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The vibrant city of Lagos came alive once again as Evergreen Musical Company Limited hosted the 2025 edition of Ariya Eko an annual celebration honouring the legends of Nigerian music and arts.

This year’s edition was specially designed to coincide with Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, serving as both a tribute to the nation’s journey and to the men and women whose creative brilliance helped define its cultural identity.

Held under the radiant Lagos skyline, the event recognised 65 distinguished personalities who have made lasting contributions to music and the arts.

Among the honourees were Stella Monye, Dele Abiodun, Jossy Friday, Queen Salawa Abeni (Waka Queen), Tee Mac, a former president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Evangelist Funmi Aragbaye, Evangelist J.A., and Baba Ajibiewe, among many others who helped shape the sound and soul of Nigeria.

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, graced the occasion as the Special Guest of Honour. In his brief but inspiring address, the governor commended the initiative and personally presented awards to three recipients, applauding Evergreen Music for its commitment to preserving Nigeria’s musical heritage.

According to her, this year’s Independence Edition underscores the enduring value of indigenous creativity to Nigeria’s national story, amplifying voices that represent strength, pride, and resilience.

‘At its heart, Ariya Eko is a bridge – between the young and the old, between the local and the global, between memory and innovation.

It is a celebration of Lagos, of Nigeria, and of the unyielding power of music to inspire, connect, and transform,’ she added.

Esho also announced that Ariya Eko would continue as an annual tradition, with future honourees to be carefully selected from the country’s rich pool of artistic talent.

She expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism for their unwavering support before and during the event.

Concluding her remarks, she appealed to fans and supporters to keep showing love and encouragement, noting that their support serves as a strong motivation to sustain the project.

With soulful performances, emotional tributes, and a spirit of unity, Ariya Eko 2025 once again reaffirmed that Nigeria’s music is not just entertainment it is history, identity, and a timeless rhythm that tells the story of a resilient people.

A Kaduna housewife identified as Zainab Alhassan has divorced her husband, Tijjani Muhammad over his refusal to repair her damaged cell phone worth N70,000.

Zainab told a Sharia court on Tuesday that she was not longer interested in her marriage to Tijjani Muhammad.

She said she was ready to divorce him through Khul’i, (a type of divorce where a woman returns the dowry she received to her husband.)

Alhassan told the court that she was ready to return the N30,000 dowry to regain her freedom.

She told the court that she was watching a movie on her phone when her husband started fighting her, collected her phone and allegedly smashed it.

She, however, noted that she does not have a witness to prove her claims.

On his part, the defendant said he does not have a problem with her divorce plea but disagreed with the claim that he damaged her phone.

The Judge, Malam Mu’awiyya Shehu dissolved the marriage on the basis of Khul’i and dismissed the complainant’s plea for the repair of the phone .(NAN)

American singer and song-writer, Taylor Swift, has broken her own album sales record with her newly released album.

The album, The Life of a Showgirl, which was released on Friday, has sold over 300,000 copies in just a span of five days.

This feat broke the record of UK first week sales which stood at 270,000 copies from her 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department.

In the United States, Taylor Swift sold up to 2.7 million copies on Friday alone.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally accepted the departure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), marking the end of his decade-long leadership of the electoral body.

Yakubu, first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th chairman of the commission, served two consecutive five-year terms after his reappointment in 2020.

His tenure officially expired this month.

In a statement issued on Monday, President Tinubu expressed appreciation for Yakubu’s ‘unwavering dedication and commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy,’ acknowledging his role in organising credible elections and implementing key electoral reforms.

As a mark of national recognition, the President conferred on Yakubu the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) for his meritorious service to the country.

President Tinubu also directed that the most senior national commissioner, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, should assume office as Acting Chairman of INEC pending the appointment of a substantive successor.

In his valedictory letter dated October 3, 2025, Professor Yakubu expressed gratitude to the President for the trust and opportunity to serve, noting that his tenure was marked by significant progress in Nigeria’s electoral process.

Big Brother Naija Season 10 winner, Imisi Ayanwale, has officially received her grand prize, ?80 million in cash and a brand-new SUV from Innoson Motors.

The presentation ceremony took place on Tuesday at Ilupeju, Lagos, where representatives from Innoson handed over the car keys to the reality TV star.

Imisi won BBNaija Season 10 on Sunday, October 5, after topping the votes with 42.8%, beating finalists Dede, Koyin, Sultana, and others.

Her total prize package is valued at ?150 million, including cash, the Innoson SUV, and other rewards from the show’s sponsors.

Imisi now joins the list of female BBNaija winners like Mercy Eke, Phyna, and Ilebaye.

Fans and celebrities have flooded social media to celebrate her victory, describing it as ‘well-deserved.’

Big Brother Naija season 10 winner Imisi Ayanwale, has opened up on Kaybobo’s admiration towards her despite his constant teasing.

While speaking during an interview, Imisi claimed that Kaybobo disliked fellow housemate Faith, because he also like her.

She added that Kaybobo’s attitude, however, made their dynamic confusing and unpredictable.

‘He hated Faith because I liked Faith. Kaybobo is always like that once he knows I like someone, he starts poking fun at them. At times when he’s not with his mic or camera, there’s a way he looks at me or acts differently. I don’t know. but I think he likes me. I really think he does,’ he said.

Ahead of FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, will depart Abuja in the early hours of Wednesday, October 8, aboard Royal Air Maroc, as they begin the final phase of their preparations for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The team is scheduled to arrive in Morocco’s industrial and economic capital, Casablanca where they will settle into camp before heading to Rabat for the tournament proper.

While in Casablanca, the Flamingos will intensify their build-up with two high-profile international friendlies first against New Zealand on October 10, followed by a clash with Paraguay on October 14.

The team will then move into the official FIFA hotel in Rabat on October 15, where all participating teams will be housed for the competition.

The Flamingos have been drawn in Group D, alongside Canada, France, and Samoa. Nigeria will kick off their campaign against Canada on Sunday, October 19, before facing France three days later both matches scheduled for 8 p.m Nigerian time at the Football Academy Mohammed VI (Pitch 2) and Football Academy Mohammed VI (Pitch 1) in the city of Sale.

Their final group stage encounter will be against Samoa on October 25, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. at the Football Academy Mohammed VI (Pitch 3) still in Sale.

Head Coach Bankole Olowookere’s side head into the tournament full of confidence, having played 10 tune-up matches, scoring an impressive 44 goals without conceding any.

Their dominant form in camp so far, coupled with a well-balanced squad, underscores their determination to go one step further than their quarter-final finish at the last edition in the Dominican Republic.

An Abuja High Court on Tuesday adjourned until Oct. 21 to enable the EFCC to list a witness that will testify in the trial of former National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki on an amended 32-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, dishonest release and receiving various sums of money to the tune of N33.2 billion.

The former NSA was accused of misappropriation of security funds in the accounts of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

He was arraigned alongside a former General Manager with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-Kusa.

Others are two firms: Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.

The EFCC arraigned the four defendants afresh on March 25 and accused Dasuki, among others, of releasing the equivalent of N10billion in foreign currencies from the NSA’s account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the 2014 presidential primary election of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Dasuki and his co-defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges, marked as FCT/HC/CR/43/2015.

At the resumed hearing of the case ,the prosecution witness, Adariku Michael, a detective with the EFCC informed the court that the anti-corruption commission received intelligence report on Sept. 21, 2015 bordering on abuse of office and money laundering.

He alleged the NSA moved huge sums of money between October 2014 and April 2015 to accounts of various companies.

The witness said the report was assigned to a special taskforce team headed by ACE 1 Halimah Kazeem, which he was a member, to carry out investigations on the report.

‘I got to know about this case when the commission (EFCC) received intelligence report on Sept. 21, 2015 bordering on abuse of office and money laundering.

The witness said that on receiving the report, the special taskforce promptly swung into action and wrote letter of investigation activities to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

It was at this point that counsel for Baba-Kusa, Solomon Umoh SAN, told the court that the witness was not listed by the prosecution on the list of witnesses in the paper the EFCC served the defence team.

‘This is against the provisions of Section 379 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA),’ he said.

The Prosecution counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, however, told the court that the witness had given evidence before the Chief Judge, in the case.

He further submitted that several documents were tendered by the prosecution as exhibits through the witness.

‘ This case had lasted almost 10 years,’ he said.

Atolagbe, however, sought an adjournment for the prosecution to do the needful.

This was not opposed by the defence team.

Based on this, the presiding judge, Justice Charles Agbaza, adjourned the case until Oct. 31 for continuation of hearing.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has released a new set of rules for Point-of-Sale (PoS) agents and their operations.

These rules, known as the Guidelines for the Operations of Agent Banking in Nigeria, were issued on October 6, 2025. They replace all previous versions and take effect immediately.

The goal is to make financial services safer, reduce fraud, and improve service quality across Nigeria’s PoS network. As of March 2025, Nigeria had 8.36 million registered PoS terminals, with 5.9 million actively in use.

CBN has given agents until April 1, 2026 to fully comply with the new rules.

Here are the 10 most important things PoS agents should know:

1. Exclusive partnership

Each PoS agent can now work with only one financial institution – either a bank or a fintech. Agents cannot serve multiple principals at the same time.

2. Dedicated account required

All transactions must go through a special agent account or wallet created by the principal bank. Any operation outside this account is illegal and can lead to blacklisting or termination.

3. Transaction limits

CBN has set new limits for PoS transactions:

N100,000 cash-out limit per customer daily

N500,000 cash-out limit weekly

N1.2 million total transaction limit per agent daily

For deposits and bill payments, the limit is N100,000 per transaction and N500,000 weekly.

4. Stricter eligibility

Anyone under 18, those with unpaid loans, criminal records, or blacklisted BVNs cannot become agents.

Businesses must show proof of registration, tax compliance, and enough capital to operate.

5. Real-time operations and fixed location

All PoS terminals must process transactions in real time and stay within their registered location. Moving or sharing devices without official approval is not allowed.

6. Mandatory training

PoS agents must undergo training twice a year on topics such as customer service, fraud prevention, and financial literacy. This applies to both individuals and companies.

7. Customer protection

Agents must always:

Give receipts for transactions

Display their principal’s name and contact details

Clearly show approved service charges

Inform customers that services depend on fund availability

8. Daily reporting

All transaction details – including withdrawals, balances, and limits – must be sent electronically to the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), which will report them to the CBN.

9. Relocation rules

Agents cannot move or close their business location without written notice and approval from their principal. A minimum of 30 days’ notice is required.

10. Penalties for violations

Agents who break the rules may face fines ranging from N2 million to N20 million. Serious or repeated offences can result in suspension or loss of licence.

A new World Health Organisation (WHO) global report shows the number of tobacco users has dropped from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024. Since 2010, the number of people using tobacco has dropped by 120 million – a 27% drop in relative terms. Yet, tobacco still hooks one in five adults worldwide, fuelling millions of preventable deaths every year.

‘Millions of people are stopping, or not taking up, tobacco use thanks to tobacco control efforts by countries around the world,’ said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. ‘In response to this strong progress, the tobacco industry is fighting back with new nicotine products, aggressively targeting young people. Governments must act faster and stronger in implementing proven tobacco control policies.’

For the first time, WHO has estimated global e-cigarette use – and the numbers are alarming: more than 100 million people worldwide are now vaping. This includes:

Adults: at least 86 million users, mostly in high-income countries.

Adolescents: at least 15 million children (13-15 years) already using e-cigarettes. In countries with data, children are on average nine times more likely than adults to vape.

The tobacco industry is introducing an incessant chain of new products and technologies for its aim to market tobacco addiction with not just cigarettes but also e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, heated tobacco products among others, which all harm people’s health, and more worryingly the health of new generations, youth and adolescents.

‘E-cigarettes are fuelling a new wave of nicotine addiction,’ said Etienne Krug, WHO Director of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention Department. ‘They are marketed as harm reduction but, in reality, are hooking kids on nicotine earlier and risk undermining decades of progress.’

More Women Are Quitting Tobacco Than Men

While there has been a steady decline in tobacco use for both men and women across all age-groups during 2000-2024, women have been leading the charge to quit tobacco. They hit the global reduction target for 2025 five years early, reaching the 30% milestone back in 2020. Prevalence of tobacco use among women dropped from 11% in 2010 to just 6.6% in 2024, with the number of female tobacco users falling from 277 million in 2010 to 206 million in 2024.

By contrast, men are not expected to reach the goal until 2031. Today, more than four out of five tobacco users worldwide are men, with just under 1 billion men still using tobacco. While prevalence among men has fallen from 41.4% in 2010 to 32.5% in 2024, the pace of change is too slow.

Regional Picture

South-East Asia: Once the world’s hotspot, prevalence among men nearly halved – from 70% in 2000 to 37% in 2024. The Region alone accounts for over half of the global decline.

Africa: Prevalence is the lowest of all regions at 9.5% in 2024, and the Region is on track to meet the 30% target. However, because of population growth, the absolute number of tobacco users continues to rise.

Americas: The Region has achieved a 36% relative reduction, with prevalence dropping to 14% in 2024, though some countries still lack sufficient data.

Europe: This is now the highest-prevalence Region globally, with 24.1% of adults using tobacco in 2024, with women in Europe having the highest global prevalence at 17.4%.

Eastern Mediterranean: Prevalence is 18%, with tobacco use continuing to rise in some countries.

Western Pacific: With 22.9% of adults using tobacco in 2024, down from 25.8% in 2010, the progress in this Region is the slowest. While women have low prevalence at 2.5%, men have the highest prevalence of all regions at 43.3%.

Actions Needed

WHO is urging governments everywhere to step up tobacco control. This means fully implementing and enforcing the MPOWER package and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, closing loopholes that allow the tobacco and nicotine industries to target children, and regulating new nicotine products like e-cigarettes. It also means raising tobacco taxes, banning advertising, and expanding cessation services so that millions more people can quit.

‘Nearly 20% of adults people still use tobacco and nicotine products. We cannot let up now,’ said Jeremy Farrar, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Care. ‘The world has made gains, but stronger, faster action is the only way to beat the tobacco epidemic.’