Author: Opalim Lifted

Adeola Ajayi, director-general of the Department of State Services, met President Bola Tinubu on Friday night to brief him on the worsening security situation. Bayo Onanuga, the president’s adviser on information and strategy, confirmed that the meeting took place at the presidential villa and released a photograph of the briefing. The meeting came on the same day the federal government ordered the closure of 47 Unity Colleges. The circular announcing the directive cited recent security incidents and the need to forestall further breaches. Within one week in November, two major attacks on schools were recorded. On November 17, gunmen raided…

The Department of State Services has arraigned Abdulazeez Obadaki, alleged mastermind of the 2022 Kuje correctional centre attack and the 2012 assault on the Deeper Life Bible Church in Okene, Kogi State. Nineteen worshippers, including a pastor, were killed in the 2012 incident after three gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles entered the church during an evening service and opened fire on the congregation. Obadaki, also known as Bomboy, appeared before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday on a six-count charge that includes terrorism, conspiracy, aiding attacks, concealment of information, and escape from lawful custody.…

Chelsea and England forward Cole Palmer will miss two Premier League games and the Champions League clash with Barcelona next week after fracturing a toe, coach Enzo Maresca said on Friday. Maresca said that 23-year-old Palmer, who had just returned to training after two months out with a groin injury, had suffered the injury at home. He apparently stubbed his toe on a door at night. The Chelsea forward will be sidelined for Saturday’s trip to Burnley, the home game against Barcelona on Tuesday and next weekend’s Premier League match against leaders Arsenal. “He is probably not available for tomorrow…

Boluwatife Balogun, the 14-year-old son of the music star Wizkid, has added his voice to the growing alarm over Nigeria’s worsening security troubles. Tife’s comments come as the country reels from a string of violent attacks and mass abductions that have shaken several communities. In Niger State, gunmen seized students and staff from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area during the early hours of Friday. The incident followed the kidnapping of 25 female students from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State on 17 November. Only days earlier, a video showing armed men storming a branch…

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has posted graphic images of the slain Musa Uba, a brigadier general, in Al-Naba, the group’s Arabic language newspaper. On November 18, Uba was killed by ISWAP fighters, following an ambush on a convoy of soldiers and operatives of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Borno state. The terrorists ambushed the troops last Friday at Damboa Road, along Wajiroko in Borno, as they transported military equipment. In the publication seen by FIJ, ISWAP displayed censored images of the brigadier general’s lifeless body on the cover, showing a bullet wound on his leg…

Charles Awuzie has urged Nigerian lawmakers to open the nation’s security sector to private players, drawing a sharp comparison with South Africa’s powerful network of licensed security firms. South Africa has more than 2.4 million private security officers working under the oversight of the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority. They serve through over ten thousand companies and operate with training, surveillance tools and armed response units that often match or exceed public law enforcement capacity. Their teams monitor streets and neighbourhoods through extensive camera networks and respond quickly to suspicious activity. Many also work hand in hand with the police.…

Four rice farmers have been abducted by terrorist in Bokungi village, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, in a second attack within a day. The incident followed the assault on worshippers at the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku on Tuesday, where gunmen opened fire during a service and took several people away. Footage from the Eruku attack, recorded during a live stream, showed congregants in mid-worship before gunshots rang out around the church. The community lies close to the Kogi border and has witnessed several security breaches in recent months. The latest incident unfolded on Wednesday evening. Witnesses said…

Aloy Ejimakor, counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, has confirmed that the Indigenous People of Biafra leader has been transferred from the custody of the Department of State Services in Abuja to a correctional centre in Sokoto. Ejimakor said the move places Kanu far from his legal team and family, and expressed concern over the conditions surrounding the transfer. The relocation came a day after Justice James Omotosho of the federal high court in Abuja delivered a sweeping judgment that found Kanu guilty of terrorism. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment on four counts and imposed additional terms of twenty years…

Onyinyechi Basil from Anambra State is set to stand for Nigeria at the seventy-fourth Miss Universe pageant. The event will take place on 21 November at the Impact Challenger Hall in Nonthaburi, just outside Bangkok, where 120 contestants will gather from every region of the world. Africa will field a strong line-up, with entrants from Nigeria, Angola, Botswana, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. This year’s winner will receive the crown from Victoria Kjær Theilving of Denmark, who holds the current title. Basil, aged twenty-five, earned…

Terrorist abducted several students and staff members from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Agwara LGA of Niger State. The attack took place between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. on Friday. In a statement, the Niger State Government said it received with deep sadness the report of the kidnapping. Officials noted that the exact number of abducted pupils had yet to be confirmed as security agencies continued their assessment. The statement, signed by Abubakar Usman, secretary to the state government, explained that authorities had earlier obtained intelligence pointing to rising security threats in parts of the northern senatorial district. In response…