people
Twitter pushes back on ban by Nigerian government
Micro blogging social platform, Twitter, has pushed back on ban by the Federal Government. It described it as brazen affront on citizens fundamental human rights and advised its users and other social media platforms in the country to download virtual private networks (VPNs) to enable them continue to use the platforms for their economic survival and social and political engagements while the “push back on this draconian order by the Nigerian government.” In a statement, Twitter said: “Today, the 4th of June 2021, the Federal Government of Nigeria announced its suspension of Twitter operations, that the application can be used as a platform for activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence. “Many Nigerians read the announcement of the ban on Twitter as a reflection of the...
Xavi explains why he has snubbed Barcelona managerial job twice
Xavi has been explaining why two offers from Barcelona to become their next manager were snubbed. The Liga giants have sounded out a familiar face on a couple of occasions in recent years when finding themselves in need of inspiration from the dugout. Both approaches have been knocked back, with a club legend who continues to cut his coaching teeth in Qatar with Al Sadd not yet of the opinion that the time is right to retrace his steps to Camp Nou. Discussing his decision to reject two advances from Catalunya, Xavi has told La Vanguardia: “Fortunately or unfortunately I have said no to Barcelona twice, due to different circumstances, family, professional, contractual… “And of course it was very difficult because I am a Barcelona fan, but it was not the [right] time.” The World Cup winner a...
Soldiers ‘kill’ DSS operative inside hotel in Ekiti
File Photo Tragedy struck in Ado Ekiti on Friday evening as soldiers numbering three allegedly killed an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS) inside a hotel. The incident occurred at about 7.30pm at a hotel located along NTA road in Ado Ekiti where one of the soldiers was alleged to have stabbed the DSS operative. The dead victim was said to have been stabbed on the neck and bled profusely, leading to his death. It was gathered that the incident happened as a result of a hot argument between the soldiers and the DSS staff, after they arrested a man suspected to be an ICT fraudster inside the hostel. The source said: “As the soldiers who were inside the hotel had stopped the young man they suspected to be a ‘yahoo boy’ and interrogating him, the young man saw the DSS operativ...
Bulgaria to set up its own ‘blacklist’ after U.S. graft sanctions
Bulgaria will set up its own “blacklist” of companies and people associated with three Bulgarians and 64 entities that the United States has imposed sanctions on over alleged corruption, preventing state dealings with them, the interim government said late on Friday. The United States this week blocked assets and cut off access to its financial system to former lawmaker and media mogul Delyan Peevski, government official Ilko Zhelyazkov and fugitive gambling tycoon Vassil Bozhkov. The interim government, in office until a July 11 parliamentary election, is setting up a group of financial and interior ministry officials as well as tax and intelligence officers to identify and list people and entities associated with those under U.S. sanctions. State administrations and companies with state ...
Ex-soldiers: We trained 4,400 IPOB militias after Nnamdi Kanu promised us rank of General in Biafra Republic
Operatives of the Force Intelligence Response Team have arrested three dismissed soldiers, who allegedly partook in the training of 4,400 members of the Eastern Security Network for the Indigenous People of Biafra. The suspects have been identified as Linus Owalo, Godswill Steven and Chinasa Orji. They were arrested recently after operatives of the IRT, while following a tip-off from some members of IPOB, raided the group’s hideouts in Imo, Anambra and Delta States and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. ESN is the armed wing of the POB. IPOB and ESN have been accused by the police of being responsible for the attacks and killings of security operatives as well as burning of police stations and government infrastructure across the South East and South South regions of the country. IPOB a...
Kwara governor: Let’s fight terrorism, poverty, not ourselves
Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara has called on Nigerians to unite in the fight against terrorism, banditry and mass poverty. AbdulRazaq made the appeal at the closing ceremony of 2 Division Inter-Brigade Corporals and Below Competition 2021, at the Sobi Barack Ilorin on Friday. The governor described these challenges as “our common enemies” and urged citizens to stop seeing one another as enemies. According to him, these are elements bent on terrorising the people and tearing the nation apart. He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his patience and support for the security agencies to discharge their duties as well as commitment to national peace and security. “The security agencies, particularly the military will continue to symbolise the unity of the people and the strength of t...
President Buhari orders IGP to reduce insecurity to barest minimum
President Muhammadu Buhari, has ordered Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to ensure insecurity is reduced to the barest minimum. This is even as the Police Council made up of the President, Vice President, governors, ministers of Police Affairs, Interior and the Federal Capital Territory, confirmed Baba as the IGP. Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi, who confirmed the development at the end of the one and half hours meeting, said he was unanimously confirmed. President Buhari had on April 6, appointed Baba as acting the Inspector General of Police. Baba was a Deputy Inspector General of Police before his promotion. Briefing State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting held at the First Lady Conference Room, the main purpose of the meeting was to “get the appo...
IMF, World Bank urge G7 to release surplus vaccines
The heads of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank on Thursday urged the Group of Seven advanced economies to release any excess COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries as soon as possible, and called on manufacturers to ramp up production. In a joint statement to the G7, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank President David Malpass also called on governments, pharmaceutical companies and groups involved in vaccine procurement to boost transparency about contracting, financing and deliveries. “Distributing vaccines more widely is both an urgent economic necessity and a moral imperative,” they said. “The coronavirus pandemic will not end until everyone has access to vaccines, including people in developing countries.” Malpass and Georgieva will meet in person ...
TB Joshua: Let us dedicate June 12th to prayer and fasting
Prominent Nigerian Pastor TB Joshua has revealed he will not be holding a public celebration for his incoming 58th birthday on June 12th 2021, calling for the day to be dedicated to “prayer and fasting”. “As you know, I am a man of the people. So, the wound of one is the wound of all,” Joshua stated in a televised message posted to his multiple social media accounts. “As things stand, you may have realised it will not be easy for me to celebrate my birthday under the present circumstances,” he continued, adding that many who wanted to visit Nigeria for the occasion “are troubled by the situation all over the world”. “We see their fear and their worry. I feel their pain; I feel their worry,” the cleric, who is the founder of The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos, compassiona...
Minister: We’ve used 98 percent of coronavirus vaccine in FCT
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello, has said his administration had used 98 per cent of the COVID-19 vaccines allocated to the territory. Bello made the disclosure shortly after he took the second jab of COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday in Abuja. The jab was administered on him alongside the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, and the acting Secretary, FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr Mohammed Kawu. He expressed delight over the reduction in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the FCT, and urged health workers to strive to ensure that residents were protected against the virus. The minister admonished FCT residents to avail themselves of any opportunity that was brought forward to them to be vaccinated. “Unless we get a substant...
House member accuses military of extrajudicial killings, looting in Imo
A member of the House of Representatives, Bede Eke, has said men of the Nigerian Army and the police are carrying out extrajudicial killings and displacement of people in Imo State following the recent killing of a former presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak. Mr Gulak, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was killed by unknown gunmen on May 30 while on his way to Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri, en route Abuja. According to the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, Mr Gulak was consulting for the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review, which he (Omo-Agege) heads. The police said Mr Gulak’s killers were subsequently killed in a gun battle. Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Mr Eke, who represents Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala Federal Constituency of Imo State, alleged tha...
Nigerian government kicks as Twitter deletes President Buhari’s tweet
The Federal Government has kicked against Twitter that on Wednesday deleted President Muhammadu Buhari’s tweet that spoke of treating people in the “language they understand.” The Presidency questioned the role of Twitter in the secessionist agitation in the South-East following the social media’s deletion of a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari evoking the memories of the civil war to threaten “those misbehaving” in the region. The president had said in his series of tweets on his handle @mbuhari on Tuesday: “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.” Twitter has now deleted th...
