Author: Opalim Lifted

The University of Jos (UNIJOS) has ordered an immediate halt to all fundraising efforts for the rescue of abducted former student, John Azi. Azi, a graduate of Early Childhood Education, was reportedly kidnapped on Saturday while travelling to Zaria for work. The decision follows a surge of online appeals for donations after a video allegedly released by the kidnappers surfaced, showing the victim being assaulted. The footage triggered outrage, with several users on X sharing posts seeking financial support for his release. However, in a circular issued on Tuesday, the university’s Dean of Student Affairs, Christopher Piwuna, confirmed the incident…

The Yoruba Assembly has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently accelerate the creation of state police, warning that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity demands immediate action. The demand was made during a one-day summit in Lagos, where state policing dominated discussions among stakeholders from across the south-west. The Assembly, a coalition of influential groups including the Oodua Peoples Congress and Agbekoya, argued that decentralised policing is now widely supported and long overdue. ‘Make it a legacy achievement’ Speaking at the summit, chairman Olawale Oshun urged Tinubu to prioritise the reform and make it a defining legacy of his administration. He noted…

The Federal Government has defended the April 11 airstrike on the Jilli axis in Gubio Local Council of Borno State, stating that the operation was carefully planned to weaken terrorists’ logistics and disrupt their movement. It also assured families of military and police personnel killed in a recent attack in Shanga Local Council of Kebbi State that they would not be abandoned. Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has demanded an investigation into a recent airstrike on a market in a part of Yobe State bordering Borno, which claimed many lives. It requested inclusion in the investigative team alongside…

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has attributed the rising insecurity in the country to the forthcoming general election. Nigerians are expected to head to the polls in January 2027 to elect their leaders, with President Bola Tinubu seeking re-election for a second term. However, insecurity has been rising across the country as terrorists and bandits launch attacks in several states. On Saturday, a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrike targeting Boko Haram insurgents hit Jilli market in Yobe State, near the Borno State border, killing over 40 civilians, including children. Speaking on Tuesday at the inauguration of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS)…

Fela Kuti and Sade Adu have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, honoured for their enduring influence on the global evolution of music. The 2026 inductees were announced during the annual hall of fame reveal segment on American Idol by judge Lionel Richie and host Ryan Seacrest. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame serves as both a museum and an honorary institution, celebrating the most influential figures in popular music — spanning rock, pop, hip-hop, R&B, and soul. Fela, the late Nigerian singer widely recognised as the pioneer of Afrobeat, was inducted under the ‘Early…

Christopher Musa, Minister of Defence, has warned that anyone providing support to or engaging in trade with bandits or terrorist groups will henceforth be treated as an insurgent. He issued the warning during a security council meeting in Kaduna State while reacting to the recent airstrike by the military on Jilli market. More than 100 civilians were reportedly killed, with many others injured following the bombing. “A friend of a thief is a thief. I’ve said that several times,” Musa said. “Anybody who is trading with them or providing any support — if we find you together with them, we’re…

The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) says it has arrested 33 members of a gang responsible for the “violent attack” on Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun, Eruku, in Kwara State, last November. Anthony Placid, public relations officer at the force headquarters, said in a statement on Tuesday that the suspects are part of 50 individuals linked to terrorism, kidnapping, and armed robbery. He added that they were arrested following a “strategic offensive against syndicates that have long threatened the peace of the nation” since January. Placid said several principal suspects are ready for prosecution in court, while the force is “actively…

Rauf Aregbesola, national secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has described President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda as a “scam.” Aregbesola spoke on Tuesday at the party’s national convention in Abuja, where he said the promises made by the Tinubu administration have yet to materialise nearly three years into its tenure. The former Osun State governor accused the Tinubu administration of deepening Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges. “Four years ago, this government promised Nigerians renewed hope. Now, three years into its tenure, it is still promising renewed hope. When exactly will this hope come to fruition? The answer is simple: it…

Nigeria’s opposition landscape faces a decisive moment today as the Supreme Court of Nigeria hears critical appeals that could redefine the fortunes of both the Peoples Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 elections. The appeals, filed by factions within both parties, challenge earlier rulings by the Court of Appeal in Abuja and centre on leadership disputes that have weakened internal cohesion. At the heart of the ADC crisis is a leadership tussle involving former Senate President David Mark and rival claimant Nafiu Bala, a development that has already prompted the Independent National Electoral Commission to…

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has dismissed the Federal Government’s recent list naming it among terrorism sponsors, describing the allegation as “laughable” and politically motivated. In a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the group insisted it has never posed a threat to peace in Nigeria, arguing that the publication reflects “fear of a people who refuse to be silenced or erased” rather than genuine security concerns. IPOB accused the Nigerian state of hypocrisy, alleging that authorities with a record of using force against unarmed civilians lack the moral standing to define terrorism. It claimed the…