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Ronaldo nets hattrick 24 hours after BOAT award

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hattrick to lead Al Nassr to a 5-3 win over Al Kholood in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday night.

The 41-year-old scores the hattrick a day after he was crowned the Ballon d’Or of All Time (B.O.A.T.) winner by France Football.

Ronaldo has notched up his 983rd, 984th and 985th goals on his career as he moves closer to the exclusive 1000 goals club. He is now only 15 goals away from the record.

The Al Nassr captain scored all goals in the second half as the Saudi League champions were locked level two goals apwith Al Kholood. He netted the hattrick to seal all three points on the night.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored a tap-in from Joao Felix’s pass for the first of the night. He then hung in the air to meet his Portuguese compatriot’s cross with a precise header for the second.

Sadio Mane broke free but could not convert, and found Ronaldo who finished with aplomb for his hattrick. It is his first hattrick of the season, with Ronaldo netting in his seventh match of the season.

Ronaldo has now scored eight league goals this season, and nine goals in all competitions.

Banditry: Senate seeks security outposts along Taraba borders

The Senate has urged the Federal Government and security agencies to deploy more troops and establish security outposts along the borders of Taraba, Plateau and Bauchi states following a bandit attack that reportedly killed about 80 people in Taraba State.

The attack targeted Binari community in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, killing dozens of residents, displacing hundreds and destroying property.

The resolution followed a motion by the senator representing Taraba North, Isa Shuaibu Lau, who raised the alarm over the rising violence and humanitarian crisis in his constituency.

Lau said the vulnerability of communities along the borders of Taraba, Plateau and Bauchi states had created routes that armed groups used to carry out attacks.

He said the government had a constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property, warning that failure to take decisive action could lead to more killings, economic losses and displacement in the affected areas.

The Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Borno North), said protecting lives and property was the primary responsibility of government.

He commended Lau for drawing the attention of the National Assembly to the security challenges in the area.

After deliberations, the Senate unanimously urged security agencies to deploy additional personnel and establish permanent security outposts along the vulnerable borders of Taraba, Plateau and Bauchi states.

The lawmakers also directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to provide relief materials and medical assistance to survivors displaced from Binari and neighbouring communities.

The Senate observed a one-minute silence in honour of those killed in the attack.

2027: City Boy Movement woos Christian leaders in Bauchi, Gombe for Tinubu

The Directorate of Christian Religious Affairs of the City Boy Movement has intensified efforts to mobilise grassroots support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, engaging Christian leaders in Bauchi and Gombe states.

The engagement, led by the directorate’s head, Hon. Belusochukwu Enwere, brought together leaders of various Christian denominations, youths, women and representatives of the Christian communities to discuss political mobilisation and peaceful participation in the forthcoming general elections.

The meeting was aimed at strengthening the movement’s relationship with Christian communities while creating awareness about the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration.

Speaking during the engagement, Enwere emphasised the importance of involving religious leaders in grassroots political mobilisation, noting that their influence could help shape public opinion and encourage greater civic participation.

‘Religious leaders have an important role to play in educating their followers about the political process and encouraging them to participate actively in deciding the future of our country,’ he said.

He urged the Christian leaders to take the message of the administration’s programmes to their respective churches and communities, stressing that sustained grassroots engagement was necessary to build awareness and support ahead of the 2027 elections.

Enwere also called for peaceful political participation, urging supporters of the President to pursue their mobilisation efforts through dialogue and persuasion rather than confrontation.

‘Our objective is to encourage responsible political participation and ensure that the mobilisation for the 2027 elections is conducted peacefully. We must promote our message without violence, intimidation or anything capable of disrupting the peace of our communities,’ he said.

The directorate encouraged participants to sensitise eligible voters on the importance of exercising their democratic rights and making informed choices at the ballot box.

The organisers maintained that political campaigns should focus on policies, programmes and issues affecting citizens, while urging religious leaders to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence despite political differences.

The engagement also sought to strengthen collaboration between the City Boy Movement and faith-based communities in Bauchi and Gombe, with the organisers expressing optimism that sustained consultations would expand the movement’s grassroots presence.

They noted that engaging Christian leaders, women and youths would provide an opportunity to communicate the administration’s agenda to more communities and encourage greater participation in the electoral process.

The initiative forms part of the City Boy Movement’s broader strategy to mobilise support for Tinubu’s second-term bid across different regions and social groups ahead of the 2027 general elections.

As political activities gradually gather momentum, political parties and support groups have intensified consultations with community stakeholders in a bid to consolidate their bases and persuade voters.

The directorate reiterated its commitment to peaceful political engagement, urging Christian communities in Bauchi and Gombe states to promote national unity, tolerance and non-violent participation as the country prepares for the next general elections.

Police arrest NSCDC officer for allegedly firing gunshots in Abuja market

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Onoja Samuel, for allegedly firing gunshots into the air at Kubwa Market in Abuja.

The officer, a Deputy Superintendent of Corps (DSC), was arrested on Wednesday after a distress call reported that a man armed with a pistol was shooting sporadically at the market, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Mohammed Sanusi, said.

Sanusi disclosed this while briefing journalists at the command headquarters, adding that the incident occurred at about 1:50 p.m. on October 28, 2026.

He said police operatives attached to the Kubwa Division were immediately deployed to the scene and apprehended the suspect.

According to the commissioner, preliminary investigations revealed that Samuel had gone to the market armed with a pistol following reports that some traders had assaulted his wife.

‘During an ensuing argument with the traders, Onoja Samuel, who is a DSC with the NSCDC, fired several shots into the air,’ Sanusi said.

He added that the police recovered a CZ pistol and 17 rounds of live 9mm ammunition from the suspect during his arrest.

Sanusi said the suspect remained in police custody and would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.

The commissioner urged personnel of sister security agencies to exercise restraint and notify the police divisions responsible for areas where they intend to conduct authorised operations within the FCT.

He said such coordination was necessary to prevent avoidable clashes and ensure the safety of residents.

Bread prices rise as bakers cite skyrocketing wheat, fuel costs

Bread manufacturers across Uganda, operating under the Uganda Bakers Association, have made an urgent appeal to the government to intervene and curb the escalating cost of production, specifically highlighting the soaring prices of wheat and diesel.

The manufacturers have also called on consumers to bear with them following a decision to increase bread prices nationwide.

Addressing journalists at a press conference hosted at Ntake Bakery in Nalukolongo, industry leaders explained that the price of crucial raw materials, particularly wheat flour, alongside diesel required for machinery and distribution fleets, has surged dramatically in recent months.

The association’s leadership noted that these rising operational expenses left them with no alternative but to adjust wholesale and retail bread rates to keep their businesses viable.

Canon Dr Gaster Lule Ntake, the chairperson of the Uganda Bakers Association, stated that manufacturers had absorbed the surging costs for as long as possible to cushion ordinary Ugandans from additional financial strain. He noted that despite their efforts to hold rates steady, the pressure on production margins eventually became unsustainable, forcing a modest upward adjustment across standard loaf sizes.

Under the updated pricing structure, a one-kilogram loaf of bread previously sold to retailers at Shs 5,000 at the factory level has increased to Shs 5,500. Consequently, end consumers purchasing the one-kilogram loaf from retail shops are now expected to pay between Shs 6,000 and Shs 6,500. A half-kilogram loaf, which previously left the factory floor at Shs 2,500, now costs Shs 3,000 wholesale, with retail prices projected to range between Shs 3,300 and Shs 3,500.

In light of these adjustments, Dr Ntake urged retailers and shop owners across the country not to exploit the situational rate changes by imposing excessive profit mark-ups on everyday consumers. He emphasized that the baking sector relies heavily on diesel fuel both to power heavy bakery equipment and to transport finished goods to retail outlets nationwide, making fuel price surges particularly damaging to the supply chain.

Adding to the sector’s grievances, Isaac Njoroge of Jonisa Bakers Limited, a member of the association, highlighted the industry’s deep reliance on global markets. He explained that roughly 80 percent of all raw materials used in commercial bread production in Uganda are imported, leaving local bakers highly exposed to international supply chain disruptions and foreign exchange volatility. He pointed out that the strength of the US dollar against the local currency has drastically increased the cost of importing essential inputs like wheat flour and baking additives.

The association reaffirmed its commitment to reviewing prices downward as soon as global wheat prices stabilize, exchange rates calm, and local fuel costs subside. In the interim, the bakers continue to petition relevant government ministries to consider targeted tax relief or policy interventions on key agricultural inputs and energy to protect both local manufacturing and consumer purchasing power.

Man arrested for allegedly defiling minor in Benue

The Police in Benue State have arrested a 60-year-old man over the alleged defilement of a 10-year-old girl in Igumale district, Ado Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

The incident was reported to the police on October 13, 2026, while the victim was taken for medical examination and necessary treatment.

State Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, told journalists in Makurdi during a press conference that the case was ongoing as he assured that the suspect would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

He also pledged to protect the privacy and welfare of the victim throughout the investigation.

Nwadiogbu said that the arrest was among the operational achievements recorded by the command during the month of October under review.

He also explained that the command arrested 14 suspects, recovered seven locally fabricated firearms and 16 rounds of ammunition and cartridges, and neutralised one suspected bandit.

The police commissioner attributed the successes to intelligence-led operations, prompt response to distress calls, sustained patrols and collaboration with other security agencies and community stakeholders.

Nwadiogbu therefore urged members of the public to promptly report cases of violence, abuse and other criminal activities to enable timely intervention.

UN Biodiversity Summit enters decisive final week as govts confront finance gaps, economic drivers of nature loss

The UN Biodiversity Conference has entered its final week with initial decisions adopted and hundreds of millions of dollars pledged, as governments tackle tough negotiations on biodiversity finance and economic incentives driving nature loss.

The conference, comprising COP 17, 12th Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the 6th Meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing, is due to close Friday. This week, it is convening approximately 1,500 people at the High-Level Segment on 27-28 October, including 140 ministers and deputy ministers of finance and environment, to address barriers to implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022.

Negotiators made progress on several fronts during the opening week, adopting four COP 17 decisions on invasive alien species, gender, education and knowledge management; eight substantive decisions advancing the Cartagena Protocol, including on monitoring and reporting, compliance and strengthening national processes for its effective implementation; and two decisions advancing the Nagoya Protocol on monitoring and reporting and compliance.

Among other decisions this week, the Global Review will consider evidence provided in the State of Biodiversity Action report, launched by UN Secretary-General António Guterres ahead of COP 17, which found widespread national commitment but substantial gaps in ambition and delivery.

‘COP 17 is enabling a total mobilisation of more than $1.8 billion from all sources – governments, philanthropic organisations and investors – in support of strong biodiversity action,’ said COP 17 President Hambardzum Matevosyan. ‘The first week has shown that cooperation can deliver progress. The second week must demonstrate that political commitment can deliver action.’

Delivering those results will require governments to place biodiversity at the heart of economic and financial decision-making, a challenge brought into sharper focus by the participation of finance ministers at COP 17.

‘Nature is not a luxury we protect when economies can afford it. Nature is what makes economies possible. The arrival of finance ministers at COP 17 sends an important signal,’ said Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. ‘Biodiversity loss is not simply an environmental problem. It is an economic problem, and the solutions must reach into the heart of economic decision-making.’

The scale of the challenge is reflected in the financial incentives that continue to drive biodiversity loss, often undermining investments in its protection and restoration.

‘Financing the destruction of nature with 30 dollars against every dollar spent restoring it is like paying 30 people to tear down your house for every one hired to rebuild it,’ said Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Ms Schomaker outlined three priorities for turning commitments into results: accountability, alignment and acceleration. Accountability means using national reports, scientific evidence and the first global review to identify shortcomings and guide stronger action. Alignment means ensuring that public budgets, private investment, economic policies and financial incentives support rather than undermine global biodiversity objectives. Acceleration means moving faster to implement the Framework’s 23 targets by 2030.

‘The global review showed us where progress is being made and where we are falling behind,’ she said. ‘Yerevan focuses all Parties on closing those gaps.’

Closing those gaps, however, will require governments to overcome significant differences in the negotiations. Major questions remain over who should contribute to international biodiversity finance, how much funding should be mobilised and through which mechanisms. Parties also remain divided over language on reducing or phasing out harmful incentives, including agricultural subsidies.

Other unresolved issues include which commercial users of digital sequence information should contribute to the Cali Fund; arrangements for the new permanent body on Indigenous Peoples and local communities under Article 8(j); and how biodiversity action should be aligned with climate commitments and other international obligations.

FG approves King Amachree Airport, sets 11 conditions

The Federal Government has approved the development of the proposed King Amachree Airport at Elem Ifoko in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, subject to the fulfilment of 11 conditions set by the aviation regulatory authorities.

The approval was conveyed in a letter signed by Engr. P. T. Vembe, Director of the Aerodrome Development Department of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, on behalf of the minister. It was addressed to Prince Tonye T.J.T. Princewill, Executive Director of Royal Fouche Services Limited, the company that sought the approval.

The letter, with reference number FMA/ADD/402/S.101/C.1/1/88 and dated October 26, 2026, followed an earlier application dated June 25, 2026, with reference number RF/MOA/NG/001, as well as a site inspection and assessment conducted by the Ministerial Technical Team from September 2 to 4, 2026.

The approval letter read: ‘I am directed to convey the approval of the Honourable Minister for the development of the proposed King Amachree Airport at Elem Ifoko, Degema Local Government Area, Rivers State, at the geographical coordinates of Latitude 4°23’21.7″ N and Longitude 7°00’52.2″E.’

It added: ‘This approval is subject to the fulfilment of the following requirements,’ beginning with the ‘preparation and submission of a comprehensive Airport Master Plan detailing the proposed development, phasing, facilities and associated infrastructure.’

The ministry also requested ‘a detailed engineering assessment of the canal traversing the proposed airport site to determine the most suitable solution, whether through diversion or realignment of the canal, or the construction of an appropriate bridge or other suitable crossing structure.’

Another condition requires ‘detailed hydrological, hydraulic and drainage studies to assess and address flooding risks, tidal influences, seasonal water movements and stormwater management requirements at the proposed airport site.’

The developer is also required to conduct a ‘comprehensive geotechnical investigation to assess the site’s subsurface conditions, soil-bearing capacity, groundwater characteristics and overall suitability for the proposed aerodrome infrastructure.’

The ministry further stipulated the provision of a ‘suitable, reliable, all-weather road access to the proposed airport to support construction, airport operations, emergency response and passenger and cargo movement.’

Other conditions include strict compliance with all applicable Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) requirements and environmental laws, including conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), as well as paying all applicable statutory fees.

The developer must also provide a detailed topographical and obstacle survey referenced to the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS-84), alongside a formal wind rose analysis and meteorological assessment conducted in consultation with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).

In response to the approval, Princewill assured the aviation authorities that Royal Fouche Services Limited would strictly adhere to due process.

He said: ‘We are making remarkable progress even by the best standards and I’m not at all surprised when you look at all of the people involved. From the President to the Minister to the NCAA all the way to the Amanyanabo of the Source, Amanyanabus of Ifoko, Fouchee and Elem Ifoko and the Royal Fouchee team we have assembled.

‘To us a day is 24 hours of opportunity for us to make a difference and we assure the Kalabari people that we will make them proud,’ he said.

Princewill further pledged that the pace of work would not come at the expense of regulatory compliance.

‘Speed however, will not be an excuse for circumventing process. We will carry every stakeholder along and make sure all reasonable voices are heard. The airport is just the tip of the iceberg. Our plans are far bigger than a single project.’

Ahead January deadline, Nigeria eyes $50m savings from data localization

About $50million spent annually by financial institutions and digital infrastructure providers to host their data offshore will be saved if data localisation policy takes effect next year, the Federal Government has said.

This is coming amidst implementation hurdles faced by financial institutions as the January 1, 2027 deadline approaches.

The Central Bank of Nigeria had in June this year issued a sweeping directive requiring all payment and financial transaction data generated within the country to be processed and stored locally by January 2027.

Daily Trust reports that for over a decade, Nigerian financial institutions built their digital platforms atop international hyperscalers like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.

What this means is that financial service providers including fintechs would abandon their reliance on global digital cloud platforms for available local data centres.

The development has created anxiety among operators amidst call for deadline extension.

But yesterday, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, speaking at the Executive Regulatory Dialogue on National Sovereign Cloud Initiative (NSCI) Implementation and Data Localisation in Lagos on Wednesday disclosed that more than 85% of Nigeria’s information technology workload is currently hosted on public cloud infrastructure outside the country.

He spoke just as a new report by PWC indicated that the data localisation rule could reshape competition among financial institution operators.

Figures cited by NITDA showed that Nigeria’s 10 largest banks spent about N177.91billion on information technology in the first quarter of 2026 alone, representing a 31 per cent increase over the corresponding period last year.

A sizeable portion of the investment currently supports cloud infrastructure hosted outside Nigeria, a trend the new policy is expected to address by encouraging greater utilisation of local infrastructure.

The new framework is aimed at improving confidence in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure while promoting local capacity and enhancing oversight of critical national data.

But with January 2027 deadline approaching, yesterday’s dialogue organised by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the NITDA in Lagos had stakeholders across financial and financial technology sectors discussing issues around the successful implementation of policy by the two regulators.

Abdullahi in an interview with newsmen said NITDA and the CBN had engaged financial institutions several times ahead of the January 2027 deadline.

The NITDA DG said Nigeria wants global hyperscalers and local data centre operators to expand infrastructure in Nigeria and help establish the country as a regional cloud hub.

‘We want to be able to control our digital future. We want to be digitally independent,’ Abdullah said.

The first phase is focused on the financial sector, which Abdullah described as Nigeria’s most digitalised industry.

The initiative comes as Nigerian banks face growing cybersecurity and operational risks, including the potential loss of access to critical services during infrastructure disruptions.

The NITDA DG said technology resilience is increasingly important for protecting financial institutions’ capital, particularly as cyber fraud and other digitally enabled incidents become more prevalent.

The framework is based on a classification of data rather than a blanket requirement that all Nigerian data remain inside the country.

NITDA is identifying categories it considers sovereign, including defense information, national security data, financial records and citizens’ health information.

‘We are not locking our doors and we are not saying all Nigerian data must stay in Nigeria,’ Inuwa said. ‘We are saying we have different classes of data.’

Under the approach outlined by NITDA, sovereign data would need to be hosted domestically, while other types of information could continue to use international infrastructure where permitted. The goal is to protect sensitive information without preventing Nigerian companies from accessing global technology platforms.

Although Nigeria has local data center operators, many businesses continue to use global hyperscalers because of their scale, reliability and range of services.

Abdullahi said Nigeria’s connectivity and role as a transit point for neighbouring countries could allow it to host data and provide computing services for landlocked markets across the region.

‘The intention is to achieve both our sovereign control and positioning Nigeria as a hub,’ he said.

He said NITDA plans to extend the framework beyond financial services once the first phase is completed.

PWC in its report titled, ‘CBN Data Localisation and Market Structure Rules’, the PwC said the Central Bank of Nigeria’s new rules on data localisation and market structure could reshape how payment operators compete, manage data and invest in technology.

The rules apply to deposit money banks, microfinance banks, mobile money operators, switching and processing companies, payment terminal service providers, payment solution service providers, super agents and other licensed operators in Nigeria’s payments ecosystem.

Under the market structure requirements, PwC says an operator with more than 25% of card issuing must limit its share of merchant acquiring to 15%.

The same restriction applies in reverse to an operator with more than 25% of merchant acquiring.

Why the new CBN rules matter

It said meeting the requirements may involve more than changes to regulatory reporting and data storage. Institutions may need to reconsider where they compete, whether their current business models remain viable and how their technology environments must change.

The report says the market share limits could affect integrated issuing and acquiring models, scale advantages and competitive positioning.

It adds that data localisation could have implications for cloud infrastructure, disaster recovery, analytics, AI platforms, third-party providers and long-term technology investments. Restructuring and implementation decisions may also create tax considerations and influence how investors assess opportunities in Nigeria’s payments sector.

Connecting compliance with wider business decisions

The report also brings the regulatory, strategic and technology implications together. It examines the questions institutions should address before restructuring their operations, migrating payment data or committing to significant infrastructure investments.

NLC President Ajaero faults TUC over rejection of N70000 transport allowance

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress Joe Ajaero has faulted the Trade Union Congress for rejecting the Federal Government’s N70000 monthly transport allowance for public sector workers describing the decision as ‘improper.’

Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday Ajaero said the TUC should negotiate its own terms with the government rather than oppose an agreement it did not participate in.

The TUC had on Wednesday rejected the six-month allowance arguing that temporary wage awards were neither ‘sustainable’ nor ‘far-reaching’.

It urged the government to increase workers’ salaries instead.

The allowance followed a conciliation meeting in Abuja between government representatives and NLC leaders with the agreement documented in a memorandum of understanding.

‘TUC did not sign the agreement. You don’t kick against something you did not negotiate or ask for’ Ajaero said.

He added that he would have preferred both labour centres to push for better terms saying ‘I would have preferred a situation whereby if NLC were asking for one naira TUC would be asking for 10 naira. Probably the government would harmonise it.’

Ajaero said the TUC had not requested intervention over rising transport costs adding that a substantive salary review required a formal process.

‘TUC never asked for intervention as a result of the rising cost of transportation. On asking for a wage increase does the government gift wage increases? There must be a process put in place’ he said.

He said the NLC had urged the government to begin work immediately on a committee to review workers’ pay adding that he was surprised the TUC opposed the allowance after distancing itself from the negotiations.

‘I’m worried for some time now why you will say you reject something that was not given to you. That is not proper.

‘You don’t have the power to reject what a sister agency negotiates. You have the power to ask for your own’ Ajaero added.