Month: January 2026

2026 will be unbearable for human traffickers in Nigeria — NAPTIP DG

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Adamu Bello, OON, has declared that 2026 will be a very difficult year for human traffickers in Nigeria, as the Agency moved to strengthen its counter-trafficking strategies and enforcement nationwide. This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by the National Press Officer of the Agency, Vincent Adekoye, in which the Director-General disclosed that NAPTIP secured the conviction of 93 human traffickers in 2025, intercepted over 2,500 potential victims, and rescued more…

BREAKING: Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Saliu, is dead

Emporium Reporters

The Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Saliu, has passed away. The revered Islamic scholar and spiritual leader died on Monday, January 19, 2026, at the age of 75. Born in Ilorin, Kwara State, Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Saliu devoted his life to Islamic scholarship, teaching, and service to the Ilorin Emirate. Widely respected for his depth of knowledge and spiritual guidance, he was regarded as one of the most influential Islamic leaders in Kwara State and beyond. Popularly known as Imam Fulani, Sheikh Saliu was appointed the 12th Chief…

HallowMace Foundation, partners set to host National Legislative Awards 2026

Emporium Reporters

HallowMace Foundation Africa has announced plans to host the inaugural National Legislative Awards 2026, an initiative aimed at recognising excellence, accountability, and effective representation within Nigeria’s legislative institutions.   The awards ceremony, scheduled to hold in July 2026, will celebrate outstanding performances by Senators, Members of the House of Representatives, and State Assembly Legislators who have distinguished themselves in lawmaking, oversight responsibilities, policy advocacy, and constituency service.   HallowMace Foundation Africa, a Nigerian non-profit organisation with over a decade of experience in parliamentary advocacy and governance reforms, said the initiative…

Alhaja Rabiat Musa, a Life of Faith, Service and Quiet Generosity

Emporium Reporters

For years, Alhaja Rabiat Adunni Musa has chosen the quieter path of service showing up, organising, nurturing, and giving, often without fanfare. On Sunday in Mararaba, that quiet devotion stepped into the spotlight as the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria honoured her for a lifetime of faith-driven service and humanitarian commitment. The recognition came during the Society’s 10th Annual Programme, Fund Raising and Awards Ceremony, held on January 18, 2026, at Zinaria International School, Mararaba, a gathering that blended prayer, reflection, and gratitude in the sacred month of Rajab. Those who…

AT 60: ADEWALE ADENIYI — The Customs General who repositioned Nigeria for global trade By Lukman Laleye Babalola

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Some leaders passed through office; a few redefine it. At 60, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, stands firmly in the latter category a consummate professional, reformer, and global trade diplomat whose leadership has reshaped Customs administration in Nigeria and elevated the country’s profile on the world stage. Dr. Adeniyi was appointed Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023, a decision widely seen as a vote of confidence in competence, institutional memory, and integrity. The appointment crowned…

Tinubu hails Customs CG Adewale Adeniyi at 60, commends landmark reforms and global leadership

Lukman Laleye Babalola

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Dr. Adewale Bashir Adeniyi, on his 60th birthday, praising his transformative leadership and far-reaching reforms that have repositioned the Service. In a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the President described the milestone as a testament to Dr. Adeniyi’s decades of dedicated service to the nation and his impactful stewardship of the NCS. President Tinubu noted that since assuming office, the Comptroller-General has driven landmark reforms aimed at…

Ibadan is Oyo By Lasisi Olagunju

Emporium Reporters

On Monday, 25 March, 1946, Chief I. B. Akinyele, Chief James Ladejo Ogunsola, Messrs D. T. Akinbiyi and E. A. Sanda, the very cream of the Ibadan educated elite, met behind closed doors with Oyo town delegates at the secretariat in Ibadan. One of them got home that day and wrote in his diary that they “could reach no agreement because we (Ibadan) flatly refused to pay one penny towards the Alaafin’s salary.”   Yet, some 84 years earlier (1862), the same Ibadan went to war against friends, family, and…

Before Your Marriage Becomes A Crime Scene, By Funke Egbemode

Emporium Reporters

A husband who enjoys shrinking, belittling you is a grave digger. If he uses words like fists, beats you emotionally until your confidence bleeds, get help or get out or both.” How could she not have seen this coming? Why did she not speak up? Why didn’t she leave, seek help? Each time a wife is killed by her husband and the media is awash with sordid details of another marriage becoming a crime scene—we ask the same weary questions. Didn’t she see the signs? Why didn’t anyone stop him?…

Foursquare Church Wuse Challenges Believers: Cultivate Lasting Legacy

Emporium Reporters

By Dr. Afolabi Olajuwon   On the third Sunday of January 2026, the sanctuary of Wuse District Headquarters was charged with reverence and expectancy as congregants gathered for a service themed “Divine Honour and Dignity.” Senior Pastor and District Overseer Rev. Babatunde Idowu anchored the worship in Nehemiah 9:7–15 and delivered a sermon titled “Divinely Obtaining a Lasting Reputable Name,” urging believers to pursue a legacy shaped by obedience, remembrance and trust in God.   Rev. Idowu opened by tracing God’s covenantal faithfulness from Abraham through Israel’s deliverance, emphasizing that…

NiDCOM condemns killing of Nigerian in India, seeks justice

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has condemned the killing of a Nigerian national, Emeka Christian, in Pune, India, described the incident as tragic and senseless. In a statement issued by the Commission’s Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, NiDCOM disclosed that the victim was allegedly beaten to death by two fellow Nigerians identified as Chukwudi Okafor, 31, and Samuel Eze, following a romantic dispute. The Commission expressed deep condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased, noting that no family should be made to…