DailyGist -- Top Stories, Breaking News

 A relative of Oluwasanmi told SaharaReporters on Thursday morning that the former Alpha-Beta employee was detained on Wednesday at the State Intelligence Department (SID) Command Headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos. The Nigeria Police Force has detained Comrade Segun Oluwasanmi, a whistleblower who accused Alpha-Beta Consulting Limited of corruption and tax evasion. A relative of Oluwasanmi told SaharaReporters on Thursday morning that the former Alpha-Beta employee was detained on Wednesday at the State Intelligence Department (SID) Command Headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos. Comr Segun Oluwasanni was detained yesterday (14/01/25) by SID command headquarters, Ikeja. According to the IPO, he’s going to be arraigned in court today (15/01/26) but the court is yet to be disclosed,” the relative stated in a message. The family member added that Oluwasanmi was allowed to contact his family and lawyer shortly before his detention. He was just asked to call his family and lawyer when they decided to ...

The   Indigenous People of Biafra  (IPOB)   has accused the Nigerian state of orchestrating insecurity in the South-East to justify the continued detention and conviction of its leader,   Nnamdi Kanu , describing the process as a “judicial absurdity” built on lies and propaganda. In a strongly worded press statement signed by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, the group alleged that violence across the South-East escalated only after Kanu’s extraordinary rendition in June 2021, claiming political actors deliberately fueled chaos in order to pin the blame on him. According to IPOB, the alleged strategy was aimed at retroactively justifying Kanu’s abduction, detention, and prosecution, despite the fact that he was already in state custody at the time the crimes he was accused of were said to have occurred. Court Ruling Sparks Outrage IPOB expressed outrage over the judgment delivered by Justice  Binta Nyako Omotosho , which reportedly cit...

  Some Nigerian soldiers deployed to fight BokoHaram insurgents in the North-East under Operation Hadin Kai have accused their commander of withholding their operation allowances The soldiers said their morale has dropped sharply as they continue to confront terrorists without receiving the allowance meant to sustain them during operations. According to them, they are “currently in the bush fighting terrorists,” adding that the operation allowance is “supposed to ensure they live comfortably while fighting.” They noted that “even though the money is small, it is still going a long way,” but alleged that their commander is now withholding it. Operation Hadin Kai covers parts of the North-East, including Sector 1 Maiduguri, Borno State; Sector 2 Damaturu, Yobe State; Sector 3 Maiduguri, Borno State; and Sector 4 Yola, Adamawa State. The soldiers said other states in the North-East geopolitical zone are not part of Operation Hadin Kai. They explained that the operation allowance is pa...

  Vice President JD Vance speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Alex Brandon/AP. Mere hours after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent killed a woman Wednesday in Minneapolis, the Trump administration staked out a maximalist position. It wasn’t just that the agent was justified in shooting 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good because he legitimately feared her running him over. It was that the woman “willfully and viciously ran over” the agent, President Donald Trump said. It was an act of “domestic terrorism,” according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. State and local officials have disputed the shooting was in self-defense. Videos of the shooting reviewed by CNN show nuance, and it remains unclear exactly what took place beforehand

egrding  Another tanker seized: The US has seized another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea, according to a source, a move that comes after the US seized two Venezuela-linked tankers earlier this week. US President Donald Trump is set to meet with oil executives today as part of a efforts to persuade America’s largest energy companies to return to Venezuela. Further attacks halted: Trump said he canceled a “second wave” of attacks on Venezuela, citing the country’s cooperation with the US in the week since leader Nicolás Maduro was ousted. The Venezuelan government announced yesterday it will release a “significant number” of political prisoners, a key US demand. The White House said earlier this week that President Donald Trump was “not afraid” to continue seizing sanctioned oil tankers despite concerns that it could ratchet up tensions with Russia and China. He’s going to enforce our policy that’s best for the United States of America,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporte...

 Abubakar Malami (right), who is married to the daughter of former President Muhammadu Buhari (left), was widely seen as the most influential minister in the last government. A Nigerian court has granted bail to the country's former attorney general, Abubakar Malami, along with his wife and son, who are facing money laundering charges. Malami, 58, was one of the most influential figures in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari between 2015 and 2023. He was charged last month with 16 counts of money laundering and abuse of office worth a total of 8.7bn naira ($6m; £4.5m), and has been held in prison since 30 December. In court, he pleaded not guilty to all charges. He previously described his arrest as politically motivated. The lawyer, who is married to Buhari‘s third child, Nana Hadiza, recently left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the opposition African Democratic Congress, which is viewed as the biggest rival to the APC in the 2027 general el...

  Actress and producer Funke Akindele has officially shattered box office records once again. Her latest film, Behind The Scenes, has surpassed her previous work to become the highest-grossing film of all time in West Africa. The film reached this historic milestone after crossing the ₦1.77 billion mark at the box office in early January 2026. This is according to box office performance data from cinema distributors and industry trackers across the region. The development shows the growing commercial power of locally produced films and Funke Akindele’s continued dominance as Nollywood’s most bankable filmmaker. The film’s record-breaking run comes after weeks of sustained audience turnout, strong word-of-mouth, and consistently high weekly grosses, positioning it ahead of Akindele’s previous blockbuster, Everybody Loves Jenifa, which ended its theatrical run at about N1.8 billion.

  The Rivers State House of Assembly has formally served an impeachment notice to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu. The move marks the third major attempt to remove the governor since 2023, following his return to office in September 2025 after a six-month state of emergency. Recall that the assembly on Thursday during an emergency plenary, commenced the impeachment of the governor and his deputy. 26 members of the House accused the governor of misconduct, capable of undermining democracy in the state. The notice which was addressed to the governor, contained the signature of at least 19 lawmakers. The notice also contained about 8 alleged gross misconducts by the governor and his administration. In a post on its official Facebook page,the assembly said, “The impeachment notice has been successfully served on the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara”.

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is saddened by the death of the Executive Director of the National Centre for Agriculture and Mechanization (NCAM) Dr. AbdulGafar Kamal.  The Governor says he was shocked at the development, which he calls a huge loss to Kwara State and Nigeria.  He extends his condolences to the family of the deceased, people of the state, and management and staff of NCAM.  Governor AbdulRazaq prays to Allaah to admit Dr. Kamal to al-jannah Firdaus and uphold his family and dependants upon goodness.

  Portland Mayor Keith Wilson is calling on Immigration and Customs Enforcement to halt all operations in Portland until today’s shooting involving federal agents is fully investigated. We know what the federal government says happened here,” Wilson said during a press conference. “There was a time when we could take them at their word. That time is long past.”

 Sen. Kayse Jama had a message for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Oregon tonight after two people were shot by agents: “We do not need you. You’re not welcome here and you need to get the hell out of our community.” His call echoes Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who told ICE agents this week to “get the f**k out of Minneapolis” after a woman was shot and killed by an ICE agent.

  Seoul, South Korea Reuters  North Korea fired several ballistic missiles from its capital Pyongyang towards the sea off its east coast at around 7:50 a.m. local time on Sunday, South Korea’s military said. The first launch of North Korea’s ballistic missiles in two months comes as South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung will make a state visit to China starting on Sunday, where Seoul has said peace on the Korean peninsula would be discussed. “Our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance in preparation for further launches,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, saying it is closely sharing information with the United States and Japan. The missiles are believed to have already fallen, according to Japan’s Ministry of Defense. The last time Pyongyang tested its ballistic missile was in November. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for more than double the production capacity of tactical guided weapons on his latest visit to a munitions factory on Saturday,...

  A Venezuelan motorcyclist waves a Venezuelan flag during a rally on the Colombia-Venezuela border after the confirmation of Nicolas Maduro's capture this early morning in Caracas, on January 3, 2026. Following the  capture of their president  by the United States, some Venezuelans say they are celebrating their nation’s “liberation.” Footage from Cucuta city in Colombia shows crowds gathering in the streets on Saturday night, dancing to music and chanting “virtue” and “a free Venezuela.” A 42-year-old Venezuelan political exile described it as a day of celebration, saying, “one of the first heads has fallen,” but warned the country still has a long road ahead. “We need the whole world to support us, to listen to us, to see us celebrate, to realize that what Maduro said was never true,” she said. “We all want to return to Venezuela to build the future for our children and for our grandchildren.”

 Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after his capture following US strikes in the country on Saturday. He will face drugs and weapons charges. Venezuela’s Supreme Court has directed Vice President Delcy Rodriguez to assume the powers and duties of acting president. Opposition leader María Corina Machado has called for an opposition candidate to assume power. Some Venezuelans are celebrating, but others are denouncing Maduro’s capture as a “kidnapping. US President Donald Trump said the US will “run the country” until a “judicious transition” can happen. He also said the US will seize Venezuela’s massive oil reserves. Meanwhile, flights through Caribbean airspace were set to resume from midnight Eastern Time after a large part of it was closed after the strike. Some airlines said they plan to restart service by Sunday. Where did the US strike in Venezuela on Saturday? President Donald Trump said Saturday that the US is ...

A source familiar with the incident revealed that the cleric’s ordeal began when his bank account was suddenly frozen without any written notice or court order. The Nigerian government has been accused of secretly detaining a prominent Islamic scholar in Zaria, Kaduna State, Sheikh Sani Khalifa, amid growing concerns over alleged human rights violations and abuse of due process. Sheikh Sani Khalifa has been held in custody for the past 23 days without any formal charges disclosed to him or his family.  According to the sources, his whereabouts remain unknown, and he has not been allowed access to legal representation or communication with relatives, actions said to be in clear violation of Nigeria’s legal framework and international human rights standards. A source familiar with the incident revealed that the cleric’s ordeal began when his bank account was suddenly frozen without any written notice or court order. “When his bank branch in Zaria was contacted, officials said the acc...

 The police staff recounted having worked at Tiger Base for over five years before the troubles began, alleging that the conflict escalated after rejecting an alleged personal relationship with the commander. Police staff attached to the controversial Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command, popularly known as Tiger Base, Owerri, have raised the alarm over alleged threats to life and an ongoing dismissal plot, allegedly by the unit’s commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa, in an apparent abuse of power.

 Terrorists have attacked Idofin community in the Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State, killing one person and leaving another injured. The attack occurred between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2026.

 President Donald Trump told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Thursday that he takes a higher dose of aspirin than his doctors have recommended, blaming that for the visible hand bruises that have generated renewed questions about his health. They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” Trump, 79, said of why he takes a larger dose. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?” “They’d rather have me take the smaller one,” Trump added. “I take the larger one, but I’ve done it for years, and what it does do is it causes bruising . Trump gave the Journal an impromptu interview after learning that the publication was doing a story on his health. The interview appeared to be one of the most extensive conversations Trump has had with journalists on his health, as scrutiny has intensified this year over his age, fitness for office and whether he’s being sufficiently transparent wi...

  Seven-time grand slam singles champion Venus Williams has received a wild-card entry for the Australian Open beginning January 18 in Melbourne. The tournament said Friday that the 45-year-old Williams would make a return to Melbourne Park 28 years after her first appearance. In 1998, she defeated her younger sister Serena in the second round before losing in the quarterfinals to fellow American Lindsay Davenport. Venus had announced in November that she would play in Auckland, New Zealand, where she also received a wild card, two weeks before the Australian Open. The Australian Open said Williams was also entered to play a tournament in Hobart, Australia a week later and just before play begins at Melbourne Park. The tournament said Williams is set to become the oldest woman to compete in an Australian Open main draw, surpassing the record previously held by Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she lost in the first round at Melbourne Park in 2015. In late December, Williams marr...

 Russia has been pounding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with drones and missiles in recent weeks, employing a tactic used in previous winters. The strikes have left tens of thousands of people across the country without power or heating amid freezing winter temperatures. As Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky put it, the aim of such attacks is “to create chaos and apply psychological pressure on the population.” Huge strikes on Kyiv on December 27 left more than 40% of residential buildings in the capital without heating. On average, Kyiv residents had no electricity for 9.5 hours a day in December. With the country’s energy system strained, energy companies have had to schedule rolling blackouts, and Ukrainians’ lives are now governed by those schedules. Mothers of young children rush to wash large amounts of children’s laundry as soon as power returns. Older people wait for electricity supply so they can use the elevator and go outside. Some cafes and restaurants change thei...

  Venezuelan security forces have detained at least five Americans in recent months as the US has built a pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a US official familiar with the matter told CNN. The circumstances of the individual cases vary, and some could have been involved in drug smuggling, the official said. US officials are still collecting information about what the Americans were doing in Venezuela and at the time of their detention, the official added. Trump administration officials believe that the Maduro regime is detaining the Americans to build leverage against the US, the official said, as the pressure campaign against the Venezuelan leader — including the US strikes on drug boats, a CIA strike on Venezuelan port facility and recent oil blockade — has intensified in recent months. The tactic mirrors that of Russia, Venezuela’s longtime ally, which has detained numerous Americans on Russian soil in recent years to use as leverage in Moscow’s tens...

Social media Anthony Joshua sits between Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele as all wear training kit, with a grassy area behind the three men.Social media Latif Ayodele (left) and Sina Ghami (right) were close friends and team members of Anthony Joshua British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua has been discharged from hospital in Nigeria days after a fatal car accident that killed two of his close friends. The former world champion was deemed fit to recuperate at home, the Ogun and Lagos states said in a joint statement, describing him as "heavy hearted" over the loss of his friends. The 36-year-old was a passenger in a Lexus SUV that collided with a stationary truck on a major expressway in Ogun State, near Lagos, on Monday. The two men who died were Joshua's close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele. Anthony Joshua discharged from hospital after Nigeria car crash 2 days ago Chris Graham Share Save Social media Anthony Joshua sits between Sina...

 During the protest, teachers displayed placards highlighting what they described as worsening economic hardship and unfair treatment. Public school teachers in Kwara State on Friday staged a protest over their exclusion from the recently approved 30% peculiar salary allowance granted to other categories of state workers, accusing the state government and their union leadership of neglect and betrayal. One of the protesting teachers told SaharaReporters that the action was also targeted at the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) leadership, which the protesters accused of failing to defend their interests.

 One of the protesters, who spoke during the protest, lamented that dozens of communities had been completely deserted due to persistent attacks and killings. Nigeria Police Force personnel on Friday dispersed youths from Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State with teargas as they protested worsening insecurity and the abandonment of several communities in the area. The protesters, mostly youths from Bunuland, had blocked a major road during the peaceful demonstration, chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards to draw attention to the escalating violence and displacement of residents.

 Following their plea, the court ordered that the trio be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of their bail application. Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned to January 7, 2026, the hearing of a bail application filed by a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who is facing alleged money laundering charges. Malami, who is currently being remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, is standing trial alongside his son, Abdulaziz Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and one of his wives, Bashir Asabe, over a 16-count charge filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Malami and the other defendants are accused of laundering a total sum of ₦8.7 billion. They pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite on December 29, 2025. Following their plea, the court ordered that the trio be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pe...

Today, in just a matter of few hours, in Enugu, the capital city of South Eastern Nigeria, the Labour Party, LP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi will formally become a member of the African Democratic Congress, ADC. The question now is what next? For President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of course. This is a man many regard as a political genius. Your guess is as good as mine whether it is for good or evil. They always refer to him as master strategist, especially when it comes to grabbing power and running away with it. His strategy, immediately he was sworn in, included turning Nigeria into a one-party nation. To do that, he first dismantled LP, the party whose presidential candidate that ran against him in 2023 was widely believed by concerned Nigerians as having won the election. Next, he planted very destructive maggots deep inside the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to rob her of any unity to mount any reasonable opposition. On both counts, Jagaban succeeded. But ...

 The attack occurred while residents were observing crossover night on December 31, 2025, to usher in the New Year, throwing the community into chaos and grief. Gunmen suspected to be Fulani militia on Wednesday night attacked the Bum community in Chugwi, Vwang District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing at least seven persons, injuring several others and setting houses ablaze. The attack occurred while residents were observing crossover night on December 31, 2025, to usher in the New Year, throwing the community into chaos and grief. Confirming the incident in a statement on Thursday, the National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youths Moulder-Association (BYM), Rwang Tengwong, said the assailants exploited the New Year celebrations to launch the deadly assault. While the world welcomed the New Year in celebration, residents of Bum community in Chugwi, Vwang District of Jos South Local Government Area, Plateau State, were plunged into mourning following ...