The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s removal of the petrol subsidy, describing it as a selfless, high-stakes political risk taken exclusively to save Nigeria from total economic collapse. Speaking during an interactive session with the All Progressives Congress (APC) Press Corps in Abuja, Alake—who was recently appointed as the Director of Strategic Communications for President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign—revealed that past administrations fully understood the necessity of ending the subsidy regime but lacked the courage to act due to fears of losing elections. Alake argued that President Tinubu willingly "took the bullets" on behalf of the nation, knowing the immediate hardship and public backlash that would follow. According to him, the old subsidy system was an unsustainable drain that primarily enriched oil cartels and wealthy citizens at the expense of national development. "There is no shortcut to genuine reforms," Alake stated. "All the policies necessary to correct the distortions in Nigerian society were identifiable by previous governments. The only thing lacking was the courage to take those decisions. They were afraid of elections; they were afraid of it blocking their return to office. So they shifted the hard decisions." He continued: "If a man, who is a politician himself and should be sensitive to elections, decided to take the bullets regardless of the consequences on his own political career because the nation had to be reset, I think it’s very important for us to appreciate that." Alake explained that before the May 2023 declaration, the federal government was borrowing heavily just to pay salaries, leaving over 18 states unable to meet their monthly wage obligations. He noted that funds meant for critical infrastructure, healthcare, and education were instead swallowed by a system that allowed cartels to buy cheap fuel in Nigeria and smuggle it across the borders for humongous profits. Acknowledging the current economic pains faced by Nigerians, the minister urged for patience and consistency, emphasizing that deep structural reforms require an adjustment period before their benefits manifest. He noted that the policy is already beginning to yield the desired long-term macroeconomic stability despite aggressive pushback from displaced cartels. The petrol subsidy removal remains the central talking point ahead of the 2027 general elections. While opposition figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have pledged to restore the subsidy to alleviate hardship, other key political figures, including Peter Obi and Governor Seyi Makinde, have maintained that they would keep the subsidy removed but manage the petroleum sector more transparently to lower costs for citizens.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark global warning linking tobacco use to a massive surge in reproductive failure, revealing that smoking drastically reduces the chances of conceiving for both men and women. In a comprehensive knowledge summary published on its website, the global health agency stated that tobacco use is heavily tied to female infertility, severe sperm damage, and reduced success in medical fertility treatments. The warning comes at a critical time as the agency reveals that one in six people of reproductive age worldwide will experience infertility at some point in their lifetime. The WHO officially defines this crisis as the failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Data from a massive systematic review of global health studies conducted between 2000 and 2026 shows that women who currently smoke face a 40 per cent higher risk of infertility than non-smokers. However, the agency offered a strong glimmer of hope by highlighting evidence that quitting makes a significant difference. Women who had smoked in the past but successfully quit had a 25 per cent lower risk of infertility compared to those who continued to smoke. The agency stressed that reproductive struggles should not be viewed solely as a women’s health issue, pointing to devastating impacts on male anatomy. A recent review of 44 studies involving more than 60,000 men found that tobacco smoking was directly associated with reproductive dysfunction. According to the data, men who smoke are significantly more likely to experience erectile dysfunction and ejaculation problems. Furthermore, the habit leads to severe semen abnormalities, including a complete absence of sperm, poor sperm motility, and abnormally shaped sperm. The potential damage of tobacco use extends heavily into clinical settings for couples seeking medical intervention to conceive. Earlier research involving 21 studies found that cigarette smoking drastically reduces pregnancies and live births following assisted reproduction, revealing that the chances of successful IVF outcomes are roughly halved by smoking. The agency also warned that innocent bystanders face severe reproductive risks through passive exposure. Women who do not smoke themselves, but are regularly exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke, face a much higher risk of infertility and a lower chance of conceiving during each month they try. While the evidence remains strongest for traditional cigarettes, the WHO extended its warning to newer nicotine items like e-cigarettes, vapes, waterpipes, and smokeless tobacco. The agency recommended that healthcare providers consistently offer brief quitting advice to all tobacco users and actively counsel couples planning a pregnancy about these reproductive risks.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu operates an inclusive administration that prioritizes public sentiment before finalizing critical policy decisions, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed on Tuesday. Speaking in Abuja during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Idris disclosed that the President’s first question during briefings is invariably, “What are Nigerians saying?” The Minister emphasized that his ministry has shifted away from traditional, one-sided propaganda. Instead, it operates a bidirectional communication system designed to relay citizens` grievances and opinions directly back to the presidency. “He is not merely a president who disseminates information or announces policy decisions. He also seeks to understand what Nigerians think,” Idris stated, noting that governance remains a dynamic process open to modification based on grassroots feedback. To achieve this, the government is leveraging the National Orientation Agency’s (NOA) 800+ regional offices to harvest real-time data from farmers, artisans, and everyday citizens across Nigeria`s local government areas. The meeting, which also had former Information Minister Alhaji Lai Mohammed in attendance, shifted focus to national development as NIPSS Director-General, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, detailed the institute`s current research into the creative sector—termed the "Orange Economy." Prof. Omotayo revealed that Senior Executive Course 48 participants have already toured seven Nigerian states and multiple foreign countries to gather data. Pointing to Nigeria’s booming music industry as a multi-billion naira blueprint, Omotayo asserted that the creative sector is the ultimate antidote to youth unemployment. To institutionalize these findings, NIPSS is partnering with the Ministry to host a National Summit and Exhibition on the Orange Economy to drive investment and unlock the sector`s full wealth-generation potential.

A tragic incident unfolded in the Ilare area of Ile-Ife as a man reportedly lost his life after engaging in a sexual encounter with a married woman, allegedly falling victim to the dreaded traditional lethal spell known as Magun (Thunderbolt). The community was thrown into confusion when the victim collapsed during the act. Local sources report that members of a nearby Celestial Church of Christ (Cele) were called to the scene in a desperate bid to perform spiritual intervention, but their efforts failed to revive him. According to local traditional lore, a victim of the "Magun" spell can sometimes be saved if the woman immediately urinates into the victim`s mouth. However, this remedy was not successfully executed in this instance. Furthermore, while community members noted that the Ooni of Ife possesses the spiritual authority to counteract such traditional spells, customs strictly forbid the Ooni from seeing a dead body, ruling out any royal intervention once the victim passed. Following the incident, the woman`s husband reportedly fled the area upon hearing the news. The Nigeria Police Force has since arrived at the scene, evacuated the deceased man`s body, and arrested the woman for further interrogation. Investigation into the exact circumstances surrounding the death remains ongoing.

Professor Chidi Odinkalu, the former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has raised fresh concerns over the background of President Bola Tinubu, describing him as the only leader in Nigeria’s history whose educational peers cannot be identified. Speaking on the deep-seated mysteries surrounding the President’s identity, Odinkalu noted that unlike his predecessors, President Tinubu’s academic footprint remains completely untraceable within Nigeria. He pointed out that the President omitted information regarding his primary and secondary education in the forms he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Comparing Tinubu to past Nigerian leaders, Odinkalu argued that every previous head of state had verifiable roots and recognizable schoolmates. "This man is a total mystery," Odinkalu stated. "He is the only Nigerian leader in our entire history who does not have people he went to school with. We know who Tafawa Balewa went to school with and who his teachers were. We know Azikiwe’s schools. We know when Aguiyi-Ironsi joined the military, and we can trace the teaching and educational career of Shehu Shagari." He further noted, "Count every President down to Muhammadu Buhari—we know their schools. In fact, when Buhari became President, his schoolmates from Daura paid him a visit. Tinubu stands alone as the only President whose schoolmates have never come forward to celebrate his ascension to power." Beyond the academic omissions, the legal scholar also questioned the President’s nationality, referencing a controversial foreign passport. "Which country does he actually come from? At the time he ran for office, Tinubu held a passport from the Republic of Guinea. If the law had been applied strictly, that should have disqualified him from the presidency," Odinkalu added. Describing the situation as deeply troubling, Odinkalu concluded that the combination of missing academic records and dual citizenship allegations makes the President a larger constitutional and biographical enigma than any other leader the country has ever seen.

Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has threatened to slam a ₦10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), following controversial statements made during a recent television appearance. In a formal pre-litigation letter of claim dated September 7, 2026, issued by the Chambers of Ubong Akpan, El-Rufai’s legal team demanded an immediate retraction and an unreserved public apology from the defence minister. The dispute stems from an interview broadcast on September 3, 2026, on Channels Television. During the programme, General Musa allegedly linked the former governor to sensitive security matters during his tenure in Kaduna, including remarks on bandits, demolitions, ransom payments, and alleged state-planned killings in Southern Kaduna. El-Rufai’s solicitors vehemently denied the claims, describing them as highly malicious, injurious, and defamatory. They noted that the broadcast remains heavily circulated across terrestrial networks, satellite TV, and social media platforms. The legal team has given General Musa and his representatives 24 hours to acknowledge receipt of the notice and seven days to provide a substantive written response to the demands. According to his lawyers, the proposed ₦10 billion demand serves as an administrative settlement condition rather than a court-ordered fine. Should the defence minister fail to recant his comments within the stipulated window, El-Rufai plans to initiate full legal actions to protect his reputation.

The Founder of Solid Rock Kingdom Church in Akwa Ibom State, Apostle John Okoriko, has cautioned Christians against embarking on prayer and fasting to seek revenge or fight perceived enemies. The cleric described the act of using spiritual exercises for malicious vendettas as foolhardy, warning that such adventures only amount to an exercise in futility. Speaking during the monthly Interactive Service at Life Tabernacle, Eket, themed ”Why Prayer and Fasting Fail,” Okoriko stated that God does not answer prayers anchored on malice. He noted that the apparent ineffectiveness of modern spiritual exercises stems from believers praying amiss and completely outside the established ordinances of God. According to the cleric, the spiritual growth of families and the economic progress of Nigeria as a nation remain hindered because citizens pray without aligning with the divine will. He expressed deep regret that deep-seated unbelief and persistent ingratitude have become massive barriers blocking answers to prayers across the country. Apostle Okoriko further explained that fasting among Christians consistently fails to achieve the expected results because believers fail to back their spirituality with corresponding actions. He urged Christians to "walk the talk" rather than solely relying on divine intervention while neglecting the physical responsibilities required to accomplish their desires. The cleric outlined other critical factors sabotaging prayers, which include continuous begging instead of offering thanksgiving, and the sheer inability to transform spiritual requests into tangible actions. He maintained that fasting will always lose its potency if Christians refuse to live out the very things they are fasting and praying for. To make spiritual breakthroughs permanent, the minister insisted that human beings must actively step into the roles they expect God to bless. He stressed that faith requires a physical platform to manifest, requiring believers to take deliberate, righteous steps toward their goals immediately after completing their spiritual fasts. Addressing economic aspirations, Okoriko pointed out that financial breakthroughs are directly tied to industriousness rather than passive waiting. He admonished believers that praying for wealth without engaging in legitimate, productive labor contradicts divine principles, as spiritual blessings require a physical channel to flow through. The cleric concluded by charging Christians to immediately activate their human efforts, fold up their prayer mats, and step out to work. He reminded the congregation that money does not fall from the sky, emphasizing that financial increase only comes directly through the dedicated work of one`s hands.

The frontline presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has rejected calls to return to the controversial fuel subsidy regime. Instead, he is proposing a domestic crude pricing framework to slash petrol costs across the country. Speaking on Monday at the commissioning of the APM Presidential Campaign Office in Abuja, Makinde outlined a distinct third path ahead of the 2027 general elections. He directly challenged both the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the subsidy-restoration promise of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. Makinde clarified that his "Reset Nigeria" agenda does not aim to revive the opaque, pre-May 2023 subsidy structure. Rather, he argued that crude oil allocated to local refineries should reflect Nigeria`s status as a top oil producer. "If a community grows food, the people of that community should not have to buy that food as though it travelled halfway around the world," Makinde argued. "So why should crude oil supplied to Nigerian refineries be priced as though Nigeria does not produce crude oil?" He insisted that relief for citizens must be engineered at the point of crude supply, rather than via "opaque interventions" at the filling station pump after inefficiencies and distribution costs have piled up. Positioning himself as a reformist, the APM candidate promised total transparency across the petroleum value chain if elected. He challenged the status quo, stating that the current system lacks clarity. "It means that we stop accepting systems that nobody can explain. It means that government must show its workings," Makinde said. He promised that a Reset Nigeria administration would lay bare the costs of production, domestic allocation, refining, and retail margins so citizens know exactly what they are paying for. Addressing critics who have written off his third-party candidacy against the major political heavyweights, Makinde drew parallels to his political journey in Oyo State. He recalled how entrenched political forces doubted his gubernatorial ambitions, only for the electorate to prove them wrong. He noted that dismissing his campaign means dismissing the shared struggles of everyday traders, farmers, youths, and small-business owners who are bearing the brunt of erratic fuel pricing. "They may discount one candidate. But they cannot discount millions of Nigerians united behind a better future," Makinde declared, urging Nigerians to join the conversation and become "Resetters" ahead of the 2027 polls.

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has urged Nigerians to overcome daily anxiety and pressure by adopting a lifestyle of constant rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving. Speaking on Sunday at the church’s headquarters in Lagos during a special service dedicated to judges and lawyers, the cleric stated that these three scriptural habits have the power to transform lives completely. "When you wake up every morning, rejoice. Praise God. Start your day on a positive note of rejoicing. Forget about the past. Just rejoice. Wake up with joy and allow the joy of the Lord to dominate your life," Adeboye said. The cleric emphasized that worrying about the future is unnecessary for those who place their trust in God, pointing out that divine faithfulness is consistent. “If I am not where I am by my ability, why should I worry about tomorrow? He took care of me yesterday; He will take care of me tomorrow,” he reassured the congregation. Rather than letting problems overwhelm them, he challenged believers to maintain a rigorous prayer life to actively involve God in their situations. “Pray always. Make your requests known to God. Rather than worry over your problems, pray about them,” he added. Adeboye noted that thanksgiving must be unconditional, stating, "In everything give thanks. Don’t allow your circumstances to affect your life. Give thanks irrespective of what you are going through in life". Reflecting on the theme of advocacy with a nod to the legal professionals in attendance, Pastor Adeboye cited Romans 8:31 to describe Jesus Christ as a defender without equal. He explained that even when humans falter, they have an exceptional advocate before God [1]. "He is the only advocate who goes to the judge and says, ‘My client is guilty as charged. But release him and take me instead. He gave himself for us,’" Adeboye concluded.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has issued a critical weather alert predicting widespread thunderstorms and moderate rainfall across most parts of the country on Monday, September 7, 2026. The agency warned that the impending downpour could spark localized flooding and significant travel disruptions, especially within low-lying communities and urban areas with poor drainage networks. According to the agency’s 24-hour national forecast, the unstable weather patterns will begin early in the day. Morning thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rainfall are expected to hit parts of Adamawa, Kebbi, and Taraba states in the far north. The agency further noted that the rest of the Northern region is projected to experience a continuation of these intense weather conditions well into the afternoon and evening hours. In the Central region, residents and commuters are similarly urged to prepare for a wet day. The weather agency forecast morning thunderstorms with light rainfall in some locations, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Niger, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Kwara states. NiMet added that this light precipitation will transition into heavier, moderate rainfall across most parts of the middle belt later in the day. For the southern parts of the country, the weather outlook shows a slightly different but equally wet dynamic. NiMet predicted predominantly cloudy conditions with light rainfall during the morning hours in parts of Ebonyi, Edo, Delta, Abia, Cross River, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Bayelsa states. As the day progresses, light rainfall is expected to persist across the South-East, South-South, and South-West regions through the afternoon and evening. In light of the hazardous weather, NiMet cautioned that the moderate rainfall, especially across the Northern and Central regions, could lead to temporary water accumulation on major roads. Low-lying communities are at a high risk of flash floods. Consequently, emergency management authorities are expected to be on high alert to handle any sudden displacement of residents or infrastructure compromises. To mitigate risks, the agency strongly advised citizens to take immediate personal safety precautions. Residents were told to stay away from open spaces, avoid standing under trees or tall masts during thunderstorms, and seek shelter in structurally safe locations. Furthermore, NiMet recommended disconnecting sensitive electrical appliances where necessary to prevent damage from potential lightning strikes and power surges. Motorists and pedestrians have also been urged to exercise extreme caution when navigating urban roads and highways. The weather agency noted that the heavy rainfall could drastically reduce visibility and make roads exceptionally slippery. Drivers were explicitly warned against the danger of attempting to drive or walk through flooded roads and overflowing streams, which can easily sweep vehicles away. Finally, the adverse weather conditions are expected to impact logistics and transportation beyond the road networks. NiMet has advised airline operators to strictly obtain airport-specific weather information from the agency to support safe flight planning and operations. This measure is crucial to preventing flight delays, diversions, or weather-related aviation hazards during this period of atmospheric instability.