Author: Opalim Lifted

Security operatives have arrested three suspects linked to the abduction of three people, including a seminarian, during morning Mass at St Joseph Catholic Church, Inoyi, in Affa community, Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State. The victims were kidnapped on August 2, prompting a joint operation involving the Department of State Services, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Enugu State Forest Guards and other security agencies. One of the suspects was killed during a gun duel with the operatives, while two others were arrested. The operation also led to the recovery of four AK-47 rifles, seven magazines and 133 rounds of…

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has opened applications for the second edition of its Startup Awards, with cash prizes totalling $65,000 for startups across the region, including Nigeria. The ECOWAS Commission announced the award on its X handle, saying the initiative seeks to identify, celebrate and scale innovative startups while promoting digital entrepreneurship, innovation and economic integration across West Africa. The second edition follows the inaugural event held in Niamey, Niger, in November 2021. Applications opened on August 3 2026 and close on August 31 2026. Selected startups will participate in virtual masterclasses from September 21–25, 2026,…

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has distanced itself from a proposed N200 annual levy by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), saying payment of the levy is not a requirement for students seeking mobilisation for national service. The NYSC made this known in a statement shared on its official X account on Tuesday, following reports that NANS was considering linking payment of its dues to the NYSC mobilisation process. The Scheme said it had neither discussed nor agreed to the proposed arrangement with NANS, stressing that it had not entered into any Memorandum of Understanding with the student…

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has called on Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tunji Disu to stop an alleged directive to arrest prominent leaders and stakeholders of the Accord Party ahead of Saturday’s governorship election. Adeleke made the call on Tuesday while addressing journalists at the Oke-Fia Government House in Osogbo, saying he had received information that the police had issued a signal for the immediate arrest of targeted Accord leaders. According to the governor, those arrested would allegedly be taken to Abuja and detained until after the election. Adeleke described the reported directive as “dangerous” and “illegal”, warning that…

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he secretly switched planes after the NATO summit in Turkey last month following a possible security threat linked to Iran. Trump said on Tuesday that the Secret Service and military instructed him to use a different aircraft as he prepared to leave Turkey. “I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go in a different flight, different plane,” Trump told reporters. “I just have to do what they say.” The revelation follows reports that Trump appeared to board the old Air Force One at Ankara airport on July 8…

Cristiano Ronaldo has married his long-time partner, model and influencer Georgina Rodríguez, in a civil ceremony in Portugal. The Portuguese football star posted an image on his Instagram account showing two hands — presumed to be his and his wife’s — both wearing wedding rings. Describing it as the wedding of the year, Portuguese media reported that the couple tied the knot on 11 August in the coastal town of Cascais, near Lisbon, with their five children in attendance. The Instagram post had received more than 3 million likes within 30 minutes. The couple have been together for 10 years…

Francis Fadahunsi, senator representing Osun East, says his now-viral “kill Accord” comment circulating on social media was used metaphorically and was not intended to incite violence, as widely portrayed. The Osun lawmaker came under intense criticism on Tuesday after a video circulated on social media in which he was seen speaking in Yoruba and directing his supporters to kill any member of Accord seen in Ilesa, a town in the state, before and on Saturday, the day of the governorship election. The senator was reportedly addressing his All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters in Ilesa ahead of the August 15 governorship…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has urged parents to closely monitor their children’s craving for cookies and gummies. In a recent X post, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s director of media and advocacy, said recent seizures by the agency showed a desperate attempt by criminal elements to smuggle illicit substances under the guise of cookies and gummies. “If your kids and young ones always crave cookies and gummies, you may have to pay a little more attention,” Babafemi said. “There may be more to it than ordinary cookies and gummies, as one of the latest seizures by @ndlea_nigeria officers shows…

Francis Fadahunsi, senator representing the Osun East Senatorial District, has asked his supporters to kill members of the Accord Party ahead of the state’s August 15 governorship election. In a video shared on X on Tuesday by David “Davido” Adeleke, Afrobeat singer, the All Progressives Congress (APC) senator, who spoke in Yoruba, asked his supporters to lynch members of the Accord Party. “From now on, whenever you see Accord members, kill them. I authorise you to kill them. They have wives and children too,” Fadahunsi said. “This is a federal government election. On election day, even if they come with…

By Vincent Akindele The appointment of Asiwaju Hon. Yemi Aderibigbe as Director-General of the APC Oyo Gubernatorial Election Campaign Council by Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the APC governorship candidate for Oyo State in 2027, is a decision that speaks to both strategy and principle. For Aderibigbe, it is a double honour, as the appointment coincides with his birthday. Aderibigbe is a legal practitioner by training, and he brings to the role the discipline, credibility and public trust that are essential for mobilising broad-based support and securing victory for the APC in the 2027 election. His standing in Oyo politics is rooted…