Author: Opalim Lifted

Kimberly Daniels, a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives, has accused Bello Matawalle of attempting to bribe a United States official to influence a controversial report on Nigeria. In a viral video shared on her official Facebook page, Daniels alleged that the minister of state for defence tried to sway opinion around a report issued by the United World Congress of Diplomats, which she chairs. The report centres on claims of targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria, a position Daniels has strongly defended despite mounting criticism. According to her, the alleged bribery attempt was aimed at getting a…

Cross River State has confirmed a fresh case of COVID-19, marking the first reported infection in the state since 2022. The state commissioner for health, Henry Ayuk, disclosed the development during a press conference on Tuesday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Ayuk said the index case involves a 53-year-old Chinese national working with Lafarge in Akamkpa Local Government Area. The patient reportedly arrived in Nigeria on March 17 and later developed symptoms. He explained that the patient’s condition deteriorated while receiving care at a state facility, leading to his transfer to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital…

The Cross River State Government has denied reports of an alleged abduction of more than 15 passengers along the Oron–Calabar waterway, describing the claim as false and misleading. In a statement issued by the Office of the Special Adviser on Marine Services, Capt. Otu Ita Otu, authorities said the reported incident did not occur on the officially designated Calabar–Oron marine corridor. The rebuttal followed a report published on April 20, 2026, by First Media Naija, which claimed gunmen abducted passengers travelling on the route. However, the government insisted preliminary findings show the boat involved deviated from the approved waterway. According…

Gunmen have abducted 15 passengers during a pirate-style attack on a ferry along the Calabar–Oron waterways in Cross River State. The victims were reportedly seized on April 16, 2026, while travelling from Calabar, the state capital, to Oron in neighbouring Akwa Ibom State. Police authorities confirmed the incident, sparking a swift security response across the region. According to Jefferson Osupe, spokesperson of the Zone 6 Command of the Nigeria Police Force, the attack prompted an urgent directive from the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the zone, Auwal Mohammed. Mohammed has ordered an immediate joint security operation involving police…

The Dangote Group has announced a major milestone in its energy ambitions, confirming it has achieved its first oil from upstream assets in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. The development signals a strategic shift as the company moves closer to securing its own crude supply for the Dangote Refinery, one of Africa’s largest refining projects. Speaking to Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, Devakumar Edwin, vice-president of the Dangote Group, revealed that early-stage testing is already underway. “We have opened a well and begun standard testing, which should be completed in the next three to four weeks,” Edwin said. He added that…

Nigerian singer Peter Okoye, popularly known as Mr P, has officially announced a change to his birthday celebration date. The artist, who was born on November 18, 1981, declared that he will no longer observe his birthday on the same date he shares with his twin brother, Paul Okoye. He made this known via a statement released on social media to his family, friends, and fans. Peter made it clear that he is moving his celebration to the end of the month. He wrote, “Dear family, friends, and fans, I’m making it official. November 18th is no longer my birthday…

Former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday officially inaugurated the 6.72km Agbura–Oxbow Lake Road in Bayelsa State. The newly completed road will serve as a convenient bypass for residents of Agbura, Ogbia communities, and motorists traveling to Nembe and beyond from Swali Market. During the inauguration, the former Vice President expressed appreciation to Governor Douye Diri for his efforts to improve the lives of Bayelsans through enhanced infrastructure. Osinbajo, while thanking Governor Diri for the invitation to commission the project, noted that it is not often in politics that people keep to their promises. He described Diri as a…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has released its timetable and schedule of activities ahead of the 2027 elections. In a statement issued on Monday night and signed by Sulaiman Argungu, APC’s National Organising Secretary, the ruling party pegged the cost of nomination and expression of interest forms for presidential aspirants at N70 million and N30 million, respectively. For the governorship ticket, the party fixed the expression of interest form at N10 million and the nomination form at N40 million. Senate aspirants are to pay N3 million for the expression of interest form and N17 million for the nomination form, while…

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said Nigeria can overcome deep-rooted ethnic and religious prejudices, describing unity as essential to building a stable and inclusive nation. Speaking on Monday at the maiden Policy Making and Good Governance Lecture Series organised by National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru near Jos, Osinbajo stressed that no citizen should face discrimination based on tribe or religion. Delivering a lecture titled “Creating a homeland for all: Nation-building in a diverse democracy,” the vice-president warned against the growing trend of exploiting ethnic and religious divisions for political gain. He argued that while democratic competition…

Human rights lawyer Aloy Ejimakor has argued that the 2017 proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) was politically motivated rather than driven by genuine national security concerns. In an opinion piece, Ejimakor said the designation was used to suppress dissent and criminalise political expression among the Igbo population. He cited multiple international and legal interventions that have challenged Nigeria’s position, including communications from the United Nations Human Rights Council and rulings from Nigerian courts. According to him, UN Special Rapporteurs in October 2020 urged Nigeria to reconsider the proscription, warning that such measures should not be used to…