News on the Go: 5 things that should matter to you today

• Lawyer decries challenges in securing bail for VeryDarkMan
• OPay enhances account security with smarter verification questions
• UK mulls stricter visa rules for Nigerians, others over overstays

We have highlighted the five most important developments in the news today, Wednesday, May 7, and present them below.

5 issues in the news that should matter to you today

1. Lawyer decries challenges in securing bail for VeryDarkMan: Deji Adeyanju, the lawyer to social media activist Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, has voiced frustration over the difficulties in securing his client’s release from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, stated that Otse was invited for questioning over several petitions related to serious financial crimes.

He was reportedly arrested after ignoring multiple invitations sent to his known addresses and communication channels.

2. Mass UTME failure shows anti-malpractice efforts are working — Minister: The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has said the high failure rate in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) indicates that new measures to combat examination malpractice are effective.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, Alausa attributed the drop in performance to a reduction in cheating, crediting JAMB’s stricter exam protocols and security procedures.

3. OPay enhances account security with smarter verification questions: OPay has relaunched its security question feature with advanced upgrades aimed at protecting user accounts from fraud and unauthorised access.

This newly enhanced layer of security is now part of the platform’s verification process for sensitive operations, including payment password resets, phone number changes, and high-risk transactions.

4. ECOWAS: West African airfares among world’s highest: Air travel within West Africa remains the most expensive globally, hindering regional integration efforts, according to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Speaking at a joint ECOWAS parliamentary meeting in Lomé, Togo, Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation, Mr. Sédiko Douka, expressed concern over the high cost of regional flights.

5. UK mulls stricter visa rules for Nigerians, others over overstays: The United Kingdom is considering stricter visa policies for Nigerian, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan nationals due to increasing concerns over visa overstays and asylum claims.

As reported by The Times on Tuesday, May 6, the UK Home Office is reviewing immigration protocols for countries with higher incidences of non-compliance with visa conditions.