Nigerian Chronicles

  Bandits Invade Niger Mosques During Friday Prayers, Abduct Worshippers Armed bandits reportedly invaded mosques in Niger State during Friday prayers and abducted worshippers in an attack that allegedly occurred with little resistance. According to Arise News correspondent Charles Erukaa, who reported from New Bussa on Friday, August 28, 2026, the incident occurred in Kagara community, located in Borgu Local Government Area of the state. Erukaa said the remote location of the community and its surrounding forested terrain have made access and security operations particularly difficult. He noted that about 188 kilometres of the journey remained through an area considered challenging to secure. The exact number of people abducted in the attack has not been independently established. Reports circulating about the incident have given widely different estimates, ranging from about 60 victims to as many as 600. A video allegedly released by the abductors also appears to show a large gro...

Kwara Abduction: Baale’s Son Recounts How Mother Was Taken From Her Home The son of the Baale of Dabu community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Abiodun Shehu, has narrated how his mother was allegedly abducted from her residence by suspected bandits. Shehu, speaking during an interview with News Central TV, said the incident occurred on Friday, August 21, 2026, when the attackers reportedly broke into the home of his mother, known as Iya Ayoka. He said his mother was taken away during the operation, which reportedly occurred without any gunshots. According to Shehu, a young girl who was sleeping with his mother at the time later gave the family an account of what she witnessed. The girl reportedly told the family that six people took part in the operation. She was said to have described four of them as young children, while the other two were adults. “She said there were six of them that came, four were small children and two were adults. They did not shoot,” Shehu sa...

  Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Criticise Meta Over £13bn Child Harm Settlement Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have criticised Meta’s decision to settle a major child harm lawsuit for up to £13 billion, arguing that the agreement allows the technology giant to avoid a court verdict that could have resulted in more significant institutional changes. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who recently returned to the United Kingdom after spending six years in the United States, expressed their concerns in a public statement addressing the settlement involving Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Harry and Meghan accused Meta of operating a “data-extraction business model” and questioned the absence of an apology as part of the settlement agreement. The couple also argued that Meta has sufficient financial resources to absorb the settlement, pointing to estimates that the company could recover an equivalent amount through profits within a relatively short period. According to...

  VeryDarkMan’s Appearance as NBA Conference Panelist Sparks Mixed Reactions Social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has sparked mixed reactions following his inclusion as a panelist at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt. According to the official conference programme, VeryDarkMan was listed as a participant in the Day Five plenary session titled “Known Gun Men.” The session was scheduled for Tuesday, August 25, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. His inclusion in the programme generated reactions among lawyers and other users on X, formerly known as Twitter. While some questioned the decision to feature the social media personality at a major gathering of legal professionals, others defended his participation. The reactions largely centred on whether VeryDarkMan's public profile and advocacy activities made him an appropriate participant at the conference. VeryDarkMan has built a si...

 Nigerian Woman Cries Out After Allegedly Losing Years of Savings From Access Bank Account A Nigerian woman has cried out for help after allegedly discovering that her savings had been withdrawn from her Access Bank account while she was living and working in Dubai. According to a report published on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, the woman said she had been saving money in the account since 2022 and expected to have accumulated several million naira. She claimed that after returning to Nigeria, she visited her bank to check her account and was shocked to discover that the money was no longer there. In an emotional appeal, she alleged that she could not find even ₦1,000 in the account despite years of saving. «“They’ve taken my money, all my savings from 2022.”» She further alleged that she was informed that her SIM card had been reassigned to another person and that withdrawals of ₦20,000 had allegedly been made repeatedly from the account since 2024. The woman said she had been outs...

 Omaha Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison After Using ChatGPT to Plan Bank Robbery A 23-year-old man from Omaha, Nebraska, Deron Lewis-Payne, has been sentenced to 121 months — 10 years and one month — in federal prison for robbing a bank while armed with a firearm. Lewis-Payne was sentenced on August 13, 2026, after pleading guilty to bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska. The case attracted widespread attention after investigators discovered that Lewis-Payne had used ChatGPT while preparing for the robbery. How the Robbery Happened According to federal prosecutors, Lewis-Payne entered an i3Bank branch at 15645 Spaulding Street in Omaha on February 10, 2026, while carrying a handgun. He pointed the weapon at bank employees and threatened them before demanding money. The employees complied, and Lewis-Payne fled with approximately $9,175 in cash. Surveillance cameras captured his uncov...

  Premier League Matchweek 2: Full Fixtures, Key News and What to Watch This Weekend The 2026/27 Premier League season moves into Matchweek 2 this weekend, with 10 matches scheduled from Friday, August 28, through Monday, August 31. The opening weekend produced several surprises, including Hull City's 2-0 victory over Manchester United, Brentford's 3-0 win against Tottenham and Liverpool's dramatic 2-2 draw with Newcastle. Here is a look at every Matchweek 2 fixture and the major storylines surrounding each game. Crystal Palace vs Manchester City Friday, August 28 Manchester City travel to Selhurst Park looking to build on their dramatic opening-day victory over Bournemouth. City came from behind to win 2-1, with Josko Gvardiol scoring the late winner. New manager Enzo Maresca will now face another test as he begins life after Pep Guardiola. Crystal Palace will be hoping to take advantage of home support and cause another early-season surprise. Key storyline: Can Maresca...