Author: Opalim Lifted

Ochanya’s memory has sparked a powerful act of solidarity as award-winning actress and filmmaker Stephanie Linus uploaded her 2014 film Dry to YouTube. The move, she said, honours the late Ochanya Ogbanje — the 13-year-old girl whose death in 2018 from health complications linked to years of sexual abuse has reignited national outrage. The #JusticeForOchanya campaign has been revived on social media, with many Nigerians demanding accountability after her accused abuser, Andrew Ogbuja, was acquitted, while his son Victor remains at large. In an emotional Instagram post, Stephanie Linus announced that Dry would now be freely available to the public…

Tottenham Hotspur central defender Micky van de Ven scored a sensational solo goal in his side’s 4-0 home rout of FC Copenhagen which lifted the London club into the top eight in the Champions League on Tuesday. The flying Dutchman took possession of the ball on the edge of his own penalty area in the 64th minute and sped the length of the pitch through a flimsy Copenhagen defence to smash home a shot and make it 3-0. Brennan Johnson had put a dominant Spurs side ahead in the 19th minute with a cool, angled finish into an empty goal…

Mikel Merino scored twice as Arsenal comfortably beat Slavia Prague in the league phase of the Champions League to extend their winning run to eight matches in all competitions. It was also an eighth successive clean sheet – matching a club record set back in 1903 over two different seasons. Spaniard Merino was starting up front in place of the injured Viktor Gyokeres and, just as he did last season when he deputised for Kai Havertz, the midfielder showed his versatility to provide a focal point and make a crucial contribution for his team. Arsenal’s opening goal came in the…

A mural of Trent Alexander-Arnold has been vandalised as the Real Madrid right-back prepares to face former club Liverpool on Tuesday. Some fans booed the Liverpool academy product in May after he announced he would leave his hometown club when his contract expired in June. The 27-year-old joined Real Madrid, who were then handed an away game with Liverpool in the league phase of this season’s Champions League. The mural of the England defender was unveiled near Anfield after Liverpool became European champions in 2019, and was also vandalised earlier this year, with the word ‘Rat’ daubed on it. The…

The Department of State Services (DSS) has dismissed 115 personnel as part of ongoing internal reforms aimed at strengthening discipline and professionalism within the agency. In a statement, the DSS said some of the dismissed officers, including Barry Donald and Victor Onyedikachi Godwin, have continued to impersonate the Service, defrauding unsuspecting citizens. The agency cautioned the public to avoid any dealings with these individuals, noting that their identities have been published on its official website: dss.gov.ng/media/more/4. For further information or to report suspicious activities, citizens are advised to contact the DSS through 09088373515 or email dsspr@dss.gov.ng.

The House of Representatives has suspended plenary for one week following a protest by indigenous contractors at the national assembly. The house passed the resolution during Tuesday’s plenary following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Kingsley Chinda, the minority leader. On Tuesday, indigenous contractors protested at the national assembly over non-payment of executed projects, forcing security operatives to close the main gate. The development compelled staff and visitors to use the secretary to the government of the federation’s entrance, resulting in heavy traffic around the area. The contractors have been staging protests for months at various ministries, including the…

A high court in Oyo has ordered the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Umar Damagum, the national chairman, to proceed with the party’s national convention on November 15 in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital. A.L. Akintola, the presiding judge, issued the order on Monday following an ex parte application filed by Folahan Malomo Adelabi. The PDP, Damagum, Umar Fintiri, governor of state, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were listed as defendants in the suit filed on Monday. Adelabi asked the court for an interim injunction restrained the defendants from “truncating, frustrating, the Guidelines, Timetable and Schedule of Activity and/or…

Nigeria is bleeding, and I am angry not merely because the Presidency is deleting tweets or gaslighting citizens, but because a people who should know better have lost their moral compass. If President Bola Tinubu possessed an ounce of integrity, our nation would not be in this pit of despair. Yet this didn’t begin with him. It began with those who once believed that Muhammadu Buhari had a good head on his shoulders. His legacy is one of ineptitude, wickedness and backwardness, a legacy that even a billion-dollar propaganda campaign cannot rewrite. The tragedy runs deeper. Those who now defend…

China has declared its firm support for the Nigerian government, urging other countries to respect its sovereignty and refrain from meddling in its internal affairs. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday in Beijing, Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, said Nigeria’s leadership was guiding its people “on a development path suited to its national conditions”. “As Nigeria’s comprehensive strategic partner, China firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and threatening other countries with sanctions and force,” she said. Her comments came in response to US President…

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, has dismissed claims of a religious war in Nigeria’s South East, insisting that the ongoing violence in the region has nothing to do with religion. Soludo was reacting to US President Donald Trump’s threat to launch attacks on Nigeria under the pretext of “protecting Christians” from alleged genocide. Trump’s comments followed widespread claims by U.S. lawmakers, international media, and secessionist groups that Christians were being targeted in the country. Speaking during a media chat, Soludo acknowledged America’s right to express its opinions but urged respect for international law in its actions. “There is a…