The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Property worth millions gone in Abuja restaurant inferno

    Property worth millions gone in Abuja restaurant inferno

    • Fire caused by crackers gut eight rooms, two shops in Kwara
    • Fire destroys 11 shops In Yola shopping mall

    Fire has gutted Ibro Fish, a popular relaxation spot in Abuja

    The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Fire Service said the incident had been brought under control without casualties.

    The Comptroller of the FCT Fire Service Command, Amiola Adebayo, said upon receiving a distress call yestersday around 12:25 a.m, he and firefighters moved to the scene and put out the fire almost an hour later.

    He said the fire was “caused by an object thrown from outside the premises during New Year’s celebrations, which landed on a thatched roof in the restaurant”.

    An inferno caused by firecrackers engulfed has happened behind Sidi Shopping Complex, Aperan Road, Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area, Kwara State.

    The incident involved a storey building comprising about eight rooms and two shops.

    The fire affected the store in the building.

    Firefighters contained the blaze.

    Spokesperson of the state Fire Service Hassan Adekunle said: “Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was caused by a firecracker (banger).

    “A boy reportedly threw the firecracker into the store after feeling heat on his hand while playing with it, which led to ignition of combustible materials in the store.”

    Adekunle warned parents and guardians to monitor children and strictly discourage the use of fireworks and firecrackers, especially in residential and commercial environments.

    Read Also: 2baba Foundation supports Abuja countdown to 2026

    Also, fire in the early hours of yesterday destroyed 11 shops in a popular shopping mall in Fallujah. the Adamawa State capital.

    Fallujah, which began to grow rapidly a little over a year ago after traders were relocated there from an older shopping mall being reconstructed by the state government, witnessed the incident as the new year was being heralded.

    A source, Mallam Abubakar Yahaya, a trader at the mall, said the fire started around midnight, just when the neighbourhood, a very commercial hotspot, would otherwise have been in noisy new year’s celebrations.

    According to him, wares in the 11 affected shops were burnt completely as nobody was immediately aware that the fire was on.

    He said local guards and policemen later arrived and mobilised the human efforts that stopped the fire from spreading to other shops in the thickly populated mall.

    The cause of the fire was yet to be determined up to when this story was filed Thursday afternoon, but it is believed to have started from a shop containing secondhand clothes where there might have been an electrical spark.

  • How over 30 gunmen invaded, attacked Police Divisional Station in Ondo community

    How over 30 gunmen invaded, attacked Police Divisional Station in Ondo community

    The calm of New Year’s Eve in Ipele, an agrarian community in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, was shattered on Wednesday night when gunmen stormed the town, setting the Divisional Police Station ablaze.

    According to an eyewitness, the attackers—said to be more than 30—invaded Ipele around 10:00 p.m. on motorbikes, firing rifles and detonating explosives at the Divisional Police Station, which was razed.

    The police facility, built in honour of the late High Chief S. E. Dairo, the Olukowajo of Ipele, and inaugurated on October 19, 2016, by former Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Hilda Ibifuro Harrison, was reduced to rubbles.

    Official exhibits, patrol vehicles and motorcycles were destroyed in the inferno.

    As gunshots echoed through the community, doors were flung open and shut abruptly, lights went off, and terrified residents fled their homes into nearby bushes to escape harm.

    One of the residents, who craved anonymity, said: “It was a terrorist attack. The attackers, numbering about 20, came into Ipele community in a commando style and started shooting before attacking the Divisional Police Station.

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    “Many of us had to flee into the bush.The sounds from the attack were terrifying, and no one could withstand it,” he said.

    Another resident, Olorunfemi Oladotun, said: “It was a very critical one. We heard gunshots. They threw dynamites. Nobody died. We thank God for life. Everywhere was scattered.

    “We were not happy about what happened last night (Wednesday), which was December 31, 2025.’’

    President of Owo Youths General Assembly, Comrade Obadaye Temidayo Samson, said: “The news got to us last night that bandits attacked Ipele Police Station. The level of destruction was so much and we condemned it.’’

    He appealed to the government to help them to rebuild the police station and arrest the perpetrators.

    In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police Jimoh Abayomi, described the attack as an assault on the peace and security of the state.

    According to him, preliminary findings indicated that the armed men invaded the station.

    He said the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal had ordered the deployment of more operational assets, including Tactical Teams, Explosive Ordnance Disposal-Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) units, and Police Mobile Force personnel to the area.

    Abayomi, however, added that the situation had been brought under control, while a manhunt for the attackers was ongoing, urging the public to remain calm.

    The police boss, who visited the affected station in the company of other officers of the command, further affirmed that no life was lost and no church was destroyed during the attack.

    He explained that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had held a meeting with the security chiefs – which included the police, the military, the Directorate of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Amotekun Corps – to get a proper briefing of the attack.

  • Girl, 3, needs N20m for second heart surgery

    Girl, 3, needs N20m for second heart surgery

    The family of Mr and Mrs Ogunbayo, residents of Lagos, needs N20 million for the second heart surgery of their daughter, Nabeelah Toronto Ogunbayo, in India.

    Nabeelah, who hails from Abeokuta Local Government Area of Ogun State, a few months after birth, was afflicted with an ailment, which her parents discovered eight days after her naming ceremony .

    Physicians say the baby needs a second cardiac surgery.

    To this end, her father, Mr Saheed Ogunbayo, has appealed to well-meaning citizens for assistance to save his daughter, who is battling a severe heart condition and requires a second-stage surgery in India.

    Mr Ogunbayo further explained that the ailment has caused them to visit several hospitals in Abeokuta, and Lagos.

    After tests and consultations, at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, she daughter was referred to India.

    Nabeelah underwent the first  heart surgery; awaiting the second in March.

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    He added that the family spent almost N24 million during the previous trip, adding that each of the three members of the family, who are required to accompany the little girl to India, will pay N900, 000 for flight tickets. He, therefore, appealed to Nigerians to help them.

    “We have exhausted everything we have to ensure that our daughter survives the health challenge

    He said any one willing to assist the family could send their donations to:

    Account Name: Ogunbayo Saheed Atanda

    Bank: First Bank A/C no.: 3065754576

    Mr Ogunbayo expressed his hope that with support, his daughter will live a healthy life.

    He can be contacted on 08025760444.

  • Gunmen abduct monarch, youth Corps son in Kwara community

    Gunmen abduct monarch, youth Corps son in Kwara community

    Gunmen yesterday invaded the king’s palace in Aafin community, Ile Ere District of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State and abducted the monarch, Oba Simeon Olaonipekun and his son Olaolu, who is undergoing his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.

    The eight armed men stormed the palace about 8pm, amid shooting, forced their way into the building.

    A source told reporters that the assailants appeared to have come for the monarch and his wife.

    “I noticed some strange movements outside around 8:00pm and alerted those inside. We began locking doors and switching off lights. But once they realised this, they started shooting.

    “The gunmen broke down the palace doors with their weapons and demanded to see the king.

    “They gained entrance and he came out. They were also asking for his wife Felicia, but she had been hit by a bullet in the arm,” he said.

    “There were about 10 of us in the palace at the time. We had come to spend the holiday with the king. After they left, we rushed the wife to the hospital that same night,” he said.

    Read Also: Foundation empowers youths, supports elderly in Lagos, Osun, Oyo

    He noted that the community vigilante group could not repel the attackers, as only two members were on duty and were overpowered by the gunmen’s firepower.

    “The vigilantes could not do much because they were just two on duty. The leader of the attackers spoke very good English and they came straight to the palace. They did not attack any other place in the town,” said the source.

    He said the incident was reported to several police formations, including the Owu Isin and Ijara Isin divisions, as well as the joint local security network in Ikosin, while neighbouring traditional rulers were also alerted.

    As of the time of filing this report, there was no information on contact with the abductors. The community appealed to the state government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the safe release of the monarch and his son.

    The state police command has not confirmed the incident.

  • RTEAN Lagos chair felicitates Nigerians

    RTEAN Lagos chair felicitates Nigerians

    The Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Lagos State Branch has extended his New Year’s greetings to Nigerians.

    Speaking during an interview with reporters at the body’s state Secretariat in Akesan, the Chairman, Alhaji Comrade Samsondeen Ajala Kaosara, described the new year as a privilege by Almighty God, urging Nigerians to remain prayerful and place God first in their activities.

    Kaosara congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi, as well as the Senate President, Senators, Members of the House of Representatives, Ministers, and other government officials.

    He commended President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that RTEAN members had begun to enjoy its benefits.

    According to him, the distribution of CNG vehicles to RTEAN under the leadership of the National President, Alhaji Musa Muhammed Maitakobi, and gradual reduction in food prices are signs of progress. He also praised the Federal Government’s efforts in addressing national security challenges.

    The chairman called on Nigerians to remain patient and focused, assuring them that conditions would continue to improve. He reaffirmed that RTEAN members nationwide are 100 percent in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid.

    Kaosara extended new year’s greetings to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his Deputy Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and members of the State Executive Council. He prayed for divine wisdom, strength, and continued mercy upon them, assuring that RTEAN Lagos remains fully supportive of the state government.

    Read AAlso: RTEAN hails Lagos Speaker Lasbat-Meranda

    He also conveyed his best wishes to all traditional rulers (Obas) in Lagos State, advising them to continue to uphold dignity, peace, and unity within their communities.

    Addressing RTEAN members in Lagos State, the Chairman expressed deep appreciation to all Executive Council members, past and present, for their unwavering support, cooperation, and loyalty, which he said have contributed greatly to his success as State Chairman.

    Kaosara further extended appreciation to the Tricycle Owners and Drivers Association of Lagos (TODA – Keke Elese Meta) and members of NAMORAL (Okada Riders) for their cooperation and commitment.

    He advised transport operators to fear God, exercise patience, obey Lagos State traffic laws, and take good care of their families.

    He commended Maitakobi for his leadership, guidance, and support to RTEAN Lagos State. He prayed that Almighty Allah would continue to bless and protect him and his family.

    The chairman also extended New Year greetings to his family, his wife, and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, declaring that 2026 shall be a year of joy, peace, and prosperity.

  • 8 killed, 11 injured in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway crash

    8 killed, 11 injured in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway crash

    Eight persons died and 11 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a road crash that occurred yesterday at the NASFAT turning point on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.

    The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement (TRACE) corps spokesman, Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the accident in Abeokuta, said the crash, involving a Mazda bus and a Volvo truck, occurred at about 3pm .

    He said: “An eyewitness said the truck attempted a U-turn towards Ibadan when the speeding Mazda bus rammed into it.

    Read Also: Lagos-Ibadan expressway crash and ‘ember’ months’ myth

    “Twenty-one people were involved; eight died, while 11 were injured. Two adult males escaped unhurt.”

    Akinbiyi said rescue operations were conducted by TRACE, the Police, FRSC and the Ogun State Emergency Management Agency (OSEMA).

    Four injured victims were taken to the State Hospital, while seven others were treated at FAMOBIS Hospital, Lotto.

    The wrecked vehicles were taken to RCCG Police Station, while the deceased were deposited at the morgue.

  • Fans hail Kenny Blaq after selling out Onikan stadium for Reckless Festival

    Fans hail Kenny Blaq after selling out Onikan stadium for Reckless Festival

    History was made recently as fans crowned Kennyblaq “The Greatest Showman” after he sold out the Mobolaji Johnson Arena (formerly Onikan Stadium) for the second time with his blockbuster ‘Reckless Musicomedy Festival,’ drawing over 20,000 ecstatic fans to the venue.

    The back-to-back sell-out firmly cements Kennyblaq’s dominance as one of Nigeria’s most powerful live performers. From the moment he stepped on stage, the arena erupted as he delivered a masterclass performance that seamlessly blended comedy, music, sound effects, and crowd interaction—proving once again why fans and industry peers alike continue to hail him as a generational entertainer.

    The festival enjoyed massive support from the Nigerian comedy industry, with a heavyweight lineup of comedians including Destalker, Josh2Funny, Remote, Ajele, Larry J, SLK, Phronesis, MC Bob, Shortcut, and many other rib-cracking comedians.

    Read Also: Franchez D funnyman to host Kenny Blaq, Acapella, others

    Music lovers were also treated to an explosive lineup as legendary DJ Jimmy Jatt delivered a blazing hot set, supported by thrilling DJ performances from the Maze x Mxtreme crew, DJ Smallz, and DJ Wayward. Live music performances from Nasboi, Akpororo, Segun Johnson, Bidemi Olaoba, African China, Terry G, and several of Nigeria’s finest musical acts kept the stadium rocking till the very end.

    Elevating the energy even further were electrifying hype performances by Toby Shang, Do2dtun, Emmyblaq, Voltage of Hype, Whiteman Poco, Slimcase, and other crowd favorites who transformed the arena into a full-blown rave.

  • Grand Tycoon, Davido, Asake, emerge Africa’s Top 50 visibility leaders

    Grand Tycoon, Davido, Asake, emerge Africa’s Top 50 visibility leaders

    Renowned journalist, poet, spoken word artist and author, Tofarati Ige, aka Grand Tycoon, has been named among the prestigious list of “50 African Personalities and Brands Who Have Mastered the Art of Visibility” by Visibility 50 Africa (2025), a continental recognition celebrating individuals and brands that have successfully built influence, relevance and impact through strategic visibility.

    A multi-talented creative force, Grand Tycoon has distinguished himself across journalism, literature and performance arts. An award-winning journalist by profession and a poet by passion, he is widely known for his sharp storytelling, lyrical depth and ability to connect culture with contemporary narratives. His work continues to resonate across Africa’s media, performance and literary landscapes.

    In 2025, Tofarati recorded standout performances at major cultural and creative platforms, including Gbenga Adeyinka’s Laffmattazz Lagos Edition and Asiri’s “I Don’t Need Your Opinion” comedy show, further cementing his reputation as a compelling spoken word artist and performer. Beyond the stage, he plays a significant role in shaping conversations around culture and lifestyle as a Lifestyle Editor, where his editorial voice amplifies African stories with authenticity and nuance.

    As an author, Tofarati Ige has also made his mark with acclaimed literary works, including Town Crier and Oriki, a collection of evocative praise poetry that draws from African oral traditions while engaging modern themes. His writing reflects a deep commitment to preserving cultural identity while pushing creative boundaries.

    Read Also: Davido joins Accord party, follows Adeleke’s footsteps

    The Visibility 50 Africa initiative celebrates African personalities and brands that have mastered the art of staying visible, relevant and impactful in an increasingly competitive and digital-driven world. Being named among the honorees places Tofarati Ige in the company of influential leaders, creatives and innovators across various industries on the continent.

    Reacting to the recognition, Ige described it as both humbling and affirming. He added, “It reminds me that visibility, when rooted in purpose, becomes responsibility. I see this recognition not as a destination, but as a call to do more—tell truer stories, amplify African voices, and build platforms where culture, creativity and truth can thrive. In 2026, my focus is on deepening impact through more intentional storytelling, expanding my literary and performance work across Africa, and creating spaces that empower the next generation of creatives to be seen, heard and valued.”

    Other personalities on the list include Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Funke Akindele, Ayra Starr, Joshua Selman, Nathaniel Bassey, GehGeh, Bimbo Ademoye and Chimamanda Adichie.

  • Eluem opens up on upcoming single The One

    Eluem opens up on upcoming single The One

    Afrobeats singer Prince Eluem Ogom aka Eluem has spoken about his forthcoming single, ‘The One,’ scheduled for release on January 6, 2026.

    Eluem describes it as a personal reflection on love, clarity and emotional timing.

    The singer, who has been quietly building momentum in recent months, said the record leans more on feeling than spectacle, even as early promotion around the song has begun to gain attention online.

    According to Eluem, ‘The One’ was inspired by moments of certainty that often arrive after confusion in relationships.

    “It’s not about chasing love or proving anything,” he said. “It’s about recognising when something feels right and being honest enough to accept it. I wanted the song to sound calm, sincere and familiar, like a conversation people already know.”

    Produced by Beatout Central, the track blends mid-tempo Afrobeats rhythms with melodic vocals, keeping the focus on emotion rather than heavy production. Additional production credits on the project include Wavy Martins and Mixfire, who worked across arrangement and sound refinement.

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    Eluem noted that the collaborative process helped shape the tone of the song.

    “We didn’t rush it,” he said. “Everyone involved understood that this record needed space. Sometimes the simplest sound carries the strongest meaning.”

    Eleum reveals that the single would be accompanied by a promotional video.

    While love remains a familiar subject within Afrobeats, Eluem believes The One approaches it from a more reflective angle.

    “A lot of love songs talk about excitement or heartbreak,” he said. “This one sits in between. It’s about maturity, about knowing what you want and being at peace with it.”

  • Actress Adesuwa Udo empowers families of Fallen Heroes

    Actress Adesuwa Udo empowers families of Fallen Heroes

    Nollywood actress and film producer, Ambassador Adesuwa O. Udo, has extended her humanitarian outreach to families of fallen military heroes, distributing food items, shoes and clothings to over 200 widows and children at the Dodan Barracks in Lagos.

    The initiative, carried out through her El’s Empowerment Foundation, also featured a three-day intensive skills acquisition programme aimed at equipping officers’ wives and children with practical skills for self-reliance. The programme was held under the theme, “Thrive Beyond the Barracks: Building Skills, Enterprise and Legacy.”

    Speaking during the event, Udo said the gesture was her way of giving back to the families of military personnel who paid the ultimate price in service to the nation. According to her, while uniformed men risk their lives daily to protect citizens, society must not forget the families they leave behind.

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    “Our uniform men are out there giving their all for the general public, and some have lost their lives in the process. We need to reciprocate in other ways to appreciate them through their wives and children,” she said.

    She called on government, corporate organisations and well-meaning individuals to partner with the foundation to sustain the initiative beyond festive periods. “Support should not be limited to the ember months alone. These families need to know they are loved and that the families of fallen heroes are well taken care of at all times,” Udo added.