Author: Opalim Lifted

The Abia State Government has commenced the enforcement of its newly introduced centralised transport system in Umuahia, marking a major step in its efforts to improve orderliness, traffic management, and public transportation in the state capital. As part of the initiative, transport operators have begun a phased relocation to the newly established Nnenna Otti Bus Terminal in Umuahia. The relocation exercise is aimed at streamlining transport operations, reducing congestion in key parts of the city, and providing commuters with a more organised and secure transit environment. Government officials say the centralised system will also enhance the monitoring of transport activities…

Three police officers were killed after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded during a clearance operation on the Anka–Bagega road in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State. According to counter-insurgency publication Zagazola Makama, the incident occurred at about 5:05 pm on June 15 when a police team moved to neutralise a suspected explosive device allegedly planted by bandits. The officers were part of a team led by Abdulrazak Musa Hassan, the officer in charge of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit. The team, which also included personnel from the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), was conducting a controlled clearance…

A Katsina State High Court has sentenced Hauwa’u Mukhtar, a female arms courier, to death by hanging after finding her guilty of conspiracy to commit, aid and abet terrorism. The judgment was delivered by Justice A. B. Bawale following proceedings at the Katsina High Court in northern Nigeria. According to counter-insurgency publication Zagazola Makama, Mukhtar was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at Jibia motor park in Katsina State while allegedly attempting to transport ammunition. She was said to have been caught conveying 438 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition intended for a suspected bandit leader identified as…

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has declared that he is prepared to make any sacrifice, including risking his own life, to secure the release of pupils and teachers abducted from Oriire Local Council in Oyo State. Speaking at his Ikolaba residence in Ibadan during a peaceful protest led by activist Martins Otse, Makinde reassured residents that his administration was deploying all available resources to bring the victims home safely. The governor said ongoing rescue operations were being carefully coordinated to avoid further loss of life. According to him, intelligence reports indicate that no additional casualties have been recorded among the…

Patience Ozokwor, the Nollywood actress, has expressed pride in the villainous characters she often portrays on screen, saying the roles serve a greater purpose by shedding light on real societal issues. Ozokwor, popularly known as Mama G, addressed the frequent misunderstanding surrounding her on-screen persona in a recent video chat. The 67-year-old film star noted that some viewers mistakenly assume her real-life personality mirrors the wicked characters she plays. However, she explained that the intent behind such roles is to expose negative behaviours and offer moral lessons to the audience. “I feel bold to expose the ills in society. Those…

Nicki Minaj, the Trinidadian rapper and singer-songwriter, has claimed that powerful figures in the music industry deliberately sideline talented artistes who refuse to comply with their demands. During a recent appearance on The Bryce Crawford Podcast, Minaj said many of the obstacles she and other artistes have encountered are orchestrated by influential individuals, though she declined to name any specific persons or groups. She described the industry’s early years as largely positive, recalling a time when artistes genuinely supported one another. However, she noted that her perspective shifted as she began to observe vindictive behaviour among certain industry players. “I…

Austria won a match at the World Cup finals for the first time since 1990 as they beat debutants Jordan in San Francisco. The European side took the lead with a stunning 21st-minute strike from Romano Schmid, but Jordan equalised five minutes into the second half thanks to a curled effort from Ali Olwan. Former Stoke and West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic thought he had restored Austria’s lead when he finished a loose ball after Jordan goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila had failed to deal with a corner. However, following an intervention from the video assistant referee, the goal was disallowed as…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the release of results for the 2026 mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The announcement was made on Tuesday by Fabian Benjamin, who confirmed that candidates who participated in the mop-up examination can now access their results through JAMB’s approved result-checking channels. The 2026 UTME was conducted across about 966 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide between April 16 and April 23. However, technical issues at some centres prevented a number of candidates from taking the examination as scheduled. To address the situation, JAMB organised a mop-up examination on June 13 for…

Lionel Messi became the World Cup’s joint-top all-time scorer with a hat-trick as reigning champions Argentina began their defence with a statement victory over Algeria. Making his 200th appearance for his country, Messi scored his first treble at a World Cup. And it created a piece of history, as the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner took his World Cup finals goal tally to 16 – moving him level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in the competition’s history. The three-time world champions were made to work for victory at the Kansas City Stadium as they aim to become…

Norway’s prolific striker Erling Haaland bagged two goals in his maiden World Cup appearance on Tuesday to guide his team to an opening 4-1 Group I victory over Iraq, and put down a ‌marker for the tournament. The 25-year-old, one of the most exciting forwards in world football, was in the spotlight long before the match, and he lived up to his big-name billing on his debut on the biggest of stages, as Norway returned to the World Cup after a 28-year absence. After a cautious start, Haaland, who scored 16 times in eight qualifying games, double the tally of…