Author: Opalim Lifted

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described ADC’s Atiku Abubakar, his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, and NDC’s Peter Obi as political gamblers, urging Rivers residents not to entrust their future to them ahead of the 2027 general elections. Wike spoke on Friday at a Rainbow Coalition town hall meeting in Ayama, Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, where he rallied support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. “Don’t trust your destiny to political gamblers. Don’t trust your destiny to ‘kalokalo’ people,” he told the cheering crowd. He described political gamblers as politicians who repeatedly…

The Presidency has accused television presenters and other media commentators of promoting what it described as false opposition narratives about Nigeria’s economy, insisting that food prices are falling, foreign reserves are rising and investment is returning under President Bola Tinubu. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, made the allegation in a post on his official X account, on Friday. Onanuga argued that some television anchors continued to portray the economy negatively despite what he described as significant improvements since Tinubu assumed office in 2023. He also questioned their criticism of National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)…

Rising energy and fertiliser costs are pushing up food prices worldwide, threatening smallholder farmers and raising fears of a global food crisis, the United Nations’ International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has warned. Global agricultural prices rose by 13 per cent in the third quarter of 2026, according to IFAD, which warned that a global food crisis was looming as higher production and transport costs put pressure on food supplies. The surge in energy prices, driven by conflict in the Middle East, has increased the cost of fuel and fertilisers, making farming more expensive and threatening food affordability, particularly in…

The World Bank has warned that developing countries could face a shortfall of 800 million jobs over the next 10 to 15 years, urging governments to accelerate investment and economic reforms to create employment opportunities for young people. World Bank Group President Ajay Banga gave the warning at the 2026 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, where he said about 1.2 billion young people in developing countries were expected to reach working age during the period, while only 400 million jobs were projected to be created. Banga described the employment challenge as a defining economic concern, stressing the need…

Rescuers have recovered 12 bodies after a boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of The Gambia, with an unknown number of people still missing, the Gambia Red Cross Society has said. The boat departed from Jinack Kajata, a village on an Atlantic island that residents say has become a frequent departure point for migrants attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands. In a statement on Thursday, the Red Cross said rescue operations were continuing, but the number of missing people remained unclear. “The number of missing remains unclear. Further information is expected as rescue operations continue,” the organisation said. Dangerous…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Abdulmajid Halifa Nazifi before the Kano State High Court over the alleged misappropriation of N34.875 million intended for the purchase of spaghetti from BUA. Nazifi was arraigned on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, before Justice Musa Karaye on a one-count charge of criminal misappropriation. According to the charge, the alleged offence occurred between September and October 2024 in Kano State. The EFCC alleged that N34,875,000 belonging to Fahad Balarabe Adaji was transferred, on Nazifi’s instruction, into the First Bank account of one Muazu Abdullahi for the purchase of IRS spaghetti from BUA.…

President Bola Tinubu has nominated six persons for positions at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and reappointed Dr Bala Bila as a National Commissioner ahead of the 2027 general elections. The nominations cover four National Commissioner positions and two Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) positions. All nominees are subject to Senate screening and confirmation. According to a statement issued on Friday by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, the nominations followed vacancies arising from the expiration of serving officials’ tenures. Tinubu Nominates Four National Commissioners Professor Mustapha Aliu has been nominated to replace Professor Abdullahi Zuru…

A 47-year-old man, Mark Agbor, has been arraigned over alleged impersonation and unauthorised access to restricted areas at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMA), Lagos, after reportedly advertising a military combat helicopter for sale on social media. Agbor allegedly uploaded a video claiming ownership of two military combat helicopters and offering one of them to potential buyers. The case has been adjourned until November 18, 2026. The spokesperson for the Airport Police Command, Adeola Mohammed, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday. Mohammed said Agbor, an employee of Pathfinders International Limited, was handed over to the command’s International Division…

German police have launched an investigation into two people accused of using a robot to grope a 16-year-old girl in the city of Cologne. Police confiscated the red-and-gold robot after it allegedly grabbed the girl’s buttocks and made thrusting motions against her, prompting her to scream and move away. North Rhine-Westphalia Police said the robot’s 16-year-old owner and his 19-year-old companion were suspected of streaming the incident live on social media and commenting on what happened. According to a police statement published on Facebook, the 120cm (3.9ft) robot approached the girl from behind shortly before midnight on Saturday while she…

Google has announced plans to display links to websites and news articles more prominently in its AI-powered search results, as brands and publishers raise concerns about declining website traffic. The Alphabet-owned company said on Thursday that contextual links would appear more frequently and higher up in AI-generated search content, making it easier for users to find original sources. The move comes as Google’s AI-powered search features increasingly provide direct answers to users’ questions, potentially reducing the need to click through to external websites. Google Expands AI Search Features Google began integrating artificial intelligence into its search results more than two…