Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted nine members of the same family, including a nursing mother and several children, along the Benin-Akure Road in Edo State. He explained that the family became aware of the abduction when the woman and her baby returned home. According to him, three other children in pre-kindergarten classes were subsequently rescued by local vigilantes and police operatives in the community. She said five of the victims were rescued unhurt, while four others were taken away by the fleeing abductors. The police added that the ongoing operation forms part of broader security measures aimed at dismantling criminal networks across the state.

Australian police charged a man with hundreds of child abuse offences on Thursday after finding 23,000 sexually explicit images on his computer from children allegedly groomed online. Victims were aged from seven to 15 years and lived in Australia and abroad, Clark said. “It will be alleged the man actively targeted the victims on popular social media and gaming platforms and the offending was between 2018 to 2025,” he told reporters. “The trauma that this causes a child is significant.”He has been charged with 596 separate offences, including more than 200 counts of producing child abuse material and 87 counts of sexual activity with a child over the internet. Australia recently banned under-16s from a raft of the world’s most popular social media platforms, in part citing an alarming rise in adult predators finding young victims online.

Lafarge Africa Plc, a building solutions company and manufacturer of cement, mortar, and ready-mix concrete, has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening local cement production with the expansion of its Sagamu Cement Plant in Ogun State and Ashaka Cement Plant in Gombe State. The company noted that the expansion is expected to improve product availability and enhance Lafarge Africa’s ability to serve customers efficiently across key markets. The development follows the announcement made last year that Huaxin Building Materials Group had acquired 83.81 per cent of Lafarge Africa Plc, a move the company said demonstrates the group’s commitment to Nigeria’s infrastructural development. “The expansion of our plants is a strategic investment that reinforces Lafarge Africa’s role in supporting national development. Lafarge Africa Plc said it remains focused on the disciplined execution of its expansion plans and transparent engagement with stakeholders as it continues to invest in strengthening its operations across Nigeria.

A 59-year-old Chinese national has been arrested for allegedly raping a woman at a quarry site in the Kobape area of Ogun State. PUNCH Metro gathered on Wednesday that the incident occurred on January 25, 2026, at the facility located within the area. “A 59-year-old Chinese national was arrested following an allegation of indecent assault at a quarry in the Kobape area of the state,” the source said. The arrest comes amid renewed concerns over criminal allegations involving foreign nationals in the country. In July 2025, PUNCH Metro reported that operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency arrested a Chinese national, Liang Tak You, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, with 50 parcels of “Loud”, a synthetic strain of cannabis, after arriving from Bangkok, Thailand.

Former New Nigeria Peoples Party presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has condemned the deadly attacks on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, describing the killings as barbaric and warning that the Federal Government must not treat the worsening security situation lightly. Reacting in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Kwankwaso said he was deeply saddened and horrified by reports of mass casualties in the affected communities. “I am deeply saddened and horrified by the reported massacre of at least 162 innocent lives in the communities of Woro and Nuku in Kwara State,” he said. “I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, the entire people of Kwara State, and the state government during this profound tragedy. However, Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, later confirmed that 75 residents were killed in the Woro and Nuku attacks.

Since September 2025, immigration officers have reportedly shot 13 people in the course of Trump’s immigration crackdown. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents killed Renée Good, 37, in Minneapolis on January 7. Another American, Alex Pretti, also 37, an intensive care nurse, was also killed in Minneapolis on January 24. Former ICE chief of staff Deborah Fleischaker told CNN that “law enforcement should always be looking to defuse the situation, to de-escalate situations.”But the two officers who killed Pretti did the opposite. With the help of smartphones, Americans now record some of the atrocities of Trump’s agents for the world to see.

China said on Thursday it would not join nuclear talks “at this stage” after the expiry of the US-Russian New Start treaty triggered fears of a global arms race. The United States has said any new nuclear agreement would have to include China, but international efforts to encourage Beijing to join fresh talks have so far failed. “China’s nuclear capabilities are of a totally different scale as those of the United States and Russia, and will not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at this stage,” he said. Russia and the United States together control more than 80 per cent of the world’s nuclear warheads, but arms agreements have been withering away. It also allowed each side to conduct on-site inspections of the other’s nuclear arsenal, although these were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic and have not resumed since.

While condemning the absence of some institutions, the panel also faulted the quality of submissions made by Jaiz Bank, Unity Bank, and Access Bank. Although representatives of these banks attended the hearing, the committee noted that they failed to provide comprehensive and satisfactory information as required. The affected banks were also mandated to submit detailed documentation strictly in line with the committee’s guidelines. The House of Representatives set up the ad hoc committee amid growing public concern over the effectiveness, transparency, and accountability of federally funded agricultural intervention programmes. However, rising food inflation, worsening food insecurity, and continued reliance on agricultural imports have fuelled questions about how these funds were disbursed and utilised.

Nigerian families will to meet representatives from United Kingdom boarding schools and learn about academics, extracurricular programmes, and student opportunities. To make this possible, leading British boarding schools will visit Abuja and Lagos in March for UK Boarding Schools Week 2026, providing parents and students with a firsthand look at the pathways and experiences offered by UK education. According to Brooks, the events provide a rare opportunity for Nigerian families to understand how a UK boarding education supports holistic development. School leaders highlighted the long-standing relationship between UK boarding schools and Nigerian families. It was reported in 2024 that no fewer than 1,500 Nigerian pupils studied at a range of preparatory, senior and sixth form schools across UK.

Recipients of these exciting discounts included unsold MY24 chassis vehicles along with last year’s MY25 chassis vehicles. All pre-facelift models of Punch across MY24 and MY25 chassis get a uniform discount of up to Rs 40,000. The company is offering a uniform Rs 40,000 discount with Curvv for all engine options across MY24, MY25 and MY26 models. Altroz – Up to Rs 85k DiscountWe saved Altroz for the last as it gets the highest amount of discounts. Facelifted MY25 Altroz gets discounts of up to Rs 25,000 and MY26 gets a total of Rs 30,000.

Photo: AFPJapanese atomic bomb survivors said Thursday they feared the world was marching towards nuclear war as the last US-Russian arms control treaty expired. The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where Tanaka lived, in August 1945. But campaigners said that Tokyo has failed to take any effective steps to encourage arms control in East Asia or to engage China to join such efforts. “I think there is absolutely no effort to realise dialogue with China,” said Hideo Asano, activist at Japan Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. The Japanese government said it would “continue working closely with the United States” to build a control framework for nuclear weapons.

As the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) marks 50 years since its creation, its Minister, Nyesom Wike, has attributed the recent surge in infrastructure development across Abuja and its satellite towns to the decisive interventions and support of President Bola Tinubu. He described the period since August 2023 as the most impactful in the territory’s five-decade history. The minister stressed that the jubilee must not detract from the President’s anniversary celebrations, but rather complement them. The Rivers ex-governor used the occasion to clarify what he described as a persistent public misunderstanding about the relationship between the FCT Administration (FCTA) and the FCDA. Wike explained that this was the reason the FCT Minister is statutorily Chairman of the FCDA Board, ensuring coordination and preventing institutional conflict.

Kaduna State Governor, Sen. Uba Sani, has ended what he described as 45 years of neglect of several communities in the state with the commissioning of the Pambeguwa–Kahutu–Kauru road, bringing long-awaited relief to residents of the area. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Governor Sani recalled that when he flagged off the project on August 27, 2024, the journey from Pambeguwa to Kauru took about one hour. “Today, that same journey takes less than 12 minutes because of this completed road,” he said. Today, we return not with explanations or excuses, but with a completed project that speaks for itself,” Sani said. Governor Sani explained that the newly completed Pambeguwa–Kahutu–Kauru road provides a reliable alternative route that will reduce pressure on congested corridors.

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has confirmed the return of 82 worshippers who were abducted during a church service on January 18, 2026, by bandits. The bandits had attacked Kurmin Wali village in Kajuru Local Government Area, abducting 177 worshippers. It was gathered that 11 of the worshippers had already returned prior to this, while 166 remained in captivity. Governor Sani extended his sympathy to the victims over the kidnapping and assured the people of Kurmin Wali community that the remaining abducted worshippers still in the bandits’ custody would be freed within a few days. Sani also commended security agencies for their gallantry, swift response, and dedication, and urged residents to continue cooperating with authorities to restore lasting peace.

Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, has revealed that late former President Muhammadu Buhari advised him to stay away from active politics in Gombe State to preserve unity and stability. He said Buhari gave him the advice during the first term of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya. ALSO READ: How I acquired my properties —Malami – Tribune Online“Since then, my relationship with Governor Inuwa Yahaya has remained cordial. “Politics, like the security sector, has two dimensions: those who wear uniforms and those who do not. At that time, we belonged to those who do not wear uniforms,” he said.