeating former UFC and WWE champion Brock Lesnar in a Hell in a Cell match at WWE SummerSlam on Saturday night.
The contest, held at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, marked the Lagos-born wrestler’s first appearance inside the Hell in a Cell structure.
Femi survived a punishing encounter against one of WWE’s most decorated competitors before securing victory with his trademark Fall From Grace move.
Lesnar dominated parts of the match with repeated German suplexes, steel-step attacks and a Tombstone delivered onto exposed wooden boards beneath the ring.
Femi, however, remained in the contest and responded with two chokeslams as both wrestlers exchanged heavy attacks.
The decisive moment came when Lesnar attempted to use a steel chair.
Femi knocked the weapon from his opponent’s hands with a right punch before delivering the Fall From Grace to secure the win.
Galatasaray Snub Arsenal’s Osimhen Swap Proposal
Turkish champions Galatasaray have reportedly rejected an ambitious offer from English Premier League side Arsenal involving Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres and an additional €30 million for Nigerian international Victor Osimhen.
The development further underlines the Turkish club’s determination to retain the Super Eagles striker, who has become one of its most important players since his permanent move to Istanbul.
According to Turkish journalist Ömer Faruk Özcan, via Nexus Sports, senior Arsenal officials travelled to Istanbul in a fresh attempt to negotiate a possible transfer for Osimhen.
The report claimed that Arsenal proposed sending Gyökeres to Galatasaray alongside a €30m payment in exchange for the Nigerian forward.
However, the Turkish Super Lig champions reportedly rejected the proposal.
The report stated that Galatasaray consider Osimhen one of the world’s top strikers and would only consider an offer that reflects his market value.
The club is reportedly placing a valuation of between €130m and €150m on the 27-year-old forward.
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