The Federal Government has named the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in recognition of his administration’s role in initiating the landmark infrastructure project. Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced the decision during the commissioning of a completed section of the highway on Thursday. He described the road as a transformative national project that would boost economic growth, improve connectivity and open up new opportunities along Nigeria’s coastline. Umahi said the road, now officially named the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Coastal Road, reflects the President’s commitment to delivering critical infrastructure across the country. The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the Federal Government’s flagship road projects. When completed, it will stretch from Lagos to Cross River State, linking several coastal states and improving transportation, trade and tourism. The project has generated public debate since construction began, with supporters describing it as a strategic investment in national development, while critics have raised concerns over its cost, procurement process and environmental impact. The announcement was made during the inauguration ceremony attended by senior government officials and other dignitaries.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is considering conducting a mock presidential election and carrying out a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology as part of preparations for the 2027 general election. According to Tribune Online, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan disclosed the proposal on Thursday while receiving the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja. Amupitan said the proposed measures were prompted by lessons from the 2023 general election, particularly concerns over the reliability of election technology. He explained that the Commission is considering a full audit of its electoral systems alongside a mock presidential election to test the readiness of its processes and technology before Nigerians head to the polls in 2027. The INEC chairman said the planned exercise would simulate the nationwide scale of a presidential election, allowing the Commission to identify and address possible weaknesses in logistics, result management and technology deployment ahead of the polls. Amupitan also reiterated the Commission’s commitment to improving electoral processes, saying INEC would continue strengthening logistics and technological infrastructure to deliver more credible elections. The proposed mock election follows continued efforts by the electoral body to restore public confidence after technical challenges experienced during the 2023 presidential election, particularly with the electronic transmission of results.

Iran has launched a fresh wave of attacks on United States military facilities across the Middle East after a sixth consecutive night of American airstrikes on Iranian military targets, escalating fears of a wider regional conflict and renewed disruption to global energy supplies. According to Reuters, Iran said it targeted US facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait and, for the first time, a US command centre in Syria in retaliation for continued American attacks on its military infrastructure. The US Central Command confirmed it carried out another round of precision strikes overnight, targeting military installations near Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island. Washington said the operation hit dozens of Iranian military assets, including coastal surveillance systems, air defence sites, logistics infrastructure and maritime capabilities aimed at weakening Tehran’s military capacity. Iranian state media reported that seven people were killed after US strikes hit bridges in the southern port city of Bandar Khamir, while another civilian was reportedly killed in Pasabandar near Chabahar. Reuters said it could not independently verify the casualty reports. In Qatar, authorities said a child was injured by shrapnel after explosion-like sounds were heard in the capital, Doha, during the latest exchange of attacks. Iran also claimed its Revolutionary Guards struck a US special operations command centre at al-Tanf in Syria, marking the first direct Iranian attack on Syrian territory since the conflict intensified. Tehran said the strike was in retaliation for the deaths of Iranian soldiers in Iranshahr. The latest escalation has once again severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil and gas exports. Tehran has resumed its blockade of the strategic waterway, while the United States has tightened restrictions on Iranian ports. The growing tensions have pushed oil prices higher and renewed concerns about inflation and the impact on the global economy. Reuters also reported that Iran has warned it could encourage Yemen’s Houthi movement to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait if Washington attacks additional Iranian infrastructure. Despite the escalating hostilities, the White House said President Donald Trump remains open to diplomacy while insisting the United States would respond to attacks on international shipping and regional security. One Tehran resident told Reuters that living under the constant threat of war had become exhausting and urged both sides to return to negotiations. The renewed fighting follows the collapse of a truce reached last month, with both sides now engaged in daily military exchanges that have heightened instability across the Middle East. Inside Iran, residents expressed growing anxiety over the renewed conflict.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, and the Ebonyi State Police Command have insisted that an autopsy must be carried out on the body of 26-year-old nurse Mary Habila to determine the cause of her death, despite opposition from her family.   According to Punch, the demand followed an application by Habila’s father, Tanko Habila, before the Ebonyi State High Court seeking to withdraw the police investigation into his daughter’s death. The family also rejected an autopsy, saying they did not suspect foul play and that the procedure was against their culture. However, the Ebonyi State Police Command said a post-mortem examination remains necessary because of the sensitive nature of the case. Police spokesperson Joshua Ukandu said detectives had begun a full investigation, visited the scene and obtained statements from relevant persons. He added that the command was awaiting the attendance of the family or its representatives so a pathologist could conduct the autopsy to establish the exact cause of death. Umahi also appealed to the family to allow the procedure, saying he had directed that Habila’s body should not be released for burial until an autopsy was conducted. Addressing journalists in Abuja, the minister said Habila was a nurse employed by the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ebonyi State, and not a physiotherapist as widely reported. He described her as “like a daughter” who had worked closely with him for about three years. Umahi said he had personally funded her medical treatment at a Turkish hospital, revealing that he paid ₦2.2 million for her most recent treatment in April. He also claimed that shortly before her death, Habila spoke with her boyfriend and complained of bleeding from her nose. According to him, she later told her boyfriend she intended to take a bath before communication stopped. The minister said staff members later forced open her locked room after she failed to respond and found her dead, with the tap still running. He maintained that there was no evidence of foul play and urged investigators to examine the final phone conversations between Habila and her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Habila’s colleague, Anita Baaki, confirmed in a sworn affidavit that she was among staff members staying in the staff chalet at Umahi’s country home in Uburu for official duties. She said Habila visited her room on the night before her death, said she was tired and planned to take a shower before sleeping. Baaki said concern arose the following morning when Habila did not respond to repeated phone calls. After her room was forced open, she was found unconscious and later confirmed dead at the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital. The case has also attracted political and civil society reactions. The Allied People’s Movement called on President Bola Tinubu to suspend Umahi to ensure an independent investigation, while the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights urged the minister to step aside during the probe. The rights group also insisted that no family has the legal authority to halt a criminal investigation and called for an independent forensic autopsy, preservation of evidence, witness protection and prosecution of anyone found culpable.

A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo, Abuja, has ordered the final forfeiture of assets worth about ₦8.9 billion linked to businesswoman Aisha Achimugu to the Federal Government.   Justice Jude Onwugbuzie delivered the ruling on Thursday while granting an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which argued that the assets were proceeds of unlawful activities. The forfeited assets include jewellery valued at ₦4.65 billion, 11 exotic vehicles worth ₦4.29 billion, $50,000, and ₦30 million in cash. The EFCC asked the court to permanently forfeit the assets to the Federal Government, maintaining that investigations linked them to unlawful activities. In his judgment, Justice Onwugbuzie granted the commission’s application and ordered that the jewellery, vehicles and cash be finally forfeited to the Federal Government. The ruling marks the latest development in the EFCC’s legal actions involving Achimugu, following previous forfeiture proceedings against assets linked to her.

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has filed a ₦15 billion defamation suit against Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, over allegations that he demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a ₦27.3 billion take-off grant approved for the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).   According to Channels Television, Gbajabiamila is seeking ₦10 billion in general damages, ₦5 billion in aggravated damages, ₦200 million as the cost of the suit, and a court order compelling Adeyemi to publish a retraction and apology in five national newspapers and across all social media platforms where the allegations were made. Court documents seen by Channels Television show that the Chief of Staff denied ever meeting or communicating with Adeyemi or authorising anyone to demand or receive money on his behalf. Through his legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Kemi Pinheiro, Gbajabiamila described the allegations as false, malicious and defamatory. Other members of the legal team include SANs Folu Oguntade, Olukayode Enitan and Chukwudi Enebeli. The suit followed claims made by Adeyemi during a press conference, where he alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded a 48 per cent kickback from the agency’s ₦27.3 billion take-off grant, allegedly receiving ₦400 million through a proxy while requesting an additional ₦200 million to facilitate presidential approvals. Gbajabiamila, in his sworn statement, denied demanding or receiving any money, abusing his office or interfering with law enforcement agencies. He also denied any involvement in the alleged death of Babatunde Tanimola, who Adeyemi claimed acted as an intermediary, as well as allegations linking him to an alleged assassination attempt on the defendant or interference with security investigations. The court documents stated that Gbajabiamila’s solicitors issued a cease-and-desist letter on July 6, 2026, demanding a retraction and apology, which was published in national newspapers the following day. However, the suit alleged that Adeyemi continued making the claims in subsequent interviews, including one with social media influencer VeryDarkMan and another on Politics Today on Channels Television on July 13. According to the claimant, Adeyemi admitted during one interview that he had never met Gbajabiamila personally or independently verified the identity of the person he believed to be the Chief of Staff, relying solely on communications allegedly conducted through the late Tanimola. Gbajabiamila argued that despite those admissions, Adeyemi continued to repeat the allegations publicly, further damaging his reputation. The court documents also revealed that Adeyemi is facing a separate criminal trial before the Federal High Court, Abuja, over allegations involving forged presidential documents and forged appointment letters. Gbajabiamila said the allegations had harmed his personal and professional reputation and constituted false accusations of corruption, bribery and abuse of office. He added that he chose to seek legal redress instead of responding through the media in order to protect both his reputation and the integrity of the Office of the Chief of Staff. The FCT High Court has directed Adeyemi to enter an appearance within 14 days of being served with the originating processes or risk judgment being entered against him in default.