NIGERIA NEWS
NGOs Sponsor Free Clinic For 400 Sickle Cell Carriers
The CrimsonBow Sickle Cell Initiative and the Rabiu Olowo Foundation on Wednesday in Lagos provided free medical care for about 400 carriers as part of activities marking the end of the year 2025.
Speaking at the event, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CrimsonBow, Ms Timi Edwin, said that the initiative provided general health talks, medical consultations, medication, vaccination, routine tests, genotype testing and counselling for persons living with sickle cell.
“Our outreach clinics are monthly, and about 400 warriors are here to see a medical doctor, get their routine tests, medications and therapy where necessary.”
“We have done 10 clinic outreaches this year now and more than 5,000 people living with sickle cell have benefited from our free monthly clinics and got their medications this year alone.”
“We all know how much medications cost right now, seeing a therapist and running laboratory services, because sickle cell is a burden,” Edwin said.
The founder, who noted that she had been running the foundation for almost 11 years, said that the challenges facing SCD carriers were numerous.
Calling for support from well-meaning Nigerians, Edwin said, “We are also asking the President and State Governments to please help us increase the budget for healthcare across the country.”
Also speaking, Mr George Oche, General Manager, Rabiu Olowo Foundation, said that the foundation’s intervention in sickle cell care was driven by the lived experience of its founder, also the current Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria.
Oche, representing the founder, said that the foundation—built on three key pillars: Health(sickle cell), Education and Community services- is committed to supporting patients and families affected by Sickle Cell Disease.
“As someone living with Sickle Cell Disease himself, our founder has the inspiration and motivation to support this population. We are very keen on collaboration and partnership. For today, this is our first free clinic with the CrimsonBow Sickle Cell Initiative. We are very proud and very excited to support this population.
“We are very keen on reducing, as much as we want to support warriors, the prevalence of people living with sickle cell disease in Nigeria. We all know that Nigeria holds the global burden. That is why we have rolled out an initiative called 10k GenoTest.
“We are reaching out to 10,000 young people to do free genotype testing and free genotype compatibility awareness.”
“Our main goal is to make sure that we can continue to reduce the prevalence of this disease as well as support people living with sickle cell disease,” Oche said.
The General Manager described living with sickle cell disease as challenging but purposeful, noting that his condition strengthens his resolve to make an impact through advocacy, care and community support.
He said that the foundation runs initiatives, including free genotype testing, free health insurance plan support for warriors and awareness outreach programmes, aimed at advocacy and improving the quality of life of patients.
According to him, the foundation’s 10K GenoTest initiative targeting youths with free testing and awareness will help reduce Nigeria’s high sickle cell birth prevalence.
Counselling patients not to give up on life, Dr Pamela Ajayi, Chairman, Bridge Clinic and host of “Doctors on Air,” said that the bone marrow transplant “is no longer something to be avoided and can now be done in Nigeria.”
Ajayi also emphasised the importance of pre-marital and pre-implantation genetic testing, saying that some important new treatments and initiatives are now available in Nigeria.
According to her, since these initiatives are expensive, there is a need for the government to establish special clinics and dedicated funds for SCD carriers.
Dr Ayodele Renner, a consultant paediatrician and child health advocate, described people living with sickle cell as “warriors,” praising their courage and resilience despite daily pain, lifelong medication and emotional challenges.
He urged Nigerians to prioritise genotype testing, warning that many adults marry without knowing their status, thereby increasing the risk of sickle cell disease among children.
Renner called for routine genotype and blood group testing for all children at age one, noting that late diagnosis often leads to severe complications, including anaemia and kidney failure.
He advised diagnosed patients to keep clinic appointments, take prescribed drugs regularly and avoid self-medication, stressing that early hospital care improves survival and quality of life.
Renner said that governments should expand health insurance, subsidise drugs such as Hydroxyurea, support blood services and strengthen sickle cell clinics to reduce financial burdens on affected families.
Beneficiaries, including a 31-year-old Miss Bashirat Oyelakin and an 11-year-old Hassanat Adewale, commended the commitment of the CrimsonBow initiative and Rabiu Olowo Foundation to easing the suffering of patients with SCD.
“This kind of gesture is much appreciated by all of us living with sickle cell, and we are grateful to Rabiu Olowo Foundation and CrimsonBow Initiative for being so caring about us.
“It is not easy living with sickle cell at all. We have seen doctors here and collected our routine drugs; we are very grateful,” they said.
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NIGERIA NEWS
Watch video as Nigerian lady recounts how she forgot her international passport on day of relocation
A video making the rounds on social media has captured the moment a Nigerian lady recounted her ordeal after forgetting her passport during a trip.
SOURCE PAGE
NIGERIA NEWS
“Your name go be sorry”- Banker shares warning message from customer ahead of 2026 tax reform
A Nigerian male banker has shared a warning message received from a customer ahead of the 2026 tax reform.
It’s worth noting that the tax reform is set to kick in on January 1 2026.
The law introduces a zero‑percent band for the first ₦800,000 of personal income, which means most people earning up to about ₦100,000 a month won’t pay PAYE .
Details Of The Message
The screenshot shared by the banker, identified on TikTok as @ikenga,showed the customer’s warning to bank staff ahead of the tax reform.
According to the viral chat, the customer, whose identity was not disclosed explained what would happen to the banker, if the new tax reform affected his account.
The warning message reads below……
Good evening Mr Ikenga, I hope this new I’m hearing about this tax won’t affect my account.
If I find one naira from my account eh, your name go be sorry. No even try near estate gate that whole week. Thank you.
Meanwhile, the post’s comment section has been flooded with TikTok users sharing their thoughts and opinions.
Reactions Traiing Below….
@heissamiey, “He don warn you like that , you go think say Na play 😂
@Dammysola & Mum, “You better no let it reach his account😂”.
@Better_in_Data👩💻🤖: “I support your customer no sha near Estate gate😂😂.😂😂
See below……
Burkina Faso has released 11 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) pilots and crew members nine days after their detention in the West African country.
The release followed high-level diplomatic intervention by the federal government of Nigeria.
The pilots were freed shortly after a Nigerian delegation led by the minister of foreign affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, =concluded engagements with Burkinabè authorities in Ouagadougou.
The delegation also held talks with President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso.
Senior officials from the ministries of foreign affairs and defence, as well as the NAF headquarters, were part of the delegation.
The delegation was mandated to pursue a peaceful and constructive resolution of the matter through dialogue.
A senior official familiar with the mission said the engagement aimed to foster mutual understanding, de-escalate tensions and secure the release of the detained personnel.
“The mission points to Nigeria’s preference for diplomacy and neighbourly engagement. It was a confidence-building visit designed to strengthen trust and reaffirm shared responsibilities in addressing the complex security challenges confronting the Sahel,” the official stated.
The source said the delegation reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to regional cooperation and adherence to international aviation and military protocols.
According to the official, Nigeria also conveyed its commitment to regional security collaboration, dialogue and respect for international norms.
The source noted the long-standing history of cooperation between Nigeria, Burkina Faso and other members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
NIGERIA NEWS
Kalu Objectively Assessed, Adjudged by Faculty Board, Examiners to be Sound Scholar – THISDAYLIVE
By Michael P. Okom
My attention has been drawn to an article by one Professor Abiodun Ojo of ABUAD on the subject: The New Certificate Craze: How Politicians Are Quietly Eroding Academic Standards In Nigerian Universities.
The distasteful write up is making its ignominious rounds on Social Media. The author made a couple of tendentious, spurious, frivolous and false allegations about the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin O. Kalu, with respect to his PhD, recently obtained in the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, his Alma Mater. By raising doubt about Dr. Kalu’s PhD, he invariably casts aspersions on those who superintended over his academic attainments. In addition, he has also impugned, lampooned and besmirched the integrity and reputation of the senior academia who run the Graduate Programme of the Faculty. Ipso facto, it behoves this writer, as one of those involved, to visit this space and set the records straight.
To start with, it is supremely intriguing and optimally preposterous for a professor to so flagrantly and hastily go public with such grave and weighty allegations (with serious implications), without doing as much as a scintilla of verification, which would have provided him with all the information that would have saved him the embarrassment of espousing such hideous falsehood in the public domain. By the way, if the professor was as punctilious as he would want us to believe, why did he not do what any academician would naturally do; conduct some basic research/findings?
This writer taught Dr. Kalu at the LLB, LLM and PhD levels and supervised his LL.M thesis. He (this writer), has been Head of Department twice, Dean of the Faculty, immediate past Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration, and currently, Director of Alumni Affairs (which particularly gives him sound locus standi to issue this riposte in defence of Dr.Kalu, a distinguished and stellar Alumnus. The writer is also an ordained clergyman of the Church of God in Christ, Memphis, Tennessee, actively involved in the work of the Gospel.
For the avoidance of every shred of doubt, it is sublimely expedient to let the public know that Dr. Kalu was admitted into the PhD Programme of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar in the 2022 session. He concluded his course work at the end of that session, after writing the first and second semester exams. This writer taught his class International Economic Law, and I hereby attest that he submitted his first and second semester written seminar papers and duly made his oral presentations, under my watch. During the second year of his PhD programme, he made his Mini Proposal and Main Proposal defences. During his third session, (2024/25) he made his Internal and External defences. His External Examiner was a Rev. Father professor of impeccable academic credentials and moral rectitude. Furthermore, it is pertinent for the public to know that the University of Calabar has a well established and unimpeachable international reputation.
As for the Faculty of Law UNICAL, it does not bend rules for anyone.
In view of the foregoing, this writer hereby asseverates thus:
1) Rt. Hon. Benjamin O.Kalu did this PhD in three academic sessions. He did not skip any seminars or exams and he has course mates who are alive and can be contacted.
2) His PhD thesis was supervised by a most erudite and cerebrally endowed professor of international repute, who recently served as a Justice of the Gambian Court of Appeal.
3) The Faculty of Law UNICAL Graduate Board has a well known reputation for its “NO SACRED COWS” stringent policy, which has been consistently upheld and was applied a few sessions ago when a serving Governor did his LLM in the Faculty, when this writer was Dean. In fact, some furore ensued in the University when the Governor came for lectures with his convoy and Social Media went agog.
It is pertinent to assert that during his PhD programme, Dr. Kalu was objectively assessed on his seminars and defences and was adjudged by the Faculty Board and examiners to be a sound scholar, deserving of a PhD. He is definitely not a laid-back armchair or cavalier budding academic because in addition to his seminars and LLM/PHD theses, he has 11(eleven) publications in local and international journals to his credit. All his seminars, exams and defences were done in personam and there are no lack of witnesses to this.
As the Director of Alumni Affairs of the University, yours truly hereby states that the University and the Faculty are proud of Dr. Kalu. In fact, the University is so proud of him that he was invited to deliver the Keynote lecture at the University’s 50th anniversary celebration earlier in the year.
By virtue of all that has been stated so far, it ought to be beyond conjecture that the allegations by Professor Ojo are not only false but also redolent with caprice and crass disregard for the prudence, objectivity and forensic veracity that academicians are known for. As the reader may have observed, specific details as to names and dates have been excluded for the simple reason that this is not a response to an official or judicial inquiry. The details and evidence are available should the matter come to that juncture.
In conclusion, when false statements are made while the truth is just a handbreadth away, it stands to reason that malice might be the sole motive. Disseminating information for malicious purposes does not serve any useful purpose in the society. As the Bible has pungently stated in Matthew 7:12, do unto others what you want others to do unto you. (Paraphrased).
*Professor Michael P. Okom is a former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), former Dean, Faculty of Law and Currently, Head of Alumni, University of Calabar. He wrote from Calabar, Cross River State in Defence of the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR.
Multiple explosions on Wednesday rocked Auchi, the administrative headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area in Edo State
The News Agency of Nigeria correspondent reports that multiple explosions occurred in three different areas of Auchi at about 6:30pm on Wednesday.
NAN observed that the first blast occurred along Igbei Road, the second at the Igbo Shade area near an AP filling station, while the third explosion occurred along the Auchi–Okene Road, close to Winners Junction.
Properties worth millions of naira were reportedly destroyed, including buildings and shops, across the three affected areas.
As of the time of filing the report, the cause of the explosions was unknown, and the number of deaths or casualties could not be ascertained.
An eyewitness, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said the explosions occurred almost simultaneously in different parts of Auchi.
The eyewitness added that the blasts appeared to have been coordinated.
The eyewitness described the incident as allegedly planned attack on the Auchi community and stressed the need for a thorough investigation to prevent future occurrences.
NAN further reports that a fuel tanker fell along the expressway, prompting residents to scramble to scoop fuel.
It took the intervention of the Police Area Commander in Auchi, who mobilised officers to the scene to prevent a possible explosion as the crowd continued to grow.
The Public Relations Officer of the Command of the Nigeria Police Force, in Edo, ASP Eno Ikoedem, confirmed the explosions to NAN.
Ikoedem said, “The incident occurred at about 6:30pm following the fall of a fuel tanker along the road.”
She explained that “spilled fuel seeped into underground tunnels, which later ignited and caused three explosions in different parts of the Auchi community.”
According to her, officers from the Auchi Divisional Police Headquarters and the Area Command were mobilised to the affected areas and successfully cordoned them off to prevent loss of lives.
(NAN)
By Favour Ulebor, Abuja
The Federal Government has confirmed the release of the Nigerian Air Force aircraft and 11 personnel detained in Burkina Faso after a forced landing.
Confirming the development on Wednesday night, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the aircraft and personnel had been released.
He said, “Yes, they have been released.”
The confirmation came after the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yusuf Tuggar, on Wednesday met Burkina Faso junta leader, Mr Ibrahim Traoré, in Ouagadougou.
Tuggar, who led a Nigerian delegation, said during a press briefing that the visit was at the instance of President Bola Tinubu.
The incident occurred nearly two weeks ago when a Nigerian Air Force C 130 aircraft, with 11 personnel on board, made a forced landing in Bobo Dioulasso while on a ferry mission to Portugal.
Director of Public Relations of the Nigerian Air Force, Mr Ehimen Ejodame, had explained that the crew observed a technical issue and carried out a precautionary landing at the nearest airfield, in line with international aviation protocols.
However, Mali junta leader, Mr Assimi Goita, speaking on behalf of the Confederation of Sahel States, had described the landing as an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law,” warning that member states were authorised to neutralise aircraft violating their airspace.
The post Burkina Faso releases Nigerian aircraft, military personnel after Tuggar meeting appeared first on Vanguard News.
The country’s budget conundrum continued on Wednesday as President Bola Tinubu sought a repeal and re-enactment of the 2024 budget, reviewing it to N43.56trillion and harmonising portions of the 2025 budget with it.
Tinubu, in his covering letter, said the latest move was part of measures to end multiple budgets running concurrently.
The “Bill for an Act to Repeal and Re-enact the 2024/2025 Appropriations Act” was speedily passed through first and second readings on Wednesday at the Senate.
It came under 48 hours after the government admitted that the 2025 budget of N54.99trn faced funding challenges.
According to the provisions, the bill captures ₦1.74 trillion for statutory transfers; ₦8.27 trillion for debt service; ₦11.27 trillion for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure and ₦22.28 trillion for capital expenditure and development fund contribution, as provided in the bill.
The Senate said it had directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Mr Wale Edun; Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu and the Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Dr Zacch Adedeji, among others, to appear before the Senate Committee on Appropriations on Thursday to give further details.
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, while leading the debate on the bill, explained the essence of this proposal, which, according to him, was not merely procedural; it is structural and reform-driven.
Bamidele argued that the bill sought “to repeal and re-enact the existing Appropriation framework in order to bring an end to the unhealthy practice of running multiple budget cycles concurrently.”
The leader pointed out diverse explanations, which established that such a practice had historically undermined budget clarity, weakened fiscal discipline, and blurred accountability across ministries, departments and agencies.
The lawmaker also noted that the amendment bill sought to provide a clear, grounded, and orderly appropriation mechanism that enables the government to lawfully consolidate, regularise, and appropriate expenditures that are critical, time-sensitive, and unavoidable, particularly those undertaken in response to emergency exigencies.”
Noting that the proposal was a careful balance between responsiveness and responsibility, Bamidele explained that the amendment was designed to ensure that urgent public spending did not erode legislative oversight or fiscal prudence.
He added that the bill reinforced the collective well-being of Nigerians by ensuring that expenditures aimed at safeguarding national security, social stability, and economic continuity are not left in legal or administrative uncertainty.
He also said the bill sought to strengthen the pillars of fiscal discipline, accountability, and prudent public financial management, which this Senate has consistently upheld.
Only yesterday, the Senate approved the 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP).
The document captured N54.46trn as the proposed budget for 2026.
The government’s retained revenue for 2026 is estimated at N34.33trn with a new borrowing component of N17.88trn. Debt service obligations are expected to gulp N15.52trn.
Other provisions include N1.376trn for pensions, gratuities and retirees’ benefits, while the fiscal deficit is pegged at N20.13 trillion.
Capital expenditure, exclusive of transfers, is N20.131trn, besides statutory transfers of N3.152trn and a Sinking Fund provision of N388.54 billion.
Total recurrent (non-debt) expenditure is pegged at N15.265trn, with special intervention funds for recurrent and capital spending set at N200bn and N14bn respectively.
The Senate approved the MTEF on Tuesday after considering the report of its Committees on Finance chaired by Senator Sani Musa.
The MTEF spells out the spending details of the government for the next three years, a requirement of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.
In the presidential proposal, $64.85, $64.30 and $65.50 per barrel was fixed for 2026, 2027 and 2028, respectively.
However, the Senate approved $60, $65 and $70 for 2026, 2027 and 2028 respectively.
Defending its decision, the Senate attributed it to the political tensions in Europe and the Middle East, which had led to an unstable global oil market situation.
However, the Senate retained the crude oil production projection at 1.84 million barrels per day (mbpd) for 2026, 1.88mbpd for 2027 and 1.92mbpd for 2028 respectively.
Senators also approved exchange rates of N1,512 to the dollar in 2026, N1,432.15 in 2027 and N1,383.18 in 2028.
READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
The Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) has constituted a Monitoring Team to maintain strict oversight on contractor performance, monitor all funded projects, donations and strengthen internal governance and deepen stakeholders’ feedback mechanisms.
The monitoring team is giving clear guidelines detailing their baseline expectations, roles, responsibilities, and performance.
This is to ensure that all security agencies based in Lagos that benefit from the LSSTF largesse are responsible and responsive to the public goodwill which is reposed in them.
The constitution of the LSSTF Monitoring Team is in fulfilment of the pledge of the Executive Secretary/CEO of Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr Ayo Ogunsan, at the recent Strategic Media Parley with Senior Editors and Media Executives. He had assured the journalists that the era of abuse and misuse of public resources is over.
It would be recalled that Ogunsan outlined his leadership focus at the media Parley, which was held at the Agency’s Headquarters on December 5, 2025.
‘Public confidence in the Fund is essential. Under my leadership, transparency will be the standard, not the exception.
“We will maintain strict oversight on contractor performance, monitor all funded projects closely, publish updates on the utilisation of donations, strengthen internal governance and reporting, and deepen stakeholder communication and feedback mechanisms.’
He said with the LSSTF Monitoring Team duly constituted, Ogunsan gave them the marching orders to include: ‘Monitoring and tracking of vehicles and other security assets belonging to RRS; Conducting routine field inspections to determine the state of Fund’s assets; Maintaining accurate records of assets deployed by the Fund to the RRS and providing operational reports; Accessing the application of assets provided to the security agencies as a prerequisite for further allocation; Monitoring repairs and refurbishments embarked upon by the Fund; and Any other duty as may be assigned from time to time.’
The inauguration and public presentation of a monitoring vehicle to facilitate the efforts of the LSSTF Monitoring Team will be held very soon.
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Burkina Faso has released 11 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) pilots and crew members, nine days after their detention, following intensive diplomatic efforts by the Nigerian government.
The release came shortly after a high-level Nigerian delegation, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, met with Burkinabè authorities in Ouagadougou, including President Ibrahim Traoré. The team included senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, and NAF Headquarters, tasked with resolving the situation peacefully through dialogue.
A senior source told Zagazola Makama that the mission focused on building mutual understanding, reducing tensions, and securing the personnel’s release, while reinforcing Nigeria’s commitment to regional cooperation and adherence to international aviation and military protocols.
“The mission underscored Nigeria’s preference for diplomacy and neighbourly engagement. It aimed to strengthen trust and reaffirm shared responsibilities in tackling the complex security challenges in the Sahel,” the official said.
The delegation also highlighted Abuja’s ongoing commitment to regional security collaboration and respect for international norms, noting the history of cooperation between Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and other members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
Nigeria and Burkina Faso have long worked together on security training, intelligence sharing, and stabilisation efforts, particularly in combating terrorism and violent extremism in West Africa. Officials expressed hope that resolving this incident will enhance bilateral relations and strengthen collective efforts to promote peace and stability in the region
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At least, 12 miners have been killed after unknown gunmen attacked a mining site in Ratoso Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area in Plateau State.
Residents said the attack happened on Tuesday night while the miners were working at the site.
The attackers reportedly arrived suddenly and opened fire, forcing many miners to run for safety.
The Berom Educational and Cultural Organisation (BECO) said several people are still missing after the attack.
Confirming the incident on Wednesday, BECO Chairman and Mining Committee head in Barkin Ladi local government, Dallang Davott, said the gunmen struck while the miners were carrying out their activities.
He said: “The number of those missing are yet to be ascertained because the incident happened in the night.”
Davott explained that the attackers stormed the mining site and began shooting, causing chaos.
“So, many of them fled for their lives during the incident. But 12 persons so far are confirmed killed,” he added.
As of the time of reporting, the police have not officially confirmed the incident.