Alan Fisher, an Irish chef and restaurant owner based in Japan, has broken two Guinness World Records related to cooking.

This was made known in a post shared by the Guinness World Records on their X account on Tuesday.

Sharing the news, GWR said, “Nigerian cooking queen Hilda Baci has been dethroned 😳

“Alan Fisher from Ireland cooked for an incredible 119 hours and 57 minutes at his restaurant in Japan 🥄

“Alan secured the title for the longest cooking marathon (individual), setting a new record with an astonishing time of 119 hours and 57 minutes.

This achievement surpassed the previous record held by Nigerian chef Hilda Baci by over 24 hours.In addition to this, Alan also claimed the title for the longest baking marathon (individual), clocking in at 47 hours and 21 minutes, surpassing the previous record held by Wendy Sandner from the USA, who had a time of 31 hours and 16 minutes.

Alan took on both challenges consecutively, spending over 160 hours in the kitchen with just a little over a day of rest in between the two record-breaking attempts.

An actor and stunts man known for his work in Black Panther and The Avengers has died in a car crash that also k!lled three of his children, including a newborn daughter.

Taraja Ramsess, 41, was driving a car full of his children when he crashed into a broken-down tractor-trailer on a highway exit in DeKalb County, Georgia, on Halloween night, October 31, 2023.

His family members have now confirmed that Taraja’s 13-year-old daughter Sundari, 10-year-old son Kisasi, and eight-week-old daughter Fugibo have all d!ed since the crash.

Taraja and his daughters died in the crash on Tuesday night while son Kisasi was rushed to hospital.

His grandmother confirmed the 10-year-old died of his injuries four days later.

Taraja’s three-year-old daughter Shazia survived and is in the hospital recovering from minor injuries.

Another 15-year-old girl who was in the car was barely hurt.

Police confirmed that Taraja was behind the wheel when the car slammed into the trailer, but the cause of the crash remains unclear.

Taraja earned stuntman roles in Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War.

Also among his 78 listed credits on IMDb were dozens of art department roles in films like The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Fast & Furious 7.

“All who knew and met him know how special Taraja was,” His mother, Akili wrote in a heartwrenching post announcing his death.

“He had a deep capacity for love and loved his children more than all.

“He loved his martial arts, motorcycles, and all things related to filmmaking.

A new statement from the family of actor John Okafor, aka Mr Ibu, disclosed that one of his legs has been amputated to keep him alive.

News surfaced in October that the veteran actor was ill and required financial assistance to aid in his treatment.

In the statement shared on the actor’s Instagram page Monday, it was revealed the actor had undergone seven successful surgeries, including the amputation of one leg, in a bid to keep him alive.

The statement read, “Good afternoon, Nigerians. We want to appreciate everyone who has come through for our dad; saying we are grateful is an understatement, and only the good Lord can thank you all enough for every help you’ve rendered.

“As of 1 pm, noon today, Daddy has gone through 7 successful surgeries, but to keep him alive and increase his chances of recovery, one of his legs had to be amputated.

“This development has been hard on us all, but we’ve had to accept it as Daddy’s new reality to keep him alive.

“Please, we are still soliciting support from well-meaning Nigerians as, at this stage, Daddy is still very delicate, and he needs all the help he can get.

“Thank you, everyone, the Okafor family is grateful and we don’t take you for granted. In due time, Daddy will personally acknowledge everyone who supported him during this period as soon as he’s stable.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the allegation of forgery against the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah.

The court also imposed a fine of N5 million on NYSC for alleging that the corps’ discharge certificate held by Mbah was fake.

Mbah had sued the NYSC and its Director, Corps Certification, Ibrahim Muhammad, for publishing a disclaimer, denying the issuance of a discharge certificate issued to him on January 6, 2003.

But the NYSC, in its preliminary objection dated May 19 and filed May 22, sought an order dismissing or striking out the suit for want of jurisdiction and competence.

Delivering judgment on the matter on Monday, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the certificate presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by Mbah, was authentic and validly issued by the NYSC.

Ekwo added that the Director-General of the NYSC and the corps, who were defendants in the suit, were guilty of misrepresentation of material facts.

The court said Mbah, midway into his service, sought and, after receiving permission from the NYSC to attend the Nigeria Law School, was reinstated into the NYSC in 2003.

The court held that with the unchallenged evidence of the plaintiff on how the discharge certificate was issued to him in 2003 by NYSC after serving in a law firm in Lagos and the inability of the Corps to come up with counter-evidence, it was crystal clear that the plaintiff served the mandatory one-year service.

Among others, Justice Ekwo held that the onus to prove forgery allegations lies heavily on the NYSC, stating that the organisation failed in that regard.The court found that Mbah’s evidence was heavier and more believable.

The building of the High Commission of Canada to Nigeria was engulfed in flames shortly before noon on Monday, which 0could lead to a temporal collapse of the services and consultations that the office facilitates.

FCT police spokesperson Istifanus Bako confirmed to Peoples Gazette that the commission’s building on Diplomatic Drive in the Central Business District was on fire for several minutes.

He added that the situation has been successfully controlled.

The precise cause of the fire remains unknown, but the police and sister agencies are working to understand the cause of the incident.

No casualty or injury has been recorded so far, and the responders are currently ascertaining the extent of the damage.

A Magáistrate’s Court sitting in Yaba, Lagos State, on Monday, granted singer, Azeez Fashola, also known as Naira Marley, and Lagos socialite, Balogun Eletu, known as Sam Larry bail in the sum of N20m with three responsible duties.

Naira Marley, Sam Larry and two others were on October 6 arraigned and remanded over their alleged involvement in circumstances surrounding the death of a musician, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.

The magistrate, Adeola Olatunbosun told the defendants to submit their passports and ordered that they are to report weekly to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti.

“As part of the bail conditions, the defendants are to surrender their passports and make weekly appearances at the State Criminal Investigation Department,” Olatunbosun ruled.

She also warned that no one should contact her directly on the case.“Any attempts to contact me directly would be recorded and potentially disclosed in open court proceedings,” she added.

A multiple-car accident involving a tricycle (keke), a car, and a truck occurred on Monday at the Daleko link bridge inward LASPOTECH in the Isolo area of Lagos State.

This was revealed in photos shared on X by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority.

According to LASTMA, the crash was a result of the brake failure of the loaded truck.

The photos reveal how the crash left the keke badly damaged and trapped under the truck.

The car involved in the collision also sustained significant damage to its front end.

LASTMA added that no casualties were involved, adding that police officers from the Ilasa Division, along with LASTMA officers, were fully on the ground as efforts were on for evacuation.

Soldiers of the Nigerian Army operating under 81 Division have prevented a suicide attempt by one Francesca Spark who plunged into the Lagos lagoon around the Officers’ Mess in Marina, Lagos.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, on Monday, November 6.

The statement read, “The troops of 65 Battalion NA deployed at the Officers’ Mess, who sighted Mrs Spark quickly used their military riverine skills and ingenuity to rescue her.

“She was given first aid and stabilized by the battalion medical team. After stabilization, the family was contacted and she was handed over to her husband, one Mr Spark Oghene Ovie residing at Awoyaya Lagos.

“The General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Major General Muhammed Usman, also commended the soldiers for being observant, and for their ingenuity, and courage.

The GOC said he is pleased that soldiers brought their training in disaster management to salvage such a critical situation that could have claimed the life of a fellow citizen.

He added that the troops have been trained to support leading agencies during emergencies and assured residents of the Nigerian Army’s commitment to protect them and their properties even during emergencies.

The National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has smashed a syndicate of drug traffickers and peddlers run by blind men.

According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the blind run the illicit business of drug trafficking between the two most populated states of Kano and Lagos.

He said arrested by NDLEA operatives are three blind men operating an illicit drug ring between Lagos and Kano, while another blind member of the syndicate is still at large.

Babafemi said the lid was blown off the group following the arrest of a blind suspect, Adamu Hassan, 40, along Gwagwalada expressway Abuja with 12 kilogrammes of skunk on his way from Lagos to Kano on Saturday 28th October.

Investigations however established that he was totally oblivious of the content of the bag handed to him to deliver in Kano.

Follow up operations then led to the arrest of the arrowhead of the syndicate, Bello Abubakar, 45, who is also blind. In his statement, Bello who is married with five children said he has been living in Lagos for 30 years but started the illicit drug business five years ago.

Another suspect, Muktar Abubakar, 59, who is equally blind has been living in Lagos for 40 years and married to three wives with 14 children.

Both Muktar Abubakar and Bello Abubakar are joint owners of the business, while the third suspect, Akilu Amadu, 25, also blind equally contributed money to the criminal trade and was indeed the one who delivered the consignment to Adamu at the motor park in Lagos to deliver in Kano.

Another blind suspect who is the expected receiver of the consignment in Kano, Mallam Aminu is currently at large.

Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, reaffirmed his determination to change the narrative about the bank and make its policies have a more forceful effect on the populace.

Cardoso stressed that under his watch, the apex bank would focus on its core mandate of price stability, specifically curtailing the rising inflation, which has continued to distort prices.

The CBN governor gave the assurance while playing host to former Governor of the central bank, Mr. Muhammadu Sanusi II.

Cardoso had received the Impact Investing Community, led by Sanusi, who is the 14th Emir of Kano and Khalifa of the Tijaniyyah Sufi Order of Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

Cardoso expressed hope that at the end of his tenure, he would have left behind a central bank whose “policies have positively impacted people’s lives”.

Addressing the visiting team in his office, Cardoso said his team was determined to change the narrative about the apex bank and make the bank more impactful in the lives of Nigerians by curtailing inflation.

He thanked the community for visiting the CBN, stating that it represents an excellent future for Nigeria, with the potential to transform the country’s economy by tapping into the investment opportunities available across the country and the world.

Cardoso hailed the quality of leadership of the community, especially in its effort to create awareness, and build partnerships.

In a statement, Cardoso said the CBN would collaborate with the Impact Investing Community to initiate frameworks that would encourage investments as well as positively influence the lives of Nigerians, and contribute to economic growth.

Sanusi highlighted the role of the central bank in massively impacting the lives of Nigerians through its activities. He said oftentimes, people did not seem to appreciate the impact of a central bank activity until it failed.

The former CBN governor expressed concerns about the current inflation rate.

He urged the new leadership at the CBN to work persistently at driving down the rate, which he noted had severely impacted the wealth of individuals.

He also acknowledged the importance of long-term planning by the CBN in achieving its goals, stressing the need for the fiscal authorities to focus on agriculture and education, especially for the girl-child.

Sanusi pledged his continued support, along with the Impact Investing Community, to the CBN in achieving its goals.

In her remarks, Chair of the community, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, said they were at the CBN to register their willingness to support what the bank and the federal government were doing in terms of changing Nigeria’s investment climate by redirecting resources to areas where they would make the most positive impact.

Awosika said over $200 trillion was available around the globe as investment funds, with $1 trillion of it with impact investing.

She stated that the community, with a presence in over 41 countries, was willing to blend with traditional investment practitioners to make an impact in the country.

Awosika stressed the importance of social investment and sought the support of the CBN to enable the body to achieve its goal.

On his part, CBN Deputy Governor, Corporate Services Directorate, Dr. Bala Bello, underscored the importance of investment, stating that global capital is moving towards social investment.

Bello thanked the team for its support, pointing out that collaboration and effective communication are vital in successfully navigating the current challenges in the country.

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation has bagged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission 2023 Ethics and Integrity Compliance scorecard for Ministries, Department and Agencies.

Director, Communication and Public Affairs Department of NDIC, Bashir Nuhu, said this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday.

Mr Nuhu said that the assessment encompassed the measurement and monitoring of key performance indicators in categories such as management culture and structure, financial management and administrative systems.

Mr Nuhu said that the corporation excelled with a score of 91.30 per cent at the EIC which involved 404 MDAs.

He said, “The EICS report emphasises the ICPC’s commitment to mitigating abuse of office and corruption by promoting ethics and integrity benchmarks within government agencies, ultimately contributing to more effective service delivery.

“These achievements have been possible due to the corporation’s effective and ethical operational procedures aimed at instilling transparency and accountability.’’

Mr Nuhu said the corporation remained dedicated to ensuring the safety of deposits and contributing to the stability of the country’s financial system.

Some Islamic religious groups have called on Nigerians to adopt orphans and homeless children for them to attain their potential.

They made the appeal during the 2023 awareness walk with the theme “Fostering…Reviving Sunnah,” organised by Halal Children’s Home in Abuja.

President of the home, Hajiya Ramatu Abubakar emphasised the benefits of fostering less-privileged children and reintegrating them into homes.

Ms Abubakar said fostering the children would make them feel loved and guide them towards harnessing their potential, adding that the organisation had found several families and homes for some of the orphaned and vulnerable children.

“The increasing cases of orphans, we can do better. Being able to take a child into your home does not diminish your love, but increases your capacity to love, so let’s not let the fear of poverty stop us from doing what we can for these children.

“Our aim is to make them productive citizens. We rehabilitate them so that they can enter into society easily. So let us open our homes and let’s build a better future for our country,” she urged.

She also appealed to the government to make more provisions or modifications for fostering in the constitution that would allow Muslims take up such children legally.

“For the government, we would like to see a drive for making fostering more visible, each state has a different Child’s Rights Act.

“So we would like to see the provision for fostering as it is in the Islamic sense of the word because there are differences between the adoption process and the fostering.

“The fostering is what Muslims can do. A lot of Muslims do not go through the adoption process because our faith is an important part of us. So, if we can have the laws changed or modified to allow more Muslims take up these children and even the documentation should be made easier,” she advised.

In her contribution, Chief Executive Officer, Baynakum Family Counselling Centre, Abuja, Dr Abdulfattah Adeyemi, expressed concern over the increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children roaming around the streets.

“Many of these children that we see have a bright future ahead of them, only if we contribute or do something for them.

“If we allow them to roam around the streets, they can be susceptible to criminals, who may adopt them and make them carry out some criminal activities. There are people who do a lot of nefarious activities against the law and they recruit these vulnerable children on the street.

“So, we are helping ourselves as individuals and as a nation, when we carry out the responsibility. It is godly, civic and what we need now for humanity, especially in action building,” he said.

He, therefore, urged religious leaders to encourage people to adopt or foster vulnerable, orphans and street children to enable them reach their potential and contribute to national development.

“I urge religious leaders to discuss and encourage people to foster so that the humanity in us is not just to worship God and go to paradise, we should also be concerned about humanity,” he said.

Also, Public Relations Officer, Amani Muslim Women Empowerment Initiative, Naimat Akewusola, the group came to support Halal Home and sensitise the public on ways to keep the homeless children off the street.

“With this awareness, many people are now aware that they can actually foster these children and take them into their homes as this will help to reduce the number of street children in our society,” she said.

Also speaking, a consultant neurologist, Dr Saheed Alimo, commended the organisers for engaging the public not only on religious aspects, but health talks and free medical care to improve their health and wellbeing.

Mr Alimo also advised the public to engage in regular exercise, adopt a healthy lifestyle and eat well to improve their health.

No fewer than 14,481,519 pills of tramadol and bottles of codeine syrup worth over N13bn in street value have been recovered by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in three major busts of drug cartels operating in Amuwo Odofin, Idumota and the SAHCO shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State.

The anti-narcotics agency noted that the three intelligence-led operations began with the raid of House 8/10 Hon. Wahuha Avenue, Divine Estate, Ago Palace area of Amuwo Odofin on Sunday, October 29, where 490,000 pills of tramadol and 81,519 bottles of codeine syrup measuring 4, 510, 000mls were recovered.

In a similar operation on Tuesday, October 31, the NDLEA operatives swooped on a secret warehouse operated by a billionaire Idumota trader, Nwaoha Anayo, located at Onitire, Aguda area of Surulere where 12,700,000pills of tramadol were recovered.

In the same vein, at least six members of a syndicate using their official cover to facilitate the smuggling of illicit drugs through the Skyway Aviation Handling Company warehouse at the Lagos airport into the country have been arrested and 1,210,000 pills of tramadol seized from them in a painstaking operation that lasted for weeks.

The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, revealed the developments in a statement obtained by our correspondent on Sunday.

Babafemi noted that six suspects – Oladele Sanya-Olu; Lawal Itunu Temitope; Sanamo Daniel; Udeh Monday; Musa Mutalib and Unege Icibor, in relation to the illegal drug trade through SAHCO, were already in the NDLEA custody, while three other suspects – Sarki Salami; Abdullahi Aliyu (aka Aboki); and Monday Anwal, were now on the run and wanted by the NDLEA.

At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the NDLEA operatives on Sunday, October 29, intercepted another businessman, 50-year-old Nwokolo Ifeanyi, during the outward clearance of Air France flight AF 878 to Amsterdam, the Netherlands via Paris, France at the boarding gate and was body scanned.

Babafemi revealed that the result turned out to be positive for illicit drug ingestion.

He noted, “The suspect who travelled from Lagos to board the flight was subsequently kept under observation for some days during which he excreted a total of 86 pellets of heroin weighing 1.330kilograms.

“Similarly, NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, attached to courier firms on Monday, October 30, intercepted 22 parcels of cocaine concealed in the walls of a carton containing sewn local fabrics popularly called Aso Oke, heading to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,”

Meanwhile, the NDLEA operatives have arrested three blind men operating an illicit drug ring between Lagos and Kano, while another blind member of the syndicate is still at large.

The lid was blown off the group following the arrest of a blind suspect, Adamu Hassan, 40, along the Gwagwalada Expressway, Abuja with 12kgs of skunk on his way from Lagos to Kano on Saturday, October 28.

The spokesperson for the NDLEA noted that investigations, however, established that he was totally oblivious of the content of the bag handed to him to deliver in Kano.

“Follow-up operations then led to the arrest of the arrowhead of the syndicate, Bello Abubakar, 45, who is also blind. In his statement, Bello, who is married with five children, said he has been living in Lagos for 30 years but started the illicit drug business five years ago.

“Another suspect, Muktar Abubakar, 59, who is equally blind, has been living in Lagos for 40 years and married to three wives with 14 children.

Both Muktar Abubakar and Bello Abubakar are joint owners of the business, while the third suspect, Akilu Amadu, 25, also blind, equally contributes money to the criminal trade and was indeed the one who delivered the consignment to Adamu at the motor park in Lagos to deliver in Kano.

Another blind suspect who is the expected receiver of the consignment in Kano, Mallam Aminu, is currently at large,” Babafemi noted.

While operatives in Osun State on Saturday, November 4, stormed the Obada sawmill forest in Owena-Ijesa, Oriade LGA where they arrested a suspect, Monday Sylvester, 37, on a 6.01 hectares of cannabis farm which was destroyed and 489.8kgs already processed plant recovered, their colleagues in Edo State raided a trans-loading point inside Avbiosi forest, Owan West LGA where 603 kilograms of the illicit substance were seized.

Also, the NDLEA officers in Ogun State on Friday, recovered a Toyota Sienna bus from a ditch, at the Ajebo area, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

A search of the vehicle led to the seizure of 460kgs of the same substance, while a total of 116.5kgs of cannabis sativa belonging to a suspect at large were seized at Olagunju, Mushin area of Lagos.

As part of moves to curb the outbreak of Cholera in some parts of Ogun State, which has killed at least 12 people, the Ogun State Government, through the Ministry of Environment, is set to commence the verification of producers of table water and beverages in the state.

The Commissioner for Environment, Mr Ola Oresanya, according to a statement on Sunday, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting with the Table Water and Beverages Producers Association of Nigeria held at the ministry’s Conference Hall, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Oresanya said the meeting was necessary for the agency to know the registered water producers in order to fish out illegal operators in the industry.

“The state will not tolerate any factory that is not ready to follow the due process of production, because you are registered or enlisted with NAFDAC does not mean that as a state we will not follow up with your production process to ensure that due diligence is done to avert health issues that can affect the lives of people living in the state,” Oresanya noted.

He said the ministry would collaborate with NAFDAC, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment to ensure compliance with the hygienic process of production while periodic on-the-spot assessments will be done to fish out the bad eggs among the producers.

Speaking on behalf of the water producers, Mr Femi Olukoya and Lawan Shobiye assured of the association’s readiness to cooperate and support the state government in ensuring that the health and lives of the people were protected.

Operatives of the Katsina State Police Command on Saturday afternoon rescued a 40-year-old kidnap victim, Tukur Adamu, in Kankara Local Government Area of the state.

According to the police, the man was shot and wounded in his left thigh by his captors before being abandoned on the outskirts of the Masaku village in the council.

A police team on a routine patrol discovered the man, rescued him and took him to a hospital where he is currently receiving treatment.

The victim is said to hail from the Masaku village of the Kankara LGA.

He added that the state Commissioner of Police, Adamu Aliyu, commended the command’s operatives for their efforts.

The spokesman said,” On November 4, 2023, at about 1.00 p.m during a routine patrol, the command succeeded in thwarting a kidnapping attempt and rescuing one Tukur Adamu, age 40, of Masaku village, Kankara Local Government Area.

“On reaching Masaku village’s outskirts, the command’s operatives encountered a distressing kidnapping situation with the victim in a perilous situation. Without hesitation, the officers responded promptly and decisively to the situation, effectively neutralising the threat and rescuing the victim.

“The victim, who sustained a gunshot injury to his left thigh, was rushed to the hospital for immediate medical attention and is currently responding well to treatment.

“The Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Aliyu Abubakar Musa, while commending the officers for an exceptional display of gallantry, reemphasised the command’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of the people of Katsina and will continue to work diligently to ensure crime has been brought to the barest minimum in the state.

He further urges anyone with useful information related to this incident or any other criminal activity to come forward and assist in the ongoing efforts to maintain law and order in the state. Investigation is ongoing.”

A top Chinese military official has vowed to ‘show no mercy’ toward any move for Taiwan’s independence.

General Zhang Youxia of the People’s Liberation Army stated, “The Chinese military will never agree and will show no mercy, regardless of who wants to separate Taiwan from China in any form.” Mr Zhang is the vice chairman of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Military Commission.

He made these statements on Monday in Beijing at the 10th Xiangshan Forum. The two-day meeting, China’s largest annual gathering centred around military diplomacy, drew over 1,800 attendees.

Voice of America, who quoted China’s official Xinhua news agency, reported that these attendees comprised 99 official delegations, defence ministers from 19 nations, military chiefs, members of international organisations, specialists, scholars, and observers.

In what was perceived as a minor warning regarding the ban on military-to-military interactions between the US and China, the U.S. dispatched a delegate.

China reportedly sent seven ships and forty-three military planes to the self-governing island of Taiwan on Wednesday, according to AP.

This is the latest indication that Beijing will not ease up on its campaign of intimidation, threats, and harassment.

According to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, the number was accurate for the 24 hours ending at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, and 37 of the aircraft had crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line — which China no longer recognises as an unofficial border between the two countries.

Former leader of Guinea’s military government, Moussa Dadis Camara, who escaped from the central prison in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, Saturday morning, has been recaptured, according to Guinean armed forces.

Ibrahima Sory Bangoura, the chief of staff and General of the Armed Forces of the Guinean transitional government, who confirmed this in a statement, explained that Mr Camara is safe and sound and is now back in the central prison of Conakry.

According to him, two other fugitives, Col. Moussa Tiegboro Camara and Col. Blaise Gomou, have also been recaptured and taken back to the prison.

The armed forces said that all measures were being taken to find the last fugitive, Commander Claude Pivi.

In a statement released by the ministry of justice, the attorney general at the Court of Appeals in Conakry has issued instructions to initiate proceedings for serious charges against all four detainees who were exfiltrated Saturday from the central prison by an armed commando.

These detainees included Mr Camara, the former transition president, Tiegboro Camara, the former minister in charge of tackling organised crime and grand banditry at the presidency, Mr Gomou, a former member of the anti-drugs squad and Mr Pivi, the former minister responsible for presidential security.

Mr Camara launched a coup on Dec. 23, 2008, and became the leader of the military government.

He lost power in January 2010 and went into exile abroad.

He returned to Guinea in December 2021 and was subsequently accused of violently suppressing the protests that took place in Conakry on Sept. 28, 2009, resulting in the deaths of more than 150 people and more than 1,000 injuries.

Mr Camara, along with two other military officers, was detained in the prison in the Kaloum commune.

The federal government is ready to support adire, a locally-produced fabric, with some form of subsidy to enhance its production.

The minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu, disclosed this to journalists on Saturday during her visit to the Adire mall at Itoku in Abeokuta.

Mrs Edu, who also visited the fabric’s production grounds at Asero, said the government would create an industrial hub across the country to further boost revenue for market women.

She, therefore, assured market women of the government’s intention to ensure the fabric became known around the world.

This is why there is a need for government to ban the importation of foreign adire products.

“First, you must be able to push local production to meet the demand. Local production must be enhanced at all costs to meet the demand.

“When local product is enhanced, subsided and supported by government, it will automatically eliminate whatever infiltration comes into the market.

“We do not want to be selling fake adire, made-in-China adire brought into Nigeria. What we want is the local one made by our people,” the minister said.

She pointed out that this would create jobs, build the micro and macro economy and help Nigeria to be more of a manufacturing country than an importing country.

“These are the things that are affecting the exchange rates. Government will provide that subsidy for the people.

“Since we took the subsidy off fuel, we will provide it for the adire makers so that they can provide local adire that will be used and exported out of the country,” Mrs Edu said.

She appreciated Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, whom she said had promised that the state would create hubs in Abuja where the original adire would be sold.

“It is another opportunity to showcase the fabric to the world.

“Our adire is a precious fabric all over the world; people recognise and identify with it.

“So, we can build the local production and ensure that more people make money for themselves and their families,” the minister said.

The organised labour on Friday declared Wed, 8th November 2023 a nationwide strike following Monday’s manhandling of the national president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC ), Comrade Joe Ajaero in Imo State.

Ajaero was whisked away by the police at a protest on non-payment of workers by the Imo State Government in the state capital.

NLC accused the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, of conspiring with the state Commissioner of Police, Barde, to ‘abduct’ Ajaero.

On Friday, November 3, the Deputy President of NLC, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, and the deputy president of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) in a joint briefing with journalists in Abuja gave implementation of six-point demands to the federal government to avert the looming strike.

Among the demands include; “the immediate removal of the Imo State commissioner of police, area commander, and other state government officials fingered in the alleged brutalisation of Ajaero and other workers who were humiliated in the assault.

“The NLC’s Deputy President, Adeyanju Adewale, and TUC’s Deputy President, Tommy Okon, addressed the press saying;

“The NLC President was blindfolded and whisked away by security operatives in the state before intervention from the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

“He was also beaten along with other workers with his phone seized, and journalists also maltreated with evidence shrouded away from the public.”

“The Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde, should not only be investigated and redeployed but should also be held accountable for his action on Ajaero.

“The Area Commander and the other officers who supervised the brutalisation of our President and other workers in Owerri should be relieved of their office and stripped of their commission.

“Mr Nwaneri Chinasa, Adviser on Special Duties who supervised the terror on workers and brutality meted out to Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, be arrested immediately and prosecuted for his crimes against workers and the President.

“We demand an unbiased and thorough examination of the President.

Jeff Bezos is moving to low-tax Miami from Seattle, leaving the city after almost three decades as Amazon’s home state mulls a wealth tax.

Mr Bezos announced the move on his Instagram account, saying he wanted to be closer to his parents who moved to Miami, Florida, earlier this year.

Miami, which has no income or capital gains tax, has become increasingly popular among the ultra wealthy in recent years. Mr Bezos last month paid $79m for a seven-bedroom mansion on a private island near the city, known as Billionaire Bunker.

Mr Bezos’s new neighbours will include Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump and hedge fund billionaire Carl Icahn. Other nearby residents include Tom Brady, the American football star, who bought $17m waterfront property in the area three years ago.

Miami’s low taxes contrast with Seattle, Washington, where Amazon is based and Mr Bezos has lived since 1994.

The State of Washington has a 7pc tax on capital gains, introduced in 2022, and officials have proposed a 1pc wealth tax on residents with over $250m in assets. It also has one of the highest retail sales taxes in the country, at 6.5pc.

In a post on Instagram, Mr Bezos said: “Seattle has been my home since 1994 when I started Amazon out of my garage.

“I’ve lived in Seattle longer than I’ve lived anywhere else and have so many amazing memories here. As exciting as the move is, it’s an emotional decision for me.”

Mr Bezos, 59, will move back to Miami, along with fiancée Lauren Sanchez, 53. The Amazon founder lived in the city with his family as a teenager, attending high school in the city.

The billionaire’s rocket company, Blue Origin, is also relocating some of its operations to Cape Canaveral, the US rocket base in Florida.

Mr Bezos will follow his parents to Florida after they recently returned to the state. Mr Bezos’s adoptive father Mike and his mother Jackie spent $78m on two waterfront homes in Coral Gables, an upscale area in Miami, earlier this year.

Mr Bezos said: “I want to be close to my parents, and Lauren and I love Miami. Also, Blue Origin’s operations are increasingly shifting to Cape Canaveral.”

The Amazon founder has bought two adjoining properties on Billionaire Bunker, located on Indian Creek, creating a vast waterfront estate. One is worth $79m and another for $68m.

A now-deleted listing for one of the mansions reads: “Expect to live royally at America’s Billionaire Bunker.”

The more expensive of the two mansions boasts of timeless “European glamour” across its seven bedrooms and 14 bathrooms. It features a wine cellar, a home cinema and a sauna, “stately grounds”, “soaring ceilings” and “endless art walls”.

The properties are located on a private island of just 80 homes – as well as a country club and a golf course.

Florida has the fifth lowest tax burden out of all the US states, at 6.3pc of total income.

While Mr Bezos was chief executive, Amazon long faced scrutiny of its corporate tax affairs around the world. In 2021, Mr Bezos said he supported increasing US rates of corporation tax.

In a post on Instagram, Mr Bezos shared a video of Amazon’s first “office”, in his garage in Seattle. The company now boasts a vast headquarters in the city and is valued at $1.4 trillion, while Mr Bezos himself is worth $160bn, according to Bloomberg data, and owns roughly $600m worth of real estate.

Mr Bezos stepped down as chief executive in 2021 to focus on his rocket venture.

As well as a more generous tax regime, Mr Bezos is also likely to enjoy the more balmy weather in Florida, with average January lows of around 20 degrees celsius, compared to Seattle’s notoriously cold, wet and windy winter months.

With its low taxes, year-round sunshine and more golf courses than any other state, Florida has long been a playground for America’s billionaires 46 of the 400 of richest US billionaires call the state home, according to a list compiled by Forbes.

The state’s richest residents, aside from newcomer Mr Bezos, include Ken Griffin, the hedge fund and trading billionaire who owns Citadel Securities. He is worth $33bn.

Away from Indian Creek, perhaps the state’s most famous resident is Donald Trump, who along with wife Melania resides at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Palm Beach.

Technology companies have also been setting up shop around Miami. Venture capital investor Andreessen Horowitz opened its first office outside of Silicon Valley in the city in 2022.