Author: Opalim Lifted

Jose Mourinho is set for a sensational return to Real Madrid after agreeing a three-year deal to become the club’s new head coach. The Portuguese tactician will not be officially presented until after the club’s presidential election scheduled for June 7. Mourinho, 63, leaves Benfica after taking charge in September and guiding the club to a third-place finish in the Primeira Liga this season. The appointment marks Mourinho’s second spell at the Santiago Bernabeu, having previously managed the Spanish giants between 2010 and 2013. During that period, he won the La Liga title, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup.…

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has directed owners of hotels, event centres and other public facilities in Abuja to deal only with leaderships of political parties recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The administration also warned that any property used for gatherings of what it described as illegal organisations risks losing its title documents. The directive was contained in a statement issued on Friday by Lere Olayinka, senior special assistant on public communications and social media to Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). According to the statement, the measure forms part of efforts to…

The Association of Point of Sale (POS) Service Providers, a coalition of payment firms, has threatened to suspend the acceptance, acquisition, processing and switching of Verve card transactions over allegations of anti-competitive practices and regulatory breaches by Verve International and Interswitch Limited. In a letter addressed to the managing directors of both companies, the coalition accused Verve and Interswitch of engaging in activities that allegedly violate regulations issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018. The coalition, which comprises several CBN-licensed payment acceptors, acquirers, processors and switches, said…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down 16 sachet water factories in Rivers State over alleged violations of health, safety and regulatory standards. The agency said the affected facilities were discovered during an enforcement exercise conducted across several local government areas in the state as part of efforts to ensure compliance within the sachet water production sector. In a statement issued on Friday, Cyril Monye, NAFDAC’s South-South zonal spokesperson, said the operation covered Asari Toru, Akuku Toru, Degema and Ikwerre local government areas. According to him, the owners and operators of the affected…

President Bola Tinubu says Nigeria is gradually recovering from economic hardship, insisting that his administration’s reforms are attracting investment, improving infrastructure, creating jobs, and stabilising the economy after three years of difficult policy decisions. The President stated this on Friday in his third anniversary message to Nigerians. STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU (GCFR) ON THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ADMINISTRATION, MAY 29, 2026 My fellow compatriots, Three years ago, you entrusted me with the sacred responsibility of leading our beloved nation at a defining moment in our history. I accepted that responsibility fully aware of the magnitude of the…

The Federal Government is considering imposing restrictions on flights from countries affected by the Ebola virus as part of renewed efforts to prevent an outbreak in Nigeria. The development was disclosed on Thursday by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, after a high-level strategic meeting in Victoria Island, Lagos, focused on reviewing Nigeria’s Ebola preparedness and response framework. Gbajabiamila said the proposed measures could include restricting flights from countries with reported Ebola cases and isolating passengers displaying symptoms linked to the disease at Nigeria’s entry points. The meeting was attended by key government officials, including the Director-General…

President Bola Tinubu has defended the economic reforms introduced by his administration, saying Nigeria has avoided fiscal collapse and is now showing signs of recovery after three years of “difficult but necessary decisions”. In a nationwide address marking the third anniversary of his administration, Tinubu acknowledged the hardship caused by the removal of fuel subsidy and foreign exchange reforms. However, he maintained that the measures had begun to stabilise the economy and restore investor confidence. The President said his administration inherited “profound economic and structural difficulties”, including mounting fiscal pressures, unsustainable subsidies, declining revenues, exchange-rate distortions, rising debt-servicing costs, insecurity,…

Travellers relying on portable power banks for phones and gadgets are now facing stricter airline restrictions as aviation authorities move to curb growing safety concerns linked to lithium batteries. The new measures follow a rise in incidents involving overheating, smoke and fires caused by power banks on aircraft. In March, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) introduced tighter restrictions on lithium battery-powered power banks. Under the updated rules, passengers can carry only two power banks and are banned from charging them during flights. Travellers are also prohibited from checking power banks into aircraft holds and are instead advised to keep…

Pete Hegseth, US secretary of defence, says Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, the second-in-command of ISIS, “was most responsible for killing Christians” in Nigeria. Al-Minuki was killed on May 15 during a joint US-Nigerian operation targeting his compound in the Lake Chad Basin. During a cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, Hegseth said the US military’s operations against ISIS in Nigeria were in line with President Donald Trump’s directive to protect “persecuted Christians”. US troops began targeting Islamist terrorists late last year following allegations of a Christian genocide in Nigeria. “Maybe a year ago, [the president] heard the call of Nigerian…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the worsening economic hardship and insecurity across the country, saying ordinary Nigerians are “bleeding” under the weight of rising poverty and violence. In an Eid-el-Kabir message, the labour union said the nation’s working-class and poor majority continue to bear the brunt of economic instability, inflation and insecurity. The union’s president, Joe Ajaero, said Nigerians are facing severe hardship despite government assurances of reforms and recovery. According to the NLC, escalating insecurity in different parts of the country has further compounded the struggles of citizens already grappling with high living costs, unemployment and declining…