Author: Opalim Lifted

The Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, assured Nigerians that President Bola Tinubu is sensitive to the nation’s security challenges and making frantic efforts to tackle them. Tunji-Ojo disclosed this on Tuesday night during the Channels TV Politics show. During the show, the minister weighed in on the recent attack by a new terror group in Sokoto and Kebbi State. He urged Nigerians not to judge Tinubu, saying the president is aware of the security challenges. “The President is sensitive to these issues. Do not judge the President or this administration by the level of assurance. Talk is cheap; the real deal…

President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” in his second administration. “Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Trump said in a statement. The announcement of Ramaswamy and particularly Musk, who leads companies with existing, lucrative government contracts, raises immediate questions about potential conflicts of interest. It is not immediately clear how the department – which Trump said would “provide advice and guidance from outside of Government” – would…

The Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and human rights group has asked President Bola Tinubu’s government to immediately drop the bogus lawsuit filed against an independent anti-corruption organization, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). The human rights advocacy organizations include Amnesty International; Accountability Lab; BudgIT Foundation; Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC); Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA); Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) and YIAGA Africa. The organizations also demanded an immediate end to the escalating crackdown on human rights defenders, activists, journalists, and other civil society actors simply for carrying out their legitimate work. “Nigerian authorities…

A United States-based university lecturer, Dr. Olatunde Olusesi, has launched a zero-interest loan scheme for petty business owners. The scheme, launched at Itoku Market in Abeokuta, on Monday, is part of the Dr. Olusesi-founded Ferefayo Empowerment Programme. The initiator, who turned 60 on the launch date, explained that the scheme is in the memory of Alhaja Anisat Amosa Olusesi, a successful trader at Itoku Market. The Ferefayo Empowerment Scheme is the latest in the series of social entrepreneurship initiatives of Dr. Olusesi, who founded Lorranisa 11/11 Enterprises. The empowerment scheme comes as a micro-loan of N25,000 for petty businesses, with…

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the senior cleric of the Church of England, resigned “in sorrow” on Tuesday, saying he had failed to ensure a proper investigation into allegations of abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps decades ago. Welby, also spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide, had faced calls to resign after a report last week found he had taken insufficient action to stop arguably the Church’s most prolific serial abuser. In his resignation letter, Justin Welby said he must take “personal and institutional responsibility” for lack of action on the “heinous abuses”. “The last few days…

At least 13 persons have been killed in a collapsed mining site in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau, jos. The Chairman of the LGA, Dr Joshua Riti confirmed this to newsmen yesterday. Riti expressed sadness over the number of deaths recorded, saying that the incident occurred during the weekend. The collapsed mining site is located at the boundaries between Bassa, Jos South and North LGAs. According to the local government boss, seven of the deceased hailed from Bassa LGA. Explosion rocks Jos, many feared dead “This is an unfortunate incident, these young people were only out in search of…

An explosion on Tuesday shook Jos Plateau, sending shockwaves through the surrounding communities. Eyewitnesses reported that the blast occurred around 10:30 am near the densely populated Terminus market area. The blast injured several people, and some sources speculate that there may have been fatalities, reports said. The extent of the damage remains unclear, but witnesses described scenes of destruction and chaos. “I was nearby when I heard a loud bang,” said an eyewitness. “I saw people running and screaming. It was terrifying,” added Gyang Buba, a clothes vendor who confirmed the incident. Emergency services, including the police, fire department, and…

Questions are being asked of Manchester City title defence after they slipped five points behind leaders Liverpool at the weekend but centre back Ruben Dias has told the critics to write off Man City’s chances at their peril. Man City slumped to a fourth consecutive loss in all competitions with a 2-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday, marking the first time Pep Guardiola lost four games in a row in his managerial career. Man City, who are chasing an unprecedented fifth straight Premier League title, were also dumped out of the League Cup…

The Lakurawa terror group in parts of northern Nigeria is not new, a security expert and a chieftain of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) have said. The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said a few weeks ago that a new terrorist group ‘Lakurawa’ had emerged in the north-western part of Nigeria. But the security expert Bulama Bukarti and the Publicity Secretary of the ACF Tukur Muhammad-Baba said the group has existed before now, . “The group that is called Lakurawa today has been sporadically living or camping in the northwestern part of Nigeria for over six years now. They first started illegally…

Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler called on Israel to respect Iran’s sovereignty and refrain from attacking Iranian soil, highlighting warming ties between the Middle East rivals. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told a summit of Arab and Muslim leaders on Monday that the international community should oblige Israel “to respect the sovereignty of the sisterly Islamic Republic of Iran and not to violate its lands”. Sunni Muslim-majority Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority Iran have often found themselves on opposing sides of regional conflicts including Syria’s. In 2015, Saudi Arabia mobilised a military coalition to support Yemen’s internationally recognised government after Iran-backed…