Author: Opalim Lifted

Dennis Amachree, a former assistant director of the Department of State Services (DSS), has shared his account of the final moments of Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s former head of state. Abacha was Nigeria’s military ruler from November 1993 to June 1998. His death while in office has long been shrouded in controversy and conspiracy theories. Accounts of human rights abuses and iron-fisted rule continue to define the Abacha era. Amachree’s Account According to The Nation, Amachree gave his version of Abacha’s final moments in his new book, DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield. Amachree, who was the assistant director of…

Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has said Nigeria cannot achieve lasting economic growth by relying on imports instead of boosting domestic production. In a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the country’s economic recovery depends on producing what it consumes, manufacturing what it uses and exporting finished goods. Atiku blamed Nigeria’s economic hardship on years of policies that encouraged importation and consumption while neglecting local production and industrialisation. “For too long, we have celebrated importation while neglecting production,” he said. “We import food that…

United States President Donald Trump has declared that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not face arrest during any visit to the United States, following remarks by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani suggesting the city was still weighing such a possibility. “Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America,” Trump wrote in a social media post that did not refer to the mayor’s comments. The statement comes after the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024 over alleged war crimes committed during…

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said his administration is examining whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be arrested if he visits the city for the United Nations General Assembly in September. Speaking on The New York Times’ The Interview podcast, Mamdani said the city’s legal department is assessing the matter, in line with a campaign pledge he made during the mayoral race. “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani said. “He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court. And what you will find is that this is an…

Kwankwaso faults APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket Atiku blames Tinubu’s policies for economic hardship Presidency attacks Obi Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso has confirmed that he and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, signed a written agreement committing Obi to serve only one four-year term if elected president in the 2027 general election. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Kwankwaso said he was confident Obi would honour the agreement, which provides for the presidency to return to the North after a single southern term. “I personally believe him. Based on what I know about him, I don’t think he will…

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has resumed the enforcement of its Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025 (DEON), following a Federal High Court judgment that upheld the validity of the framework. The development comes after Justice A.L. Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos dismissed a suit filed by the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN), which had challenged the commission’s authority to issue and enforce the regulations. According to the FCCPC, the court rejected all the reliefs sought by WASPAN and ruled that the DEON Regulations were made within the…

The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has successfully conducted its first computer-based National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) into federal and state technical colleges, marking a significant step in the board’s digital transformation. Speaking during the 2026 selection and placement exercise for qualified candidates into federal and state technical colleges in Abuja, NABTEB Registrar, Dr Mohammed Mohammed, said the computer-based examination results were processed and released within 72 hours, while the conventional paper-based examination results were released within 21 days using the newly developed NABTEB Aptitude Placement Test (NAPAT). He described the achievement as evidence of the board’s commitment…

European football chief Aleksander Ceferin refused to attend Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final following a series of disagreements between UEFA and FIFA over disciplinary decisions, refereeing issues and tournament operations. A source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters that tensions escalated after FIFA decided not to enforce an automatic one-match suspension for United States forward Folarin Balogun following his red card. The decision sparked one of the tournament’s biggest controversies, with UEFA reportedly accusing FIFA of having “crossed a red line” over its handling of disciplinary procedures. Another major factor behind Ceferin’s absence was the case of Somali…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced plans to launch a nationwide campaign for a review of the national minimum wage while also pushing for the introduction of a national minimum pension for retirees. Speaking during the inauguration of the Godwin Abumisi Pensioners’ Legacy House and Multipurpose Hall in Abuja, NLC President Joe Ajaero said the welfare of pensioners must receive the same level of attention as that of serving workers. Ajaero said organised labour would no longer advocate improved wages for workers without demanding better living conditions for retirees. “The Nigeria Labour Congress is currently in the preparatory stages…

The Department of State Services (DSS) has announced plans to challenge the life sentences imposed on two senior commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group, arguing that the punishment is too lenient considering the severity of their crimes. The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, on Monday sentenced Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas or Mukhtar, and Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Malam Mamuda, to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to a 32-count terrorism charge. Usman was identified in court as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, while al-Nigeri was described as his deputy…