Author: Opalim Lifted

Africa’s richest businessman, Aliko Dangote, has unveiled bold plans to expand the Dangote Group into steel production, electricity generation and port development, signalling a new phase in his drive to industrialise Africa. The billionaire industrialist said the move forms part of a long-term strategy to deepen the continent’s manufacturing base and reduce reliance on imports. Dangote’s flagship Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals is currently producing about 650,000 barrels of refined products daily. Output, he revealed, is expected to double within three years as expansion plans advance. However, refining is only one stage of a broader industrial vision. “We have to…

Israel spent years hacking Tehran traffic cameras and infiltrating mobile networks to track the movements of Iran’s supreme leader, according to a report by the Financial Times. The report said Israeli intelligence agencies compromised large parts of Tehran’s traffic camera network, allowing operatives to monitor convoys and security escorts linked to Ali Khamenei. Footage was allegedly encrypted and transmitted for analysis, helping to build detailed movement patterns over several years. Sources cited in the report claimed Israel also penetrated mobile phone systems used by senior Iranian officials and members of the supreme leader’s security detail. Advanced data analytics and behavioural…

Chinedu Mba, a Nigerian man, has been sentenced to 228 months in prison by a United States district court for his involvement in a romance scam and business email compromise scheme. David Hittner issued the sentence after Mba, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to make false statements in immigration documents. In a statement, the United States Department of Justice said Mba and others “carried out business email compromise and romance scams targeting unsuspecting victims” from April 2018 to December 2023. US prosecutors said the fraud schemes began outside the United States, with co-conspirators gaining…

Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia, has shut down its Ras Tanura oil refinery following a fire sparked by debris from an intercepted Iranian drone near the facility. According to a report by the Saudi Press Agency, the fire was caused by debris from the interception of two drones in the vicinity of the refinery. The publication stated that the Ras Tanura refinery, one of the largest in the world, suffered only minor damage, citing a source from the ministry of energy. “The incident resulted in a limited fire, which was immediately contained by emergency response teams,”…

Gunmen have released five worshippers abducted from a Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) in Uso, Owo LGA, Ondo State. The abduction occurred on February 25, when gunmen attacked the church during an early morning prayer session and took six worshippers. Jimoh Abayomi, police spokesperson in Ondo, said the command, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army and local vigilantes, immediately launched a rescue operation. One of the abducted worshippers was rescued, and one suspect was arrested. On Monday, the five remaining worshippers were released in the evening after their families reportedly paid a ransom of N9 million. The kidnappers initially demanded…

For the first time in nearly 37 years, Iran will have a new supreme leader. Until his death on February 28, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had dramatically shaped the Islamic Republic since succeeding Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989. Khomeini was the country’s first supreme leader. “Ayatollah” is a high-ranking title in Twelver Shia Islam, meaning “Sign of God.” It is awarded to senior Shia clerics who demonstrate exceptional religious scholarship and have the authority to interpret Islamic law. In Iran’s political system, it carries immense weight. At the time he took office, Khamenei was an ayatollah. But shortly before his death,…

Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites, have staged protests in several states over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, during recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Demonstrators were seen in Lagos, Kano, Niger State, Sokoto, Gombe, and Kaduna, condemning the joint military action by the United States and Israel, which reportedly led to Khamenei’s death alongside members of his family. Similar protests were reported in Bauchi and Yobe states. The protesters waved Iranian flags, displayed portraits of Khamenei, and carried placards denouncing both the United States and Israel, while expressing solidarity with Iran.…

Riyadh has emerged as a critical escape route for wealthy individuals and senior executives fleeing the Middle East amid escalating tensions. According to Semafor, private security firms are arranging fleets of SUVs to transport clients from Dubai to Riyadh, where private jets chartered to Europe await. Those leaving include senior executives at global financial institutions and high-net-worth individuals visiting the region for business or leisure. Ameerh Naran, CEO of Vimana Private, said flights from Riyadh to Europe now cost up to $350,000 (N479 million). “Saudi Arabia is the only real option for people wanting to leave the region,” he added.…

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to ensure the National Gas Infrastructure Command Centre (NGCC) is delivered strictly under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The commission said the project will be fully funded by the private sector, with no public funding, sovereign guarantees or contingent liabilities for the federal government. Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the NGCC project steering committee, Jobson Ewalefoh, director-general of the ICRC, stressed that presidential approval came with firm conditions. He said the NGCC conceived as a real-time national platform for monitoring and coordinating Nigeria’s gas infrastructure must comply with…

The United States (US) Department of State has issued a US global security alert warning its citizens in Nigeria and across the world to exercise heightened caution following escalating hostilities with Iran. In a statement released on Sunday, the department said evolving security conditions could affect travel plans and personal safety, particularly in the Middle East. The warning follows recent American combat operations against Iranian targets, which have intensified tensions between Washington and Tehran. According to the advisory, Americans may experience disruptions to international travel due to periodic airspace closures. “Following the launch of US combat operations in Iran, Americans…