Author: Opalim Lifted

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in six World Cups as his double helped Portugal thrash Uzbekistan. The 41-year-old made history when he opened the scoring in the sixth minute, sweeping in a low half-volley at the near post from Joao Cancelo’s cross from the right. Ronaldo’s strike also meant he became the second oldest man to score at a World Cup, behind Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who was 42 when he found the net against Russia in 1994. Portugal were criticised following a 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their opening game of the tournament, but they stepped…

The Chairman of the Taraba State Environmental and Sanitation Agency, Illiya Kefas, has defended the decision to reduce the monthly allowance of street sweepers under the Operation Keep Taraba Clean programme from N15,000 to N10,000. Speaking on Tuesday, Kefas said the controversial reduction was an internal administrative decision by the agency and not a directive from Governor Agbu Kefas. “The arrangement was an internal decision to sustain the activities of the agency and not a directive from the governor,” he said. His clarification followed comments made a day earlier in which he linked the reduction to resource management challenges arising…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has presented Certificates of Return to winners of the bye-elections conducted on June 20, 2026, in Rivers, Enugu, Nasarawa, Ondo and Kano states. The certificates were presented on behalf of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), by the Supervising National Commissioner for Rivers State, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu. The commission disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X account on Tuesday. Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Agbamuche-Mbu congratulated the winners and urged them to justify the confidence reposed in them by their constituents through effective representation. “The most important responsibility is to…

The federal government has directed security agencies and regulators to crack down on hoarding, illegal diversion, and speculative storage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, as prices of the product continue to soar across the country. Speaking at an emergency stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), said the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Nigeria Police Force would be involved in tackling practices contributing to higher prices. He directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to intensify market…

At least 18 persons have been killed by gunmen in separate attacks on Kawel and Kopkon communities, in Mushere district, Bokkos LGA of Plateau state. Security sources told Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication, that troops of Sector 5, under Operation Enduring Peace, responded to the coordinated attacks at about 1:20am on June 20. The sources said the assailants invaded Kawel and Kopkon villages, shooting sporadically, before fleeing the scene as security forces made their way in. Upon arrival, troops discovered 12 bodies in Kawel village and six bodies in Kopkon village. The sources noted that troops immediately launched an offensive…

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International Nigeria (TI-Nigeria) have described the acquittal of former petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke by a United Kingdom court as a setback for global anti-corruption efforts, while calling on Nigerian authorities to strengthen domestic accountability mechanisms. In a statement signed by Executive Director Auwal Ibrahim Musa, the organisation said it respects the unanimous verdict delivered by a jury at the Southwark Crown Court in London after 46 hours of deliberation. However, it argued that the outcome should serve as a wake-up call for Nigeria to improve its anti-corruption framework and ensure justice…

Oracle has reduced its global workforce by 13% in fiscal 2026, cutting around 21,000 roles as it continues a broad restructuring drive influenced in part by artificial intelligence (AI) adoption across its operations. The company’s annual filing, released on Monday, shows its headcount fell to 141,000 as of 31 May 2026, down from about 162,000 in the same period last year. The reduction comes alongside a sharp rise in restructuring costs. Oracle spent $1.84 billion on severance payments and exit-related expenses in fiscal 2026, compared with $374 million in the previous year, reflecting the scale of its ongoing organisational changes.…

Former Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, on Monday visited the Lagos office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) amid an ongoing investigation into alleged financial misappropriation during his tenure. Sources within the anti-graft agency disclosed that the visit is connected to an active probe into alleged diversion of about N1.3 trillion said to have occurred while he served as governor of Delta State from 2015 to 2023. The former governor was previously arrested by the EFCC in November 2024 over the allegations. He is accused of diverting public funds and allegedly using state resources to acquire properties in…

The trial of Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, over alleged access to a telephone conversation involving Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA), continued at the federal high court in Abuja on Monday. During the court proceedings, the video showing el-Rufai’s interview on Arise Television on February 13, 2026, was played. According to NAN, Deji Adeyanju, activist and lawyer, who was subpoenaed, appeared as the second witness to the Department of State Services (DSS) in the case. The Case During an interview on ‘Prime Time’, an Arise Television programme, el-Rufai said “someone wiretapped” Ribadu’s phone, allowing him to listen to…

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) says cooking gas prices have surged to as high as N2,100 per kilogram across parts of the country due to non-cost reflective pricing by marketers. The disclosure was made during a presentation by the agency’s chief executive, Rabiu Umar, at an emergency stakeholders’ meeting convened by the petroleum ministry. Marketers blamed for price distortion The regulator said wholesalers and retailers are selling liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) well above its indicative price benchmarks, with consumers paying significantly more than official guidance. Prices currently range between N1,400/kg and N2,100/kg depending on region, despite…