Author: Opalim Lifted

President Bola Tinubu has nominated Christopher Musa as the new minister of defence. In a letter to Godswill Akpabio, the senate president, Tinubu conveyed Musa’s nomination as the successor to Mohammed Badaru who resigned on Monday. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said Tinubu was confident that Musa would bring renewed leadership to the defence ministry at a time the government has declared a national security emergency. “General Musa, 58, is a distinguished soldier who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025. He won the…

Nigeria’s delegation for the international friendly between the Pharaohs of Egypt and the Super Eagles will depart for Cairo on December 10, ahead of the game scheduled for December 14. Egypt and Nigeria will meet in an international friendly match aimed at preparing both teams for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which begins in Morocco on December 21. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) revealed, that the Super Eagles’ preliminary squad for the championship will be released “any time from now,” adding that preparations are in top gear for the friendly game in Cairo and the AFCON. NFF Media…

Christopher Musa, the immediate past chief of defence staff (CDS), met with President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja on Monday. Chronicle NG gathered that the meeting is a precursor to a major shake-up by Tinubu in the wake of growing insecurity in the country. Musa arrived at the State House at about 7:03 p.m. and was led into the president’s office by a senior security official. The meeting, held behind closed doors, marked the former CDS’ first encounter with Tinubu since his retirement on October 24. The agenda of the meeting was not made public at the…

Mohammed Badaru, minister of defence, has resigned his appointment, with immediate effect. Badaru announced his resignation in a letter dated December 1, sent to President Bola Tinubu, citing health reasons. Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said in a statement on Monday that Tinubu has accepted the resignation and thanked the former minister for his services to the nation. “President Tinubu will likely inform the senate of Badaru’s successor later this week,” the statement reads. Badaru, 63, was a two-term governor of Jigawa state from 2015 to 2023. He was appointed as a minister on…

Uchechi Okwu-Kanu, wife of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has expressed gratitude to Alex Otti, Abia governor, for visiting her husband at the Sokoto correctional centre. On November 20, Kanu was convicted of terrorism and handed a life sentence by James Omotosho of the federal high court in Abuja. In a post on her X handle on Monday, Kanu’s wife said Otti’s voice and actions had spoken for her husband more than anyone else in the south-east. “Over the years, your voice and actions have spoken for him more than any other in #AlaIgbo, and…

A third prosecution witness in the trial of former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, says ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo is ready to testify in court over the controversial Mambilla Power Project. Testifying before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie at the Federal High Court in Apo, Abuja, Umar Hussein Babangida (PW3) revealed that Obasanjo had, in a letter dated 27 November 2023, told the Attorney General of the Federation that he was willing to appear before any court, arbitration panel, or public forum if required in the national interest. Agunloye is currently facing a revised seven-count charge involving alleged official corruption and…

Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), says pupils and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, Agwarra LGA of Niger State, are in good condition and will soon be reunited with their families. On November 21, armed men attacked the school and abducted 315 people — including 303 students and 12 teachers. Subsequently, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State said 50 students abducted from the school had escaped from captivity. Speaking during a solidarity visit to Bulus Yohanna, the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and proprietor of the school, Ribadu reportedly…

As Christmas approaches, the Primate of All Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Rev Henry Ndukuba, has called on Christians to celebrate modestly and avoid unnecessary travel amid the country’s economic strain and security concerns. Speaking at the 2025 Carnival for Christ in Abuja, Ndukuba urged Nigerians to resist the pressure of festive overspending. He reminded worshippers that responsibilities such as rent and school fees await in January, stressing the need for prudent budgeting. “Don’t spend all you have just to celebrate Christmas. If you have much, eat; if you don’t have, enjoy what you have,” he said, encouraging citizens to adopt…

D’Tigers of Nigeria defeated Rwanda 75-69 in their third qualification game for the 2027 FIBA World Cup. Nigeria left it late in an intense match to claim an overtime victory over the Rwandans at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès, Tunisia, on Sunday. The victory was Nigeria’s first in three games of the qualification series after losing to Tunisia and Guinea in their previous games. D’Tigers were poor in their first two games of Group C of the qualifiers, with cheap turnovers and lacklustre defence and offence. The team initially continued the abysmal form in the opening minutes of the match…

Hundreds of protesters massed outside the Nigerian Embassy in Madrid on Saturday, denouncing a surge in attacks and kidnappings of schoolchildren back home. The demonstration followed the abduction of more than 250 students from a Catholic school in northern Nigeria last week, an incident that has reignited global concern over the country’s worsening insecurity. Christiana Wariboko, president of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, urged world powers to step in. “We’re standing on behalf of Christians, representing Nigerian Christians,” she said. “Please intervene and do something about the killings of Nigerian Christians.” The rally came amid a broader wave of…