- FG drops defamation case against Senator Natasha
- NRS Chairman slams transfer tax rumours as false
- Tinubu orders manhunt after deadly Niger attacks
- Dangote Refinery dismisses shutdown claims and floods market with petrol
- Trump issues more threats over Venezuela, as he revives Greenland claim
Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the top five Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.
FG drops defamation case against Senator Natasha
Legal proceedings against Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan have been brought to a close after the Federal Government withdrew the criminal defamation charges filed against her.
Court records show that the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation submitted a Notice of Discontinuance on December 12 last year at the Federal High Court in Abuja. This action formally ended the case instituted in the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The prosecution followed petitions written by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello. With the withdrawal, the senator will no longer face trial over the allegations.
NRS Chairman slams transfer tax rumours as false
Nigeria’s Revenue Service chairman, Zacch Adedeji, has dismissed claims that bank transfer narrations are being taxed under the new tax laws, calling such reports misleading.
Speaking on the issue, Adedeji said personal transfers, including money sent to family or friends, are not monitored for tax purposes. He stressed that no tax authority has the power to pry into private bank accounts over transfer details.
The NRS boss blamed the spread of rumours on tax avoiders, adding that recent reforms have actually reduced charges. He explained that stamp duty is now paid only by the sender, unlike before when both sender and receiver were charged.
Tinubu orders manhunt after deadly Niger attacks
Following deadly assaults in parts of Niger State, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered security agencies to hunt down those behind the violence.
At least 42 civilians were killed during coordinated attacks on communities in Agwarra and Borgu local councils, including a raid on Kasuwan Daji market in Sukumbara village. Women and children were also abducted during the assaults.
Condemning the incident as a grave attack on innocent Nigerians, Tinubu vowed a firm response. Meanwhile, security forces intensified operations elsewhere, killing over 50 bandits across Kano, Katsina, and Kogi states as part of wider counter-terror efforts.
Dangote Refinery dismisses shutdown claims and floods market with petrol
Details from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery show that operations remain fully active, despite rumours of a shutdown. Officials confirmed that 43.3 million litres of petrol were released into the Nigerian market on Saturday alone.
The refinery dismissed reports of maintenance downtime, saying some depot owners were using the claims to justify higher pump prices. It noted that petrol prices had recently dropped from N828 to N699 per litre.
According to the officials, no truck was turned back. They said the volume supplied was about 50 per cent higher than Nigeria’s daily petrol consumption.
Trump issues more threats over Venezuela, as he revives Greenland claim
Fresh tensions have emerged between Washington and Caracas after Donald Trump warned Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, to cooperate with US plans or face consequences worse than those confronting Nicolás Maduro, who is jailed in New York.
Trump accused Rodríguez of blocking what he called a fair transition, despite earlier saying she was open to talks. He threatened tougher action against leaders opposing US control of Venezuela and its oil resources.
In the same interview, Trump repeated his call for American control of Greenland, citing security concerns, and described Venezuela as a failed state in urgent need of rebuilding.
