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Showing posts from September, 2024

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‘No going back’, October 1 protest organisers insist

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  Organisers of the October 1 protest against hardship in the country have insisted they would proceed with the ‘showdown’ despite kicks by the Federal Government and warning by the Nigerian Police Force. A former presidential candidate and activist who is one of the leaders of the planned Oct 1 protest, Omoyele Sowore, gave an update on his social media platform X on Monday, insisting on the action, and saying it would be held across the country. “NO GOING BACK! #FearlessInOctober ”, he wrote on Monday. The nationwide protest will hold at the Eagles Square Abuja, according to the Sowore. While giving the nature of the protest, Sowore said protests will be peaceful. “The protests will hold across all parts of Nigeria because the scale of the devastation, hunger, insecurity, and hardship that this government has unleashed on Nigerians is national. I will emphasise again that these will be peaceful protests, as they’ve always been. “The last protests were peaceful, yet the governmen...

Police summon officers for allegedly extorting N1m from Lagos Corps members

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  Police authorities in Lagos have summoned three officers for allegedly extorting N1m from corps members. Footage of the encounter between the corps members and officers had made the rounds on social media late Friday. The incident is said to have happened in the Surulere area of Lagos. A social media user who shared the videos, claimed the officers took N1m from the corps members. In one of the videos, police officers were seen searching the car occupants’ documents. The situation later became heated, leading to more officers coming to the scene. An officer was later spotted entering the car while asking them to stop filming the incident. He also barred them from calling their loved ones. But the spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command Benjamin Hundeyin said the men involved in the incident have been summoned. “The men have been summoned and their trial has commenced,” he wrote on X while responding to Fasipe’s post. “We urge the complainants to visit the Complaint Response U...

Bobrisky's thoughts amid allegations of a N15 million bribery attempt against him.

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  Bobrisky Activist and social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, released an audio recording in which Bobrisky allegedly offered N15 million to operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This money was purportedly intended to persuade the agency to drop money laundering charges against him and prevent a potential jail sentence at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos State. Bobrisky, however, has denied the authenticity of the audio, calling it fake. In a Facebook post, he shared his distress over ongoing efforts to undermine him, stating he is now contemplating suicide. He wrote: “I have never thought about suicide in my life, but now it’s crossing my mind as I witness what people are doing to one another in an effort to tear them down simply because of dislike.” He added, “I don’t seek sympathy from anyone. The only people from whom I might have needed sympathy are my late parents. But who will stand up for you? Friends?...

Real Madrid forward Mbappe suffers thigh injury

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Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe faces a spell on the sidelines because of a thigh injury. The France international, who joined the Spanish club in the summer after his contract with Paris St-Germain expired, scored in a 3-2 win against Deportivo Alaves on Tuesday before being substituted after 80 minutes. Speaking after the game, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said: "He's fine - a little overloaded. He asked me for the change to avoid problems." In an update on Wednesday, Madrid said that "following tests" the 25-year-old "has been diagnosed with an injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg" and "his progress will be monitored". Real Madrid are away in a league match at Atletico Madrid on Sunday and then play Lille in the Champions League and Villarreal in the Spanish top flight prior to the October international break. Mbappe had scored six goals in seven games for the Bernabeu club before sustaining his injury.

'I prefer facts to words' - Arteta on 'dark arts' claims

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  Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says his side's tactics in Sunday's 2-2 draw against Manchester City were "normal". The Gunners conceded a 98th-minute equaliser at Etihad Stadium, having been reduced to 10 men following Leandro Trossard's sending off in first-half stoppage time. Arsenal were accused of time-wasting against City, with John Stones and Kyle Walker saying the Gunners used the "dark arts" while protecting their 2-1 lead. But Arteta says his team had little option but to defend deeply, given City's numerical advantage, referencing a moment in the first half when Guardiola's side were down to 10 following Rodri's injury. "Well, we had to play the game that we had to play. The first 15 minutes, we couldn't. They [City] played 30 seconds with 10 men. Look what they did. It's normal what they did," said Arteta. "Unfortunately we've been in the same situation. We were in that same situation with Granit [Xhaka] whe...

Man City players accuse Arsenal of 'dark arts' as Arteta hails 'miracle'

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  Manchester City forward Bernardo Silva said only one team came to play football in their 2-2 Premier League draw with Arsenal, who were accused of employing "dark arts" at Etihad Stadium. But Gunners manager Mikel Arteta claimed it was "a miracle" his side came so close to victory after playing the second half with 10 men. John Stones' 98th-minute equaliser denied Arsenal what would have been a huge victory over the defending champions. After winger Leandro Trossard was controversially sent off in first-half injury time, the Gunners had just 12.5% of possession in the second half. City had 28 shots in the second period - a number eclipsed only by the momentous 'Aguero' title-winning second half against QPR in 2012. "There was only one team that came to play football," Silva told TNT Sports Brazil. "The other came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee, unfortunately. "I'm glad we always ente...

Meta is banning Russian state media outlets like RT from its apps everywhere

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Image Credit - geralt Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has announced a global prohibition on several Russian state media networks, accusing them of employing deceptive practices to conduct influence operations and evade detection on its platforms. "After thorough review, we have intensified our enforcement against Russian state media outlets. Rossiya Segodnya, RT, and associated entities are now banned from our platforms worldwide due to their foreign interference activities," Meta said. The ban, affecting networks such as Rossiya Segodnya and RT (formerly Russia Today), is expected to be implemented shortly. Neither the Russian embassy in Washington, RT, nor Rossiya Segodnya, the owner of Sputnik news agency, immediately responded to BBC’s request for comment. Russian state media networks have come under increased scrutiny amid claims that they have attempted to sway political events in Western countries. Meta, which had previously taken limite...

Kaduna: 35 Killed in Road Accident

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  At least 35 people lost their lives in a road accident near Samunaka in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The victims, mostly Muslims traveling to celebrate Maulud, were aboard a J5 bus that collided head-on with an articulated vehicle. Malam Abdullahi, one of the event organizers, said the accident has devastated their plans. “We had around 70 people, including women and children, in our group. I personally counted the victims. It was a heartbreaking scene,” he said. Over 35 injured individuals have been taken to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) in Plateau State for treatment. Another vehicle in the convoy was also involved in an accident with a motorcycle, causing further casualties. Authorities have not yet issued an official statement, and the tragedy has cast a somber tone over the Maulud celebrations in Kaduna State.

UN team visits Maiduguri, seeks urgent support for flood victims

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  Officials from the United Nations and humanitarian organisations have visited Maiduguri over the devastating floods ravaging the area. The team, comprising of international and national Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), was led by UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall. They arrived in the Borno State capital on Saturday on an assessment visit over the Alau Dam flood disaster. This was disclosed in a press release to journalists on Sunday by the National Information Officer of the UN Information Centre, Oluseyi Soremekun. Soremekun said the team met with affected residents, government officials, and Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, to assess the damage and outline immediate support measures. “The flood-affected people are facing a crisis within a crisis, as the floods occurred during a severe food insecurity and malnutrition crisis. “I witnessed firsthand the devastation and hardship caused by the flooding, including the destruction of...

Nigerian Government Launches N100 Million AI Fund

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  The Federal Government of Nigeria has unveiled a N100 million AI Fund aimed at boosting local startups in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. The announcement was made by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, during the Global Inclusivity and AI Africa conference hosted by the US Department of State in collaboration with the Nigerian government. Tijani revealed that the fund, created in partnership with Google and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), will initially support ten innovative AI projects. Each selected startup will receive up to N10 million, along with access to Google's AI tools, mentorship, and a global network designed to accelerate their growth. The fund is intended to address key sectors such as healthcare, education, financial inclusion, and governance, showcasing AI's potential to drive transformative change. Tijani highlighted the role of AI in revolutionizing various fields and...

Why Inter Milan & AC Milan Turned Down San Siro Renovation Plan

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Milan's city mayor, Giuseppe Sala. Inter and AC Milan have turned down the proposal to renovate the historic San Siro stadium, according to Milan's city mayor, Giuseppe Sala. Following a meeting with officials from both clubs, Sala announced that the teams had rejected the plan put forward by the construction group WeBuild. The clubs concluded that the renovation project was not financially feasible and expressed their desire to pursue alternative options. However, the clubs are open to revisiting their original plan of constructing a new stadium near the current San Siro site. Sala acknowledged the resistance from local residents but emphasized that the process of building new stadiums in Italy is complex and challenging. Both Inter and AC Milan, who have each won European titles multiple times, are seeking to increase their commercial revenue and are considering relocating from the San Siro, which is owned by the city of Milan. The San Siro, officially known as the Giuseppe M...

Elon Musk: SpaceX makes history by completing the first-ever private spacewalk

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SpaceX  Polaris astronauts complete  first spacewalk  by  private  citizens. The  historic  mission led by Elon Musk, achieved the world’s first civilian spacewalk on Thursday morning. Billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis became the first non-government astronauts to perform a spacewalk in Earth's orbit, stepping outside the Crew Dragon capsule. The spacewalk, part of the Polaris Dawn mission, occurred approximately 400 miles above Earth. Isaacman and Gillis spent about 30 minutes outside the spacecraft while their crewmates, Scott Poteet and Anna Menon, observed the mission from inside. The Polaris Dawn mission is a pioneering effort in private space exploration, testing advanced technologies such as SpaceX’s new spacesuits and a sophisticated depressurization process for the Crew Dragon cabin. SpaceX has made notable progress in commercial space travel, being the first private company to regularly send humans into orbit and b...

CBN Enforces New PoS Transaction Rules with 30-Day Compliance Deadline for PSPs

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  The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has instructed all Payment Service Providers to route Point of Sale (PoS) transactions through an approved Payment Terminal Service Aggregator (PTSA) to enhance transaction monitoring and decentralize routing. Providers have 30 days to comply with these new guidelines. The move aims to strengthen oversight of electronic transactions and address centralization concerns. The directive, issued by Oladimeji Yisa Taiwo, mandates that all PoS transactions from merchant and agent locations must go through CBN-licensed PTSAs. This decision follows recent issues with PoS business registration and fraud incidents, with PoS terminals being linked to a significant percentage of fraud cases in 2023. https://youtu.be/nYV_e9dnkcY

Brazil and Argentina lose in World Cup qualifying

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      Image Credit -爪丨丂ㄒ乇尺_卩丨ㄒㄒ丨几Ꮆ乇尺 Brazil suffered their fourth defeat in five qualifying games with a 1-0 loss to Paraguay as Argentina were beaten 2-1 by Colombia in the latest qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup. Inter Miami's Diego Gomez scored the winner for Paraguay in Asuncion after 20 minutes as Brazil failed to register a shot on target in the first half. Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and West Ham playmaker Lucas Paqueta all started all started for Brazil with the Real Madrid trio of Rodrygo, Endrick and Vinicius Jr in attack. "I want to apologize to the fans, I know it's a difficult time, but we just want to improve," Vinicius told Brazilian TV channel Globo. The 24-year-old winger has scored over 20 goals for Real in each of the last three seasons but has only five goals from 35 caps for Brazil and failed to score at the 2022 World Cup. "I know my potential, what I can do for the national team," he adde...

DSS succumbs to pressure, releases Ajaero, seizes passport

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The Department of State Services (DSS) has released labour leader Joe Ajaero. Ajaero, who confirmed his release to our correspondent, said the secret police allowed him to go home around 11 pm on Monday. The Nigeria Labour Congress president said he was grilled for about 15 hours since his arrest around 7 am at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Ajaero, however, said his travel passport was seized by the secret police. The labour leader said though he was detained by the DSS, some police officers also came around to grill him at the DSS office in Abuja over the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests that took place in August. Ajaero said he was quizzed over alleged terrorism financing involving a British national, Andrew Wynne. The labour leader was on his way to the United Kingdom on Monday for a Trade Union Congress (TUC) event when he was arrested at Abuja airport. The NLC had condemned Ajaero’s arrest and gave the secret police Tuesday midnight to release the labour l...

AGF Suggests Ban on Presidential Pardons for Corrupt Leaders

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  Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) has proposed a constitutional amendment to prevent presidential pardons for corrupt leaders. Announced at an ICPC roundtable in Abuja, the amendment aims to exclude corruption cases from the prerogative of mercy. The roundtable, supported by the MacArthur Foundation, brought together legal and civil society stakeholders to enhance anti-corruption efforts. Fagbemi emphasized that the amendment, to be pursued in the next constitutional review, is essential for ensuring corrupt leaders face full legal consequences. Previous presidential pardons for corruption include those of former Bayelsa Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and former Delta Governor James Ibori. Fagbemi highlighted the need for a unified, evidence-based approach to combat corruption and avoid influence from public sentiment. Support for the proposal was expressed by Senate Anti-Corruption Committee Chairman Senator Osinakachukwu Ideozu and House Anti-Corruption ...

BOI Secures Landmark €1.425 Billion Loan to Enhance Business Financing in Nigeria

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The Bank of Industry (BOI) has successfully secured a historic €1.425 billion through the senior phase of its global loan syndication, aimed at boosting financing for Nigerian businesses. This deal, which saw a 42.5 percent oversubscription from international financial markets, solidifies BOI’s role as a major player in supporting Nigeria’s industrial and private sectors. Previously, the largest loan syndications by BOI were €1 billion each in 2020 and 2022, both of which were repaid in July 2024. Olasupo Olusi, BOI’s Managing Director and CEO, stated that the recent loan syndication represents a strong endorsement from foreign investors of both BOI and Nigeria’s economic outlook. The lenders include Global Coordinators such as Africa Finance Corporation and Standard Chartered Bank, Facility Agent Africa Export-Import Bank, and various Initial Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners, along with numerous financial institutions from Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Olusi emphasized t...

NBA offers free legal services to #EndBadGovernance protesters

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The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has offered free legal representation to EndBadGovernanc protesters with court cases across the country. President of the NBA, Afam Osigwe, who announced this on his X handle on Wednesday, also directed NBA branches to monitor the legal proceedings against protesters across the country. He said, “I have directed the branches of the Nigerian Bar Association to monitor the trials of the EndBadGovernance protesters. “Additionally, I have launched a pro bono support initiative for protesters who lack legal representation. “The Nigerian Bar Association Citizens’ Liberties Committee (NBA-CLC) has been tasked with liaising closely with the chairmen and human rights committees of NBA branches in regions where protesters are currently being prosecuted. This ensures that no defendant suffers injustice. “The NBA legal team will continue to monitor court proceedings to ensure that trials are conducted with strict adherence to due process, safeguarding the legal...

Opay Cut Off 40 Million Customers Again Due to Failed Transactions

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A Financial technology company Opay has once again left its over 40 million customers stranded due to an unexplained application glitch, just a month after users complained of funds disappearing without a trace. On September 3, 2024, many customers faced repeated transaction failures without any explanation from the company, which promotes itself as a platform for quick and easy payments. This incident has raised concerns about Opay’s reliability, as customers were unable to make or receive payments, forcing some to turn to alternative fintech apps like Moniepoint and Palmpay. One frustrated customer shared, “I went to bokku mart to buy some goods, and since I don’t have an ATM card, I usually rely on Opay because it’s been easy to use. But I was embarrassed when my payment failed, and I couldn’t even see my transaction history, though my account was debited. It was like the money just disappeared.” Another customer recounted his experience when trying to purchase food for his baby: “...