Author: Opalim Lifted

Aminu Alhassan Dantata, the iconic Kano-born businessman, began his journey in commerce before he was ten. It was a family tradition. His father taught him and his siblings the basics of trade early, encouraging them to understand the value of money and the importance of enterprise. By the time he was 24, Dantata had already begun representing the family business in Sokoto as a district manager, and when he was 36 years old, he bought his first aircraft for about $15,000. A year later, he sold it and purchased a jet for $2.5 million. Yet, Dantata described himself simply as…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued Freedom of Information (FoI) requests to all 36 state governors in Nigeria, demanding full disclosure of how billions in security votes have been spent since 29 May 2023. In the letter dated 28 June 2025 and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation urged governors to invite both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to jointly investigate, monitor, and report on the use of these controversial funds. SERAP’s move comes amid intensifying insecurity across multiple states, including…

Paul Pogba has joined AS Monaco on a free transfer after signing a two-year contract, the Ligue 1 club said on Saturday, as the 32-year-old French midfielder looks to revive his career following a doping ban. Pogba was handed a four-year doping ban in February 2024 after testing positive for DHEA, which boosts testosterone levels. The suspension was cut to 18 months after a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Italian club Juventus announced in November that they had mutually agreed to terminate his contract, which was due to expire in June 2026. The 2018 World Cup…

England Under-21s dramatically defended their European title with a thrilling extra-time win over Germany. Substitute Jonathan Rowe’s stooping header, two minutes after coming on, clinched the Euro 2025 crown in Bratislava as Lee Carsley’s side retained the trophy they won two years ago, a victory which ended a 39-year drought. Harvey Elliott swept in his fifth goal of the tournament after just five minutes before Omari Hutchinson drilled in to double their lead midway through the half. Hutchinson, Elliot and James McAtee were denied by Noah Atubolu and Jay Stansfield missed a tap in at the far post as England…

Frank Edoho, the popular media personality, has confirmed the end of his marriage to Sandra Onyenuchenuya, his second wife. Edoho was previously married to broadcaster Katherine Obiang, with whom he shares three children. In 2010, the marriage ended after seven years together. The TV host then married Sandra in 2013. They welcomed their first child in 2014 and a second child in 2016. However, in a recent interview on the ‘Tea with Tay’ podcast, Edoho revealed that his second marriage ended in December 2022, describing the experience as “devastating”. Though he did not explicitly state the cause of the split,…

In a moving recollection, Jumoke Ogunkeyede, a United States-based leader of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) who has now relocated back home, narrated some interesting and personal moments of the June 12 struggle among Nigerians abroad. For instance, Ogunkeyede, a US-based NADECO official and Chairman of the United Committee to Save Nigeria, which was formed in New York after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, recounted how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu once broke down in tears over the disunity among June 12 pro-democracy groups abroad. He spoke on Friday on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television,…

A revolutionary breakthrough in fertility treatment has given new hope to couples struggling with male infertility. Scientists at Columbia University Fertility Center in the United States have used artificial intelligence (AI) to detect viable sperm in a man previously diagnosed with azoospermia, a condition marked by an extremely low or non-existent sperm count. The couple had been trying to conceive for 18 years without success. But in March 2025, the woman became pregnant after receiving an embryo fertilised with sperm identified through the cutting-edge AI system. From Zero to Forty-Four: AI Sees What Labs Couldn’t According to Dr Zev Williams,…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has blown the whistle on what it describes as a “coordinated sabotage campaign” aimed at discrediting its leadership and halting its ongoing transformation into a corruption-free institution. In a strongly worded statement, the company revealed that a syndicate allegedly involving actors both inside and outside the organisation is behind a flurry of fabricated reports and misinformation. “This group is actively spreading lies and misinformation to discredit NNPC Ltd.’s leadership and derail the transformation into a performance-driven, transparent energy giant,” the company stated. The NNPC claims the smear effort is a direct response to…

Prominent Kano businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, has passed away at the age of 94. The sad news was confirmed on Saturday in a Facebook post by his Principal Private Secretary, Mustapha Abdullahi Junaid. “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of our beloved father, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata. May Allah grant him Jannatul Firdaus and forgive his shortcomings. The Janazah details will be shared later, Insha Allah,” the post read. Aminu Dantata was the founder of Express Petroleum & Gas Company Ltd, and a towering figure in Nigeria’s business landscape for decades.  Dangote’s relative,…

Touchline interviews with substituted players and camera access to dressing rooms are set to feature in Premier League TV coverage next season. Camera operators will also be allowed to briefly enter the field of play to film close-ups of goal celebrations. The innovations, first reported in the Telegraph, external come at the start of a new four-year domestic TV deal. The deal, worth a record £6.6bn, will allow Sky and TNT to show up to 270 live games a season. Full details of the changes to coverage have yet to be confirmed by the Premier League. BBC Sport has been…