Author: Daily Post Nigeria

Defending Champions, Goodness Nwachukwu smashed the world record to win Nigeria’s seventh gold medal in the women’s F42-44/F61-64 discus event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Nwachukwu saved her best for the last, launching the discus out to 39.66m to smash her own F42 World Record by more than 3 metres and secure the Commonwealth title.

Welsh duo Funmi Oduwaiye and Bree Cronin won silver and bronze.

Oduwaiye came second with a throw of 38.52 metres, while Cronin made it to the podium with a season best of of 36.00m.

Team Nigeria’s Jessica Oji won silver in the women’s shotput event with a throw of 17.87.

Nigeria is currently fifth on the medals table with 7 Gold medals, 5 silver and 2 bronze.

Glasgow 2026: Team Nigeria’s Nwachukwu sets new world record, claims discus gold

 

The Secretary to the Osun State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, and five others have been arrested and detained by the state Police Command following a raid on his residence in Osogbo on Wednesday.

The police said one of those arrested at the SSG’s residence was Oladele Abiodun, a suspect on its watchlist in connection with alleged criminal offences.

This was disclosed by the Osun State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, in a statement obtained in Osogbo.

Ojelabi also said a total of N4,810,500, two Permanent Voter Cards, a voter register, a Dynabook laptop, one photocopier and one printer were recovered from Igbalaye’s residence.

Others arrested alongside Igbalaye were identified as Akande Taiwo, 60; Adeyemo Lukman, 45; Olaoye Muftau, 50; and Aderemi Musliu, 40. The PPRO said a police team, acting on intelligence that members of a criminal gang were hiding at a location in Osogbo, carried out a lawful raid and apprehended the suspects.

“The operation also led to the arrest of the following suspects: Hon Igbalaye Teslim ‘m’ 47years, One Akande Taiwo ‘m’ 60years, Oladele Abiodun ‘m’ 38years, Adeyemo Lukman ‘m’ 45years, Olaoye Muftau ‘m’ 50years, Aderemi Musliu ‘m’ 40years. During the operation, officers recovered exhibits comprising cash sum of four million eight hundred and ten thousand, five hundred naira (N4,810,500), one Dynabook laptop, one photocopy machine, one printer, two Voter’s Cards and a voter register for Wards 1-15.

These exhibits have been secured and are currently in police custody for detailed forensic examination and further investigation. The recovery of the cash and the register containing voters’ details raises serious concerns regarding possible electoral offences and other criminal activities.

While investigations are still ongoing, the facts presently available disclose reasonable grounds to investigate the commission of offences, which may include: Bribery of voters (vote-buying), contrary to Section 121 of the Electoral Act, 2022, arising from the alleged distribution of money or other inducements to registered voters for the purpose of influencing their voting decisions.

“Criminal conspiracy, where two or more persons are found to have agreed to commit an unlawful act. Harbouring or concealing a wanted criminal, where any individual is found to have knowingly sheltered or assisted a fugitive from justice. Any other offences that may be disclosed upon the conclusion of the ongoing investigation,” the statement read in part.”

The command emphasised that the allegations against the suspects have far-reaching implications for public security, the administration of justice and the credibility of the democratic process.

“Accordingly, investigations are being intensified to identify all persons connected with the recovered exhibits, establish the source and intended use of the recovered funds, and determine the full extent of any criminal enterprise,” the statement added.

Barcelona defender, Gerard Martin, has brushed off Real Madrid’s big signings under manager Jose Mourinho.

Real Madrid have so far signed big players like Ibrahima Konate, Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, and Marc Cucurella this summer transfer window.

However, Martin insisted that the Blaugrana don’t care who the Los Blancos sign.

According to him, the Catalan club only focuses on itself before the new season starts.

“Let them sign whoever they want. Frankly, I don’t care who Real Madrid signs.

“We only focus on ourselves. We will compete as we do every year,” Martin told Cope.

Barcelona won the LaLiga title ahead of Real Madrid last season and will hope to repeat it this season.

Transfer: Barcelona’s Gerard Martin dismisses Real Madrid’s big signings under Mourinho

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Kenneth Okonkwo, is in more trouble as former Imo State Governor, Achike Udenwa, filed a N5 billion defamation suit against him over alleged defamatory comment on a national television.

The suit, filed at the High Court of Imo State, Owerri Judicial Division, was served outside jurisdiction to Okonkwo at Ofuluonu, Nsukka, Enugu State.

The Nollywood veteran-turned politician is being sued over statements he allegedly made on 8th June 2026 during Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme.

The specific comment quoted in the suit read: “That is why the NDC has released a statement that it is only the South East caucus of the party that was involved in such problems. Onyema Ugochukwu, Achike Udenwa, Peter Obi and other leaders of South East caucus were busy extorting the South East aspirants.”

According to the former Imo governor, the statement was broadcast live, later published on Channels TV’s YouTube channel under the title “Kenneth Okonkwo Criticizes Peter Obi, Condemns NDC Primaries”, and further amplified on Okonkwo’s verified X account , Facebook and other platforms.

He denied extorting money from any aspirant, stressing that he is currently a member of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, with no executive role in the party.

According to the statement of claim, Udenwa was never accused of fraud, dishonesty or financial impropriety during his career, played no role in NDC’s 2027 candidate nomination process .

The statement of claim also noted that he has never met Onyema Ugochukwu or Peter Obi to “extort” South East aspirants or has not been charged by EFCC, ICPC, or any investigative agency

The ex-governor stressed that the allegations caused him great injury to his credit and reputation and led to numerous calls from associates seeking explanations.

He is asking the court for a declaration that the statements are false, malicious, baseless and defamatory, N5 billion in general damages for injury to reputation, character, integrity, and political standing, an order for Okonkwo to publish a full retraction and apology on Channels TV, its YouTube, and on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube plus 3 national daily newspapers within 30 days, an order to delete and remove all related posts, videos and publications, a perpetual injunction restraining Okonkwo from further publishing similar allegations and N25 million as counsel’s fees, plus costs.

Legal representation for the plaintiff, Chief Soronnadi Njoku, SAN, declared that Okonkwo has 42 days from service to enter appearance, or judgment may be given in his absence.

Kenneth Okonkwo in more trouble as ex-Imo gov, Udenwa slams N5bn suit

The Ohanaeze Youth Council, OYC, has criticised the South East Governors for not physically joining Governor Alex Otti in Umuahia, Abia State, for the celebration of 60th memorial anniversary of Nigeria’s former military Head of State, Major-General Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi held on Wednesday.

The group also faulted National Assembly members from the South East region for not showing up.

In a statement it issued in Umuahia on Wednesday to commemorate the 60th memorial of the death of the former military Head of State, the President of Ohanaeze Youth Council, Igboayaka O.Igboayaka said that the absence of the Igbo leaders from the important event was shocking.

“It is disheartening to note that Southeast Governors, namely Gov. Hope Uzodimma, Gov. Francis Nwifuru, Gov. Peter Mbah, and Gov. Charles Soludo, failed to attend the memorial anniversary of the first Nigerian indigenous Major General and first Nigerian indigenous military commander of Igbo extraction.

“If the late Maj. Gen. JTU Aguiyi Ironsi belonged to the Yoruba, Hausa or Fulani ethnic groups, the situation would likely be different, and it is unlikely that governors from Yoruba, Hausa or Fulani land would be absent from such a significant historical event”, Igboayaka lamented.

He declared that the absence of the political leaders highlighted a lack of unity of purpose among Igbo leaders in both executive and parliamentary positions.

Igboayaka called urged the South East Governors to demonstrate responsibility and reasonableness in handling the affairs that concern Ndigbo by participating in programs that unite and advance the Igbo course.

“They did not participate in the Biafra memorial heros and heroines anniversary, they did not participate in Late Maj. JTU Aguiyi Ironsi memorial anniversary, or the Igbo carnival”, Igboayaka frowned.

Aguiyi-Ironsi memorial: Ohanaeze youth council blasts S’East govs, lawmakers for absence 

 

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have begun arresting foreign nationals with expired US visas at airports, including spouses of US citizens, according to documents obtained by The New York Times.

Skilled foreign workers awaiting visa extensions, former exchange visitors and other migrants with pending immigration applications are also among those being targeted.

Some of the arrests were carried out discreetly by plain-clothes immigration officers at check-in counters and arrival gates.

 

The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed fresh terrorism charges against two convicted Ansaru commanders and three other convicted members of the group over the attack on schools in Oriire LGA of Oyo state.

The five defendants were arraigned on Wednesday before Salim Ibrahim, judge of the federal high court in Abuja, where they pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge.

  

Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi on Wednesday met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in a closed-door meeting, fueling fresh speculation over political consultations ahead of the 2027 general election. 

Photos of the meeting were shared by Obi’s campaign photographer, showing the two leaders walking together and holding discussions. A Catholic bishop was also seen with them during parts of the meeting. However, neither Obi nor Obasanjo disclosed the purpose of the visit or the issues discussed. 

Although no official statement was issued after the meeting, the development is expected to intensify discussions about ongoing opposition consultations and possible political realignments ahead of the 2027 presidential election. 

 

Effective August 1, 2026, the U.S. Department of State is officializing a major consular overhaul that ends routine visa processing at 25 African diplomatic posts and centralizes immigrant and nonimmigrant visa operations into 20 designated regional hubs. 

Impacted Closures and Affected Areas

While the local U.S. embassies and consulates will remain open to assist American citizens and provide emergency services, routine visa functions will entirely cease at the following 25 locations: 

Abuja (Nigeria)

Antananarivo (Madagascar)

Asmara (Eritrea)

Bamako (Mali)

Banjul (Gambia)

Brazzaville (Congo)

Bujumbura (Burundi)

Conakry (Guinea)

Cotonou (Benin)

Durban (South Africa)

Freetown (Sierra Leone)

Gaborone (Botswana)

Harare (Zimbabwe)

Juba (South Sudan)

Libreville (Gabon)

Lilongwe (Malawi)

Lusaka (Zambia)

Maputo (Mozambique)

Maseru (Lesotho)

Mbabane (Eswatini)

N’Djamena (Chad)

Niamey (Niger)

Nouakchott (Mauritania)

Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Windhoek (Namibia) 

The 20 Designated Regional Hubs

Visa applicants from the affected areas must now use one of 20 designated regional hubs for appointments and interviews: 

West/Central Africa: Abidjan, Accra, Dakar, Lagos, Lomé, Monrovia, Yaoundé

East/Southern Africa & Islands: Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Luanda, Malabo, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia

Operational Directives

Objectives: The State Department intends to standardize, tighten, and secure visa screening across the continent.

Remaining Services: Non-hub locations will still handle diplomatic visas and specific, urgent national interest exceptions.

 A former Chairman of Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State, Abdullahi Gali Shitu, popularly known as Comrade Abdullahi Gali Basaf, has returned to his tailoring business months after he was removed from office by a court.

Basaf, who served as council chairman until March 2026, said his decision to resume tailoring was intended to demonstrate that politics should not be regarded as a full-time profession or the only source of livelihood.

Speaking on Wednesday, the former council boss said politicians should have sustainable means of income outside politics and see public office as an opportunity to serve.

According to him, tailoring has remained his major source of livelihood for over a decade and even helped finance his political career.

“Tailoring is not a small trade. It is a major one. It sustains livelihoods. Even in politics, my tailoring business helped me financially to support my campaigns and organisations. Without it, it would have been impossible to sustain political activities,” he said.

Basaf currently operates a tailoring shop in Sheka Ward of Kumbotso Local Government Area, where he supervises about 20 apprentices.

He said he hopes to expand the business into a garment manufacturing company capable of employing at least 50 people.

“My goal is to modernise tailoring, establish a garment company, and employ fifty or more people. I want to contribute to the economy,” he added.

The former council chairman urged young people to embrace vocational skills rather than relying solely on politics or white-collar jobs.

Basaf maintained that tailoring offers greater stability than politics, noting that public office is uncertain.

“Value your trade more than politics, because it sustains you and enables you to support your political activities,” he advised.

Despite holding Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Political Science, Basaf said he chose to return to tailoring because it has always been his passion and he intends to grow the business into a larger enterprise.

Before becoming Kumbotso LG chairman, Basaf founded the Kwankwasiyya Reporters platform in 2015, served as Kano State chairman of the Alliance National Party, contested for a Senate seat in 2019, and later joined the New Nigeria People’s Party, where he served as Senior Special Assistant on Information.

He won the Kumbotso chairmanship election in 2024, but his tenure ended in March 2026 after a Kano State High Court nullified his Certificate of Return and declared Ali Musa, popularly known as Hardworker, the duly elected chairman.

Although he said he remains active in politics, Basaf insisted tailoring would continue to take precedence.

“Politics can change overnight. You can be in office today and out tomorrow. But tailoring remains. It feeds you, it supports your family, and it allows you to help others,” he said.

He, however, ruled out quitting politics, saying he would continue to participate in the country’s political process.