Category: Happenings

The FCT Commissioner of Police, Bennett Igweh, has called on residents to shun the nationwide protest scheduled for August 1.

Speaking with newsmen on Monday, July 22, he said: “I want to appeal specifically to the residents and indigenes and everybody in the FCT. Please, lions do not d£§troy their dens. You cannot see a lion who d£§troys its den.

No, I would not like you to join this protest. I plead with you because we have worked hard to ensure your safety. We have fought those people outside Abuja. We have been to Kaduna, Nasarawa, and Niger to fight crim+nals so that you can be safe. I have lost men.

Last week alone in Gidango, I lost two policemen. The other day, I lost two more. Let our loss pay for the protest. I want to plead with you. We don’t need you to be in the streets before somebody will say they are trying the police’s might. Or you will say, you will do this, you will do that. Please, please, don’t destroy where you are living. If you check, the government has provided good roads.

A 12-year-old girl has been charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence after allegedly killing her 8-year-old cousin over an iPhone.

The tragic incident occurred on Monday, July 15, 2024 in Tennessee, USA. The girl, who hasn’t been publicly named due to her age, was charged after the emergence of disturbing surveillance footage.

In the video, the 12-year-old was allegedly captured suffocating her 8-year-old cousin, named Demeria Hollingswort, in a bunk bed that they were sharing at their grandmother’s home in Humbodlt, Tennessee.

Gibson District Attorney Frederick Agee in a statement said, “After the child died, the juvenile cleaned up the victim and repositioned her body.”

A relative told WREG-TV in Memphis that the girls had been arguing over an iPhone after coming from out of town to stay with their grandmother for the summer. Agee said the defendant would be tried as an adult due to the extreme nature of the case.

The Federal Government has said the proposed N6.2 trillion supplementary budgetary will be used to pay the new minimum wage. Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu disclosed this while addressing the House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriation in Abuja on Monday, July 22.

He said that the funds would be spent on stimulating the economy through the implementation of various infrastructural projects. He said the N3.2 trillion capital component of the supplementary budget is meant as addition funding for priority projects in road, rail, water, irrigation and dam projects in the 2024 fiscal year.

According to him, the proposed ‘Renewed Hope Infrastructural Fund’ was intended to provide equity contributions or counterpart contributions of the federal government projects designated as priority projects as well as critical projects which needed more appropriation so that they will not suffer neglect.

The executive Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi has urged Nigerians to consider the current economic hardship as a trial from God. Speaking at a town hall meeting in Dutse, on Monday, July 22, Namadi said rather than resorting to nationwide protests, disgruntled citizens should seek divine intervention from God instead.

The governor expressed regret over the economic hardship and urged the public to view their predicament as “a trial from God”. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, he said: “There are many ways people could express their grievances; people are at liberty to display their grievances through protest under democratic dispensation, but that is not the most effective way to address the problems.

The protest alone will not provide the solutions; people should turn to God, repent, seek for forgiveness and divine intervention on the challenges.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has presented a controversial condition for increasing the minimum wage to N250,000.

During a recent meeting, President Tinubu offered to meet the Labour demand for a higher minimum wage but attached the stipulation of a corresponding increase in the pump price of petrol.

Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), revealed that Tinubu’s proposal included raising the minimum wage to N250,000, provided that there would be an adjustment in the petrol pump price.

President Tinubu offers to approve N250,000 minimum wage on one condition
This proposal, according to Ajaero, was met with strong opposition from the Labour representatives.

Ajaero stated that the labor leaders deemed the condition too harsh, as it would further aggravate the existing economic difficulties faced by Nigerians.

“Accepting N70,000 was the best way to make sure that we save Nigerians from further hardship.

“At the last meeting, the President brought a proposal that ‘I will give you guys N250,000, if you allow me to equally increase the pump price of petroleum products’ and we said no that we need to go and consult.

“Today, we went there to tell him ‘no’ and that the labour movement can make sacrifices without allowing Nigerians to suffer further on the increase of pump price of petroleum products.”

US President Joe Biden has announced that he will end his candidacy for re-election, upending the race for the White House four months before Americans go to the polls in November.

The decision comes after weeks of intense pressure from fellow Democrats following a stumbling and sometimes incoherent debate performance against Republican Donald Trump at the end of June.

The 81-year-old had resisted calls to step aside even as concerns over his mental fitness and capacity to beat Trump mounted.

The announcement paves the way for another Democrat to become the party’s presidential candidate, with Vice-President Kamala Harris the most likely successor.

He will remain president until January, when the winner of the 2024 election will take office.

A court in Uganda has handed down a six-year prison sentence to 24-year-old Edward Awebwa for posting a TikTok video insulting the president and his family, ForeMediaTV is reporting.

It is reported that Edward used social media to propagate hate speech and false allegations against President Yoweri Museveni and his family.

Awebwa, known for managing the TikTok handle “Save Media Uganda,” faced justice at the Entebbe Chief Magistrate Court, where Chief Magistrate Stellah-Maris Amabilisi pronounced the sentence. His arrest stemmed from a video post targeting President Museveni, the First Lady, and their son.

In the clip, Awebwa is clearly heard uttering tribalistic statements and vulgar words that clearly disturbed the peace of the first family and his arrest doesn’t come as a surprise to many.

A Nigerian Tiktoker, Junaidu Abdullahi aka Abusalma, has been remanded in prison custody after posting a viral video calling for mass protest over hardship in the country.

Abusalma was allegedly picked by security agents on Wednesday and subsequently taken to Abuja.

Confirming the situation, Abusalma’s relative, Mustapha Hamza, said the Tiktoker is currently remanded at Kurmawa prison in Kano.

“He left home in a hurry on Wednesday morning after receiving an urgent call around 8:30am. He left without even eating breakfast. That was the last time his family saw him.We reported the matter to the police station, and they immediately made a radio call, declaring him as a missing person.

As we continued searching for his whereabouts, I received a call yesterday (Friday) around 5:30pm, with the caller informing me that Junaidu is at Kurmawa prison in Kano. He further revealed that Court 38 Zungeru Road, Kano ordered his remand & adjourned the case till after 3 weeks.

A video has surfaced online showing Nigerian military personnel publicly assaulting  a civilian for allegedly wearing camouflage. 

The video shows two soldiers, one in full military gear with a military police badge and another in plain clothes, dragging and assaulting the young man with a belt and a log of wood. 

Although the exact location and date of the incident are unknown at the time of this report, the video shows a crowd of onlookers watching helplessly as the soldiers assault the victim, who was wearing a camouflage top and trousers. 
  
The Commander of the Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, Major General O.O. Oluyede, was reached out to and he promptly condemned the brutal act, emphasizing that the Nigerian Army did not condone such barbaric behavior.

Watch video below…

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has described former American President, Donald Trump as a menace, a danger to the world, and a consummate liar.

Soyinka, in an interview with TheNews to mark his 90th birthday, Trump is not as clever as he thought he was. “But he did one thing. He studied & understood the American psyche & he knew the right chord to tweak to get them on his side, to get them to believe anything that he said. I don’t think the world has ever known such a consummate liar like Donald Trump,” he said.

Soyinka said Nigeria has had one consummate liar, but said he is just a copycat beside Trump. “We have had one here also, but he is just a copycat beside Donald Trump. If you want to find out what is going on, look at all the many lies of this fellow called Trump. So many lies.

So, let’s move on. “But Donald Trump is a m3nace, he is a danger to the world. I mean it. It is not just to America. He is a danger to the world,” Soyinka stated.

The Yoruba Youth Socio-cultural Association (YYSA) has vowed to defend the Southwest region & its heritage against all external forces that may threaten the peace, unity & development in the region.

YYSA gave the assurance following the planned protest against hardship in the country by some groups scheduled to hold in August. National President of YYSA, Olalekan Hammed & the National Secretary, Olawale Ajao in a statement on Friday in Ibadan said it had uncovered secret plans by some unscrupulous elements to take advantage of the intending nationwide protest against hardship to perpetrate evils.

According to the youths, there is a plan by the people to set major economic development facilities ablaze in the Southwest. “We have uncovered some secret plans by unscrupulous elements to take advantage of the intending nationwide protest against hardship to perpetrate evils by setting ablaze all our major economic development facilities in Southwest.

Fatima Dangote has said that Nigeria would be a better place if there were a few more men like her father, Aliko Dangote.

Fatima, who spoke at a media session hosted at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, lauded her father’s steadfast pursuit of the Nigerian dream.

She expressed admiration for his resilience and echoed a wish for more visionary leaders like him in the country, believing their collective efforts could significantly enhance Nigeria’s future.

“I have not seen anyone as hardworking as my father, sometimes I wonder how he never gives up. I wish we have a few more men like my father in Nigeria, the country will be a better place,” she said.

A retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Amina Adamu Augie has lamented the indecent dressing among female lawyers in the country, Nigerian Tribune is reporting.

Justice Augie, while speaking on Friday in Abuja at an event organised by the Nigerian Bar Association Women Forum Abuja chapter, with the theme: “Indecent Dressing: Its Effect on Female Lawyers Dress Code”, called on lawyers to see themselves as an important part of somebody else’s life.

To her, lawyers should dress in a way that inspires confidence because lawyers are supposed to be presentable when they are representing their clients.

She said, “When you come before me as a lawyer & you are not properly dressed, no one will tell you to dress well by the time you are appearing before me again because I will not give you audience & I will also talk to your Principal, why he allowed you to leave the Chambers without being properly dressed. As a lawyer, we should be disciplined, you are able to instill confidence in others.

Three Muslim clerics who are identified as Aliyu Musa, Aliyu Taiye, and Wasiu Babatunde, were arrested for allegedly exhuming the corpse of a one-year-old boy identified as Taiwo Bisiriyu and thereafter using it for ritual in Omi-if in Odigbo LGA, Ondo State.

Taiwo died on Friday, July 5, 2024, and was buried the same day, while the clerics officiated at the burial. However, the incident happened on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.

According to some residents, some of the items allegedly found in the clerics’ homes, included a pestle and a mortal, concoction, sponge, and black pot, among others.

The deceased’s guardian identified as Risikat Bisiriyu said, “The boy was ill and I took him to a Maternity Centre for treatment. He was later referred to the General Hospital in Ore. But on getting there, the boy died.

Since we are Muslims by religion, we decided to bury the boy the same day, and we invited the clerics to officiate.

Nigerian actress turned politician, Hilda Dokubo has been suspended as a member of the Labour Party at her ward in Asari Toru LGA of Rivers State.

Dokubo’s suspension was blamed on her alleged involvement in financial misconduct, ab¥se of office, & breach of party regulations, among others. Dokubo, the Labour Party’s chairperson in Rivers State was suspended on Thursday following an emergency meeting of the party’s ward executive committee held on July 15, the News Agency of Nigeria reported.

The suspension was conveyed through a letter addressed to the LP’s chairman of Asari Toru & signed by the ward Chairman, Ajalamonia Ibama; the Secretary, Lole Amacheer; and the Treasurer, Emmanuel Ibamathe. Others signatories to the letter include the Women Leader & the Publicity Secretary

The ward executives said the decision followed a thorough investigation into the allegations against the 54-year-old actress. They argued that substantial evidence had been uncovered to support their claims.

Ishaq Oloyede, registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, says some tertiary institutions in Nigeria were found to have illegally admitted candidates as young as 10 and 12.

The ministry of education earlier pegged the minimum age for university, polytechnic, & college of education admissions at 18. Oloyede, during JAMB’s policy meeting in Abuja, spoke on why it became necessary to adopt a minimum age for admissions.

He said some universities had admitted candidates as young as 12 and 10 outside JAMB’s central admission processing system (CAPS). Oloyede cited the case of a Nigerian institution he did not name and a postgraduate applicant who was looking to study in Germany.

He said the student, documented to have enrolled in the university at 12 to graduate at 15, was discovered after they attempted to pursue a postgraduate degree in Germany.

Oloyede said the European Union, whose scholarship grant the student attempted to apply for, had contacted the board to verify the student’s credentials.

A fire broke out on Thursday evening at the former Crown Paints warehouse in Coolock, Dublin, which is being prepared to house international protection applicants.

Several videos were posted on social media showing flames coming from the building with protesters outside cheering. The fire brigade said the fire had been contained within the lobby area. The site has been the scene of violence and unrest over plans to house international protection applicants in the former warehouse.

This is coming after some protesters were arrested following a series of disturbances at the former Crown Paints factory on Malahide Road, which has been earmarked for accommodating asylum seekers.

Some Irish citizens have also taken to social media using the #IrelandBelongsToTheIrish #IrelandIsFull to appeal to the government to reconsider their migration policies and stance on accommodating asylum seekers.

Gunshots had interrupted the former president as he delivered his speech, leaving him with a grazed right ear.

Describing the moments that preceded the assassination attempt, Trump attributed his survival to divine intervention.

“It was a warm, beautiful day in the early evening in Butler Township in the great commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” he began.


“Music was loudly playing, and the campaign was doing well. I went to the stage, and the crowd was cheering wildly.

“I began speaking very happily because I was discussing the great job my administration did on immigration at the southern border. Behind me and to the right was a large screen that was displaying a chart of border crossings under my leadership. The numbers were amazing.

“In order to see the chart, I started to turn to my right, and was ready to begin a further turn, which I’m lucky I didn’t, when I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me, really hard, on my right ear.


“I said to myself, ‘Wow, what was that — it can only be a bullet,’ — and moved my right hand to my ear, brought it down, and my hand was covered with blood. I immediately knew it was very serious, that we were under attack, and in one movement, proceeded to drop to the ground.

“Bullets continued to fly as very brave Secret Service agents rushed to the stage and pounced on top of me for protection. There was blood pouring everywhere, and yet, in a certain way I felt very safe, because I had God on my side.

“The amazing thing is that prior to the shot, if I had not moved my head at the very last instant, the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark, and I would not be with you tonight.

“Bullets were flying over us, yet I felt serene — but now the Secret Service agents were putting themselves in peril.”


Trump thanked the crowd for not panicking and causing a stampede.

“In fact, many of them bravely, but automatically, stood up looking for where the sniper would be, and then began pointing at him,” he said.

The former president’s speech ended the Republican convention which saw him officially accept the ticket to be the party’s presidential candidate in the November election.

Before the convention, Trump announced JD Vance, a 39-year-old senator from Ohio, as his running mate.

University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) staff and students have been thrown into mourning following the death of some bus passengers in front of the school’s gate in Ilorin, Kwara State.

According to multiple reports, the incident happened on Thursday afternoon when a bus somersaulted allegedly due to over-speeding. In a viral clip, eyewitnesses can be seen trying to rescue survivors from the crash scene as they mourn those who passed away.

A Dubai Princess, Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, appears to have asked her husband for a divorce via Instagram.

On Wednesday, July 17, Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum — the daughter of the current ruler of Dubai — shared a post on her verified Instagram account that said: “Dear Husband, As you are occupied with other companions, I hereby declare our divorce.”

“I divorce you, I divorce you, & I divorce you,” Sheikha Mahra, 30, added, seemingly referencing the Islamic practice known as triple talaq, which allows husbands to divorce their wives by saying “I divorce you” three times, according to the BBC. “Take care. Your ex-wife,” Sheikha Mahra concluded her post.

The post comes just over a year after she reportedly tied the knot with her partner Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum.

Sheikha Mahra is the daughter of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, 75, who is also vice president & prime minister of the UAE.

U.S. President Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19, according to the president and CEO of UnidosUS Janet Murguía.

The announcement came minutes after the head of a Latino union said Biden had called to apologise that he could no longer address its members because he had been diagnosed. It also comes as Biden is under growing pressure to drop his re-election bid against former President Donald Trump after a disastrous debate performance sparked concerns about his age and health.

Biden was expected to speak at the group’s conference in Las Vegas Wednesday night. “I was just on the phone with President Biden. And he shared his deep disappointment at not being able to join us this afternoon. The president has been at many events as we all know and he just tested positive for Covid,” Murguía told attendees.

Biden, 81, had been scheduled to take the stage an hour and a half prior. Confirming the development, The White House revealed the President is experiencing mild symptoms.