Author: Opalim Lifted

A group of youths under the banner of the Coalition for Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday staged a solidarity rally at the Abuja residence of former President Goodluck Jonathan, urging him to contest the 2027 presidential election. The demonstrators gathered around Taraba Close in Maitama, spilling into nearby streets and causing heavy traffic disruption in the highbrow district. Supporters chanted songs, danced to music, and displayed placards carrying messages such as “GEJ: Nigeria is dying, save it!”, “GEJ, Nigerian youths break the medicine wey dem do you”, and “GEJ, if you no run, we quench”. The youths described Jonathan as a…

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has warned that 19 states across the country may experience flash flooding. In an advisory issued on Thursday, NiMet said increased surface runoff and flash flooding could occur during heavy early rains due to dry and hardened soils that prevent water from properly soaking into the ground. The agency listed the states likely to be affected as Zamfara, Nasarawa, Kwara, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Delta, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Edo, Ondo, and Bayelsa. NiMet said the possible impacts include flooded roads, traffic disruption, damage to homes, farmlands, and infrastructure, blocked…

The Kano State Government has set up a 12-member executive committee to recover N1.8 billion allegedly deducted illegally from the salaries of civil servants by private loan vendors. The government also announced the immediate suspension of further loan contracts between workers and private vendors, while withdrawing from all third-party involvement in such agreements. Speaking during the inauguration of the committee on Thursday, the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Faruq Ibrahim, said an independent audit uncovered arbitrary deductions from workers who obtained soft loans from private lenders. According to him, the audit revealed that some vendors made deductions beyond the…

A federal high court in Abuja has convicted Saleh Mamman on allegations of money laundering. Justice James Omotosho found the former power minister guilty on all 12 counts filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Delivering judgment, the court held that the prosecution successfully proved the charges against Mamman beyond reasonable doubt. Mamman served as Nigeria’s minister of power under former President Muhammadu Buhari from August 2019 until September 2021, when he was removed during a cabinet reshuffle.

Aliko Dangote has unveiled plans to generate 20,000 megawatts of electricity in Nigeria, marking a major expansion of his industrial empire into the country’s troubled power sector. The billionaire businessman disclosed the ambition during a conversation with Makhtar Diop, saying energy remains one of Africa’s most urgent development needs. “We are now going into power… 20,000 megawatts,” Dangote said, while also highlighting fertilisers and industrial inputs as critical sectors for the continent’s growth. The move comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with a severe electricity crisis that has undermined economic growth, disrupted businesses and left millions reliant on costly diesel…

At least 34 people have died while 254 others have been infected following a meningitis outbreak across nine local government areas of Sokoto State. Faruk Abubakar-Wurno, commissioner for health, disclosed the development on Wednesday, warning that the outbreak had spread across several communities and triggered emergency response measures by the state government. According to the commissioner, many of the deaths occurred in homes before medical intervention could be provided, as some residents reportedly linked the illness to spiritual causes or mysterious circumstances, delaying treatment and hospital visits. Isolation centres have now been established in Dogondaji and Kurawa communities within Tambuwal…

Nyesom Wike has defended the decision to reallocate land around Jabi Lake, insisting the move is aimed at improving the area and attracting serious investors. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) spoke on Wednesday during a media chat in Abuja, days after Pastor Sarah Omakwu publicly appealed to him not to hand over the popular recreation centre for private development. In a video shared on Instagram, Omakwu knelt while urging the minister to reconsider the allocation. “I cannot fight the minister of the FCT. I cannot. But I go on my knees as a mother in this land…

Media mogul Ted Turner, who revolutionised global broadcasting by launching the world’s first 24-hour news channel, has died at the age of 87. Turner founded CNN in 1980, transforming how news is delivered and consumed. The network began amid scepticism but quickly proved its value through continuous, real-time coverage of major global events. US President Donald Trump described Turner as “one of the greats of broadcast history,” while current CNN chairman Mark Thompson called him “the giant on whose shoulders we stand”. Veteran journalist Christiane Amanpour praised Turner for creating “an unstoppable media revolution”, highlighting his enduring influence on journalism…

A contractor working with the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill US President Donald Trump and using his government work computer to research details connected to the alleged plot. Authorities identified the suspect as Dean DelleChiaie, a 35-year-old mechanical engineer and FAA contractor based in New Hampshire. According to prosecutors, investigators discovered online searches allegedly carried out by DelleChiaie that included phrases such as “how to bring a firearm into a federal facility” and “I am going to kill Donald John Trump.” Prosecutors also alleged that he searched for information related to…

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has destroyed 1,167 confiscated mobile phones and other prohibited items recovered from custodial centres across the country as part of an intensified nationwide crackdown on contraband. The public destruction exercise was supervised by Sylvester Nwakuche, who said the seized items included Android phones, iPhones and basic feature phones uncovered during coordinated search operations conducted over the past eight months. The Service also disclosed that N2,569,000 in smuggled cash was recovered from inmates during the operations. According to a statement issued by Jane Osuji, the confiscated money has been remitted to the federal treasury in line…