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Peter Obi wins the NOI/ANAP poll on the 2023 Presidential Election

A recent ANAP Foundation’s presidential poll conducted in September 2022 has shown that the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Gregory Onwubuasi Obi, will win the 2023 presidential election.

ANAP Foundation carried out its presidential poll on the streets of Nigeria and indicated that Peter Obi came first with 21% of all votes cast while the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, are tied at 13%.

The poll, which showed Peter Obi as the front runner in the coming 2023 presidential election for now, also indicated that the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, finished fourth with 3%.

Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Gregory Onwubuasi Obi, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso
Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Gregory Onwubuasi Obi, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso

ANAP Foundation chairman, Mr. Atedo Peterside gave the breakdown on The Morning Show on Arise TV, Thursday morning, while doing justice to his independent poll conducted by ANAP.

ANAP poll, which shows Peter Obi in clear lead, has always been consistent and correct in past elections.

The problem with the poll, however, is the undecided voters at 32% which, according to pundits, is big enough to change the outlook.

“The implication is more work need to be done for the Obedients at the grassroot,” said an analyst.

One of the show’s hosts, Mr. Reuben Abati, while reacting, said he is surprised Peter Obi has more popularity in the South South than other candidates.

See details of the poll below:

Image

More details of the poll will follow…

History: How Igala King, Attah Ameh Oboni, chose suicide instead of bowing to Queen Elizabeth

The Story Of Attah Ameh Oboni – the Nigerian King who chose suicide instead of bowing to the Queen of England

Attah Ameh Oboni was a revered Igala King.

At a particular meeting held in Kaduna which consisted of all paramount traditional rulers in Nigeria and which had the queen of England in attendance, Attah Ameh was asked to remove his cap to greet the Queen of England as others had done.

Though he refused until they said he should leave the meeting if he would not remove his cap. But Attah was not like others, or was he?

It was a taboo for Attah to remove his cap in the public. The entire hall where they were staying was occupied by swan of bees which emanates from the cap of Attah Ameh Oboni which he removed in order to greet the Queen.

The Queen of England as well as other rulers in the meeting ran helter-skelter except the friendly Oba of Benin who was asked by Attah Ameh to go out before he removed his cap. The hall became empty as some were stung by the bees and the meeting ended.

According to history, Attah Ameh Oboni was asked to be arrested and handcuffed by the security people, which they did, but the handcuffs fell off his hands.

He was later locked up in a room on the instruction of the Northern rulers and guarded by the security personnel but only to find out later by the personnel that he had left the room. Yes, when the security were taking him to be locked up, he told his driver, Amanabo of blessed memory, to take the car and be going to Idah while the security locked him in the room.

He then warned Amanabo not to look back until he felt a cool breeze in the car. Though Amanabo argued a little that he cannot leave the Attah there but later obeyed and started driving back to Idah from Kaduna.

After some time, he felt the cool breeze in the car, and Attah Ameh was seated inside the car.

The incident in the meeting made many traditional rulers which were mostly northerners to be angry especially making kings run in such a manner because of bees.

This became one important sin, and it was like “one sin too many”.

The Queen of England was also not happy and they (the Queen and northern leaders) started looking for a way to remove Attah Ameh from the throne since he was getting tougher and uncontrollable like others, as well as searching for an obedient replacement.

Igala has various cultural festivals, one of which is Ocho. Ocho is celebrated before farming starts, and it is the time that Attah Igala prays to God for sufficient rainfall, bountiful harvest, success in hunting. It is celebrated in the bush and the venue is called Ere-ocho, where the Attah will hunt until he kills a Buffalo or a strong animal.

The community in Idah where Ocho takes place is called Ogo-Efa. He performs a little sacrifice to the ancestors using a fowl in the process, and this was to find out if there will blessings or problems in the land after the Ocho.

Before this time, the enemies at home (among the Igala people), especially those having connections with the leaders of the northern region, were working hard to get any evidence either true or false which can be used to remove him from the throne. The blood of the animal used as sacrifice at Ocho ground now became what the enemies would use against him.

Petition was written by these two Igala people to the Queen and some other Northern leaders that Attah Ameh was sacrificing humans during the Ocho festivals. Since they were looking for any means to displace him with, judgment was quickly passed that he must be dethroned, even when investigations were not yet concluded.

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In addition, all the Igala cultural festivals including the Ocho were immediately banned, and this remained for almost 63 years until Governor Yahaya Bello unbanned them based on the appeal of the present Attah Igala.

Already, before this time, the Oba of Benin who had such friction with the British had already been dethroned and banished from Benin. So, Attah Ameh Oboni knew that at that point, no matter what spiritual approach applied, it can only postpone the evil day as his enemies will never relent until he was removed by them.

The result of the blood sample which was taken from the Ocho venue and taken to University of Ibadan for analysis had arrived and it was proved that it was the blood of an animal and not human. Sadly, the revered King, Attah Ameh had passed on before the result was brought.

But Attah Ameh, being very sure that he was wrongly accused and framed up by his enemies, especially those from Igala who wrote the petition against him marking the beginning of his planned dethronement, made some pronouncements before his death.

He was allegedly quoted to have said that “the person who wrote the petition against him would have that hand dried up, and that the leader of the gang or petitioners would be buried three times”. And they all came to pass.

While the hand dried as said, the other was buried as stated, first was the leg, second was his hand and the third was himself, all buried at various times at different locations.

In addition, as this information of his dethronement was given to him in a meeting from where he was supposed to go back to Idah and prepare to leave the throne, he stopped on the way in another Igala land called Dekina.

That was where he committed suicide.

Before taking his life, he was allegedly quoted to have said that the town, Dekina will be popular, but its development will not be as much as its popularity.

He was also quoted to have said that because Igala was the genesis of his ordeal, there will be disunity among the Igala people until the reign of his own blood (son) as Attah, and all Igalas irrespective of their locations will be reunited again.

I think from the reconnection and reunification of Igala people across Nigeria and beyond which has been going on and still going on under the reign of his son, Agabaidu Idakwo Ameh Oboni II, the present Attah Igala, that pronouncement of reunification of Igala people is also coming through

Russian murderers and rapists sent to fight in Ukraine for six months

The Russian government has released murderers and sex offenders to go fight in the Ukraine war for six months.

In a new video obtained by Mail Online, Putin’s ‘chef’ was filmed offering a pardon to violent criminals and sex offenders locked up in a Russian prison if they survive fighting in Ukraine.

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, 61, told prisoners they should take their own lives instead of being captured in Ukraine, holding one grenade for the enemy and one for themselves.

Russia

Video shows Prigozhin telling the criminals they can become war heroes or be shot as deserters, as the Kremlin steps up recruitment of inmates after suffering a humiliating defeat against Ukraine’s army in the east.

‘This is a hard war, not even close to the likes of [Chechnya] and the others,’ he was videoed telling them.

‘My ammo consumption is two-and-a-half-times higher than in the battle of Stalingrad,’ where there were almost two million casualties, he said.

Murderers, sex offenders, and burglars are offered instant freedom and a pardon from Putin if they survive six months at the frontline in the bloody war.

Those who die will be buried ‘as heroes’, he tells them.

Russia

Those who face capture by Ukraine are ordered to use grenades to kill themselves rather than fall into enemy hands.

Convict soldiers who desert are told they will be instantly executed with a bullet to the head.

A secretly filmed video shows Prigozhin, 61, admitting that he represents the Wagner private army, deployed by Putin in Ukraine.

He has previously denied a link to Wagner which is known to have already recruited thousands of inmates as Russia deploys its most dangerous prisoners as fighters.

‘I am a representative of a private war company, perhaps you heard the name – Wagner Group,’ he tells the assembled prison inmates.

He warns the convicts: ‘The first sin is deserting. No-one deserts, no-one gives up, no-one surrenders. You’ll be taught what to do regarding surrender.’

‘They should take their own lives, and not be taken prisoner, he said.

‘Two grenades which you must have on you,’ he went on [One grenade for our foes, and one for yourself].

‘The second sin is alcohol and drugs in the war zone [which are banned]… The third sin is marauding – this includes sexual contacts with local women, men, flora, fauna, anyone.

‘The minimum age we take is 22, the maximum is 50, and ‘good physical shape’ is a must.’

US-based Nigerian man confronts the wife, calling her ashawo (Video)

A viral video shows a US-based Nigerian man and his wife fighting over allegations of infidelity and infection with an STI.

The Nigerian man is seen accusing his wife Chinenye of sleeping around and infecting him with gonorrhea.

According to reports, the man has lived in the US for a while and returned to Nigeria two years ago to marry Chinenye before taking her to the US.

Their argument was rather heated and soon turned physical.

The couple threw abusive words at each other as the husband kept insisting his wife is promiscuous.

The husband said: “You f**k your lover, you come here and stay like nothing happened?

The wife responded: “You f**k all the girls you f**k too.”

The husband said: “I don’t need you. You’re a prostitute.”

The wife, Chinenye hit back, saying: “No one wants you.”

“You be here, begging me to f*** you,” the man said.

He continued: “I don’t need you. You’re disgusting Chinenye. Your pu*** smell. You have given me gonorrhea.”

“You’re a whore. You’re a fu**ing whore Chinenye. You fu** everybody you see,” he added.

“Starting from tomorrow, it’s a new ball game.”

Chinenye responded: “OK, it’s a new ball game, let’s see.”

“Bet me,” the husband said as the video ends.

Watch the video below.

Nigeria signs €25 million contract with France to improve electricity supply

The Nigerian government and the French Development Agency (AFD) have signed a grant agreement of €25 million for the Northern Corridor Project jointly funded by the European Union and the AFD. The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, and the AFD Country Director in Nigeria, Xavier Muron, signed the agreement Wednesday in the presence of the Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, and the Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Cecile TASSIN-PELZER.

The Northern Corridor Project, being implemented by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), is meant to strengthen low-carbon economic growth in West Africa by improving the quality of the electricity network in Nigeria and supporting the development of a regional electricity market under the West African Power Pool (WAPP).

The specific objectives of the project, in line with the Nigerian Energy Transition Plan (ETP), are to:

— reinforce globally the north-west network and develop access to electricity for the population

— help evacuate/distribute the solar-generated power from future projects in the North

— participate in the WAPP interconnection project with Niger Republic

The project will build more than 800km of 330 kV double circuit transmission lines and construct or upgrade 13 substations.

The grant agreement signed today represents the EU’s contribution to the project while the AFD contribution of €202 million was signed in December 2020. The total cost of the project is around 238 million Euros including a 12 million Euros contribution from TCN.

In terms of expected impacts:

— 5GW additional evacuation capacity to be created under the project

— Potential Transmission of 17TWh of additional electricity every year

— Possibility of several millions of people to have access to electricity and better electricity service in a short term

— creation of 600 jobs (500 during the construction phase and 100 in the operation phase)

“This project will help TCN to operationalize its “Transmission Expansion Plan”, through the construction of additional Transmission Lines and Substations across nine states in the northern part of the country – Niger, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi and Nasarawa,” said the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning at the grant agreement signing ceremony.

Xavier Muron, the AFD country director in Nigeria, highlighted the importance of such a project as a technical enabler for the integration into the grid of the expected solar farms in the North-west part of the country. He noted that poor transmission network has been a significant bottleneck in many countries for the achievement of mix diversification.

According to the Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, “France is committed to helping Nigeria achieve its commitments on climate change in line with the Paris agreement and she welcomes this Team Europe piece of work to address it.”

Speaking on behalf of the European Union, the Head of Cooperation, Cecile TASSIN-PELZER said; “We appreciate this Team Europe collaboration with the Government of Nigeria, which is a concrete example of how the EU Global Gateway can contribute to major investments in infrastructure development.”

About AFD: The Agence Française de Développement (AFD – French Development Agency) funds, supports and accelerates the transitions to a fairer and more sustainable world – aligned on the Sustainable Development Goals. Focusing on climate, biodiversity, peace, education, urban development, health and governance, our teams carry out more than 4,000 projects in France’s overseas departments and territories and another 115 countries. In this way, we contribute to the commitment of France and the French people to support sustainable development goals.

AFD is present in Nigeria since 2008 with its main office based in Abuja along with an additional branch in Lagos. Its main sectors of intervention in the country are energy, high education, agriculture, water supply as well as clean transportation.

[Premium Times]

Nigerian Govt. releases suspected IPOB members arrested in 2020

The Federal Government has released suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra arrested by officers of the Nigerian Army since February 27, 2020, at the Imo River community in Abia State.

The victims, Sunday Nwafor, 59; Uzonwanne Ejiofor, 48; and Wilfred Dike, 36, were held at 14 Brigade Nigerian Army Ohafia, Abia State for over two years, The PUNCH can confirm.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International Nigeria, has welcomed the release of the trio.

In a statement on Wednesday night, Amnesty International urged the government to provide information about the status of other victims of enforced disappearance and incommunicado detention.

“Amnesty International urges Nigerian authorities to provide information about the status of other victims of enforced disappearance and incommunicado detention, grant their families and lawyers access to them, charge them to court, or release them in the absence of any legal authority used to justify their continued detention,” the statement read in part.

Spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu,did not take calls nor responded to WhatsApp and text messages from our correspondent on Wednesday night.

[Punch]

Internet Fraudster, Hushpuppi hires Invictus Obi’s lawyer to avoid going to jail

Internet fraudster Ramon Abbas, popularly known as ‘Hushpuppi’, has employed the services of top attorney John Iweanoge, in a last-minute push to avoid 11 years jail term as suggested by United States prosecutors.

Iweanoge is a top Washington D.C. criminal defence attorney popular among Nigerian suspects charged in Virginia and Maryland, especially.

According to Peoples Gazette, in a pro hac vice application filed before the United States District Court in the Central District of California, Hushpuppi named Iweanoge as his attorney.

“APPLICATION of Non-Resident Attorney John O. Iweanoge, II to Appear Pro Hac Vice on behalf of Defendant Ramon Olorunwa Abbas (Pro Hac Vice Fee – $500 Fee Paid, Receipt No. ACACDC-33979986) Filed by Defendant Ramon Olorunwa Abbas. (Attachments: # (1) Proposed Order G-64 Order for Pro Hac Vice Admission) (Khouri, Michael),” the document said.

The pro hac vice application allows the addition of an attorney to a case in a jurisdiction in which they are not licensed to practice. Iweanoge, whose law offices are located in Washington, DC, will be now be able to defend Mr Abbas in court without committing unauthorised practice of law.

Iweanoge had defended now-imprisoned Nigerian fraudster Obinwanne ‘Invictus’ Okeke. Mr Okeke was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement in a computer-based intrusion fraud scheme that caused about $11 million in losses to his victims.

Hushpuppi’s actions come as his sentencing hearing is slated for September 21. The Gazette reported on Thursday that his attorney Louis Shapiro and U.S. officials sparred in court as Hushpuppi tries to delay his sentencing until November.

Shapiro argued that the internet fraudster would be unable to prepare for his sentencing hearing without all the documents relating to the Juma Case. The charges on the Juma case had been dropped by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in line with a plea bargain deal.

Prosecutors, led by Khaldoun Shobaki, maintained that there was no reason to “further delay the already long-delayed sentencing in this case,” adding that Hushpuppi admitted playing a leading role in the scheme when he pleaded guilty on April 20, 2021.

Shobaki had asked a federal judge to sentence Hushpuppi to 11 years in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in a multinational conspiracy that earned him millions of dollars between 2019 and 2020.

He suggested that Huspuppi should be asked to pay $1.7 million in restitution, $500,000 in fines, and $100 in administrative fees ahead of his sentencing.

Oil refinery in Port Harcourt to become functional by December, 2022 – Minister says

THE Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, on Wednesday, said that the Old Port Harcourt Refinery would become functional by December this year.

The Minister disclosed this when he briefed State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.


Sylvia said the development of the compressed natural gas (CNG)is still in progress.

The Minister, who was responding to a question on the state of the ongoing repairs at the nation’s refineries, said one of the two refineries, the old one with 60,000 barrels-per-day capacity, would be functional by the end of 2022, just as works are also progressing on both the Warri and Kaduna refineries.


According to him, “The rehabilitation of the refineries is ongoing. As we said earlier, the old refinery in Port Harcourt, which is about 60,000 barrels per day capacity, will be functional by December and, of course, we still have some time in the contracting time to conclude the rest of the Port Harcourt Refineries.

“Works in the Kaduna and Warri refineries are also in progressing very well. We will soon be embarking on an inspection visit and some of you journalists will be will be able to go with us to ascertain for yourselves what the extent of work is.”


On the country’s CNG development programme, the Minister said progress was being made, adding that it was one of the steps that must be achieved before the removal of petrol subsidy.

He said, “On the CNG development, it’s very much in progress. That is part of the promises we made, part of the things we want to put in place before the removal of subsidy. Subsidy has still not been removed because some of these conditions that were agreed upon have not been met and we’re definitely working assiduously to ensure that all the facilities are in place, the pumping stations and the conversion kits.


“I can assure you that work is going on very much in that regard. We may not be in a position to announce exactly what we are doing now or where we are, but I can assure you that work is very much ongoing.”

Lagosian ‘surrogate mother’ struggles for her life after delivering triplets

– threatens court action against hospital

Three years ago, Miss Gift Danjuma, a single parent, took the decision to go into surrogate motherhood, a process that produced triplets for the unidentified hopeful parents.

But that singular decision has turned out to be her greatest undoing, as she is presently battling complications that resulted from a cesarean section she had while birthing the set of triplets at a Lagos hospital.

At the moment, the chances of the 32-year-old woman giving birth to another child are very slim, as her cervix was damaged in the process.  Doctors said except she undergoes a corrective surgery, she might live the rest of her life visiting the hospital for temporal remedy.

My ordeal

When Crime Guard visited the Nasarawa state born, she looked like a shadow of her old self.  She shook her head in regret, wishing the hand of the clock would be turned back, to undo what she has done. 

She traced the genesis of her ordeal to  December 26, 2018,  after she subscribed to Meet  Surrogate Mothers Agency at Lekki Lagos State.  She stated that she needed the money to fend for her son who was 13 years old then.

 After a series of medical examinations and tests, she  said she was certified fit for the purpose by Dr. Thaddeus Ogbueke, at  Emobile Specialist Hospital (owned by the surrogacy centre) 

According to her, “ In  February 2019 the embryo was transferred into my womb ,  two weeks after, I was confirmed pregnant. When I was three months gone,  the CEO,  Meet  Surrogate Mothers Agency, Mrs. Ronke Thadius, informed me that the Intended Parents (IP) wanted me to use the hospital instead of the agency’s hospital. I agreed.

“ I went to the hospital where I was registered and assigned to  a  Gynecologist.  I was scheduled to go to the hospital every two weeks  for regular check-ups.

“At a stage of the pregnancy, I was unable to sleep or breathe well because it was multiple pregnancies. I complained to the doctor who told me to come to the hospital for a checkup. When I got to the hospital,  I was admitted  because the test conducted showed early signs of labour. I was hospitalized for over two months.

Complication

When the pregnancy was 30 weeks, Mrs. Ronke Thadius told them to carry out a  Caesarean Section, CS on me because of the weight of the babies and my well-being.  But the doctor declined, suggesting rather,  that I should stay for an additional four weeks. He said if the CS was done at 30 weeks, it would affect the mental health of the babies. I had no choice but to agree “.

By September 4, 2019, the CS was carried out and the babies were brought and given to their hopeful parents.

While the hopeful parents went home happy, the same could not be said of Gift, as she said she woke up with excruciating pains that lingered until the third day when she saw the doctor.

She said: “ He asked me to go for a scan, which I did.  The scan result showed, there were particles of blood in the uterus.  The doctor took me back to the theater on Sunday for evacuation.

My nightmare

“On Monday,  September 2019, I almost lost my life. My blood pressure was high,  and I was  cold at the same time. About five doctors were trying to stabilise my condition.

 ”Eventually, I was discharged from the hospital on September 11, 2019. But the pains came again when I got home.  My menstrual period stopped for about six months and when it resumed, it came with severe pains. I have gone to several laboratories  and hospitals in search of solutions to my health issues and each time I get to the lab or hospitals I always put a call through to the doctor at the hospital where I had the babies.”

Explaining further, Gift said, “a week after I was discharged I started calling and complaining about my health condition to them. Each time I called, the doctor would say I was not using a good laboratory that could effectively diagnose the problem.

“Three months ago, I visited the Gbagada General Hospital to run some tests ( hysterosalpingogram ).

But the radiologist could not get through to my cervix, and neither did my  Gynecologist and three other doctors.  They tried to insert a catheter inside me on three different occasions but they couldn’t get through to my cervix. They gave me a referral letter to LASUTH for further consultations.”

 ”I called the CEO of  Meet Surrogate Mothers agency who gave me an appointment to see a Doctor. After examination, the doctor confirmed that he could not get through to my cervix and that there might have been complications during the Cesarean section or evacuation exercise.

“ I was told to go back to the hospital where I did  CS  for a corrective surgery to be performed. I have repeatedly made a demand for my medical reports at the hospital but they refused to give me”.

Crime Guard learned that the alleged refusal of the hospital to hand over her medical report to her may not be unconnected with an undisclosed amount  Gift owed them. The amount was for some tests conducted on her early this month, as a result of the complication.

Threat to sue

Her lawyer,  Evans  Ufeli, told Crime Guard that a 14- working days Pre-action notice had been given to the hospital to address the issue. He urged the hospital to restore Gift  to the normal health condition she was before the CS was carried out on her.

He said, “  having carefully examined the matter under reference, we hereby give you the next 14 working days to address the issue under reference in the best possible way and restore our client to the normal health condition she was before the CS was carried out on her, failing which we shall have no other option than to proceed against you in the court of law for redress.”

 When Crime Guard called the CEO Meet the surrogate mother, to get their version of what happened, she said I have told Gift to stop releasing my number to the media, I have told her, she should stop it, I am not interested in whatever trouble she is trying to make. I am not interested. She ended the call.

The second time, she said don’t call my number again, please don’t call my number again, I am talking to you politely now, don’t let me cut the call on you. Please stop it. Whatever Gift told you, whatever, she has said go with it; tell whatever story she wants to tell. Keep me out of it, I am not interested.”

When contacted the doctor at the hospital said Gift was a surrogate that had a difficult pregnancy and was in admission for a long time and  had elective Caesarean session delivery, after the delivery three years ago she was discharged after six days in admission which is normal because of the multiple pregnancy that she had. She had a bit of fever, for someone who had triplets we had to put her on bed rest for some time. She was discharged without any complications or problems. Only for her to call a few months back that she was trying to go for a test and they couldn’t find her cervix.  I said it is not possible. She can’t attribute it to an operation that she did. After an elective planned delivery, your womb will contract, it will go down. Since we didn’t operate on her cervix, it can’t just disappear.

Unfortunately, I don’t own the hospital, I consult for them, and they can’t allow you to come in without paying to be seen. And I think that angered her. When you work for someone you can’t determine the pace.

What I suspect is wrong with her is a very small issue, but she doesn’t seem to have an experienced gynecologist.

Unfortunately for her, I can’t see her free of charge.

She went to meet the clinical director of the hospital, after narrating her story to them they told her that when she did her surgery three years ago there was no complication, she  can’t come now and say you have a complication after three years.  The cesarean section doesn’t cause the disappearance of the cervix, I have never heard of that before. The hospital told her if she wanted to do a scan she will need to pay for it.

She got a lawyer, who wrote to the hospital. Her medical report which she is demanding will be sent to her through the hospital legal unit, They will give it to her.

No one can deny her, her medical result, it  is her right. If it hasn’t been sent to her or her lawyer it simply means that it is still being processed. She can’t make an allegation against me, I don’t own the hospital, I consult for them.

What I think is wrong with her is that maybe she has an infection that closed the cervix a bit. The issue is that she wants the hospital to foot her bills, she is not a patient of the hospital, it was the intending parents that brought her for antenatal care, after the CS you went home fine, three years later you have a complaint you are attributing  to a surgery you had three years ago, it is not fair on the hospital if you ask me. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do, I am not the owner of the hospital, I consult for them.

JAMB seeks total financial autonomy from Govt.

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has asked for total financial autonomy and removal from the annual national budgetary allocation.

JAMB registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede made the call while appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Finance on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) on Wednesday September 14. 

Oloyede who revealed that one of the conditions set for the body was to review the examination fees upward, told the lawmakers that its registration fee was reviewed downward from N5,000 to N3,500 in 2017 after remitting N7.5 billion.

The JAMB registrar who asked the federal government to allow it revert back to N5,000 and be autonomous, also disclosed that only Finland charges exam fees as low as Nigeria. 

He also stressed that no country funds such entry examinations body fully. Oloyede said; 

“There is nowhere that government funds this type of examination. They actually provide some support for the institution because students pay some token as registration fees and from it, they bear the responsibility of salaries and provide some succours.

“We are comfortable to be taken off the budget but there are conditions. One of the conditions for example, when students registered in 2016, we collected N5,000 and that had been on for 5 years before I joined.

“When we came in, we remitted N7.5 billion. We felt it was too much and approached the federal government to reduce the fees. We have not added a Kobo since.

“I believe we should revert to the N5000 we were charging. Given the inflation, if we charge N10,000– I am just giving it as example, nobody will ask the federal government for one kobo.

“I am not aware of anywhere in the world, except maybe Finland— that charges as low as JAMB is charging. In Finland, we know that everything is free”.

Pogba’s Brother arrested over alleged extortion attempt made against him

Mathias Pogba, the brother of footballer Paul Pogba, has been detained and questioned by police after the Juventus midfielder said he was the target of extortion attempts and threats.

Mathias presented himself in the ‘early afternoon to investigators and was placed in police custody’, a source close to the investigation told DailyMail on Wednesday, September 14. 

The formal probe follows preliminary investigations and will look into allegations of blackmail by an armed gang, kidnapping, and membership in a criminal conspiracy.

Three other people are also in custody, the source said. Temporary detention in France usually ends after 24 hours.

Among the four suspects detained in total in the probe, one was taken into custody on Tuesday and three on Wednesday, a judicial source added. 

Paul Pogba had claimed his brother and ‘childhood friends’ were part of a group who targeted him at the club’s training centre in Turin. 

Franceinfo radio claimed that the group, armed with MI6 assault rifles, demanded £11million (€13m) from the French midfielder for ‘protection services’ stretching back 13 years, including the time he spent in Manchester when he played for Manchester United. 

The former Manchester United star who re-joined Juventus in the summer claims the gang has been threatening him for four months.

Acts of intimidation were carried out in Manchester in April, and later around the Italian city of Turin, where Pogba currently plays for Juventus.

The gang is also said to have taken Pogba to flat in the Paris suburb of Lagny-sur-Marne, where Pogba grew up, at the end of March. There, the gang members accused Pogba of not helping them financially since he became a professional player. 

Paul reportedly paid £85,000 (€100,000) to the group to ‘save time’, after he was threatened by masked, armed men in a Paris apartment while on international duty – only to see another multi-million demand issued.

The shocking saga began last month when Pogba’s eldest brother Mathias released a video on social media, vowing he would soon make a series of ‘great revelations’ about the World Cup winner. 

He said during the video: ‘The French, English, Italian and Spanish public, as well as my brother’s fans — and even more so the French team and Juventus, my brother’s teammates and his sponsors — deserve to know certain things.

‘In order to make an informed decision if he deserves the admiration, respect and love of the public.

‘Whether he deserves his place in the French team and the honour of playing in the World Cup. If he deserves to be a starter at Juventus.

‘If he is a trustworthy person, that any player would want to have at his side.’

Shortly after,  the Juventus midfielder released a statement – signed by his lawyers, his mother Yeo Moriba, and current agent Rafaela Pimenta – admitting that Mathias’ videos were ‘unfortunately no surprise’.

The statement read: ‘They (the videos) are in addition to threats and extortion attempts by an organised gang against Paul Pogba.’

‘The competent bodies in Italy and France were informed a month ago and there will be no further comments in relation to the ongoing investigation.’ 

Mathias Pogba, 32, is also a football player, who had spells in British football at Wrexham, Crewe Alexandra, Crawley Town and Partick Thistle.

President Putin dissolves the Russian council for opposing his war in Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin has reportedly embarked on moves to dissolve Smolninskoye Council in St Petersburg, Russian, after it called for his removal over the Ukraine war which even longtime Kremlin supporters are now calling a ‘disaster’.

According to experts, a turning point for Ukraine in the war has led to a turning point in Russia as group of St Petersburg local politicians now face likely dissolution of their district council following a judge’s ruling on Tuesday.

Reuters, quoting one of the deputies, Nikita Yuferev, said the judge decided that a series of past council meetings had been invalid, paving the way for it to be broken up by the regional governor.

Another council member, Dmitry Palyuga, said the same court then fined him 47,000 roubles ($780) for “discrediting” the authorities by calling for Putin’s removal.

The report stated that four more members of the Smolninskoye local council are due to appear in court in the next two days.

Last week, a group of deputies from the council appealed to the State Duma to bring charges of state treason against Putin and strip him of power.

They cited a series of reasons including Russia’s military losses in Ukraine and the damage to its economy from Western sanctions.

Another local deputy said 65 municipal representatives from St Petersburg, Moscow and several other regions had signed a petition she published on Monday calling for Putin’s resignation.

While posing no current threat to Putin’s grip on power, the moves mark rare expressions of dissent by elected representatives at a time when Russians risk heavy prison sentences for “discrediting” the armed forces or spreading “deliberately false information” about them.

Palyuga told Reuters before Tuesday’s hearing that the group’s appeals were aimed not only at liberal Russians but also at “people loyal to the authorities who are starting to have doubts when they see the lack of success of the Russian army”.

He said he expected the numbers of such people to increase after last week’s lightning counter-offensive in which Ukraine drove Russian forces out of dozens of towns and recaptured a large swathe of territory in its northeast Kharkiv region.

“Of course, what is happening now has successfully coincided with our agenda. Many people who liked Putin are starting to feel betrayed.

“I think the more successfully the Ukrainian army operates, the more such people will become,” he said.

‘Very, very thin’ line

Russian political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya said the greater risk to the Kremlin lay not in the councillors’ protest itself but in the danger of responding too harshly to it.

“The reaction, or overreaction, may cause more political damage to the regime than this petition.

“But I have no doubts that all those who signed the petition will (come) under political pressure,” said Stanovaya, founder of the independent analysis project R.Politik.

Thousands of legal cases have been launched against people accused of discrediting the army, usually leading to fines for first-time offences, but a Moscow district councillor was jailed for seven years in July after being convicted of spreading false information.

Several other journalists and opposition figures have been charged and face potential prison terms.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that critical points of view were tolerated, within the limits of the law.

“As long as they remain within the law, this is pluralism, but the line is very, very thin, one must be very careful here,” he said.

Ksenia Thorstrom, a St Petersburg local councillor who published Monday’s petition calling for Putin’s resignation, said it was too early to say how the campaign would turn out.

“To call for a politician to resign is absolutely normal. There can be nothing criminal about it,” she told Reuters.

“Of course there is a certain risk, but to show solidarity with our colleagues – independent politicians who still remain in Russia – is much more important.”

Longtime Kremlin supporters are now calling the war a ‘disaster’

The sudden, successful Ukrainian counteroffensive near Kharkiv has been an unpleasant surprise for just about everyone in Russia — for the Kremlin, its propaganda machine, the Ministry of Defense and for millions of patriotically minded Russians.

In a matter of just a few days, the Ukrainian flag has been raised over several towns and villages — and at least one major city — that had been held for months by the Russians.

Television and social media showed footage of Russian tanks, armored personnel carriers and other military equipment, which the retreating army appeared to have abandoned in a hurry.

Bad battlefield news for Russia isn’t a new thing in this war; bad news that’s shared widely with ordinary Russians, with no filter, is certainly new. So is sharp criticism of the war.

And in the last few days, that’s what Russians have been seeing and hearing.

In a suddenly new information reality, the Kremlin is either unwilling or unable to hide the truth from its people.

From day one, the conflict has been called a “special military operation” by Russian President and everyone else in the Russian government and media.

Calling it vojna, or “war,” was made a crime early on. Now all kinds of people are saying “vojna” and saying it openly.

Many are saying that the vojna is not being waged well. And they are not buying the Kremlin’s explanations.

This weekend, when the Ministry of Defense described the rapid — and by many accounts chaotic — retreat from the Kharkiv region as a “planned and pre-organized regrouping of troops,” reactions ranged from amusement to outrage.

Even the most stalwart supporters of Putin’s “special military operation” wanted a better answer.

“It seems that your American friends taught the Ukrainians how to fight, and [Defense Minister Sergei] Shoigu was not ready for this,” said Lesha from Orel, in western Russia, speaking on condition of partial anonymity.

A few months ago, Lesha had expressed no doubts about the justification for the invasion or the imminent victory of the Russian army.

Last weekend, he said on WhatsApp, angry and bitter about the mess in Kharkiv, which is a mild version of the sudden turn among Kremlin supporters.

Many of the same people who have been cheerleading Putin’s plans for the “denazification” and “demilitarization” of Ukraine are now calling the latest developments a “disaster” or “catastrophe.”

Some are demanding a new “war council” or the sacking of Shoigu and others involved in the prosecution of the war.

And yes — now they are calling it a war. Vojna!

Very courageous few are calling out Putin by name.

But the reaction of some of the loudest and most patriotic Russians to the recent Ukrainian successes testifies not only to a widespread shock and disappointment, but also to the awakening of new moods and forces that may influence the political landscape in Russia.

Last weekend, Russian troops fled Izyum, Balakleya and Kupyansk ahead of the Ukrainian advance.

Sergey Mironov, the leader of a pro-Putin party in parliament, took to Twitter to blast the organizers.

“It cannot be and it should not be that our guys are dying today, and we are pretending that nothing is happening!” he tweeted.

A letter distributed by the Telegram channel Ostorozhno Novosti (literally, “Careful News”) demanded that Sobyanin, the Moscow mayor and among Putin’s closest allies, be dismissed, and that the “generals be sent to the trenches.”

The letter writers — who identified themselves only as “Russian hackers” — went on:

“We consider it absolutely inappropriate and unacceptable that while our guys are dying at the front, the rotten liberal intelligentsia is firing salutes and indulging in idleness in the capital of our country.

“We demand from the military and political leadership to punish those responsible for the death of our guys.” 

‘Australian Gigolo’ reveals how he makes $10,000 a month married and single women

An Australian gigolo has opened up on how he rakes in $10,000 a month from sleeping with different women.

Samuel Hunter, from Sydney, says he is often put in five star hotels by his wealthy clients and was even taken on a 10-day trip to Phuket to accompany a woman on an exotic getaway.

Hunter, a proud sex worker, who is in his early forties, says women from all walks of life acquire his services, with his youngest client just 23 and the oldest 70.

Samuel Hunter


Samuel said Stan’s show American Gigolo, starring Jon Bernthal, is ‘accurate’ about how glamorous the lifestyle is, as he really does get treated to luxury hotels by beautiful women.

‘It’s exactly as you’d expect it to be, and exactly the opposite,’ he said to Daily Mail Australia.

He says he been a full time sex worker for two years.


He admitted having hundreds of different jobs, including working for a sex shop and writing blogs for a brothel but his interest in gigolo work peaked when he started working for a charity called Touching Base who put disabled people in touch with sex workers.


‘It kind of built-up to my mind about whether or not I could do it, but it’s been two years now and it’s all I do’.

Samuel Hunter

Samuel also revealed that being a male sex worker, his lifestyle is ‘very different’ to the women in his industry.  


‘The biggest difference is women can see multiple clients a day, but I limit it to just one.


‘But women tend to get booked for shorter amounts of time, whereas most of my bookings are for a few hours or overnight.’


He says a quarter of his clients are married, and it’s these ones that tend to book him for two hours – at a rate of $600 for his ‘business package’

‘I’ve got a dad bod, so most women that like me are 35 or older,’ Samuel said.


‘There is some of them five-star hotels in lovely dining involved.


‘In July, I had a 10 day trip to Phuket, which was very glamorous’. 


Talking about how he verifies his clients, he said;


‘I can check their socials and their WhatsApp easily to make sure they are who they say they are.


‘Most of my clients are repeats, at any time I have between three and ten regulars, the only ones who aren’t are couples who just want to try something as a one off’.


Samuel is also very open about his lifestyle, with his friends and family.
   

‘I told my mum,’ he explained.


‘She was a bit apprehensive at first, but now she’s fine with it. She always jokes with me about getting back to the grind. With the emphasis on grind.’


He also argues that it’s ‘absolutely possible’ to have a relationship while being a sex worker, but he chooses not to have one.


‘My clients get the best version of myself. They don’t get the guy that sits around drinking coffee and looking at my phone all morning. And I get the best version of them too, which you don’t see in relationships.


‘Most do want play time, it’s rare that they only want company.’

Do you know that President Putin rejected a peace deal that bars Ukraine from joining NATO ?

Vladimir Putin’s chief envoy on Ukraine told the Russian leader days after the war began that he had struck a provisional deal with Kyiv that would satisfy Russia’s demand that Ukraine stay out of NATO, but Putin rejected it and continued with his military campaign, according to a report by Reuters.


 
The Ukrainian-born envoy, Dmitry Kozak, told Putin that he believed the deal he had hammered out with the Ukranian government removed the need for Russia to pursue a large-scale occupation of Ukraine, three people close to the Russian leadership who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the publication.

Before the war, Putin had repeatedly asserted that NATO and its military infrastructure were creeping closer to Russia’s borders by accepting new members from eastern Europe, and that the alliance was now preparing to bring Ukraine into its command. Putin publicly said that represented an existential threat to Russia, which forced him to launch the war.


But, despite earlier being in support of   negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, Putin made it clear when presented with Kozak’s deal that the concessions negotiated by his aide did not go far enough and that he had expanded his objectives to include annexing large portions of Ukrainian territory and even toppling the Ukranian government, Reuters reports.


 Responding to the report,Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied it: “That has absolutely no relation to reality. No such thing ever happened. It is absolutely incorrect information.”

Two of the three sources said a push to get the deal finalized occurred immediately after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion. Within days, Kozak believed he had Ukraine’s agreement to the main terms Russia had been seeking and recommended to Putin that he sign an agreement, the sources said.


“After Feb. 24, Kozak was given carte blanche: they gave him the green light; he got the deal. He brought it back and they told him to clear off. Everything was cancelled. Putin simply changed the plan as he went along,” said one of the sources close to the Russian leadership.

Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine is the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II. It prompted sweeping economic sanctions against Russia and military support for Ukraine from Washington and its Western allies.

2023 Elections: “Why Nyesom Wike remains door to Atiku’s win or defeat”

The task of becoming the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a daunting one. And, understanding this explains why all the presidential candidates are probably facing one of the most difficult moments of their political careers.

Undoubtedly, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar contesting on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has the toughest job among the three main contenders. He has a hurdle of the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike to scale if he must return to Aso Villa, which he left in 2007 as the vice to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

While Wike’s challenge looks insignificant to the eye, he’s hydra-headed and eventually posing as a door – to either Atiku’s win or defeat. A lot of other issues are attached to Wike, all of which will be treated in this report.

Why is Wike larger than life? The Rivers State governor does not only have people in the party who share his sentiment, he shoulders the interest of all aggrieved members in the party. From the South that was schemed out of 2023 presidential race to the rise of Peter Obi of Labour Party and romance with the ruling party, among other petty political Lilliputians seeking relevance, Wike still remains the link bridge connecting them all. 

Wike’s cronies also include his counterpart governors and some members of the National Working Committee (NWC). Hence, it is substantial to say that Wike has turned the fight into a South-North dichotomy.

In a nutshell, Atiku has to win this internal battle before marching to the warfronts against his counterparts – All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP) presidential candidates – Bola Tinubu and Peter Obi respectively. If he eventually reconciles Wike to his side, he would have won half of the scuffles ahead. 

Atiku and Okowa’s emergence

The battle for Atiku began the moment he emerged as the standard bearer of the main opposition party. It’s not the status itself that poses a challenge, but the process that brought him in. This doesn’t affect only him, his running mate, Governor of Delta state, Ifeanyi Okowa is also in the picture. 

Prior to the PDP primary election in Abuja, in late May, Wike had pledged to support whoever emerged as the party’s flag bearer. He also assured he wouldn’t leave the party, regardless of what happened.

It was almost certain to conclude that Wike would emerge to fly the party’s flag going by his political muscle. Sadly for him, his colleague from Sokoto state, Governor Aminu Tambuwal withdrew from the race and urged his delegate supporters to vote for Atiku. This, obviously won the battle for the ex-vice President. Wike was obviously outplayed by a ‘friend’.

Rivers Governor could stomach Atiku’s victory at the primaries, but his ego was bruised when his neighbour in the South-South was picked to be the vice presidential candidate. Up till now, Wike has neither publicly congratulated Okowa nor commented on the issue.

Wike insistence on Ayu’s removal

Asides from other grievances that sprang up aftermath of the emergence of both Atiku and Okowa, Wike has admitted that his main rancour with PDP leadership is the failure of the party’s national chair, Senator Iyorchia Ayu to resign.

He claimed that there was an agreement during the zoning debate that both the presidential candidate and the national chairman cannot come from the same region.

Since Atiku is from the North, Ayu cannot remain as the PDP helmsman because he also hails from the North. Notwithstanding the resignation of Walid Jibrin as the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Wike insists Ayu must go. Amid this, members of the National Executive Council (NEC) passed a vote of confidence on Ayu. As much as Ayu remains as PDP chairman, Wike cannot work for and with Atiku.

South-South battleground and Rivers electoral value

Whatever Atiku calculated to have chosen Okowa as his vice ahead of the 2023 general elections has arguably boomeranged. This has divided his votes in the South-South already unless the internal wrangling is resolved amicably before Nigerians head to the polls next year.

In the wake of the brawl with the Atiku camp, Wike, while commissioning recent infrastructural projects in his state. Imaintained that he would help PDP not to win elections. This will only change if his demands are met.

But, Atiku must hold on to the belief that the South-South region is a cherished stronghold that would give him votes in the South. By extension, he should strategise not to let Rivers slip away from his grasp even if it means sourcing for a powerful figure in Wike’s state.

Rivers will deliver for Atiku because, in the 2019 presidential elections, Atiku scored 473,971 votes against Buhari who polled 150,710 votes.

However, while Wike’s clout cannot be underestimated in Rivers, Atiku can rake in massive votes in the region including Wike’s state if he plays the game well. The states in the region with the exception of Cross River belong to PDP. He just has to work with Okowa and find a charismatic party chieftain to be on his campaign train.

Makinde and unfriendly South-West terrain

The South-West is a no-go area for Atiku but anything can happen in politics, even at the last minute. Tinubu displayed that during the APC’s presidential primary election, as a political journalist said, “While other presidential candidates go for the delegates, Jagaban goes for the presidential candidates themselves.”

The region is for Tinubu except for Oyo state just like the South-South is for Atiku. But this doesn’t mean there won’t be trickles to gather for both of them in each region.

Going back to Tinubu’s tactics at his party’s primaries, Wazirin Adamawa can adopt such a strategy by enticing the bigwigs in Southwestern Nigeria to his camp if he wants to defeat the national leader of APC in his backyard.

On September 14, 2022, Atiku met with Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde who is also Wike’s closest ally. Atiku knows he needs Makinde if he has to get a substantial number of votes from South-West. Makinde wanted what Wike wanted. Don’t forget that Wike is a door. Atiku can decide to open or shut.

Also, by February 2023, Osun state governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke would have assumed office, but it is not certain if he would have garnered the political experience to deliver large votes for Atiku.

Mark, Ayu, Ortom and North-Central factor

The Middle-Belt of Nigeria is another PDP’s biggest armoury if Atiku’s political antenna is receiving a signal. He must woo another Wike’s ally and staunch critic of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government in the person of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state. Ortom lamented a few days back that all is not well with PDP.

Whether Atiku sidelines Ortom or not, he has the shoulders of the former Senate President David Mark to ride on. Mark is a big fish in Benue politics. It is noteworthy that Ayu is also from Benue, and Atiku might not succumb to Wike’s threat of sacking Ayu. It is resourceful to use his status in gaining prominence in the state and the region at large.

Other states in the North-Central, especially those plagued by the atrocities of killer Fulani herdsmen will embrace Atiku and this might smoothen his cruise to victory in 2023.

Kogi and Kwara states are APC states but Atiku can use his influence to wage war against them in dividing the votes. The heavyweight ranks of former Kogi Senator who is also Atiku’s spokesman, Dino Melaye and former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki are strong waves to ride on.

South-East, Igbo presidency and the ‘Obidients’

Any politician that jettisons the wave of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi does so to his detriment. Obi is not only the Igbo presidency that the region longs for, he’s a political figure that the disgruntled young Nigerians want to install via their votes in 2023.

It is expected that Tinubu and Atiku understand this. How they would surmount that hurdle is a test of their acumen. The former VP cannot convince Igbo men with ‘Okowa is also an Igbo’ status to lure their votes.

Although, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has reiterated that it would have preferred that APC and PDP choose a Southeasterner to vie for the highest political office.

The Igbo leaders wanted a repeat of 1999 when PDP and defunct All Peoples Party (APP) fielded Obasanjo and Chief Olu Falae respectively who are Yoruba people.

And since Ndigbo didn’t get this, the ethnic sentiment that Obi is more Igbo than Okowa is a card to play. An Atiku would struggle to win this debate.

The Obidients are also everywhere. They are the youths that want to pay back APC and PDP in their coin for many years of the nation’s woes. These are energetic and resolute Nigerians who are ready to share spoils with Atiku and Tinubu for Obi’s advantage.

Having said this, Atiku cannot totally lose out in the South-East, another former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim and the new Board of Trustees (BoT) chairman, Adolphus Wabara will not hesitate to embrace Atiku to oust the APC government.

Dicey North-West, North-East’s strongholds

The core North, despite APC’s damage to security and economy, will still most likely queue behind Tinubu who is promising a facelift of Nigeria in the pattern of Lagos when he was governor and other gimmicks he and his party will push out to Nigerians.

Governors like Nasir el-Rufai, Abdullahi Ganduje, Aminu Masari and Bello Matawalle of Kaduna, Kano, Katina and Zamfara states are key to Tinubu’s win. Kano’s votes are instrumental. In 2019, Buhari polled 1.4 million votes in a landslide.

Whoever between Tinubu and Atiku owns Ganduje automatically owns those Kano’s votes. How Atiku would get an appreciable fraction of those votes is also important.

However, Atiku can slug it out with Tinubu on the basis of the son of the soil. He’s a Northerner. He can appeal to the ego and sentiment of the Northern political class and stakeholders from the region.

Atiku is the most prominent politician in the North-East. This would have been a free ride for him but Tinubu chose his running mate, former governor of Borno state, Senator Kashim Shettima to spoil the show for Atiku.

The ex-VP needs to possess the North-East as his home. He must campaign vigorously to weaken the APC even in the terror-laden Borno. He’s a politician who knows what his campaign programmes should hit at.

Way forward

Kwankwaso: the beautiful bride

As integral as Kano’s votes are to winning the presidential election, the former governor in the state, Rabiu Kwankwaso is a major stakeholder. He has massive followers through his Kwankwasiyya movement.

All along, whoever Kwankwaso supported would reap Kano’s votes, but this time around the former Defence Minister is running for President under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). If he doesn’t step down, it is almost certain that Atiku, Tinubu and Obi should forget Kano as a determining factor in winning.

There are speculations that Kwankwaso would align with any of the three front runners at the dying minutes – and Atiku might have to lobby to win him over.

Nigerians own the votes

The 2023 presidential election largely depends on the aggrieved, hopeful and optimistic Nigerians who desire and demand a better, safer, richer and greater country, and would do all within their reach to achieve this. They are the ones Atiku should appeal to. They are the voters he should convince. He will definitely use the inadequacies of APC against them. But, he needs more than that. Nigerians want practicalities.

With the new Electoral Act, political analysts have supported the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to say it would be difficult for politicians to rig elections. So, 2023 is for Nigerians, Atiku and other candidates in the race must understand and work with that fact.

But, the ball is in the court of Nigerians whether to continue with the status quo or have a paradigm shift. Whichever way, Atiku has a bigger challenge than Tinubu and Obi in winning the election. Since his entry into politics in 1989, he had contested five times in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019. And he knows more than anyone that 2023 is probably his last chance.

Court finds R. Kelly guilty of sex crimes

A jury has found R&B singer R. Kelly guilty of sex crimes, including producing child sexual abuse imagery and coercing minors into sex acts.

On Wednesday, the 12-person jury in Chicago convicted Mr Kelly of six out of the 13 charges levelled against him. He was found guilty of coercing three minors into criminal sexual activity and producing three child sexual abuse videos.

However, Mr Kelly was acquitted on several counts, including conspiring to tamper with his 2008 child pornography trial.

Prosecutors had alleged in Cook County Court that Mr Kelly conspired to obstruct justice during the 2008 trial by threatening and paying off a teenage girl and her family so she would not testify about a tape he recorded of him urinating on her during a sex act.

His former associates, Derrell McDavid and Milton Brown, were also tried alongside Mr Kelly for their part in the scheme. Messrs McDavid and Brown were found not guilty on all charges on Wednesday.

The jury heard four weeks of testimony from over 30 witnesses, they also watched three sex tapes that prosecutors say show Mr Kelly sexually abusing his 14-year-old goddaughter.

During the trial, four women accused Mr Kelly of sexually abusing them when they were girls, including the central witness to the case, who testified under the alias “Jane”.

Jane told the Jury that Mr Kelly began abusing her after becoming her godfather when she was only 14, and had sex with her hundreds of times between the ages of 14 and 18.

In June, He was sentenced to prison for 30 years for sex trafficking, sexual exploitation of a child, kidnapping and other sex-related crimes.

The six-week trial saw graphic testimonies from 11 accusers, nine women and two men, who described sexual and psychological abuse at the hands of the “Ignition” singer. The case relied on the accounts of six victims, five of whom testified. The sixth, singer Aaliyah, whom Mr Kelly illegally wed when she was 15, died in a plane crash in 2001

Last September, Mr Kelly was found guilty of multiple racketeering and sex trafficking charges based on sexual exploitation of children, kidnapping, forced labor, and eight violations of the sex-trafficking statute. He was found guilty on all counts.

Opinion: “Why Atiku picked Okowa over Wike” – Ayu

Following the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and disagreement between the National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, and governor of Rivers state Nyesom Wike, the former has Tuesday revealed the reason presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, picked the governor of Delta state, Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate over the later.

Speaking during the Northern Christian Youth Assembly Summit in Abuja, Ayu said Atiku, picked Okowa as his running mate above his Rivers counterpart, Nyesom Wike, because of humility and more excellent performance in office.

His words: “We looked around and we thought we have to give not just a vice president that will assist him (Atiku) but we did our homework to select a man who is highly educated, very humble, and who has done very well as a governor in his home state.

“Okowa is the most qualified running mate. It is on his own personal merit that he was selected by the party as the vice presidential candidate to Atiku Abubakar. I think Nigeria will be very lucky to have two such people who are committed to development who are detribalised who believe in uniting this country.”

Of recent, Ayu has been on the news over disagreement between him and the Wike.

Wike had faulted the emergence of Atiku as the presidential flag bearer, Iyorchia Ayu, Chairman of the party, and Sen. Walid Jibrin, chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, all from the northern part of the country.

Wike accused the party of violating the principles of equity, fairness and balance, noting that the laws guiding the party has been trampled upon.

He insisted that Ayu should honorably do the right thing (resign), and allow a southerner become the party’s chairman.

Addressing the issue, the chairman of the Board of Trustees, Sen. Walid Jibrin tendered his resignation letter, paving way for a former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, (from South-East) to become the new BoT Chairman.

In view of that the National Executive Council of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, last week passed a vote of confidence in the National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.

Reacting to the above, Wike opined: “I was listening and watching, they said there is one man they call Secondus. They said he was dancing, celebrating that NEC gave their person vote of confidence. He forgets history.

“Ask him the same NEC through Aliyu Babangida moved a motion of vote of confidence supported by the same person, Ndudi Elumelu. They gave you (Secondus) a vote of confidence, what happened? You left office.

“We don’t fight and go back. If you like you can have as many 20 votes of confidence, it’s not my business. My business is to make sure the right thing is done, and the right thing must be done. Whether today or tomorrow.

“I’m not going to play party with the interest of my people. Rivers State is paramount to me first before any other person or group. So, the eyes can see what we have done. Up till today, we have never abandoned governance.

“So many people are already rounding up, taking the last they have but yet, we are still committed in commissioning, and flagging off projects. Because of the love we have for our people, we will continue to serve you till May 29, when by the grace of God, Siminialaye Fubara will be inaugurated next governor of Rivers.”

[Vanguard]

Nigeria Govt. partners India for local production of Covid-19 vaccine

The Federal Government and the Serum Institute of India have announced a partnership in producing vaccines locally to advance vaccine equity in Nigeria.

This was disclosed by Dr. Faisal Shuaib, ED/CEO, National Primary Health Care Development Agency on Tuesday.

He stated that talks would be a launchpad towards vaccine self-sufficiency in Nigeria.

What the NPHCDA is saying

Dr Shuaib noted that local vaccine production is a priority of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration “and this is one reason we have been engaging partners of interest on actualizing this very important project.”

“My meeting today with Mr. Vijay Patil, Director International Business, Serum Institute of India centred around how to partner in producing vaccines locally to advance vaccine equity in Nigeria.

“The work we do with BVNL will be a launchpad towards vaccine self-sufficiency in Nigeria,” he added.

What you should know

  • Nairametrics reported in June that the Federal Government revealed that it is currently gathering producers of vaccines and manufacturers to find a way to have the technology to produce vaccines in case of future outbreaks.
  • The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, disclosed that Nigeria’s urgency towards producing vaccines now is a bit reduced because it still has few donations, citing 39,800,000 doses of vaccines procured by the Federal Government – The single-shot J&J vaccine through the African Vaccine Acquisition Team (AVAT) of the African Union.
  • He said that Nigeria has learnt key lessons from the pandemic, including that countries must look inward for medical supplies and other health commodities.

[Nairametrics]

Anthony Joshua accepts to fight Tyson Fury

Anthony Joshua’s team have confirmed that they have accepted the terms laid out by Tyson Fury’s team ahead of a potential all-British super fight on December 3.

Joshua’s 258 Management and Matchroom stated on social media on Tuesday that communication had been halted due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, and that they were waiting for a response.

The statement read, “258 and @MatchroomBoxing can confirm, on behalf of @anthonyjoshua, that we accepted all terms presented to us by Fury’s team for a fight Dec 3rd last Friday.

“Due to the Queen’s passing, it was agreed to halt all communication.

“We are awaiting a response.”


Joshua then retweeted the post on Twitter with his official account.

Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, has since replied, “Contract will be with you very soon.”

Fury recently challenged Joshua to a long-awaited showdown and offered the two-time world champion a 60-40 purse after it emerged a prospective undisputed clash against Oleksandr Usyk would likely have to wait until 2023.

The 34-year-old initially highlighted November 26 at Wembley or December 3 at Cardiff as potential dates for the fight.

The Gypsy King marked his UK homecoming with a sixth-round knockout win over Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April and preceded to reiterate plans to retire before informing the WBC he intended to resume his career at the end of last month.


Joshua and Fury had been set to fight in August 2021 before plans were scuppered by an arbitration judge ruling that Deontay Wilder was contractually entitled to a third fight against Fury, which the American heavyweight would go on to lose by 11th-round knockout.

A rematch with Dillian Whyte had emerged as a possibility down the line for Joshua following his defeat to Usyk, while Fury was recently challenged by 37-year-old former WBA regular champion Mahmoud Charr. The aftermath of Fury’s victory over Whyte had also seen him express his interest in a potential crossover bout against UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, though that was at a time when the former had been adamant he planned on walking away from the sport.

Fury has no mandatory challengers in place as it stands, with former world champion Wilder, No 1 in the WBC ratings, scheduled to face Robert Helenius in an eliminator and No 2-ranked Andy Ruiz Jr coming off a hard-fought win over Luis Ortiz.

Lost Isreali coin minted almost 2000 years ago worth $1m returned to Israel after 2002

After a police search spanning 20 years, a quarter shekel coin from as far back as 69 AD, one of only four of its kind known to exist and worth $1m, has been returned to the state of Israel.

The silver coin was minted during a Jewish revolt nearly 2,000 years ago but stolen from Israel in 2002.

The search for the coin began when the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) were told by informants that the coin had been taken by Palestinians from a hoard unearthed in the Ella Valley, south of Jerusalem.

coin minted almost 2000 years ago

The IAA says it spent the next ten years and six months trying to locate the coin, which passed through illicit antiques markets in Israel, Jordan and the UK. It was eventually exported to the US for sale at an auction in Denver, Colorado, in 2017.

The IAA alerted US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which then took administrative custody of the coin. The investigation was passed to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit (ATU), which obtained a court order to repatriate the coin based on information from informants in five countries along with help from authorities in Europe and the Middle East.

The coin was handed over on Monday September 12, in a ceremony at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office attended by US and Israeli officials, including Israel’s ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan.

“Today we join our partners to return an incredibly rare piece of Israel’s history, the quarter shekel coin, a symbol of independence from the time of Roman presence in what is now modern Israel,” HSI agent Ricky J Patel told the gathering.

“A cherished piece of history [is] finally going home,” 

The silver coin, embossed with Jewish motifs, is one of only four of its kind known to be in existence. The IAA dated it to 69 AD – the fourth year of the Great Revolt.


The minting of a such a coin was “in fact a declaration of independence by the Jews in the land of Israel, a statement against the mighty empire that stood before them”, said Ilan Hadad of the IAA.


The Great Revolt saw a rebellion by Jews in Judea against oppressive rule by the Romans, who had ended Jewish independence there a century earlier.

Libya and Angola Overtake Nigeria as Africa’s Biggest Oil Producer

Angola and Libya have overtaken Nigeria as the biggest crude oil producers in the African continent.


The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) disclosed this in its Oil Market Report for September 2022 releases on Tuesday September 13 in Lagos.


The report revealed that Nigeria’s crude oil production for August averaged 1.100 million barrels per day which was 65,000mb/d lower than the 1.164mb/d produced averagely in July.


While Angola was Africa’s highest crude oil producer for the month under review with an average production of 1.187mb/d.


Libya’s crude oil production averaged also 1.123mb/d for the period.


The report said: “According to secondary sources, total OPEC-13 crude oil production averaged 29.65 mb/d in August, higher by 618,000 month-on-month.

“Crude oil output increased mainly in Libya and Saudi Arabia, while production in Nigeria declined.”

Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose by 3.5 percent year-on-year this year following growth of 3.1 percent in the first quarter of 2022.

“On a quarterly basis, the GDP shrank by 0.37 percent following a 14.66 percent contraction in the previous quarter.


“Nevertheless, the annual inflation rate surged to the highest since September 2005, climbing to 19.6 percent y-o-y in July from 18.6 percent in June.


“This was a result of the weakening naira due to continued high imported input costs as well as soaring fuel prices.


“Moreover, food inflation increased to 22 per cent y-o-y, the highest since May 2021,”  the report added

Tukur Mamu accused of ‘financing terrorism’ by DSS

Tukur Mamu, the Kaduna train attack negotiator has been accused by the Department of State Services of aiding and abetting acts of terrorism.

Mamu was accused of being involved in the funding of international and local terrorism, sharing information with terrorist groups, resulting in the escalation of bandit attacks in the country.

The allegation was made in an affidavit to support an ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1617/2022 and filed before Justice Nkeonye Maha of the federal high court in Abuja.

It read; 

“Preliminary investigation so far established, amongst others, the offences of the logistic supplier, aiding and abetting acts of terrorism as well as terrorism financing against him.

“That the defendant (Mamu) has used the cover of his profession as a journalist to aid both local and international terrorist groups. That the action of the defendant has orchestrated the untimely death of several security personnel in North Central and North East parts of Nigeria.

“That the defendant has discreetly given several information to bandits and terrorists that escalated various acts of terrorism in Nigeria. That the investigation has assumed a wider dimension and sophistication requiring time and advance expertise to conclude.

“That some of the suspects working with the defendant are at large and premature release of the defendant will jeopardise the ongoing investigation. That it is in the interest of justice and national security to grant this application.

“That the activities of the defendant and his associates at large constitute a potent threat to the unity and peaceful co-existence of Nigeria.”

Tori Media reported earlier that the Judge granted DSS’ request to detain Mamu for 60 more days to conclude its investigation. 

Victor Osimhen currently the third best U-25 striker

According to CIES Football Observatory, Napoli and Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, has been ranked third in the target man shooter category alongside other forwards who are yet to turn 25.

The ranking which was released by the football observatory on Monday saw the Nigerian move up six places with a score of 93.3.

Chelsea’s Kai Havertz ranks highest on the list with a score of 94.3 while Atletico Mineiro forward Matias Zaracho occupies the second position with a score of 93.4.

Osimhen with 93.3 edges Barcelona’s Ferran Torres to fourth by 0.3 points.

In the fifth position is Liverpool’s €80m signing, Darwin Nunez, with 92.6 score.

Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez, Roma’s Tammy Abraham, Atletico Madrid’s Matthaüs Cunha, Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus and Evanilson De Lima, who plays for FC Porto complete the top 10.

Despite being a subject of transfer speculations at the recently concluded transfer window, Osimhen stays with Napoli and has started the season in style.

Prior to his injury that has ruled him out for three weeks; the 23-year-old has scored two goals and assisted one from five matches played in the Serie A. While he also played a key role in Napoli’s 4-1 win over Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League.

Nnamdi Kanu’s terrorism charge reserved by the Appeal Court again

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has, on Tuesday, reserved judgement on the appeal filed by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Mazi Kanu had filed an appeal to quash the terrorism and treasonable felony charge proffered against him by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The IPOB leader, who is currently facing trial before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, had through his team of lawyers led by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, approached the appellate court to query the legal competence of the charge pending against him.

He specifically prayed the appellate court to review the April 8 ruling of the trial court which struck out only eight out of the 15-count charge.

Insisting that the charge FG entered against him had no basis in law, Kanu, in his appeal dated April 29 and marked CA/ABJ/CR/625/2022, applied to be discharged and acquitted.

Kanu equally urged the appellate court to order his release on bail, pending the determination of his appeal.

Though the appeal was initially fixed for October 11, however, following an application the embattled IPOB leader filed for abridgement of time, the appellate court brought the matter forward for hearing.

When the matter was called up on Tuesday, a three-man panel led by Justice Jummai Hanatu, said it had no need to delve into the issue of bail since the substantive appeal was ripe for hearing.

Arguing the appeal, Chief Ozekhome, SAN, alleged that his client was forcefully abducted from Kenya and illegally renditioned back to the country.

He told the court that his client was first arraigned on December 23, 2015 and was later granted bail on April 25, 2017.

“My lords, he was enjoying this bail without breaching the terms. However, he was in his ancestral home when agents of the Respondent invaded his home in September 2017. He barely escaped alive by sheer providence and found himself first in Isreal and later in London.

“When the Appellant travelled from London to Kenya, agents of the Respondents, on June 27, 2021, forcefully abducted the Appellant, tortured and renditioned him back to the country without following any extradition process”, Ozekhome submitted.

He argued that under the Doctrine of Speciality as provided for in section 15 of the Extradition Act, FG, ought to have proceeded to try Kanu on the five-count charge he was initially facing before he escaped from the country.

He argued that Kenya, being the country from where Kanu was arrested and extraordinarily renditioned back to Nigeria, ought to have authorised his extradition.

“This allegation of his forceful abduction and rendition was never denied by the Respondent.

“More so my lords, the charge appears to give the lower court a global jurisdiction over offences that were allegedly committed by the Appellant, without specifying the location or date the said offences were committed.

“There was no need for the lower court to have retained the remaining seven-count charge.

“We are therefore urging my lords to strike out the remaining counts and hold that the Respondent has not established any prima-facie case against the Appellant for which he could be tried”, Ozekhome added.

Meanwhile, FG, through its lawyer, Mr. David Kaswe, urged the court to dismiss the appeal for want of merit.

He maintained that the IPOB leader was brought back to the country by due process of the law.

He argued that the charge has been amended seven times owing to the conduct of the Appellant.

“My lords, it took four years and huge resources to get the Respondent arrested and brought back to face the charges against him.

“The Prosecution is ever willing and eager to proceed with trial of the Appellant.

“We are saying that the trial court was even wrong to have struck out the eight counts as it did.

“It is only after FG has produced all its witnesses and tendered its evidence that the Appellant could claim that no prima-facie case was established.

“Finally, we urge this court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit”, Kaswe added.

After it had listened to both sides, the panel said it would communicate a date for the judgment

74th Emmys 2022: Full list of Winners

The 74th Emmy Awards was held yesterday September 12. 

The event was held at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, and there were quite some big wins at the awards. 

“The White Lotus,” “Ted Lasso” and “Succession” picked up some of the biggest awards of the night. 

Here’s the full list of winners below…

Outstanding drama series

“Better Call Saul”

“Euphoria”

“Ozark”

“Severance”

“Squid Game”

“Stranger Things”

“Succession” *WINNER

“Yellowjackets”

Outstanding comedy series

“Abbott Elementary”

“Barry”

“Curb Your Enthusiasm”

“Hacks”

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

“Only Murders in the Building”

“Ted Lasso” *WINNER

“What We Do in the Shadows”

Outstanding limited series

“Dopesick”

“The Dropout”

“Inventing Anna”

“Pam & Tommy”

“The White Lotus” *WINNER

Outstanding lead actor in a drama series

Brian Cox, “Succession”

Lee Jung-jae, “Squid Game” *WINNER

Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”

Adam Scott, “Severance”

Jeremy Strong, “Succession”

Outstanding lead actress in a drama series

Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve”

Laura Linney, “Ozark”

Melanie Lynskey, “Yellowjackets”

Sandra Oh, “Killing Eve”

Reese Witherspoon, “The Morning Show”

Zendaya, “Euphoria” *WINNER

Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series

Nicholas Braun, “Succession”

Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show”

Kieran Culkin, “Succession”

Park Hae-soo, “Squid Game”

Matthew Macfadyen, “Succession” *WINNER

John Turturro, “Severance”

Christopher Walken, “Severance”

Oh Yeong-su, “Squid Game”

Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series

Patricia Arquette, “Severance”

Julia Garner, “Ozark” *WINNER

Jung Ho-yeon, “Squid Game”

Christina Ricci, “Yellowjackets”

Rhea Seehorn, “Better Call Saul”

J. Smith-Cameron, “Succession”

Sarah Snook, “Succession”

Sydney Sweeney, “Euphoria”

Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series

Donald Glover, “Atlanta”

Bill Hader, “Barry”

Nicholas Hoult, “The Great”

Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building”

Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”

Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso” *WINNER

Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series

Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”

Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant”

Elle Fanning, “The Great”

Issa Rae, “Insecure”

Jean Smart, “Hacks” *WINNER

Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series

Anthony Carrigan, “Barry”

Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso” *WINNER

Toheeb Jimoh, “Ted Lasso”

Nick Mohammed, “Ted Lasso”

Tony Shalhoub, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

Tyler James Williams, “Abbott Elementary”

Henry Winkler, “Barry”

Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live”

Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series

Alex Borstein, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”

Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary”

Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live”

Sarah Niles, “Ted Lasso”

Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary” *WINNER

Juno Temple, “Ted Lasso”

Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso”

Outstanding lead actor in a limited series or TV movie

Colin Firth, “The Staircase”

Andrew Garfield, “Under the Banner of Heaven”

Oscar Isaac, “Scenes from a Marriage”

Michael Keaton, “Dopesick” *WINNER

Himesh Patel, “Station Eleven”

Sebastian Stan, “Pam & Tommy”

Outstanding lead actress in a limited series or TV movie

Toni Collette, “The Staircase”

Julia Garner, “Inventing Anna”

Lily James, “Pam & Tommy”

Sarah Paulson, “Impeachment: American Crime Story”

Margaret Qualley, “Maid”

Amanda Seyfried, “The Dropout” *WINNER

Outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or TV movie

Murray Bartlett, “The White Lotus” *WINNER

Jake Lacy, “The White Lotus”

Will Poulter, “Dopesick”

Seth Rogen, “Pam & Tommy”

Peter Sarsgaard, “Dopesick”

Michael Stuhlbarg, “Dopesick”

Steve Zahn, “The White Lotus”

Outstanding supporting actress in a limited series or TV movie

Connie Britton, “The White Lotus”

Jennifer Coolidge, “The White Lotus” *WINNER

Alexandra Daddario, “The White Lotus”

Kaitlyn Dever, “Dopesick”

Natasha Rothwell, “The White Lotus”

Sydney Sweeney, “The White Lotus”

Mare Winningham, “Dopesick”

Outstanding reality/competition series

“The Amazing Race”

“Top Chef”

“RuPaul’s Drag Race”

“Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” *WINNER

“The Voice”

“Nailed It!”

Outstanding variety talk series

“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” *WINNER

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”

“Late Night With Seth Meyers”

“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah”

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

Outstanding variety sketch series

“A Black Lady Sketch Show”

“Saturday Night Live” *WINNER

Ekweremadu’s Daughter Begs Nigerians For Kidney Donation

Sonia, the daughter of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on Monday begged members of the public to donate kidney to her.

The young woman, whose parents are currently facing charges of organ harvesting in the United Kingdom made the plea on her Instagram page on Monday.

In the statement, Sonia noted that she had to drop out of the university after being diagnosed of a rare kidney disease.

The statement read, “I, Sonia Ekweremadu, hereby appeal to the general public to come to my aid and save my life.

“I am 25 years old and a graduate of Media and Communications, University of Coventry. I dropped out of my post graduate studies at the University of Newcastle in 2019 when I was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease, FSGS Nephrotic Syndrome.


“My family has battled to save my life and has taken me to various hospitals, but the illness persisted and kept degenerating. I am alive today by the special grace of God.

“I am presently in London, UK, receiving five hours of dialysis three to four times a week. This is at the expense of my family as I am not qualified for NHS due to my immigration status.

“The last three years have been extremely challenging. The charges being faced by my parents in London presently, are directly connected to my illness and have complicated matter for me and my family. I do not intend to delve into details of this unfortunate development as the matter is still in Court. I am, however, optimistic that the truth will prevail and it will end in praise to God.

“In the circumstance above, I am appealing to anybody whom it may please to assist me willingly with a kidney donation in the name of God.
“This appeal would have been utterly unnecessary as every member of my family is eager to donate their kidney to me, knowing that I would do the same for any of them.


“Regrettably, comprehensive medical examination showed that my case of nephrotic syndrome is a genetic illness and the doctors advised against donation from any of my family members, as it would likely reoccur. In the time that my father has been incarcerated, he has been diagnosed with acute kidney damage.

“Anybody that is moved by this appeal and wishes to donate his or her kidney to me may send an email to [email protected] and include his or her name, phone number, email address and place of residence.

“Please, note that under the laws of England and Wales, organ donation must be purely driven by compassion and, therefore, no reward is involved.

“Finally, I have decided to commit and dedicate myself to helping people with the challenges of kidney disease, upon my full recovery. Thank you and God bless you.”

Kante and Boehly disagree over Chelsea deal

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante’s contract talks with the club’s board under the leadership of Todd Boehly have reportedly hit a snag, which could leave the 31-year-old as a free agent next summer.

Talks between Chelsea and Kante began last year but were halted as ownership of the west London club switched hands to a consortium led by Boehly.

According to the Athletic, Kante is holding out for a longer deal than the two-year offer on the table with an option for a third year, according to the verbal commitment from Boehly’s side.

However, it remains to be seen if Boehly and Kante can agree on a deal to form a longer working relationship as the France international would be able to start talking to potential new clubs from the start of 2023.

Kante has featured in just two games this season for Chelsea due to injury.

He joined Chelsea from Leicester in 2016 and has been a popular part of the Blues’ set-up, guiding them to the Premier League, the Champions League and the Club World Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Kante has proved himself to be among the best midfielders in the world, but he could leave Chelsea for nothing if negotiations cannot be resolved.

“You Must Do Biometric Verification or No Exam” , JAMB Tells Candidates

In a move designed to further tighten the noose around examination cheats and their collaborators, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has resolved that, henceforth, no candidate would be allowed to sit for the board’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) if they are not verified biometrically.

The decision, which emanated from a rigorous review of the 2022 UTME exercise, is borne out of the need to close all loopholes noticed during the examination.

 It is to be noted that examination malpractice is one of the major obstacles faced by all public examination bodies globally, hence the board has consistently taken steps to confront this monster frontally.

 It should be borne in mind that identity theft is one of the prominent channels that perpetrators used to achieve their nefarious aims.

Jambuletin reports that to combat this menace, the board has taken full advantage of technology by introducing, among others, biometric capturing of a candidate’s ten fingers during UTME registration to ensure that there is a convincing match between the fingerprints captured and those presented by the candidate at the examination venue.

 According to the board, any scenario other than this is an invitation to an examination security breach.

Therefore, the board emphasised that it is against the backdrop of this robust initiative of capturing all ten fingers of candidates rather than just one or two fingers from each hand, as was hitherto the case, that it decided that the era whereby some candidates would present themselves at the examination venue and claim difficulty to be biometrically verified and expect the system to allow them to sit for the examination is gone for good.

 It should be recalled that the board, out of magnanimity, had allowed such candidates to be rescheduled for the Mop-Up UTME, which was introduced in 2017.

However, the board has, of late, realised the futility of such an arrangement after assessing the process and its impact on the entire examination value chain.

Consequently, the management of the board has regrettably resolved that all candidates must be verified to sit for their examination as there would be no more Mop-Up UTME for whatever reason.

To cater for the few that may have genuine cases of inability to be captured, such candidates are to clearly indicate such difficulty from the point of registration so that they could be assigned to a centre situated within the national headquarters of the board for close monitoring.

The board explained that the measure is not only to sanitise the examination process but also to ensure that the hard-earned reputation is not impugned.

[TheIndependent]

Doctors struggle to remove a snake stuck in a lady’s ear

Shocking footage captured the moment that a surgeon tried to remove a live snake from a woman’s ear.

Video of the surgery has gone viral after it was shared by an Indian-based star

“The snake has gone in the ear,” reads the caption to the bizarre Facebook clip.

It is unclear where, when or how this unfortunate event transpired, local outlet the Economic Times reported.

In the nearly four-minute clip, an alleged medical practitioner can be seen using tweezers in a desperate attempt to extract a black and yellow snake from a female patient’s ear.

The video ends without revealing whether or not the surgery was successful.

Watch the video below.

Indian woman dies after her phone exploded on her bed

An Indian Twitter user has narrated how his aunty died after her phone exploded while she was sleeping. 

@Mdtalk16 said his Aunty kept her phone near her face before sleeping and it killed her after it exploded. 

He tweeted; 

Hi @RedmiIndia @manukumarjain @s_anuj

Yesterday in Night my Aunty found dead , she was using Redmi 6A, she was sleeping & she kept the phone near her face on pillow side & after sometime her phone blast. It’s a bad time for us. It’s a responsibility of a brand to support

Redmi 6A exploded

Karim Benzema is currently the top-rated player on FIFA23 List

EA Sports have revealed their 23 highest-rated players on FIFA 23 ahead of the popular video game’s release with Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema coming out on top.

Lionel Messi had been given the highest rating by EA Sports since their 2018 edition of the game, but the Paris Saint-Germain superstar is now in fifth place behind Benzema, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), and Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City).

While all five of those players have received ratings of 91 on the game, Benzema’s overall statistics top them all. 

The Frenchman enjoyed a sensational 2021-22 campaign, scoring 10 goals in the knockout stages of the Champions League to help Madrid claim their 14th European crown.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who last beat Messi to the top spot four years ago, has dropped from third to eighth with a rating of 90 despite scoring 24 goals in 38 games for Manchester United last season.

Here are the confirmed 23 highest-rated players in FIFA 23 this year, as confirmed by EA Sports today;

  1. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) – 91 rated
  2. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) – 91 rated
  3. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) – 91 rated
  4. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) – 91 rated
  5. Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain) – 91 rated
  6. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 90 rated
  7. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) – 90 rated
  8. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) – 90 rated
  9. Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) – 90 rated
  10. Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) – 90 rated
  11. Neymar Jr (Paris Saint-Germain) – 89 rated
  12. Heung-Min Son (Tottenham Hotspur) – 89 rated
  13. Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich) – 89 rated
  14. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) – 89 rated
  15. Casemiro (Manchester United) – 89 rated
  16. Alisson (Liverpool) – 89 rated
  17. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) – 89 rated
  18. Ederson (Manchester City) – 89 rated
  19. N’Golo Kante (Chelsea) – 89 rated
  20. Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid) – 89 rated
  21. Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – 88 rated
  22. Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) – 88 rated
  23. Marquinhos (Paris-Saint Germain) – 88 rated
Karim and Messi

Ukraine is fast retaking back their stolen lands (photos)

The Russian government has urged its citizens and administrative personnel to leave the Ukranian city of Kharkhiv as reports of Ukranian advances in the city continue to swirl.


According to Reuters, Ukrainian forces entered the strategic city of Izium after five months of Russian occupation, Kyiv officials said Saturday September 10.


Ukraine started a counter offensive on September 1 in the South Ukranian city of Kherson but surprisingly launched a simultaneous counter offensive in the North eastern city of Kharkhiv.

Ukraine is fast retaking back their stolen lands (photos)

A senior Ukrainian official said that the “main artery” for Russian forces through the Kharkiv region has been cut off, and Ukrainian forces are also reported to have a new front against Russian defenses on the border of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Ukraine is fast retaking back their stolen lands (photos)


Ukraine’s General Staff, in an operational update Saturday, said “the liberation of settlements that were temporarily captured by the Russian occupiers in the Kharkiv region and in the South Buh direction continues. For the safety of our servicemen, official information will be provided later.”


South Buh includes much of the southern front in Mykolaiv and Kherson.


The General Staff claimed “the command of the Russian occupying forces in the Kherson region is trying to strengthen the city of Kherson by deploying reserves. Thus, new enemy units have been spotted in the regional center.”


It also said the Russians were trying to restore traffic across one of several damaged bridges on the river Dnipro, but the bridge remained under the “fire control” of Ukrainian artillery.

Ukraine is fast retaking back their stolen lands (photos)


Several social media videos show Ukranian forces in different parts of Kharkiv and Kherson mounting Ukraine’s flags. Another video shows locals welcoming Ukranian forces in the city.


A separate photo shows Ukranian forces psoing in front of Izium’s sign post.

In its first response to the military gains made by Ukrainian forces in the last few days, the Russian Defense Ministry said that “the decision was made to regroup Russian troops” and redirect to Donetsk region.

The most senior Russian government official in the Kharkiv region, Vitaly Ganchev,  provided a bleak assessment of the situation.

In a video message published on Telegram, Ganchev said:


“I again recommend to all citizens of Kharkiv region to leave the territory in order to preserve their lives. It is dangerous right now to be inside of your own homes.”


Ganchev, speaking from an undisclosed location, said, “We are ready to provide you with all the necessary help. Our representatives remain on the territory and are facilitating the evacuation of citizens.”


“Our Army is doing everything in their power of course. Even right now I can hear our military aviation working,” Ganchev added. But he acknowledged settlements in Kharkiv were under constant fire by Ukrainian forces.


Also, the Military-Civic Administration of the Vovchansk district, through which many Russian supplies travel toward the front lines, said in a brief Telegram post:


 “Russian military are leaving Volchansk!! [Vovchansk] temporarily. City’s population continues to evacuate.”


The administration quoted a member of the Russian parliament, Evgeniy Evtushenko, as saying that the local headquarters would be moved across the border to the Russian city of Belgorod.


“In order to save civilians’ lives, Russian Armed Forces have made a decision to leave our city. [The] City’s administration will be moved to Belgorod. Its branches will be in Kursk, Yakutsk, Vladivostok and St. Peter[s]burg till the situation in the city stabilizes,” Evtushenko said.


“Russian armed forces will return control of all Russian land in Kharkiv region,” he added.


Vovchansk has been an important link in the Russian military’s supply chain from the Russian city of Belgorod, and it remained under Russian control even as Ukrainian forces retook some territory north and east of the city of Kharkiv in May.

2023 Elections: APC Vice Presidential candidate, Shettima, blasts Atiku

The vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Kashim Shettima, has said the Tinubu/Shettima ticket will retire the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 elections.

Shettima said Atiku cannot match the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in excellent track record of service delivery, qualitative leadership and capacity for grooming competent administrators.

The former Borno State governor stated this in Abuja when a support group, ‘APC National Integrity Movement’, visited him.

Shettima assured that Tinubu will hit the ground running and form his cabinet within the first week after his inauguration, if elected as president.

He described Atiku as a political tourist who comes to the country only when there is an election and returns to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to relax thereafter, adding that unlike the Tinubu and himself, the former vice president cannot point to anybody he has mentored.


The APC vice presidential candidate described Tinubu as a man with an excellent track record of service delivery, qualitative leadership, and mentor of men and women who have excelled in their different careers.

He said: “Atiku Abubakar is like a father to me and I hold him in high esteem. But he is a political tourist who is only in this country every electoral circle and we are going to retire him back to Dubai to go and relax. In every situation, for people to see your worth, they need to see your output at home. I am from the Northeast; he is from the Northeast.

“Atiku cannot point to three projects that he brought to the Northeast or to Northern Nigeria for the eight years that he served as the vice president. He cannot show us three people that he has mentored.

“Is he even in good term with past governors of Adamawa state? Admiral Nyako is with us. James Ngilari is with us. Asiwaju can boast of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, he can boast of Babatunde Raji Fashola, he can boast Lai Mohammed, Rauf Aregbesola, Kayode Fayemi, Femi Gbajabiamila, Abiodun Faleke, Joe Igbokwe, Ben Akabuaze. I can boost of Babagana Zulum, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Mohammed Ali Ndume, Betara Aliyu and Tahir Mongunu, Zanaib Gimba.”

Describing Tinubu as the best material for the presidency, Shettima said: “The trajectory of global growth is facing Africa and Nigeria will make or mar that transition. That is why I will rather be a small fish in a big pond than be a big fish in a small pond.


“I supported Asiwaju out of a moral obligation, out of a moral conviction. What we have seen is his opportunity for national collaboration and national cohesion. When the frontlines that divides us were being manipulated for political ends, Asiwaju refused to swallow the pill.

“Nigerian’s of younger generation must know Asiwaju’s history of two decades past when he stood firm as the fulcrum to a despotic PDP government in this country when he was viciously maligned and ostracised and that was when he laid the foundation for modern Lagos state.

“He provided support and succour when the nation was enveloped in darkness and when we were having lots of destruction in the hands of military dictators, he was a sanctuary for victims of political witch hunt including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who was intimidated ad harassed, dehumanised and chased out of the PDP.

“It was Asiwaju that gave him political sanctuary and a platform to contest the Presidency of this country in 2007. The same thing was repeated four years later when another harassed person, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, was given the platform to contest the presidency of this country under the ACN.

“Those of us who were in Lagos in 2014 for the Presidential primary of the APC can attest to the fact that without the block support of the south west, President Muhammadu Buhari would not have emerged as the Presidential flag bearer of the APC.

“For God sake, ours is a young nation where inclusivity and sense of belonging has been the cardinal work of our national and political intercourse. If power resides in the north for eight years, for God sake, it should move.

Over 90 Chibok girls are still held by terrorists – Nigerian Military

The Nigerian military has revealed that ninety-eight students of Government Girls’ Secondary School Chibok of Borno State out of the 276 abducted by Boko Haram terrorists on April 14, 2014, are still in captivity.

This was disclosed by the head of the Intelligence Unit of the Joint Military Taskforce in the North East Operation Hadinkai, Colonel Obinna Ezuikpe while newsmen at its headquarters, Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri.

He said; 

 “Out of the 276 abducted Chibok girls, 57 girls escaped in 2014 while 107 girls were released in 2018. Three girls were recovered in 2019, two in 2021 and 9 were rescued in 2022, bringing the total of 178 girls out of captivity and 98 remaining in Boko Haram captivity.”

On activities of troops of Operation Hadinkai in August 2022, Colonel Ezuipke disclosed that a total of 43 terrorists were neutralized, while 24 others were arrested by the troops in August alone, apart from the over 100 killed in September 2022.

Troops also recovered several weapons, including 129 AK-47 rifles, 1,515 rounds of ammunitions, 16 FN Rifles, 3 MG, 17 grenades, among others, during the operations.

He also disclose that the military recorded 26 attacks from the terrorists, and in the process, two soldiers were killed and 9 others sustained various degrees of injury. The military chief added that the troops carried out a total of 2726 patrols and 982 ambushes against the terrorists.

Commenting on the arrest of suppliers of logistics to Boko Haram, Ezuipke further revealed that from June 2022 till date, a total of 113 people who are suppliers of food, fertiliser and other logistics to the terrorists were arrested.

Daily Trust reported that he also said troops rescued many women and children, and also destroyed properties and hideouts of the terrorists.

2023 Elections: ‘Obidient rally’ Organises huge Rally in Enugu (PHOTO, VIDEO)

Supporters of Mr. Peter Obi, Labour Party presidential candidate, popularly known as ‘Obidients’, shut down Enugu State capital on Saturday.

The one-million-man march, which commenced at the Michael Okpara Square grounded vehicular movement within the metropolis.

A mammoth crowd, which increased as the team advanced, moved round the major roads in the State before returning to Okpara Square.

Commuters, who are facing herculean task in accessing some parts of the State, have resorted to alternative routes.

Obidient rally in Enugu State

Obi’s supporters, who cut across various political divides, marched through the capital city singing solidarity songs as they moved.

The rally was very peaceful as the excited participants conducted themselves in a very peaceful manner.

Speaking to journalists, Dr. Chima Edoga, Co-Director planning committee, Enugu one-million-man fitness march for ObiDatti Season One, described the rally as a huge success, stressing that “Nigerians are demonstrating their resolve to retake their country.”

He said the rally, which has been going on across the country, was a demonstration to critics that the masses were Obi’s structures.

Senator Ifeanyi Ubah’s convoy in Anambra was attacked by unknown persons, several aides dead(videos)

Unknown gunmen attacked the convoy of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah at Enugwu-Ukwu community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra state on Sunday September 11, leaving an unspecified number of his aides dead.

The gunmen opened fire on the convoy this evening. The police operatives in the convoy responded to the attack but sadly a number of them were killed in the crossfire.

The senator managed to escape though his bulletproof car was riddled with bullets.

The spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga confirmed that there was an attack on men of the command at Enugwu-Ukwu, but insisted that the casualty figure remained unknown.

see full video

”The Commissioner of Police Anambra State Command CP Echeng Echeng has today 11/9/2022 lead Operatives to the scene where shootings took place in Enugukwu. 

Though the details of the incident is still sketchy, operatives are on ground there as operations is going on and the situation is being monitored.”

5 things to know about Nigerian-born Professor Uju Anya

A Nigerian-born lecturer Uju Anya sparked global outrage after she took to her verified Twitter handle to mock late Queen Elizabeth II‘s health condition hours before her death.

In a series of now-deleted tweets, the Professor fired several damning shots at the British empire and the influential role played by the late Queen of Elizabeth II, hoping that her death would be painfully “excruciating.”

Uju accused Queen Elizabeth II of sponsoring the “genocide” that led to her family being displaced.

In another tweet, she referenced the alleged role of the British empire in supplying the Nigerian government with arms and ammunition during the nation’s civil war which spanned 1967 – 1970.

Her post attracted a flurry of reactions including criticisms and backlash.

Below are five things to know about Professor Uju Anya;

1. Dr. Uju Anya is a university professor at the Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Modern Languages who currently teaches and researches in applied linguistics, critical sociolinguistics, and critical discourse studies primarily examining race, gender, sexual, and social class identities in new language learning through the experiences of African American students.

2. Before working at Carnegie Mellon University, Anya served in other prestigious institutions like Penn State University, University of Southern California and Dartmouth College.

3, She graduated from Dartmouth College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Roman languages. Uju Anya earned her Masters degree in Brazilian studies from Brown University and did her Ph.D in applied linguistics from UCLA.

4. In 2021, the Nigerian Professor who had legally separated from her husband in 2017, announced on Twitter that she had just finalised her divorce with her husband, thus openly revealing that she is lesbian. In a statement released on Twitter, the Professor wrote that her ex-husband knew of her sexuality before they got married, but she only thought at the time she was bisexual.

5. She is from both Nigerian/Trinidadian origin. Her parents met at the University in England. They got married and moved to Enugu Nigeria. However, after her father took in another wife, her mother took her young children and fled to America.

[Nation]

Meet the new british King! Charles III !

Britain’s new king will be formally known as Charles III after suggestions that Queen Elizabeth II’s heir might have taken a different regnal name.

Prime Minister Liz Truss on Thursday September 9, hailed Britain’s new monarch King Charles III, and said Britons “must come together as a people to support him”, shortly after the queen’s death was announced.

“Today the crown passes as it has done for more than 1,000 years to our new monarch, our new head of state, His Majesty King Charles III,” she said, adding: “We must come together as a people to support him, to help him bear the awesome responsibility that he now carries for us all.”

Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, and the nation’s figurehead for seven decades, died at her home in Scotland aged 96, on Thursday.
 

Her eldest son, Charles, 73, automatically becomes king of the United Kingdom and the head of state of 14 other realms including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. His wife Camilla becomes Queen Consort.
 

The queen had been suffering from what Buckingham Palace has called “episodic mobility problems” since the end of last year, forcing her to withdraw from nearly all her public engagements.
 

Her last public engagement came only on Tuesday September 7, when she appointed Liz Truss prime minister – her 15th premier.


Queen Elizabeth II, who was also the world’s oldest and longest-serving head of state, came to the throne following the death of her father King George VI on February 6, 1952, when she was just 25.
 

Britain’s new king mourned his mother Queen Elizabeth II and said that she was a “cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother” who would be missed around the world.

Buckingham Palace released an official statement after Charles, 73, ascended the throne following his mother’s 70-year reign:

“The death of my beloved mother, her majesty the queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.”

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms, and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”

“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the queen was so widely held.”

Bola Tinubu’s campaign group dismisses Peter Obi’s chances in 2023, explains why

The Tinubu-Shettima presidential Campaign Group has dismissed the chances of the Labour Party presidential bearer in 2023 general elections, insisting that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would win massive votes in almost all the regions in the country.

Appearing on Arise TV on Thursday, Director of Media and Publicity for the group, Bayo Onanuga said the Southeast region where Obi is from is up for take, reminding Nigerians the APC controls two of the five states in the region.

“We sure of winning the required votes in all the states in the South-east. APC also has a strong presence in the South-south, especially in Delta and Rivers states. Same thing for the Northeast, Northcentral and Northwest,” Onanuga said.

Reacting to claims that he accused Obi of breaking the law over his campaign fund issues, Onanuga said, “ “I never said Peter Obi was breaking the law but I did say he is a social media creation and he will pan out very soon. The statement didn’t emanate from us regarding Diaspora funds.

“We also want to appeal to the media that the issue of Diaspora funds didn’t emanate from us; a lot of people who spread this news don’t represent the party”, he concluded.

Onanuga said the presidential candidate of the ruling party, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would leverage the monumental achievements of the Buhari-led administration when the real campaigns kick off.

“Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be campaigning based on the bold legacies of the PMB Govt and there are many achievements despite the fake news in the media. Of course, there are challenges but the issues are being redressed.

“There seem to be a conspiracy in the media not to showcase the achievements of the Government especially the successes against the terrorists and bandits in the North East. Under this administration, the tech sector witnessed a boom which has aided the economy”, Onanuga claimed.

[NationalDaily]

Nigerian goes on 30-Year jail over $7 million bank fraud in US

A Nigerian man, Sulaiman Dosunmu pleaded guilty to his involvement in $7 million bank fraud before the United States District Judge, Noel L. Hillman in Camden federal court on Tuesday.

The 41-year-old resident of Darby, Pennsylvania admitted his role in a bank conspiracy targeted at 12 different financial institutions in southern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania. Attorney announced.

US attorney Philip R. Sellinger, according to the US Department of Justice, said Dosunmu participated in the fraudulent activities between 2016 and 2020.

The bank fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million which Dosunmu faces as he awaits sentencing slated for January 13, 2023.

Court’s statements

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, “The defendant was part of a multi-defendant, Nigerian-based criminal organization that engaged in a massive bank fraud conspiracy in several states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Rhode Island, between June 2016 and March 2020.

“Members of the group acquired numerous business checks that were stolen from the United States mail, altered the payee on the checks to a fraudulent name, and deposited the checks into bank accounts that had been opened with forged foreign passport documents and fraudulent U.S. visas that matched the names on the stolen checks.

“Once the banks credited all or a portion of the funds to the accounts, but before the checks had cleared, the defendants withdrew the funds from ATMs or purchased money orders, using debit cards associated with the fraudulent accounts.

“Members of the organization have used over 400 fraudulent accounts opened with fake identity documents to defraud the victim banks. To date, the total loss to the victim banks is approximately $7 million.”

US DOJ stated further, “Dosunmu admitted using several false identities to open fraudulent bank accounts, making numerous deposits of stolen checks to these accounts, and withdrawing funds from the accounts.

“Five other conspirators have pleaded guilty and one conspirator was convicted in a trial before Judge Hillman in June 2022. Four of these defendants have pending sentencing hearings before Judge Hillman.

“Charges against five other defendants remain pending before the District Court; the charges and allegations against them are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.”

[Vanguard]

These are 10 Things to Know About Queen Elizabeth II’s Life

Ten things to know about the life of Queen Elizabeth II:

BRITAIN’S LONGEST-REIGNING MONARCH

Elizabeth, who marked 70 years on the throne this year, is the oldest and longest-reigning monarch in British history. In September 2015 she surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years and seven months.

In 2016, Elizabeth also became the longest-reigning monarch in the world with the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. In 2022, she became the second-longest-reigning monarch in world history, behind 17th century French King Louis XIV, who took the throne at age 4.

Apart from Elizabeth and Victoria, only four other monarchs in British history have reigned for 50 years or more: George III (59 years), Henry III (56 years), Edward III (50 years) and James VI of Scotland (58 years.)

HOME-SCHOOLING

Like many royals of her time and before, Elizabeth never went to a public school and was never exposed to other students. Instead, she was educated at home with Margaret, her younger sister.

Among those who taught her was her father, along with a senior teacher at Eton College, several French and Belgian governesses who taught her French, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, who taught her religion.

Elizabeth’s schooling also included learning to ride, swim, dance and the study of fine art and music.

“NO. 230873”

During World War II, young Princess Elizabeth briefly became known as No. 230873, Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor of the Auxiliary Transport Service No. 1.

After months of campaigning for her parents’ permission to do something for the war effort, the heir to the throne learned how to drive and service ambulances and trucks. She rose to the rank of honorary Junior Commander within months.

‘GREAT MIMICKER’

Elizabeth often gave the impression of a serious demeanor, and many have noted her “poker face,” but those who knew her described her as having a mischievous sense of humor and a talent for mimicry in private company.

Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has said the queen could be “extremely funny in private — and not everybody appreciates how funny she can be.”

Bishop Michael Mann, the monarch’s domestic chaplain, once said that “the queen imitating the Concorde landing is one of the funniest things you could see.” Ian Paisley, the Northern Irish clergyman and politician, also noted that Elizabeth was a “great mimicker” of him.

More recently, she showed her mischievous side during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, when she starred in a comic video alongside an animated Paddington Bear and spoke of hiding marmalade sandwiches in her purse.

ROYAL TAXPAYER

She may have been the queen, but she paid taxes too — at least since 1992.

When Windsor Castle, the queen’s weekend residence, was ravaged by fire in 1992, the public rebelled against paying millions of pounds for repairs.

But she voluntarily agreed to pay tax on her personal income. She said she would meet 70 percent of the cost of restoration work, and she also decided to open her home at Buckingham Palace to the public for the first time to generate extra funds from admission fees.

LITTLE LILIBET

The queen was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor of York, in honor of her mother, paternal grandmother and paternal great-grandmother. But as a child, she was endearingly known as young Lilibet by her family — said to be because she couldn’t pronounce “Elizabeth” properly.

In a letter to her grandmother Queen Mary, the young princess wrote: “Dear Granny. Thank you very much for the lovely little jersey. We loved staying at Sandringham with you. I lost a top front tooth yesterday morning,” before signing off, “Love from Lilibet.”

The nickname became more widely known after Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, named their daughter Lilibet Diana in 2021.

A STEADFAST ROMANCE

Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip enjoyed a stable relationship for more 70 years, a union that far outlasted the marriages of three of her four children: Charles, Anne and Andrew.

“He has been quite simply my strength and stay all these years,” the queen said of Philip on their 50th wedding anniversary.

Their story began in 1939, when Prince Philip of Greece, a handsome 18-year-old naval cadet, was detailed to entertain the 13-year-old Elizabeth for a day. Several years later, Philip was invited to join the royal family at Windsor Castle at Christmas, and he soon made discreet inquiries whether he would be considered an eligible suitor.

The couple married in Westminster Abbey in 1947. When Philip died in 2021 at age 99, Elizabeth described his passing as leaving a “huge void” in her life, according to their son, Andrew.

MULTIPLE BIRTHDAYS

Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926, but it was sometimes confusing for the public to know when to celebrate.

There was no universally fixed day for her “official birthday” — it’s either the first, second or third Saturday in June, and was decided by the government.

In Australia, her birthday was celebrated on the second Monday of June, while in Canada, was marked on a Monday either on or before May 24, Queen Victoria’s birthday.

Only the queen and those closest to her celebrated her actual birthday in private gatherings.

HOW MANY CORGIS?

It’s widely known that Elizabeth loved corgis — Princess Diana reportedly called the dogs the queen’s “moving carpet” because they accompanied her everywhere.

She owned more than 30 corgis over the years. She also had two “dorgis” — crossbreeds of dachshund and corgi — named Candy and Vulcan.

Elizabeth was photographed hugging one of the dogs as far back as 1936 at age 10, and was given a corgi named Susan for her 18th birthday. The breed was introduced to the royal family by her father, King George VI, in 1933, when he bought a male corgi called Dookie from a local kennel.

As queen, she also technically owned the thousands of mute swans in open British waters, and had the right to claim all sturgeons, porpoises, whales and dolphins, according to a statute from 1324.

‘A PRETTY NICE GIRL’

The queen inevitably became the subject of pop songs.

The Beatles immortalized her with the tongue-in-cheek “Her Majesty,” calling her “a pretty nice girl” though “she doesn’t have a lot to say.” The brief song, sung by Paul McCartney and recorded in 1969, appeared at the end of the “Abbey Road” album.

Other musical treatments weren’t so kind. The Sex Pistols’ anti-monarchist “God Save The Queen,” released right before her Silver Jubilee in 1977, was banned on British television.

Hacker hooked Russian soldiers attractive women photos, their bases destroyed

A Russian base was reportedly blown up after a Ukrainian hacker set up fake social media profiles of attractive women and tricked Putin’s troops into giving their position away.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Nikita Knysh, from Kharkiv, who is an IT professional, explained that he wanted to use his hacking skills to help his country win against Russia and founded group Hackyourmom.


Nikita, 30, and his group of 30 hackers, tricked Russian soldiers stationed in Melitopol, using fake social media accounts, and got soldiers to send them photographs of them on the front. 

The hackers used the images to work out that the Russians were at a military base near Melitopol in southern Ukraine. 


After sending the information to Ukraine’s military, the base was attacked several days later and explosions rang out, according to Ukrainian Pravda. Melitopol’s mayor Ivan Fedorov confirmed the news on Telegram.

He said: ‘Another explosive night in Melitopol and Myrne village of Melitopol district. At 1 o’clock residents of all districts heard loud explosions.

‘The first of them was so strong that windows in some houses shook and plaster fell. We are waiting for confirmation that the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed another base of the occupiers with jewel-like precision strikes. The enemy will never be at peace on our land.’

Fedorov later said: ‘In Melitopol, one of the largest enemy bases in the territory of the ‘Actovolorlit’ plant was destroyed.’

Knysh said of the hacking, which led to the alleged attack: ‘The Russians, they always want to f**k. They send out a lot of s**t to ‘girls’ to prove that they are warriors.’ 

And another team member on Hackyourmom, named only as Maxim, said that after the attack they thought: ‘My first thought was — I am effective, I can help my country.

‘Then, I realized, I want more of this — I want to find more bases, again and again.

It comes as a cyber feud rages on between Russia and Ukraine, with hackers launching ferocious attacks from both sides.
 

Graham Potter verbally agrees to chelsea’s new coach Chelsea coach

Graham Potter has verbally agreed on terms of his contract to become Chelsea’s new manager. 

Chelsea made Potter their No 1 target after sacking Thomas Tuchel on Wednesday September 8, and swiftly received permission from Brighton to speak to him. A substantial compensation payment understood to be about £16m will need to be paid.

Potter is now going over a few final details of the contract this morning and is expected to be in the Chelsea dugout, along with his Brighton staff, for the Blues’ match against Fulham on Saturday.

The Seagulls boss was due to speak to the media on Thursday ahead of his current side’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth and is expected to address his exit from the club. 

Potter quickly emerged as Chelsea’s No 1 target and he was locked in advanced talks with the Blues on Wednesday night, thrashing out an agreement.

Former Liverpool sporting director, Michael Edwards and ex-Tottenham and Southampton recruitment guru Paul Mitchell are among those being considered by Chelsea.

Potter, 47, is understood to have a release clause of at least £12m in his contract, meaning Brighton are powerless to stop their manager from leaving. 

Recruitment analyst Kyle Macaulay and first-team coach Billy Reid are among the Brighton staff set to follow Potter to southwest London.

Tuchel was sacked on Wednesday hours after his side’s 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb, Chelsea’s third loss in seven games. 

A Chelsea spokesman said: ‘As the new ownership group continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition.’ 

Chelsea, who sixth, will now hope they can get an immediate bounce from the imminent arrival of Potter in a bid to breathe new life in their domestic and Champions League campaigns.  

7000 donkey p3nises intercepted at Lagos International Airport

Some 7,000 pieces of male donkey genitals being smuggled to Hong Kong, China, have been intercepted by the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Cargo Command of the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) Lagos.

The Customs’ Area Controller, Sambo Dangaladima,who displayed about 16 sacks of the donkey genitals said the consignment had a duty paid value of N216,212,813.

Dangaladima said it was the pungent smell from the bags that drew the attention of the customs officials.

“The importers falsely declared the items as cow genitals. After due examination, my export officers discovered they were donkey genitals. It is the first time we are seizing this type of item. We will not allow such illegal wildlife trade thrive under our watch,” he said.

7,000 donkey p3nises intercepted at Lagos International Airport
7,000 donkey p3nises intercepted at Lagos International Airport

12 Protesters of George Floyd’s death to get $540,000 from US city

Twelve protesters who were arrested by the law enforcement agencies during a peaceful rally against the murder of George Floyd in 2020 will receive $540,000.


According to their attorneys, the amount of money was a settlement from Cleveland, a city in Ohio, the United States of America, the Associated Press reports.


The reports, on Wednesday, said some of the 12 demonstrators sustained minor injuries, including being hit with pepper spray during protests on May 30, 2020, which were organised after Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police.


A former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted in April 2021 of murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death after pressing his knee on the Black American’s neck for more than nine minutes.

Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and half years in prison.


A civil rights lawyer, Sarah Gelsomino and her colleague, Terry Gilbert who filed lawsuits against the city of Cleveland disclosed that those arrested had protested peacefully and caused no destruction or violence, but still ended up in jail.

After winning the case and speaking on the settlement, Gelsomino said they will share the money equally. She also said the city has agreed to remove the charges from the records of the protestors.

Gelsomino said the city of Cleveland has consistently ignored First Amendment expression despite training and policies intended to educate officers.

Police “were unprepared, they were untrained, they were unsupervised, and they didn’t like the message on May 30, and they acted out,” she said.

Gilbert told Cleveland.com that as a part of the settlement, in addition to assisting those charged, removed their criminal records, the city will also provide more training to officers to handle crowd control at future events.

A similar racial injustice protest in Columbus resulted in 32 people receiving $5.75 million in settlements.

Sad News! Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96

Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years, BBC has reported.

Her family gathered at her Scottish estate after concerns grew about her health earlier on Thursday.

The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and witnessed enormous social change.

With her death, her eldest son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, will lead the country in mourning as the new King and head of state for 14 Commonwealth realms.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

“The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

All the Queen’s children travelled to Balmoral, near Aberdeen, after doctors placed the Queen under medical supervision.

Her grandson, Prince William, is also there, with his brother, Prince Harry, on his way.

Queen Elizabeth II’s tenure as head of state spanned post-war austerity, the transition from empire to Commonwealth, the end of the Cold War and the UK’s entry into – and withdrawal from – the European Union.

Her reign spanned 15 prime ministers starting with Winston Churchill, born in 1874, and including Liz Truss, born 101 years later in 1975, and appointed by the Queen earlier this week.

She held weekly audiences with her prime minister throughout her reign.

At Buckingham Palace in London, crowds awaiting updates on the Queen’s condition began crying as they heard of her death. The Union flag on top of the palace was lowered to half-mast at 18:30 BST.

The Queen was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, in Mayfair, London, on 21 April 1926.

Few could have foreseen she would become monarch but in December 1936 her uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated from the throne to marry the twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson.

Elizabeth’s father became King George VI and, at age 10, Lilibet, as she was known in the family, became heir to the throne.

Within three years, Britain was at war with Nazi Germany. Elizabeth and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, spent much of wartime at Windsor Castle after their parents rejected suggestions they be evacuated to Canada.

After turning 18, Elizabeth spent five months with the Auxiliary Territorial Service and learned basic motor mechanic and driving skills. “I began to understand the esprit de corps that flourishes in the face of adversity,” she recalled later.

Through the war, she exchanged letters with her third cousin, Philip, Prince of Greece, who was serving in the Royal Navy. Their romance blossomed and couple married at Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947, with the prince taking the title of Duke of Edinburgh.

She would later describe him as “my strength and stay” through 74 years of marriage, before his death in 2021, aged 99.

–BBC

Divorce: Woman begged court to dissolve her marriage over excessive ‘knacking’

A housewife, Zainab Yunusa, has asked a Sharia Court sitting in Magajin Gari, Kaduna to dissolve her marriage to her husband, Ali Garba, for his unusual sex demands.

The plaintiff told the court on Wednesday that Mr Garba demanded for sex even while she was menstruating and during the Ramadan fast.

Ms Yunusa said they lived together only for a year as couple, adding that she moved to her parents’ house over the matter.

The plaintiff explained that during their stay together, Mr Garba usually come home in the afternoon when she was on her menstrual cycle to demand for sex, which is against Islamic doctrine.

“During Ramadan fasting, he usually comes back home in the afternoon and demands for sex and whenever I refuse, he gets angry and always gets offended.

“And when I ask him for food, he usually replies that I should go and meet my boyfriend to feed me.

“He never trusted me to the extent that he never allowed anybody including my male or female relatives to visit me,” she told the court.

The woman said she run away from her matrimonial home, as she could not satisfy her husband’s appetite for sex.

She, therefore, prayed the court to dissolve the marriage, as she was not ready to succumb to her husband’s unusual sex demands in disobedience to God.

The husband, however, denied the claims, saying that Yunusa had filed many allegations against him in different courts.

Mr Garba, told the court through his counsel, M.A Sambo, that his wife’s mother went to his house in his absence, packed and sold his properties, before leaving with her daughter.

He said that the mother had promised to return all that they took from his house during a settlement meeting.

He listed items removed to include a set of chairs worth N100,000, a television set, two refrigerators, N35,000 worth of plates and other kitchen utensils, 20 yards of leather carpet and a mattress worth N15,000.

Mr Garba prayed the court to consider his request for return of his properties as a precondition for his acceptance of the divorce request.

The Judge, Murtala Nasir, after listening to both parties, ordered the plaintiff to come to court with her mother on the next hearing date.

He adjourned the case to Sept. 27, for the continuation of hearing.

NAN

Breaking! China approves world’s first inhaled Covid vaccine, Convidecia Air

China has become the first country to green-light an inhaled Covid-19 vaccine, known as Convidecia Air, paving the way for potential use of the needle-free product in the country, where suppressing the spread of Covid-19 remains a top priority.

The vaccine maker, CanSino Biologics, said in a statement Sunday that China’s medicines regulator had approved the inhaled dose for emergency use as a booster vaccine.

The product delivers a vaccine dose through a puff of air from a nebulizer that is then inhaled by mouth.

CanSino’s injected Convidecia Covid-19 vaccine is already in use in China and has been approved in a handful of other countries.

According to a database maintained by the World Health Organization (WHO), CanSino’s new product is one of two specifically “inhaled” vaccines that had reached clinical phase development, as a number of companies worldwide research innovative ways to deliver Covid-19 protection via the nose and mouth.

The clearance of the inhaled shot, which the company said needed to fulfill additional steps before going to market, comes as multiple Chinese cities enforce large-scale Covid lockdowns and mass testing drives in response to small-scale outbreaks.

China continues to adhere to a stringent zero-Covid policy, even as the rest of the world learns to live with the virus.

Pressure on officials to get outbreaks under control is mounting in the lead-up to a twice-a-decade political meeting next month, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to break with tradition and step into a third term.

More than 70 Chinese cities have been placed under full or partial Covid lockdown since late August, impacting more than 300 million people, according to a CNN tally.

A low vaccination rate among the elderly is one medical reason used by Chinese authorities to justify the ongoing disease control measures.

Meanwhile, new variants of the coronavirus have impacted the protection offered by first-generation vaccines around the world, including China’s homegrown vaccines that provide less robust antibody protection compared with mRNA vaccines developed in the West.

Booster and vaccination campaigns — and the development of next-generation products — are ongoing within China.

Convidecia Air boosting immunity

It remains unclear what place the new inhaled vaccine will fill in this landscape. CanSino cautioned in a company filing that some regulatory steps remain before the vaccine can go to market, and said its product would face “fierce competition” domestically, where nine vaccines have so far received authorization.

University of Hong Kong virologist Jin Dong-Yan, who was not involved in the development of the vaccine, said that it was difficult to say what impact the product would have if used in China, as more data was needed to understand the protection it offers, including against infection.

However, shots that could offer so-called mucosal immunity by being delivered in the nose or mouth could be a good option for use as additional boosters in China, Jin said, given the low levels of natural immunity in its population, where only a small fraction of people has had Covid.

Studies have indicated that people who have been infected with Covid gain this kind of immunity, which is not the focus of protection for injected vaccines.

“These [kinds of vaccines] might be particularly important for China, because all over the world in the general population, we have a mixed type of immunity [from both vaccination and natural infection] … and [these vaccines] might be similar to natural infection in terms of inducing mucosal immunity,” he said, adding real world data was needed to confirm this.

“Different types of [second-generation] vaccines should be studied and developed to help boost the herd immunity in the general population, which is a big issue [for] China,” he said.

In a news release, CanSino said Convidecia Air “can induce strong humoral, cellular and mucosal immunity.”

The manufacturer didn’t provide data to support those claims, but referred to studies in The Lancet medical journal.

In a small study published in August, CanSino researchers reported that in people who’d had two injected doses of the CoronaVac vaccine, a booster of the inhaled vaccine increased antibody levels compared with a third injected dose of CoronaVac.

CoronaVac, a shot developed by Beijing-based Sinovac used widely in China and globally, uses a different kind of technology from Convidecia, so the inhaled dose provided a heterologous, or mix-and-match, boost.

The study didn’t test whether the inhaled dose kept people from getting infected or preventing them from passing Covid on to others.

Globally, drug manufacturers are racing to make next-generation vaccines that can improve protection against Covid, including those that use innovative methods of delivering doses.

Clinical trials are underway to test more than a dozen spray vaccines to see if they can create so-called mucosal immunity. This boosts certain antibodies in the nose and mouth, specifically, with the goal of preventing an infection from taking hold in the first place.

There’s hope that these non-shot vaccines, which are given as drops, sprays or tablets to the mouth and nose, may also prevent the infection from spreading from person to person — something injected vaccines don’t do very well following the emergence of new variants of the virus.

CanSino’s Convidecia vaccine is similar to the Johnson & Johnson and Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines. It uses a harmless virus called an adenovirus to ferry instructions for making Covid’s spike proteins into cells so the body can create antibodies against them.

CNN, however, reported that none of CanSino’s products have been authorized for use in the United States, but the World Health Organization earlier this year listed the injected version of Convidecia for emergency use.

Appeal Court fixes new date for Nnamdi Kanu’s appeal

The Appeal Court has scheduled Tuesday next week for the hearing of the appeal filed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, against the Federal Government.

Kanu is challenging the remaining seven count charges filed against him by the Nigerian government.


Justice Binta Nyako of an Abuja Federal High Court, on April 8, struck out eight out of the 15-count treasonable felony charge the Federal Government preferred against Kanu.

Following the ruling, Kanu headed to the Appeal Court to challenge the remaining charges.


However, the court initially fixed October 11, 2022, for the hearing of the appeal.


But, the court recanted and fixed Tuesday next week for the hearing of the appeal.

The new date was disclosed by Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor.

A statement by Ejiofor reads: “Our Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CR/ 625/2022; between Nnamdi Kanu vs the Federal Republic of Nigeria, earlier scheduled for Hearing on the 11th Day of October, 2022, has been brought forward to the 13th day of September, 2022.

“Your relentless prayers and supplications are positively impacting.

“It, therefore, means that hearing on Onyendu’s Appeal challenging the remaining Seven count Charge filed against him, will now be coming up for Hearing at the Court of Appeal Abuja, next Tuesday, being the 13th Day of September, 2022.”


Kanu is standing trial before Justice Nyako over his agitation for the actualization of Biafra.

The IPOB leader has been locked since he was arrested and repatriated to Nigeria from Kenya last year.

US restricts technology firms from investing and building factories in China for 10 years

The US government has banned its tech companies that receive federal funding from building “advanced technology” facilities in China for 10 years, the Biden administration has said.


The guidelines were unveiled as part of a $50bn (£43bn) plan aimed at building up the local semiconductor industry in the US and comes following calls in the US to reduce reliance on China, a major producer of semi-conductors in the world.

Reliance on China for semiconductors has led to global microchip shortage which has slowed production of electronics and machines in the US.

“We’re going to be implementing the guardrails to ensure those who receive CHIPS funds cannot compromise national security… they’re not allowed to use this money to invest in China, they can’t develop leading-edge technologies in China…. for a period of ten years,”  US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on  Wednesday, September 7 while explaining the US Chips and Science Act.

“Companies who receive the money can only expand their mature node factories in China to serve the Chinese market.”


The US and China have been locked in a long-running dispute over trade and technology.


In August, US President Joe Biden had signed a law committing $280bn (£232bn) to high tech manufacturing and scientific research, amid fears that the US is losing its technological edge to China.


The investments include tax breaks for companies that build computer chip manufacturing plants in the US.


The US currently produces roughly 10% of the global supply of semiconductors, which are key to everything from cars to mobile phones, down from nearly 40% in 1990.

‘Kaduna train attack’ negotiator, Tukur Mamu arrested in Egypt via InterPol, currently in DSS custody

Mallam Tukur Mamu, the lead negotiator between terrorists and the passengers kidnapped from a Kaduna-bound train in March, has been arrested in Cairo, capital of Egypt, with his family members.

According to Daily Trust, the Kaduna-based publisher of Desert Herald newspaper, was arrested on the orders of the Nigerian Government.

Mamu, who was on his way to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj, was detained at the Cairo International Airport for 24 hours and is being repatriated back to Nigeria.

Speaking with Daily Trust, Mamu said he left Nigeria on Tuesday and after being investigated by the Egyptian security agencies, nothing incriminating was found in his possession.

Mamu insinuated a plan by the Nigerian government to detain him in another country just as was done to Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Igboho, but that could not happen because the Egyptian government found that his papers were genuine.

It will be recalled that Mamu pulled out of the negotiation with terrorists after he alleged a threat to his life and attempted blackmail by the Nigerian Government.

******

The Department of State Services (DSS) says the arrested Kaduna-Abuja train hostage negotiator, Tukur Manu, is now in their custody.

A statement released by Peter Afunanya, spokesperson of the agency, says Manu, as a person of interest, was intercepted by Nigeria’s foreign partners in Cairo, Egypt on 6th September 2022 while on his way to Saudi Arabia.

”He has since been returned to the country, today, 7th September, 2022 and taken into the Service’s custody. The act followed a request by Nigeria’s Military, Law Enforcement and Intelligence Community to their foreign partners to bring back Manu to the country” the statement in part read

Afunanya stated that Manu was brought in to answer critical questions on ongoing investigations relating to some security matters in parts of the country. He assured the public that the law will appropriately take its course in the investigation.

Thomas Tuchel will be paid off £13M with an extra £2M to his staff

Chelsea’s sacking of Thomas Tuchel is set to cost the club around £15m.


According to Sportsmail, the German was one of the Premier League’s top earners, on a salary in the region of £13m a year. With his backroom staff set to follow him out of the door, the total cost to Chelsea’s new American owners is likely to be closer to the £15m mark.

It was also disclosed that the decision to sack Tuchel was made even before Chelsea’s shock 1-0 Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday night, September 7, following £271 million spent on new players.

Brighton’s Graham Potter is being considered as his replacement with Chelsea looking to make an appointment before their next match at Fulham on Saturday.

In a statement, Chelsea wrote: ‘On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, the Club would like to place on record its gratitude to Thomas and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the Club. 

‘Thomas will rightly have a place in Chelsea’s history after winning the Champions League, the Super Cup and Club World Cup in his time here.

‘As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the Club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition.’

Tuchel was appointed as Chelsea manager in January 2021, replacing the sacked Frank Lampard less than a month after being relieved of his duties at Paris Saint-Germain.

He guided the club to a second Champions League triumph when they beat Manchester City in an all-English final in Porto and followed it up with Super Cup and Club World Cup successes.

The former Borussia Dortmund coach also led the Blues to two successive FA Cup finals and the Carabao Cup final.

Goodnews! Nigeria to become major gas supplier to Europe – Sylva says

epa00884785 (File) Picture dated 28 June 2004 shows natural gas and oil facilities on Bonny Island in Nigeria . OPEC ministers gathered in Nigeria Thursday 14 December 2006 at the opening of the 143rd OPEC conference in Abuja to discuss oil production restrictions, with growing consensus in the cartel that lower output is needed to support prices. EPA/STR

Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, says Nigeria is positioning to become a major gas supplier to Europe following the global energy crisis caused by the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Mr Sylva spoke on Tuesday during a panel session at the 50th Anniversary Edition of Gastech Conference 2022 in Milan, Italy.

The panel had the topic: “Just Energy Transition for Developing Nations.”

The minister maintained that funding of gas development actually at this point was a win-win for Europe and Africa.

He said: “Today we are seeing gas being weaponised and every country will at least require some alternative supply.

“So, we are positioning ourselves to be an alternative supplier to Europe. We are already working with Algeria to build the Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline that is going to take our gas all the way to Europe.

“We are also having a partnership with Morocco to extend the West Africa Gas Pipeline to Morocco and across the Mediterranean to Europe.

“We believe that Europe needs this gas and it is a win-win for all of us and it is in their interest to reduce these discriminatory investments that their banks are doing.”

Mr Sylva said during a recent meeting with a European delegation to Nigeria, he had advised them to provide appropriate policy framework for their banks to enable investment in oil and gas.

“For Europe, we don’t know how the winter is going to be but for us, we know that gas is going to be with us for some time and it is in our collective interest for us to provide funding for gas.

“For Nigeria, we just need a few interventions. We need collaboration, and of course we need funding and then technology.

“By the time we get this together, we should be able to unlock a lot of gas.

“Today, we have over 200TCF of proven gas reserves and we know that if we really target gas exploration we can increase this figure to up to 600TCF of gas,” he said.

According to him, with the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, which has provided a clear fiscal framework for gas development, Nigeria will be able to attract more investment to the sector and increase its reserves.

Mr Sylva said: “As a country, we are also increasing our investment in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). We were producing about 22MTPA of LNG but we are building a train to increase it to 30MTPA.

“We are also planning to increase our gas production which is about 8 billion cubic feet per day (cf/d) to about 12. 2 billion cf/d.

“We have declared the year 2021 to year 2030 as the Decade of Gas, so we are focused on actually investing in gas.”

The minister reiterated that Nigeria had adopted gas as its energy transition fuel and was committed to achieving its net zero carbon emission target.

He said the Federal Government was also looking at investing in Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) technology.

“We believe that is the direction to go. We believe that it is not about renewable energy but about clean energy.

“We want to see how we can engage and deploy CCUS technology to clean our hydrocarbons. For us, we believe that is the way to go,” Mr Sylva said.

2023 Election: “There is a plot to make Shettima President – Awolowo’s daughter warns

Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, the daughter of Nigerian nationalist and statesman, Obafemi Awolowo has alleged that there is plot to get rid of Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) if he wins the 2023 election.

She revealed that the plan is to get rid of Tinubu and install his running mate, Kashim Shettima as president.

While addressing newsmen in Lagos, Awolowo-Dosunmu claimed that the plan may be perfected immediately after the 2023 swearing-in.

She said those behind the plot would take advantage of Tinubu’s deteriorating medical condition.

Dosunmu however, appealed to Yorubas to stop being sentimental and tribalist about the three major candidates contesting for the office of the presidency.

“They are plotting against Tinubu; Yorubas should wake up. They are aware of Tinubu’s medical condition.

“All they are planning is, immediately after handing over and swearing-in, they are going to get rid of Tinubu and Sheetima will be your next president if you are not careful.

“Yorubas have to wake up and not allow emotions to lead us,” she said.

Britain get a new Prime Minister – Liz TRUSS

Liz Truss has taken office as British prime minister after meeting Queen Elizabeth II for a ceremonial transfer of power showcasing centuries of tradition. 

Boris Johnson formally offered his resignation to the queen at Balmoral, her castle in Scotland, after delivering a farewell address outside his Downing Street office early on Tuesday.

Truss, who was announced as the leader of the ruling Conservative Party a day earlier, is now the 15th leader of the queen’s reign and the country’s third female prime minister. She was formally appointed during her own subsequent audience with the monarch.

This was the first time in the queen’s 70-year reign that the handover of power took place at her summer retreat, rather than at Buckingham Palace in London.

The ceremony, known as “kissing hands,” was moved to Scotland to provide certainty about the schedule because of the 96-year-old’s mobility problems.

Truss, 47, takes office a day after the Conservative Party’s 172,000 members elected her to lead their party.

She disclosed that her priority is cutting taxes and slashing regulations to fuel economic growth. 

After winning the race to succeed Johnson, Truss promised to “deliver” on the economy, the energy crisis, and the country’s overstretched health care system, though she offered few specifics on her policies.

The first task for Truss will be to appoint a Cabinet to tackle the government’s mountain of challenges as she will face multiple foreign policy crises, including the war in Ukraine and frosty post-Brexit relations with the European Union.

As foreign secretary, Truss was a firm supporter of Ukraine’s resistance to the Russian invasion, and as prime minister, she will continue the U.K.’s civilian and military support for Kyiv.

She has said her first phone call with a world leader will be to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Breaking: Thomas Tuchel sacked after their defeat to Dinamo

Chelsea have sacked manager Thomas Tuchel after their 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb following £271 million spent on new players.


This is coming after the club’s slow start to the Premier League season before their Champions League campaign got off to a nightmare start as they lost to Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday night, September 6. 

New owner Todd Boehly has wasted no time to fire Tuchel from his position after spending £271 million on new players during the summer transfer market. 


A club statement read: “Chelsea Football Club has today parted company with Head Coach Thomas Tuchel.


“On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, the Club would like to place on record its gratitude to Thomas and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the Club.

“Thomas will rightly have a place in Chelsea’s history after winning the Champions League, the Super Cup and Club World Cup in his time here.

“As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the Club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition.


“Chelsea’s coaching staff will take charge of the team for training and the preparation of our upcoming matches as the Club moves swiftly to appoint a new head coach. There will be no further comment until a new head coach appointment is made.”


Tuchel was appointed as Chelsea manager in January 2021, replacing the sacked Frank Lampard less than a month after being relieved of his duties at Paris Saint-Germain.


He guided the club to a second Champions League triumph when they beat Manchester City in an all-English final in Porto and followed it up with Super Cup and Club World Cup successes.


The former Borussia Dortmund coach also led the Blues to two successive FA Cup finals and the Carabao Cup final.

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