Murtala Muhammed Airport 2’s operator, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, has defended the recent hike in parking fees, insisting it is not intended to boost revenue but to return the facility to its original role as a short-stay car park. Speaking on Arise TV, the Head of Corporate Communications, Ajoke Yinka-Olawuyi, explained that the review became necessary after years of misuse, with motorists turning the short-stay car park into a long-term storage area. She stressed that the primary goal is to improve accessibility to the terminal, noting that the car park previously recorded up to 300 vehicles left overnight, with some abandoned for weeks, months, and in extreme cases, up to a year. According to her, “it is not a garage,” highlighting how prolonged parking has distorted the facility’s intended use. Yinka-Olawuyi added that the congestion has spilled over into the drop-off zone, making it difficult for passengers to access the terminal even for quick stops. The situation, she said, often leads to traffic gridlock, frustrating both drivers and travellers. She also pointed out that MMA2 has operated for nearly 19 years, maintaining a focus on… 

The United States Justice Department on Wednesday filed drug trafficking charges against the governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa and several other officials. The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced that 10 officials, including Governor Ruben Rocha Moya, are accused of collaborating with the Sinaloa Cartel to distribute large volumes of narcotics into the United States. Mexico’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that it had received extradition requests from the United States for multiple individuals but did not reveal their identities. Rocha Moya strongly denied the allegations in a statement posted on X, describing the charges as “categorically and absolutely” false. “This attack isn’t only against me, it’s against the Fourth Transformation,” he stated, referring to the ruling left-leaning Morena, which has governed Mexico since 2018. Rocha Moya has served as governor of the conflict-affected state of Sinaloa since 2021, a region that has experienced prolonged violence due to clashes between rival factions of the cartel bearing the same name, resulting in thousands of deaths. Among those charged alongside Rocha Moya are a senator from Morena, the municipal president of the state… 

The Oyo State Police Command on Wednesday arrested 16 students 14 males and two females over suspected cult-related activities at The Polytechnic Ibadan. Investigations showed that some of the suspects had previously been placed on the Command’s watchlist due to alleged links to several murder cases and cult-related incidents across the state. According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, the suspects include Olusoji Pelumi, also known as Lumi; Fatoki Sunday, also known as Cwise (Chief Carrier); Gbenga Opatunbi, also known as Opa (Chief Aza); Olami Lekan Lateef Micheal (Finance); Olaniyi Oyedeji; and Olaoluwa Sunday. Others listed were Okedokun Olayemi; Sulaiman Oyewole; Moshood Abdullahi; Faruk Olosogunro; Oyegbori Ibrahim; Bello Olalekan; Amusan Emmanuel; Babatunde Abeeb; Mustapha Omotola Kafilat; and Balogun Roqibat. Items reportedly recovered from the suspects included two locally fabricated cut-to-size guns, two foreign-made pistols, 16 live cartridges, four axes, and various charms. Ayanlade explained that the police received credible intelligence indicating that members of the notorious Aiye Confraternity were planning a major gathering within the school premises. Acting on the information, operatives launched a coordinated operation aimed at preventing any potential breakdown of… 

China has officially blocked Meta’s planned acquisition of AI startup Manus, according to the country’s top economic planning authority on Monday. The decision follows a regulatory review that also reportedly included travel restrictions on two of the company’s co-founders. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, had reached an agreement in December to acquire Manus, an AI agent developed by a firm originally founded in China but now headquartered in Singapore. The deal had already faced skepticism from analysts, who warned it could run into regulatory obstacles amid intensifying tech competition between the United States and China. Last month, the Financial Times reported that Chinese authorities had barred two Manus co-founders from leaving the country, citing sources familiar with the matter. Chief executive Xiao Hong and chief scientist Ji Yichao—both typically based in Singapore—were reportedly summoned to Beijing in March and informed they were prohibited from travelling abroad due to an ongoing review of the Meta deal. On Monday, China’s National Development and Reform Commission announced it would “prohibit foreign investment in the acquisition of the Manus project” and require all parties to withdraw from the… 

Nigeria and nine other conflict-affected countries now account for two-thirds of the world’s population facing acute food insecurity, according to a new international report highlighting how violence continues to fuel a worsening global hunger crisis. The 2026 Global Report on Food Crises, released Friday by a coalition of UN agencies, the European Union, and partner organisations, revealed that 266 million people across 47 countries experienced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2025. This represents nearly a quarter of the populations assessed and almost double the proportion recorded in 2016. The report describes a crisis that has become increasingly entrenched rather than temporary, with hunger now heavily concentrated in a small number of conflict-affected nations. Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, warned that acute food insecurity has become structural, stressing that it is both persistent and recurring. Earlier in January, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Nigeria estimated that about 35 million Nigerians are at risk of acute hunger this year. Conflict remains the leading driver of food insecurity, responsible for more than half of all severely hungry… 

China on Friday announced restrictions on seven European defence-related entities, citing their alleged involvement in arms sales to or “collusion” with Taiwan. According to a statement from the commerce ministry, the measures took effect immediately and were introduced to “safeguard national security and interests” while fulfilling international obligations, including non-proliferation commitments. The restrictions target several companies, including Belgian firearms manufacturer FN Herstal, German defence electronics company Hensoldt, and the Czech Republic’s national aerospace research and development centre, VZLU Aerospace. Under the new rules, exports of so-called “dual-use items” to the listed entities are prohibited. The measures also ban foreign organisations and individuals from transferring such China-origin items to the affected companies. “Any ongoing related activities must be stopped immediately,” the statement added. However, it noted that applications could be submitted to the commerce ministry in “special circumstances” where exports are deemed truly necessary. Beijing continues to regard self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has pledged to bring it under its control one day, if necessary by force. In a separate statement, a spokesperson for China’s commerce ministry said the measures are directed at… 

Healthcare workers at the facility, in their original report, portrayed the hospital as an unsafe environment rather than a proper healthcare center. Governor Peter Mbah’s administration is facing growing backlash following the indefinite suspension of a student nurse who went viral after exposing the deteriorating condition of Uwani General Hospital in Enugu State. The nurse, in an emotional follow-up video shared on TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), confirmed that she had been barred from her clinical duties and removed from the hospital workforce as punishment for what she described as whistle-blowing. The controversy began in late March 2026 when the student nurse recorded and shared a video documenting what she described as distressing conditions at the state-owned facility. In the footage, two nurses were seen lamenting that medical staff were forced to work in complete darkness due to persistent electricity outages, lack of running water, and the absence of essential life-saving equipment such as oxygen, even while attending to a pregnant woman in labour. “I’m the nurse who posted about the hospital at Uwani. Sadly, I was given an indefinite suspension and removed from my…