Author: Opalim Lifted

Bello Turji, the notorious bandit leader, has allegedly imposed a N22 million levy on four villages in Sokoto state following the killing of one of his men during a military operation in the area. Locals said the levy is also meant to compensate for missing firearms during the raid, Daily Trust reports. The report noted that Aminu Boza, a lawmaker representing Sabon Birni west in the Sokoto house of assembly, identified one of the affected villages as Garin Idi, the hometown of Idris Gobir, the state’s deputy governor. Boza also noted that Turji had relocated his base to the eastern…

Christian Oladimeji, an assistant superintendent of immigration (ASI), was “accidentally” shot by a police officer in Minna, Niger state. Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, reports that the incident occurred around 12:30pm on February 21, after suspected hoodlums attacked a police patrol team recovering stolen materials. According to the report, a surveillance patrol team from the ‘A’ division police command in Minna, led by Ibrahim Paiko, was on routine patrol near Obasanjo complex when they encountered a group of road construction workers carrying iron rods suspected to have been stolen. Upon sighting the officers, the…

Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, said the local government election in the state has been very peaceful. The governor spoke on Saturday morning after casting his ballot in Ede north local government area. “A few minutes ago, I carried out my democratic duty by casting my vote at my polling unit in Ede. I commend the good people of Osun for maintaining a peaceful and orderly atmosphere at polling units across the state and encourage everyone to exercise their democratic right,” Adeleke wrote on X. “Local government elections are the closest to the grassroots, and getting it right starts with…

The Minister of Livestock Development, Mukhtar Maiha, has warned Nigerians against the consumption of hides and skin, popularly known as ponmo in local parlance. Maiha explained that the advice is not only because of the likely health implications of consuming hides and skin (ponmo) but also to avoid loss of revenue and job opportunities in the livestock sector. Speaking on Friday at the Ministerial briefing series, the Minister stated that hides and skin (ponmo) can create 700,000 jobs and generate about N23 billion. On the lingering issue of herders-farmers conflicts across the country, the minister said that a department of…

The house of representatives committee on constitutional amendment has rejected all 31 proposals for state creation, citing failure to meet constitutional requirements. The house received proposals for the creation of 31 new states on February 6, 2025. Speaking on Friday at a retreat for panel members in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the house and chairman of the committee, said while the proposals reflected the aspirations of various regions, none adhered to the provisions of Section 8 of the 1999 constitution, which outlines the criteria for state creation. The aforementioned section stipulates the constitutional requirements for…

Less than 24 hours after its launching, the pirated copies of the autobiography of former Military President, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), titled, ‘A Journey in Service’, on Friday surfaced on X, WhatsApp and other social media platforms. X is awash with links for free downloads, with social media users vowing to embrace its pirated copies rather than waste their hard-earned money on the original copies of ‘A Journey in Service’, IBB’s autobiography. Another X account urged its followers to download the book for free, while others provided page-by-page copies. Some even dropped PDF copies of the pirated version in their…

Chelsea will face Copenhagen in the UEFA Europa Conference League’s round of 16. The first leg will take place in the Danish capital on March 6, with the second at Stamford Bridge seven days later. The Blues discovered their route to the final on Friday afternoon when the draw for the rest of the knockout phase took place in Nyon. Unlike in previous seasons – where separate draws took place for the round of 16 and the quarter-finals – the full bracket was revealed on Friday. As a result, the Blues now know that their potential reward for beating Copenhagen…

Manchester United were handed a tricky Europa League last 16 tie against Real Sociedad while Tottenham Hotspur will play Dutch side AZ Alkmaar after the draw was held on Friday. The two English sides have struggled in the Premier League this season, with Spurs 12th and United 15th, and winning the second-tier Europa League may be the only way they can return to the Champions League next season. United and Spurs finished in the top four of the Europa League group stage to avoid the playoffs and will play their respective second legs at home. United and Real Sociedad have…

The Champions League last-16 draw threw up some mouth-watering ties with holders Real Madrid playing local rivals Atletico Madrid while Bayern Munich were drawn against Bundesliga title challengers Bayer Leverkusen on Friday. Real Madrid thrashed Premier League champions Manchester City 6-3 on aggregate in the playoffs and the 15-times winners will now make the trip across town to face Atletico, the side they beat in the 2014 and 2016 finals. Bayern, having last won the trophy in 2020, take on Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen, who pipped them to the Bundesliga title last season. Bayern lead Leverkusen by eight points this term…

Premier League leaders Liverpool will face Paris St-Germain in the Champions League last 16, while Arsenal take on PSV Eindhoven and Aston Villa face Club Brugge. Holders Real Madrid – who knocked out Manchester City in the knockout phase play-offs – face local rivals Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich play Bayer Leverkusen in an all-Germany affair. It will be the first time Liverpool have faced PSG since 2018-19, when the Reds went on to be crowned champions of Europe for the sixth time. The winners of that tie will face Aston Villa or Club Brugge in the quarter-finals, while Arsenal…