Author: Opalim Lifted

The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, took a sharp political turn on Wednesday as his lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the case before it was “a political trial, not a money laundering charge.” Daudu made the assertion before Justice Emeka Nwite while responding to comments by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), during the cross-examination of the prosecution’s seventh witness. The witness, Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank Plc, had been subpoenaed by the EFCC in the ongoing trial over…

The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, resumed on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, with fresh exchanges during the cross-examination of the seventh prosecution witness. Bello is standing trial before Justice Emeka Nwite on a 19-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over alleged money laundering involving ₦80.2 billion. At the resumed proceedings, prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, told the court that the case was scheduled for the cross-examination of Prosecution Witness Seven, noting that three prosecution witnesses were available. The witness, Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer…

Four frontline health workers have tested positive for Lassa fever in Benue as the state declares an outbreak and activates emergency response measures. The Benue State Ministry of Health has confirmed that at least four frontline health workers have been infected with Lassa fever, amid a growing outbreak across the state. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Health, Paul Ogwuche, said three nurses and one community health worker tested positive for the viral disease following a steady rise in suspected and confirmed cases. Ogwuche announced that the state government has officially declared a Lassa fever outbreak and…

The United States has dispatched troops to Nigeria following recent joint security cooperation between both countries. Dagvin Anderson, the general in charge of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), disclosed the development during a press briefing on Tuesday. This marks the first public acknowledgement of US boots on the ground in Nigeria since the Donald Trump administration launched missile strikes targeting terrorists in Sokoto on Christmas Day. Anderson said the deployment followed a meeting he held with President Bola Tinubu in Rome late last year. “That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, to include a small US team that…

The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a Kannywood star, Samha Inuwa, over alleged naira mutilation. Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity at the EFCC, said in a statement that Inuwa was arrested following a viral video circulated on social media platforms in which she was seen conspicuously cleaning mucus from her nose with naira notes. Following the circulation of the video, the commission swung into action, traced the suspect and subsequently arrested her for questioning. She is currently being held at the commission’s detention facility while investigations are ongoing. The suspect…

Arsenal took a step closer to winning their first major silverware since 2020 as they beat Chelsea to reach the Carabao Cup final. Leading 3-2 from the first leg, the Gunners had to wait until the 97th minute to seal their progress on a tense evening at the Emirates Stadium. Substitute Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the night deep into injury time, rounding goalkeeper Robert Sanchez before slotting home. Mikel Arteta’s men, who are top of the Premier League and still involved in three cup competitions, will face either Manchester City or Newcastle in the final at Wembley…

Traditional institutions in Amasiri, Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, have thrown their weight behind steps taken by Governor Francis Nwifuru to resolve the long-running land dispute between their community and Oso-Edda in Edda LGA. The backing follows the governor’s decisive action on Sunday, when he dissolved the political and traditional leadership structures of the Amasiri clan after a violent clash over disputed farmland claimed the lives of three people. In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, the traditional rulers condemned the killing of four Edda indigenes, the burning of houses, and the destruction of property in Okporojo,…

The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested the coordinator of the Amasiri Development Centre, Anya Baron-Ogbonnia, alongside two traditional rulers, in connection with the killing of four people in Edda Local Government Area of the state. The police spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the arrests on Monday, identifying the traditional rulers as Onyaidam Bassey and Godfrey Oko-Obia. Ukandu said the arrests followed a coordinated security operation involving the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). According to him, 10 other suspects had earlier been taken into custody,…

Leaders of the Amasiri community in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have appealed to Governor Francis Nwifuru to lift what they described as a crippling “siege” imposed on their area following a deadly communal clash. The appeal comes days after the governor announced sweeping sanctions on Amasiri in response to the killing of three people in neighbouring Okporojo village, Oso Edda, over a long-standing land dispute. On Sunday, Nwifuru dissolved all political and traditional leadership structures in the Amasiri clan, dethroned traditional rulers, scrapped community unions, and removed Amasiri from Ebonyi’s list of 64 development centres. He…

Ron Kenoly, the American Christian worship leader, singer, and songwriter, has passed away at the age of 81. Bruno Miranda, Kenoly’s music director, broke the news in a statement released via the singer’s Instagram page. The statement revealed that the worship leader died on February 3, though the cause of death was not disclosed. Miranda, who worked alongside Kenoly for more than two decades, described him not only as a mentor but as a spiritual father, emphasising that Kenoly was deeply intentional about his calling. “This morning, Feb. 3, 2026, we said goodbye to Dr. Ron Kenoly,” the statement read.…