Remaining abducted Kaduna worshippers regain freedom
Bandits have reportedly released the remaining worshippers abducted during a Sunday attack on churches in the Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Kaduna State chapter, Rev. He also commended the Kaduna State Government, noting that Governor Uba Sani had demonstrated commitment to protecting lives and property in the state. “I can confirm to you that the remaining worshippers have been released, but I cannot confirm the exact number,” the police source said. Efforts to get confirmation from the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, were unsuccessful as he could not be reached.
Source:Punch
February 05, 2026 09:38 UTC
How Aba smart city will boost economy, create jobs — Otti
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, says that the proposed Aba Commercial Smart City, a strategically situated Public-Private Partnership investment hub sitting on a 140-hectare land at Osisioma, will, on completion, launch Aba into an industrial centre for sustainable economic development and job creation. Otti, who was speaking on Wednesday during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Aba Commercial Smart City and United Market Leaders/Traders held in Umuahia, noted that the project, when realised, will practically transform the state and modernise trade, commerce, manufacturing and logistics. “When we talk about the Aba Commercial Smart City, it is a project that will significantly transform Aba and indeed Abia.”In an address by the Group Managing Director of Aba Commercial Smart City, Professor Chinedu Nebo, represented by the President, Aba Commercial Smart City, Amb. He said that the Aba Commercial Smart City is a symbol of prosperity through enterprise, designed to restore Aba’s pride as Africa’s commercial heartbeat and connect it seamlessly to global trade corridors. In his technical speech, the Manager, Technical Services, Aba Commercial Smart City, Mr David Okoro, said that the project is built on four core pillars of innovation, including automated manufacturing, medical, commerce, hospitality and smart housing, logistics efficiency and smart energy, noting that the smart city is a resilient city where business thrives on intelligence and connectivity.
Source:Punch
February 05, 2026 09:22 UTC
Stocks in retreat as traders reconsider tech investment
Pedestrians walk past an electronic quotation board displaying the Nikkei 225 stock prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on February 3, 2026. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)Stocks mostly fell Thursday to track more losses on Wall Street, where tech firms were again under pressure as fears over vast AI investments and extended valuations gained momentum. The selling extended into Asia, where Seoul — which has cruised more than 20 per cent to multiple record highs this year thanks to its strong tech presence — sank 3.9 per cent. Oil prices fell more than two per cent at one point after Iran and the United States said nuclear talks would go ahead in Oman this week. And Sony rallied nearly six per cent after announcing it had hiked its full-year sales and profit forecasts thanks to a weaker yen.
Source:Punch
February 05, 2026 09:18 UTC
Gunmen abduct nine Edo family members, demand N260m ransom
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.
Source:Punch
February 05, 2026 09:10 UTC
Australian police charge man after finding 23,000 child abuse images
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.
Source:Punch
February 05, 2026 09:06 UTC
Lafarge strengthens production with plant expansion
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.
Source:Punch
February 05, 2026 08:53 UTC
59-year-old Chinese arrested over alleged rape of Ogun woman
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.
Source:Punch
February 05, 2026 08:38 UTC
Kwankwaso slams Kwara killings, urges federal action
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.
Source:Punch
February 05, 2026 08:31 UTC
Alex Pretti: Another Provocative ICE Killing in Minneapolis
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.
Source:Punch
February 05, 2026 08:28 UTC
China declines nuclear talks as US-Russia treaty expires
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.
Source:Punch
February 05, 2026 08:24 UTC
Agric subsidy probe: Reps threaten defaulting banks, agencies
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.
Source:Punch
February 05, 2026 08:11 UTC
UK boarding schools woo Nigerian students at Abuja, Lagos fairs
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.
Source:Punch
February 05, 2026 08:10 UTC
Tata Discounts Feb 2026 Up To Rs 85k – Nexon, Punch, Altroz, Curvv, Harrier
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.
Source:Punch
February 05, 2026 08:08 UTC
Japan atomic bomb survivors fear war as US-Russia pact expires
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.
Source:Punch
February 05, 2026 07:49 UTC
Wike hails Tinubu for FCDA’s infrastructure success
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.
Source:The Guardian
February 05, 2026 05:21 UTC