Author: Opalim Lifted

On Thursday night, a fire razed over 200 stores at the Ojoto market in the Mile 2 neighborhood of Diobu, Port Harcourt, destroying goods and property worth millions of naira. Around 9:15 p.m., after the majority of the dealers had already closed for the day, the incident took place. Although the inferno’s origin was unknown at the time this report was filed, witnesses claimed that when the public power supply was restored that evening, an electric spark caused it. Some of them added that the fire might have started because someone was cooking in the market. There was no light…

Olalekan Jacob Ponle, a socialite living in Dubai and a close friend of Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, better known as Hushpuppi, a well-known Nigerian Instagram influencer and convicted felon, has admitted guilt to fraud charges brought against him in a US court. Olalekan Ponle, also known as Woodberry, consented to hand over the $8 million in gains from the fraudulent Business Email Compromise (BEC) operation. In response to the eight-count fraud indictment levelled against him for participating in the BEC scam, Woodberry had first entered a not guilty plea. However, Woodberry changed his mind and pled guilty to one of the…

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has adviced the Federal Government not to consider removing the fuel subsidy in the absence of local refining capacity, citing the socioeconomic repercussions for companies and ordinary Nigerians. This is contained in a communiqué issued by NUPENG leaders at the conclusion of the Union’s National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Lagos, which deliberated on the state of the nation, particularly following the conduct of the 2023 general elections and the increasing statements from Nigerians on the Federal Government’s intention to end the Petroleum Motor Spirit, PMS, subsidy regime, among other…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), made a proposal instructing all banks to move money from accounts that have been inactive for up to ten years into a trust fund account. This is stated in the recently leaked expose document of the Nigerian banks and other financial institutions’ management of dormant accounts, unclaimed balances, and other financial assets. According to a circular that was attached to the exposure draft, the CBN developed the guidelines in response to requests for clarification from banks and other stakeholders regarding the handling of dormant and inactive accounts by national banks. The circular, which was…

The Nigerian Army (NA) has denied as false accusations in the media that troops raided and evicted the family of a retired army commander in Enugu. Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, said in a statement on Thursday that the report was purposely twisted to destroy the image and reputation of the Nigerian army. It is necessary to clear the air and clarify any doubts about the removal of the retired senior officer according to Nwachukwu. He said that House 7 on Abakaliki Lane had housed Nigerian army officers in Enugu for more than two decades. He said…

Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are projected to see below-average rainfall for the remaining months of the year, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). During the presentation of 2023 climate-related disaster preparedness and mitigation policies in Abuja yesterday, NEMA Director General Mustapha Ahmed made this clear. He said that predictions from the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) indicated that there is a high probability of flooding in 66 councils from April to June, 148 councils from July to September, and 100 councils from October to November. He said: “NEMA organised a technical conference…

The Nigeria Police Force on Thursday dismissed the policemen following an investigation into their professional conduct and use of firearms. In a statement communicated by CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Public Relations Officer and obtained by Chronicle NG, the trio were in the northern state of Kano. Following complaints and findings on video evidence of high-handedness, unprofessional conduct, and misuse of firearms against some policemen from Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 1, Kano, widely circulated on social media on Friday, April 7, 2023, and a follow-up orderly room trial of the affected policemen by the Force Provost Marshal, three officers from SPU…

Iran’s embassy in Saudi Arabia reopened its doors on Wednesday for the first time in seven years, as part of a pact to re-establish contacts that might calm a long-standing enmity that has fueled wars across the Middle East according to a media witness. The huge gates of the Iranian embassy’s property in Riyadh were open, and a crew was checking its grounds. A white truck was observed approaching the gate according to a reporter. The diplomatic mission was established only hours after the Iranian foreign ministry announced the arrival of a technical team in the country. “The Iranian delegation…

The Biden administration will announce over $300 million in financing from its landmark infrastructure package for nine bridge projects around the nation on Thursday according to sources. The infrastructure package, which was enacted by the United States Congress with bipartisan backing, is one of President Joe Biden’s significant legislative successes, and one that his administration is anxious to promote as he prepares to run for re-election. While Biden is in Ireland, Vice President Kamala Harris, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and other administration officials will visit several of the bridge sites to negotiate financing for projects in eight states and Washington,…

Congolese women and children were raped and subjected to other atrocities during a large exodus of migrant workers from Angola to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to a doctor, authorities, and the UN. According to rights organisations and the United Nations, Angola has deported hundreds of employees in recent months, reflecting earlier purges over the last 12 years during which atrocities also occurred. The size of the latest exodus is unknown, but according to previously unreported figures from the United Nations’ migration agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 12,000 workers have passed through one border crossing near…