Author: Opalim Lifted

President Bola Tinubu and governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State have paid tribute to Afenifere leader Reuben Fasoranti, who died on Tuesday at the age of 100. In separate condolence messages, the leaders described the death of the Yoruba elder statesman as a significant loss to Yorubaland and Nigeria, highlighting his contributions to democracy, education, public service and national development. Tinubu: Fasoranti Fought for Democracy Tinubu described Fasoranti as a father figure, elder statesman and one of the leading figures in the progressive political tradition associated with Chief Obafemi Awolowo. In…

By Oluwafemi Popoola One of the greatest luxuries in politics is having a dead man as your witness. Speaking for the dead has its advantages. They cannot interrupt your story. They cannot challenge your evidence or ask you to explain where you got your information. You can even read meaning into their silence, interpret body language from years ago and package your personal assumptions as historical facts. It is an enviable arrangement, especially when the person whose thoughts you claim to understand is no longer around to tell you whether you got the story right. Babachir Lawal’s latest interview deserves…

Taiwo Oyedele, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, has denied reports that the Federal Government plans to introduce a fuel tax when the economy stabilises and Nigerians’ incomes improve. In a post on X on Tuesday, Oyedele said his remarks during an interview with ARISE News had been misrepresented, insisting that a fuel tax was not being considered. However, during the interview with Rotus Odiri, ARISE News business correspondent, on the sidelines of the 2026 International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, the minister said fuel taxes could be introduced when income…

The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, with 44 close contacts identified for tracing to prevent further spread. Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, announced the development in a statement on Tuesday following laboratory confirmation of the case. According to the minister, the patient, a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received care for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed. “She is currently in isolation and receiving medical…

The leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Reuben Fasoranti, has died. He was 100. Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa announced Fasoranti’s death in a statement on Tuesday evening. “With a heavy heart but with total submission to the will of God, I announce the passing of our revered elder statesman, Pa Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti, who departed this world at the glorious age of 100,” the governor said. “Pa Fasoranti was a patriarch, a beacon of wisdom, integrity and selfless service whose century-long life was marked by uncommon commitment to the development of our dear State, Yorubaland and Nigeria at…

A power outage at a Google Cloud data centre near London disrupted banking and online services across the UK on Tuesday, affecting customers of Revolut, Lloyds and HSBC, as well as other businesses. The US technology giant said the incident began at 0608 GMT and affected multiple cloud services in its London-based europe-west2 region. In a service update, Google attributed the disruption to a “power event” and initially estimated that full recovery would be achieved around 1300 GMT on Tuesday. The outage caused problems with several digital banking services, including ATM withdrawals, bank transfers and card top-ups on Revolut. A…

Kylie Jenner made her Victoria’s Secret runway debut in a $50 million diamond-encrusted bra as the lingerie brand revived its iconic Fantasy Bra for the first time since 2018. The show, held in Los Angeles on Sunday, featured the extravagant creation designed by luxury jeweller Jacob & Co. The bra was adorned with 91 large white diamonds weighing between five and 18 carats each, alongside a yellow diamond weighing more than 75 carats at its centre. According to CNN, 15 artisans spent more than 1,000 hours creating the dazzling piece. Victoria’s Secret revives iconic Fantasy Bra The Fantasy Bra has…

Police officers fired tear gas to disperse residents, activists and journalists gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on Tuesday during a memorial procession marking the sixth anniversary of the EndSARS protests. Among those affected were Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Lagos, and Funso Doherty, candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). The procession, organised by the Enough is Enough (EiE) movement, was intended to honour victims of the October 2020 protests against police brutality. Participants fled as officers deployed tear gas before the planned wreath-laying ceremony could begin. Some people were reportedly…

The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has submitted the draft National Policing Bill 2026 and 29 consequential amendment bills to the Federal Ministry of Justice for legislative review and validation. The submission was made on Monday, October 19, 2026, to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, in line with the working group’s timetable. The Ministry of Justice will review the bills to ensure they comply with legislative drafting standards and conventions and do not conflict with existing laws. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill and Chief of…

A businessman, Safwan Garba, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleging that Jordan Nyesom-Wike, son of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, collected $2.1 million over promises to facilitate land allocations in Abuja. In the petition dated December 11, 2025, the claimants alleged that Jordan claimed to have his father’s knowledge and approval to secure 60 hectares of land in Katampe and Guzape, two areas in the FCT. The allegations are contained in a petition signed by the claimants’ lawyer, Hamza Dantani, who asked the EFCC to investigate the alleged transaction and prosecute Jordan if criminal…