Author: Opalim Lifted

The Supreme Court has ordered a former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, and other defendants to enter their defence at the Federal High Court in Abuja over an alleged N1.35 billion fraud. A five-member panel of the apex court gave the directive on Friday, January 16, 2026, in two unanimous judgments delivered in appeals filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The EFCC had challenged the July 25, 2023 judgments of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which upheld a no-case submission by Lamido and others and struck out the 43-count amended…

Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, on Friday visited the Old Oyo National Park in Oloka village, Oriire LGA, following an attack that claimed the lives of five forest guards. The governor was in the community to commiserate with residents and families of the slain officers, describing the incident as a criminal attack that must not go unpunished. Makinde had said the attack was carried out by cross-border bandits. He said security agencies have arrested three suspects believed to be directly linked to the attack and assured that they would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Makinde…

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has restated that bail remains free of charge and warned officers against extorting money from suspects or their families. The command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, made the clarification on Friday in Abuja amid growing public complaints that some police officers were demanding payments before granting bail. Adeh described the practice as fraudulent and unacceptable, stressing that any officer found culpable would face disciplinary action. She said reporting such misconduct would not only bring justice to victims but also deter other officers from engaging in similar acts. According to her, ignorance and fear often embolden…

The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has warned state governments to immediately stop engaging in peace deals with bandits, describing such arrangements as counterproductive and harmful to Nigeria’s security efforts. Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, Gen. Musa said the Federal Government has consistently advised all levels of government against negotiating with armed groups, stressing that bandits cannot be trusted to honour any agreement. “There will be no peace deal with bandits. We have advised all levels of government not to take that route because these bandits are not truthful and will not abide by any agreement.…

Super Falcons of Nigeria has been drawn in Group C of the Morocco 2026 African Women’s Nations Cup alongside Zambia, Egypt and Malawi. The group will be based in Casablanca. Nigeria is the seeded team in Group C, while hosts Morocco head Group A of the championship, slated to hold from March 17 to April 3, 2026. The 2026 championship will feature a record 16 nations in four groups of A to D. Alongside Morocco in Group A are Algeria, Senegal and Kenya, while Group B comprises South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Tanzania, just as Group D is…

The Lagos government has announced an 18-week maintenance program for Mazamaza Bridge along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway. The move comes against the backdrop of plans to eventually demolish and rebuild the bridge as part of Blue Line Rail Phase 2, a 14-kilometre extension from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko. In a statement on Friday, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, noted that the repair will begin on Monday, 19 January 2026. According to the statement, the repairs will cover both the Toll and Service Lanes in both directions, targeting expansion joints and other key bridge elements. The bridge will not…

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu for failing to attend the national observance of Armed Forces Remembrance Day, describing his absence as troubling and poorly timed. In a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the physical and moral presence of the Commander-in-Chief at such a solemn event is a vital symbol of solidarity with serving personnel and bereaved military families, especially at a time of worsening insecurity across Nigeria. The ADC argued that Armed Forces Remembrance Day is not a routine ceremony but a moment that demands leadership, reflection and…

The supreme court is set to deliver judgement on Friday in the appeal filed by Aminu Lamido, son of Sule Lamido, former governor of Jigawa, over his conviction for failing to declare $40,000 at an airport. Lamido is challenging the rulings of the federal high court and the court of appeal, which found him guilty of false declaration of foreign currency and ordered the forfeiture of part of the undeclared money. Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested Aminu on December 11, 2012, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while preparing to travel to Cairo, Egypt.…

Taiwo Oyedele, chairman of the presidential tax reform committee, says the issuance of guidelines for implementing the new tax laws has been delayed due to uncertainty over the final gazetted version. Oyedele spoke in Lagos on Wednesday during the 2026 Economic Outlook organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). The tax expert said he told the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) and the Joint Revenue Board (JRB) to wait, explaining that guidelines for implementing the tax laws cannot be issued until the final version is concluded. “Our plan in an ideal world was for all these regulations, guidelines,…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday tendered fresh bank records in the ongoing trial of Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi state, before a federal high court in Abuja. Bello is standing trial alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving about N110.4 billion. At the resumed hearing before Maryanne Anineh, the presiding judge, the prosecution team, led by Kemi Pinheiro, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), presented prosecution witness six (PW6), Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, for further cross-examination.…