Author: Opalim Lifted

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has finally dismantled longstanding barriers that have kept millions of Nigerians in the diaspora disconnected from their homeland’s financial system. With the official launch of the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN) yesterday in Abuja, the CBN has systematically removed the obstacles that once restricted Nigerians abroad from making seamless and cost-effective financial transactions to Nigeria. This transformative initiative is already generating excitement among Nigerians living overseas, who see it as a long-awaited dream come true. With the NRBVN, they can now carry out financial transactions from anywhere in the world as if they were…

Crystal Palace won the first major trophy in the club’s history with victory against Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley. Eberechi Eze was Crystal Palace’s hero when he crowned a superb counter-attack by sweeping home Daniel Munoz’s cross after 16 minutes. City, meanwhile, endured a day of total frustration as they failed to win a trophy in a season for the first time since manager Pep Guardiola’s first campaign in charge in 2016-17. They were furious when Palace keeper Dean Henderson was not shown a red card when he handled outside his area under pressure from Erling…

R&B superstar Chris Brown has been remanded in custody after appearing in court over an alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub in 2023.   The 36-year-old American artiste was arrested on Thursday at The Lowry Hotel in Salford and later charged with grievous bodily harm following the alleged assault at Tape nightclub in Mayfair. Chris Brown, often called by his nickname Breezy, is accused of attacking music producer Abe Diaw with a bottle during the incident. The Grammy winner had been in Manchester preparing for his upcoming UK tour, which includes performances at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester and…

Nigerian thespian, Adebowale Debo Adedayo, better known as Mr Macaroni, has revealed that he is scared of getting married. In an interview on Dating In Lagos, Macaroni said he is not ready to get married because he fears committing deeply to someone who might not reciprocate his love. The 32-year-old actor and content creator said he believes dating someone who doesn’t love him completely could hurt him and make him lose focus. The skit maker added that for now, he is prioritising his career while admitting that he might consider marriage in the future. “When I notice that I start…

The legal team of Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs has testified that Cassie Ventura, the rapper’s ex-girlfriend, “maintained contact with him” after they split. Ventura, the prosecution’s star witness, took the stand earlier this week in the high-profile sex trafficking trial, delivering disturbing testimony about her past relationship with the rapper. She testified that Diddy coerced her into participating in drug-fueled “freak off” sex parties that left her with recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs) and mouth sores. However, Diddy’s legal team argued that she was a willing participant in the parties, while showing an alleged 2009 text message of the singer telling…

Emmanuel Kunde, Cameroonian football legend, has passed away at the age of 68 years. The demise of Kunde was announced by the Cameroonian football federation (Fecafoot) on Friday. Emmanuel Kunde played as a midfielder and was a lynchpin in the Cameroonian team at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. The Cameroonian side became the first ever African nation to reach the quarter-final of the World Cup. Emmanuel Kunde was also part of a Cameroon side that tormented Nigeria in the 1980s, winning two continental titles at their expense. He was a substitute as Cameroon defeated Nigeria to lift the AFCON…

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) stated that its operatives have rescued 19 girls suspected to have been impregnated by a man in Abuja. Binta Bello, NAPTIP director-general, spoke on Friday at a meeting with Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. Bello thanked Dabiri-Erewa for NiDCOM’s support, especially in the recent rescue of 231 young Nigerians from Ghana. She said tackling human trafficking requires joint action from government and key stakeholders, stressing the need for more awareness across all levels. “We rescued last week 19 girls,…

The ministry of interior has announced the launch of a new online citizenship and business management platform. In a statement on Saturday, Magdalene Ajani, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said the digital platform is designed to streamline the application and processing of citizenship and business-related services. Ajani said this would help to ensure faster turnaround times and improved user experience. The permanent secretary said the initiative is part of the ministry’s ongoing reforms aimed at promoting transparency, enhancing operational efficiency, and significantly improving service delivery to the public. “Members of the public, corporate entities, and other stakeholders are expected to access…

Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies are now yielding positive results. Idris spoke on Friday, at the eighth edition of the ministerial press briefing session, which held at the National Press Centre in Abuja. Idris cited latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to drive home his point. “Today, I am pleased to announce encouraging news from the National Bureau of Statistics, which released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for April 2025, yesterday,” he said. “According to the report, the headline inflation rate for April stood at 23.71%,…

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has seen his wealth fall by £6.473bn – more than a quarter of his fortune – in the last year, according to the latest Sunday Times Rich List, external. The 72-year-old’s wealth has declined from £23.519bn to £17.046bn in the past 12 months. He has slipped from fourth to seventh on the annual list of the UK’s 350 richest people. Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group bought a 27.7% stake in United in February 2024 in a deal worth about £1.25bn ($1.6bn) that saw Ineos take control of football operations. The British billionaire’s time at Old Trafford…