Author: Opalim Lifted

Chelsea restored their six-point lead at the top of the Women’s Super League table with a comfortable 4-0 win over 10-player Crystal Palace at Kingsmeadow. The Blues now require just four points from their remaining three matches to clinch a sixth successive league title. Crystal Palace, who sit seven points from safety, will be relegated on Sunday if they lose to West Ham. Hosts Chelsea were on top from kick-off, with Oriane Jean-Francois, Sjoeke Nusken and Guro Reiten all going close, but they had to wait until the 22nd minute to make the breakthrough. Molly-Mae Sharpe gave away a penalty…

Arsenal kept Liverpool’s Premier League title-winning champagne on ice, but only just, as they were twice pegged back at home by Crystal Palace with Jean-Philippe Mateta scoring a superb equaliser in a 2-2 draw on Wednesday. First-half goals by Jakub Kiwior and Leandro Trossard looked like being enough for a lacklustre Arsenal against a lively Palace side who equalised with an Eberechi Eze volley. But there was a late twist as Palace substitute Mateta beat Arsenal keeper David Raya with an audacious chip. The draw left second-placed Arsenal on 67 points with four games remaining meaning they can only match…

In a major political development in Plateau State, the Labour Party in the Northern Zone has officially merged with the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a significant shift in the region’s political dynamics. The formal defection took place this morning at the APC Secretariat, Kalwa House, Yakubu Gowon Way, Jos. Led by former Labour Party Senatorial candidate, Barrister Gyang Zi SAN, thousands of party faithful pledged their allegiance to the APC, declaring the ruling party the most viable platform for the socio-economic transformation of their communities. Addressing the APC State Working Committee, Barrister Zi stated that the decision was reached…

The federal government has announced a full closure of the Ijora bridge in Lagos for “critical repair works”. During a recent inspection of the Ijora bridge, Olukorede Kesha, federal controller of works, said the route will be closed to traffic on April 27. Kesha said the bridge, which connects Ijora Causeway to Apapa, needs comprehensive repairs, with defective bearings beneath the deck due for replacements. “This bridge has been awarded for some time now in different phases. We are now at the final phase which involves lifting the entire bridge deck to change the faulty bearings beneath,” she said. “A…

Employees of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have commenced a nationwide indefinite strike over welfare issues. Some of the issues include “NiMet’s refusal to negotiate or implement agreed financial allowances and unresolved entitlements”, including 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. In a letter on Monday signed by the Union of Air Transport Employees, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, and the Amalgamated Union…

Governor of Niger, Umar Bago has ordered security operatives to arrest persons with dreadlocks in Minna, the state capital. Speaking at a stakeholders’ security meeting held at the government house on Tuesday, Bago said security operatives should cut the dreadlocks of such arrested residents and impose fines on them. The meeting was attended by security agencies and traditional rulers. The Niger governor said his administration has zero tolerance for rascality. “Anybody that you find with dreadlocks, arrest, barb the hair, and fine the person,” the governor said. “Nobody should carry any kind of haircut inside Minna. I have given marching…

The inspector-general of police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun has ordered the immediate withdrawal of police mobile force (PMF) personnel from private individuals across the country. A statement by Muyiwa Adejobi, the force spokesperson, said Egbetokun issued the directive on Tuesday during a conference with PMF squadron commanders at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. Describing the PMF as “the elite tactical arm of the police”, the IGP said the unit must be repositioned to focus on its core mandate of responding swiftly to riots, emergencies, and violent threats. He decried the assignment of PMF operatives to escort and guard duties for VIPs…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a public alert warning Nigerians against a fraudulent message currently being circulated by suspected scammers. The message falsely promises individuals a payment of N85,000 as part of a non-existent “Bola Tinubu empowerment” initiative. The ruling disclosed that the scam involves soliciting personal banking details and encourages recipients to contact the number 07078309083 to access the supposed funds. The party has categorically disassociated itself from the message, describing it as a deliberate attempt to exploit unsuspecting citizens. “This is a scam, and we urge members of the public to disregard the message and refrain…

Legendary musician, Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi, has dismissed rumours of his death, affirming that he is alive, strong and healthy. In a video on Tuesday morning, Obey-Fabiyi refuted the claim with a spirited performance. Singing in Yoruba, English and Pidgin, he described the news as false. In the video, Obey-Fabiyi sang, “Hello, my name is Professor Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi. Satan, you don lose o, Satan, you don lose o, you don pafuka. Na lie lie you dey talk, you don pafuka.” The legendary musician, then added, “It is fake news that started a few hours ago claiming that I, Evangelist Obey, have passed…

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Irish-American cleric assumes central role during transition of papal power The world awoke on Monday morning to the sombre news of Pope Francis’ death, announced from the heart of the Vatican by an Irish-American cardinal, largely unknown outside ecclesiastical circles. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who was born in Dublin in 1947, delivered the formal message that the Pope had “returned to the home of the Father”. With that solemn declaration, he stepped into one of the most pivotal roles in the Catholic Church: camerlengo, the official responsible for overseeing the Vatican in the interregnum between popes. Pope Francis…