Author: Opalim Lifted

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has led a five-member delegation to Vatican City to attend the burial of His Holiness, Pope Francis, on Saturday, 26 April. The delegation, which is at the behest of President Bola Tinubu, includes the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu; President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji; Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah; and Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Archbishop Ignatius Ayua Kaigama. Pope Francis, the revered head of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Monday, April 21, 2025, at 88, just a day after appearing…

A Russian general has been killed in a car bomb attack near Moscow, the country’s top criminal investigation agency said. Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the main operational department of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, was fatally wounded when an explosive device detonated in his vehicle in Balashikha, a suburb just east of the capital. The country’s Investigative Committee confirmed the general’s death and stated that the device had been rigged with shrapnel to maximise damage. Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said forensic experts and bomb technicians were examining the scene. Footage published by the country’s…

A former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has officially declared his intention to contest in the 2027 gubernatorial election in Nasarawa State under the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform. Adamu recently made his declaration during a meeting with members of the APC State Working Committee, held in Lafia, the state capital. The former police chief said his decision was driven by a “clarion call” from the people of Nasarawa who, according to him, believe in his leadership capabilities and experience. He pledged to run an all-inclusive and people-oriented administration if elected as governor. “I am answering the call of my…

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has officially opened applications for its 2025/2026 Overseas Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme (OSS), a flagship government initiative aimed at developing highly skilled Nigerian professionals for leadership roles in the oil and gas industry. A Strategic Overhaul for National Impact Announced via PTDF’s official social media channels, the latest iteration of the OSS programme reflects a strategic shift towards building indigenous capacity while retaining international academic exposure. The scheme, which has supported thousands of scholars over the years, has been revamped to align with Nigeria’s broader developmental goals. According to PTDF, the new structure places increased…

Poverty in Nigeria is projected to increase by three percentage points over the next five years, reaching 2027,  World Bank said in a report. The projection was made in the Bank’s latest Africa’s Pulse report, released on the sidelines of the ongoing IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C. The report paints a stark picture of Nigeria’s economic outlook, warning that despite signs of economic resilience—particularly in the non-oil sector—the country’s dependence on natural resources and its fragile governance structure are likely to exacerbate poverty. It calls for urgent governance reforms and inclusive economic policies to reverse this…

Employees of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) have called off their strike following the federal government’s intervention. The workers on Wednesday commenced an indefinite strike over welfare issues, including “NiMet’s refusal to negotiate or implement agreed financial allowances and unresolved entitlements”, as well as wage awards, peculiar allowances, and outstanding payments from the 2019 minimum wage. They also accused the management of the agency of withholding important documents, ignoring requests for inclusion of omitted staff in past payments, and neglecting key training programmes in favour of executive retreats. However, on Thursday, the workers called off the strike following a closed-door…

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command says its operatives have arrested three suspects linked to the attack on the Boys Brigade camp in Zhayidna village, Orozo. In a statement issued on Thursday, Josephine Adeh, the FCT force spokesperson, said the attack on the camp resulted in the death of one of the campers identified as Johnson John. Adeh said Mbang Usang, the divisional police officer (DPO) of Karshi, led a team of operatives to arrest the three suspects in connection with the incident. “The suspects, Stanley Ukweze, Dauda Yohana, and Gemu Adamu are all residents of Wasa Village Karshi,”…

Ibok-Ete Ibas, sole administrator of Rivers state, is among governors present at the national economic council (NEC) meeting holding at the State House. This marks Ibas’ first NEC meeting since his appointment by President Bola Tinubu in March. Governors present at NEC meeting are Hyacinth Alia of Benue state; Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta state; Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara state and chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum; Monday Okpebholo of Edo state; Uba Sani of Kaduna state; Alex Otti of Abia state; and Bassey Otu of Cross River state, among others. On March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of…

Leicester City captain Jamie Vardy will leave the club at the end of the season. Announcing the news on Wednesday, the Foxes described Vardy as “our greatest ever player”. The 38-year-old striker, who joined in 2012 from non-league side Fleetwood Town, is the club’s record Premier League scorer with 143, and in all competitions has scored 198 goals in 498 appearances. Vardy scored 24 times in the 2015-16 Premier League campaign, helping Leicester to the first ever top-flight title in their history. The former England international was also part of their 2021 FA Cup-winning side, when the Foxes beat Chelsea…

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 hit the Marmara Sea near the western outskirts of Istanbul on Wednesday, officials said, with the impact felt across Turkey’s largest city where people rushed onto the streets. “An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude occurred in Silivri, Marmara Sea, Istanbul,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X, adding that it was felt in the surrounding provinces. The initial quake at 12:49 pm (0949 GMT) was followed by three others of with magnitudes of 4.4 to 4.9, Turkey’s AFAD disaster management agency posted on X. As buildings shook, people rushed onto the streets where crowds…