Author: Opalim Lifted

The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has warned that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would be held responsible if anything happens to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai while in detention. Abdullahi made the remarks during an interview on Symfoni, alleging that El-Rufai’s continued detention is politically motivated and aimed at preventing him from playing a key role in the 2027 general election. According to him, the former Kaduna governor is not being held because he has been found guilty of any offence, insisting that only the courts have the authority to determine his guilt…

President Donald Trump on Tuesday welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington as the wars involving Ukraine and Iran entered critical phases. The two leaders travelled to the US capital to attend a memorial service for Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent Republican and close Trump ally who consistently advocated stronger American support for Ukraine. While Zelensky’s visit comes amid renewed momentum for Ukraine’s military campaign against Russia, Netanyahu’s discussions with Trump are expected to focus on the lack of progress towards a broader diplomatic resolution to the conflict involving Iran. Speaking on arrival, Zelensky…

Fresh bandits attack have plunged several communities in Lau Local Government Area of Taraba State into fear, leaving at least five people dead, several others injured and hundreds displaced. The attacks, which affected Kunini, Jimlari, Garin-Magaji, Donnada and Garin-Dogo communities, have also led to the abduction of the village head of Garin-Magaji, Jauro Tace, who was later released after a ransom was reportedly paid. According to The Guardian, investigations showed that the five victims were killed in separate attacks between June 30 and July 27, 2026, with most of the incidents linked to failed or attempted kidnapping operations. The worsening…

Lawyers under the umbrella of the Obidient Lawyers Forum have approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order compelling President Bola Tinubu to direct security agencies to provide special protection for Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 general election. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1648/2026, was filed against President Tinubu, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Governor of Edo State. According to the plaintiffs, the application became necessary to prevent Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, from becoming a victim of…

A two-storey building has collapsed on Baale Street in the Ajuwon area of Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State. The building, which comprised shops and residential apartments, collapsed on Monday afternoon during heavy rainfall in the area. Emergency responders were mobilised to the scene following the incident. Speaking to Channels Television at the scene, Akiode Saheed, the South-West Zonal Director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said the occupants of the building had noticed structural cracks but failed to notify the appropriate authorities. Saheed said emergency responders had commenced the evacuation of the debris. He disclosed that three bodies…

The United States staged a walkout during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday in protest over remarks made by France comparing Washington’s stance on human rights to that of authoritarian governments. The diplomatic protest took place during an emergency Security Council session on Russia’s war in Ukraine, as France’s Ambassador to the UN, Jérôme Bonnafont, addressed the council. Members of the US delegation left the chamber while Bonnafont was speaking, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between the two longtime allies. The dispute stems from a vote at the UN General Assembly last week on the reappointment of…

Dennis Amachree, former assistant director of the Department of State Services (DSS), has challenged Hamza Al-Mustapha, former chief security officer to former Head of State Sani Abacha, to release CCTV footage of the military ruler’s final hours if he disputes the account contained in his memoir. Amachree was responding to Al-Mustapha’s dismissal of claims in his recently published book, DSS @ 40: My Journey Behind the Shield, in which he wrote that Abacha died in June 1998 after suffering a coitus-induced cardiac arrest. However, Al-Mustapha alleged that the former DSS officer was “acting out a script” and had been influenced…

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has formally terminated the services of his legal counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor. Ejiofor had represented Kanu and IPOB in numerous court cases since 2015. In a letter dated July 22, 2026, and addressed to Ejiofor, the IPOB leader said the correspondence served as a formal termination of the lawyer’s legal representation, following previous “direct verbal communication”. Kanu, who is being held at the Sokoto Correctional Centre, reportedly wrote the letter from the custodial facility. The sender’s address on the letter reads: “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Sokoto Correctional Centre, Sokoto, Sokoto State,…

At least 30 people have reportedly been killed after gunmen attacked Naridon village in Kamaru Ward of Kauru Local Government Area, Kaduna State, in the early hours of Monday. According to reports, the attackers stormed the community at about 1am, opening fire indiscriminately on residents and forcing many to flee into nearby bushes. Amnesty International said the assailants chased those attempting to escape, killing many in what it described as one of the deadliest attacks recorded in southern Kaduna. The human rights organisation alleged that entire families were slaughtered inside their homes, with many residents still unaccounted for as search…

By Henry Obiekea, Managing Director, FairMoney Microfinance Bank Nigeria’s banking industry is entering one of its most significant periods of transformation since the 2005 banking consolidation exercise. The Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) ongoing recapitalisation programme is more than a regulatory requirement—it is a strategic investment in the country’s financial future. If implemented successfully, it has the potential to strengthen financial stability, deepen access to credit, improve investor confidence and support a more inclusive and resilient economy. In March 2024, the CBN announced new minimum capital requirements for commercial, merchant and non-interest banks. Under the new framework, international commercial banks…