Author: Opalim Lifted

Opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives staged a dramatic walkout on Tuesday after the chamber approved a controversial manual collation clause in the amended Electoral Act. The protest erupted over Section 60(3), which allows manual collation of results where electronic transmission fails. Opposition members insisted that election results must be transmitted electronically without any fallback to manual processes. The amended clause states that presiding officers must electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s result viewing portal (IReV). However, it also provides that if electronic transmission fails due to technical or communication issues, Form…

About 100 US military personnel have arrived at Bauchi airfield under a new security cooperation deal between Nigeria and the United States. In a statement on Monday, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) confirmed that the deployment follows a recent bilateral security agreement between Nigeria and the US government. According to DHQ spokesperson Samaila Uba, the Federal Government formally requested US assistance in military training, technical support and intelligence sharing for members of the Nigerian Armed Forces. He stressed that the US personnel are technical specialists serving strictly in advisory and training roles not combat troops. “The collaboration will provide access to…

Proceedings in the House of Representatives turned chaotic on Tuesday as lawmakers clashed over a motion seeking to rescind the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment bill. Tensions flared after Francis Waive, chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, moved a motion to reverse the green chamber’s earlier decision on the bill passed on December 23, 2025. When Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House, put the motion to a voice vote, the “nays” clearly outweighed the “ayes”. However, Abbas ruled in favour of the “ayes”, triggering loud protests across the chamber. Lawmakers openly challenged the ruling, shouting in…

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has firmly stated that it does not determine or adjust foreign exchange (FX) rates used for import and export valuation. In a statement issued by its National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, the agency addressed growing public debate over exchange rate discrepancies, investor reactions, and customs valuation processes. According to the NCS, all FX rates applied within its digital clearance platform, B’Odogwu, the unified customs management system are electronically transmitted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Maiwada stressed that the customs service has no authority to generate, alter, or apply margins to exchange rates.…

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has launched an investigation into the data processing activities of e-commerce platform Temu over alleged violations of the Nigeria Data Protection Act. The National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, ordered an immediate probe yesterday following concerns that the company’s operations may not comply with provisions of the Act. According to the Commission, the investigation was triggered by issues surrounding online surveillance through personal data processing, accountability, data minimisation requirements, transparency, duty of care, and cross-border data transfers. Preliminary findings indicate that Temu has processed the personal information of…

Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), says the country is set to play a central role in designing Africa’s future single-currency framework, following the African Union’s latest approvals on the African Monetary Institute (AMI). On February 13, the executive council of the AU agreed to grant Nigeria a permanent seat on the board of the African Central Bank (ACB). In a recent statement, Cardoso said the decision for Nigeria to host the African Monetary Institute (AMI) and, eventually, the African Central Bank (ACB) positions the country at the heart of Africa’s emerging monetary union and strengthens…

The United Kingdom has announced that all new UK Visit visas for Nigerian travellers will be issued digitally from February 25, 2026, marking a major step in modernising its visa process. In a statement signed on Monday by the Senior Press and Public Affairs Officer at the British High Commission, Onyinye Madu, the UK said that from the effective date, Nigerian applicants will receive an electronic visa (eVisa) instead of the traditional vignette sticker in their passports. “The only change is the visa format: travellers will now access their visa digitally through a UKVI account,” the statement explained. The move…

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have intercepted N37 million and several mobile phones suspected to be linked to terrorist financing in Borno State. In a statement on Monday, Sani Uba, media information officer of the North-East Joint Task Force, said the recovery was made at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Chabbal checkpoint. Uba said troops stopped a vehicle conveying five occupants, three men and two women, and discovered about N37 million concealed in bags. He added that multiple mobile phones, believed to be connected to terrorist coordination and funding activities, were also recovered from the suspects. He noted that the…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained Nasir el-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, over alleged financial improprieties during his time in office. Sources confirmed that the EFCC detained Nasir El-Rufai on Monday after he voluntarily honoured an invitation at the agency’s headquarters. Investigators are questioning him over allegations of mismanagement and diversion of public funds while serving as governor between 2015 and 2023. “He is in our custody, and he is going to spend the night there,” a source disclosed. The detention comes months after the Kaduna State House of Assembly indicted El-Rufai in 2024 over…

Robert Duvall, the US actor best known for his roles in The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, has passed away at the age of 95. Luciana Duvall, his wife, announced his death in a statement shared on his Facebook page on Monday. Sharing a photo of herself and Robert, she disclosed that he “passed away peacefully” at home on Sunday. She also praised his dedication to his craft and expressed appreciation to those who supported him throughout his career. “Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time. Bob passed away…