President Bola Tinubu on Thursday swore in the Chairman and Commissioners of the Federal Character Commission at the State House, Abuja. Omidiran is also the founder of Omidiran Babes Football Club, a female football club based in Osogbo, Osun State, established in 1997. The Senate confirmed her appointment on November 27, 2025, following statutory vetting processes, including security screening and her appearance before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs on October 30. The Federal Character Commission, established by Act No. It is empowered to formulate equitable guidelines for appointments into the civil and public service, security agencies and government parastatals, and to sanction heads of agencies that violate the federal character principle.

We have answered all your questions here:New 1.2-litre Turbo Petrol EngineOne of the biggest highlights of the new Tata Punch is the introduction of the new turbo petrol engine. Out on the highway, the Punch finally lives up to its name with the turbo petrol engine as a highway companion. Commendable Handling For Its SizeThe Tata Punch is not a sports-oriented car; it is a small but tall family-oriented SUV. This means to buy a Punch with the turbo petrol engine, the buyer would have to stretch a lot on his pocket. ZigSays…With the addition of a new turbo petrol engine, the Punch seems ready to take on popular rivals with a turbo engine.

Britain will not take part in Thursday’s signing ceremony for US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” in Davos, foreign minister Yvette Cooper said. Trump is due to host the ceremony in Davos for the founding charter of his body for resolving international conflicts, which has a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership. “Because this is about a legal treaty that raises much broader issues, and we do also have concerns about President Putin being part of something which is talking about peace, when we have still not seen any signs from Putin that there will be a commitment to peace in Ukraine,” she added. Invites were earlier sent to dozens of world leaders to join the so-far vaguely defined grouping. Trump on Wednesday said Putin had agreed to join — despite the Kremlin so far saying it was still studying the invite.

Bankole Orimisan is a content writer and field reporter for The Guardian Nigeria. According to him, capital verification remains a critical pillar of the ongoing recapitalisation exercise aimed at strengthening the sector. Industry data suggest that Nigeria currently has over 50 licensed insurance operators, comprising about 30 non-life insurers, about 15 life insurers and five reinsurers. He covers politics and general newsऔर पढो »Protest rocks Ekpoma over incessant kidnappingsAzeez Kareem is a multimedia journalist at The Guardian Nigeria. और पढो »Nigerian insurers oppose tax breaks for foreign firmsBankole Orimisan is a content writer and field reporter for The Guardian Nigeria.

A deadly attack on a mining site in the Kuru community, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, has left seven people dead. Solomon said, “I have just been informed about the attack in the Kuru community which happened yesterday night. Seven people died in the attack. He added that two weeks earlier, gunmen ambushed another group of miners, killing two and injuring one. The Spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, could not be reached immediately as his phone was switched off.

The Federal Government had filed an 11-count terrorism charge against eight defendants, including Turji, who remains at large. N204bn for security operationsMeanwhile, security agencies in the country are set to spend a total of N204.51bn on operational activities in 2026. The allocations are intended to support ongoing counter-insurgency efforts, internal security operations, and other national security assignments amid persistent security challenges across the country. Military operations, including Operation Lafiya Dole, now renamed Hadin Kai and other armed forces engagements across the country, account for the largest share with an allocation of N100bn. In addition, N9.51bn has been earmarked for security operations overhead costs for the Office of the National Security Adviser.

The rest of the top 10 is dominated by Premier League clubs, with Liverpool leading the English contingent for the first time. Pep Guardiola’s City fell from second to sixth after an early exit from the Champions League and a third-placed Premier League finish following four consecutive titles. United dropped behind Arsenal to eighth after missing out on the Champions League and finishing 15th in the Premier League. Arsenal were the highest-earning women’s team for the first time after winning the Champions League. The Gunners, with revenues of 25.6 million euros, edged out London rivals Chelsea and Barcelona.

The legal battle over the suspension of the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has escalated as the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has again approached the Supreme Court. The matter was referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, which later recommended her suspension. In its judgment on July 4, 2025, the court faulted the suspension, describing it as excessive and unconstitutional. It was confirmed on Thursday that her lawyers had been served with the Supreme Court processes. The development comes barely two weeks after Akpabio announced that he had decided to withdraw pending court cases against his adversaries.

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, will soon visit the United States, a senior US official said Wednesday, further signalling President Donald Trump’s willingness to embrace the oil-rich country’s new leader. She would be the first sitting Venezuelan president to visit the United States in more than a quarter century, aside from presidents attending United Nations meetings in New York. Rodriguez was a former vice president and long-time insider in Venezuela’s authoritarian and anti-American government, before changing tack as interim president. A senior White House official stated that Rodriguez would visit soon, but no specific date has been set. The last bilateral visit by a sitting Venezuelan president came in the 1990s — before populist leader Hugo Chavez took power.

Over one million households displaced by years of insurgency have been resettled in their ancestral homes across parts of Borno State, following sustained stabilisation operations by troops of Operation Hadin Kai. General Abubakar listed some of the resettled communities to include Malam Fatori, Kekeno, Mala Jamel, and Yelwa, noting that Malam Fatori alone has witnessed phased resettlement efforts involving over a million households. If you take a ride into Kukawa, you will see the kind of socioeconomic activities taking place there. The conflict severely disrupted livelihoods and socio-economic activities, leaving many areas deserted and unsafe for civilian return. In response, the Nigerian military launched sustained counter-insurgency and stabilisation operations under Operation Hadin Kai, aimed at degrading terrorist capabilities, restoring security, and creating conditions for the safe resettlement of displaced households.

The shutdown of refineries across Europe and North America has tightened global fuel markets and handed Nigeria’s Dangote refinery greater leverage in shaping refined product balances, according to energy intelligence firm Kpler. The permanent closure of nearly 800,000 barrels per day of refining capacity across Europe and North America has materially tightened product balances, particularly for middle distillates. The President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, announced last year that the refinery would be upgraded to 1.4 mbpd capacity to make it the largest in the world. Last week, the Managing Director of the Dangote refinery, David Bird, disclosed that the refinery expansion could be completed in three years. Meanwhile, Engineers India Limited announced that it would lead the expansion of the Dangote refinery, a project that will increase the facility’s capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day.

The Federal Government is moving to fast-track the trial of 5,000 terror suspects to address the significant backlog of terrorism-related cases in the country. In sports, CAF has sanctioned Algeria and some of its players following misconduct during and after the AFCON 2025 quarter-final against Nigeria. Meanwhile, a report shows that Nigerians spent an estimated N1.58tn on petrol during the 2025 Yuletide period. Kidnappers hold 166 Kaduna worshippers, demand N29m depositFamilies of 166 Christian worshippers abducted in Kurmin Wali community, Southern Kaduna, have revealed that the kidnappers made an initial demand of N28.9m for 17 motorcycles as a condition for the release of the victims. Gunmen attacked three churches in the community on Sunday and abducted 177 worshippers before 11 of them escaped.

Ogun State government on Wednesday halted the selection process for the new Awujale of Ijebu land, the second suspension in less than a month, with a heavy deployment of security forces at the palace. The Awujale stool became vacant in July 2025 after the death of 91-year-old Oba Sikiru Adetona, who reigned for 65 years. The selection process has attracted widespread interest, including from Fuji musician Ayinde, popularly called KWAM1, who had sought an interim injunction at the state high court to stop the selection proces. On Wednesday, the Regent and head of the Awujale Interregnum Administration Committee, Dr Sonny Kuku, confirmed that the government had temporarily paused the process. However, the exercise was suspended in line with the state government’s directive halting the Awujale selection process.

Lagos-born AS Monaco forward George Ilenikhena has made UEFA Champions League history by becoming the youngest African player to reach 15 appearances in the competition, surpassing a record previously held by former Nigeria international Nwankwo Kanu, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. Now 49, Kanu went on to score five goals and register 13 assists in 60 Champions League appearances. Ilenikhena was born in Lagos on August 16, 2006, and relocated to France at the age of three. During this period, he also became Monaco’s youngest-ever goalscorer in the Champions League, breaking a club record previously held by Kylian Mbappé. This season, Ilenikhena has featured in 14 Ligue 1 matches, scoring two goals.

Hull City defender Semi Ajayi has been ruled out for two months after sustaining a hamstring injury during Nigeria’s third-place match at the Africa Cup of Nations, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The 31-year-old limped out in added time of the Super Eagles’ victory over Egypt on Sunday, and scan results have since confirmed damage to his hamstring. Despite the setback, Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic’s men claimed three points on the road, defeating Preston North End 3-0 with goals from Liam Millar, Akin Famewo and Oli McBurnie. John Egan also departed in added time with a cramp, and both players are hoped to be available for the weekend. Hull City hope Ryan Giles will be fit enough to return to the squad at Blackburn Rovers next Saturday.