News April 07, 2026 Panic as fire razes section of UBA house Lagos

Fire has razed a section of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) House located in Marina, Lagos.

The fire incident occurred on Monday night, with multiple videos on social media showing a section of the 20-storey building in flames as passers-by raised an alarm for rescue operation.

Some minutes later, firefighters arrived at the scene to put out the fire.

Confirming the incident, Shakiru Amodu, head of public education of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, told TheCable that the inferno was quickly curtailed.

“Nothing serious, more like a fire scare as it was curtailed in good time. Just the inverter battery section,” Amodu said.

In September 2025, fire engulfed Afriland Towers on Broad Street in Lagos Island, a multiple storey building that houses offices of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and United Capital Plc (UCAP), a branch of UBA, and other financial institutions.

Four staff members of FIRS and six employees of United Capital died during the fire incident.

The fire was said to have started in the inverter room located in the basement of the storey building.

(TheCable)

News April 07, 2026 JUST IN: Resident Doctors suspends nationwide strike

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, will resume work at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday following the suspension of the nationwide strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

ARD UCH President Dr Uthman Adedeji disclosed this on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan, confirming compliance with the national directive.

NAN reports that NARD had earlier directed its members nationwide to embark on an indefinite strike over the federal government’s failure to address its demands.

The demands include immediate reversal of the revised Professional Allowance, payment of outstanding promotion and salary arrears, and prompt disbursement of the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), among others.

Adedeji said the strike was suspended after an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting, during which NARD directed members nationwide, including those at UCH, to resume duties at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

He explained that the decision followed the federal government’s reversal of its stance on the revised professional allowance and a commitment to address other outstanding issues raised by the association.

He said that no new patients would be admitted at UCH until Wednesday morning, as doctors would use the period to properly hand over patients currently on admission to consultants.

According to him, patients who are stable will be discharged, while no new cases, including emergencies, will be accepted until full services resume at the scheduled time.

Adedeji added that some doctors might be granted additional time to manage critically ill patients beyond the handover window, subject to approval from the association’s leadership.

He reiterated the association’s commitment to patient care and urged the federal government to urgently address the demands of NARD to prevent further disruption in the health sector. (NAN)

News April 07, 2026 ‎Blessing CEO’s breast cancer report is fake – NMA

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has said that relationship influencer Blessing Okoro, known as “Blessing CEO,” deceived the public by circulating a forged breast cancer diagnosis that originally belonged to another patient, Mbara Deborah, in order to solicit donations.

The Delta State chapter of NMA said in a statement that it conducted an investigation and discovered that the histology report Okoro presented as her own was issued on May 9, 2025 by Xinus Medical Diagnostics in Asaba, Delta State and not Enugu, as Okoro claimed, for a patient referred by a private hospital doctor.

The NMA said the report was never issued to Okoro at any point.

The proprietor of Xinus Medical Diagnostics and a member of the NMA Delta State chapter, Dr. O. A. Odigwe, approached the association to clarify the matter and confirmed that the original result which belongs to Mbara Deborah was the same document being circulated online by law firm Allen Juris Law, and that Okoro had no connection to it.

When confronted with this information, Okoro acknowledged receiving donations from the public but refused to apologise, claiming she had  genuine personal health fears.

‎In its official statement, signed by chairman Dr. Israel  Adaigho and secretary Dr. Usamah Hannah, the NMA said the integrity of the association and its members “is very paramount and should not be taken for granted.”

The association urged authorities to act to protect the public from further exploitation.

The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to an online histology report purportedly issued to one Blessing Okoro, AKA Blessing CEO, by XINUS MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS allegedly located in Enugu State. The said histology report was also alleged to have been signed by Dr O. A. Odigwe, a consultant pathologist.

‎”The proprietor of Xinus Medical Diagnostics, Dr O.A. Odigwe who is also a member of the Nigeria Medical Association, Delta State Chapter has reached us and has offered the following information to clear the air on the true position of the result as follows: That Xinus Medical Diagnostics is located in Asaba, Delta State and did not at anytime issue any report to BLESSING OKORO.

‎”That Xinus Medical Diagnostics was actually contacted in May 2025 by a doctor from a private hospital in Asaba to do a confirmatory test on a possible case of breast cancer for his patient, Mbara Deborah. That the test was done and the result issued to the referring doctor as a case of Breast Cancer on the 9th of May, 2025.

“That a copy of that result is the one being circulated online by the Law firm- Allen Juris Law, with the name Mbara Deborah as the patient. That the result online from the law firm is the original version issued to the patient through her hospital.

‎”This clarification is deemed necessary in view of what the altered report being paraded by Blessing Okoro is now being used for. The members of the public should therefore be guided accordingly.

‎”The integrity of our association and its members is very paramount and should not therefore be taken for granted. We call on the authorities responsible for maintaining law and order to do the needful and save the unsuspecting members of the public from being taken undue advantage of.”

(TheSun)

News April 07, 2026 Protesters disrupt funeral service amid mounting security tension in Plateau state

Grief quickly gave way to anger in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North, on Tuesday as a funeral for victims of the recent attack turned into a protest over what residents describe as a widening gap between violence and justice in Plateau State.

Women and youths gathered outside the church, disrupting proceedings and demanding accountability, insisting that those earlier arrested were not responsible for the killings.

The demonstration reflected a deeper frustration, one rooted in repeated attacks and what many see as a slow, ineffective response from authorities.

As tensions rose, the state government confirmed the death toll had climbed to 33 after more victims died in the hospital.

Chief of Staff Jeremiah Satmak said efforts are ongoing to uncover those behind the attack and restore calm.

“Government is working tirelessly to unravel the motive behind these killings and bring an end to the violence on the Plateau. This attack was meant to break our unity, but it will not succeed,” he said.

He urged residents to remain vigilant and prayerful, while also confirming the release of three youths earlier detained in connection with the incident, one of the key demands of the protesters.

Religious leaders warned that without justice, peace would remain elusive. Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state, Rev. Gomwalk Dunkan, struck a firm note.

“There can be no peace without justice. Government must ensure that justice is served for lasting peace to return,” he said.

News April 07, 2026 COVID-19 Loans: House of Reps urges flexible repayment plan

The House of Representatives has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), NIRSAL, and SMEDAN to restructure the repayment system for recovery of the COVID-19 loans from Nigerians who took the facility.

It also wants the interest rates reduced, as well as extension of the repayment time, and make the process more flexible so that small businesses do not collapse.

The House made the call recently following public outcry by Nigerians who complained that their accounts were being emptied.

The lawmakers also urged the Ministry of Finance to suspend all forceful recoveries and even consider waiving the loans for low-income earners and small business owners.

According to Rep. Saidu Abdullahi who moved the motion, many people genuinely cannot repay these loans because of the current economic hardship.

Following complaints by people who took out loans that their accounts were being emptied, some stakeholders have urged the CBN and NIRSAL Microfinance Bank (NMFB) to furnish Nigerians with the records of the COVID-19 loans.

They made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

NAN reports that in 2020, the Federal Government had established a Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) to cushion the economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on Nigerians and small businesses.

The stakeholders claimed that the total amount given out in loans and the amount recovered had been shrouded in secrecy.

Findings revealed that the TCF was created by the CBN and disbursed by NMFB, which is affiliated to the apex bank.

Available records show that a total sum of about N419.42 billion was disbursed to 792,936 beneficiaries, consisting of households and small businesses.

Some beneficiaries of the loans had, however, complained that their bank savings were being eroded without authorisation.

According to an economist, Bola Adeola, COVID-19 loan recovery statistics are still unavailable.

Adeola said that many beneficiaries defaulted in the repayment of the loans.

“Auto-debits only began recently for COVID-19 loans. Accountability remains a myth,” he said.

A policy analyst, Mr Seidu Yusuf, said that many people just noticed money being taken from their bank accounts by NFMB, and it had caused a lot of confusion.

“Most of these deductions are for COVID‑19 intervention loans under the TCF.

“Some people thought this money is a free grant, but it is actually a loan that must be paid back.

“If the loan is not fully repaid on time, NIRSAL can automatically take money from any account linked to your BVN.”

Emannuel Owen, a banker, said that many people collected the COVID-19 and NIRSAL loans without having real plans for the money.

According to him, they spent it anyhow, without thinking about repayment. Now, for years, their accounts have been debited, and they are angry and frustrated.

An official of the CBN, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that NIRSAL was in charge of the disbursement and recovery of the loans.

According to him, it is difficult to know exactly how much has been recovered, but they are recovering.

He said that 62 per cent of the N419 billion total sum that was disbursed under the TFC was underperforming,

He said that ₦ 41 billion had been repaid, while ₦261 billion remains in default as non-performing loans.

“N116 billion is still in the system, being paid or restructured.

“The only thing they need is your BVN to enable them to access all your bank accounts. A lot of the beneficiaries thought that they would not pay back the loans,” he said. (NAN)

News April 07, 2026 Beautiful Couple Chidinma, Engr. Chidi Set for Colourful Traditional Marriage Tuesday in Anambra

Two love birds who have found reasons to be with each other in a marital union, Chidinma Umezugha and Chidi Amechi, the Chairman of Moorex Group will be traditionally joined as husband and wife in a colourful ceremony on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. 

The bride and his groom, both of whom are from Nnewi South local government area of Anambra State will traditionally tie the knot at the bride's home — Ichie John Umezugha (Eziokwu Bu Ndu compound), near Unubi High School. 

"With joyful hearts, we invite you to celebrate our Traditional Marriage Ceremony as we begin this beautiful journey of love, culture, and family", the couple said in their official invitation to well wishers in a viral message. 

"Come share in the joy, laughter, culture, music, and blessings as two families become one. We look forward to celebrating this memorable day with you", the stated further. 

Prominent personalities are expected at the occasion which comes ahead of a church wedding taking place later this year.

Events News April 06, 2026 Iconic International Holdings Set to Hold 100 Iconic Personalities of the Year 2026 Awards in Lagos

Iconic International Holdings is proud to officially announce all is now set  for the highly anticipated 100 Iconic Personalities of the Year 2026 Awards a prestigious event dedicated to honoring exceptional leaders, innovators, and influential figures shaping Africa’s future and impacting the global community.

The landmark event will take place on 10 April 2026 at the prestigious Oriental Hotel in Lagos, bringing together distinguished guests, global leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries from across Africa for an evening of recognition, celebration, and inspiration.

The 100 Iconic Personalities of the Year Awards serves as a powerful platform that recognizes excellence, celebrates transformational leadership, and promotes innovation, unity, and sustainable development across Africa and beyond. 

The initiative continues to reflect the organization’s commitment to empowering individuals whose contributions drive meaningful change and progress within society.

Speaking on the development , the Chief Executive Officer of Iconic International Holdings Tinotenda Michelle Chavundura reaffirmed the organization’s dedication to building a legacy of excellence and advancing global recognition of impactful leadership.

Tinotenda noted that “The 100 Iconic Personalities of the Year Awards is more than a celebration — it is a movement that honors greatness, inspires future leaders, and strengthens our collective vision for Africa’s growth and global influence.”

Iconic International Holdings looks forward to welcoming partners, stakeholders, and honorees to this historic gathering as the organization continues to set the standard for global recognition and leadership excellence said Malaika Lobengula the Executive Director of the organization. 

According to Amb. Dr. Temisan O. Louis President/Founder of the Iconic International Holdings Group, This year’s edition in Lagos Nigeria will include a Business & Leadership Summit beginning from 11am to 2pm and the Dinner Award event which will Honor and celebrate 100 Iconic Personalities from diverse industries across Africa and diaspora. 

He noted delegates are arriving from over 35 countries into Lagos beginning from Wednesday 8th April 2026 ahead of the event. 

In the same vein, the Executive Global Vice President of Iconic International Holdings Amb. Apphia Nyasha Musavengana stated that As Per our  mandate to position Iconic International Holdings as the Africa’s most reputable recognition platform, the event will Honor only thoroughly vetted and qualified individuals and organizations who have contributed immensely towards societal development and advancement over the years.

The Event will feature Keynote Presentations By Prof. Eze Chidi Nwauba Vice Chancellor I-Fatoss University Benin Republic, Amb. Dr. Olamide Junaid founder of OJ Initiatives, Dr. Chinweoke Amarachi Okuwobi Founder Talented Women Network and Fire Side Chat Session from Global Talent Star Chief Dr. Alibaba and Dr. Princess Kelechi Oghene Founder GMYT Group alongside other Notable Panelists Speakers like Dr. Kaffy, Rugged Man, Simply_Tacha amongst others. 

The Event will further cement Iconic International Holdings as the Premiere and most reputable Recognition Brand in Africa and Diaspora.