World News

My father never recovered from NDLEA ordeal – Baba Suwe’s son

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Adebowale, the son of a late comic actor, Babatunde Omidina, aka Baba Suwe, on Tuesday, said his father did not recover from what he suffered in the hands of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency after he was accused of peddling drugs in 2011, which turned out to be false.
The actor died on Monday at his house in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State after battling a sickness. He was aged 63.
Adebowale, in a viral video on Monday, accused family members and friends of neglecting the veteran actor while he battled the illness.
However, while speaking at the residence on Tuesday, he apologised for making the video, saying he did not mean to disrespect anyone.

Speaking on his father’s sickness, Adebowale said the illness started after the NDLEA ordeal.
He said, “My father was a lovely person. Whenever I showed him his videos, he would start laughing and sometimes burst into tears and ask if it was him and if he would ever act again and I would console and assure him that he would act again, just to make him happy.
“I can’t really say this was the cause of my father’s sickness, but since his matter with the NDLEA, my dad was not himself; he used to think about his wife and he used to think about us too because he still told me a few days ago that he was not sure if he would be with us for long and I told him that he would be with us.”

Narrating Baba Suwe’s last moments, Adebowale said he was in the gym on Monday when he was called that his father was not breathing well.
“I asked them to call a nurse to treat him and when I got home, I went to his room, talked to him; he was trying to talk to me, but he could not.
“He was taking his first drip when I got home and when he was taking the second drip, I went out to wash my kits. I was washing my kits when my mum came to tell me that my dad was dead. I had to ask her if she was joking because I just left him about five minutes ago; I rushed to his room and found out that he was dead.
“I was in shock and had to make a short video and because of the shock, I didn’t know what I was doing at that moment, so I posted it on my WhatsApp status and from there it went viral.
“I was surprised that within five minutes, the video had gone viral. What I have to say is that I’m sorry; I appeal to family members that I never meant it that way because I’m still young, but the shock affected me.”
The Governor of the Lagos State chapter of the Theatre Arts and Motion Picture Practitioners’ Association of Nigeria, Olufunmilayo Oyewunmi, while also speaking at the residence of the deceased on Tuesday, described him as a hero.
The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a statement, described Baba Suwe as a man who used his gift to advance the course of mankind.

He noted that his death had left a vacuum in the entertainment industry.
Meanwhile, another son of the deceased, Adesola Omidina, has stated that the actor will be buried on Thursday at his house in Ikorodu, Lagos State.

World News

Four black men wrongly charged with raping white girl exonerated 72 years after

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Four black men who were wrongly charged and convicted for allegedly raping a 17-year-old white girl, have been officially exonerated and cleared of the charges after 72 years.

Prosecutors said the case against the men, who all died before it was re-examined by Florida officials, “lacked due process and would not be tried today.”

The accused, Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd and Ernest Thomas, came to be known as the Groveland Four.

Background

On July 16, 1949, a 17-year-old white woman and her estranged husband had reported to the police in Lake County, Florida, that the four men had stopped to help with a broken down car when they forcefully abducted the woman from the car and raped her.

Following the accusations, Thomas was killed by a mob after he fled Lake County, while the other three were charged to court and convicted by an all-white jury.

While Irvin and Shepherd were sentenced to death, Greenlee was jailed for life.

Black human rights lawyers repeatedly appealed the convictions to the Supreme Court, but their appeals were unanimously overturned, with a lower court instructed to order a retrial.

In 1951, while being transported for a pretrial hearing towards the retrial, a Lake County Sheriff, claiming self-defence, shot and killed, Shepherd while Irvin was seriously injured.

At the pretrial hearing, Irvin and Greenlee were convicted again with Greenlee sentenced to life in prison, while Irvin had his original death sentence commuted to life.

Irvin was granted parole in 1968 and died a year later; Greenlee, who was 16 when he was charged, was paroled in 1962 and died in 2012 at the age of 78.

Investigators later obtained information from Jesse Hunter, the state attorney who prosecuted the case, which suggested Hunter and the judge who presided over the 1951 retrial knew that the alleged rape never happened.

In April 2017, the state of Florida issued an official apology to the families of the Groveland Four.

In the motion filed in October, 2021, to clear all four men of the charges, Bill Gladson, state attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit, had written:

“Given these facts today, no fair-minded prosecutor would even consider filing these charges and no reasonable jury would convict.

“The evidence strongly suggests that the sheriff, the judge, and the prosecutor all but ensured guilty verdicts in this case.

“These officials, disguised as keepers of the peace and masquerading as ministers of justice, disregarded their oaths, and set in motion a series of events that forever destroyed these men, their families, and a community.

“I have not witnessed a more complete breakdown of the criminal justice system, nor do I ever expect I will again.”

World News

Lagos #EndSARS report is fake news, tales by moonlight – Lai Mohammed

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Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohamed, has dismissed the EndSARS report submitted by the Lagos judicial panel of inquiry on restitution for victims of SARS related abuses and other matters as an “intimidation of the majority by a minority”.

Mohammed in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, claimed the report did not follow the evidence at hand.

According to him, the Lagos Judicial panel shockingly compiled and submitted allegations made by Nigerians.

The nine-member panel had in its leaked report indicted soldiers and policemen for shooting, killing and maiming protesters at the Lekki toll gate on October 20, 2020.

However, the minister described the allegations as “tales by moonlight” riddled with so many errors, inconsistencies, discrepancies, speculations, innuendos, omissions, and conclusions that are not supported by evidence

The statement reads in part: “There’s absolutely nothing in the report that is circulating to make us change our minds that there was a massacre in Lekki on October 20, 2020.

“Without mincing words, let me say that never in the history of any Judicial Panel in this country has its report been riddled with so many errors, inconsistencies, discrepancies, speculations, innuendos, omissions, and conclusions that are not supported by evidence. What is circulating in public space is simply a rehash of the unverified fake news that has been playing on social media since the incident of October.

“It is simply incredible that a Judicial Panel set up to investigate an incident has submitted a report laden with allegations, the same allegations it was set up to investigate in the first instance. Instead of sitting for all of one year, the panel could have just compiled social media ‘tales by the moonlight’ on the incident and submitted, saving taxpayers’ funds and everyone’s time. That report is nothing but the triumph of fake news and the intimidation of a silent majority by a vociferous lynch mob.”

Lai Mohammed noted that the report of the panel in circulation cannot be relied upon because its authenticity is in doubt, adding that the Lagos State Government, being the convening authority, is yet to release any official report to the public.

“The cowardly leakage of an unsigned report to the public is not enough. Assuming the report in circulation bears any iota of genuineness, it is basic knowledge that the report of such a panel is of no force until the convening authority issues a White Paper and Gazette on it. It is therefore too premature for any person or entity to seek to castigate the Federal Government and its agencies or officials based on such an unofficial and invalidated report,” he said.

World News

I charge N30 to offload 1 bag of cement – Handsome young man shows off his ‘urgent 2k’ hustle

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A young Nigerian man identified as Olayiwola Rasheed Olawumi, has shown that there is great dignity in whatever labour one does.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, November 18, the handsome man shared photos of the kind of work he does as he said it is how he hustles for survival.

Olayiwola revealed that he carries bags of cement and charges N30 to offload one. He also said that at the construction site he recently worked, he made N900.

Sharing photos of himself at work, the man wrote;

Hustling for my urgent 2k.. 30NGN per bag for offload. I managed to offload 30bags to 3 storey building and I collect my 900NGN. We muuveeee…..”

Lifestyle, World News

OUR MCM FOR TODAY IS TAYO FANIRAN

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Akintayo Faniran is a famous Reality Star, who was born on March 18, 1986 in Nigeria. Model who rocketed to fame competing on the ninth season of Big Brother Africa. According to Astrologers, Akintayo Faniran’s zodiac sign is Pisces.

He has one son, Akintoye Jayden Faniran.

Akintayo is one of the richest Reality Star & listed on most popular Reality Star. Akintayo Faniran net worth is approximately $1.5 Million. He has become an ambassador for institutions like INEC and PayPorte.

  • Tayo Faniran

According to our records, Akintayo Faniran is possibily single & has not been previously engaged. As of June 2021, Akintayo Faniran’s is not dating anyone.

World News

Matawalle reopens Zamfara livestock markets after 83 days

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The Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, on Friday ordered the re-opening of markets earlier shut in the state.

The governor ordered the closure of the market on August 28 in a bid to check the worsening insecurity in Zamfara.

He gave the directive during the inauguration of political appointees in Gusau, the state capital.

The appointees are two new commissioners, 10 Special Advisers, eight Permanent Secretaries, and a new Auditor-General for the state.

The governor listed the markets as the livestock outlets in Gummi, Bagega, Danjibga, Kasuwar Daji, Tsafe, Talata-Mafara, and Nasarawar Godel.

He said the decision to reopen the markets was informed by the improvement in the security situation in the state in the last one month.

He said the state government was also concerned with the hardship the total closure had inflicted on the state’s economy.

Matawalle, however, warned citizens against taking laws into their hands under whatever guise.

He said: “Nobody is allowed to take the laws into his or her hands even in an obvious breach.

“Government will no longer take it kindly with any person or group killing people wantonly in market places as it obtained in the past.

“Anybody caught breaking this rule will face the appropriate wrath of the law.

“I call on vigilance groups and concerned individuals to follow the rule of law and due process in addressing any issue that might arise in such situations.”

World News

Man arrested for selling 130 women in Afghanistan

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The Taliban have arrested a man for allegedly selling about 130 women in northern Afghanistan after duping them into believing they would be marrying into money.

The development was disclosed on Tuesday by the Taliban provincial police chief, Damullah Seraj, who told reporters that the man was arrested in northern Jawzjan province late on Monday.

“We are still in our initial stages of the investigation. We hope to find out more about this case later,” he said.

The district police chief in the Jawzjan area of the country, Mohammad Sardar Mubariz, told newsmen that the suspect, whose name was not mentioned normally targets poor women desperate to improve their circumstances.

According to him, after saying he would find them a wealthy husband, the suspect would move them to a different province where they were instead sold into servitude.

Mubariz said the suspect allegedly trafficked around 130 women this way.

Since the return of the Taliban into power about three months ago, they have claimed to be making efforts to contain the spate of crimes such as robberies and kidnappings in the big cities.

On Tuesday, the Taliban interior ministry said 60 people — including members of the passport department — were arrested for forging documents to obtain passports.

The ministry said it was temporarily closing the passport office in Kabul for maintenance.

Lifestyle, Politics, World News

Gunmen assassinate retired Airforce general and his physiotherapist in Kaduna.

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Gunmen suspected to be assassins have killed a former director of medical training operation, at the Defence headquarters, Air Vice Marshal M. M. Maisaka (Rtd) at his residence in Rigasa, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
 
It was gathered that the deceased was shot dead alongside his physiotherapist (also a NAF personnel) on Monday night, November 8. 

 
The deceased’s son and brother-in-law Saleh Bala, confirmed the news on the social media on Tuesday. 

 
 “Innalillahi wa innailaihir raijun…pls say a prayer for my Dad (Air vice marshal maisaka). He was assassinated at his residence yesterday (Monday) alongside his orderly” the son wrote. 
 
It was learnt that the late Airforce General was one of the finest neurologists in the country before he took ill sometimes ago, and travelled to India to seek for medical attention before returning to the country two months ago.
 
According to Nigerian Tribune, a family source who pleaded for anonymity disclosed that his killing might not be unconnected with the ongoing banditry in the country where he was seen in his community as a shield.

 
“Yes you know our community has been subjected to series of attacks by the bandits. But while he was alive he tried his best to thwart their onslaught on several occasions. They were not happy,” the source said.
 
Reports revealed that a threat message was sent to him about two weeks ago, and the content of the message revealed that he was going to be killed Monday night.
 
The threat message was reported to the police and other security operatives.

 
Meanwhile, the late officer’s brother-in-law took to Facebook to narrate how the incident happened. Read below: 
 

”AVM Mohammed Maisaka (Rtd) murdered.
 
May Allah keep ahead of Nigeria’s affairs and our lives. Yesterday late evening, armed men arrived my brother in-law’s house AVM Mohammed Maisaka (Rtd) at Rigasa, Kaduna, met him in the living room with his wife, my sister Inno and shot him to death.
 
They had first gone to the boys quarters and picked his physiotherapist (also a NAF personal), who they forced to lead them into the main house. In the commotion they also shot the physio to death. Certainly a case of a planned murder.
 
They responded to my sister’s plea to them to also take her life by telling her that they did not have a problem with her, and just casually left the house without picking a thing or threatening anyone further. Maisaka had been paralyzed from a medic condition for about 3 years and had been in rehabilitation until his murder yesterday.
 
Whoever is responsible for this must have held a long grudge against him, because Maisaka has long not been in circulation, but only about and between treatment abroad, convalescent at home or at a local hospital for evaluations or emergency care. Allah knows best. May his shahada (martyrdom) grant him Jannah. Ameen!
 
Maisaka was one time Director of the Nigerian Air Force Medical Services, and an ABU Teaching Hospital lecturer of Internal Medicine, who helped in producing hundreds of doctors across Nigeria and abroad.
 
In spite family opposition, he built and was running a private hospital in the densely populated Rigasa community, as his typical character for social work. He refused in spite his privileges of social status to live outside the community where he also built his retirement home. Our family has lost. Nigeria has lost, indeed. ”

Politics, World News

INEC declares Anambra gov election inconclusive, fixes Nov 9 for supplementary poll in Ihiala

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The Returning Officer of the Anambra State governorship election, Professor Florence Obi, has said that a supplementary election will hold in 362 polling units in Ihiala Local Government Area on Tuesday, November 9.
Citing the constitution, Prof. Obi noted that election had to take place in those polling units for the election to be conclusive.
She noted that election did not take place in Ihiala because there were reports of insecurity in the area.
Meanwhile, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, leads with a total vote of 103, 946

The final result is as follows:
A – 1793
AA – 76
AAC- 580
ADC – 313
ADP – 743
APC – 42942
APGA – 103946
APM – 288
APP – 133
BP- 173
LP- 2697
NNPP – 111
NRM – 207
PDP – 51322
PRP – 428
SDP – 782
YPP – 20917
ZLP – 2070.
Total valid votes: 229521
Rejected votes: 7841
Total votes cast: 237362

World News

Panic in Addis Ababa, govt declares statewide emergency, as Tigray rebels advance

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Residents of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, have been thrown into panic after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced a nationwide state of emergency on Wednesday, and ordered them to prepare to defend their neighbourhoods amid fears that Tigrayan rebels were heading for the capital.

In a statement released Wednesday, Abiy accused the rebel alliance of trying to turn Ethiopia into Libya and Syria, adding:

“They are set to destroy a country – not to build it.”

He also urged citizens to support the war effort, saying:

“Victory over the threat posed by our enemies is unattainable if we do not work together.”

The nationwide state of emergency was declared by the government as a measure that came after several days of reported advances by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebel group, which is locked in a brutal year-long war against Ahmed’s government.

The state of emergency is aimed to protect civilians from atrocities being committed by the terrorist TPLF group in several parts of the country,” state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported.

We do not want the fate of Dessie here in Addis Ababa. Some insurgents have entered the capital. We need to identify them, otherwise, I do not doubt that what happened in Dessie will happen in Debre Berhan and Addis Ababa,” it added.

“These people are eating and drinking with us and they are enemies of Ethiopia and they need to be dismissed and to do that, all of us need to cooperate with the state of emergency accordingly.”

Possible restrictions, going by the terms of the law, include a curfew, road closures and searches of “anyone suspected of collaborating with terror groups”, according to Fana.

Meanwhile, an Oromo group allied with Tigrayan fighters has announced that Addis Ababa could be overrun by rebels within “months if not weeks”, as they advance southwards.

Odaa Tarbii, spokesman for OLA, which has also claimed recent advances in Amhara and in the Oromia region surrounding Addis Ababa, said his group intended to topple Abiy’s government, calling his removal “a foregone conclusion”.

“If things continue in the current trajectory, then we are talking about a matter of months if not weeks,” he said, referring to OLA’s move on Addis Ababa.

Lifestyle, World News

TBT with Normani @normani

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Normani Kordei Hamilton born May 31, 1996) is an African-American/Indian-American/French-American singer, dancer and model. She is a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, alongside Lauren Jauregui, Ally Brooke, Dinah Jane, and formerly, Camila Cabello. Normani is a Mezzo-Soprano with 4 octaves and 3 notes and the third-youngest out of the original members.

Hamilton has been singing and dancing since four years old. Her main musical influences are Aretha Franklin, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, and Jennifer Hudson. She considered herself as a singer of Soul and Gospel until she was incorporated in a girl group. Hamilton has won a number awards and honors. Before The X Factor she competed in the Miss Texas and made ​​it to the final but decided to audition for The X Factor. During the program she had a great friendship with Arin Ray. There have been many rumors about a romantic relationship between the two, but both of them have denied. This has caused a conflict with the show and Simon Cowell. Hamilton also played the role of Bryn in a short film called “Book,” which deals with bullying and social prejudice. “There’s definitely a lot of pressure on us, being part of the team of Simon Cowell, because he is one of the most respected search engine talent in the world,” says Hamilton. “The fact that they believe in our potential as a group is a great achievement.” Hamilton has modeled for brands such as Target and has also made ​​appearances on the catwalk.
Normani says she’s a very shy and private person, but when it comes to perform on stage she’s a different person, “She (Beyoncé) says that she’s a very shy person, when she’s Beyoncé but when she gets on stage she’s Sasha Fierce. So when I’m on stage I pretend like I’m Beyoncé”. She does not like social media, due to her being private in real life.

Like most of the other girls, Normani’s first bootcamp wasn’t shown. Therefore, it is unknown what she had sung, until a fan revealed on Twitter that she sang “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys — Lauren Jauregui’s audition song. Normani sang What Makes You Beautiful against Arin Ray. Throughout this time, the two showed mild affection. The judges enjoyed both of their performances. Particularly Demi, who thought Normani was great. She was eliminated but then placed in Fifth Harmony.

Outside of Fifth Harmony, Normani has demonstrated her talents as a solo artist by releasing several covers to SoundCloud and YouTube for her fans; Say It by Tory Lanez, Fake Love / Sneakin’ by Drake and Don’t Touch My Hair / Cranes in the Sky by Solange Knowles. Alongside this, before she auditioned for the X Factor, she released a video cover to YouTube of Beyoncé’s Best Thing I Never Had. She has also appeared in dance videos by the group’s choreographer, Sean Bankhead.
Normani released her debut single, “Love Lies” with Khalid from the Love, Simon soundtrack on 14 February 2018, making her the last of the group to release a solo single. The song reached over 50 million Spotify streams in less than a month, and debuted at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as entering the top forty in the UK. The song’s music video has also been successful, making it onto YouTube’s trending page and reaching over ten million views in several weeks. These statistics collectively name “Love Lies” the most successful Fifth Harmony solo single as of March 2018.
In April 2018, it was announced that Normani had signed to Keep Cool/RCA Records for her solo debut studio album. Normani confirmed she was working on an upcoming music collaboration with Missy Elliott. In May 2018, it was announced that she signed to a modeling contract with Wilhelmina. Over the next few months, Billboard confirmed Normani was collaborating with Calvin Harris and Kehlani. In August 2018, Normani was featured on Jessie Reyez’s remix of her song “Body Count” alongside Kehlani. She then featured with Davido on the song “Swing” from Quavo’s album Quavo Huncho (2018).

World News

Invaders of Justice Odili’s home on assassination mission – Supreme Court

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The Supreme Court claimed on Tuesday the security agents who invaded the Abuja home of Justice Mary Odili, wife of former governor of Rivers State, Peter, were on a mission to either kill or maim her.

Security agents comprising soldiers and police operatives had on Friday night laid siege on the Justice’s home in the Maitama area of Abuja over alleged illegal activities in the building.

The security agents, who went to the building with a search warrant, left one hour later when they didn’t find anything incriminating at the place.

In a statement signed by the Director of Press and Information, Festus Akande, the apex court noted that the invasion of Justice Odili’s house was a reflection of a war situation and “appeared like a mission to kill or maim her.”

The statement read: “We are alarmed with the news of the unwarranted and despicable raid on the official residence of one of our senior justices in the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Mary Peter Odili, JSC, CFR, on Friday, October 29, 2021, in a Gestapo manner.

The raid, unfortunately, depicted a gory picture of war by some armed persons suspected to be security operatives representing different agencies of government, who seemed to have come to kill and maim their target under the guise of undertaking a search whose warrant was questionable and baseless.

We are deeply saddened and taken aback by this uncivilized and shameful show of primitive force on an innocent judicial officer that has so far spent several years of her productive life serving the country she calls her own.

“The judiciary deserves respect as the third arm of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and should be respected and treated as such.

“We have had a full dosage of this fusillade of unwarranted and unprovoked attacks on our judicial officers and even facilities across the country and we say it loudly now that enough is enough.

“There have emerged discordant tunes from the various security agencies that allegedly participated in the dastardly act.

The Nigerian judiciary cannot only bark, but can also bite.

“This incident brought back, rather painfully, the ugly memory of the October 2016 midnight invasion of the homes of our respected justices with no satisfactory explanations as to the true motive behind such brazen assault on our collective sensibility.

“We call on the Inspector-General of Police of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to rise up to the occasion by carrying out a discreet investigation and make his findings known to the Nigerian public with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice as quickly as possible.

“We can no longer be treated with disdain and levity. The rule of law and constitutionality must govern our conduct so that we can tag along with the comity of nations and be taken seriously too.”

World News

Tonga imposes lockdown days after reporting first ever Covid-19 case

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Days after discovering its first ever Covid-19 case since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, South Pacific island nation of Tonga has imposed a nationwide lockdown on Tuesday.

The Tongan government ordered a weeklong lockdown for the main island Tongatapu, which includes an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew with residents told to stop work and stay inside their homes for all but essential reasons, according to the island’s health ministry.

According to the directives, “public transport will be halted, restaurants, bars and clubs will close, schools and churches will also shut their doors and social distancing will be enforced.”

The restrictions, according to residents, may sound heavy handed for a nation with only one confirmed Covid case, but until a few days ago, Tonga was one of only a small number of countries not to report a single Covid infection since the virus was detected in late 2019.

Tonga is a Polynesian country of more than 170 South Pacific islands and home to about 100,000 people. It’s a remote archipelago that lies about 800 kilometers (497 miles) east of Fiji and 2,380 kilometers (1,480 miles) from New Zealand.

Like other Pacific island nations, Tonga’s early actions in declaring a state of emergency in March 2020 and shutting its borders to foreign nationals protected it from Covid outbreaks that could have devastated the country.

The single case was discovered when a passenger who had traveled from New Zealand tested positive last Wednesday, spurring thousands of people to get vaccinated and prompted warnings from officials to expect pandemic restrictions.

The infected traveler arrived in Tonga having flown from Christchurch on a repatriation flight, according to New Zealand’s Health Ministry. The passenger was fully vaccinated, had tested negative in New Zealand prior to the flight’s departure, and was discovered among travelers staying at a hotel used for managed isolation and quarantine for new arrivals into the country.

“It could be due to this person being fully vaccinated and the virus is struggling to grow, or this person had contracted Covid-19 before,” said Ministry of Health chief executive Siale ‘Akau’ola, according to local media Matangi Tonga.

It’s better we just identify it as positive now and go into lockdown as a precaution, rather than to regret it later when its too late,” ‘Akau’ola added.

World News

N’Korean leader,Jong Un, orders starving citizens to eat less food until 2025

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North Korea has warned its citizens that they must expect to eat less food until the country re-opens its border with China in 2025.

Its leader, Kim Jong Un, known for strict and peculiar antics for the country gave the directive, which is already seen as far from normal.

Although food shortages are already affecting North Koreans, the country’s leader told its citizens to tighten their belts for at least another three years.

According to reports, citizens of the Asian country have already complained that shortages would make it difficult to see themselves through the winter, let alone multiple years.

The country had closed its border with China in January 2020 as a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus.

However, the action is having a serious impact on the nation’s economy – with prices of everyday goods rising sharply as demand outstripped supply.

But despite the current hardships the North Korean people are facing, their leader Kim has continued to push the idea of self-reliance since this year.

Authorities in the country had blamed external factors for their food shortages, citing sanctions imposed on them, natural disasters, and the global coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, reports have it that residents of the city of Sinuiju, said they have been warned that the chances of reopening the border with China before 2025 were slim.

‘The food situation right now is already clearly an emergency, and the people are struggling with shortages. When the authorities tell them that they need to conserve and consume less food until 2025… they can do nothing but feel great despair,” a report by Daily Mail quoted them to have said.

This message was further encouraged in July when the Central Committee instructed the public to begin growing their crops in anticipation of shortages.

However, with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimating that North Korea is short around 860,000 tons of food this year, the Sinuiju residents said contempt is growing among the people.

The continued sanctions and blockade on the DPRK, severe natural disasters that hit the country every year and the protracted world health crisis since 2020 are main obstacles to the Government’s efforts to achieve the sustainable development of the country and improve the people’s livelihood,” an FAO report read.

Last year, North Korea suffered severe flooding which damaged vital crops and left hundreds of families without homes. This year, crops were also damaged by droughts and subsequent flooding.

In August, heavy rains in northeastern North Korea destroyed or flooded 1,170 houses and forced 5,000 residents to evacuate to safety, North Korea’s state TV reported.

The downpour in South Hamgyong Province washed away hundreds of hectares of farmlands and destroyed many bridges. Footage showed houses submerged up to their red-brick roofs, a severed bridge over muddy water, and a swollen river.

World News

Mali gives ECOWAS representative 72 hours to leave country

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The Malian government has declared the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Special Representative, Hamidou Boly, a “persona non grata” and gave him 72 hours to leave the country.

A statement said on Monday the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation invited Boly and informed him about the government’s decision to declare him a persona non grata over actions that were considered “incompatible with his status.”

The statement read: “This decision comes after several warnings addressed to the person concerned through his hierarchy.

“The Malian government reaffirmed its readiness to maintain dialogue with ECOWAS and to work together for the success of the transition.

The Malian authorities took the decision after a United Nations Security Council mission visited the landlocked West African nation on October 23 and October 24 to assess the political situation following the August 2020 coup.

ECOWAS had urged the Malian government to respect the 18 months deadline for the transition programme.

The Ghanaian President, Nana Akuffo-Addo, visited Bamako on October 17 to discuss with the Malian authorities the “evolution” of the transition programme.

World News

Coup in Sudan, Prime minister, other govt officials arrested

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Military forces have taken over the government of Sudan in what appears as a coup, as the Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok was arrested and moved to an unknown location on Monday.

Some other members of the government were reported to have also been placed under arrest, the country’s information ministry revealed.

After he refused to be a part of the coup, a force from the army detained Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and took him to an unidentified location,” the ministry said in a statement.

More details coming…

Lifestyle, World News

Students and members of staff of the University of Ibadan have been thrown into mourning following the sudden deaths of two undergraduates of the institution within 24 hours.

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One of the victims, Adegoke Adedayo, a final-year student of the Department of History, was shot dead during a robbery close to the UI/Bodija Road.

The incident was said to have happened in the early hours of Sunday.

Also, a 200-level student of the Department of Microbiology Faculty of Science, Ayomide Adeyemo, was knocked down by a vehicle while crossing the road close to the school’s main gate.

The Director of Communication of the university, Tunji Oladejo, who confirmed the robbery incident, said the police had started investigation.

He said, “The matter has been reported to the Bodija Police Division. The Oyo State Police Command is conducting a discreet investigation on the sad development. The body of the late student is with the University College Hospital for autopsy.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, Adewale Osifeso, did not respond to inquiries from our correspondents.

The President-elect of the UI Students’ Union Government, Yinka Adewole, said efforts to save Adedayo proved abortive.

“The Dean and Deputy Dean, Students Affairs, University of Ibadan, Head of Department of History and the security unit of the university made several efforts to ensure that the student survived, but he died.

“We (SUG) are planning to organise prayers and sensitisation on safety tips for students.

The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Oluwole Olusegun, said the agency received a report that suspected robbers shot somebody around the Preboye area between 7pm and 8pm.

He said, “Around 9pm the same day, another person was shot at the Civic Centre area by the same set of gang. Our men are investigating the cases.”

Meanwhile, the outgoing SUG President, Olusegun Akeju, said the remains of Adedayo were buried on Monday.

Akeju called for a thorough investigation into the killing of the final-year student, adding that security agencies should beef up security around Agbowo and other areas where students of the university staying off-campus lived.

He said, “We buried him this evening (Monday). We also met with the DPO in charge of the area and we demanded credible investigation into the incident and they said they had already started investigating it.

“We have also met with representatives of the government to make sure that the case is not swept under the carpet. What is also more important is that we want them to beef up security around UI and its environment.”

World News

US billionaire, Michael Saylor, tells Buhari to buy $2bn bitcoin to end starvation

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Microstrategy founder, Michael Saylor, says Nigerian government needs to adopt bitcoin and invest billions of dollars if President Muhammadu Buhari-led admininstration wants to end starvation within the country.

Saylor said to fix Nigeria, the country needs to buy $2 billion or $3 billion worth of bitcoin and issue currency backed by the cryptocurrency. His advise comes nine months after the country’s central bank banned cryptocurrency exchanges and crypto bank dealings.

Ripples Nigeria had reported in February that the central bank governor, Godwin Emefiele, said bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are used to sponsor terrorism and aid money laundering.

Saylor, whose company holds 114,042 bitcoins bought for $3.16 billion, but now worth $7.01 billion (based on current price) said in a video reported on Tuesday, that bitcoin is the solution to stop people from starving to death.

The billionaire worth $2.6 billion, said, “You wanna fix your country like Nigeria, or Zimbabwe? The way you fix your country is you buy $2 billion, $3 billion worth of bitcoin and you issue currency backed by the bitcoin.

That is the bitcoin standard. And every one of your citizens stops starving to death. And they live a decent life.” Saylor said in the video.

Globally, only one country, El Salvador, has adopted bitcoin as a national currency, with a number of nations, like Nigeria and China, preferring to issue their own government-backed digital asset.

The CBDC enables government to regulate the digital currency and monitor transactions done with the virtual coin, unlike bitcoin which ensures privacy from third party due to its decentralisation mode.

Nigeria has developed its CBDC called eNaira. It was scheduled for launch on October 1, but has been postponed till further notice by the central bank.

Although Nigerians still trade bitcoin through the peer-to-peer model, but they can’t use their bank accounts for deposit, as banks have been directed by Emefiele to shutdown crypto-related accounts.

World News

Former US Secretary of State, Collin Powell dies at 84

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Former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell has died of Covid-19 complications.

Powell’s family announced his death in a statement on Monday, October 18, 2021.

“General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from Covid 19.

“We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American,” the family said, noting he was fully vaccinated.

He was a former top military officer who rose to become the first African-American secretary of state in 2001 under Republican President George W Bush.

Powell was 84.

Lifestyle, World News

OUR MCM FOR TODAY IS OXLADE

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Ikuforiji Olaitan Abdulrahman who is professionally known as Oxlade is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He was born on the 22nd of April, 1997, and hails from Ekpe, Lagos State, Nigeria, and was born and raised in Mushin, Lagos State.

As a child, he had a flair for music and started out as a church singer right from the age of 10. His father didn’t approve of that career path but he continued regardless. He later gained admission to study History and International relations at Lagos State University, (LASU). He forfeited the degree halfway in pursuit of a career in music and this action didn’t sit well with his father as he stopped catering for him after he left school for music. In 2017, he started singing professionally and uploaded his first record on Soundcloud that same year, 2017.

  • Oxlade

The stage name ‘Oxlade’ was given to him by his grandfather, who lost his best friend (A British man) the day he was born and hence gave him the name for a memorial. In his JSS 3, he selected ‘Oxlade’ as his official stage name.

He got his first breakthrough after his collaboration with Blaqbonez ‘Mamiwota’ dropped. He was already getting tired and almost giving up. After the song dropped, Blaqbonez encouraged him to open a Twitter account which he did, and was surprised with the level of support and endorsement he got due to the Mamiwota record.

His first biggest crowd/stage he performed in was in Davido’s concert in 2018 at the O2 Arena. He also performed at Wizkid’s concert in October 2019, at the O2 Arena.

Drake also shared a screenshot on his Instagram story on the 7th of November, 2020 showing that he is listening to ‘Away’.

Oxlade’s net worth is estimated at $75,000. He makes his money off royalties from his songs on music streaming platforms, from performing in shows, endorsements, and for features.

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