Security and political developments set the tone for Nigeria’s news this morning, with fresh revelations from an investigation into an alleged plot against President Bola Tinubu, official reassurance after the President stumbled in public, and renewed tension in the South-East over sit-at-home enforcement. Probe uncovers alleged plot against TinubuAn investigation has revealed claims linking a retired army colonel to an alleged plan to remove President Tinubu from office. https://punchng.com/tinubu-proposes-110-court-of-appeal-justices/Presidency downplays Tinubu’s stumbleThe Presidency has dismissed concerns over President Tinubu’s recent stumble during a public appearance, describing it as a minor incident with no health implications. https://punchng.com/sit-at-home-ipob-tackles-soludo-as-soldiers-enforce-market-closure/UK-based Nigerian jailed six years for sexual assaultA Nigerian living in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of sexual assault by a UK court. The case highlights continued efforts by British authorities to prosecute serious sexual offences, regardless of the offender’s nationality.

Governor Soludo had, during an on-the-spot inspection of the market on Monday, ordered the shutdown after traders and market leaders reportedly defied repeated government appeals to resume business on Mondays, despite the sit-at-home directive issued by IPOB. The state government said the continued sit-at-home had cost Anambra State about N8bn weekly and the South-East region an estimated N19.6bn, disrupting economic and social activities. “The closure is a protective measure for law-abiding citizens,” Soludo said, warning that the market could remain sealed for up to one month if compliance failed. “It is absolutely wrong for the governor to order the closure of the market without proper consultation. The Anambra State Police Command, however, said the security deployment was strictly to maintain law and order.

JAMB candidate struggles to get profile code for registration. Amid this, a young individual who tried to register for the examination has taken to social media to share his frustration. Photo Source: Facebook/Jentro SylvanusSource: FacebookThe report stated that for a candidate to generate a profile code, the person would send NIN alongside the NIN number to 55019 or 66019, numbers provided by JAMB for profile code generation. He shared this on his page while attaching a screenshot showing the message he received via SMS when he used the prompt. Screenshot of the post is below:Candidate shares frustration after getting error message while trying to register for JAMB.

The Adamawa State Police Command has arrested a suspect in connection with the killing of a man in Gombi Local Government Area of the state. The command disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje. According to the police, the suspect is the younger brother of the deceased and was arrested following credible intelligence. The police said operatives attached to the Gombi Divisional Police Headquarters, in collaboration with professional hunters, carried out the arrest. The police added that the suspect led operatives to the recovery of weapons allegedly used in committing the offence.

“The bill seeks to increase the number of justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110 and provide clarification of judicial structure and seniority,” Tinubu stated. According to him, the proposed ADR Centre would operate within the Court of Appeal, allowing certain appellate matters to be referred for settlement. “The bill seeks to establish an Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre within the Court of Appeal, where appellate matters may be referred for settlement,” the President added. Barely a year ago, the Senate considered a separate legislative proposal to expand the number of Supreme Court justices to 30 to address the mounting backlog of cases at the apex court. Meanwhile, President Tinubu has also written to the Senate seeking confirmation of the appointment of Justice Oyewole Kayode as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has inaugurated a palm fruit processing mill at Oku in Abak Local Government Area of the state, under the Nigeria for Women Project. Speaking through his deputy, Akon Eyakenyi, the governor expressed optimism that the state would soon begin exporting palm oil beyond its borders. “I’m happy today to hear that this Mill now has the capacity to produce eight drums of palm oil daily, as against only one drum produced before. Very soon, Akwa Ibom will commence exportation of palm oil to neighbouring States across and outside Nigeria,” Eno said. A palm fruit processing mill is an industrial facility or specialised machinery designed to extract crude palm oil from fresh fruit bunches.

Photo: FileMore than 197 Nigerian women, including teenage girls, were suspected to have lost their lives to gender-related violence between January 1 and December 31, 2025, according to DOHS Cares Foundation’s femicide report. Details of the findings were published on the foundation’s tracker dashboard, which collates data on suspected femicide cases across the country. According to the UN Women, femicide is defined as “the intentional killing of women and girls because of their gender,’ distinguishing it from homicide, where the motive may not be gender-related. DOHS Cares Foundation is a non-governmental organisation focused on combating gender-based violence and monitoring femicide cases in Nigeria. The report documented 172 suspected femicide cases nationwide, which resulted in 197 deaths during the period under review.

Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services have commended Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, for what they described as unprecedented achievements in the health sector. Magaji said the visit was aimed at assessing the implementation of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund in Abia State. “The Geometric Power in Aba is another thing that will turn this country, not just Abia State, into an industrial hub,” he added. For many years, Abia State was known as one of the dirtiest states in Nigeria,” he said. Earlier, the Chairman of the Abia State House Committee on Health, Hon.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was expected to warn on Wednesday that oil-rich Venezuela’s leader will suffer the fate of US-deposed predecessor Nicolas Maduro if she fails to comply with US wishes. Delcy Rodriguez, who was vice president and is now acting president, “is well aware of the fate of Maduro,” Rubio would tell the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, according to prepared testimony. “It is our belief that her own self-interest aligns with advancing our key objectives,” Rubio was to say. The United States and most other Western nations did not recognise Maduro as legitimate after elections that international observers said were full of irregularities. But she has also worked to encourage US oil investment and said on Tuesday that the United States was unblocking sanctioned Venezuelan funds.

The Nigerian Association of Dermatologists has raised the alarm over a critical two-year shortage of multidrug therapy for leprosy patients across the country, warning that the absence of treatment is making a cure impossible for affected individuals. Leprosy is a fully curable disease when treated with the WHO-recommended multidrug therapy. They stated, “Regulatory and administrative delays have prevented clearance and distribution, leaving patients in multiple states without access to life-saving treatment. Without timely treatment, disease progression leads to visible disability, which fuels discrimination and social marginalisation. The statement concluded, “Leprosy elimination cannot be achieved without treatment.

A former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Chief Uchechukwu Ogah, has said Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, deserves a second term in office. “I think he deserves a second term. Otti) should have the opportunity to govern us a second time, so that he can put out there all that he has planned for Abia people. “I think it is something that everybody should support him to complete his second term”, Ogah said. “The ambition I have is to support the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the presidency and support Governor Alex Otti for the governorship.

The Labour Party governorship candidate in the 2025 Anambra State governorship election, Dr George Moghalu, has formally resigned his membership of the party. In the letter obtained by our correspondent, Moghalu expressed appreciation to the Labour Party at the ward, state and national levels for providing him with the platform to contest the November 2025 off-cycle governorship election in Anambra State. The letter read in part, “I bring you the good wishes of my family and write to formally inform you of my resignation from the Labour Party, effective January 26, 2026. Let me also thank the party, through you, for providing me the opportunity to use the Labour Party platform to contest the last governorship election of our state. “Please accept, as always, the assurance of my sincere regards and kindly convey same to the members.”Punch Online had reported on November 9, 2025 that the Labour Party candidate in the November 8, 2025 Anambra State governorship election, George Moghalu, rejected the result of the poll.

In the interim investigation report, the indicted Colonel was described as the alleged coordinator of the plot. The 16 officers reported to be in custody were Brig Gen M. A. Sadiq, Col M. A. Maaji, Lt Col S. Bappah, Lt Col A.A. Hayatu, Lt Col P. Dangnap, Lt Col M. Almakura, Maj A. J. Ibrahim, Maj M. M. Jiddah, Maj M.A. A detailed financial trail, according to the report, was being analysed with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit. One of the suspects, Lt Col Bappah, emerged as a critical witness, the report stated. Security sources told The PUNCH that the probe had expanded beyond serving military officers to include civilian contacts, financiers, and political associates who may have had direct or indirect interactions with key suspects.

The Nigeria Football Federation has expressed shock and sadness over the death of Mr Sunday Ndidi, father of Wilfred Ndidi, captain of the senior men’s national football team, the Super Eagles, in an automobile accident. NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in a statement on Tuesday, said, “This is very sad. The player just gave his very best to the nation at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, where we finished with the bronze medals. Ndidi’s club, Besiktas, confirmed the incident on Tuesday. “We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of our footballer Wilfred Ndidi’s esteemed father, Sunday Ndidi, in a fatal traffic accident,” the club said in a statement released via their official X account.

Peller made the disclosure in a voice note shared on his channel on Tuesday, where he complained that attending school was affecting his ability to make money. “Guys, I swear to God, I remember I said I am going to school… I am not going again. The content creator explained that spending hours in class without earning income made the experience unacceptable to him. Peller also claimed he felt out of place among other students, describing himself as the youngest person in the class. In the video, Peller expressed excitement over the admission and appeared to respond to critics who had mocked his educational background.