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Yar’Adua Won a Disputed Election in 2007. 19 Years Later, Has Nigeria Fixed What Went Wrong?Nineteen years after Yar’Adua admitted Nigeria’s 2007 election was flawed, INEC independence, result transmission and electoral accountability remain key tests for the 2027 polls.
By Zainab Bakare•1 day agoPolitics
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Yar’Adua Won a Disputed Election in 2007. 19 Years Later, Has Nigeria Fixed What Went Wrong?
Nineteen years after Yar’Adua admitted Nigeria’s 2007 election was flawed, INEC independence, result transmission and electoral accountability remain key tests for the 2027 polls.
Read More ( 6 min. read)→
ZAINAB BAKAREThe EU has pledged €20 million to boost Nigeria’s military, but will it finally make highways and communities safer for Nigerians?
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has achieved major successes in its intensified campaign against illicit drugs, intercepting a colossal 8,725 kg of tramadol at Apapa port, valued at over N6.98 billion. These efforts, which also include seizures of Canadian Loud and arrests at Idumota Market, underscore the agency's commitment to disrupting drug trafficking networks across Nigeria.
The recent local government elections in Kogi State have drawn severe criticism from opposition parties and observers, who allege widespread irregularities and voter disenfranchisement, despite the ruling APC winning all seats. While KOSIEC and state officials lauded the polls as credible and transparent, opposition figures described them as a sham and a selection process.
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has revealed that metal scavengers stole all wires from a N3 billion electricity project, a key factor in restricting the scrap metal trade. This decision is also driven by intelligence linking scrap dealers to insurgents selling looted metals, highlighting severe security and infrastructure vulnerabilities in the North-East. The government aims to balance public safety with addressing the economic impact on traders.
Business
Nigeria’s ₦2 Billion Rule for Crypto Exchanges and Custodians: Can Smaller Firms Keep Up?
Can smaller crypto operators meet Nigeria’s SEC capital requirements and remain competitive, or will the cost of compliance favour businesses with deeper financial backing?
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ADEDOYIN OLUWADARASIMI
Europe's Largest Banking Network Embraces XRP and Major Cryptos
Germany's Sparkassen banking network has launched crypto trading services, integrating major assets like XRP, Bitcoin, and Ethereum into traditional European banking. Customers can now trade cryptocurrencies directly through their existing banking app, with a gradual rollout across regional savings banks.David Isong
ALERT: $32 Million Stolen Ethereum Floods Crypto Market
stolen ether entering the market in calculated portions to prevent drastic exchange rate fluctuations and to minimize attention on the final destinations of the funds. According to Arkham intelligence, the Drift Protocol exploiter's remaining balance was approximately $195.25 million, primarily held in Ethereum. Over the past day, an address identified as Drift Exploiter 5 transferred 13,400 ETH, valued at roughly $32 million, to mixer contracts. Other analytics platforms, including MistTrack, estimate the total daily activity across related wallets to be as high as 25,700 ETH, equivalent to $61.5 million.</p><p>The attackers are employing a classic tactic of controlled obfuscation by sending funds in tranches of exactly 100 ETH. This strategy effectively severs the direct link between the sender and recipient on the public ledger, rendering automatic tracking exceedingly difficult. This current wave of transactions marks the second major laundering attempt; in July, the hackers similarly moved about $44 million through the mixer. Despite these transfers, the bulk of the loot, between 82,000 and 94,000 ETH, worth up to $224 million, remains in the attackers' balances.</p><p>The original heist, which saw assets now dissolving into the shadow sector of DeFi, occurred on April 1, 2024, when the Solana-based exchange Drift Protocol was drained of $285 million in a mere 12 minutes. This incident has been cited in cybersecurity textbooks due to its unprecedented level of preparation and execution. Both TRM Labs and Chainalysis have attributed the sophisticated attack to the North Korean state-sponsored group UNC4736, also known as Citrine Sleet.</p><p>The elaborate scheme unfolded over a six-month period. The hackers meticulously built a flawless alibi by posing as a legitimate venture fund, engaging in personal communications with developers at international conferences, and even depositing $1 million of their own funds into the exchange's pools. Their method of compromise involved exploiting hidden vulnerabilities in Cursor and VSCode to infiltrate the devices of the platform's Security Council members, subsequently intercepting crucial admin keys. The final step involved releasing a fake CarbonVote token, which the attackers then used as fictitious collateral to withdraw real reserves from the protocol.</p><p>For the affected Drift investors, the appearance of their Ethereum in mixers like Tornado Cash signifies a definitive loss of any practical chance of recovering their funds. While law enforcement managed to intercept and freeze approximately $9.2 million in August, the integration of the vast majority of the capital into Tornado Cash renders any further seizure both legally and technically impossible.</p><p>In an effort to salvage its reputation, Drift Protocol launched a compensation program utilizing DFX tokens on October 1. However, the current buyback fund, established with the support of Tether, only covers about 1% of users' net losses. The team aims to replenish this fund with the platform's future revenues, even as the stolen millions are gradually being distributed among new owners on the open market.</p></div>David Isong
46% Of Nigerian Workers Earn Below ₦200,000: You Have A Job, But Can You Afford Your Life?
Nearly half of Nigerian workers earn below ₦200,000 monthly, according to a new PaidHR report. With rising living costs, is having a job still enough to survive in Nigeria?Owobu Maureen
46% Of Nigerian Workers Earn Below ₦200,000 Monthly, But Can You Really Build A Life On That Salary?
Nearly half of Nigerian workers earn below ₦200,000 monthly, according to a new PaidHR report. With rising living costs, is having a job still enough to survive in Nigeria?Owobu Maureen
Technology
How Nigerian Lawyer Rasheed Aro Got Meta to Restore Five Disabled Instagram Accounts
A Nigerian lawyer got Meta to restore five disabled Instagram accounts with one demand letter. Now, Rasheed Aro is taking on Big Tech to protect Nigerian users.
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OWOBU MAUREEN
Six Things That Have Changed About Paystack Since Stripe Bought It
Six years after Stripe bought Paystack for $200 million, the fintech has expanded across Africa, launched Zap, acquired a microfinance bank and moved into lending. What has changed?Owobu Maureen
Six Things That Have Changed About Paystack Since Stripe Bought It
Six years after Stripe bought Paystack for $200 million, the fintech has expanded across Africa, launched Zap, acquired a microfinance bank and moved into lending. What has changed?Owobu Maureen
Hollywood Maverick's Rebel Past: Jon Favreau's 'Swingers' Stance Revealed
"Swingers," released 30 years ago, explored Gen-X slackerdom through a distinctive "man show" lens, influencing 90s culture with its depiction of male friendships and attempts at retro cool. Jon Favreau's film follows heartbroken actor Mike and his motormouthed friend Trent as they navigate Hollywood's dating scene and a revealing trip to Las Vegas, exposing their true "awkward poseur" nature.Uche Emeka
Tesla's 2026 Model Y Standard Shocks in First Test: Is This the 'Stripper SUV' for You?
Tesla introduces its most affordable Model Y yet, the 2026 Model Y Standard, designed to appeal to cost-conscious EV buyers. This rear-wheel-drive SUV features a stripped-down approach, offering a competitive 321-mile EPA range and respectable performance despite its lower price point.Uche Emeka
Discovery
At What Age Does Being Single Become Everybody's Business?
Marriage at 30 brings pressure from family, social media, and economic realities. A commentary on African expectations, adulthood, and choosing when to settle down.
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PRECIOUS O. UNUSERE
How Nnamdi Azikiwe Fought for Public Libraries When Colonial Officials Doubted Nigerians Needed Them
In 1940, Nnamdi Azikiwe challenged colonial officials who doubted African interest in reading, amid debates over public library funding and access to books in Nigeria.Adedoyin Oluwadarasimi
John B. Watson Deliberately Taught A Baby To Fear The World. Should Scientific Knowledge Come At The Expense Of A Child's Wellbeing?
In 1920, a psychologist deliberately taught a baby to fear things that had never frightened him before. Little Albert became one of psychology’s most controversial experiments, but did anyone ever undo what they had done to him?Owobu Maureen
A Person Needs Help, Nigerians Bring Out Their Phones: When Did Emergencies Become Content?
Someone is fighting for their life, but the crowd is busy recording. Why do Nigerians pull out their phones during emergencies instead of helping? The disturbing truth behind Nigeria’s culture of filming people in crisis.Owobu Maureen
Strength and Strategy: How the Kingdom of Benin Engineered a City Before Its Time
Long before colonialism, Benin City was a marvel of urban planning, technology, and governance. Discover how this ancient African city shaped modern urbanism and why its legacy still matters today.PRECIOUS O. UNUSERE
Opinion
The War on Poverty is on Pause: What Tinubu’s Reforms Really Mean for the Average Nigerian
President Tinubu’s bold economic reforms promised long-term growth, but for many Nigerians, they’ve brought deeper poverty and hardship. Here’s what the reforms really mean for the average citizen
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ZAINAB BAKARE
OPINION: Should Education Be Free To All?
This in-depth analysis examines the promise and pitfalls of tuition-free learning, from breaking cycles of poverty to fears of declining quality. With examples from Finland to sub-Saharan Africa, it explores how nations can balance equity, funding, and excellence in an age where knowledge is the key to progress.Eric Namso
Opinion: The Dangerous Binary of Modern Narcissist Theory
Can Empaths Be Narcissists and what type of narcissistic behaviors exists?Ibukun Oluwa
How Remembering Ancestors Shapes Moral Philosophy
By reflecting on the lives of those who came before us—their virtues, mistakes, and choices—we uncover a deeper, more personal foundation for understanding right and wrong.Ibukun Oluwa
Should Nigeria Adopt a Four-Day Work Week?
As countries experiment with shorter work weeks, Nigeria faces a pressing question: could a four-day schedule ease burnout, boost productivity, and reshape work culture—or would it clash with our unique economic realities?zainab bakare
Lifestyle
When Doctors Got It Wrong: The DES Scandal and the Cost of Ignoring Women’s Health
The DES scandal reveals how ignored medical evidence exposed millions to risks and raised questions about women’s health and medical misogyny.
Read More ( 5 min. read)→ZAINAB BAKARE
US Issues Urgent Travel Warning for Kenya Amid Rising Ebola Threat
The United States has elevated its travel advisory for Kenya to Level 3, urging Americans to reconsider travel following the confirmation of eight Ebola cases, including one fatality, in the country. These cases, linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, have prompted extensive contact tracing and strengthened border screenings by Kenyan authorities. While officials assert a low risk of wider community transmission, the advisory highlights limited medical services, especially in rural areas.Precious Eseaye
Culinary Cousins: 10 Nigerian Foods and Their Global Lookalikes
Nigerian foods have counterparts in other countries, though the similarities do not always mean they share the same history, ingredients or origins. See 10 culinary doppelgängers worth knowing.Adedoyin Oluwadarasimi
FashionLore: The African Beauty Contest Where Men Wear Make-up
The Gerewol festival sees Wodaabe men wear makeup and compete for beauty while women choose the winners, challenging conventional ideas about gender and African beauty standards.Zainab Bakare
Have You Tried Isapa Soup? Meet the Ondo and Ekiti Delicacy Made With White Zobo Leaves
Isapa soup is a traditional Ondo and Ekiti delicacy made with egusi and white zobo leaves, known for its unique flavour, cultural roots and health benefits.Zainab Bakare
Entertainment
“Why Does God Need a Gun?” The Nigerian Poet Who Writes Against Injustice and Forgotten Histories
Using poetry to bring Nigeria’s painful histories of political repression, environmental injustice and religious violence into focus, Ogaga Ifowodo preserves the human experiences that can be lost when these events become mere records of history.
Read More ( 5 min. read)→ADEDOYIN OLUWADARASIMI
More Than Entertainment: 5 African Movies That Told Our Stories to the World
Five African stories, five unforgettable films. From Nigeria's civil war to a Ugandan girl's chess dreams, discover the books and real events that inspired them.Ogochukwu Magdalene Obia
AMAA 2026: What ‘To Adaego With Love’ and ‘The Herd’ Say About Nollywood’s Moment
To Adaego With Love and The Herd lead Nigeria’s AMAA 2026 Best Film bid as Nollywood’s cinema audience and box-office figures grow.Precious O. Unusere
Taylor Swift's Reign Continues: Album Dominates Billboard 200 for Unprecedented 15th Week!
Taylor Swift's 'The Life of a Showgirl' secures its 15th nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, driven by strong album sales and streams. The latest chart, dated Oct. 24, also features new entries like Greta Van Fleet's 'Palace for the People' and movements from Olivia Rodrigo, Morgan Wallen, and Drake, all determined by Luminate's multi-metric consumption methodology.Precious Eseaye
Ronaldo vs Messi: The Race to 1,000 Career Goals Enters Its Final Stretch
Football legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are nearing an unprecedented 1,000 official career goals, a milestone never before achieved. Ronaldo, with 981 goals, holds a significant lead over Messi's 936, making him the strong frontrunner to reach the historic mark first. The article delves into their current paths, historical significance, and the potential outcome of this epic statistical race.Uche Emeka