Daily News

Tragedy struck in Agbor, headquarters of Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, on Sunday, as a petrol tanker burst into flames, resulting in deaths. The incident occurred close to a FirstBank branch along the ever-busy Old Lagos/Asaba Road.

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission, NDPC, has announced plans to significantly ramp up enforcement and impose substantial fines on data controllers and processors that violate the Nigeria Data Protection Act, NDPA. This was disclosed by the National Commissioner/CEO of the Commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji, in a video outlining the Commission’s 2025 agenda, shared on its social media platforms at the weekend.

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Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has declared a three-day mourning and prayer period to honour the passing of the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Temitayo Oluwatuyi. The late SSG died on Saturday following complications from a road accident, which occurred two weeks ago.

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 The Federal Government on Sunday said it would activate surveillance measures for inbound passengers from China following the current surge of a respiratory virus. Reports indicate that the virus has led to overcrowded hospitals, emergency measures and public concerns in China.

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 Barring any last-minute change in plans, marketers and retailers of petroleum products will start lifting Premium Motor Spirit, petrol, from the Port Harcourt Refining Company this week. The Publicity Secretary of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Joseph Obele, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with our correspondent.

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The Peoples Democratic Party has set its sights on expanding its influence across Nigeria, vowing to secure more governorship positions and reclaim power at the national level in 2027. This was the message from the PDP National Working Committee on Sunday during a visit to Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, at his country home in Sampou, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area.

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. A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has declared that the Governor of Rivers State, Siminialayi Fubara, has the legal standing to transact businesses with the lawmakers that did not vacate their seat in the State House of Assembly. This was as the court on December 20, dismissed the suit seeking to compel the Governor of the state to represent the N800billion 2024 Budget of the state to the aggrieved 27 lawmakers of the State House of Assembly led by Martins Amaewhule.

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 The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested an ex-convict, Eniola Sodade, for passport racketeering at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja, Lagos. The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Babafemi said the suspect had earlier been arrested by operatives of the Tincan Command, Lagos in June, 2024 for drug trafficking.

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 Gunmen have killed the Katsina State Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeder Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Alhaji Surajo Leader and two others in Kusada Local Government Area of the state. The incident occurred on Saturday night when the gunmen invaded Mai Rana community in Kusada LGA.

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Mexican authorities on Sunday said a shooting at a bar in southeastern part of the country left at least five people dead and seven wounded, the latest in a series of similar attacks in the violence-plagued country.
The secretariat of security and civilian protection, in a statement, said a manhunt was launched for the perpetrators of the shooting on Saturday night in the city of Villahermosa, in Tabasco state.
“Five people lost their lives and seven were injured. Analysis of video surveillance cameras is being carried out and elements of the state and federal authorities have deployed coordinated patrols to locate and arrest those responsible,” it added.
Local media said that unidentified gunmen burst into the bar La Casita Azul and opened fire at customers, leaving bloodied bodies strewn on the floor.

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The two pastors of the Brethren in Nigeria (aka Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa A Nigeria, EYN), Rev. James Kwayang and his Secretary, Rev. Ishaku Chiwar who were abducted last week, have regained freedom.

President of the EYN, Dr Daniel Mbaya confirmed the release of the pastors.

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The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has said that the Federal Government, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is ready to make a compromise on the controversial Value Added Tax structure in the tax reform bills before the National Assembly.

Oyedele disclosed this on Sunday during an interview with Channels Television.

Four tax reform bills— the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill— meant to overhaul the country’s tax system, had sparked serious debate since it was sent to the National Assembly for passage in October, 2024.

Speaking on Sunday, Oyedele stressed that the proposed VAT structure on Derivative Principle will benefit every part of the country, contrary to claims in some quarters.

He noted that if the preference was for the current state of the Attribution Principle, then his team was willing to oblige.

“That is what is non-negotiable. Otherwise, we will be missing out on a significant opportunity to move Nigeria forward. But in terms of the details of those bills, everything is up for grabs.

“I can tell you, as we speak today, if they want us to keep the current VAT formula, we’ll keep it 100 percent. So, the fact that people keep using the problem we are trying to solve against us is what I need to understand.”

From dailypost