The United States Department of Homeland Security, DHS, has announced plans to deport at least 110 Nigerians as part of a broader immigration enforcement operation targeting nationals from several West African countries.
According to the department, the move forms part of a wider crackdown that will result in the deportation of 355 individuals from the sub-region.
Under its West Africa Operations Watch initiative, the DHS published the names and photographs of all 355 persons slated for deportation.
The list shows that Nigerians account for 110 of those affected, making the country the second highest on the list after Liberia, which has 94 nationals marked for deportation. Ghana and Senegal follow with 30 and 19 individuals respectively.
Also included in the deportation list are 15 citizens of Cameroon, 14 each from The Gambia and Côte d’Ivoire, 12 from Mauritania, 11 from Cape Verde, nine from Burkina Faso, eight from Niger, six each from Guinea and Togo, five from Mali, and one each from Benin Republic and Guinea-Bissau.
The DHS said those listed were identified for various immigration violations, including visa overstays, unlawful entry into the United States, and failure to comply with residency requirements.
Officials described the exercise as a coordinated enforcement operation carried out across multiple states in the US.
Suspected gunmen have abducted the younger sister of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, along with her twin sons in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Adelabu recently resigned from the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu to contest the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Oyo State but lost the ticket to Senator Sharafadeen Alli.
Nigerian Newssphere gathered that the victims were kidnapped in the early hours of Wednesday while travelling within the city.
The woman was identified as Mrs Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, while her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, were also taken by the abductors.
Sources said the incident occurred as Mrs John-Paul was on her way to drop the children off at school.
Their whereabouts remained unknown as of the time of filing this report.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Oyo State Police Command, Olayinka Ayanlade, for comments were unsuccessful.
However, a media aide to Adelabu, Femi Awogboro, confirmed the incident, stating that the matter had been reported to the police.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Awogboro said: “The family of Chief Adebayo Adelabu, former Minister of Power and leading gubernatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, wishes to formally confirm the unfortunate kidnapping of his younger sister, Mrs Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, alongside her twin sons, Peter and Paul, in the early hours of Wednesday, June 3, 2026.
“Mrs John-Paul, aged 43, was reportedly abducted by armed gunmen at about 7:30 a.m. while on her way to drop her children at school in Ibadan. The abductors also forcefully took away her 12-year-old twin sons who were with her at the time of the incident.
“Mrs Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul is the youngest of the five children of Mrs Olufunmilayo Aduke Adegoke Adelabu.
“Until her voluntary retirement last year, she had served meritoriously at both the Central Bank of Nigeria and First Bank Pension Custodian. Following her retirement, she relocated to Ibadan with her children while making preparations to eventually join her husband, Mr. John Paul, who had earlier relocated to the United States of America.”
Gunmen on Tuesday night attacked an immigration office in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, in a brazen assault that has raised fresh security concerns in the area.
According to information gathered by Nigerian Newssphere, the incident occurred at the immigration office located along the Ogbomoso–Ilorin New Expressway at about 10 p.m.
Sources said the attackers stormed the facility and dispossessed officers on duty of their firearms before fleeing the scene.
A reliable source in Ogbomoso, who spoke to Journalists on condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident.
“Yes, it occurred yesterday night. People have been calling me. It happened,” the source said.
As of the time of filing this report on Wednesday, efforts to obtain an official reaction from the spokesperson of the Oyo State Police Command were unsuccessful.
President Donald Trump has nominated new ambassadors to five African countries, leaving Nigeria without a substantive United States ambassador as Washington continues efforts to fill vacant diplomatic positions around the world.
The nominations, submitted to the U.S. Senate this week, include 20 ambassadorial appointments that will take effect upon confirmation by lawmakers.
For Africa, Trump nominated Stanley Brown of Virginia as ambassador to Equatorial Guinea; Nick Oberheiden of Texas to Egypt; Henry Wooster of Virginia to Kenya; Laurence Socha of Illinois to The Gambia; and Daniel Travis of California to Sierra Leone.
Nigeria was not included in the latest round of nominations, leaving uncertainty over when Washington will appoint a new ambassador to Africa’s most populous nation.
The position became vacant following the departure of Richard Merrill Mills Jr., who served as U.S. ambassador from July 2024 until January 16, 2026. Mills was among diplomats affected by the Trump administration’s global recall of ambassadors.
Richard Mills for US ambassador to Nigeria
Since his departure, Keith Heffern has been serving as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja.
According to the American Foreign Service Association’s Ambassador Tracker, 109 of the 195 ambassadorial positions worldwide were vacant as of May 19, 2026, with most vacancies relating to country missions and international organizations.
Among the other ambassadorial nominees are Mark Abreu of Florida to El Salvador, Alexander Alden of Virginia to Azerbaijan, Christopher Anderson of Wisconsin to Cambodia, Daniel Perez of Florida to Brazil, and Michael Young of Utah to Serbia.
Others awaiting Senate confirmation include Joseph Burkhalter of Georgia to Moldova, William Grayson of California to Indonesia, Douglas Holder of Florida to Bulgaria, Ronald Johnson of Massachusetts to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Peter Snyder of Virginia to Ecuador.
Also nominated were Jennifer Johnson-Carroll of Florida to Trinidad and Tobago, Paul Kalmbach of Ohio to Paraguay, Peter McCoy of South Carolina to Montenegro, Nathaniel Morris of Kentucky to Colombia, and Keith Noreika of Pennsylvania to Lithuania.
The Senate is also expected to consider several senior administration appointments, including Carl Anderson of Virginia as Inspector General of the Department of State and Ge Bai of Virginia as Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Additional nominees include Johnny Figueroa for Ambassador-at-Large for Global Health Security and Diplomacy, John Hurley as U.S. Representative to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Donald Blome as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Katherine Bowles as Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, and Maria Lopez as Chairman of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has urged Nigerians to pray for former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, following recent allegations and comments attributed to the former governor.
The call was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade.
According to Oyelade, Fayose’s recent remarks had surprised many Nigerians and amounted to false accusations. He added that Governor Makinde remained focused on tackling the security challenges facing the state.
“Nigerians are shocked by Fayose’s comment. He needs prayers. For a former governor to be so consumed by the politics of vindictiveness, vileness, deceit, and hate that he would further endanger the lives of those in captivity and distract security agents from handling this delicate job smacks of one who has lost his mind.
“Governor Makinde is too preoccupied with finding a solution to the challenges posed by the kidnappers of children and teachers in the state to engage someone whose lifestyle and comportment have been suspect over a long time,” the commissioner said.
Oyelade also referred to previous comments allegedly made by Fayose linking Makinde to political tensions in Oyo State, including claims surrounding the recent abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
He appealed to residents and Nigerians to remain calm, assuring them that the state government was working tirelessly to secure the release of the abducted victims.
Fayose had, during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, accused Makinde of not responding promptly to the kidnapping incident. He further alleged, without providing evidence, that the abductions were politically motivated and aimed at embarrassing President Bola Tinubu.
The former governor also suggested that the incident could have been orchestrated by the Oyo State Government, claims that have since triggered fresh political exchanges between both camps.
Former presidential aide and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Babafemi Ojudu, has criticised the emergence of a reported ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as the ruling party’s governorship candidate in Rivers State.
Recalls that Kingsley Chinda, the immediate past minority leader of the House of Representatives, emerged as the APC governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 Rivers State governorship election.
However, controversy followed his emergence after he officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC weeks after the party’s primary election.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, announced Chinda’s defection during plenary on Tuesday.
Reacting in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Ojudu questioned how a politician who was still a member of another party at the time of the primary could secure the APC governorship ticket.
He wrote, “How can the minority leader of one political party secure the governorship ticket of the ruling party and only afterwards defect to that party? Welcome to Rivers State, a soon-to-be renamed Wike State.”
Ojudu further expressed concern over what he described as a departure from established political norms and party principles.
“Traditionally, political parties are expected to be built on loyalty, shared values, ideological commitments, and long-term participation.
“There are usually expectations—formal or informal—that those seeking a party’s ticket would have contributed to its growth, endured its struggles, respected its processes, and identified with its aspirations over time.
“What then are we witnessing when a politician obtains the ticket of a party before even becoming a member of that party?
“What happens to those who have spent years building the party, funding it, organising for it, defending it, and remaining loyal through difficult times? What becomes of the principles of membership, party discipline, and internal democracy?” he asked.
However, Chinda gathered that Chinda is a member of the Rainbow Coalition, a political alliance comprising influential figures from differnt parties who support President Bola Tinubu.
FIFA has released the official list of all 1,248 players selected to represent the 48 participating nations at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The squad list, published on Tuesday, revealed that 891 players will be making their World Cup debuts, while 357 players have previously featured at the tournament and are returning for another appearance.
The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to begin on June 11 across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, marking the first edition of the tournament to feature 48 teams.
In a statement, FIFA described the publication of the final squad lists as one of the key milestones ahead of the competition’s opening match.
“The final squad lists for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ have been published by FIFA, representing one of the tournament’s most exciting milestones with just nine days to go until kick-off.
“With 48 teams and 1,248 players made available to take to the pitch across 104 matches in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, this edition represents a watershed moment for the global game, opening the door to more nations, players, and their fans than ever before,” the statement read.
The expanded tournament will feature a record number of teams and matches, underscoring FIFA’s efforts to broaden participation and global representation in football’s biggest event.
Six schoolchildren, their driver and two other victims abducted by suspected bandits along the Akwando-Kachia Road in Kaduna State have regained their freedom after spending 36 days in captivity.
The victims were kidnapped on April 26, 2026, when suspected bandits attacked a vehicle conveying schoolchildren from Akwando village to Kachia, the headquarters of Kachia Local Government Area. Nine passengers were taken away during the attack, while a young girl reportedly lost her life.
Confirming the development, the spokesman of the Kuturmi Unity Development Association (KUDA), Mr. Manasseh Samuel, said the victims returned home on Sunday after being released by their captors.
“The victims returned home on Sunday morning after trekking for about six hours through the bush,” Samuel said.
He expressed appreciation to individuals and groups who offered prayers and support that contributed to securing the victims’ freedom.
A former media aide to the late Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, Mr. Reuben Buhari, also confirmed the release in a Facebook post, stating that the victims regained their freedom on Sunday and arrived home the following morning.
Buhari wrote, “Thirty-six days after they were kidnapped while on their way to school in Kachia from Akwando village, six schoolchildren, the driver of the vehicle and two other adults regained their freedom yesterday and got home this morning after trekking for six hours in the bush.”
The release of the victims has brought relief to their families and residents of the affected communities, who had anxiously awaited their safe return.
Veteran Nigerian filmmaker and comedian, Okiki Adesina, popularly known as Okiki Adesina, has died.
The actor reportedly lost his life in a fatal road accident on Monday.
The tragic news was announced on Tuesday by veteran filmmaker and president of the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria, Bolaji Amusan, popularly known as Mr Latin, via his Instagram page.
Mourning the late actor, Mr Latin wrote:
“May the soul of our departed colleague, Adesina Okiki Janmole, who tragically lost his life in an accident, rest in perfect peace.
“May God grant his family, friends, and colleagues the strength and comfort to bear this irreparable loss. He will be greatly missed. Amen.”
The death of Janmole comes nearly four years after he survived a fire incident along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, an experience that had drawn concern from colleagues and fans within the Nigerian entertainment industry.
Chelsea have reportedly joined the race to sign Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen from Galatasaray, according to Soccernet.
The Turkish champions are said to have placed a €150 million price tag on the Nigerian forward amid growing interest from several clubs ahead of the summer transfer window.
The development comes following comments by Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle regarding Osimhen’s absence from Nigeria’s upcoming friendly matches against Poland and Portugal.
Explaining his decision, Chelle said: “Victor Osimhen will not be in our friendly matches against Poland and Portugal. Because there may be a possibility of a club change. Therefore, I preferred him to stay at home. If your mind is not 100% here, going out on the field to play does not create a good situation.”
However, Osimhen later clarified the situation, insisting that Chelle’s remarks had been taken out of context.
The 27-year-old striker remains one of the most sought-after forwards in Europe, with speculation over his future continuing to intensify ahead of the new season.
