Author: Opalim Lifted

Pope Leo XIV has condemned companies making “dizzying” profits through activities that damage the environment, during a visit to one of Italy’s worst-affected toxic waste regions. Speaking on Saturday in Acerra, near Naples in southern Italy, the pontiff urged people to reject “practices that pollute the land, water, air, and social coexistence”. The visit took him to the so-called “Land of Fires”, an area long associated with illegal dumping and burning of toxic waste allegedly linked to organised crime groups, including the Camorra mafia. Residents in the region have for years complained of unusually high cancer rates and other health…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to immediately disclose the identities of all local contractors, subcontractors, consultants, vendors, and other entities that benefited from payments under the National Public Security Communication System project in Abuja, commonly referred to as the $460 million Abuja Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Project. On May 15, 2023, the Federal High Court ordered the Ministry of Finance to disclose the total amount paid under the $460 million Abuja CCTV loan, the identities of local and Chinese contractors who received the funds, the…

Aichatou El-Rufai, wife of Nasir El-Rufai, has issued a pre-action notice to the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), demanding N2 billion in damages over alleged defamatory statements. Mohammed Bello, son of the former governor, had earlier alleged that ICPC operatives denied his father access to medical and family care at the commission’s detention facility on Friday. Bello claimed the action by the anti-graft agency violated a court order granting El-Rufai “unrestricted access to his doctors”. He also said El-Rufai was prevented from seeing Aichatou, his second wife, who brought him his evening meal.…

A rare albino buffalo nicknamed after Donald Trump has become an internet sensation in Bangladesh ahead of the Eid al-Adha celebrations. The nearly 700-kilogram buffalo, raised in Narayanganj district near Dhaka, has attracted large crowds because of its flowing blond hair, which many visitors say Trump’s trademark Farm owner Ziauddin Mridha said the animal was named “Donald Trump” by his younger brother after noticing the tuft of pale hair falling across its forehead. According to Mridha, dozens of visitors travelled from different parts of the country daily to take selfies and record videos with the buffalo after it went viral…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has issued a fresh warning against corruption, condemning public officials who loot state resources for personal luxury. In an infographic shared on its Facebook page and gathered by Chronicle NG, the anti-graft agency declared that leaders who “plunder” the nation to acquire private jets and lavish lifestyles are “parasites” rather than true leaders. The campaign poster featured images of a private jet alongside scenes depicting poverty and poor living conditions, drawing a contrast between extravagant wealth and the suffering of ordinary citizens. The commission stated that corruption “steals from the poor”, “destroys our…

Uganda has confirmed three new cases of Ebola, raising the total number of infections linked to the latest outbreak in the country to five. The announcement was made on Saturday by the Ugandan health ministry, days after the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the Ebola risk level in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to “very high”. According to the ministry, the newly confirmed cases involve a Ugandan driver, a Ugandan health worker, and a Congolese woman. All three patients are alive and receiving medical attention. Authorities said the driver had transported one of the infected Congolese nationals who recently…

Troops of the Joint Task Force under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have rescued an eight-year-old boy abducted during the March 3 attack on Ngoshe community in Borno State, while also neutralising terrorists and recovering weapons in multiple operations across the North-East. The military said the operations were carried out under Operation Desert Sanity and related missions in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF). According to a statement issued on Friday by the Media Information Officer of Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation Hadin Kai, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, troops conducted coordinated offensives in the Valle, Ashigashiya and…

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been named Premier League player of the season. The Portugal midfielder was also named Football Writers’ Association men’s Player of the Year this month. Fernandes equalled the record for assists in a Premier League season when setting up his 20th goal against Nottingham Forest last weekend. He has also scored eight goals in 37 games to help United secure third place and qualification for the Champions League. Fernandes has created more chances – 132 – than any other player in the Premier League this season. He has 43 more than the second best, Liverpool’s…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the election timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for party primaries and candidate nominations ahead of the 2027 general election. The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, held that the electoral body does not have statutory authority to shorten or prescribe timelines for political parties’ primary elections. INEC had earlier released a revised schedule requiring political parties to submit membership registers by 10 May, conduct primaries, and complete withdrawals and substitutions of candidates before the end of May. But the court, in a judgement in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2016 filed by the Youth…

Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, has declared his intention to contest Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election. Sowore, who was the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 election, made the announcement on Friday during an appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today programme. The activist said the AAC would hold its primaries next week but did not confirm whether he would emerge as the party’s sole candidate. “I am running to win,” Sowore said during the interview. He argued that Nigeria needed leaders with fresh ideas, saying the country was facing worsening economic…