Author: Opalim Lifted

The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has criticised the interview granted by Nigeria Decomarcy Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi on Sunday. According to him, after watching the interview on Channels Television for about 30 minutes, “I wasted no time turning it off.” Describing Obi as a political nomad, Onanuga stated that Obi believed the interview would re-energise his fading 2027 presidential ambition. “It turned out to be a PR disaster, judging from the spate of reactions to the many lies he referenced,” he said. Highlighting two issues that caught his attention while…

Former National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer, Halima Shehu, has denied allegations that she transferred ₦44 billion into private accounts, insisting the money was disbursed to beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s social intervention programmes through approved payment channels. Speaking on The Morning Show on Arise Television on Monday, Shehu said she had reported alleged financial irregularities within the agency to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) before her suspension in January 2024. According to Shehu, she submitted a detailed petition to the…

The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) is set to question the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, today as its probe enters a third week. Lawmakers are investigating how an organisation the Federal Government insists does not legally exist secured office accommodation inside the Federal Secretariat in Abuja and received more than ₦1.32 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act. The committee, chaired by Yusuf Gagdi, is expected to ask Ogunjimi to explain how the PFIPC obtained a government budget code, enabling it to appear in the national budget despite concerns…

Former Chief Security Officer to the late military ruler, Hamza Al-Mustapha, has claimed he possesses CCTV footage showing the final moments of Sani Abacha, dismissing allegations that the former head of state died during an intimate encounter with a woman. Speaking to journalists in Kaduna, as reported by The Nation, Al-Mustapha described recent claims made by retired Department of State Services (DSS) operative Dennis Amachree as false and politically motivated. “The boy was asked to write the lies by others. I have all the CCTV footages of what happened in my custody, so what he said are not true,” Al-Mustapha…

The death toll from a collision involving two passenger buses on a major highway in Syria has risen to 35, with another 30 people injured, according to state media. State news agency SANA, citing a health ministry official, reported that the crash occurred on the Damascus-Deir Ezzor road in the country’s central-eastern desert region on Saturday. The Syrian interior ministry said the accident involved a bus transporting internal security personnel and a civilian passenger bus. Authorities did not immediately disclose how many of those killed or injured were members of the security forces. Footage aired by state media showed one…

The management of Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, in Kogi State, has expelled two students for alleged involvement in same-sex conduct. In a statement issued by the Department of Public Relations, the institution also rusticated four other students for their alleged involvement in fighting on campus. The punishment was approved at the 31st sitting of the University Senate, held at the Faculty of Law Lecture Theatre. The disciplinary measures were taken based on the recommendations of the Students’ Disciplinary Committee. In a letter signed by Eli Usman Gbadafu, the Deputy Registrar (Academics), the institution stated that the…

The Benue State Ministry of Health has launched an investigation into a suspected Mpox case in Konshisha Local Government Area, assuring residents that no outbreak has been confirmed. In a statement issued on Saturday, the Commissioner for Health, Paul Ogwuche, said the ministry activated its disease surveillance system after social media reports alleged a suspected Mpox outbreak in Tyokula Achihi community, Konshisha LGA. Ogwuche said the Director of Public Health had directed the State Epidemiologist to deploy the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO) for Konshisha to investigate the reported case and collect clinical samples for laboratory analysis. He stressed…

A United States congressman, John James, has called on the Nigerian government to release Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), or risk a review of US financial assistance. James also urged the Federal Government to grant Kanu a fresh trial that complies with Nigeria’s constitution and international human rights standards. The Michigan lawmaker made the appeal during a plenary session of the US House of Representatives on Thursday while seeking support for H.Res. 1321, a resolution he introduced on May 22. The resolution, currently before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, calls on Nigeria to…

Halima Shehu, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release the report of its investigation into allegations against her. Tinubu suspended Shehu in January 2024 following allegations of financial impropriety at NSIPA. The EFCC subsequently questioned Shehu as part of its investigation into the agency’s management. The anti-graft agency has yet to publicly release the outcome of its investigation. In an open letter addressed to the president, Shehu said the EFCC’s report would vindicate her. Shehu, who headed…

The Nigerian military has said the ongoing rainy season and difficult terrain are complicating efforts to sustain offensive operations against terrorists across parts of northern Nigeria, despite significant gains recorded in recent months. Speaking during an interactive session with defence correspondents in Gusau, Zamfara State, on Thursday, the Theatre Commander of Joint Task Force North-West, Operation Fansan Yamma, Major General W.B. Idris, said months of sustained military offensives have weakened terrorist groups and forced them to abandon major highways. According to him, intelligence-led raids, area domination patrols and other kinetic operations have enabled troops to establish effective control over key…