Author: Opalim Lifted

Eric Chelle, head coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, has promised to scour the Nigeria Premier Football League and European leagues for exciting new talent to add to the team for the 2026 Unity Cup. The Super Eagles will defend their Unity Cup title against India national football team, Jamaica national football team, and Zimbabwe national football team in London from May 26 to 30. Chelle said he would leverage the invitational tournament to inject a fresh stream of players into the team’s setup. “The Unity Cup provides a platform to assess new players. I will comb Europe and…

The Ogun State Government is set to file criminal charges against Abubakar Adamu, the driver of the stationary truck linked to the fatal road crash involving associates of Anthony Joshua. The development emerged during court proceedings on Thursday, where state counsel D.O. Ogunyomi took over the prosecution of Adeniyi Kayode, the driver of the Lexus SUV conveying Joshua and his friends at the time of the accident. Ogunyomi urged the court to consolidate charges against both Adamu and Kayode, arguing that both drivers played roles in the tragic incident. The request followed legal advice from the Ogun State Department of…

Temisan Okomi, a Nigerian sports broadcaster, has died after a brief illness. Classic FM, the radio station he worked with for over 12 years, announced his death in a social media post on Friday. “With the heaviest of hearts, we regret to announce the passing of one of our staff, Temisan Okomi, following a brief illness,” the statement reads. “Until his passing, Temisan was the Group Head of the Sports Department. He was a valued member of our team whose contributions and presence will be deeply missed. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this most difficult time.”…

The Federal Government has moved to halt the growing misuse of the “Ambassador” title in Nigeria, warning that only individuals formally appointed by the President are legally recognised to bear the designation. The directive was announced on Friday in Abuja by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, during a press briefing where he expressed concern over the increasing number of Nigerians parading themselves as diplomats without official backing. According to him, the development has created confusion within diplomatic circles, with several foreign missions reaching out to the ministry for verification of individuals claiming ambassadorial status. “The…

Coventry City have sealed a long-awaited return to the English Premier League after a 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. The result confirms the Sky Blues will finish in the top two of the EFL Championship, securing automatic promotion for the first time since their relegation in 2001. Bobby Thomas emerged as the hero, scoring a crucial equaliser after Ryoya Morishita had given Blackburn the lead early in the second half. The point was enough to mathematically guarantee promotion. Coventry are now unbeaten in five matches, although their recent form includes three consecutive draws. Despite that, their consistency…

Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” for all commercial vessels and will remain so during the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire. “In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of the ceasefire,” Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X on Friday. A 10-day ceasefire was agreed between Israel and Lebanon late on Thursday, though it remains unclear whether the armed group Hezbollah, which has been fighting Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon during the Iran war, will recognise it. The passage…

The Kwara State Government has filed a 20-count charge against Bukola Saraki, former Senate President, and Abdulfatah Ahmed, former governor of the state, over allegations of arming suspects convicted of robbery in Offa. Other defendants in the case are Yusuf Abdulwahab, a former chief of staff to Ahmed, and Alabi Olalekan, another aide. The charges were filed at the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin on April 9, 2026. According to the charge sheet, Saraki, Ahmed, Abdulwahab, Olalekan, and five convicted individuals allegedly conspired on April 5, 2018, in Offa, Kwara State, to commit armed robbery at several banks, including…

Former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has alleged that the deadly Offa robbery incident was orchestrated under the administration of Muhammadu Buhari, with the connivance of certain individuals from Kwara State, as a tool to blackmail his political group and seize power in 2019. In a statement on Friday, Saraki accused the Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, of making an insidious move to initiate criminal proceedings against him over the robbery incident that occurred eight years ago. According to Saraki, he would have dismissed the move and prepared to defend himself in court if not for appeals from…

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is seeking to attract investors to the planned listing of his refinery business by anchoring returns to US dollar-denominated dividends, as he prepares to float about a 10 per cent minority stake in one of Africa’s largest industrial assets to fund a sweeping expansion programme. The billionaire industrialist plans to sell about 10 per cent of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE through a listing across multiple African stock exchanges, in a move aimed at unlocking long-term capital for the next phase of growth in his energy and industrial empire. Under the proposed structure, shareholders…

Eight people have been confirmed dead after a private helicopter crashed in a dense forest on Indonesia’s Borneo island. The aircraft, an Airbus helicopter operated by local firm Matthew Air Nusantara, lost contact with air traffic control just five minutes after takeoff in West Kalimantan province on Thursday morning. According to civil aviation director general Lukman F. Laisa, all eight occupants — two crew members and six passengers — were killed in the crash. One of the victims was a Malaysian national. Search and rescue teams later located the wreckage deep within a forested area marked by steep terrain, making…