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Video: Protest in Plateau as youths disrupt funeral of Angwan Rukuba victims on Tuesday at an ECWA church in Angwan Rukuba community, Jos north LGA of Plateau state, during the funeral of some victims of the recent attack on the community. On March 29, no fewer than 28 people were killed and several others injured after gunmen attacked the community. The incident triggered widespread outrage on social media and prompted the Plateau state government to impose a 48-hour curfew in the local government area.

The crew of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Artemis II mission is heading back to earth after completing a historic lunar fly-by that saw them travel farther into space than any humans in history. The astronauts, identified as Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen; reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometres) from earth, surpassing the previous record set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970. The mission marks the first crewed flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft under the Artemis programme, a key step towards future missions to land humans on the moon. Speaking during the return journey, Wiseman said the crew “saw sights that no human has ever seen”, while Glover added that there are “no adjectives” to fully describe the experience. During the fly-by, the spacecraft passed behind the moon, leading to a temporary loss of communication with NASA that lasted about 40 minutes. When contact was restored, Koch said: “It is so great to hear from earth again.” The astronauts also witnessed a total solar eclipse from their spacecraft, spending about an hour observing and documenting the rare event from deep space. The milestone mission has drawn global attention, with US President Donald Trump commending the crew for their achievement.

Muhammad Zuru, speaker of the Kebbi state house of assembly, is dead. Murtala Diri announced Zuru’s death in a statement issued on Tuesday on behalf of the Kebbi state house of assembly. Zuru, better known by the moniker Lifiddan Zuru, died on Monday evening in Cairo, Egypt, where he had been undergoing treatment. The lawmaker represented Zuru constituency and was a prominent member of the Zuru emirate. “His death is a significant loss to his constituents, the state’s legislative body, the political community, as well as the state and the country in general,” the statement reads. Diri said further details regarding Zuru’s burial arrangements will be announced by his family and the Kebbi state government. In a statement, Kabir Tukura, lawmaker representing Zuru, Fakai, Sakaba and Danko-Wasagu federal constituency in the house of representatives, described Zuru as an “epitome of kindness, generosity and humility”. “His death is a loss not to the family alone, but to the good people of Kebbi where he has served with uttermost commitment and dedication to duty, particularly the Zurians whose interest were represented diligently,” the statement reads. Turaka, who chairs the house committee on FCT area councils and ancillary matters, condoled with Zuru’s family and the people of Kebbi state, adding that he was an “obedient son of his soil”.

The driver of a high-speed TGV train was killed and 27 people injured in France on Tuesday when the train collided with a truck, officials said. The accident occurred at a level crossing between the towns of Bethune and Lens in the northern French region of Pas-de-Calais at around 7.00am (0500 GMT), said rail operator SNCF. “I am heading to the scene with the chief executive of the SNCF, Jean Castex,” transport minister Philippe Tabarot said on X. Neither the SNCF nor the prefecture was able to provide details of the circumstances of the accident. The SNCF said that rail services would be suspended between Bethune and Lens until at least late Tuesday. In France, serious accidents involving high-speed rail lines are rare compared to traditional railways.

US President Donald Trump says Iran could be “taken out” in one night as the deadline set for the country to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic approaches. On Saturday, Trump gave Iran 48 hours to comply or risk facing “hell”. He later threatened that the US would blow up Iran’s power plants and bridges if Tehran failed to adhere to his warning. The US president said Iran had until Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET (1 am WAT) to make a deal. In a press conference on Monday, Trump reiterated and intensified his threats. “The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” he said. “We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business – burning, exploding and never to be used again, I mean complete demolition – by 12 o’clock. “And it’ll happen over a period of four hours if we want it to. We don’t want that to happen.” Meanwhile, Iran has reportedly rejected a ceasefire proposal and has insisted for a permanent end to the war.

Reform UK would stop issuing visas to people from any country that continues to demand compensation from the UK for its role in the transatlantic trade in enslaved people, the party has said. Zia Yusuf, the party’s home affairs spokesperson, told reporters that the call for reparations was “insulting”. He claimed 3.8m visas had been issued over the last two decades to people from countries calling for reparations. For four centuries, seven European countries, including the UK, enslaved and trafficked more than 15 million Africans across the Atlantic. Historians have linked wealth from enslavement to mass industrialisation in the west. Last month, the UN voted to describe the transatlantic slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity” and called for reparations as “a concrete step towards remedying historical wrongs”. The landmark resolution was backed by the African Union and the Caribbean Community. It had been proposed by Ghana’s president, John Dramani Mahama, who said: “Let it be recorded that when history beckoned, we did what was right for the memory of millions who suffered the indignity of slavery.” The UK and members of the EU abstained from the vote, while the US voted against the resolution, which was not legally binding. Yusuf told the reporters: “A growing number of countries are demanding reparations from Britain. These countries ignore the fact that Britain made huge sacrifices to be the first major power to outlaw slavery and enforce this prohibition.” He said the “bank is closed and the door is locked” for anyone who wanted to “use history as a weapon to drain our treasury”. “The United Kingdom is not an ATM for ethnic grievances of the past, and we will no longer tolerate being ridiculed on the world stage,” he continued. “While countries like Jamaica, Nigeria and Ghana ramp up their demands for reparations, the Westminster establishment has rewarded them. Enough is enough.”

US President Donald Trump has warned Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or risk “hell reigning down” on the Arabian nation. Trump’s comments, contained in a Truth Social post on Saturday, are a resumption of his threats to Iran last month over the closure of the waterway. “Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD!” the US president wrote. Earlier in March, Tehran said the strait, one of the world’s busiest oil shipping channels, would be opened to all except the US and its allies. On March 22, Trump said he would “hit and obliterate” Iranian power plants – “starting with the biggest one first” – if the strait was not fully reopened within 48 hours. In response, Iran warned it would completely close the Strait of Hormuz if Trump carried out his threats. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also said ⁠companies with ⁠US shares would be “completely destroyed”, along with the “power plants of regional countries hosting US bases” if Iranian energy facilities were targeted.

The United Nations (UN) Security Council will vote on the resolution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This comes as there have been increased calls to de-escalate the US-Israel war on Iran as soon as possible. However, China has opposed the authorisation of the use of force to resolve this impasse. The vote is aimed at protecting commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices have surged since the US and Israel struck Iran at the end of February, kicking off a war that has now exceeded a month and effectively closed the strait to shipping traffic. Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al Zayani, says that the country created a draft resolution to the Council over the closure of the shipping passage. “We are confident that this draft resolution is consistent with international law and the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which guarantees the right of transit passage through straits without obstruction, contrary to what Iran is doing today. We look forward to a unified position from this esteemed council during the vote that will take place on the draft resolution tomorrow, God willing,” he says. However, China’s U.N Ambassador, Fu Cong, has made the country’s opposition clear, opposing any authorisation of the use of force. The China-Pakistan five-point initiative is open, and we welcome the response and participation of all countries and international organisations to help the international community build broader consensus and stronger synergy, contributing to the early de-escalation and restoration of peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East,” says Cong. Meanwhile, the war has not only affected the Iranians but also families living in the occupied West Bank, who are also bearing the brunt of the constant exchange of missiles. “We don’t have shelters. The space where we stay is the same space we hide in. There are no shelters and no place to run to. They kicked us out of the refugee camp, so they may kick us out of the West Bank,” says Cong.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the deployment of 5,000 artificial intelligence-enabled cameras to help combat insecurity in Plateau state. The security intelligence move follows Sunday’s attack, which left about 28 people dead and several others injured in Angwan Rukuba, Jos north LGA of the state. Speaking during his visit to Jos on Thursday, Tinubu sympathised with the victims’ families, saying no amount of compensation can make up for their loss. In a statement issued after the visit, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said Tinubu directed Christopher Musa, minister of defence, Waidi Shaibu, the chief of army staff and Olatunji Disu, the inspector-general of police (IGP), to “unearth and find the killers” of innocent Nigerians. According to Onanuga, the president also said Bosun Tijani, minister of communications and digital economy, will oversee the immediate installation of the security cameras in close coordination with the Plateau state government and security agencies. “The installation will start in Jos and expand across Plateau state, building on systems already successfully deployed in Lagos and Enugu states,” the statement reads. Lamenting the pain caused by the latest violence, Tinubu expressed dismay at videos from Jos depicting the attacks. “It is only God that can give you joy and comfort,” Tinubu told families affected by the attacks at a meeting held at the arrival lounge of Yakubu Gowon Airport.

The court of appeal in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) against the judgement barring it from imposing fines on broadcast stations. Oyejoju Oyewumi, who led the three-member panel, on Thursday ruled that the NBC’s appeal lacked merit. Other justices on the panel are Abba Bello Mohammed and Donatus Uwaezuoke Okorowo. In a unanimous verdict, Oyewumi held that the NBC cannot challenge the judgement at the court of appeal, having failed to contest the suit at the federal high court. On March 1, 2019, NBC sanctioned 45 broadcast stations over alleged ethical infractions during the general election. Is’haq Kawu, then director-general of the commission, said the affected media houses were fined N500,000 each for flouting the provisions of the Nigerian broadcasting code. Displeased with the fines, the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) sued NBC, citing that NBC’s action violated the right to a fair hearing under section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act. The MRA asked the court to declare the fines unconstitutional and null. In May 2023, the federal high court in Abuja ruled that NBC did not have judicial powers to impose penalties on broadcast stations. James Omotosho, the presiding judge, set aside fines imposed by NBC on 45 broadcast stations. Omotosho said the commission acted as the complainant, court, and judge in handling the alleged infractions.

Flutterwave Inc., an African payments technology company, says it has secured a Nigerian banking licence. Olugbenga Agboola, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Flutterwave, announced the development in a post on Thursday. According to the statement, the licence enables Flutterwave to hold funds and deposits directly, marking a significant milestone in its transition toward becoming a more comprehensive financial infrastructure platform. “By operating with direct infrastructure, we can streamline our operations and accelerate payment flows for everyone,” the statement reads. “Businesses can soon hold balances within Flutterwave, access improved treasury, and data-driven lending.” Commenting, Agboola said the milestone allows “us to make our infrastructure more efficient and deliver faster, more reliable financial services”. By operating directly within the financial system, he said the fintech can simplify money transfers, speed up merchant settlements, and develop products that support sustainable long-term growth. Agboola described the approval as a pivotal milestone in the company’s 10-year journey to build the financial infrastructure that will power Africa’s future. “A decade ago, we started with a simple belief: better infrastructure changes everything. Payments failed too often, settlement was slow, and expanding meant rebuilding from scratch. So we focused on connecting what was fragmented,” he said. “With the acquisition of @mono_hq earlier this year, we deepened that connectivity. “Now we are going further by building a unified platform where businesses can open accounts, accept and send payments, manage payouts, run payroll, and operate across currencies in one place, with access to lending and working capital powered by real transaction data.”

The Artemis II space mission has blasted off from the US state of Florida, sending four astronauts on a historic journey around the moon and marking the first time humans have travelled beyond low-Earth orbit in more than 50 years. The mission, which launched on Wednesday, is a major step in the United States space agency NASA’s plan to return humans to the moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars. The 32-storey rocket rose from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, where tens of thousands gathered to witness the liftoff. The Artemis II crew – NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen – are set for a nearly 10-day journey around the moon and back, taking them farther into space than humans have travelled in decades. “On this historic mission, you take with you the heart of this Artemis team, the daring spirit of the American people and our partners across the globe, and the hopes and dreams of a new generation,” said Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the launch director. “Good luck, Godspeed Artemis II. Let’s go.” Five minutes into the flight, Wiseman, the commander, saw the team’s target: “We have a beautiful moonrise, we’re headed right at it,” he said from the capsule.

The federal government has declared Friday, April 3, and Monday, April 6, as public holidays to mark this year’s Easter celebrations. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, announced the holidays in a statement issued on Wednesday. April 3 is Good Friday, while April 6 is Easter Monday. The minister congratulated Christians in the country and the diaspora on the occasion, urging them to reflect on the values associated with the season. Tunji-Ojo said Easter serves as a reminder of the importance of tolerance, unity, and peaceful coexistence among citizens. “I congratulate all Christians in Nigeria and in the diaspora on the joyous occasion of Easter. I urge Nigerians to imbibe the virtues of selflessness, forgiveness, forbearance and love as exemplified by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ,” the statement reads. “Easter is a period that reminds us of the values of tolerance and community that keep us together as a nation. Nigerians should remain committed to these ideals for the progress of our country.” He reiterated the federal government’s commitment to policies aimed at national development, economic growth, and shared prosperity. “The goal of the government remains taking decisions that would bring about national rebirth, economic growth, and shared prosperity for all Nigerians,” he added. The minister wished Christians a peaceful and joyous Easter celebration.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says 33 banks out of 38 met the revised minimum capital requirements under its recapitalisation programme aimed at strengthening the resilience of the financial system. In a statement on Wednesday, CBN said the programme, which commenced in March 2024, has now been concluded after a 24-month implementation period. According to the statement jointly signed by Hakama Sidi-Ali, acting director of corporate communications and Olubukola Akinwunmi, director banking supervision, the CBN said banks raised a total of N4.65 trillion under its recapitalisation programme. “The programme recorded strong participation from both domestic and international investors, with 72.55% of capital sourced locally and 27.45% from international markets, reflecting sustained confidence in the Nigerian banking sector,” CBN said. Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN, said the programme has reinforced the capital base of Nigerian banks and positioned the sector to better support economic growth. “The recapitalisation programme has strengthened the capital base of Nigerian banks, reinforcing the resilience of the financial system and ensuring it is well-positioned to support economic growth and withstand domestic and external shocks,” Cardoso said. The apex bank said some banks are still undergoing regulatory and judicial processes. “The CBN confirms that 33 banks have met the revised minimum capital requirements established under the programme. A limited number of institutions remain subject to ongoing regulatory and judicial processes, which are being addressed through established supervisory and legal frameworks,” the financial regulator said. CBN also assured that “all banks remain fully operational, with no disruption to banking services”. According to the regulator, the recapitalisation has strengthened capital adequacy ratios (CAR) across the banking sector, with levels remaining above international benchmarks under the Bank for International Settlements (Basel standards). “Minimum CAR thresholds remain at 10% for regional and national banks and 15% for banks with international authorization,” the apex bank said.

Operatives of the Department of States Services (DSS) have arrested Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, at the federal high court in Kaduna. El-Rufai was brought to the court on Wednesday by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for his bail application. DSS operatives, however, took custody of the former governor after the court reserved judgment on his bail application to April 14. On March 24, el-Rufai and Joel Adoga were arraigned by the ICPC on charges bordering on alleged fraud and money laundering. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Speaking with journalists after the court proceedings, Oluwole Iyamu, lead counsel to the former governor, said the defense team is hopeful on the judgment of the court pertaining to the bail application. “The bail application was argued and responded to, and the ruling has been fixed for April 14. We look forward to that day. We are hopeful,” he said. “We have put our arguments before the court, and this is a court of justice. We await the decision of the court.” Speaking on the DSS case against el-Rufai scheduled for April 10 at the federal high court in Abuja, Iyamu said all necessary processes have been filed. “That is a separate matter. As lawyers, we are ready. We have filed all necessary processes and will be in court. That is the DSS matter,” he said. In February, DSS filed a three-count charge against el-Rufai over alleged unlawful interception of a telephone conversation, following comments he made during a television interview.

US President Donald Trump says he is considering pulling his country out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) after the alliance refused to join the war against Iran. In an interview with The Telegraph published Wednesday, Trump described NATO as a “paper tiger”. “Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration. I was never swayed by NATO,” the president said when asked if he would reconsider US membership of the alliance after the conflict. “I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.” Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, a critical sea passage for about 20 percent of the world’s oil, which is now considered closed due to the war. Trump has demanded that allies send warships to reopen the strait — a request that has been largely baulked at. The president named the UK in his criticism of European countries, while tackling British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for Britain’s refusal to back the US. “You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work,” Trump said. This is not Trump’s first public rebuke of NATO. In January, he said the US had “never needed” its NATO allies, and dismissed the sacrifices of allied nations in the 20-year Afghanistan war. His comments drew criticism from European leaders including Starmer.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will commence a nationwide voter revalidation drive on April 13, 2026, as part of efforts to update the voter register ahead of the 2027 general election. In a letter signed by Rose Oriaran-Anthony, secretary to the commission, all resident electoral commissioners (RECs) were asked to commence necessary preparations for the exercise, including sourcing of personnel and preparation of INEC voter enrolment devices (IVED). The letter also listed the timeline for the exercise. The timeline shows that the exercise will begin at the LGA level from April 13 to May 2, before moving to the registration area (RA) level from May 5 to May 11, and subsequently to polling units (PUs) from May 13 to May 19. The exercise will then return to the LGA level for a second phase from May 20 to May 29. Ahead of the nationwide rollout, the commission on March 30 held a training-of-trainers (ToT) workshop at The Electoral Institute (TEI) to prepare officials for the exercise. Kunle Ajayi, chairman of the institute’s board, emphasised the importance of the exercise, adding that “a credible election starts with a credible voter register”. He said it is “critical to ensure the integrity of the register ahead of the 2027 general election”. Ajayi urged participants who were drawn from TEI master trainers and staff of the voter registry and ICT departments to stay committed, noting that “the success of the revalidation exercise rests on their shoulders”. Announcing plans for the revalidation in February, Joash Amupitan, INEC chairman, said the exercise was necessary to address persistent challenges associated with the national voters’ register, including duplicate registrations, underage registrations, registration by non-citizens, inclusion of deceased persons and incomplete or inaccurate voter records, which collectively undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

The Nigerian high commission in South Africa has apologised for the controversy caused by the alleged coronation of an “Igbo king” in the Eastern Cape Province. Solomon Eziko was reportedly crowned “Igwe” of Kugompo, South London, a city in the Eastern Cape Province. The celebration triggered major outrage that turned into violent protests on Monday where demonstrators torched vehicles and buildings reportedly owned by foreign nationals. Angry South Africans marched through parts of the province, demanding immediate government intervention, warning that failure to act could trigger further unrest. One protester said residents were prepared to take up arms if the matter remained unresolved, while others called for the deportation of Nigerians linked to the coronation. In a statement dated March 26 seen by TheCable, the high commission said the Igbo East London festival was merely a cultural event and not a coronation. Explaining the context of the event, the high commission said cultural expressions among the Igbo people are often misunderstood outside Nigeria, stressing that such gatherings are largely symbolic and not political. It cited cultural practices such as the new yam festival (Iri Ji), masquerade displays (Mmanwu), traditional marriage rites (Igba Nkwu), and chieftaincy title ceremonies as key aspects of Igbo heritage.

The national assembly has passed N68.3 trillion as the budget for the 2026 fiscal year. The senate and house of representatives passed the money bill during Tuesday’s plenary. In December 2025, President Bola Tinubu presented N58.47 trillion as the 2026 appropriation bill to both chambers of the national assembly. The president subsequently asked the national assembly to increase the budget estimates by N9.81 trillion on Tuesday. Tinubu said the request was aimed at strengthening fiscal transparency and ensuring effective implementation of priority national programmes. The president said the proposed adjustments are intended to regularise outstanding legacy capital commitments carried forward from previous appropriation cycles, and ensure that unresolved obligations from earlier budgets do not burden the 2026 fiscal programme. The president also proposed consolidating outstanding government indebtedness from previous fiscal cycles into the 2026 appropriation framework, noting that the adjustment would allow the government to fund a limited number of strategic additions in sectors such as transport, health, and institutional preparedness. The president said the request had become necessary because the outstanding obligations are unlikely to be implemented before the expiration of the 2025 capital budget implementation window. Tinubu said the proposed adjustments also include strategic interventions of national importance, including a federal government equity provision of N478.6 billion under the ministry of finance to support presidential legacy light rail projects in Lagos and Kano, alongside feasibility studies for urban light rail projects in Enugu and Maiduguri. He said the proposal also includes N8.6 billion for feasibility studies on the Calabar–Maiduguri corridor and the Maiduguri–Sokoto superhighway under the Renewed Hope National Beltway initiative.

The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has extended the deadline for the filing of individual annual income tax returns by one month, shifting the due date from March 31 to April 30, 2026. In a statement on Tuesday, Michael Ango, the acting executive chairman of the FCT-IRS, said while the statutory deadline remains March 31 every year, the extension is intended to give taxpayers additional time to file accurate returns and improve overall compliance in the Federal Capital Territory. Ango said voluntary tax compliance remains a civic duty and a key contribution to national development, urging individuals to prioritise the timely filing of their annual income tax returns. He also reiterated that electronic filing through the FCT-IRS tax portal remains the approved channel for submitting annual returns, as the agency continues to strengthen its digital tax administration system. “Individuals are therefore encouraged to file their returns promptly through the designated FCT-IRS tax portal at taxporta.fctirs.gov.ng,” Ango said. The FCT-IRS boss advised taxpayers to ensure that personal details — including national identification number (NIN), phone numbers and addresses — are correctly captured during onboarding on the portal to avoid processing delays. He added that individuals requiring further assistance or enquires could visit any FCT-IRS office or reach the agency through its official contact channels.