Author: Mayor

Catholic cardinals will begin voting for a new pope on May 7, the Vatican announced Monday, a week after the passing of Pope Francis. Cardinals under the age of 80, known as the “Princes of the Church,” will gather in the Sistine Chapel to select the next leader for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. The decision was reached during a Monday meeting involving cardinals of all ages, held two days after the funeral of Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88. Following the Argentine pope’s death, all 252 cardinals were summoned to Rome, although only 135…

The Bayelsa State Government and NEW Associates, a group loyal to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, are trading blame following gunshots that disrupted a rally organised to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election. The rally, held on Saturday at the Church of God Mission Camp Ground in Igbogene, Yenagoa, went ahead despite warnings from the state government, which had earlier opposed the event due to political tensions in neighbouring Rivers State. Governor Douye Diri had insisted the rally should not hold, citing the crisis involving Wike and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who was recently suspended after President…

The Chief of Civil-Military Affairs (Army), Major General Gold Chibuisi, has cautioned that civilians illegally wearing military uniforms could face arrest and prosecution under Nigerian law. During a media briefing with defence correspondents on Saturday night in Abuja, Chibuisi emphasized that while non-military personnel (civilians) are prohibited from wearing military attire, the Nigerian Army strictly forbids any violence against violators. “It is against the law of the land. If you are not in the armed forces, please don’t use our uniform, whether you love it or not,” Chibuisi stated. He explained that soldiers encountering civilians in military camouflage are expected…

A tragic scene unfolded in Vancouver on Saturday evening as a man drove an SUV through a crowd at a Filipino community festival, killing at least 11 people and injuring dozens more, police said. Authorities arrested a 30-year-old Vancouver resident at the scene. The man, who has a “significant history” of mental health-related interactions with police, was quickly apprehended by festival-goers before officers arrived. Police emphasized there was no indication the attack was linked to terrorism. “This is the darkest day in our city’s history,” Vancouver Interim Chief Constable Steve Rai said during a press conference on Sunday. Rai also…

Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have once again struck Kwapre, a community in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State, killing 10 vigilantes and leaving several others severely injured. Chronicle NG learnt on Sunday evening that the attackers, numbering heavily, stormed Kwapre and confronted the local vigilantes, who were fewer in number and poorly equipped. The terrorists opened fire, killing 10 of the vigilantes and wounding many others. The latest attack occurred on Saturday evening, April 26, 2025, marking yet another assault on Kwapre, a village that has suffered repeated Boko Haram raids in recent months. “We lost 10 brave men,…

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has commenced the disbursement of N46.6 billion in liquidation dividends to depositors of the now-defunct Heritage Bank. This development was announced on Sunday in a statement by the Acting Head of Communication and Public Affairs at NDIC, Hawwau Gambo. According to Gambo, the funds were generated from the sale of the bank’s assets and the recovery of outstanding debts. She explained that a liquidation dividend refers to payments made to depositors of a closed bank, beyond the maximum insured deposit amount, using proceeds from asset sales and debt recoveries. Gambo further noted that, “Liquidation…

Elon Musk, the US billionaire heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has announced the cancellation of 226 contracts deemed wasteful, totaling $1.03 billion. In a statement posted on its official X account on Saturday, the department revealed that among the terminated agreements was a $5.4 million IRS consulting contract focused on exploring emerging issues within the agency. The department explained that the move has resulted in significant savings for the United States. “Over the last two days, agencies terminated 226 wasteful contracts with a ceiling value of $1.03B and savings of $555M, including a $5.4M IRS consulting contract for…

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported 902 Nigerians since the 2019 fiscal year, data from the agency’s 2024 Annual Report reveals. An additional 3,690 Nigerians remain under removal orders but have yet to be expelled. Although annual removals of Nigerians declined by 51.7 per cent over six years—from 286 in 2019 to 138 in 2024—ICE’s deportation records indicate spikes during Donald Trump’s early presidency in 2018 and 2019. Officials anticipate another potential surge in 2025 amid renewed enforcement efforts. Among African nations, Nigeria accounted for the largest number of U.S. deportations. Senegal followed with 716 removals,…

Five people, including four women, have died following an explosion at a residential area in Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, on Saturday. Sources revealed that the explosion occurred in one of the rooms used to store illegally refined petroleum products. Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene, an environmentalist and Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday. He explained that residents often purchased illegally refined kerosene and other petroleum products, storing them for resale to the public. In the statement, Dumnamene said, “The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre…

The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Taskforce has apprehended 52 individuals during a late-night clean-up aimed at tackling crime on Lagos Island. Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, announced the arrests in a statement shared on Saturday via X. According to Wahab, the enforcement exercise began at around 12:35 a.m. on Saturday, April 26, 2025, and covered several key locations, including Lekki, Ikoyi, Falomo Bridge, Eko Hotel, and Ligali Ayorinde. Wahab said, “Complaints and distressed calls suggest that some of these streets are populated at night by unscrupulous elements—miscreants, street urchins, pickpockets,…