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Andrew Ogbeche, an English Education graduate, University of Calabar (UNICAL), Cross River State, has been arrested for allegedly facilitating the murder of his boss, Egbe Ediagbonya, who was a former Commissioner for Sports in Edo State. Ediagbonya was kidnapped on May 16, 2020. After his abduction, the kidnappers called, demanding N15 million ransom but later hurriedly collected N1 million.  An hour later after the ransom payment, the kidnappers sent a text message to the family, telling them where to pick his corpse.  Ogbeche, who worked as a labourer on Ediagbonya’s palm tree farm, explained that he got N100,000 out of the N1m. According to him: “I relocated to Edo after my graduation in 2013 in search of greener pasture. It’s because of financial constraint that I accepted to work as a labourer at the farm of the late commissioner.  He owns a big Palm Oil farm at Okada village and I am one of his workers. The job was so demanding that I had to work twice ...

President Buhari says Nigerians know that his administration has done its best in fighting insecurity. A statement from the Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the President said this when he spoke to state house correspondents after observing the Eid El-Kabir prayers with his family members and close aides at the presidential villa in Abuja today, July 31. According to President Buhari, his administration inherited security challenges and have worked effectively to tackle them all. “I want Nigerians to be very conscious of their country and what we inherited when we came in 2015 was Boko Haram in the north-east and the militancy in the south-south… Nigerians know that we have done our best. What is coming up in the North West and North Central is very disturbing indeed but I believe the military, the police, and other law enforcement agencies from the report I am getting, I think they could do much better. They could do much bett...

  A Nigerian woman who got married in 2002 but could not conceive for 18 years, has died, just three days after welcoming a set of twins.  Mrs Chika Anthonia Voghor, welcomed a boy and a girl via a caesarean section on Monday, June 22, 2020 but sadly passed away three days after, due to internal bleeding.  The deceased’s sister, Mrs. Nwamuruamu Akachukwu Scholastica, who spoke with Nigerian Tribune said, “She gave birth on Monday. On Tuesday, she was happy rejoicing, and full of life. In fact, the news was an exciting one to everyone that knew her.” Unfortunately, she became pale that Tuesday evening, and a doctor who was called confirmed she had internal bleeding. She was subsequently rushed to the hospital where she later died.  “She died at exactly 5:30a.m in my presence. I couldn’t even look at the children. I was devastated,” Akachukwu added. 

Zambia's Education Minister, David Mabumba has been fired after allegedly appearing in a viral sex video.  Though President Edgar Lungu's spokesperson, Isaac Chipampe did not disclose the reason for Mabumba's dismissal, it however came after the sex tape of a man that looks like him went viral. The man was spotted in live WhatsApp video with a woman, naked and masturbating. A  statement from the President Lungu's spokesman Isaac Chipampe partly read;  "I have relieved Minister of General Education Hon David Mabumba of his duty with immediate effect. I have thanked him for the services he rendered to Government and wished him well in his future endeavours." It added that Dr Dennis Wanchinga who is the minister of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection will move to the Ministry of General Education in the same capacity.

Senator Ali Ndume representing Borno south, has asked the Federal government to stop the reintegration of ex-Boko Haram fighters into the society. In 2016, the military launched Operation Safe Corridor, an initiative for the deradicalisation and rehabilitation of ex-Boko Haram fighters. The military had also said the aim of the operation is to reintegrate repentant Boko Haram members into society. About 600 ex-Boko Haram members completed a de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration (DRR) programme in July. Senator Ndume while speaking to BBC Hausa service programme, asked the government to stop rehabilitating ex-insurgents because they would never repen “This government’s programme is unacceptable to our people. The right thing is to stop it, forthwith Not that they even apologised to you, they apologised to the government with the thinking that government has failed and that is why they are being pampered. They are like Kharajites. Many among those released have ...

Mr. Nicholas Ofodile, a Kogi-based businessman, who was found dead in his car, last month along Abuja-Lokoja highway, was murdered by assassins hired by an aggrieved associate.  This was made known by the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Mr Ede Ayuba, while parading the leader of the gang, one Vincent Omogor  and  27 others at the command’s headquarters in Lokoja yesterday. Ayuba disclosed that the suspect was arrested by Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives in collaboration with vigilantes in the state. He was arrested in Orehi, Kogi Local Government Area of the State.  Speaking with newsmen, the suspect said he was commissioned by someone who he referred to as “chairman” to assassinate the businessman. He said the suspect was aggrieved by the failure of the deceased to fulfill certain financial obligations to him when he (suspect)’s father took ill. He explained that “chairman” became infuriated when his father died of the ailment and set the ...

A woman, Torkwase Queen Ayakpa, 37, who set up her own kidnap in order to extort N20,000 from her sister, has been arrested in Abuja. She reportedly confessed that she conspired with one Fidelis Ikule, 36, to stage the kidnap. The hairstylist said she did it because her business was no longer doing well due to the coronavirus pandemic, adding that she also wanted to test if her sister really loved her. The suspect added that her sister had turned down her request for money. Ayakpa and her accomplice were arrested after the police tracked the calls they were making for the ransom. The lady said she left home on July 20, 2020, and called her sister, telling her she had been kidnapped and her abductors demanded N20,000 to free her. 

Two airplanes belonging to Middle East Airlines and Turkish Airlines collided on Wednesday at the cargo area of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos The incident occurred when Middle East Airlines plane was coming to park on the apron while Turkish Airlines aircraft was taxiing out. No injury was reported and assengers on Turkish Airlines flight were made to disembark. The two planes were later grounded. 

A widow who lost one of her children and got separated from the others, while being chased by bandits who attacked her village in southern Kaduna, has narrated the harrowing experience. Mama Hajaratu David, 45, lost her husband in 2018 and was left to raise her three children herself. Sadly, on Friday, July 10, 2020, bandits attacked her village and rendered her and her kids homeless. She and her three children were sleeping in Chibwob, their village under Atyap Chiefdom in Zangon Kataf LG Area of Kaduna State, when she woke up to the sounds of gunshots around 12 midnight. She realized then that the village was under attack. While running, she got separated from her two older kids but held on to the youngest. Unfortunately, she had to cross a river to get to safety and her youngest child drowned in the river. Narrating the ordeal, she said: "We were sleeping around 12 midnight when we heard gunshots. We initially thought it was our local vigilantes, but after the secon...

Bill Gates, the former CEO and founder of Microsoft, believes Coronavirus tests are a 'complete waste.' According to the Billionaire, the amount of time it takes for test results to come back means they don't achieve the purpose for which they were carried out, which is a timely isolation of the patient before spread of the disease begins. According to Bill Gates, whose foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to treatment and vaccine research for Covid-19, people need to get results back sooner so that they're able to "change their behavior so they're not infecting other people." "The simplest thing, which has to do with such insanity, is you should not reimburse somebody for getting a test that it takes more than 48 hours to get the result back," Gates said in an interview with CNBC. "That test is a complete waste. And to all these numbers about how much we test, the majority...

The Ebonyi State Police Command have rescued a middle-aged woman, Mrs Ngozi Chukwuani who was chained to a pillar for ten hours by her husband, at their residence in Abakaliki, the state capital. The husband, identified as Uche, reportedly fled with the key of the padlock. According to Neighbours who spoke with Tribune Online, Uche hit his daughter’s head with the chain while she was trying to stop him from beating Mrs Chukwuani. Condemning the incident, the Special Assistant to Governor David Umahi on security and utility, the capital city, Mr. Nchekwube Saints Anakor, on Tuesday, said: “This evening (Tuesday) at no.1 Ike street, Mr Uche Chukwuani chained his wife to a pillar in their building and ran away with the key. Thanks to Ekeaba police whose timely response saved the situation. I had to send a welder who cut the chain. One question kept on coming to my mind, what did this woman do to warrant being chained like a dog by her own husband. Does whatever transpired warr...

The Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 24-year-old man, identified as Godwin Akpan for allegedly raping a 20-year-old girl with Down Syndrome.  The victim was reportedly raped on Tuesday July 28, after her elder sister sent her on an errand close to the gate of their house in Ota, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state. According to the command’s spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, “The suspect, who is their close neighbour, forcefully dragged the victim to a room, where he had sex with her against her will. Upon the report, the DPO, Sango Ota, CSP Godwin Idehai, quickly detailed his detectives to the scene, where the suspect was promptly arrested. On interrogation, he confessed to the crime but claimed not to know what came over him that made him to do it. The victim has been taken to the general hospital for treatment.” 

A newly married military officer, Lieutenant Babakaka Shehu Ngorgi of the 202 Battalion, has been reportedly killed by a fellow soldier in Bama, Borno State. According to Sahara Reporters, Ngorgi was talking to his wife when one of his colleagues shot him from the back six times. The attacker, according to a source, was heard shouting after the incident that, “I have achieved my aim.” It is not yet clear why the soldier killed Lt Ngorgi, who is his senior in the army and on the battle field.  The victim only got married in December 2019 and was looking forward to raising a family when the tragic Incident occured. 

Suspected Nigerian fraudster, Olalekan Ponle a.k.a Mr Woodberry has pleaded not guilty to the fraud charges levelled against him after being arraigned before Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cummings of the United States District Court in Illinois. Its was reported earlier that though the fraud charges agiainst Mr Ponle has been dismissed, the grand jury's indictment which summed his offences into eight counts charge is still active. Appearing before the court on Saturday July 25, the suspected Nigerian fraudster acknowledged the receipt of the indictment and entered a plea of not guilty to each count. Documents obtained by Premium Times read;  “Defendant appears in response to his arrest on 7/2/20. Attorney, Michael Nash, appears on behalf of the defendant. Defendant informed of the charges against him as well as of the possible sentence fine if convicted of those charges. “Arraignment proceedings held, Defendant acknowledges receipt of the Indictment, waives formal reading, a...

Tracy Morgan and Megan Wollover have split after almost five years of marriage. The American comedian-actor confirmed the split to PEOPLE in a statement released through his spokesperson on Wednesday, July 29. The statement read: “Sadly, after nearly five years of marriage, Megan and I are filing for divorce. This is a challenging time for all involved, so I ask that you please respect our privacy,”  "We can confirm that Megan filed for divorce yesterday," a rep for Wollover says in a statement. "This is a private matter for the family. Megan's primary focus remains the best interest of the parties’ daughter. She asks that the family’s privacy be respected during this difficult time."   Tracy, 51, and Megan, 33, got engaged on the Emmys red carpet in September 2012 and tied the knot in August 2015. The couple share seven-year-old daughter Maven Sonae. The actor-comedian is also dad to adult sons Gitrid, 34, Malcom, 32, and Tracy Jr., 28, whom he shar...

President Donald Trump has said that the U.S. is considering banning Chinese social media app TikTok amid fears it could be used by China to spy on Americans.  US officials have raised concerns about the Chinese government stealing private and personal data via Americans' cell phones via such smartphone applications. Speaking to reporters in the South Lawn before departing the White House for a day trip to Texas, Trump said: 'We're looking at TikTok, we're thinking about making a decision.'  Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin also said the app is under review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. He also informed reporters he would have a recommendation for the president this week on how to handle the Chinese-based app.  This comes days Joe Biden's presidential campaign banned staffers from using the Chinese video-sharing app, citing security and privacy concerns. In a memo on Monday, Biden's general counsel, Dana Remus, or...

A 52-year old pastor, Adetokunbo Adenokpo, has been arrested for allegedly abducting a dispatch rider and detaining him in an underground facility in his church in Sagamu, Lagos. Parading the suspect before newsmen today July 29, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force, DCP Frank Mba, said the pastor who is the General Overseer of the Newlife Church of God in Sagamu, Ogun state, during interrogation, said he ventured into kidnapping so he could raise money for his charity works.  Nemesis caught up with him after he and members of his gang abducted a dispatch rider, Job Ekpe Jonathan, who had come to his church to deliver some products. Mba said the victim had arrived at the suspect's church to deliver some products and was held hostage by the pastor and his gang members. The pastor injected Jonathan with anesthesia to weaken him so they could tie him up easily. Speaking to newsmen, Adenokpo said “In my church we do charity, where I share food and palliative to peop...

An 18-year-old boy has been arrested by men of the Adamawa state police command for allegedly raping a two-year-old girl in Jimeta, Yola, the state capital, on Tuesday, July 28. Spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Sulaiman Nguroje, who confirmed this to newsmen, said the suspect whose shop is next to that of the victim’s mother, took the victim to one Bekaji Primary School, Jimeta, on the pretext of being a good neighbor and (allegedly) raped her. According to Nguroje, the mother of the victim noticed the swollen private part of her baby and immediately reported the matter to the police who arrested the suspect. The spokesperson said the victim is currently receiving treatment in a hospital while the suspect is in police custody and will be charged to court once the investigation has been concluded. 

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has warned the house of representatives committee on treaties and agreements against continuing the probe on loan agreement between Nigeria and China.    The Minister who noted that the federal government requested $500 million from the Chinese government to finance some rail projects across the country particularly in the south-east, asked for suspension of the probe till the loan is secured.    Amaechi averred that some sections of the country will suffer if China refuses to give Nigeria loan to complete ongoing projects.    He said;   “I have said here to the house, and it is a pity that I’m saying it in public, this government, outside Nigeria, they are sensitive to what you say. Nobody is stopping you from your investigation and no government from outside Nigeria can stop you from doing it.  “We are saying that Nigeria has applied for three loans already. For Port Harcourt-Maiduguri (east...

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission NIDCOM, has appealed to the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to pay the allowances, tuition, and other incentives of students on its scholarship scheme in the United Kingdom as most of them have turned to beggars on the streets of the UK. During the recent National Assembly probe of the NDDC, it was revealed that Nigerian students awarded scholarships to some universities in the United Kingdom, have been abandoned by the commission as they have not received a dime in allowance or school fees from the commission. Many of the students who came out to complain, said the commission has refused to respond to all emails sent to them appealing for their fees to be paid or allowances released.  In a statement released on Tuesday, July 28 by the NIDCOM spokesperson Gabriel Odu, Dabiri-Erewa appealed to the NDDC management team to as a matter of urgency, release the funds appropriated for the scholars...

Commander of operation safe haven in Kaduna, Chukwuemeka Okonkwo has disclosed that they have limited manpower to tackle Southern Kaduna killings.    Okonkwo who spoke to reporters after a security meeting presided over by Governor Nasir el-Rufai, said more soldiers will be deployed in the area to tackle the “criminal elements” responsible for the killings and destruction in the area.    He said;    “What we have were attacks on some communities and reprisal attacks. You have Kataf youths, Fulani militias and the criminal elements of both sides.  “Any incident is enough to spark off crisis in that area; there have been lingering disputes and animosities, banditry and cattle rustling there. “We have reviewed our operations. We are going to close ranks. We are going to be more robust in the days to come. If one or two attacks took place, three were prevented. If you know the area very well, the communities are far and dispersed, they are seve...

The police in Ogun State have rescued a six-year-old girl after her stepmother, Abimbola, allegedly tortured her with nails at their residence in Ijagba, in the Sagamu Local Government Area of the state. The little girl's plight was brought to the notice of the police by a non-governmental organization, Olanrewaju Omo-George Foundation, after it received reports from concerned neighbors about the horrific treatment her father Taiwo Onabanjo and his new wife meted out on the minor. The foundation’s supervisor, Christopher Onuegbu, said immediately the report was received, a complaint was made at the Sagamu police division and the couple were immediately arrested. “We received a distress call that a stepmother had been torturing a child with nails. The stepmother used the nails to inflict injuries on her head and body, and we asked for the location and the person said it was in Ijagba, Sagamu. I informed our secretary to report the incident at the Sagamu Police Station, w...

Dr Emmanuel Akabe, the Deputy Governor of Nasarawa state is now being probed for allegedly spending N500m on COVID-19. The state's house of assembly members who alongside other prominent stakeholders were not satisfied with how the money was spent, have set up a six-man ad hoc committee to investigate the activities of the state Task Force on COVID-19. The committee was constituted after Mr Daniel Ogazi moved a motion under matters of public importance, stressing the need for the House to monitor the activities of the task force. Speaker of the assembly, Mr Ibrahim Abdullahi said;   “This is a good motion and I wish to set up an ad hoc committee to monitor the activities of the state COVID-19 Task Force. “Mr Abdullahi Angibi of Lafia Central Constituency is the chairman of the committee and Mr Usman the Labaran Shafa of Toto/Gadabuke Constituency is the vice-chairman of the committee.” The Deputy Governor who defended himself, however insisted that he advised the h...

A 20-year-old woman, Chioma Dioke, has narrated how kidnappers forced her elder brother to have sexual intercourse with her while they were in captivity. . Speaking on Tuesday, July 28, Chioma said the kidnappers held them inside a bush called Sambisa forest located in Ezzagu in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. . Chioma, her brother and another victim had gone to Onunwafor, Ezzagu in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State for business purposes before they were kidnapped and held hostage for five days before police came to their rescue. . Chioma, who is from Nsukka in Enugu State, and the two other victims had gone to Ezzagu to sell their goods which included noddles, diapers and oil. . The business involved a modality that allowed people of the community to invest money and those who invested were receiving high amounts as their returns. . However, the owner of the investment business reportedly ran away from the community with the payments made by thei...

Kanye West has reportedly filed to appear on the New Jersey ballot in November’s presidential election in his latest bid for the White House.  The 43-year-old rapper submitted petitions with 1,327 signatures to get on the ballot for New Jersey, surpassing the 800 required signatures before the deadline day in order to appear as an independent candidate in the Garden State, TMZ reported. West has also submitted documents to get on the ballot in Missouri, where 10,000 signatures are required and it costs more than $30,000 to apply. He is also planning to do the same in New York and will need 30,000 signatures by Thursday’s deadline in the Empire State. The father of four will officially be on the presidential ballot in Oklahoma after filing the proper paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to make the run.  On the same day of his New Jersey application, West was pictured with wife Kim Kardashian West after the reality star flew down to Wyoming for marriage cr...

A 16-year-old girl has tragically died after her uncle allegedly threw her from an 11th floor apartment in Tehran, Iran. The victim, Fatemeh Ghozat was allegedly beaten and then murdered by her uncle Mojtaba Namdar after speaking out against his abuse on May 22.  Fatemeh's heartbroken mom, Bariha Rahmani, who witnessed the alleged incident told Iran International TV that Mojtaba threw her daughter out of a window from an 11th-floor apartment in the Shahrah-e Aseman neighbourhood of Parand in southeast Tehran. Speaking out after Ghozat was released on bail just two weeks after the incident, Bariha said: 'He threw my girl out of the window in front of my eyes, and then placed her body in my hands. 'He has now been released on bail and walks free. He threatens my son, and tells him, "It's your turn now!".  'I'm afraid for myself and my children. Tell me, in what other country in the world, when a murder has occurred and all the evidence points...

Former chairman of the Pension Reformed Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, has been released from Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja. The EFCC had on October 25, 2019, arraigned Maina, his son, Faisal, and firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd, before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja, on a 12-count charge of money laundering. Maina was accused of using his office to launder about N2 billion in pension funds. He allegedly used fictitious names to open and operate various bank accounts into which he allegedly channeled the diverted funds. He was also accused of using pension funds to acquire landed properties in Abuja. During his trial, Maina pleaded not guilty to the charges.  Justice Abang had on January 28, 2020, varied Miana’s bail conditions, following his inability to meet the bail terms granted him on Nov. 26, 2019. Abang reduced Maina’s bail condition from N1 billion to N500 million with a surety in the like sum who must be a serving s...

The Presidency has explained why the federal government exports power to Niger, Togo and Benin.  Reacting to report of the country's borders being on persistent blackout despite the continous export of electricity to other countries on credit, President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman Garba Shehu described the claim as “hyperbolic and terribly misleading.” He noted that 90 percent of the electricity generated in the country was distributed and consumed by Nigerians. According to Garba Shehu, the last review in 2019 revealed that the amount of credit extended to Niger, Benin, and Togo stood at $69 million.

Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday July 28, announced he had asymptomatic COVID-19 but has already recovered from the virus. He made the announcement at a meeting with security officials ahead of the country's election in two weeks' time.  'Today you are meeting a man who managed to survive the coronavirus on his feet. This is what doctors concluded yesterday. Asymptomatic,' Lukashenko said. 'As I said, 97% of our population carry this infection asymptomatically,' he added. He did not give a source for that figure. President Lukashenko previously described fears over the pandemic as 'psychosis' and suggested that people drink vodka and go to the sauna to stay healthy and stave off the virus. Belarus, with a population of 9.5 million, has recorded 67,366 coronavirus cases with 543 deaths. 

The Police Command in Ogun has arrested three of the five men who allegedly gang raped a lady on Thursday at Ogijo area of Sagamu council area. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, “The victim had reported that she met a man, simply identified as Enny Money, who gave her an application to download on her phone with an assurance that those she will meet through that application will help her financially. She further stated that as soon as she downloaded the application, one man, whom she later identified as the same Enny Money, started chatting with her and invited her to Idimogun area in Ogijo. She said that on getting there, she was lured into a house where she was subsequently gang raped by five men who called themselves members of the one million boys. The victim explained that the gang forced her to submission when one of them pointed a gun at her, adding that another one video recorded the action with his phone while they were ta...

The Accident and Investigation Bureau (AIB) has released a report which explained why the helicopter conveying Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to Kabba in Kogi state during the 2019 general elections crashed.  In a report released by the Commissioner of AIB Akin Olateru on Tuesday July 28, it was gathered that the  crew lost visual contact with the ground and external surroundings.  The crew were however faulted for inappropriate landing techniques and limited planning before commencement of the flight. Olateru said “Onboard were 12 persons including the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, his entourage, and three crew members (Pilot, Co-pilot, and an Engineer). “The flight crew stated that they sighted the intended landing area as a result of the cloud of residual dust generated by the downwash of a Police helicopter. “After sighting the football field, the flight crew approached with the speed of 20ft to about a 100ft, and entered a hover to land...

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, has sentenced a former Director Finance of the Niger Delta Ministry, Mr. Ayinla Abibu, 60, to one-year imprisonment as well as the forfeiture of two plots of land in Kubwa and Bwari of Abuja. Abibu was charged by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for embezzling the sum of N60 Million from the Federal Government through the use of a front company, Zeocat Nigeria Limited, in March, 2014. Abibu was charged by the Commission before Hon Justice Olukayode Adeniyi for defrauding the Federal Government in collusion with a former Principal Accountant in the Ministry, Kabiru Poloma, by fraudulently withdrawing money from the Constituency Project account of the Ministry domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The 60-year-old convict was said to have used the proceeds of the fraud to acquire a house in Ogbomosho, Oyo state, and plots of land in Kubwa and Bwari of the Federal Capital Terri...

An Egyptian court has sentenced five young women to two years in prison for posting "indecent" dance videos on TikTok.  The prosecution statement named two of the defendants 20-year-old student Haneen Hossam and 22-year-old Mawada Eladhm and said the other three helped run their social media accounts. The women were also fined 300,000 Egyptian pounds (A$26,000) each for "violating the values and principles of the Egyptian family," inciting debauchery and promoting human trafficking, according to a statement from the public prosecutor. Haneen Hossam and Mawada Eladhm rose to fame though TikTok, amassing millions of followers for their video snippets which include sharing of footage of themselves wearing makeup, posing in cars, dancing in kitchens and making funny skits. However, their social media stardom became their undoing in a country, where citizens can land in prison for vague crimes such as “misusing social media,” “disseminating fake news,” or “in...

Australian police have warned universities and Chinese officials about “virtual kidnapping” scams by criminal gangs that coerce foreign students to fake their own kidnappings and trick families overseas into paying ransoms. Police said in a statement that eight students in the state of New South Wales (NSW) were targeted in "virtual kidnapping" scams this year, with overseas relatives paying a total of 3.2 million Australian dollars ($2.3 million) in ransom. In one case, the father of a 22-year-old Chinese student in Sydney reportedly paid more than $1.4 million after being sent a video of his daughter bound in an unknown location. Another family in China said they paid more than $14,000 after receiving a video of their 22-year-old relative bound and blindfolded via the messaging app WeChat. She was later found by NSW police safe in a hotel room. The student victims are left "traumatized by what has occurred, believing they have placed themselves, and their l...

The Federal Government has declared Thursday 30 and Friday 31 July, 2020 as public holidays to mark this year’s Eid-el-Kabir Celebration. The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola while making the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, congratulated Muslim faithful and all Nigerians both at home and abroad on the occasion. He called on the Muslims to continue to imbibe the spirit of love, peace, kindness and sacrifice, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) and to also use the period to pray for peace, unity, prosperity and the stability of the country especially as the world is witnessing global health challenges caused by Covid-19 pandemic. Aregbosola who assured that the administration of President Buhari is fully committed to battling the scourge with the cooperation of all Nigerians, emphasized that the government would continue to foster peaceful coexistence, national cohesion, and stability in its march towards actualizing th...

Justice FN Azinge of the Delta State High Court sitting in Otor-Udu has convicted and sentenced the duo of Pastor Glory Okeoghene Aberefa and Reverend Vincent Okpogo to another 16 and 10 years imprisonment, respectively. The convicts, alongside their company, Mustard Seed Micro Investment Limited, were prosecuted by the Benin Zonal Office of the EFCC, on 16-count charges, bordering on conspiracy to steal and stealing, contrary to Section 516 and 390 (9) of the Criminal Code, CAP 21, Vol 1, Laws of Delta State of Nigeria, 2006. They pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, upon their arraignment on June 19, 2017. Their trial by the EFCC legal team of V. O. Agbaje and K. U. Udus followed a petition and investigation which fingered them in the stealing of the sum of N32,516,620.00. The first defendant, Pastor Aberefa was sentenced to one year imprisonment on each of the 16 counts, while the second defendant, Reverend Okpogo was sentenced to one year imprisonment each on count seve...

A Florida man has been accused of fraudulently obtaining nearly $4 million from the Paycheck Protection Program and using part of the money to buy a $318,000 Lamborghini. The man, David T. Hines, 29, of Miami, was arrested Friday July 24 and charged with one count of bank fraud, one count of making false statements to a financial institution and one count of engaging in transactions in unlawful proceeds, the Department of Justice said in a news release.   Federal agents seized the car, valued at $318,000, and $3.4 million from his bank accounts when he was arrested, the Justice Department said. The criminal complaint against Hines was unsealed on Monday July 27, upon his initial appearance before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge John J. O’Sullivan in the Southern District of Florida. The complaint alleges that Hines sought approximately $13.5 million in PPP loans through applications on behalf of several companies, the DOJ news release said.  According to the complaint,...

No fewer than 30 members of the House of Representatives have been mandated to appear before the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for allegedly receiving contracts worth N100billion from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Tribune reports that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, gave the directive during the Thursday plenary when he referred the letter sent by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for further investigation. Some of the members listed in the controversial letter are from Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Imo, as well as unnamed ‘Caucus in the House of Representatives’. Akpabio in the three-page letter with Ref. No: MNDA/HM/041/IV/158 dated 23rd July 2020, and titled ‘Some Niger Delta Development Commission contracts allegedly given to some members of the National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives)’, alleged that the House investigating...

Kim Kardashian West reunited with her husband Kanye West on Monday July 27, after flying down to Wyoming for marriage crisis talks with the troubled rapper over his recent behavior on social media. The celebrity couple were pictured together in a vehicle, having an intense conversation after leaving a Wendy's fast-food restaurant in Wyoming.  At one point, the reality star broke down in tears as she spoke with her husband for the first time in weeks following his political campaign rally and Twitter meltdown, where he disclosed how he encouraged her to abort their first child and revealed how he had been planning divorce to her over a meeting with rapper Meek Mill at a hotel for prison reform. Kanye has since publicly apologized to Kim for 'going public' with their 'private matter.' A source told PEOPLE that "as soon as Kim got to the ranch, she and Kanye came out together in his car." "Kim is hysterically crying," the source says, ad...

The police in Ogun state have arrested a herbalist and four others for allegedly carrying out robbery attacks in Osiele and its environs in the Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State. A statement from the public relations officer of the state police command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, gave the names of the suspects as Dayo Ajala, 39; Ismaila Badmus, 35; Obasanjo Sunday, 24; Chukwuemeka Paul, 27; and Okikiola Adeshina, 46. Oyeyemi said the suspects were arrested last Friday, July 24 by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the command following information received by the SARS operatives about their hideout in the Odeda area.  “Upon the information, the O/C SARS, CSP Tijani Muhammed, led his men to the area and cordoned off the hideout; at the end of the operation, four members of the gang were apprehended. Their arrest led to the arrest of their herbalist, whom they claimed was their godfather and used to fortify them spiritually whenever they were going out for ope...

Akinwumi Adesina, president of the Africa Development Bank has been cleared of all corruption charges by an independent review panel led by former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson.  Recall that earlier this year, it was alleged that the bank had been tarred by poor governance, impunity, personal enrichment and favouritism under Adesina's leadership. In spite of Adesina's insistence of being innocent and also being cleared of the charges by an ethics committee of the bank,  the US insisted on an independent investigation with the North American country's treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin saying that they have ” deep reservations about the integrity of the committee’s process”. Adesina who is the sole candidate for the bank's upcoming election, has now been cleared of same charges by an independent review panel. It was further gathered that the evidence provided by Adesina in his own statements before the panel, were found to be “consistent with his innoce...

A man was on Monday killed and three others injured after a gas cylinder exploded at 13C, Palmgroove Estate, Cappa Avenue, off Ikorodu road around 6pm in Lagos. The cylinder exploded while refilling gas into an outdoor split Air Conditioner. The cause of the explosion was leakage from the cylinder. Three other men sustained varying degrees of burns and were evacuated to the hospital. 

Veteran Colombian golfer, Camilo Villegas' daughter has tragically passed away just two months to her 2nd birthday. Mia Villegas died on Sunday at a Miami hospital at 22 months old from tumors on her brain and spine. At a June Korn Ferry Tour event at TPC Sawgrass, Villegas, 38, told the press that Mia was battling tumors. “She went through surgery and obviously needed treatment. She just started her second round of chemotherapy,” Villegas said. “It’s been really tough to see her—because you know how it is, she’s in pain. But she keeps fighting, she’s inspiring us and again that’s why I’m here.” Villegas said the family noticed something was wrong with Mia in late February, as she was no longer as active as before and had been crying at night.  After a visit to the pediatrician and a subsequent scan, they found tumors on Mia’s brain and spine.  “We don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. She started her second round of chemo; the doctor doesn’t want to do a very...

A Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos on Monday, July 27, upheld the 60-year sentence for Adegboyega Adenekan, a former Supervisor of the Chrisland School convicted of defiling a pupil of the school who was only 2 years and 11 months old at the time. Delivering judgment in the appeal, the three-member panel led by Justice Lawal Garuba unanimously affirmed the judgment of the lower court and held that the appeal filed by Adenekan lacked merit. The other justices on the panel, Justice Gabriel Kolawole and Justice Bilkisu Aliyu also agreed with the lead judgment. Announcing the Appeal Court's ruling, the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) tweeted: "The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and affirmed the Judgement of the lower Court (Sexual Offences Court - Nwaka J.) in the case of Adegboyega Adenekan (Chrisland School Supervisor) today 27th day of July, 2020. #JusticeforSurvivours." On Oct 24, 2019,  Adenekan, 47, was convicted on one count of defi...

Former Nigerian international, Musa Nosa Kadiri, has died at the age of 53.  According to Sahara Reporter, the ex- Flying Eagles star went into a coma after falling from his New York apartment which caused bleeding in his brain. He died on Friday, July 24. A source who confirmed his death told the publication: "I'm surprised because I saw him Saturday or Sunday. We were going over some business he wanted to be done, and he looked fine. "He had lost a bit of weight due to being hospitalised two weeks earlier. But he was his usual self, talking politics and plans. So, a day or two later, he was unresponsive and on life support. It's hard to believe." His funeral service is scheduled to hold on Thursday, July 30, at 491 Dekalb Ave, Brooklyn, NY.  Kadiri grew up playing soccer on the streets of his hometown, Benin City in Nigeria. He played in local teams, winning local and national leagues. He also went to play soccer professionally in Europe and before ...