Author: Opalim Lifted

A prosecution witness, Mr Ajayi Michael Folaseye, on Monday, told the Federal High Court in Lagos how he rejected a $7,000 bribe allegedly offered by a colleague seeking to illegally access Premium Trust Bank’s internal IT systems. Ajayi, a staff member in the bank’s Information Technology department, testified before Justice Alexander Owoeye in the ongoing trial of Kehinde Odeyemi and Matthew Adeniyi Damilola, both employees of Premium Trust Bank. They are being tried alongside three others, Samson Latshin Dakup, Bolaji Omotosho Yinka, and Sunday Badeniyi Okunola on a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy to steal. The case is being prosecuted…

The Benue State Police Command has announced the rescue of 11 passengers who were recently abducted in Okpokwu Local Government Area. On June 22, 13 passengers, including the driver of a Benue Links bus, were abducted by gunmen at Eke-Elengbecho community. The bus was traveling from Abeokuta, Ogun state, to Makurdi, before it was intercepted by armed men. Two of the kidnap victims had earlier been rescued. A statement issued on Sunday by Udeme Edet, Benue police spokesperson, said the police got information that the kidnappers were moving the victims through Ondo village in Ugbokolo area of Benue state. Edet…

The caucus meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has descended into chaos on Monday as security operatives forcefully ejected some members from the national executive committee (NEC) hall. The meeting is scheduled to hold at the NEC hall of the party’s headquarters in Abuja, with members already arriving at the venue. Two members were forcibly removed by security operatives, after some protocol officers claimed they had no business being at the meeting. In the course of dragging them out, the glass door was shattered. “Are you NWC member?” Chinwe Nnorom, national director of publicity, yelled before the PDP members…

Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, has renamed two sports institutions after the 22 athletes from the state who died while returning from the National Sports Festival (NSF) in Ogun. On May 31, a bus carrying the contingent back to the state from the NSF slipped off the Dakatsalle bridge in Kura LGA. The accident led to the death of 22 members of the team, while others sustained injuries. In a statement on Sunday, Mustapha Muhammed, the chief press secretary to the governor, said the Kano State Sports Institute and Sports Commission have been named after the dead athletes. The two…

Australia is heading toward a critical shortage of skilled workers across finance, technology, and business (FTB), with a shortfall of 250,000 expected by 2030, a new report warns. According to the Future Skills Organisation (FSO) , a jobs and skills council funded by the federal government, the demand for FTB professionals is set to outpace the rest of the workforce, but the local talent pipeline isn’t keeping up. By 2030, Australia will need 3.5 million FTB role nearly 450,000 more than today with the largest demand in technology (131,000), followed by finance (64,000) and business (48,000). Education Falling Behind Demand…

Caleb Mutfwang, governor of Plateau state, has blamed Nigeria’s persistent security challenges on the country’s elite. Speaking recently during a stakeholder meeting themed ‘Dialogue on Community Policing as a Panacea for Insecurity in Nigeria: The Case of Plateau State’, Mutfwang accused the elite of fuelling communal hatred. He said they could end the security crisis through decisive and intentional leadership if they decide. “My theory, is that more than anybody else, the challenges of insecurity in Nigeria, is an elite created problem. When the elite conspire to lead the people in the wrong direction, we will continue to have this…

In a rare and symbolic gesture, President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Saint Lucia has ignited fresh momentum in Africa-Caribbean relations, sparking excitement across both regions. According to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy. The visit, which some critics at home hastily dismissed, has in fact “opened a historic chapter in Nigeria’s foreign policy by deepening diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties with the Caribbean island nation’. Saint Lucia, home to many of African descent—including descendants of 19th-century Nigerian immigrants welcomed Tinubu with open arms. The visit underscores a shared heritage and mutual interest in…

President Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Engagement, Fredrick Nwabufo, has knocked Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, for his comments on the President’s visit to Saint Lucia. Tinubu departed Nigeria to Saint Lucia on Saturday, a move which has been heavily criticised by many Nigerians, including Obi. In a statement, Obi had accused Tinubu of going on a vacation to the Caribbean country at a time when the country is battling a series of crises. “This is a President going for leisure when he couldn’t visit Minna, Niger state where over two hundred lives were lost and over 700…

The Presidency has firmly debunked viral reports claiming that George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), has been replaced. Speculation swirled on social media late Saturday, alleging that the SGF had resigned or been removed from his post. But in a swift response, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, branded the claims as entirely false and misleading. “Akume remains SGF,” Onanuga said in a statement released Saturday. “There has been no change in the status of His Excellency, Senator George Akume, as Secretary to the Government of the Federation.” Onanuga added…

Guaranty Trust Bank Ltd. (GTBank) has announced that all its branches across Nigeria will close earlier than usual on Monday, June 30. The bank made this known in a customer email sent on Saturday, informing clients of the temporary change in operation hours. According to the message, the early closure allows for the bank’s scheduled half-year audit activities. The statement read, “Please be informed that our branches nationwide will close to customers early on Monday, June 30, 2025, for our half-year audit.” It also specified different closure times for locations based on geographical locations in the country. Appeal Court overturns…