Author: Opalim Lifted

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has assured Nigerians that preparations for the 2027 elections will not disrupt the legislative duties of members of the National Assembly. Akpabio spoke with journalists at the presidential wing of the Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo after convening a meeting of All Progressives Congress (APC) critical stakeholders in Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District. At the meeting, President Bola Tinubu, Akpabio and Umo Eno, governor of Akwa Ibom, received unanimous endorsements to seek re-election in 2027. According to a statement issued by Jackson Udom, Akpabio’s special assistant on media, the Senate President said electioneering and legislative…

President Bola Tinubu has directed Taiwo Oyedele, minister of finance and co-ordinating minister of the economy, to oversee a comprehensive forensic audit of federal government systems. Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the exercise will cover the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), federal government agencies and their administration and internal controls. The directive follows a Federal Executive Council (FEC) resolution on August 19, 2026, prompted by findings from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on “fake agencies”, ghost workers and other control failures. According to Onanuga, the audit…

Two Nigerians extradited from Nigeria to the United States are facing charges over alleged sextortion schemes targeting minors, with one case reportedly linked to the death of a 13-year-old boy. FBI Director Kash Patel said Adebola Festus Adekunle and Mudashiru Afeez Olawale, who were arrested in Nigeria in 2023, have been returned to the US to face justice. Patel disclosed this in a post on X on Friday night. “This FBI has brought back two high-value targets from Nigeria to the United States to face justice for alleged sextortion crimes targeting minors,” Patel said. He said the charges include sexual…

The federal government has warned that 915 communities across 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) face critical flood risks between August 27 and September 9. The National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre issued the warning in its latest flood-risk advisory, placing the affected communities on immediate watch and urging residents and authorities to take preparedness and protective measures. The government also classified 429 communities across seven states as high risk, while another 656 communities in 13 states were placed under moderate flood-risk watch. The 19 states classified as critical risk are Kogi, Benue, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Cross River,…

A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced two fraudsters for money laundering and fraudulent impersonation. The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured the convictions of Agboola Abdullahi Abiodun and Victor Okonjo before Justice F.N. Ogazi. In a statement issued on Friday, Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, said, the two men were separately arraigned on charges bordering on money laundering, cybercrime and fraudulent impersonation. Agboola faced a three-count charge, including disguising proceeds from a dating scam through the purchase of a black Toyota Venza, in violation of the Money Laundering…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has facilitated the extradition of two Nigerian men to the United States over alleged child exploitation and sextortion offences. In a statement issued on Friday, Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, said Mudashiru Afeez Olawale and Adebola Festus Adekunle were extradited on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, to face prosecution in the US. According to the commission, the men were identified in separate investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into sextortion schemes targeting male minors, particularly boys aged between 13 and 17. The investigations allegedly linked the pair to separate cases involving two American…

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Rasonque, a groundbreaking new drug from Revolution Medicines for adults with metastatic pancreatic cancer, offering a major new treatment option for patients with the aggressive disease. The once-daily tablet, whose generic name is daraxonrasib, was approved on August 26 for adults with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma who have received at least one previous systemic treatment or are not candidates for multi-agent chemotherapy. Rasonque targets multiple forms of the RAS protein, a key driver of tumour growth in pancreatic cancer. The drug is the first approved medicine from a new class of broad…

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, will stand trial before a military tribunal in June 2028. A US Air Force judge, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Schrama, issued the trial-scheduling order on Wednesday, marking another major step in a military prosecution that has been stalled by two decades of legal battles. Mohammed and three co-defendants — Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak bin ‘Atash, Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali — are scheduled to face trial from June 5, 2028. The proceedings will begin with the selection of a panel…

MTN Group is seeking local investors to acquire a 30 percent stake in IHS Nigeria Plc, as part of an agreement with Nigerian competition authorities. According to a Bloomberg report on Thursday, people familiar with the matter said the proposed transaction could raise between $900 million and $1.1 billion. MTN Group Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita said proceeds from any sell-down would be used to reduce debt linked to IHS. “The deal would be done on market-oriented valuation basis,” Mupita said in an interview, declining to provide financial details. MTN had agreed to sell part of its interest in IHS…

Simon Ekpa, the pro-Biafra separatist campaigner, has appealed his six-year prison sentence for terrorism offences in Finland. According to BBC Pidgin, the Finnish prosecutor handling the case has also appealed, arguing that Ekpa should receive a longer prison term because six years is insufficient for the terrorism-related offences. The Finnish Court of Appeal is expected to hear the case within the next three weeks. Ekpa was arrested by Finnish authorities in November 2024 and subsequently charged with inciting terrorism and participating in the activities of a terrorist group. In September 2025, the Päijät-Häme District Court sentenced him to six years…