Author: Prima News

It was a quiet Tuesday, May 26, 2026, evening in Lagos when my wife, a primary school teacher in the Lagos State public school system, calmly informed me that she would not be travelling to Ijebu Ode for this year’s Ojude Oba festival. Usually, the annual celebration is a remarkable display of Yoruba culture, colour, and heritage that attracts thousands of Nigerians from across the world. This time, however, her decision was shaped by fear rather than inconvenience, such as finance, logistics, or the family’s inability to get festive clothes. A few days earlier, she had watched reports about the…

Benchmark Capital, the storied Silicon Valley VC firm known for early investments in eBay, Snap, Uber, and Twitter, is breaking with one of its signature traditions: keeping its funds to about $425 million and backing only young startups. After more than two decades of restricting its vehicles to that amount or lower, the outfit has closed on commitments of $2 billion across two new funds, including a $1.25 billion vehicle dedicated to later-stage investments, according to the Wall Street Journal. While the fund sizes of many venture capital firms have ballooned into billions of dollars over the last decade, Benchmark…

The Oyo State House of Assembly, on Wednesday, rejected suggestions and calls that the state government should negotiate with the bandits who abducted teachers and students during the coordinated attack at Ahoro-Esiele in Oriire Local Government Area of the state on Friday, May 15, 2026. It, however, called for intensified rescue operations to secure the release of victims abducted during the attack. This resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the lawmaker representing Oriire State Constituency, Johnson Ogundele, during plenary, shortly after the House resumed from the Eid-el-Kabir (Sallah) recess. The motion highlighted growing insecurity in parts…

Airtel Africa Plc has announced the applicable exchange rates and currency election arrangements for its final dividend payment for the financial year ended March 31, 2026. The telecommunications and mobile money operator disclosed that shareholders will receive a final dividend of 4.26 U.S. cents per ordinary share, following approval by the Board of Directors. The dividend is scheduled for payment on July 24, 2026, to shareholders whose names appear on the register at the close of business on June 19, 2026. According to the company, shareholders on both the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) will…

Five worshippers abducted from an Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) congregation in Kwara State are feared dead in captivity, according to information reported by The PUNCH. The victims were among eight church members kidnapped during an attack on ECWA Church, Omugo, in Ifelodun Local Government Area on 22 March 2026. Citing sources familiar with the development, The PUNCH reported that information about the alleged deaths emerged after one of the captives reportedly escaped from the kidnappers’ hideout. According to the newspaper, relatives of the victims had already been informed of the development, although the circumstances surrounding the alleged deaths remain…

By James Ogunnaike The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a man, identified as Johnson Elleh, for allegedly producing and circulating a false video claiming that kidnapping and banditry activities were taking place along the Owode-Idiroko corridor of the state. The Command said investigations revealed that the viral video was fabricated and deliberately designed to create fear, panic and anxiety among residents. In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the police disclosed that a thorough investigation was launched immediately after the video surfaced online. According to the statement, “Upon receipt of the…

Chelsea Legend Bobby Tambling dies Aged 84 Chelsea have announced the passing of club legend Bobby Tambling at the age of 84. The former striker remains one of the most important figures in the club’s history, having scored 202 goals in 370 appearances for the Blues. “Chelsea Football Club has very sadly lost one of our most legendary players with the passing of Bobby Tambling at the age of 84,” the club said in a statement. “We send our deepest condolences to Bobby’s family and friends at this difficult time.” Tambling spent more than a decade at Stamford Bridge and…

Four of Nigeria’s biggest music stars — Davido, Burna Boy, Rema and Ayra Starr — have been unveiled as part of the official soundtrack album for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The quartet secured spots on the star-studded album announced by FIFA Sound ahead of the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. FIFA World Cup confirmed the lineup in a post shared on X on Tuesday, revealing the artistes featured on the official album scheduled for release on June 5. “The squad for the Official #FIFAWorldCup 2026™ Album is here! Pre-save for the…

Some leaders of the Hausa community in Lagos State have appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to reverse the ban on Okada operations in six local government areas of the state. The leaders, who spoke in separate interviews with The PUNCH, on Wednesday, said Okada riders who hail from northern Nigeria contribute significantly to the voting population of Lagos and should not be economically strangulated. Sanwo-Olu had on Wednesday banned the operations of commercial motorcycle riders in six Local Governments and nine Local Government Development Areas in the state. The affected councils are Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland and…

The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education, Angela Ajala, has cautioned that continued neglect of teacher education could have far-reaching consequences for national development. Ajala made the remarks in Abuja during a courtesy visit by the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria on Tuesday, according to a statement signed by ECAN Secretary, Clement Idoko, on Wednesday. She stressed that the quality of teachers ultimately determines the strength of every other profession in the country. “If we get it wrong with a teacher, just know that Nigeria is finished. Every engineer, doctor, scientist, entrepreneur, politician and leader passes…