Day: December 29, 2025

Demolition of Baptist Primary School 1, Idikan: An Act of Injustice, Religious Bias, and Educational Vandalism By Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade

Emporium Reporters

The demolition of Baptist Primary School 1, Idikan, reportedly carried out under the authority of the Baptist Church, is an outrageous assault on education, justice, and communal coexistence. This act represents not merely the destruction of a building, but the deliberate disruption of the lives and future of innocent children. Baptist Primary School 1, Idikan, is a historic public primary school that has served the Idikan community for decades. The overwhelming majority of its pupils are Muslim children from the host community, a community that is itself predominantly Muslim. The…

Anthony Joshua, the FRSC, and the Nigerian Spirit By Abdullahi O Haruna Haruspice

Emporium Reporters

There are moments when a nation reveals itself not through speeches or statistics, but through instinct. In the split seconds after metal met metal on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway near Sagamu, Nigeria’s character surfaced with uncommon clarity. A global boxing icon lay in the aftermath of a violent crash, two lives were already lost, and chaos threatened to metastasise. What followed was not panic, but purpose. Not indifference, but empathy. Not disorder, but discipline. Anthony Joshua’s name may fill arenas from London to Las Vegas, but on that stretch of Ogun…

Dabiri-Erewa condoles Anthony Joshua over fatal Lagos–Ibadan Expressway crash

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has expressed condolences to world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, following a fatal road accident involving him, his friends and aides along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway. The condolence message was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols of NiDCOM, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, mourning the tragic loss of two members of Joshua’s entourage who died in the accident. The crash, which occurred on Monday, claimed two lives, while Anthony Joshua sustained injuries and is…

Seven Journalists killed as NUJ Bus crashes in Gombe

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Seven journalists have been confirmed dead following a fatal road accident in Gombe State involving a bus owned by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). The accident occurred while the journalists were returning from a colleague’s wedding in Kaltungo Local Government Area. Reports indicated that the bus suffered a tyre burst around Kumo town in Akko Local Government Area, causing the driver to lose control and the vehicle to veer off the road into nearby bushes. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Gombe Sector Commander, Samson Kaura, confirmed that seven…

TDF applauds Tinubu-approved US–Nigeria Airstrikes on Terrorist hideouts in Sokoto

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Democratic Front (TDF) has welcomed the recent joint military operation between the United States and Nigeria which resulted in precision airstrikes against terrorist locations in Sokoto State. In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Mallam Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Chief Wale Adedayo, the group said the operation reflected the growing strength of security and intelligence cooperation between both countries, stressing that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gave the necessary approval before the strikes were executed. TDF described the airstrikes as a commendable outcome of sustained Nigeria–United States collaboration on…

Foreign Affairs Ministry, Nigerian Air Force deepen Strategic Communication, Inter-Agency Synergy

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) have reaffirmed their commitment to closer institutional coordination and strengthened strategic communication following a familiarisation and synergy visit in Abuja. The visit, which took place on Monday, December 29, 2025, saw the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, engage the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, at the NAF Headquarters. Both parties held extensive discussions on the intersection between diplomatic communication and military public information, particularly…

NIPR congratulates Arise TV Correspondent, Friday Olokor, on PhD Award

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has congratulated Arise TV Correspondent, Dr. Friday Olokor, on the conferment of a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree by the University of Jos (UNIJOS). The Institute described Olokor’s academic achievement as a testament to focus, resilience and intellectual excellence, noting that his transition from the newsroom to the academic arena reflects a deep commitment to scholarship. In a congratulatory letter addressed to Dr. Olokor, the President of NIPR and Chairman of its Governing Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku, said the attainment of the doctoral…

FRSC rescues Anthony Joshua as 2 die in Ogun fatal crash on Lagos–Ibadan Expressway

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed a fatal road traffic crash involving a Lexus Jeep conveying world-renowned boxer, Anthony Joshua, and a stationary truck along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State, which claimed two lives on Monday, 29 December 2025. According to the Ogun Sector Command of the FRSC, the crash occurred around 12:00 noon near the Sinoma area, close to Sagamu. FRSC operatives reportedly arrived at the scene within three minutes of receiving the distress call, enabling prompt rescue operations, traffic control and prevention of secondary crashes.…

From Congestion to Global Influence: Inside NPA’s Historic 2025 Maritime Transformation

Emporium Reporters

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is currently riding a wave of unprecedented growth, making 2025 as a year of transformation for the country’s maritime sector.   Since his appointment in July 2024, the Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho has revitalized the agency, turning Nigeria’s ports into models or hubs of efficiency that bolster the national economy.   The numbers reflect this success: under Dr. Dantsoho’s stewardship, sustained port efficiencies helped propel Nigeria’s international trade to ₦5.81 trillion in the third quarter of 2024.   His impact extends to national fiscal…

NiDCOM appeals for pardon of Suleimon Olufemi on death row in Saudi Arabia

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has appealed for the release of Suleimon Olufemi, a Nigerian on death row in Saudi Arabia, following over two decades in detention. Olufemi was arrested in Jeddah in September 2002 after a police officer was killed during an incident while he was visiting a friend on a lesser Hajj (Umrah) visa. He was sentenced to death in May 2005, while others involved received prison terms. Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Director of Media, Public Relations, and Protocols at NiDCOM, stated that the Commission, in collaboration with the…