Compilations of top 10 key latest things that you need to know this Saturday morning, 21st February, 2026
Night of terror in Zamfara
Zamfara State was on Friday thrown into mourning as bandits reportedly killed no fewer than 50 residents of Dutsin Dan Ajiya village, Anka Local Government area of the state.
Corpses of the victims were robed in white in preparation for a mass burial as seen in a video by Saturday PUNCH.
A resident of the village, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the bandits, who carried sophisticated weapons, raided the village on Thursday night and shot sporadically.
He added that the terrorists blocked all access roads linking the community to prevent people from running away. He said,
“After blocking all the roads, the bandits started to shoot at sight and the villagers ran helter-skelter.“
After the attack, we realised that 30 people were killed; some were wounded, while several others are at large and nobody knows their whereabouts.”
According to Saturday PUNCH, the attackers also abducted many residents during the raid which lasted till the wee hours of Friday.
Mirabel’s lawyer urges patience as police probe TikToker’s rape allegations
Legal counsel to Mirabel, the TikTok user at the centre of a widely debated sexual assault allegation, has called on the public to remain calm and allow the police investigation to run its course.
The lawyer identified as Taofeek Akinbo made the call in a series of posts on X on Friday, where he formally confirmed his role in the matter and appealed for restraint amid growing online commentary.
Based on social media interactions, the lawyer appears to have a connection with the Ogun Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi.
In his posts, he tagged the PPRO and social media commentator VeryDarkMan, to whom the TikToker reportedly confessed that aspects of her initial story were false.
“Please be assured that this matter is being handled with the utmost diligence, professionalism, and respect for due process,” Akinbo wrote.
He further urged the public to avoid speculation while authorities conclude their findings.
“We kindly urge the public to exercise patience as we await the outcome of the ongoing investigation by the Nigeria Police Force, specifically the Gender and Rape Allied Matters Unit, Zone 2 Area Command, Abeokuta, Ogun State,” he added.
Niger-Delta Games: Sports, instrument of unity, empowerment — Tinubu
The second edition of the Niger Delta Games began on Friday in Benin, Edo State with President Bola Tinubu urging the organisers to invest in youths and women.
At the opening ceremony in the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Edo’s rich cultural heritage was on display.
Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of State for Industry, John Enoh, said sports remained an instrument of unity and empowerment known to mankind.
He also commended the Niger Delta Development Commission for sustaining the initiative and said his administration prioritised human capital development alongside infrastructural development.
Tinubu noted that the maiden edition demonstrated that when the government provided the platform, the youths would respond.
He added,
“Niger Delta youths are creative and ready to compete. Beyond medals and trophies, this gameq is about talent discovery.
Nigeria must lead. Young talents must see sport as a pathway to career and global recognition.
APC not a party of saints, but better than PDP — Keyamo
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has stated that the All Progressives Congress is not a party made up of saints but maintains that it remains a better alternative to the Peoples Democratic Party.
In a post accompanied by a video via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday, Keyamo referred to an interview he granted to a blog in 2017, clarifying that his comments were recently taken out of context.
He wrote,
“This is the unedited part of the interview I granted a blog in 2017 (nine years ago) emphasising that APC may not be a Party of saints (which, I repeat, is a matter of fact), BUT it is still far better than where we were coming from. Some characters edited the last part of my statement out of it.
“And today, I repeat it again, I will be a fool to say APC is a Party of saints. And anyone who declares any Party to which he/she belongs as a Party of saints will also be a fool.”
One killed, four rescued as brake‑failed tanker crashes in Lagos
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has confirmed the death of one person and the rescue of four others following a road accident at Ekoro Junction inward Abule-Egba, Lagos State, on Friday evening.
The Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, made this known in a statement issued on the agency’s X handle on Saturday.
According to the agency, the crash occurred at about 7:30 p.m. when an empty MACK tanker suffered a sudden brake failure, lost control and rammed into a Toyota Corolla before crashing into a roadside shop.
LASTMA said the tanker, with registration number EKY 900 XY, collided with a Toyota Corolla marked AAA 823 AY.
The impact caused extensive structural damage to the shop and triggered panic among traders and pedestrians in the area.
Influencer Papaya Ex alleges assault by police officer in Lagos
Nigerian social media influencer and creator, Abike Raheem, popularly known as Papaya Ex, has alleged that a police officer assaulted her during a late-night encounter in the Ajah area of Lagos State.
Papaya Ex made the claim during an emotional TikTok live session on Friday, accusing the officer of physical violence and inappropriate conduct while she was returning home from a shoot.
According to the influencer, what began as a seemingly friendly exchange with the officer during a stop quickly degenerated into a confrontation.
She alleged that the officer struck her in the face with a gun, assaulted her driver, and touched her inappropriately.
Insecurity worsens, we need help — Governor declares
On a humid Wednesday night, February 18, 2026, silence hung over Ahungha Village in Akure North, Ondo State, until it was shattered by gunfire.
They came like phantoms in the dark, heavily armed and merciless.
Their target was neither a rival gang nor a security outpost. It was a palace, the sacred home of a traditional ruler.
By the time the night exhaled its last breath, Oba Kehinde Jacob Faledun, the revered monarch of Ahungha, lay in his own blood.The gunmen had invaded his palace to abduct him.
For resisting, he was killed.
Hours later, as if to underline the country’s collective anguish, 34 Muslim worshippers were massacred in Kebbi State, barely two days into Ramadan.
Two separate horrors. One unifying message: In today’s Nigeria, human life appears increasingly vulnerable.
Election: Wike moves to deliver Abuja, Rivers as Kwankwaso, Yusuf dig in for Kano
Nigeria’s political heavyweights are locked in a high-stakes contest today as voters troop out for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Area Council elections and simultaneous bye-elections in Kano and Rivers states.
In Abuja, the influence of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, is on the line as he moves to deliver the nation’s capital for the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Wike is also angling to deliver in Rivers where voters in Ahoada East II and Khana II constituencies also head to the polls in crucial bye-elections.
In Kano, the battle pits New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso against his estranged godson, who is now in the APC, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, in two vacant State Assembly seats.
The elections are the first major electoral outing under the Electoral Act 2026 and are widely seen as a dress rehearsal for 2027.
Polls test for APC, ADC, NNPP in FCT, Kano, Rivers
The All Progressives Congress (APC), Action Democratic Congress (ADC), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and 15 other political parties are rolling out their arsenal today in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council polls, as well as bye elections in Rivers and Kano States.
Political observers yesterday described the polls as a test run for next year’s elections.
At stake today are the chairmanship and councillorship seats in the Abuja Municipal Area Council and the five area councils of Abaji, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali
Also being contested are Rivers State Assembly seats for Ahoada 11 and Khana 11 State constituencies and Kano State Assembly seats Ungoggo and Kano Municipal constituencies.
Three presidential aspirants from ADC – former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi – during the week took turns to campaign for the ADC chairmanship candidate, Dr. Moses Paul.
Police arrest man in Rivers for slitting wife’s throat during argument
Tragedy occurred at Amaji village in Umuoyoro community, Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State on Thursday following the arrest of a man identified as Mr Abuchi for allegedly slitting his wife’s throat during an argument.
It was gathered that the wife died after the deep cut inflicted on her by her husband in their farm in Amaji community.
A source, who spoke in confidence, said an argument ensued between the couple on the fateful day, but the man reached for a kitchen knife and allegedly cut the throat of the woman, a mother of two.
The source said:
“How people got to know was that the woman was screaming loudly before she died.
It was that scream that attracted other natives around the farm. They gathered, overpowered the man and held him to the ground.”
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident and the arrest of the suspect, saying investigation was ongoing.
