Author: Opalim Lifted

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.…

Former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking it to set aside an interim forfeiture order placed on dozens of properties seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The application, filed before Justice Emeka Nwite, seeks to overturn the court’s January 6 ruling, which ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 properties valued by the EFCC at ₦213.23 billion and suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities. The anti-graft agency alleged that the assets are linked to Malami and two of his sons, Abdulaziz Malami and Abiru Rahman Malami, pending…

The Federal Government has raised serious concern over a sharp rise in respiratory, cardiovascular and other environment-related diseases across Nigeria, linking the growing health burden to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Speaking on Monday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ engagement on the National Emergency Response to Environment-Related Diseases Arising from Greenhouse Gas Emissions, the minister of environment, Balarabe Lawal, warned that the crisis has moved beyond environmental degradation into a full-blown public health emergency. Lawal, who was represented by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Mahmud Kambari, said environmental surveillance, health data and peer assessments show a disturbing increase in illnesses associated with…

Transport operators across Nigeria have raised fresh concerns over the country’s deteriorating road network, warning that poor highways are stretching journeys to as long as 15 hours and increasing operational stress for drivers and passengers alike. Speaking in Abuja on Monday, the Managing Director of Chisco Transport, Obinna Anyaegbu, said the state of major roads has made inter-state travel increasingly exhausting, despite efforts by transport firms to improve passenger comfort. According to Anyaegbu, journeys that should take far less time are now prolonged due to damaged surfaces, congestion and slow movement caused by road failures. “Unfortunately, the roads are not…