Author: Opalim Lifted

Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has threatened to mobilise protesters to occupy the presidential villa if the abducted schoolchildren in Oyo State are not rescued. In a post on X on Sunday, Sowore said President Bola Tinubu and the nation’s security chiefs must act swiftly to secure the release of those being held captive. “If Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his service chiefs fail to track down and secure the release of the abducted Oyo schoolchildren and other kidnapped people, we will have no choice but to occupy Aso Rock Villa this week!” he wrote. Sowore’s…

US President Donald Trump will headline the opening of a major event marking America’s 250th anniversary after a string of musical performers withdrew from the celebration over concerns about its association with him. The concerts were originally planned as the opening ceremony of the Great American State Fair, a 16-day event scheduled to run from June 25 to July 10, 2026. Organisers said the fair, coordinated by Freedom 250, will stretch across the National Mall in Washington, featuring concert stages, state pavilions, exhibitions, rides and other attractions. However, the entertainment line-up has suffered several high-profile departures. On Friday, Bret Michaels…

A proposal to place Donald Trump on a new $250 banknote has triggered fresh debate in the United States, raising questions about tradition, legality and the growing influence of the president’s personal brand on national institutions. According to a report by The Washington Post, officials appointed by Trump at the Treasury Department reportedly encouraged staff at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to prepare prototype designs for a commemorative note marking America’s 250th anniversary. The proposed design features a prominent image of Trump alongside the words “America 250 anniversary”, referencing the 250th anniversary of the United States’ declaration of independence…

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), a government agency within the US Treasury Department, is reportedly considering plans to potentially print a $250 bill featuring President Donald Trump to mark the country’s 250th anniversary. If the proposal materialises, it would be the first appearance of a living person on US currency in more than 150 years. Citing a statement, CNN reports that a Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed the plans. “Should this legislative mandate be signed into law, the BEP is moving proactively to produce a $250 commemorative note which will appropriately recognize the 250th Anniversary of our great nation,”…

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has cautioned against the indiscriminate recording and circulation of police-related video content, especially the filming of personnel on duty for content creation purposes. IGP Disu stated this during an interactive session with members of the Crime Correspondents Association of Nigeria in Abuja, which was attended by the Force Management Team. He expressed dismay over the misuse of police-related content, saying that such practices could undermine officers’ morale, distort public perception, and negatively affect ongoing security operations across the country. The IGP also raised concerns over the circulation of old or misleading videos falsely…

Popular Nollywood actress, Halima Abubakar, has described a YouTube report claiming that she is dead as false, defamatory, and malicious. Abubakar said she was shocked when a relative sent her a link to the YouTube report on IycomeniaTV, which falsely suggested that she had died. She said her legal team is already taking the necessary steps to pursue the matter in court if those behind the rumour fail to remove the false report from their platform. “I have been inundated with calls and messages from family members, relatives, and friends who were worried after seeing the fake and malicious news.…

A heart-wrenching scene unfolded in Ogbomoso on Saturday as Wole Alamu, husband of the abducted Ogbomoso principal, broke down in tears while appealing to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to intensify efforts to rescue his wife and other victims still being held by kidnappers. Alamu made the emotional plea during the governor’s visit to families of those abducted in the May 15 attack on schools in the Ahoro-Esiele/Yawota area of Oriire Local Government Area. His wife, Rachael Alamu, the principal of Community High School, was among staff members and students abducted when armed men riding motorcycles stormed three schools in…

Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has taunted Aisha Yesufu over her inability to clinch the senate ticket of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the nation’s capital. Wike spoke on Saturday in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, during the Renewed Hope Luncheon held by the Rainbow Coalition, a body of political parties including the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. Yesufu declared interest in the FCT senate race on May 6 after joining the NDC from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The Peter Obi ally said her decision was informed by…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered consignments of high-potency illicit drugs concealed inside water purifier machines shipped to Lagos from the Netherlands. The agency’s operatives intercepted the contraband, comprising three kilogrammes of ketamine and 199 grammes of MDMA (Ecstasy) pills hidden within the appliances, during a search operation at a logistics and courier firm in Lagos. Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA headquarters, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the development in a statement released in Abuja. He said several interdiction operations across Kaduna, Niger, and Enugu states yielded massive seizures and led to the arrest of multiple…

The Socio Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres “to urgently invoke Article 99 of the UN Charter and bring Nigeria’s escalating insecurity—marked by mass abductions, killings, attacks on civilians, mass displacement, and other grave human rights violations—to the attention of the UN Security Council.” SERAP said, “Nigeria’s escalating insecurity and grave human rights violations are reflected in repeated abductions, killings, attacks on civilians, and mass displacement in Oyo, Benue, Borno, Plateau, Kaduna, Zamfara, and several other parts of the country.” In the open letter dated 30 May 2026 and signed by SERAP deputy…