Author: Opalim Lifted

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.…

Unsafe food contaminated by bacteria, viruses, parasites and harmful chemicals is responsible for the deaths of around 1.5 million people worldwide every year, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO). The UN health agency’s analysis of 194 countries covering the period from 2000 to 2021 found that about 886 million people suffer food-borne illnesses annually, with children under five facing the greatest danger. Young children were found to be nearly three times more likely to be affected than older age groups. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the universal impact of the issue. “Food safety is…

Hyacinth Dajoh, former speaker of the Benue House of Assembly, has alleged that Hyacinth Alia, governor of the state, forced him to resign from office for refusing to support the relocation of the palace of the Tor Tiv from Gboko. Dajoh, who represented Gboko West in the assembly, was elected speaker on June 5, 2023. However, he resigned in August 2025, 48 hours after the house suspended four lawmakers over an alleged attempt to impeach him as speaker. Following his resignation, Dajoh was suspended by the assembly for three months over allegations that he plotted to impeach the governor. The…

Ola Oresanya, Ogun Commissioner for Environment, says recurring gas leak incidents affecting schools in Ijebu-Ode may be linked to geological fractures beneath the town. Speaking on Friday during Morning Brief, a programme on Channels Television, Oresanya said investigations conducted by the state government indicate that the affected schools are situated along the same fault line in the Earth’s crust. The commissioner said the state initially suspected industrial activity or sabotage when the first incident occurred about two months ago but noted that investigations have gradually narrowed the source to underground geological formations. “The schools affected are all sitting on the…

Philip Agbese, deputy spokesperson of the House of Representatives, has called for a transparent investigation into the alleged forgery of his signature in the endorsement of Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere for the position of minority leader. On Wednesday, some opposition lawmakers nominated Ugochinyere, the lawmaker representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency in Imo State, for the minority leader position to succeed Kingsley Chinda, the lawmaker representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, who vacated the role after emerging as the APC governorship candidate for Rivers State. On Thursday, during the House of Representatives plenary session, Agbese, a member of the Labour Party (LP), denied endorsing…

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), in collaboration with forest guards, have intercepted a consignment of medical supplies allegedly meant for fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Borno State. According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, the supplies were intercepted on Friday during a coordinated operation in Kaga LGA of the state. Makama, citing security sources, said the operation targeted a suspected supply route used by insurgent logistics networks operating within and around forested areas in Borno. The publication said the seized items included large quantities of pain-relief…

Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State, has restricted the operations of commercial motorcycles across the state between 10:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. as part of new measures aimed at strengthening security and improving traffic management. The governor issued the directive on Friday while signing an executive order. The restriction comes amid growing concerns over insecurity following the abduction of more than 40 parents and schoolchildren in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15. The victims have remained in captivity for 20 days. Makinde said commercial motorcycle operators, popularly known as Okada riders, would no longer be allowed to operate during…

At least 49 people have died of thirst in a remote part of the Sahara Desert in Niger after the truck transporting them broke down, local authorities have confirmed. The victims were part of a group travelling back from Mali for a Muslim festival when they became stranded in an isolated desert area and ran out of water. According to authorities in the Agadez governorate, the tragedy occurred more than 80 kilometres west of Assamaka, a key crossing point between Niger and Algeria that also lies close to the Mali border. Officials said the travellers were unable to repair the…

Foreign investment in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector plunged by 91 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, raising fresh concerns about investor confidence despite recent efforts to improve the industry’s profitability. According to the latest capital importation report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the sector attracted just $7.24 million in foreign capital during Q1 2026, compared with $80.78 million recorded in the same period of 2025. The sharp decline means telecommunications accounted for only 0.07 per cent of the total $10.37 billion capital imported into Nigeria during the quarter. The figures also reveal a steeper 96.2 per…

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu and Oluremi Tinubu over the federal government’s response to the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State. On May 15, suspected bandits attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting about 39 students and seven teachers. The crisis escalated days later when Michael Oyedokun, one of the abducted teachers, was killed by the kidnappers. In a statement issued on Friday by Phrank Shaibu, his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Atiku said the federal government under…