Author: Atoyebi Adenike

By Atoyebi Nike The Chief Medical Director of Phalycon Clinic in Bauchi, Dr Hassan Garba, has attributed the rising costs of consumables and drugs as a major factor behind high medical bills and healthcare service charges. Garba said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Bauchi on Tuesday. The private medical practitioner expressed concern that the surge in prices was significantly impacting health financing and access to care. He noted that access to treatments and essential medicines had become a barrier to achieving universal health coverage. According to him, the federal government should prioritise tax reforms…

By Atoyebi Nike As Israel’s aerial assault on Iran continues into its fifth day, thousands of residents have begun fleeing Tehran, seeking refuge in the Caspian Sea province of Mazandaran, where officials are scrambling to accommodate the growing wave of displaced people. Many evacuees are heading to Shomal, a popular northern holiday region, in what has become an arduous exodus from the embattled capital. One evacuee told CNN it took over 14 hours to reach Shomal—a journey that would normally last just three hours. “Everyone left Tehran, basically everyone I know has left the city,” the individual said. “They bombed…

By Atoyebi Nike The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, on an eight-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, forgery, and unlawful possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime totaling over ₦7.8 billion. Emefiele appeared before Justice Yusuf Halilu on Monday, June 16, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges. One of the charges alleges unlawful control of a property at Plot 109, Lokogoma District, Abuja, valued at several billion naira. Another count…

By Atoyebi Nike Armed bandits have launched a deadly assault on Marmara community in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State, killing four Community Watch Corps (CWC) members and an unconfirmed number of farmers. The attack, which occurred on Monday evening on the outskirts of the community, also left several people injured, sparking fresh concerns about rural security in the state. Security analyst Bakatsine disclosed the incident on Tuesday via a post on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “ALERT: Yesterday evening, bandits attacked farmers on the outskirts of Marmara community, Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State. Four CWC operatives aiding the farmers were…

By Atoyebi Nike The People’s Republic of China has issued urgent evacuation advisories for its citizens in both Iran and Israel, as hostilities between the two Middle Eastern powers continue to escalate dangerously. In a public advisory posted online Tuesday, the Chinese Embassy in Iran urged all Chinese nationals still in the country to “leave as soon as possible.” The embassy said it had coordinated with Iranian authorities to assist in outbound travel arrangements. “The Chinese Embassy in Iran has coordinated with the Iranian side to facilitate outbound travel and reminds Chinese citizens currently in Iran to leave as soon…

By Atoyebi Nike Iran on Tuesday accused the Group of Seven (G7) nations of taking sides with Israel, following the bloc’s joint call for “de-escalation” in the ongoing military conflict between the two nations. In a strongly worded statement, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei criticized the G7 for what he described as “one-sided rhetoric,” insisting the blame for the five-day-old conflict lies squarely with Israel. “The G7 must give up its one-sided rhetoric and tackle the real source of the escalation Israel’s aggression,” Baqaei said during a press briefing. He claimed that Israel had “launched an unprovoked war of…

By Atoyebi Nike The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecasted widespread early morning thunderstorms and rainfall across various regions of the country from Saturday through Monday, urging citizens to prepare accordingly. In a weekend weather outlook released in Abuja, NiMet said the northern states will see early morning thunderstorms over parts of Taraba, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Adamawa. Later in the day, thunderstorms with rain are also expected in Kebbi, Taraba, Zamfara, Borno, Kaduna, Sokoto, Gombe, and Bauchi. For the North-Central region, the agency predicts morning thunderstorms over Benue, Plateau, Niger, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Afternoon and…

By Atoyebi Nike A large pro-Palestinian convoy named “Soumoud” has retreated to the Misrata region in western Libya after being blocked by forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar in the country’s east, according to organizers. The convoy—named after the Arabic word for “steadfastness”—set out from Tunisia on June 9, with more than 1,000 participants from Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, and Tunisia, aiming to reach Rafah at the Gaza-Egypt border to symbolically break Israel’s blockade on Gaza. However, on Friday, the group encountered a “military blockade” near Sirte, a strategic city under Haftar’s control. Organizers say the convoy was surrounded, denied access to…

By Atoyebi Nike Tension erupted in the Nyorhyungu area of Makurdi on Monday morning as angry youths forcefully drove out a herd of cattle allegedly belonging to Hon. Dickson Tarkighir, the federal lawmaker representing Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency. The unrest followed the arrival of the cattle on Sunday evening, reportedly accompanied by six Fulani herders and heavily armed escorts. “People couldn’t sleep. There was panic everywhere. We were shocked to see armed escorts with cows parading through our community,” said one resident who declined to be named. “It felt like an invasion. No one knew what was going on,” another added.…

By Atoyebi Nike The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned two senior executives of SunTrust Bank before the Federal High Court in Abuja. They are accused of laundering $12 million. The defendants are Halima Buba, the Managing Director/CEO, and Innocent Mbagwu, the Executive Director/Chief Compliance Officer. They were brought before Justice Emeka Nwite on Friday, June 13, on a six-count charge. One charge says the duo aided Femi Gbamgboye to make a $3 million cash payment to Suleiman Muhammed Chiroma and his associates. This allegedly happened on March 10, 2025, in Abuja, without using a financial institution. Another…