NaijaWorld Pulse — NEWS BULLETIN
Coverage window: 24–26 December 2025 — Edo State, Nigeria & Around the World
Compiled highlights: Yuletide security and policing; Oba of Benin rites and cultural events; Edo 2026 budget moves; power supply concerns in Benin City; missing-person appeals; crime / rescue statistics; national holiday updates; and major world developments (Christmas messages, weather disasters, conflict updates).
Today’s Top Headlines (quick snapshot)
- Edo State: Governor Okpebholo signs/advances the ₦939.85bn 2026 “Budget of Hope & Growth” as the state closes the year; state security agencies step up yuletide deployments.
- Benin City: Fall in power supply leaves many residents in darkness over the Yuletide; families appeal after a missing-person report is circulated by police.
- Culture: The Oba of Benin performs traditional rites (Ugie Emobo / Igue season activities), drawing attention as the city marks the holidays.
- Security update: Edo police say hundreds of kidnappings have been addressed with rescues and arrests during 2025; intensified patrols announced for the festive period.
- National & World: Federal public holidays (Christmas & Boxing Day) observed; global headlines include Christmas messages from world leaders, severe weather events in parts of the U.S., and ongoing conflict-related strikes in several theatres (reported Dec 24–26, 2025).
Sources: local reporting and wire services (see full stories below for source links / video embeds).
Edo State — Detailed (24–26 December 2025)
1. Budget: "Budget of Hope & Growth" — ₦939.85bn moves forward
Governor Monday Okpebholo’s 2026 appropriation package — totalling ₦939.85 billion and dubbed the "Budget of Hope and Growth" — was presented and taken through the final enactment steps this week as the state positions major capital projects for next year. The budget prioritises capital expenditure (about 68% of the plan) for infrastructure, security and social services that the administration says will accelerate post-election service delivery across the state.
Why this matters: a high capital-to-recurrent ratio signals a focus on projects (roads, health infrastructure, security logistics) — but will push implementation, procurement and oversight to the top of the new year’s agenda for Edo’s public finance managers and civil society watchdogs.
(Reporting: The Guardian, Premium Times, Punch; official statements & video from the governor’s office.)
Source: 0
2. Yuletide security posture & policing
Edo State security agencies announced stepped-up deployments for the Christmas season. The Edo State Police Command highlighted recent operational gains in 2025 (including arrests and rescue operations) and reinforced patrols for holiday crowds, markets and recreational centres. The police command also reiterated missing-person appeals after some high-profile cases were flagged and requested public assistance.
(Context: the state has recorded multiple kidnappings and violent-crime incidents during 2025; the police say significant rescue operations occurred this year.)
Source: 1
3. Benin City electricity supply — residents report darkness
Several neighbourhoods in Benin City reported reduced or intermittent electricity supply over the Christmas period. Local residents and businesses told reporters that distribution supply dropped in mid-December and that many areas faced outages during the Yuletide, affecting holiday activities and commercial trading. The issue was highlighted by national papers covering local service disruptions.
Source: 2
4. Oba of Benin & traditional rites — Igue season activities
As part of year-end cultural observances, the Oba of Benin led Igue-related rites (including public rites such as Ugie Emobo) to mark the season and pray for the wellbeing and protection of the people. The ceremonies attracted coverage and commentary on the place of tradition in civic life, especially during a year that has seen debates over cultural restitution and museum stewardship in Benin City.
Source: 3
5. Missing-person appeal — police public notice
The Edo State Police Command issued a public notice declaring a missing-person case that had been open since mid-December; the appeal requested anyone with information to contact the local station. Police releases like this are part of the command’s public safety communications during holiday travel and gatherings.
Source: 4
6. Context: MOWAA tensions and cultural restitution backdrop
Benin City continues to be the centre of national conversations about returned heritage items and museum projects. The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) remained a contentious topic through November and December, with protests earlier in the season and ongoing debate about the custody and display of Benin Bronzes — a discussion that colours public reactions to cultural events and new museum openings.
Background reporting: Financial Times & The Guardian coverage on the MOWAA protests and the broader restitution debate.
Source: 5
Editors’ note: we kept the Edo section focussed on the most newsworthy items reported around 24–26 December: budget developments, public safety/security notices, service delivery (power) issues, and cultural rites. Read on for national and world roundups with embedded video context.
National — Nigeria (24–26 Dec 2025)
Federal public holidays & yuletide observance
The Federal Government’s declared public holidays for Christmas Day (25 December) and Boxing Day (26 December) were observed across the country. Ministries, agencies and many offices followed the declared public holiday schedule while security agencies sustained presence to ensure public safety during holiday gatherings and worship services.
Source / context: media coverage and official communiqués reported across broadcast and online outlets.
Source: 6
Crime & rescues — national picture
Across states, police and security services highlighted 2025-year operations that included arresting suspects and rescuing victims of kidnapping. Reports aggregated from state commands show hundreds of rescue cases in certain states; in Edo specifically, authorities reported a notable number of rescues and arrests as part of the year’s security push.
Source: 7
Service delivery & economy — end-of-year moves
As states table and sign budgets for 2026, attention across the federation turns to how these allocations will be honoured when the new fiscal year begins. Infrastructure, health and security features prominently in the 2026 plans presented in many subnational capitals.
Source: aggregated regional reporting (see Edo coverage above for an example of state-level budget activity).
World — Major developments (24–26 Dec 2025)
1. Christmas messages & global observances
World leaders and faith figures marked Christmas with recorded messages and services. Notable items included the Pope’s Christmas observance and messages of compassion and calls to aid vulnerable communities worldwide. Royal and state Christmas messages were also widely broadcasted and reported across services.
Source (samples): global broadcasters summarised today's Christmas bulletins.
Source: 8
2. Conflict & security: strikes and battlefield updates
Several conflict zones recorded continued activity around the Christmas period. Notably, reports of drone and strike activity in Ukraine on Christmas Day drew headline coverage (casualties and damage reported in early dispatches), while tensions in other regions saw security operations and arrests tied to planned holiday attacks. These events shaped global roundups over Dec 24–26.
Source: Reuters / Wikipedia current events summaries / major broadcast coverage.
Source: 9
3. Extreme weather: U.S. West / California flooding & rains
Parts of the U.S. — notably California — experienced heavy rains that led to flooding and mudslides over the holiday period, producing localized evacuations and damage to coastal and mountain communities. Broadcasters covered the unfolding emergency responses and travel disruptions around the 24–25 December window.
Source: PBS NewsHour / ABC / mainstream U.S. outlets.
Source: 10
4. Year-in-review threads & 2025 recap signals
International news outlets posted year-in-review pieces summarising the major political, geopolitical and climate stories of 2025 — including shifts in leadership, major trade policy moves, continuing conflict dynamics, and climate-driven disasters. These pieces provide useful context for understanding why certain headlines (trade, war, climate, migration) dominated the year’s closing days.
Source example: global roundups & retrospective articles.
Source: 11
Multimedia: curated video package for embedding
Below are suggested videos (local & global) you can embed in your NaijaWorld Pulse post to give visitors quick visual context. All iframe IDs are provided so you can paste directly into a Blogger post.
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NTA Benin — Local news roundup (24 Dec 2025)
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Governor Okpebholo — Signing/presentation of Edo 2026 budget (clip)
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Euronews — Latest world bulletin (25 Dec 2025)
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PBS NewsHour — full episode (25 Dec 2025)
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EBS BENIN — regional nightly bulletin
Tip: paste the iframe blocks into the HTML view of your Blogger editor if you want the videos to render inline on NaijaWorld Pulse.
Video sources & reporting links: 12
Key sources & further reading (selected)
- Benin electricity / service reporting — ThisDay (Benin power supply coverage). 13
- Edo State budget presentation & signing coverage — The Guardian, Premium Times, Punch. 14
- Yuletide security deployments & police notices — Nigerian Observer; state police press communiqués. 15
- Oba of Benin rites & cultural reporting — Nigerian Observer, The Guardian. 16
- Kidnap victims & rescue reporting (2025 summaries) — Blueprint; regional reporting. 17
- MOWAA / Benin Bronzes restitution context — Financial Times, The Guardian background reporting. 18
- Global headlines (Christmas messages, conflict updates, extreme weather reports) — Euronews, PBS, ABC, Reuters summaries. 19
Full site reference: NaijaWorld Pulse — main page & archives. 20
Editorial notes & how to follow up
Corrections & tips: We prioritised verified reports from mainstream outlets and local broadcasters. If you represent a news source cited here and require an amendment, or if you have primary materials (press releases, footage) to share for verification, contact the NaijaWorld Pulse editorial desk at edwinogielibrary@gmail.com.
For the webmaster: this bulletin is formatted to be pasted into the Blogger HTML editor. The embedded iframes will render as inline players. If you prefer a lightweight listing, remove the iframe blocks and keep the video links instead.
Credits: NaijaWorld Pulse newsroom; reporting sourced from local broadcasters, national press and international wire services (see 'sources' above).
— NaijaWorld Pulse editorial team