The United Arab Emirates has imposed tougher entry conditions for Nigerian travellers and banned transit visa applications entirely.
Travel agents confirmed on Tuesday.
According to new directives from Dubai immigration, Nigerians aged 18 to 45 will no longer be eligible for tourist visas unless accompanied.
For those aged 45 and above, visa applicants must present a personal six-month bank statement showing a minimum monthly balance of $10,000 (or its naira equivalent).
Travel agents said the new policy is expected to drastically reduce travel from Nigeria to Dubai, a top destination for business and tourism.
“For Nigerian nationals, please bear in mind that an applicant aged 18 to 45 years travelling alone is not eligible for the TOURIST VISA CATEGORY.
“An applicant who is 45 years or above must provide a Single Nigerian personal bank statement for a period of the last six months, with each month’s end balance reflecting a minimum ending balance of USD 10,000 or its naira equivalent.
“Kindly note that the above points must be taken into consideration before sending your applications with other existing documents such as hotel reservation, data page, etc,” the notification reads.
The students of Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic are currently protesting at the main gate of the institution, located on Sango/Eleyele Road in Ibadan, Oyo State.
PUNCH Online had reported that the State Governor, Seyi Makinde, had renamed The Polytechnic, Ibadan, in honour of the late former governor of the state, Omololu Olunloyo, who died at the age of 89.
Despite the earlier warning by the institution’s management that the students should shelve their planned protest, a large number of students came out to express their grievances, calling on the governor to rescind his earlier decision.
Academic and other activities in the institution are now put on hold, while the Sango en route Eleyele axis is temporarily blocked.
The immediate past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has called on his successor, Governor Hyacinth Alia, to account for the state and local government funds.
The former governor was reacting to the statement attributed to a faction of the All Progressives Congress, which he suspects is affiliated with the governor, an excerpt of which Kula Tersoo, media aide to Governor Alia, posted online recently.
This statement read that the governor “has increased local government security votes from the one million naira paid by his predecessor to ten million naira monthly…”
However, Ortom in a statement issued by his media aide, Terver Akase, and made available to journalists in Makurdi on Tuesday, took a swipe at his successor, requesting that he declares how much his administration is receiving as monthly local government allocations from the federation’s account before announcing how much he is giving the councils as security votes.
Ortom equally demanded that Governor Alia should go a step further and explain why he is still the one providing the third tier of government funds, despite the Supreme Court judgment granting full financial autonomy to local governments.
“The fact that none of the 23 local governments under him has constructed even a single culvert shows how they have been starved of their own funds,” the former governor said.
The former governor decried the situation that his successor, who is in his third year in office had never responded to calls for transparency and accountability regarding the huge resources accruing to the state following the removal of fuel subsidy.
“He has suddenly decided to celebrate a claim that he has increased security votes for local governments in the state.
“The starting point should be for Governor Alia to declare how much he is receiving as monthly local government allocations from the federation’s account before announcing how much he is giving the councils as security votes.
“The question to ask Governor Alia is, given reports that the Federal Government is now sending 500% increased allocations to the local governments in Benue State, which automatically makes a council such as Gboko receive a monthly allocation of N624,447,191.53.
“Why is Gboko only receiving a mere N10 million out of over N624 million as security vote? Where is the rest of the money going?
“When the Benue State governor is done accounting for how much the 23 local governments are receiving from the federation’s account in the subsidy removal era.
“He should extend the accountability to the state coffers and tell the people how much his government is receiving and what is being done with the funds.
.
“This explanation should include the over N3 billion he is reported to be taking every month as security vote in the face of frequent attacks and killing of hundreds of Benue people by Fulani terrorists.
While Alia denied that under his watch, only N1 million was being released to local governments in the state as security vote, Ortom claimed that he granted autonomy to the local governments.
He said that was the reason all of the councils were actively executing projects and tackling insecurity in their respective domains.
Alia, through his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, on Sunday, responding to a similar request made by a group known as Benue Advocacy Network, directed those interested in knowing the financial obligations to the state to approach the Budget Office in the state.
The Oyo State government has issued a final notice to traders at the Ogunpa Central International Market, Ibadan, to desist from displaying goods on the roadside, setting July 21 for enforcement.
The government also told the traders to maintain proper setbacks for free movement of people or face sanctions.
During a sensitisation campaign at the market, the Chairman of the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority, Major Adekoya Adesagba (retd.), expressed displeasure over the incessant use of roadways for commercial activities, describing it as a serious obstruction to traffic flow and a threat to people’s lives and property.
He urged the traders to change their approach, stressing that placing wares along the main roads endangers both customers and business owners.
He assured stakeholders that the present administration is committed to making market spaces more conducive, in line with Governor ‘Seyi Makinde’s directive to clear road obstructions.
“We are here to enlighten the traders on the state government’s plan to clear illegal trading activities from the roads around the Ogunpa Central Market. We have advised that traders maintain a reasonable distance from the road setback. Roadside trading will no longer be tolerated,” he stated.
“Enforcement actions targeting illegal parking, roadside display of goods, and vehicular obstruction will commence from July 21, 2025, in collaboration with relevant enforcement agencies,” the chairman disclosed.
He emphasised that the enforcement is aimed at reclaiming roads and spaces designated for public infrastructure and safety.
In response, the President-General of the Ogunpa Central International Market Traders Association, Prince Gbenga Atitebi, expressed support for the government’s stance.
He admitted that the indiscriminate roadside trading had hurt customer turnout and pledged the association’s cooperation with the state’s directive.
Also speaking, the Iyaloja of Ibadan Southwest LGA, High Chief Kudirat Aloba, appealed to the state government to come to their aid in ensuring that those selling on the roadside comply with the directives.
Indian villagers beat a family of five to death and dumped their corpses in a lake， accusing them of “practising witchcraft” after the death of a boy, police said Tuesday.
Three people have been arrested and have confessed to the crime, police in the northern state of Bihar said in a statement.
Three women — including a 75-year-old — were among those murdered.
The main accused believed that his son’s recent death was caused by one of those killed, and blamed “him and his family of practising witchcraft”, the statement said.
“After beating the victims to death, the perpetrators loaded the bodies onto a tractor and dumped them in a pond,” police said.
The murderers and victims all belonged to India’s Oraon tribe in Bihar, India’s poorest state and a mainly Hindu region of at least 130 million people.
Despite campaigns against superstition, belief in witchcraft remains widespread in rural areas across India, especially in isolated tribal communities.
Some states, including Bihar, have introduced laws to try to curb crimes against people accused of witchcraft and superstition.
Women have often been branded witches and targeted, but the killing of the family of five stands out as a particularly heinous recent example.
More than 1,500 people — the overwhelming majority of them women — were killed in India on suspicion of witchcraft between 2010 and 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
Some believe in the occult, but attackers also sometimes have other motives including usurping their rights over land and property.
Oyo State Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Inclusion, on Tuesday, swore in ten state coordinators and 33 Local Government Commanders to enhance the security architecture of the state.
The ministry’s commissioner, Toyin Balogun, administered the oath of office and swearing-in of the committee members at the Local Government Staff Training Centre, Secretariat in Ibadan, the state capital.
She said, “The event became necessary to enhance grassroots security towards fostering community-based security across the 33 local government areas of the state.”
Balogun, therefore, advised them to understand that true security extends beyond patrols and checkpoints, stressing the importance of building trust within communities and addressing the root causes of social unrest.
The commissioner urged the committee “to incorporate gender sensitivity in their engagements and collaborate actively with social and women-focused groups to tackle domestic violence, human trafficking, child abuse, and other societal vices.”
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mofoluwake Ibitoye, emphasized that security is anchored on equity and justice.
She also charged the newly appointed officers to demonstrate quality leadership, uphold integrity, and remain vigilant in the discharge of their duties.
In his acceptance speech, the Commandant of the committee, Olabanji Abiodun, expressed profound gratitude to the State Government, the Governor, and the ministry for their continued support.
He pledged that “the committee would uphold its mandate and work assiduously to improve safety and order at the local level.”
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has defended his administration’s plan over the ongoing flyover projects in Warri and Effurun.
The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, was reacting to criticisms by former Ethiope West Local Government Chairman and All Progressives Congress chieftain, Chief Wilson Omene.
The APC chieftain had, in a recent interview, described the ongoing flyover projects in Warri and Effurun as “ill-informed and misleading.”
Defending the project, Oborevwori said the flyover and road expansion projects were strategic interventions aimed at decongesting traffic in Warri and Effurun.
Oborevwori said, “The flyovers, road expansions and sleepway interchange are not cosmetic.
They are long-term investments in urban mobility, ease of doing business, and economic growth.
“These are gateway cities connecting the ports, industries, and the hinterland. The projects are unlocking commercial potential and creating an enabling environment for further private-sector participation. Perhaps, Chief Wilson Omene may have to check the meaning of enabling business environment,” the statement read.
The governor argued that the Warri-Effurun corridor served a fast-growing population and played a pivotal role in Delta’s economy, stating that only those out of tune with modern urban planning would fail to grasp the significance of the projects.
Responding to Omene’s claim that such funds should have been channelled into building industries in Delta Central, the governor labelled the argument as narrow-minded and sectional.
“Delta State is bigger than any single senatorial district. The M.O.R.E agenda—Meaningful Development, Opportunities for All, Realistic Reforms, and Enhanced Peace and Security—is being implemented equitably across Delta North, Delta Central, and Delta South. No part of the state has been left behind,” the statement read.
On the governor’s defection to the APC, Ahon said the decision followed wide consultations with political leaders and stakeholders across Delta and was geared towards attracting federal support and deepening development.
“Governor Oborevwori’s alignment with the APC was not for personal benefit but to synergise with the Federal Government in delivering more dividends of democracy to Deltans.
“Chief Wilson Omene is merely acting out a script written by those who view the governor’s move as a threat to their political interests,” the statement added.
Ahon urged Omene and other critics to embrace constructive engagement rooted in facts, rather than divisive commentary and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to inclusive growth and lasting infrastructure.
“Constructive criticism is welcome, but it must be rooted in facts and guided by a sincere desire to move Delta State forward,” he concluded.
Survivors of the Yelewata attack currently taking refuge in the temporary camp located at the International Market, Makurdi, have rejected the call to return home.
No fewer than 3,000 displaced persons from the Yelewata community are currently taking refuge in the camp, after the gruesome murder of about 200 people in coordinated attacks on the community by suspected armed herders on June 13, 2025.
Our correspondent who visited the camp on Sunday reliably gathered that traditional rulers and stakeholders from the community were mounting pressure on their people to return home, as a result of the infiltration of the temporary camp by other displaced persons.
“These infiltrators have continued to feast from the humanitarian support supposed to be for survivors of the Yelewata community,” one of the displaced persons who identified himself as Uker Amos said.
The 41-year-old survivor said some of them had to protest against the call by their traditional ruler to return home when they were not sure of adequate security in the community.
He said, “Yesterday, (Saturday) some of us came to the gate of this camp and voiced our position that we are not returning now until there is adequate security for us to return.”
Speaking in a telephone chat on Sunday, the Information Officer of the State Emergency Management Agency, Tema Ager, confirmed that traditional rulers of the Yelewata community were mounting pressure on their people to return home.
“But the people (displaced persons) are opposed to the move by the traditional rulers.
“They said they could only go back when there is assurance from the government that their community is safe.
“In fact, some of them came out to protest the call for their return,” he said.
Ager added that the government would assess the situation and decide when the people would return home.
The Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Aondowase Kumde, recently raised the alarm of infiltration of the camp by market women, criminals and people from the host community.
The commissioner said at least 50 infiltrators had been arrested.
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, on Monday, dismissed a report claiming he alongside some leaders and officeholders in the state was being led to the African Democratic Congress by the immediate past Governor Kayode Fayemi.
Oyebanji, who described the report as false and misleading, described it as “nothing but another tissue of lies from the camp of some disgruntled elements in the state.
“But, keeping quiet in the midst of such a bare-faced falsehood would amount to a disservice to the good people of the state, some of who could be hoodwinked into believing the misleading report.”
The governor spoke in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode.
Oyebode stated, “For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Oyebanji and the public officeholders mentioned in the report remain firmly rooted in the All Progressives Congress and have no link, neither do they have any plan whatsoever to join the ADC.
“While Dr Fayemi and other leaders of the party mentioned in the report are eminently qualified to defend themselves, it is on record that Dr Fayemi attended the recent APC caucus meeting held in Iyin-Ekiti, where the caucus endorsed President Bola Tinubu and Governor Oyebanji for a second term, a decision that was widely published in the print, broadcast and online media.
“It should also be noted that Governor Oyebanji had since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999, remained in the progressive fold. He is one of the very few who has never moved out of the progressive movement in Ekiti State.
“We are aware of a deliberate attempt by some mischief makers to weaponise Governor Oyebanji’s association with Dr Fayemi in a bid to cause a rift between the governor and President Tinubu.
“Unfortunately for these jesters, Mr President is a strategic politician who can see through their shenanigans and hidden agenda.
“Ekiti people are urged to disregard this childish media attack which is being sponsored by some desperate politicians interested in contesting the governorship election in the state.
“While these desperate politicians have no clue about how to market their candidature to the Ekiti electorate or connect with the people, they have resorted to attacking the government on social media and heaping up every unimaginable and unintelligent lie against the governor to mask their frustrations.”
The statement added, “Now that the Independent National Electoral Commission has announced the date for the primary election, we expect them to be bold enough to come out and sell their candidature to party members and Ekitikete rather than seeking an ignoble way to gate crash,” the governor’s media adviser stated.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd has handed over 35 hybrid Compressed Natural Gas-powered buses to the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas.
During a brief ceremony held at the NNPC Towers on Monday, the Group CEO, NNPC Ltd, Bashir Ojulari, reiterated the Company’s commitment to support the Federal Government’s gas aspirations.
The GCEO stated that the move was in line with NNPC Ltd.’s efforts to drive the adoption of CNG as a cleaner, cheaper, and sustainable fuel alternative.
He added that the company has recorded significant progress on gas supply, infrastructure, distribution, and retail outlets.
“I am proud that NNPC Ltd is playing a pivotal role in driving the Federal Government’s gas agenda towards energy transition,” the GCEO stated in a statement signed by the
NNPC Ltd on Monday in Abuja.
Earlier in his address, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the CNG buses represent not just vehicles but serve as instruments of economic relief, social equity, and environmental responsibility.
“They signal a future where the ordinary Nigerian can commute safely, affordably, and efficiently,” he added.
The Minister described the initiative as a direct reflection of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, a bold step to reduce the cost of transportation, lessen dependence on petrol, and ensure the utilisation of the Nation’s abundant natural gas resources for the benefit of the people.
Earlier in his remarks, the Executive Vice President, Downstream, NNPC Ltd, Mumuni Dagazau, said the adoption of CNG as a fuel alternative has significant economic benefits for the Nation by reducing reliance on PMS and AGO as automotive fuels which also leads to substantial cost savings and supports the growth of local gas industry.
The Managing Director of NNPC Foundation, Emmanuella Arukwe, said through the initiative, NNPC Ltd was advancing and shaping a new energy future that will purposefully serve people, communities, and the planet.
The Programme Coordinator/CEO, Presidential CNG Initiative, Michael Oluwagbemi, commended NNPC Ltd for supporting the Initiative, stressing that the company has been a reliable partner for the Initiative since its commencement.
