The Federal Government has officially prohibited manual lobbying for strategic deployments and "juicy" postings within the federal civil service following the launch of the newly automated Human Resource Modules under the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS). The upgraded system introduces a fully digital infrastructure designed to automate staff promotions, transfers, leave applications, and total personnel lifecycles. This comprehensive digital shift aims to completely eliminate human interference, favoritism, and manual manipulation across all government sectors. Speaking at the official IPPIS Go-Live Ceremony in Abuja, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, declared that the transition effectively shuts the door on external influence in civil service postings. "‘Post me here, post me there. I want a juicy posting’—no more. It is now digitalised," Walson-Jack stated, emphasizing that the cloud-based system will institutionalise a transparent, merit-based framework for managing the nation`s public workforce. The digital overhaul, developed entirely by local tech firm SoftAlliance and Resources Limited, marks a significant shift from the foreign Oracle Electronic Business Suite previously in use. By keeping the software development entirely indigenous, the government successfully shields public spending from foreign exchange volatility while keeping sensitive national personnel data under local control. The Head of Service described the development as a practical expression of the "Nigeria First" policy. The newly deployed platform handles biometric enrolment, onboarding, payroll administration, employee mobility, and advanced data analytics. Through the newly introduced employee self-service module, civil servants can now securely access their personal dashboards, update records, and track their career progression online. This automation is projected to drastically reduce paperwork, eliminate administrative bottlenecks, and accelerate approval times for routine requests. Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, disclosed that the IPPIS infrastructure has grown exponentially from serving just seven pilot agencies at its inception in 2007 to managing over 1,008,800 employee records today. He explained that integrating human resource management directly with payroll administration provides a stronger safety net against financial leakages. This linkage will enhance workforce planning and strengthen fiscal discipline in public financial management. Lauding the initiative, the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, described the IPPIS framework as one of Nigeria’s most successful public sector reforms due to its historical success in eliminating ghost workers. He noted that the new HR capabilities will provide data-driven insights for national workforce planning, making it easier for the government to identify staffing gaps and surpluses across different sectors. However, top government officials have warned that the technology will only be as effective as its execution. The Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Mrs. Nkiruka Jones-Nebo, urged permanent secretaries, HR directors, and IT desk officers to act as change champions, stressing that the success of the system relies heavily on institutional commitment across all 508 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) currently onboarded. The Head of Service further cautioned public servants against resisting the change or trying to replicate old bureaucratic loops on the digital platform. She maintained that the ultimate goal of the digital transformation is to make the work of public servants easier while significantly strengthening the capacity of the government to deliver faster, highly accountable services to all Nigerians.

The Founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, has issued a stern warning to young Nigerians to abandon sports betting, declaring it a destructive path that ruins futures. Delivering a powerful sermon on Sunday, the prominent cleric emphasized that gambling is not a viable route to financial freedom or enduring success. He stressed that authentic prosperity requires discipline, patience, and diligent labor. "Young people, betting is not the way to financial fortune," Oyedepo admonished the congregation. "Stop wasting your destiny, stop wasting your destiny, stop wasting your destiny! I have never been once deceived. Stop!" The Bishop urged the youth to remain resilient through humble beginnings, noting that wealth built on biblical foundations guarantees longevity. "Things may be slow, but it is sure," he added. Illustrating the power of long-term faithfulness and gratitude, Oyedepo shared that he recently gifted a car in the United States to the woman who led him to Christ when he was 15 years old. "When I turned 60, I got her a car... she wept. You had better wake up," he urged. The cleric`s warning comes amid growing national concern from financial experts and social commentators over the explosive rise of sports betting in Nigeria, which has left millions of youth vulnerable to addiction and financial ruin.

High-profile controversy has hit the Nigerian entertainment industry following the weekend wedding of controversial content creator Gehgeh, known for his aggressive anti-marriage campaigns. The online personality, who built a massive following by teaching that legal unions are a "financial mistake," has drawn fierce backlash from colleagues and followers who claim they were severely misled by his online doctrine. The sudden nuptials, which began circulating in viral videos over the weekend, have sent shockwaves through the celebrity landscape. Many prominent members of the entertainment industry who subscribed to his school of thought are now calling him out for hypocrisy. The content creator had long advised his audience to avoid traditional family structures, urging them to instead opt for casual co-parenting and "baby mama" or "baby daddy" arrangements. Reacting to the footage, Nollywood actress Evan Okoro—wholly attributing the crash of her own union to his teachings—expressed profound heartbreak and disbelief. Speaking in an emotional video address, she directly blamed the influencer for her recent domestic choices. Okoro confirmed that his rigid stance against family life completely ruined her perspective and fractured her home. "Gehgeh destroyed my marriage," Okoro stated, referring to her separation in April 2025. "He convinced us that marriage is a scam and a financial trap. He deceived me, and now he has abandoned his followers to get married himself. He explicitly told us that if he ever wed, we should know a woman used voodoo on him." Popular comedian Cute Abiola also voiced his anger, expressing deep relief for abandoning the influencer`s platform before it ruined his personal life. He questioned the motive behind the sudden change of heart, wondering how many young men had already ruined their futures following the same toxic guidance. Abiola demanded that the content creator return online to explain the sudden shift in principles. "Thank God I dropped out of his school before I ended up a single father," Cute Abiola stated. "This boy nearly ruined my life a year ago, along with countless other young men who listened to him. He now goes ahead to get married himself. I am waiting for him to come online and explain this in full details." The wave of criticism has quickly spread across top digital platforms, drawing commentary from media executives and digital peers alike. Prominent entertainment blogger Tunde Ednut openly questioned the authenticity of the ceremony, while online personalities like Tiktoker Salo, Tunde Perry, Carter Efe, and Izzy Ogbeide expressed similar shock. Media veteran Daddy Freeze has also weighed in on the unfolding drama. Gehgeh has yet to issue an official statement regarding the authenticity of the wedding videos or respond to the allegations of hypocrisy. As public outrage grows, the situation has sparked a broader national conversation regarding the real-world impact of influencer culture on traditional family institutions in Nigeria.

The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has called on the Federal Government to bypass court trials and immediately execute anyone caught in acts of terrorism or kidnapping. In a press statement released on Sunday by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, the cleric asserted that eliminating judicial delays for confirmed terrorists is the only definitive way to drastically crush the country`s worsening insecurity. Primate Ayodele also advocated for the immediate arrest of individuals negotiating with bandits, explicitly including state governors who pay ransoms. "There should be no court for kidnappers and terrorists; once they have been arrested and confirmed as terrorists, they should be killed immediately," Ayodele stated. "There is no need charging them to court because they won’t get the deserved punishment. Such crimes should attract the immediate death penalty, and those talking to them and paying ransom should also be arrested; this is how terrorism can end." The cleric commended the Nigerian military for its recent operational successes. He particularly praised the Minister of Defence for issuing a "shoot-at-sight" order against terrorists, noting that a sustained implementation of this policy would permanently end the insurgency. To boost morale, the prophet urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to bestow national honours on frontline soldiers and the military high command in recognition of their sacrifices. While offering solutions, Ayodele warned the government against the proliferation of underfunded personal security outfits. He cautioned that if these unregulated groups lack adequate funding, they risk morphing into a new wave of terrorist cells. Instead, he recommended absorbing local hunters into the formal security architecture and strategically embedding them within forest bases. “The Nigerian army can do better; there are people who want to destroy the government with insecurity. If there are too many personal security agencies and they are not adequately funded, they can amount to terrorists. Transform local hunters and let them have their bases inside bushes,” he advised. Rounding off his statement, the spiritual leader issued a stern warning regarding the safety of a prominent Plateau State cleric, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo. He called on security agencies to provide maximum protection for the cleric, warning that any harm befalling him would trigger severe national unrest. “Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo must be protected by all means; the government must ensure he is well protected because if anything happens to him, it will be seen as the highest form of Christian genocide,” Ayodele concluded.

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has launched a scathing attack on President Bola Tinubu, declaring him medically unfit to govern Nigeria and urging him to resign immediately to focus on his health. Speaking during an explosive interview on Symfoni TV, Lawal claimed that the President`s frequent medical trips to France have failed to deceive the Nigerian public regarding his true physical condition. The former SGF insisted that the demands of the presidency are too strenuous for the President`s current state of health, suggesting that a four-year tenure is more than enough. "President Tinubu is not a healthy man. Nigerians are not fooled when he goes to France. I’ve said it before. He has done four years. He should face his health," Lawal stated during the broadcast. In a surprising disclosure about the President’s personal lifestyle habits, the former top government official claimed that Tinubu is not driven by material wealth, describing his daily routine in stark terms. "Tinubu is not even someone who is materialistic. He wakes up in the morning and eats banana and groundnut, and that’s his food. What I know he likes most is silk cigarettes. He smokes. He likes that a lot. He can’t do without it. I don’t know if he has stopped," Lawal added. The controversial statement marks another political shift for Lawal, who recently defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). His exit from the ADC followed severe allegations of widespread rigging during the primary election that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party`s presidential flagbearer. The Presidency has yet to issue an official response to Lawal`s allegations regarding the President`s health and lifestyle.

Immanuel Baptist Church, Isale Afon, was packed to capacity this morning as a grieving community gathered for the funeral service of Deacon John Olaleye. The beloved Mathematics teacher was brutally murdered by terrorists while in captivity, marking the second casualty among educators seized during a recent mass abduction. The solemn service drew a massive crowd, including devastated family members, church congregants, and residents from the teacher`s neighborhood. Colleagues and students from across the region also arrived in large numbers to pay their final respects to a man described as having spent his entire life in selfless service to God and humanity. According to Mrs. Rachael Alamu, the Principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, Deacon Olaleye was killed by his captors on Sunday, June 7, 2026. The late educator was among seven teachers violently abducted by terrorists on May 15, 2026, alongside several of their students while performing their official academic duties. Wails and visible emotion filled the sanctuary as the deceased’s eldest son, Daniel Olaleye, stepped up to the pulpit to read his father’s biography. The presentation detailed the life of the 46-year-old teacher, who was born on July 12, 1979, and educated at Ogbomoso Grammar School, Kwara State College of Education, and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. THENEWSCREDIT reports that before his tragic deployment to Community High School in the Orire Local Government Area, Deacon Olaleye had previously impacted lives at Anglican Grammar School, Ogbomoso. In testimonies shared by attendees, he was fondly remembered as a peaceful, compassionate man who used local adages extensively to guide his students and peers through difficult life problems. Delivering a highly emotional sermon, the presiding Church Pastor, Rev. Dr. D.A. Adewole, strictly admonished the widow, Mrs. Funke Olaleye, and her children to remain hopeful despite the severe trial. He urged the immediate family not to abandon their spiritual life or lose faith in divine justice, stating that the tragedy does not mean prayers go unanswered. The clergy further noted that a beautiful and blissful future still awaits the grieving family despite the dark vacuum created by the sudden assassination. "Accept what has happened; righteous people often die while the wicked remain, but God never makes a mistake," the pastor stated as he consoled the weeping widow. Among the notable dignitaries present at the memorial service was Honorable Olamijuwonlo Alao-Akala, representing the Ogbomoso North, South, and Orire Federal Constituency at the National Assembly. He was joined by executives of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), zonal directors of education, and state supervisors who united in prayer for fortitude to bear the monumental loss.

What began as a viral internet sensation of marital commitment has quickly devolved into a bitter cross-border scandal. A Canada-based Nigerian woman, Mrs. Ezinne Nwanorue, has publicly accused her husband, Franklin Nwanorue, of sleeping with another woman, barely days after the couple took a strict, highly publicized fidelity oath on social media that invoked death as the ultimate penalty for cheating. The drama originally unfolded earlier this week when the couple captured the attention of thousands on social media by posting videos of themselves swearing to remain sexually faithful. In the footage, both partners explicitly invoked divine judgment and fatal consequences upon themselves if either of them ever stepped outside the marriage, a radical move that sparked intense debate among netizens. During his recorded declaration, Mr. Nwanorue stated that his wife was directed by God to make the demand, and he willingly agreed out of love for his family. He confidently stated into the camera: “I confess and I promise that if I come to Canada and cheat on you, let me die in the name of Jesus,” pledging absolute loyalty ahead of his planned relocation to join her. Mrs. Nwanorue reciprocated the gesture by posting her own video, reinforcing the high-stakes agreement. She pledged to remain entirely faithful to her husband from abroad, stating clearly that if she ever became unfaithful, she should also face death in the name of Jesus, seemingly sealing their digital covenant. However, the couple`s united front completely shattered on Thursday when Mrs. Nwanorue returned to her Facebook page to deliver a shocking update. She shared a public comment from a woman whom she identified as her husband’s mistress, exposing the alleged ongoing affair. According to the heartbroken wife, the mistress openly confessed that the infidelity did not stop even after the viral videos were recorded. Mrs. Nwanorue expressed her deep pain, writing to her followers that she has suffered immensely at the hands of her husband despite their public display of commitment. The aggrieved wife acknowledged that Mr. Nwanorue was the one who funded her relocation abroad. She noted that she still intends to fulfill her marital obligation by helping him secure his visa to Canada so he can join her, describing it as the debt she owes him for his financial support. Despite her willingness to assist with his immigration process, she issued a chilling warning regarding his future in North America. She firmly stated that her husband would not live to enjoy his new life abroad if he carried his unfaithful behavior over across the border. "He has sworn an oath to be sexually faithful after he comes to Canada. I believe in God and I trust His judgment," Mrs. Nwanorue wrote in her final warning, concluding that her husband must surely face the ultimate spiritual penalty if he violates his vow.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has directed police officers across Nigeria to shoot on sight anyone found carrying illegal firearms. The aggressive new mandate is part of renewed, hardline federal efforts to combat the country’s escalating security crises and disarm criminal elements operating across various states. During a stakeholders` meeting in Makurdi, Benue State, IGP Disu declared an end to passive policing, aligning with President Tinubu`s directive to tackle rising insecurity and stop bloodletting. Disu asserted that the monopoly on force lies with the state, warning that unauthorized possession of assault weapons will no longer be tolerated, emphasizing that only authorized personnel should bear arms. To ensure immediate compliance, officers are empowered under Force Order 237 to use lethal force against armed threats without waiting for bureaucratic approval. Disu justified this approach by citing the unsustainable loss of security personnel to heavily armed bandits and criminals, stating that officers are trained to act decisively. While adopting a tough stance, the IGP urged community collaboration and intelligence sharing to identify criminal hideouts. This directive is driven by the severe, ongoing violence in Benue State, which has caused mass displacement and destruction. Consequently, the Federal Government is pivoting toward using increased kinetic force to restore stability.

Bashir Ahmad, a former digital media aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari, has strongly advocated for the death penalty as the only fitting punishment for convicted kidnappers, arguing that life imprisonment is far too lenient. Ahmad made the assertion via his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday. He was reacting to a recent judgment by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which sentenced three terrorists involved in the abduction of students and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State to life imprisonment. THENEWSCREDIT reports that the convicts—Abdulrazak Umar (alias Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (alias Yunusa Bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (alias Abu Itisar)—were sentenced by Justice Salim Ibrahim. The trial judge ruled that the jail terms would take effect from the specific dates of their arrests. Prior to the final verdict, defense counsel had pleaded with the court for liberal sentencing. The lawyers urged the judge to temper justice with mercy, noting that the defendants were first-time offenders who had readily pleaded guilty to the charges. However, reacting to the judicial outcome, Ahmad maintained that the severity of kidnapping warrants the ultimate punishment. "Life imprisonment seems too lenient for the crime of kidnapping," the former presidential aide wrote. "In my view, the appropriate punishment for convicted kidnappers should be the death penalty."

It began with a scratched headlight on an unbearably hot afternoon in Maiduguri, Borno State. It ended 47 years later inside a royal palace, leaving behind a trail of stolen youth, systemic failure, and an unforgiven abuse of power. Now 78, a survivor of Nigeria`s correctional system has shared his harrowing journey from a 13-year-old sugarcane hawker to a 60-year-old prison veteran, all because of an accidental traffic mishap and a vindictive police officer. Decades ago, the teenager was helping his father, a local sugarcane farmer, by pushing a rented wheelbarrow through the state capital. While seeking shade, he accidentally knocked off the sidelight of a parked vehicle. Terrified but guided by his conscience, the young boy waited 30 minutes for the owner to return from a nearby mosque. Instead of appreciation for his honesty, the boy met with violence. The car owner, who turned out to be an influential police officer, beat the teenager, threatened intervening bystanders with a pistol, and threw the boy into a police cell. "I spent the whole night there. No food, nothing," the survivor recalled. "One week passed. Then two. One month. I kept asking myself: Has this man forgotten me? I was barely 13 years old. I cried every night." Without a formal trial, the teenager was remanded at the Maiduguri Prison. What was meant to be temporary detention turned into nearly five decades of administrative oblivion. To prevent him from being traced, or perhaps by bureaucratic routine, prison officials bounced him across correctional facilities nationwide. He was moved from Borno to Bauchi, transferred through prisons in the East and West—including Ibadan—before landing at the Kano State Prison. By the time he arrived in Kano, he was 60 years old. Fellow inmates and wardens simply knew him as "Baba." "Behind those walls, people assume everyone is a criminal," he said. "Nobody believed my story." His salvation came during the twilight of a state governor`s administration. During a routine prison visit, the governor spotted "Baba" and asked about his age and crime. The revelation that the elderly man had been entering his 47th year of detention for a childhood accident threw the entire prison yard, including the governor, into tears. An immediate investigation unmasked the officer responsible for the initial arrest. Decades later, the rogue policeman had risen to become a powerful, highly respected monarch. In a dramatic turn of events, the governor drove the freed man—still wearing his prison uniform—straight to the monarch`s palace. Confronted with the living ghost of his past, the traditional ruler lowered his head in shame, offering to build the man a house, purchase a car, and fund a marriage. The survivor rejected the offers. "He took my youth. He took my future. He took my life. I lost contact with my family. No mother, no father, no siblings," he told reporters. "I told him, `In this life and the next, I will never forgive you.`" Following an official executive amnesty, the former governor helped rehabilitate the survivor, setting up a retail provision shop to sustain him. Reflecting on his journey during his 78th birthday, the resilient survivor remains at peace with his new life, though the scars of a stolen childhood remain permanent. "My life is prison, and prison is my life. At my age, what life will fit me? But today, I am alive, and I am happy."