Author: Opalim Lifted

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has dismissed allegations that Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State is a “miracle centre”, following the abduction of students and officials during the ongoing 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). The clarification comes after armed men attacked the school on Tuesday, kidnapping students, the school principal and a NECO ad hoc staff member while candidates were writing their examination. Speaking after the incident, the Commanding Officer of the 21 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Godiya Solomon Monde, alleged that the isolated school was known as a “miracle centre” for…

Andy Burnham has officially become leader of the UK’s ruling Labour Party, paving the way for him to become the country’s next prime minister after promising to restore “hope” and improve living standards across Britain. Burnham, 56, was confirmed as Labour leader at a special party conference on Friday following the resignation of Keir Starmer, who stepped down last month after months of political turmoil and policy setbacks. As Labour commands a comfortable majority in parliament following its 2024 general election victory, Burnham will automatically become prime minister without the need for a fresh election. He is expected to be…

More than 40 million Nigerians who depend on airtime lending services are awaiting a crucial judgment from the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday in a case that could determine the future of one of the country’s most widely used telecom services. The case, marked FHC/L/CS/760/2026, was filed by the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN), which is challenging the legality of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC)’s Demand for Electronic Onboarding (DEON) Consumer Lending Regulations 2025 as they apply to airtime lending. The judgment is expected to end months of uncertainty that followed the…

The Federal Government has filed criminal charges against three men over their alleged involvement in the abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The 10-count charge, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, accuses Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid, Yunusa Musa (Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (Abu Itisar) of terrorism-related offences, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement and illegal mining. According to the charge sheet, the defendants, all from Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, allegedly conspired with three other suspects — Muhammad Sani,…

The Supreme Court has affirmed the final forfeiture of properties and $2.045m linked to Godwin Emefiele, former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to the federal government. In a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, the apex court overturned the decision of the court of appeal in Lagos, which had nullified the forfeiture order. The court held that the court of appeal erred when it overturned the forfeiture order and directed that the matter be reheard by the trial court. On November 1, 2024, Deinde Dipeolu, judge of a federal high court in Lagos, ordered the permanent forfeiture of monies…

United States President, Donald Trump, has threatened to launch strikes on Iran’s bridges and power plants unless Tehran returns to negotiations. Speaking during a recent interview with Fox News, Trump warned that Iran would face more devastating attacks if it refused to resume talks with Washington. “Next week it gets really bad for them,” Trump said. “We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.” He also said: “I’ll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we’ll hit energy targets.” According to Trump,…

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Kabiru Turaki-led interim National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), dealing a fresh setback to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s reported 2027 presidential ambition. The ruling, delivered by Justice Salim Ibrahim, also casts doubt on the validity of decisions taken by the Turaki-led faction, including Jonathan’s nomination as the PDP’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election. The faction had announced Jonathan as its presidential candidate in May after a special national convention held at the…

Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has announced plans to establish Cottage Industry and Enterprise Hubs across strategic locations in the state as part of efforts to accelerate industrialisation, promote local production, and create employment opportunities. The governor made the announcement during the Empowerment Programme for Registered Butchers organised by the Cottage Trade and Street Hawking Agency (CTSHA) at the Government House, Kano. According to a statement issued on Friday by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the project has been captured in the state’s approved 2026 budget. Yusuf said the proposed hubs would serve as modern production centres for…

The Government of Canada has reaffirmed its travel advisory for Nigeria, urging its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the country, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, because of persistent security threats. The updated advisory, published by the Government of Canada on July 14, 2026, cites terrorism, violent crime, kidnappings, armed attacks and inter-communal clashes as major concerns across Nigeria. However, the advisory excludes the cities of Lagos and Calabar, where Canadians are instead advised to exercise a high degree of caution due to elevated crime levels. Canada also maintained its “avoid all travel” warning for several parts of Nigeria,…

United States President Donald Trump has said no country can achieve greatness without free, fair and honest elections, renewing his criticism of the country’s electoral system during a primetime address from the White House. Speaking on Thursday, Trump said the United States was making significant progress but argued that concerns over election integrity remained a major challenge requiring urgent attention. “America is back and doing really well, but we still have a major challenge that must be urgently addressed, because no country can be great without fair and honest elections,” he said. Trump also announced the release of previously classified…