News Review

A hunter identified simply as Jibril has allegedly shot and killed a passenger, Jidda Muhammad, during a stop-and-search operation near Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State. The tragic incident reportedly occurred around 1 p.m. on Saturday. An investigation by NEWS REVIEW followed a Facebook post on Sunday by Abubakar Kingimi Ali, a relative of the deceased, who claimed that the hunter shot Jidda Muhammad after he refused to pay ₦1,000 at a checkpoint. Advertisement Ali wrote, “My dear friend, Alhaji Jidda Muhammad, was brutally murdered by a retired Boko Haram member near Mafa. He was returning from Gomboru Ngala to Maiduguri when they stopped him, demanded ₦1,000,  and upon his refusal shot him with AK-47 rifles. This wasn’t just a robbery; it was a cold-blooded execution. It reflects the terrifying reality many in Borno face daily.” However, local security sources who spoke to NEWS REVIEW on condition of anonymity confirmed the incident but gave a different account. Acc...

Israel on Tuesday marked the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attack, the deadliest day in its history as indirect negotiations between Israeli and Hamas officials resumed under a US-backed peace proposal aimed at ending the two-year war in Gaza. The attack, launched by Hamas-led militants at the close of the Jewish festival of Sukkot, saw Palestinian fighters breach the Gaza-Israel border, storming southern communities and a desert music festival with gunfire and rockets. According to Israeli figures compiled by AFP, 1,219 people, mostly civilians, were killed, and 251 others were taken hostage into Gaza. Forty-seven hostages remain captive, including 25 confirmed dead by the Israeli military. Commemorative events were held across Israel on Tuesday. At the Nova music festival site, where more than 370 people were killed, families and friends lit candles and held a minute’s silence. “It was a very difficult and enormous incident,” said teacher Elad Gancz. “But we want to liv...

The Federal Government has launched a nationwide verification of civil servants’ personnel records in a move to enhance efficiency and reform the public workforce. According to an internal memo signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Didi Walson-Jack, and obtained by our correspondent on Monday in Abuja, the exercise will run from October 16 to November 14, 2025. The verification, to be carried out by Philips Consulting and other human resource firms, aims to update personnel records, identify skills gaps, and support ongoing workforce reforms across all ministries, departments, and agencies  including federal offices abroad. Advertisement The memo, titled “Verification Exercise,” directed all civil servants to cooperate fully and provide accurate information during the process. President Bola Tinubu had earlier approved a comprehensive Personnel and Salary System Governance Audit to promote professionalism and improve service delivery in the federal serv...

The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has declared that the Federal Government will not renew the licences of electricity distribution companies (DisCos) that fail to perform effectively when they expire in 2028. Speaking at the Nigerian Economic Summit 2025 in Abuja during a session themed “Uninterrupted Power Supply: The Industrial Imperatives,” Adelabu blamed the DisCos for the nation’s persistent power supply challenges. He admitted that while the power sector faces long-standing structural issues, the inefficiency of the distribution companies remains a key obstacle. Advertisement “The DisCos need to sit up. They are a major bottleneck, and the government will ensure only capable ones continue. Their licences expire in two years, and there will be major reforms before any renewal,” Adelabu said. He added that any DisCo that fails to show technical capacity, financial strength, and genuine commitment to national interest will be removed. Adelabu also assured that the ...

The European Union has announced that all non-EU travelers will soon be required to undergo fingerprint and facial scans as part of its new Entry and Exit System (EES), which will launch on October 12, 2025. According to the European Commission, the rollout will begin gradually at airports and land borders before becoming fully operational on April 10, 2026. The EES is an automated system designed to record the movements of non-EU nationals on short stays each time they cross the external borders of participating European countries, including France, Spain, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland. Advertisement The system will apply to all non-EU nationals visiting for up to 90 days within any 180-day period, while children under 12 will be exempt from fingerprinting. The EU said the system will replace traditional passport stamping with a digital record of entries and exits, aimed at streamlining border checks, reducing waiting times, and improving efficiency. Travelers will be able to us...

Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has revealed key steps the South East must take to facilitate the release of detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Speaking in Aba during the inauguration of multiple projects executed by Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, Umahi who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu urged residents of the region to remain law-abiding and appreciative as efforts toward a political solution continue. His remarks came amid renewed optimism over Kanu’s possible release, with Governor Otti assuring that President Tinubu is “favourably disposed” to resolving the issue. “I can assure you that I am engaging with Mr. President, and he is favourably disposed to it. I’m confident that in no distant future, Nnamdi Kanu will regain his freedom,” Otti stated. Advertisement Also speaking at the event, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) publicly appealed to the President, saying, “Mr. President has done so much for us, but there is one thing left; please, release ...

Ukraine announced on Sunday that a Russian strike on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia killed one person and injured nine others, prompting Poland to scramble fighter jets to protect its airspace. Regional head Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram that the “combined strike” killed a woman and left several others wounded, including a 16-year-old girl who is receiving medical care. Photos he shared showed a partially destroyed multi-storey building and a burnt-out car. A nationwide air alert was issued across Ukraine at 4:09 a.m. (0109 GMT). Poland’s armed forces said on X that their aircraft and air defences were on high alert, especially near the Ukrainian border. Advertisement In Lviv, near Poland, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi reported that public transport was halted due to what he called a “massive enemy attack.” In Ivano-Frankivsk, services were delayed for the same reason. Russia has intensified its assaults on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as winter approaches. Fedorov said the latest ...

An Abuja-based veterinary doctor and former chairman of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), FCT Chapter, Dr. Ifeanyi Ogbu, has been killed by suspected kidnappers who also abducted his three children. The tragic incident occurred on Friday night when gunmen stormed his residence in Kubwa district along the Kubwa-Kaduna road. The assailants reportedly took Dr. Ogbu and his children away, later dumping his lifeless body by the roadside. His death was confirmed by Andrew Gabriel Ikechukwu via a Facebook post, revealing that Dr. Ogbu’s corpse was found while his three children remain in captivity. Advertisement He wrote, “Dr. Ifeanyi Ogbu, the immediate past chairman of the NVMA FCT chapter, who was kidnapped alongside his three children from his home in Kubwa Abuja, was found dead. The three children are yet to be released. May God please intervene.” Colleagues described the late Ogbu as a dedicated professional and a compassionate veterinarian. He is survived by his wi...

United States President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago, following weeks of threats to take such action despite resistance from local leaders. “President Trump has authorised 300 national guardsmen to protect federal officers and assets,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson announced on Saturday. “President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities.” The move intensifies a growing national standoff between Trump’s aggressive anti-crime measures and Democratic leaders who accuse him of authoritarian overreach. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin condemned the deployment as a “shameful chapter in our nation’s history,” saying the president “is not intent on fighting crime, he is intent on spreading fear.” Advertisement Chicago and Portland have become flashpoints in the administration’s federal crackdown, following similar deployments in Los Angeles and Washington. Witnesses have reported masked, armed men ...