A standoff has emerged between the House of Representatives and its Minority Caucus over an ad hoc committee investigating alleged alterations to Nigeria’s tax laws. The Chairman of the Minority Caucus ad hoc committee, Afam Ogene, warned on Sunday that dismissing the committee’s interim report would embolden impunity and undermine the National Assembly. “No political caucus, whether majority or minority, possesses the procedural authority to establish a committee that carries the status of a parliamentary body,” Rotimi added. It continues to discharge its assignment, and upon conclusion, it will lay its report before the House in plenary,” Rotimi said. Analysts say the dispute highlights the delicate balance between political advocacy by minority lawmakers and formal parliamentary authority in Nigeria’s National Assembly.

Governor Osun State Nurudeen Adeleke has condemned the continued occupation of local government secretariats by All Progressives Congress chairmen and councillors, describing their self-awarded tenure extension as illegal and unconstitutional. To further emphasise his point, the governor said the APC officials approached the Federal High Court seeking an extension of their expired tenure. “Assuming, without conceding, that the APC chairmen and councillors had any tenure, the tenure expired on October 22, 2025. “In Osun State, it seems that the APC chairmen and councillors, whose so-called tenure have expired, are above the law,” he said. He said he has written to the heads of relevant federal security agencies regarding actions that threaten peace and order in Osun State.

The Oyo State Government on Monday commenced week-long activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the state’s creation with an opening ceremony held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan. The Chairman of the Oyo @50 Anniversary Committee and former member of the House of Representatives, Saheed Akinade-Fijabi, had earlier disclosed that the programme was structured to combine thanksgiving, reflection, intellectual engagement and cultural celebration. Oyo State was created on February 3, 1976, by the military government of the late Gen. Murtala Mohammed, with Brig. David Jemibewon serving as the first military governor. Families of deceased former governors are expected to receive honours on behalf of their late relatives, while notable indigenes who have contributed to the state’s development will also be recognised during the celebration.

A former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has returned to Nigeria from London and is expected to proceed to Kano on Monday for key political engagements amid ongoing political realignments in the state. Ganduje arrived in Abuja aboard a British Airways flight at about 5:30 am on Monday after attending the graduation ceremony of his daughter, Fatima, at King’s College, London. Confirming his return, Ganduje’s Chief of Staff, Muhammad Garba, in a statement on Monday, said the former Kano State governor would immediately resume party activities in Kano. “He has returned to the country this morning and will proceed to Kano later today to take part in important political engagements,” Garba said. “He is scheduled to participate in the APC e-registration exercise and also play a key role in activities surrounding the reception of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf into the party,” he said.

Patriots punch ticket to Super Bowl LX with win in Denver The Patriots defeated the Broncos, 10-7, in the AFC Championship Game.

Welcome to Monday’s roundup of Nigerian newspaper headlines, where we scan the papers and then gently remind power that citizens are still awake. The committee’s chair, Afam Ogene, says calling the interim report ‘overtaken by events’ just because certified copies suddenly showed up is a slippery slope that rewards bad behaviour. Nigerians must also demand timelines, transparency, and accountability, because in a democracy, laws are not magic documents that change shape when the lights go off. Nigerians must ask for accountability for decades of failed leadership, civilian and military alike, and push for institutions strong enough to outlive strongmen. Nigerians must insist on transparent security plans, timely responses to kidnappings, support for victims’ families, and real accountability from state and federal representatives who go silent when lives are lost.

At first, Makoko residents thought the low metallic hum vibrating across the lagoon was a distant generator or the rumbling of trucks on the nearby Third Mainland Bridge. “You could hear the machines before you could see them.”Makoko – Nigeria’s largest informal waterfront community – has existed for more than a century. During the December demolitions, government forces used teargas, say waterfront residents, which they allege led to the deaths of five people. “They destroyed it as though it meant nothing.”View image in fullscreen View image in fullscreen People salvage wood and belongings from the debris. Several residents say they have started sleeping on boats.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted a 30-year-old Brazilian woman, Ingrid Benevides, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, with 30.09 kilograms of heroin concealed in factory-sealed coffee packs valued at over N3bn. The suspect, a private security officer in Brazil, was arrested on Friday, January 23, 2026, upon her arrival in Abuja aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431, following intelligence-led surveillance. These later tested positive for heroin, weighing a total of 30.09 kilograms, making it the single largest heroin seizure at the Abuja airport,” the statement read. According to the NDLEA, the arrests and seizures are part of sustained efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks, curb cross-border smuggling, and cut off the supply of illicit drugs to criminal and terrorist groups across the country. Nigeria continues to face significant challenges from drug trafficking both domestically and across its borders; however, the NDLEA has intensified intelligence-driven operations targeting drug importation, distribution networks, and local trafficking syndicates.

The Chief Executive Officer of Shell Plc, Mr Wael Sawan, has praised President Bola Tinubu’s leadership for creating a healthy climate for investments to thrive and restoring investor confidence. According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Sawan emphasised that Nigeria, under the Tinubu administration, is one of the countries attracting significant investment from global oil companies. “We have really been in a space where we are very keen to invest in Nigeria. At the meeting, Tinubu approved the gazetting of targeted, investment-linked incentives to support the proposed Bonga Southwest deep offshore oil project by Shell and its partners. “My expectation is clear: Bonga Southwest must reach a Final Investment Decision within the first term of this administration,” Tinubu stated.

Garba further stated that it is highly likely the former Kano State governor might head straight to Kano upon arrival to officially welcome the defecting governor. A social contract exists between elected officials and the people, and that contract is entered into on the basis of a political party. “This will not count as an advantage for the ruling party in 2027. The ruling party has failed, and Nigerians who have not defected and will not defect will vote the APC out. They all know that the easiest way to secure a second term is by joining the ruling party.

The corruption trial of Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former Nigerian oil minister and the first woman president of OPEC, is set to begin in London on Monday. Alison-Madueke is accused of accepting “financial or other advantages” from individuals linked to two energy groups between 2011 and 2015. Accepting these bribes constituted “improper performance” of her duties as oil minister, the indictment said. In 2023 she was formally charged with offences of accepting bribes, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. When Jonathan took over after the death of Yar’Adua, he appointed her minister of petroleum resources in April 2010.

The real value of employees’ earnings fell sharply by about N2.79tn in 2024 to N25.48tn, indicating that workers became poorer as inflation wiped out gains from higher nominal pay, data from the Central Bank of Nigeria show. These figures mean that when adjusted for inflation, take-home pay for Nigerian workers decreased despite earning more naira, representing a significant loss in purchasing power during the year. “Nominally, you’ve earned more, but in real value, you’ve earned less, which literally means you are poorer,” he said. “The cost of living in the country is beyond the increases, if any, in nominal income. Ajibola noted that the situation is worse in the informal sector, where workers lack bargaining power and formal wage protections.

A pro-democracy group, the Concerned Pro-Democratic Activists of Nigeria, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to consider releasing military officers detained over an alleged coup plot in October 2025, citing concerns over their deteriorating health and prolonged confinement. “Investigations have revealed that their grievances stemmed largely from perceived career stagnation caused by repeated failure in promotion examinations,” the military statement said. However, sources in the military had told the media that the officers were detained over an alleged failed coup, citing the decision of the Federal Government to suddenly cancel the Independence Day Parade on October 1, 2025. “Weeks after, there was rumour that the arrest was based on an alleged coup plot, but was immediately debunked by the military and the government. “In conclusion, it is our hope and believe that our request will not only be heard but also granted,” he added.

Barely a week after the abduction of 177 church worshippers in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, bandits have again struck in the area, abducting six residents of Unguwar Barkonu in Maraban Kajuru. “It is painful that while families are still crying and praying for the return of the 177 abducted worshippers, bandits have struck again. Efforts to obtain official reaction from the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful. The prayer gathering attracted Christian leaders from across Kaduna State and parts of northern Nigeria. Families of the abducted worshippers, some of whom were visibly emotional, attended the service as they continued to wait anxiously for news of their loved ones.

“Those meters you see, someone has to pay for them, and the government expects the DisCos to bear the cost of the so-called free meters. Another operator said, “We need to know that meter installers are not staff of the DisCos. The operators added that the free meter declaration would jeopardise the Meter Asset Providers scheme, which allows the sale of meters to individuals who desire them. MAP is still there because the free meters they are bringing cannot fill the metering gap. Already, customers are fighting their DisCos because the minister made a statement that meters are free for all.