Author: Opalim Lifted

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has declared a state of emergency in the region. Omar Touray, president of the ECOWAS commission, relayed the declaration on Tuesday during the 55th session of the mediation and security council, at the ministerial level in Abuja. The meeting was convened following the string of coups and botched mutinies in the sub-region in recent times. Touray said the developments highlight the “imperative of serious introspection on the future of our democracy and the urgent need to invest in the security of our community”. Last month, a group of military officers in Guinea-Bissau…

Sixth-tier club Macclesfield will host holders Crystal Palace in the third round of the FA Cup. There are four all-Premier League ties, including Tottenham hosting Aston Villa, Sunderland travelling to Everton, Newcastle welcoming Bournemouth to St James’ Park, and Manchester United at home to Brighton. Fellow sixth-tier side Weston-super-Mare, who have reached this stage of the competition for the first time in their 138-year history, travel to League Two Grimsby. Premier League leaders Arsenal visit Portsmouth, while Manchester City host League One Exeter City and Liverpool are at home to third-tier Barnsley. In the other ties involving top-flight clubs, there…

Manchester United survived a scare at Molineux but eventually secured a victory over bottom-of-the-table Wolves that moved them up to sixth in the Premier League. On a night when a sizeable number of home fans heeded a call to delay their entrance for 15 minutes as a protest against the club’s Chinese ownership, Wolves ended a 540-minute wait for a goal when Jean-Ricner Bellegarde found the corner after David Moller Wolfe’s mis-hit shot had bounced into his path. It made United pay for a series of missed chances either side of a comical effort from skipper Bruno Fernandes after Andre…

TikTok has temporarily restricted access to the ‘Live’ feature for Nigerian users during late-night hours. At midnight on Sunday, the social media platform revealed that the restriction is to enhance an ongoing investigation and also keep the app “safe and protected”. “TikTok LIVE Update in Nigeria. We’re temporarily limiting LIVE late at night in Nigeria as part of our investigation to ensure our platform remains safe and our community stays protected,” the notification reads. The live sessions, which had been active earlier in the night, became unavailable between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., with affected accounts showing a “No Access” label. The…

A federal high court in Abuja has refused to grant a motion ex parte seeking the transfer of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), from Sokoto correctional facility. The IPOB leader was remanded in Sokoto prison following his conviction on a seven-count terrorism-related charge by a federal high court in Abuja on November 20. In an ex parte motion, Kanu is seeking “an order compelling the complainant (federal government)!and/or the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to forthwith transfer him from the Sokoto Correctional Facility to a custodial facility within the jurisdiction of this honourable court”. Alternatively,…

Nigeria is rapidly becoming one of the most dangerous places on Earth to follow Christ, the US House Appropriations Committee said in an X post on Sunday, stressing that the United States cannot ignore the crisis. The post comes on the heels of a recent joint briefing convened by members of the US House Appropriations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which renewed scrutiny of Nigeria’s security response to ongoing violence affecting communities across several states. The session, held on 2 December and led by House Appropriations Vice Chair Mario Díaz-Balart, followed President Donald Trump’s 31 October directive instructing…

The Federal Government of Nigeria has called for calm in the Republic of Benin after Sunday’s attempted coup, stressing the need for political grievances to be resolved through lawful and constitutional means. In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, Nigeria reaffirmed its solidarity with Benin and expressed concern over the incident. “Nigeria stands in firm solidarity with the Government and people of the Republic of Benin, and applauds the swift action taken by Beninese authorities to protect its legitimate institutions and preserve the peace,” the statement read. The ministry commended the Beninese security forces…

Around a dozen soldiers have been arrested in Benin following Sunday’s attempted coup, including the alleged ringleaders, military and security sources told AFP. One source said 13 arrests had been made, with all detainees in active service except one former soldier. The attempted coup began early Sunday when a group of soldiers calling themselves the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR) announced on state television that President Patrice Talon had been removed from office. The group cited deteriorating security in northern Benin, neglect of families of fallen soldiers, and alleged unfair promotions. Shortly after the announcement, sources close to Talon assured…

Georginio Rutter’s stoppage-time equaliser for Brighton cancelled out Jarrod Bowen’s superb finish as West Ham missed the chance to escape the Premier League relegation zone. With 91 minutes on the clock, West Ham were unable to hold out for a win that would have lifted them out of the bottom three, as Rutter finished from close range. The video assistant referee (VAR) checked whether Rutter handled the ball before finishing – but the goal was allowed to stand. The Premier League Match Centre said: “The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that…

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said an attempted military takeover in the Republic of Benin on Sunday failed. Onanuga, in a post on X, stated that the mutineers, dressed in military uniform, briefly seized the national television station after failing to access President Patrice Talon’s residence. He added that security forces, led by the National Guard, regained control and surrounded the station, while discussions with the mutineers, who were holed up inside, were ongoing. Onanuga said, “Coup In Benin Fails. Mutineers in military uniform, who attempted to overthrow President Patrice Talon’s democratic…