Author: Opalim Lifted

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has announced Donald Duke, a former governor of Cross River State, as its presidential candidate for the 2027 elections. According to NAN, Duke was confirmed as the PRP’s standard-bearer after the party’s primary election results were reviewed and approved by the appeal committee and the National Working Committee (NWC), respectively. Duke, who governed Cross River State from 1999 to 2007, contested the 2019 presidential election on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). In a statement issued on Saturday, Muhammed Ishaq, PRP national publicity secretary, said the NWC also upheld the outcomes of the…

The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, has defended the cost of mobile data in the country, saying Nigeria remains one of the countries with the cheapest data rates globally despite a recent tariff increase. Speaking at the MTN Data Trial conference in Lagos on Saturday, Toriola dismissed claims that telecommunications operators were overcharging customers, arguing that data prices in Nigeria compare favourably with those in other African countries and beyond. “Look at the price at which we sell bundles of data. Then go and check in Kenya, Congo and other countries across the world, and tell me…

A midnight fire has gutted at least 20 shops at the NIPOST Shopping Complex in the Dugbe area of Ibadan, Oyo State, destroying goods estimated to be worth over ₦100 million. The incident reportedly occurred around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday after a Lexus sedan, driven by a suspected drunk driver, crashed into a shop along the Dugbe–Iyaganku axis. The impact allegedly triggered a fire that quickly spread to nearby shops within the complex. Eyewitnesses said the blaze escalated rapidly due to the nature of the goods stored in the affected shops, making it difficult for early intervention efforts to contain…

A Federal High Court in Lagos has ruled in favour of Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), declaring unlawful the National Assembly’s controversial N110 billion vehicle and allowance scheme and ordering lawmakers to comply with due process in future spending of public funds. In the landmark judgment delivered by Justice Yellim Bogoro on May 6, 2026, the court held that the planned expenditure of N40 billion on 465 vehicles for members of the National Assembly and N70 billion in support allowances for newly elected lawmakers breached procurement laws, constitutional obligations and the public trust. SERAP had filed the suit in…

The Federal High Court in Lagos has declared unlawful the controversial National Assembly N110 billion vehicle and allowance scheme, ruling that the spending plan violated procurement laws, constitutional obligations and the public trust. In a landmark judgment delivered on May 6, 2026, Justice Yellim Bogoro held that the planned expenditure of N40 billion on 465 vehicles for lawmakers and N70 billion in support allowances for newly elected members breached statutory procurement standards and amounted to self-dealing. The case was filed in August 2023 by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House…

A major military operation has led to the rescue of 360 abductees from a fortified Boko Haram enclave in the Mandara Mountains of southern Borno State, marking one of the largest hostage recovery missions in Nigeria’s North-East in recent years. The rescue was carried out by troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), following weeks of intelligence gathering, covert surveillance and operational planning. In a statement, Acting Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lieutenant Colonel Haruna M. Sani, said the victims — comprising men, women and children — had been held under harsh conditions after being…

Three officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have been killed by gunmen in Bagudo LGA of Kebbi State. Security sources cited by Zagazola Makama, a counterinsurgency publication, said the attack occurred at about 12:55 p.m. on June 4 while the officers were on official duty along the route. The assailants were said to have laid an ambush for the team. Upon sighting the attackers, the FRSC personnel reportedly attempted to flee, but the gunmen pursued them on motorcycles and opened fire, killing all three officers. The victims were identified as Umar Aliyu, a Deputy Chief Road Marshal Assistant…

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened industrial action over the spate of assaults on healthcare personnel across the country. In May, panic erupted at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) in Akwa Ibom after operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) raided the facility and arrested Eyo Ekpe, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery and deputy chairman of the hospital’s medical advisory committee. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Akwa Ibom embarked on an indefinite strike over the incident. The state branch of the NMA further threatened legal action against the anti-graft agency over the…

Olaide John-Paul, the younger sister of Adebayo Adelabu, and her twin sons have been rescued by police after spending three days in captivity following their abduction in Ibadan, Oyo State. John-Paul and her children regained their freedom on Saturday after armed men reportedly ambushed and kidnapped them on Wednesday in the Oyo State capital. Confirming the development, Olayinka Olushola, spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, said the victims were rescued without harm. “Yes, they have been rescued unhurt,” Olushola said in a text message. Femi Awogboro, one of Adelabu’s media aides, had said that John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin…

Muyiwa Adekeye, media aide to Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of denying the former governor access to medical care despite complaints about a worsening eye condition. In a statement issued on Friday, Adekeye said El-Rufai complained of swollen, reddish, and itchy eyes while in ICPC custody and requested to see a doctor. He added that family members who visited the former Kaduna governor alerted ICPC officials to his condition and sought medical attention on his behalf. Adekeye said two ICPC officials examined El-Rufai’s eyes, but no further medical intervention was provided.…