Kidnappers holding the Chairman of Jezco Group, Chief Sir Joseph Ezeokafor, have reportedly increased their ransom demand from N700 million to N1.5 billion.

The Anambra businessman was reportedly abducted in the early hours of Tuesday, August 4, after leaving his residence for a prayer ground.

He was said to have gone out without his security personnel.

A source close to the family said the abductors initially demanded N700 million for his release, Guardian reports. The family reportedly agreed to the demand as part of efforts to secure his safe return.

However, the kidnappers subsequently raised the ransom to N1.5 billion, according to the source, the publication adds.

The family is said to have remained open to negotiations, but the abductors have reportedly stopped communicating with them

“The family has been willing to negotiate and do whatever is necessary to secure his release, but the kidnappers have suddenly stopped communicating,” the source said, per Guardian.

The communication breakdown has reportedly complicated efforts by the family to establish contact with the kidnappers and ascertain Ezeokafor’s condition.

A 64-year-old man, Abubakar Aliyu, has confessed to s3xually abusing a 14-year-old girl at his medicine shop in Arawa Quarters, Gombe.

Aliyu, a grandfather with several grandchildren, was arrested following a report by the child’s mother.

The suspect admitted to the act during questioning by security operatives on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.

The suspect, who was paraded by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Public Relations Officer, CSC Saad Buhari, said the minor came to his shop at night to buy drugs and that the incident occurred on three occasions. NigerianNews Aggregator

“She came to buy medicine around 11pm. I told her it was late and that she should go home, but she refused,” he said.

“I lured her. When she got home, her mother asked her where she was coming from and she mentioned my shop.”

Aliyu said the girl was the only child involved.

“We had s3x three times and she was the only girl. I gave her N200, other times N400,” he stated.

When asked about his motive, Aliyu said:

“Even my wife asked me to leave the girl but I refused. As one grows older, the attraction changes. It was temptation. I am not doing it for ritual. I sincerely regret my actions. I have spoiled my name in my area and I am relocating because if I remain there I will have problems with the people.”

Senator Francis Fadahunsi who represents Osun East Senatorial district, has honoured the invitation of the Osun state police command over his now-viral comment to ‘**** Accord’ members.

Fadahunsi arrived at the Osun police headquarters in Osogbo, the state capital, around 2pm on Wednesday, August 12.

While speaking to his APC supporters ahead of this Saturday's governorship election in the state, Fadahunsi asked his party members to “****” members of the rival Accord Party if seen during the electoral process in some parts of the state.

“From now on, whenever you see Accord members, **** them. I authorise you to **** them. They have wives and children too,” Fadahunsi had said

The video of the remark has since elicited outrage on social media.

Fadahunsi has since denied the claim. He says his comment was taken out of context and that the video being circulated is AI-generated.

The Osun State Police Command has summoned Senator Francis Fadahunsi over his alleged comment directing supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to “****” members of the rival Accord Party during the state governorship election scheduled to be held this Saturday, August 15.

The summons followed the circulation of a video on social media in which the Osun East senator, while speaking in Yoruba during an APC campaign in Ilesa on Tuesday, allegedly made the controversial remarks.

In a letter dated August 11, 2026, and signed by the Commissioner of Police, Elections, Osun State, Samuel Etaifo Erale, the command invited Fadahunsi to clarify the circumstances surrounding the statements.

According to TheCable, the Senator was directed to report to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Osogbo, at 11am on Wednesday, August 12.

The letter said the invitation was based on information available to the police alleging that Fadahunsi made statements considered “threatening, inciting and intimidating” during the campaign.

It added that the alleged statement had been circulated on various electronic and social media platforms.

Fadahunsi has since denied this claim. He says his comment was taken out of context and that the video being circulated is AI-generated.

Passengers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, were left stranded and frustrated on Tuesday morning following an industrial action by aviation workers that disrupted airline operations.

Chaotic scenes were reported at the airport terminal as passengers scheduled to travel struggled to obtain information about the status of their flights and when normal operations would resume.

Passengers were initially locked out of the terminal but were later allowed inside. However, uncertainty persisted as many travellers remained unsure whether their flights would operate or what arrangements had been made to accommodate those affected by the industrial action.

One of the affected passengers, Emeka “Silencer” Okoli, who was scheduled to travel to Enugu for the annual CIC Enugu Convention, described the situation at the airport as chaotic.

“Passengers were locked out of the terminal, and families travelling with children were left disappointed, among others,” he said.

Okoli said although the terminal was later opened to passengers, the situation remained disorderly, likening the scene to a marketplace.

According to him, passengers had yet to receive clear information on which aviation workers were involved in the strike, how long the industrial action would last or what measures had been put in place for affected travellers.

“Peace Transport Park is better than what we are currently facing at the airport. Passengers are suffocating from congestion. It’s either the ACs are not working or the crowd is simply too much for the ACs. This is so sad. Very terrible conditions,” he lamented.

The industrial action has left many passengers anxious about their travel plans, with growing calls for aviation authorities, airlines and other stakeholders to urgently resolve the dispute and provide clear information to stranded travellers.

The Department of State Services has released a carpenter, Mustapha Marwana, who was wrongly arrested over the May 15 abd#ction and ki!ling of pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo State.

A security source who spoke to Punch, said the Director-General of the service, Tosin Ajayi, ordered Marwana’s release after investigators cleared him of any link to the attack.

The security source said a DSS panel carried out a thorough probe into Marwana’s alleged involvement in the inicident before clearing him.

The panel was said to have found that the Katsina-born artisan was not a member of any terrorist organisation and had no operational ties to the Ansaru terrorist group blamed for the attack.

“Following the review, investigators found no evidence linking the carpenter to membership, financing, logistics or operational activities of the terrorist group.

Consequently, the DSS DG ordered his immediate release and approved the payment of initial N3 million as compensation to assist him in meeting his immediate needs and restarting livelihood.

Mustapha was subsequently released to his lawyer, Oghene Forgive, who received him following his discharge from custody,” the source said

G¥nmen suspected to be Ansaru terrorists had, on May 15, invaded Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery/Primary School and L.A. Primary School in Oriire, abducting 39 pupils and seven teachers. Two of the victims were k!lled before the remaining captives regained their freedom on July 10 following a military operation.

Several suspects linked to the att@ck have been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja, with three convicts already sentenced to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to terror!sm-related charges, while others, including two Ansaru commanders, are standing trial.

Nigerian writer and social commentator Solomon Buchi has criticised tribalism in Nigeria, arguing that voters should not support political candidates solely because they belong to the same ethnic group.

Buchi made the remarks while reacting to a video of a man who said he would vote for a presidential candidate because they were both Yoruba, despite acknowledging concerns about the candidate’s performance.

According to Buchi, voting based purely on ethnicity does not shield anyone from the consequences of poor leadership.

He argued that if a politician makes decisions that negatively affect the country, members of the politician’s ethnic group would also feel the impact.

Buchi further described tribalism as one of the major issues affecting Nigeria, accusing politicians of exploiting ethnic sentiments to divide citizens while they themselves maintain relationships across ethnic lines.

He urged Nigerians to look beyond tribe when choosing political leaders and consider factors such as competence, values, national unity, integration and infrastructural development.

“Your tribe will not exempt you,” Buchi said, stressing that ethnicity represents only one part of a person's identity and should not be the sole basis for making political decisions.

Media personality Isaac Fayose has expressed concern over what he described as the alleged intimidation of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, questioning whether Nigeria is still practising true democracy.

In a video shared online, Fayose said he hoped Nigeria would one day return to what he described as genuine democratic governance.

He cited the situation involving Adeleke, a sitting governor, as an example of what he believes is wrong with the country’s political system.

Fayose alleged that Adeleke and members of his administration were being intimidated, pointing to claims of arrests involving commissioners, the removal of campaign posters, attempts to win over supporters and the freezing and subsequent unfreezing of the governor’s account.

He also criticised Nigerians who, according to him, have become disillusioned with opposition politicians because they believe their electoral mandates were not adequately protected.

“You voted. You didn’t protect your own votes. That’s why they stole his votes,” Fayose said.

He further alleged that Nigeria was moving towards a one-party system, describing the current political situation as “democracy on suspension.”

Fayose urged Nigerians not to give up on the country, insisting that citizens must remain conscious of their democratic rights and continue to demand accountability from those in power.

His comments come amid ongoing political tensions in Osun State, with the governor and his administration facing various controversies and political disputes.

Popular TikToker Shirin has defended her controversial comments about people living in financial hardship having children, after her earlier remarks sparked backlash online.

Shirin had previously suggested that people who cannot financially provide for a child should not be legally allowed to have children.

In a follow-up video, she explained that her comments were directed at people living in severe poverty who, according to her, already struggle to provide basic necessities for themselves but continue to have children.

She argued that children should not be brought into the world with the expectation that they will eventually lift their parents and families out of poverty.

According to Shirin, while some people who grew up in poor households have gone on to become successful, such cases represent only a small proportion of children raised in extreme poverty.

She cited children who end up begging on the streets, struggling with addiction, hunger or crime as examples of what she believes is often overlooked when people focus only on successful individuals who came from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Shirin also criticised the expectation placed on some young people to financially support their parents and other family members from an early age.

“A child should never have the responsibility to take care of their parents and the family,” she said, while acknowledging that supporting parents later in life can be different.

She further questioned why contraception and family planning are not discussed more openly, arguing that people who are not ready to raise children should consider pregnancy-prevention options.

Credit: @sheisshirinn

The Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, has sparked a debate online after saying that President Tinubu walks to his office and eats only once a day, while dismissing claims that the President lives an extravagant lifestyle.

Adedeji made the remarks during an interview with Channels Television on Sunday, while responding to a question about the lifestyles of political office holders amid Nigeria’s economic difficulties.

The NRS chairman defended the President’s lifestyle, saying the President walks from his residence to his office and only uses a vehicle when he is heading to the airport.

He further claimed that the President eats only once daily and had not travelled outside Nigeria in the previous three months.

The NRS boss was also questioned about reports concerning the number of Escalades allegedly attached to Tinubu’s convoy.

Responding, Adedeji questioned the basis of the concern, arguing that the President could afford such vehicles and should not be portrayed as living extravagantly because of their use.

“Mr President goes from home to office on foot, not even driving except when he is going to the airport. I don’t know where you see the convoy. Before he became president, what is he riding?

How much is an Escalade that the president of Nigeria cannot afford? Please don’t embarrass this country. What is living large? In the last months, he has not even left the shores of this country, trekking and working. If you go there now, you will see him review one document or the other.

So what is living large? The president eats once in a day. How many parties have you seen him at in the last three years? Tell me where you have seen him, whether on holiday or anywhere?”

Credit: channelstelevision

A Nigerian woman serving in the United States Army has made an emotional public appeal to President Donald Trump over her 10-year-old daughter’s inability to join her in the US.

In a video shared online, the woman identified herself as Uzumaka and said she has been separated from her daughter for 10 years while trying to complete the immigration process.

According to her, her daughter has completed the required US immigration process but remains in Nigeria because of the current visa restrictions.

She said the situation has become more urgent because her daughter is now critically ill and needs medical care that she believes would be difficult to access in Nigeria.

“I am only simply asking that there should be an exception for me. My daughter is critically ill. I have all the paperwork to prove it, medical reports,” she said.

The US Army member said she had reached out to her commanders and Senator Amy Klobuchar, but was told that the visa process was progressing as planned.

Appealing directly to Trump, she pleaded for her daughter to be granted a visa on humanitarian grounds.

“Please, Mr President, help me reunite with my daughter,” she said, breaking down in tears.

She also appealed to social media users to share her video and help amplify her plea, saying she had contacted major news organisations but had yet to receive a response.

“This is just a mother fighting for her daughter to live and survive,” she added.

Credit: @Ada_amakassyq