Author: Opalim Lifted

Justice Mohammed Umar of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday admitted as evidence a video clip in which former presidential aide and ambassadorial appointee, Reno Omokri, described President Bola Tinubu as a “drug lord,” in the ongoing trial of human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore for allegedly Cyberstalking President Bola Tinubu. The judge admitted the videos after dismissing objections raised by the counsel to the Department of State Services (DSS), Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN having held that, the defence had met the conditions required for tendering electronically generated evidence under Section 84 of the Evidence…

Nigeria’s long-running electricity metering crisis is heading into a fresh institutional clash, with the Federal Government and electricity distribution companies (DisCos) trading blame over millions of unused prepaid meters. At the heart of the dispute are meters procured under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) and the President Power Initiative, backed by the World Bank and public funds. Designed to close Nigeria’s estimated seven million metering gap, the intervention was meant to finally curb estimated billing — a practice that has fuelled public anger and eroded trust in the power sector. Instead, deployment has stalled Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu revealed…

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a blistering attack on the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government, describing it as the worst administration he has witnessed in nearly four decades of political life. Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday at the public presentation of The Loyalist, a book by Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku said Nigeria’s recent political decline had surpassed even the damage done by past military regimes. According to him, the ADC now represents a rare convergence of political forces determined to rescue the country and reset its democratic trajectory. “We…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says Nigeria can finally break the long-running cycle of raids and arrests in illicit drug farming communities by offering farmers viable economic alternatives. Brigadier General Buba Marwa (rtd), NDLEA chairman, made the case on Tuesday in Akure, Ondo State, at the launch of the agency’s Alternative Development Project — a programme aimed at persuading cannabis growers to abandon illegal crops for profitable, lawful farming. Speaking through the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Marwa said the initiative is designed to replace confrontation with collaboration, while helping farming communities secure sustainable livelihoods and improved food security…

The presidency has blamed President Bola Tinubu’s stumble during a ceremonial welcome reception in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, on a poorly laid carpet. The incident occurred on Tuesday as Tinubu took part in a march-past alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the presidential complex. The video footage circulating online shows the president briefly losing his footing while walking beside his host, causing him to stumble before he was assisted by security personnel and continued the programme without further disruption. According to Arise TV, the presidency attributed the incident squarely to a poorly laid blue carpet at the venue.…

The federal government has announced plans to establish a joint economy and trade committee with Turkey to boost bilateral trade to $5 billion. President Bola Tinubu departed Abuja on Monday for a state visit to Turkey. In a statement, Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his country’s commitment to boosting trade during a joint press briefing with Tinubu. Onanuga said the joint committee, announced during high-level talks, is expected to drive strategies to expand economic cooperation and increase trade volume from the current $1 billion. Erdoğan said the presence of Tinubu, several ministers and high-ranking…

The long-anticipated merger between Providus Bank and Unity Bank has entered its final phase, with an official announcement expected within weeks. Sources close to both institutions confirmed that the consolidation process is more than 90 per cent complete, placing the deal among three major bank mergers expected in early 2026 as tier-2 lenders race to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) recapitalisation deadline. In March 2024, the CBN raised minimum capital requirements for Nigerian banks, setting March 2026 as the deadline for compliance. Under the new rules, commercial banks with international licences must raise their capital base to N500…

The Presidency has dismissed speculation about President Bola Tinubu’s health, confirming he is “hale and hearty” and carrying on with his state visit to Türkiye as scheduled. In an update on Tuesday, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said Tinubu moved straight from a ceremonial welcome in Ankara into high-level bilateral talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and senior government officials. According to the Presidency, the meetings are aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties and expanding cooperation in key areas, including defence and security, trade and investment, energy, and broader economic development. The visit, officials…

The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to claims that the most wanted bandit leader, Bello Turji, possesses a membership card of the party, describing the information as fake and circulating online, bearing the image of the notorious bandit kingpin. In a statement issued by the party’s Publicity Secretary in the state, Yusuf Idris Gusau, the APC described the card as a crude forgery orchestrated by “mischievous elements” bent on discrediting the party’s ongoing electronic registration (e-registration) exercise in the state. The statement added that the alleged forgery is easily detectable, even to the layperson.…

A National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja has ordered workers on the payroll of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to suspend their ongoing strike. Delivering a ruling on Tuesday, Justice Emmanuel Subilim held that although the matter before the court amounted to a trade dispute, the defendants’ right to embark on industrial action was not absolute. He ruled that once a dispute has been referred to the National Industrial Court, any ongoing strike must cease pending the determination of the case. “An order of interlocutory injunction is hereby granted, restraining the claimants and their representatives from further embarking on…