Month: June 2026

Deputy Speaker Kalu Seeks Sustained UK Support to Strengthen Nigeria’s Democracy, Electoral Integrity Ahead of 2027 Polls

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has called on the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to sustain its technical support for democratic governance and electoral integrity in Nigeria as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections. Kalu made the appeal during a meeting with senior FCDO officials led by Christina Scott in London on the sidelines of his engagement at Chatham House. The Deputy Speaker expressed appreciation to the UK government for its longstanding partnership with Nigeria, particularly in strengthening democratic institutions, electoral…

Protecting Nigeria’s Hidden Wealth: How the NSCDC Mining Marshals Are Reshaping the Solid Minerals Sector By Lukman Babalola

Emporium Reporters

For decades, Nigeria’s vast deposits of gold, lithium, tin, limestone, coal, tantalite and several other strategic minerals have remained one of the country’s greatest but least protected economic assets. Despite their immense potential to generate revenue, create jobs and stimulate industrial growth, these resources were increasingly exploited by illegal miners and criminal syndicates, resulting in huge revenue losses, environmental degradation, insecurity and declining investor confidence. The consequences of illegal mining extended beyond the theft of mineral resources. It weakened government revenue, encouraged organised crime, polluted rivers, destroyed farmlands, threatened the…

Hunger: In defence of Bayo Onanuga By Festus Adedayo

Emporium Reporters

The words, “hunger” and “Onanuga” are almost homophones; words of similar sounds. I am goaded on by the Yoruba epistemology which counsels that likes should be compared with likes. As tortoise’s head safely compares with the big toe, so does a groundnut shell compares with the cocoon of the world’s tiniest rat Yoruba call the eliri. But comparison is not my bother here. My interest is the decimation of the cries of the afflicted by the powers that promised hope, a people ensconced in the barn in Abuja.   Presidential…

Faith Over Fear: Rev. Babatunde Idowu Calls Christians to Stand Firm Amid Rising Cultural Pressures

Emporium Reporters

By Dr. Afolabi Olajuwon     Worshippers at Foursquare Gospel Church, Wuse District Headquarters, Abuja, were urged to cultivate unwavering faith in God as the surest response to an increasingly uncertain and morally complex world during the church’s Sunday worship service on June 28, 2026.   The service opened with a vibrant and spirit-filled session of praise and worship led by the church choir. The uplifting songs created an atmosphere of deep reverence and spiritual expectation, preparing the congregation for an insightful exposition of God’s Word.     Delivering the…

Thumbs up for Sani: Terrorists must die! By Festus Adedayo

Emporium Reporters

Kudos have rightly gone the way of President Bola Tinubu recently. It is gladsome that a presidency which, for 37 months of its shelf life, was notorious for its snail-speed throttle on the state police idea, is suddenly putting on track spikes. The way Tinubu is sprinting on the state police bill today, he may well be garlanded, alongside Noah Lyles and Sabastian Sawe — the American world’s fastest short-distance sprinter, and the Kenyan globe’s fastest long-distance runner, respectively. Senate President Godswill Akpabio has also suddenly found a similar rhythm.…

NDLEA Nabs China-Bound Businesswoman with 7.5kg Cocaine, Seizes N12.3bn Canadian Loud at Lagos Port

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 38-year-old businesswoman, Iwebema Ogechi Peace, for attempting to smuggle 7.5 kilograms of cocaine to China, while also intercepting a massive consignment of Canadian Loud cannabis valued at over N12.3 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos. The agency also uncovered a criminal syndicate that secretly plants illicit drugs in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers at motor parks, leading to a series of arrests across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Anambra State. According to a statement issued on Sunday by…

‘My Mother Sold Akara, Bananas to Train Me’ — Sunday Dare Defends First Lady’s Small Business Remarks

Emporium Reporters

Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Chief Sunday Dare, has defended First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s recent remarks encouraging Nigerians to embrace small-scale businesses, saying his own mother financed his education through the sale of akara, bananas and oranges. The First Lady had come under criticism after suggesting that businesses such as akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli require little capital and could serve as viable sources of income for many Nigerians. She also explained that the Federal Government’s empowerment programmes are focused on providing grants…

Now, no one, nowhere is safe (3), by Hassan Gimba

Emporium Reporters

This is the concluding part of this write-up, originally published on April 25, 2022. Following the publication of parts one and two over the past two weeks, I have revisited this article because its message remains as relevant and timely today as it was when it was first published. Only that it is now: “No one is safe”, not only “Nowhere”, with generals being killed on the roads (read General Alkali), abducted from their fortified homes (read General Tsafe), or whisked away on highways (read General Rabe), and killed in…

NUJ FCT Chair Grace Ike Bags Silent Hero in Management Award, Reaffirms Commitment to Ethical Journalism

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, has been honoured with the Silent Hero in Management Award at the 8th Silent Heroes Awards Abuja 2026, in recognition of her exemplary leadership and contributions to the journalism profession. Receiving the award, Comrade Ike described the recognition as both humbling and inspiring, saying it was not merely a personal achievement but a tribute to the resilience, dedication and professionalism of journalists and media practitioners who work tirelessly behind the scenes to uphold the ideals of…

NiDCOM Confirms Nigerian Injured in Qatar Gas Explosion Recovering, Commends Ambassador Yakubu’s Swift Response

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has confirmed that a Nigerian, Jubril Akorede Abdulrahman, who was injured in the recent gas facility explosion in Qatar, has been discharged from hospital and is recuperating under the care of his employer. In a statement issued on Friday by the Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, NiDCOM disclosed that Abdulrahman was among those affected by the explosion and fire that occurred at the Barzan Gas Supply Facility in Ras Laffan, Qatar, on Sunday, June 21, 2026. According to the Commission,…