Author: starconnect
By SCM Reporter, Friday, Sept 11, 2026 KADUNA — Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly condemned a violent attack on its members in Kaduna State, warning political actors and rival organizations that no group holds a monopoly on non-state sanctioned violence. The party cautioned that those introducing political thuggery and physical intimidation into the early stages of the electoral cycle are playing a dangerous game that could destabilize the polity. In an official press statement issued on September 10, 2026, and signed by the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the…
By Emmanuel Thomas l Friday, Sept 11, 2026 ABUJA — In a historic milestone for Nigerian sports governance, the Federal Government has fully redeemed its pledge of cash rewards, three-bedroom housing allocations in Abuja, and National Honours to members of the national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, along with updates on commitments to the Super Falcons and Super Eagles. Under the fulfilled package, each player of D’Tigress has received the Naira equivalent of $100,000, while team officials were awarded the equivalent of $50,000 each. This development marks the first time in Nigeria’s sports history that a Federal Government has…
By Emmanuel Thomas l Friday, Sept 11, 2026 PORT HARCOURT — The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has intensified construction work on the strategic Kaa-Ataba Bridge and Road project in Rivers State, driving towards its scheduled official commissioning in November 2026. The high-impact infrastructure link aims to transform transport dynamics in hard-to-reach coastal corridors across the region, connecting disconnected communities to broader economic opportunities. The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC, Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed the expedited timeline during an extensive inspection tour of the construction zone. Ogbuku revealed that the first major bridge alignment,…
By Emmanuel Thomas l Friday, Sept 11, 2026 ABUJA — As preparations for the forthcoming general elections intensify across the country, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a stern warning to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging the electoral body to prevent ongoing delays in the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs)—particularly in the Northwest geopolitical zone—from degenerating into deliberate voter suppression. In a strong press statement issued in Abuja on Friday, September 11, 2026, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party demanded that the commission immediately publish a comprehensive, state-by-state timetable…
By SCM International Desk I Friday, Sept 11, 2026 MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a sharp rebuke to Western economic pressure, asserting that Moscow’s economy has not only absorbed thousands of international sanctions but has expanded faster than the global average. Speaking at a high-level economic gathering, Mr. Putin declared that Western efforts to isolate the Russian federation had backfired, creating internal financial deficits and industrial decline within the nations that initiated the restrictions. ”The economic growth in Russia has been superior to the world average,” Mr. Putin said. “The Russian economy has kickstarted structural changes which…
By SCM International Desk I Sept 11, 2026 A DANGEROUS County Lines kingpin who weaponised children to flood London streets with lethal drugs has been jailed for nearly 13 years after making a catastrophic Wi-Fi blunder. Joel Louis, 34, spent months dodging the law by running high-tech encryption software and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to hide his location while directing a massive Class A supply network. But the digital mastermind’s luck ran out when he made one fatal rookie mistake—accidentally connecting to a public Wi-Fi network at the Wembley safehouse where he was hiding. Metropolitan Police officers tracking…
By SCM International Desk I Friday, Sept 11, 2026 SANA’A, Yemen — Houthi-aligned military forces in Yemen claimed on Friday to have captured more than 5,400 square kilometers (2,080 square miles) of strategic territory along the country’s Red Sea coast, routing Saudi-backed mobilization units across six districts in the Taiz and Hodeidah governorates. In an official statement broadcast from the capital, Sana’a, military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree described the push—titled “And Allah is more intense in might and more intense in example-setting”—as a direct response to a twelve-year siege and ongoing skirmishes along the Western Coast. According to…
L-R: Executive Director, North, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr Sufiyanu Garba; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, I.G. Best Company, Mr. Okereke Ignatus Mmbonye; and Divisional Head, SME Banking, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs Ugochi Osinigwe; at the Fidelity Bank Quarterly Business Forum held in Kano recently. Admin I Friday, Sept 11, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – Leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the growth and sustainability of Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) through the Kano edition of its Quarterly Business Forum, which brought together entrepreneurs, business owners, industry stakeholders and customers to explore practical strategies for business…
By Emmanuel Thomas l Friday, Sept 11, 2026 OTTAWA, CANADA — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that the successful deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in election management depends on the strength of democratic institutions and governing frameworks rather than technological sophistication. Speaking on Thursday, 10 September 2026, at the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections in Ottawa, Canada, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, warned that advanced algorithms must support human decision-making rather than supplant it. Prof. Amupitan, who presented Nigeria’s experience alongside the Commission’s Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Dr. Lawrence…
Edwin Omokhuale By Emmanuel Thomas l Thursday, Sept 10, 2026 DUBLIN, IRELAND — A 39-year-old Nigerian national and Chief Executive Officer of a Lagos-based real estate firm, Edwin Omokhuale, has been arrested by law enforcement officers at Dublin Airport in Ireland while attempting to board a flight to Paris, France. Omokhuale, who was wanted by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) under an international arrest warrant, was apprehended on Wednesday afternoon by officers from An Garda Síochána, the national police service of Ireland. According to official investigative details released by international law enforcement, Omokhuale faces severe money laundering…