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 At least 430,000 visas have been issued by the United Kingdom (UK) government to Nigerians seeking to study and relocate to the European nation in 2024. British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, shared this information on Wednesday during a meeting with Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), in Abuja. Montgomery assured the Federal Government of Nigeria that adequate security measures are in place for its citizens. The High Commissioner emphasised that the UK remains a safe haven despite the ongoing unrest, highlighting the country’s diverse population. He also mentioned that 60 special courts have been set up to tackle criminal activities related to the unrest. Montgomery reported that approximately 400 individuals have been arrested in connection with the violence, with the government actively pursuing justice against those inciting unrest through hatred and disinformation online. NIDCOM Chairperson Dabiri-Erewa confirm...

The Economic Community of West African States Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, has stated that the withdrawal of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso from the regional bloc will lead to unintended security consequences. In January, the three military-led West African nations announced their immediate withdrawal from ECOWAS, accusing the organisation of becoming a threat to its member states. Speaking at the 42nd ordinary session of the Committee of ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja on Wednesday, Musah stressed that their withdrawal would inevitably undermine coordination and cooperation in combating terrorism, human trafficking, and transnational organised crime. The exit of these countries from ECOWAS after almost five decades of diplomatic, political, and security cooperation will eventually generate unintended consequences on the security front. Such a withdrawal will inevitably undermine coordination and cooperation in the fight ...

Former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani says President Bola Tinubu is not the problem or solution to the challenges confronting the region although he must be held to account. Instead, Sani said northern leaders must take lessons from the recent violent uprising in the region. He suggested that the governors, religious, traditional leaders and the intellectuals of the region must converge and urgently come out with an implementable master plan to tackle the decades of endemic poverty and underdevelopment facing the region. Northern leaders must take lessons from the recent violent uprising in the region. The President must be held to account, but he is not the Problem or the Solution to the Problem,” Sani posted on X. The Governors, political, Business, religious, traditional leaders and the intellectuals of the region must converge and urgently come out with an implementable master plan to tackle the decades of endemic poverty and destitution, Illiteracy, Chronic underdevelopment, abject ...

 Julian Alvarez is set to depart Manchester City for Atletico Madrid according to widespread reports on Tuesday with the English champions set to bank a huge profit on the Argentine in a deal worth up to 95 million euros (£81 million, $104 million). The 24-year-old cost City just £14 million when he signed from River Plate in January 2022 and has since enjoyed a meteoric rise, helping Argentina to World Cup and Copa America glory, as well as winning two Premier League titles and the Champions League at club level. After initially returning to River on loan for six months, Alvarez scored 36 times in two seasons at City as Pep Guardiola’s men became the first side ever to win four consecutive English top-flight titles. However, he still had to play second fiddle to Erling Haaland for the majority of his time in Manchester. City will be compensated by a club record sale but may now be forced into the market in the final three weeks of the transfer window to find backup for the Norwegi...

President Bola Tinubu has ordered crack down on those flying Russian flag during the ongoing #endbadgovernance’ protests in the country. Gen. Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, disclosed this to journalists on Monday at the end of security council meeting with President Tinubu at the Aso Rock presidential villa. CDS Musa told journalists that the security chiefs briefed the President on the current security situation in the country during the meeting. He added that the briefing was necessitated by the ongoing nationwide protests, which resulted into violence in some states. Initially, when the protest started they said it was a peaceful protest but we have realised that there are individuals that are willing to take advantage of it to cause mayhem. And we can see clearly what has happened since it has commenced. Criminals have taken over with a lot of looting taking place, stealing and all sorts happening. He said the situation became worrisome as foreign flags were flown wi...

PHARMACEUTICAL Society of Nigeria (PSN) says it anxiously awaits genuine execution of the presidential order for zero tax on imported pharmaceutical inputs to boost local production at crashing prevailing high cost of medicines in the country. Prof Cyril Usifoh, PSN President disclosed this to newsmen in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state as fallout from weekend’s PSN National Council Meeting in the state to further deliberate on challenges facing the society and her engagement with government and other critical stakeholders. President Bola Tinubu had in June signed the executive order to introduce zero tariffs on excise duties and value added tax (VAT) on imported pharmaceutical inputs. The order listed Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), excipients, other essential raw materials required for manufacturing of crucial health products like drugs, syringes and needles, Long-lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) and Rapid Diagnostic Kits, among specific items to be affected. The PSN President said me...

Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has faulted the nationwide address by President Bola Tinubu, saying it failed to address the brutal crackdown of #EndBadGovernance protesters by security agencies. Angry Nigerians had taken to major cities across the country to lament the high cost of living, hardship, hunger, and poverty blamed on policies of the Federal Government like the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira. In the past four days, some persons were killed as the protests turned violent in some states. Worried by the situation, President Tinubu addressed Nigerians in his first nationwide speech after the demonstrations. The President called for calm, insisting that there was no going back on the subsidy removal. But in a statement on Sunday, Soyinka specifically criticised the steps reeled out by the President since the protests started. His outline of the government’s remedial action since inception, aimed at warding off just such an outbreak, will undoubtedl...

The Nigerian female basketball team, D’Tigress, made history at the Paris Olympics 2024 by qualifying for the last 8, claiming a 79-70 victory over Canada. D’Tigress became the first ever African team (Men or Women) to play in the Quarter-Finals of an Olympic games. Nigeria, three-time Women’s Afrobasket Champions faced a tough test in the North Americans ranked 5 in the world A win for the D’Tigress was non-negotiable as they hoped to put behind them the loss to France. The first quarter saw both sides jostling for ascendancy but there was nothing to separate the sides as it ended 18-18 However, the Canadian team came into the 2nd quarter with some renewed zest and ended up finishing the 2nd quarter 23-19 If there was anybody coach Rena Wakama was looking up to raise the D’Tigress spirit, it was Ezunne Kalu and she didn’t disappoint as she rallied the side in the third quarter to  end 23-5 leaders

Ogwu Chijioke was one of the hundreds of protesters who trooped to the streets in Lagos State on Thursday to join the nationwide #EndBadGovernance demonstrations over the country’s harsh economic conditions. The protester made this known at the Lekki Toll Gate area of Lagos, he narrated his struggles in making his son’s dreams of becoming a programmer a reality. I’m riding from Mile 2, Festac. My son at 13 is a programmer but I can’t even buy data for him to learn more. I can’t even pay for the tuition fees, millions of naira. At 13, he can programme games,” he said, clutching to his bicycle. My name is Ogwu Benjamin Chijioke. I would rather die on the streets than die at home. I can’t sit down and watch the future of my son go to waste. I know I may not have a future again in Nigeria but my son’s future will not be wasted. Moments later, his video went viral. You can feel the passion in his soul, social media influencer Morris Monye captioned the video shared on his X handle. He’s los...

As Nigerians stage protests across the nation to voice their concerns about economic hardship and difficulties, an unnamed man chose to go naked to protest in Lagos State on Thursday. In a viral video circulating on social media, the man could be seen naked and walking the street of Ojota, among other protesters, and singing “Solidarity forever. A nationwide protest has erupted across Nigeria, as citizens express their frustration over the country’s prevailing economic hardship. Nigerians began the #EndbadgovernanceinNigeria protest on August 1, 2024, to draw the attention of the government to the plight being faced by the masses. Our correspondent who monitored the protest in parts of Lagos, gathered that protesters defied an order obtained from a court, confining them to some areas and took to the streets, roads, and Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, in Lagos, to express their grievances. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin in a statement posted on X.com ass...

 Kenya has detected its first case of mpox, the health ministry said Wednesday, as the regional East African bloc urged caution in the face of an outbreak. The case of the viral infection was detected in a passenger at a border crossing in southern Kenya, the ministry said in a statement, adding that the person was travelling from neighbouring Uganda to Rwanda through Kenya. It followed an announcement from Burundi on July 25 of three confirmed cases, while the Democratic Democratic Republic of Congo on July 20 reported more than 11,000 suspected cases including around 450 deaths. The outbreak triggered a warning on Monday from the eight-member East African Community (EAC), which called on countries “to educate their citizens on how to protect themselves and prevent the spread of mpox”. The bloc would “convene a meeting of health experts to deliberate on the situation”, it said, without giving a date. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, was first discovered in humans in 1970 in the ...

  A curfew has been imposed in Kano Nigeria, after protests against the high cost of living were "hijacked by thugs" who engaged in widespread looting and the destruction of property. Kano saw the largest crowds on the first day of nationwide protests that forced many businesses to shut. Demonstrators in all major cities took to the streets, chanting slogans such as: “We are hungry.” Police fired live bullets and tear gas - and sprayed hot water - to try and disperse thousands of demonstrators in Kano city. Four people were wounded, and taken to hospital. Protesters had earlier set alight tyres to make a bonfire in front of the house of state governor Abba Kabir Yusuf. Looters also broke into a warehouse near the governor's house and people were seen carrying away 25-liter cartons of vegetable cooking oil and mattresses. The curfew effectively bars protests from continuing, with all residents expected to remain at home. The last census in Nigeria, in 2006, put Kano state...

One week after Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission imposed a $220 million fine on WhatsApp for a data privacy breach, the Meta-owned company may suspend its operations in the country due to further regulatory demands. Sources close to the situation indicate that Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, is contemplating withdrawing certain services from Nigeria. The FCCPC has directed WhatsApp to cease sharing user data with other Facebook companies and third parties without explicit user consent. The commission also requires WhatsApp to disclose details about its data collection practices and to enhance user control over data usage. In response, a WhatsApp spokesperson emailed TechCabal, “We want to be clear that, technically, based on the order, it would be impossible to provide WhatsApp in Nigeria or globally.” The spokesperson criticized the FCCPC’s order as flawed, asserting that it inaccurately portrays WhatsApp’s data handling and would necessitate significan...

  NATO and the European Union welcomed the release of prisoners from Russian captivity, including US nationals Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich. European Council chief Charles Michel heralded the release of the 16 individuals unjustly jailed by the Russian regime, responding to the news on his official X account.   Michel thanked those in Europe who “helped to make the diplomatic deal possible,” outlining the EU’s commitment to continue “supporting and standing for all those illegally detained in Russia and elsewhere. A NATO spokesperson also commended the efforts of several NATO allies who helped to broker “the deal that secured their freedom.”  A photo released by the US government shows Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva and former US Marine Paul Whelan posing behind an American flag in Turkey shortly after they were released as part of the historic prisoner swap between Russia, the US and other nations.

  The End Bad Governance protest in Katsina, Katsina state on Thursday did not end peacefully, as no fewer than thirty people were injured, one dead and fifty miscreants arrested. Aliyu Abubakar Musa, the state Police Commissioner who disclosed to newsmen that those arrested would be profiled and thoroughly scrutinized, as anyone found culpable would face the full wrath of the law. According to the state police boss, the Nationwide mass protest in Katsina was relatively calm as the protest has been contained. No lost of life was recorded, however, fifty suspected miscreants/hoodlums were arrested. Meanwhile, at the Modoji Axis of the state capital, one personnel of the Civil Defence Corps lost his life while performing his statutory duties. A source at the scene said the corps Officer fell off the vehicle and another one trampled on his head that led to his death. Similarly, during the face-off with the ‘Endbadgovernment’ protesters, other security personnel sustained various degre...

The Police Command in Niger has nabbed eleven violent protesters for allegedly attempting to set ablaze Tafa Local Government Secretariat during the nationwide protests. The Command’s spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed in Minna on Thursday that the hoodlums partially burnt part of the secretariat and looted valuable items. He explained that some miscreants from the Tafa area of Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State and Hayin-Diko of Gurara Council Area of Niger stormed the secretariat located in Sabon-Wuse along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway. Abiodun said the hoodlums vandalised and partially set ablaze the secretariat, burnt two vehicles as well as vandalised two others. He said the hoodlums went further to loot valuables inside offices in the secretariat, adding that in the process, police and other security agencies responded to the scene.

  A mother known as “Eucharia Okpalannadi” whose three-year-old daughter was reportedly defiled by her father has called on relevant authorities to assist her in ensuring that she gets justice for the child. Eucharia also alleged a threat to life by her husband, Magnus Okpalannadi, for exposing his suspected defilement of their daughter in Onitsha, Anambra State. The mother, a native of Amesi in Aguata Local Government Area of the state said she got married to Magnus Okpalannadi who hails from Achina in the same LGA about 26 years ago. She narrated her ordeal before the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, in Awka, on Saturday. She said, “We have five children, four girls and one boy who happens to be the twin to the defiled child. I had dismissed my daughter’s initial complaints of sexual abuse by the father as a mere joke until the baby became persistent. The three-year-old daughter had complained that her daddy had been touching her private parts...

A Total of 6,900 Boko Haram fighters from among the over 200,000 surrendered terrorists in the custody of the Borno State government will undergo transitional justice. Borno State Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo who stated this also disclosed that over 80,000 of those in custody are innocent men and women used by the terrorists as slaves to farm for them. Transitional justice is a peace-building mechanism that seeks to address severe atrocities and end recurring cycles of violent conflict through a range of responses, including restitution, reconciliation, prosecution, and amnesty. Hajiya Gambo made the revelation during the conclusion of the best practice dissemination and learning programme organised by the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, held on Tuesday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. A total of 200,000 Boko Haram terrorists and their families have thus far surrendered to the state government since the mass surrender be...

Former US president Donald Trump has agreed to meet with the FBI for a victim interview about this month’s assassination attempt. Providing an update on the status of the probe into the July 13 shooting, Federal Bureau of Investigation officials said they have still not determined a motive for the attack by the 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks. They said Crooks, who was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper after firing eight shots during Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, appeared to be a Loner and they have not identified any co-conspirators. FBI special agent Kevin Rojek said the interview with Trump will be a standard victim interview like we would do for any other victim of a crime under any other circumstances, we want to get his perspective on what he observed FBI officials said they have interviewed dozens of people who knew or interacted with Crooks, including family members, co-workers, former teachers, classmates and others. The FBI officials said Crooks...

A mother has become the first person to be jailed under Australia’s forced marriage laws, for ordering her daughter to wed a man who would later murder the 21-year-old. Sakina Muhammad Jan, who is in her late 40s, was found guilty of coercing Ruqia Haidari to marry 26-year-old Mohammad Ali Halimi in 2019, in exchange for a small payment. Six weeks after the nuptials, Halimi killed his new bride - a crime for which he is now serving a life sentence. On Monday, Jan - who pleaded not guilty - was sentenced to at least a year in jail, for what a judge called the “intolerable pressure” she had placed on her daughter. Forced marriage laws were introduced in Australia in 2013 and carry a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment. There are several cases pending, but Jan is the first person to be sentenced for the offence. Jan was sentenced to three years in jail, but may be released after 12 months to serve the rest of her sentence in the community. she sat in the court dock and told her la...

The ninth edition of the popular reality TV show, Big Brother Naija, BBNaija, kicked off on Sunday night with 14 pairs of 28 housemates who will give viewers premium entertainment for the next 71 days. Among the first set of housemates to enter the house include Chinwe and Zion who go by the pair name Zinwe, followed by the duo of Sooj and Topher, DJ Flow and Ruthie, Chinne and Nne, a niece and her aunt who are known as Ndi Nne. Others were Femi and Michky, who are known as Radicals, Shaun and Victoria also known as Shatoria, Wanni and Handi, an identical twins and DJs from Kaduna State. We also have Ben and Tjay known as Betta, Toby Forge and Mayor Frosh aka Streeze, Kassia and Kelkyrae, Chizuba and Onyeka, Neita , Damilola and her partner known as Tami among others. This year, we have four identical twins in the house, the Mbadiwe twins and DJ twins from Kaduna, Wanni and Handi. The housemates are full of life, promising nothing but full drama and entertainment, This year’s season wh...

Manchester United have appointed another first-team coach, Andreas Georgson. The Red Devils disclosed this in a statement on their website ahead of their pre-season friendly clash with Arsenal on Saturday. Georgson is the latest addition to Man United manager, Erik Ten Hag’s staff this summer. He will work alongside fellow first-team coaches Steve McClaren and Darren Fletcher in the refreshed set-up. The 42-year-old joined the Premier League giants from Norwegian side Lillestrom, where he has been head coach since January of this year. He has extensive coaching experience in England, having worked at Brentford, Arsenal and Southampton in the past. Recall that Man United had earlier this month confirmed that Rene Hake and Ruud van Nistelrooy had joined the club, as first-team assistant managers. Jelle ten Rouwelaar has also come on board as a gaolkeeping coach.

Detectives from the Oko-oba Division of the Lagos State Police Command have busted a child trafficking ring, rescuing a two-month-old baby and arresting five individuals involved in the crime. The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this in a statement released on Saturday. Hundeyin revealed that the operation was launched following a report filed by the distressed mother of the abducted infant, who said that one Gloria Sunday absconded with her son on July 11, 2024. The statement partly read, “Detectives swung into action, which led to the arrest of Gloria Sunday, who, during interrogation, confessed to selling the baby for ₦500,000 to one Pastor Peter Udoh ‘m’. “Pastor Udoh, who was subsequently arrested in Ikene Town, Ogun State, admitted reselling the child for One Million, Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (₦1,450,000) to one Loretta Nelson (f) who was then also apprehended in Festac Town, Lagos. She confessed to selling the baby for two million, three hund...

The opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics began Friday, an unprecedented and ambitious show with up to 7,000 athletes parading down the River Seine past the historic monuments of the French capital despite the risk of rain dampening spirits. For the first time in Olympic history, the opening ceremony is taking place outside the main stadium, with some 300,000 people watching in person from specially built stands on the river banks, and another 200,000 from overlooking balconies and apartments. As tradition dictates, the Greek delegation had the honour of leading out the flotilla, as the cradle of the modern Olympic movement. In an ambitious, high-risk departure from past opening ceremonies, the athletes will sail down the river in an armada of 85 boats. The show will blend both French culture and history and great Olympic moments of the past while US pop star Lady Gaga wowed the crowd of VIPS and spectators with an early performance in the ceremony 

An Iraqi judoka has tested positive for banned anabolic steroids at the Paris Olympics, the International Testing Agency announced on Friday – the first positive doping test at the Games. The ITA said a sample collected from Sajjad Sehen had “returned an adverse analytical finding for the non-specified prohibited substances methandienone and boldenone”. Both drugs are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The sample was collected by the ITA during an out-of-competition anti-doping control on Tuesday in Paris, with the result reported by the WADA-accredited laboratory of Paris on Thursday. The 28-year-old first-time Olympian had been due to compete next week in the men’s 81-kilogram class. The ITA statement said the athlete had been provisionally suspended until the resolution of the matter. “This means that the athlete is prevented from competing, training, coaching, or participating in any activity during the Olympic Games Paris 2024,” it said The manager of Iraq’s delegation, Herda...

Barack Obama has endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic presidential nominee, ending days of speculation over whether he would support her. Former President Obama and ex-First Lady Michelle Obama said in a joint statement that they believe Ms Harris has the "vision, the character, and the strength that this critical moment demands". Mr Obama was reportedly among more than 100 prominent Democrats Ms Harris spoke to after President Joe Biden announced last Sunday he was dropping out of the race. In a statement at the time, Mr Obama praised Mr Biden's exit, but stopped short of endorsing Ms Harris. The US vice-president has already secured the support of a majority of Democratic delegates, setting her on course to become the official nominee at the party convention in August. The Obamas said in Friday's statement that they could not be "more thrilled to endorse" Ms Harris. They vowed to do "everything we can" to elect her. We agree...

  An explosion, suspected to be caused by a planted Improvised Explosive Device, has occurred in Buni Yadi market in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State. According to a news report a resident of Buni, Ali Hassan said that the incident happened at around 12.30pm on Friday, injuring a girl. The name of the girl and her current state of health has yet to be known The spokesman of the Sector 2 Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Muhammad Shehu also confirmed the incident, saying another IED planted in the market was discovered and successfully defused by the Army. He further explained that the only victim of the explosion is currently receiving treatment at one of the health facilities in Buni Yadi. He stressed the incident was a planted IED and not a suicide bombing incident. Buni Yadi, located 54 kilometres from Damaturu, the state capital, was the most severely affected local government area in Yobe State during the two years it was under Boko Haram insurgent control...

The Muslim Rights Concern has called for the ban of the yet-to-be-released movie where popular actress Nancy Isime and other actresses wore purdah, an Islamic full covering popularly called the Niqab, and brandished dangerous weapons. Getty image  The group described the movie as ‘satanic’, adding that it depicts Muslim women as criminals and incites the public against them, The call was made in a statement signed by the Executive Director, MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Thursday. The statement read, “An extremely anti-Muslim film has been released into the Nigerian movie industry. The upcoming film, which was recently unveiled by Nancy Isime, shows women in purdah brandishing dangerous weapons and robbing banks. It is Islamophobia taken to the highest level. This film is satanic, repugnant, and provocative. Getty Image It is aimed at portraying Muslim women as criminals with a violent proclivity. The film is capable of inciting the public against Muslim women. It may also exp...