Lifestyle, World News

London-based church, SPAC Nation owned by flamboyant Nigerian Pastor Tobi Adegboyega closed down by UK government over fraud allegations.

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A London-based church group, Salvation Proclaimer Ministries Limited (SPAC Nation) owned by flamboyant Nigerian Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, has been ordered to shut down their operations after failing to properly account for more than £1.87m of outgoings, and operating with lack of transparency.

SPAC Nation which was incorporated in 2012 to advance Christianity, was wound up in a High Court on 9 June 2022 before Judge Burton, government agency The Insolvency Service announced on Friday June 17.

The enquiries found that SPAC Nation failed to comply or only partially complied with statuary requirements, such as providing data to support claimed donations and accounting records in support of £1.87 million of expenditure.

In the two years to 31st December 2019, the company’s financial statements set out £610,000 of rent, despite not having a single base of its own as they would hire venues across London to hold services.

Investigators also interviewed one of the company’s directors, Adedapo Olugbenga Adegboyega, also known as Pastor Dapo, who claimed the church group had over 2,000 members and 200 ordained ministers and pastors. However, he failed to provide information to support these claims.

The court concluded that the church, once hailed by UK politicians as a beacon of hope for ex-gang members, operated with a lack of transparency, filed suspicious or incorrect accounts, and was insolvent at the time of the hearing.

Edna Okhiria, chief investigator for the Insolvency Service, said:

“While SPAC Nation claimed it had noble intentions to support vulnerable and young people, our enquiries uncovered a different side of the charity.

“There were clear concerns around how the church group managed its affairs and SPAC Nation failed to properly account for income received from donations and other expenditure.

“The court recognised the severity of SPAC Nation’s actions and this sends a strong message that proper records and accounts must be maintained, even if you’re a charity.”

Though an organisation can be forced to adminstratively close and cease to exist under that name on the Companies House register, companies can appear under a different name and this has previously been known to happen.

SPAC Nation rebranded as Nxtion Family in June 2020, a month after head pastor Tobi Adeboyega announced he was stepping down as leader, though he has remained at the helm of the organisation.

World News

WTO Nears Deals on Vaccines, Fisheries in Final Hours of Talks.

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The world’s top trade ministers neared major agreements on reduction of fishery subsidies and a loosening of vaccine-production limits Thursday evening after marathon talks in Geneva, which a day earlier looked destined for failure.

If finalised after days of talks, the package would break the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) seven-year negotiating drought and avert a damaging impasse for the organisation.
The WTO has struggled to gain its footing after four years of attacks under former President Donald Trump, a pandemic, strained supply chains and Russia’s war with Ukraine, a Bloomberg report said.

The possible outcome, described by an official involved in the latest talks, emerged after an all-night negotiating session at the WTO’s headquarters on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Bloomberg reported that it may provide a sufficient basis for the WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to claim negotiating success after just over a year on the job.

If approved by consensus before the closing ceremonies, the pacts could put new momentum behind the WTO and its ability to govern the $28 trillion global trading system.
“On the march at the WTO for that final agreement at MC12… getting closer,” European Union Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis tweeted, referring to the WTO’s 12th ministerial meeting, which started Sunday and was extended a day to avoid an impasse.

Among the surprising turnarounds was India’s embrace of a unified approach, after several days of threatening to hold a hard line even if it meant the talks collapsed.
“There was a lot of understanding amongst each other. There was a lot of sensitivity to each other’s concerns and needs,” Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told reporters Thursday.
“In the true spirit that embodies world trade , in that spirit that the outcomes of the MC12 are being watched by the world as a signal that the multilateral order is not broken,” it added.

Trade ministers will give their final consideration to a deal to water down the WTO’s intellectual-property protections for Covid-19 vaccines — a key agreement that Okonjo-Iweala said was necessary to end the “morally unacceptable” inequity of vaccine access in poorer nations.

The WTO’s trade and health package also includes commitments to help ease the transportation and distribution of vaccines across borders.
WTO members are also poised to agree to a scaled-down agreement to curb harmful government fishing subsidies, fulfilling a key 2015 United Nations sustainability target aimed at slowing the rapid depletion of global fish stocks.

The package would also temporarily extend the WTO’s 24-year-old moratorium on e-commerce tariffs until March 31, 2023. There were fears that if the 1998 accord lapsed this week, it could it could open a new regulatory can of worms that could result in cross-border tariffs on Amazon.com purchases, Netflix movies, Apple music, and Sony PlayStation games.

Ministers were expected to give their final assessments of the package at a WTO heads of delegation meeting yesterday evening. The package is not guaranteed and there may be further changes because the WTO’s consensus principle permits any member to reject any agreement for any reason.

Ministers from more than 100 countries were meeting at the global trade watchdog’s headquarters in Geneva this week for the first time in more than four years to thrash out new trade rules — a feat many doubt in an era of high geopolitical tensions.

The body’s 164 members must all agree for new global trade rules to be passed, meaning that one member can block deals.

Politics, World News

Lawan: Yobe APC Senatorial Candidate Machina Goes Into Hiding for Fear of Harm.

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The senatorial candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yobe North, Hon. Bashir Machina has gone into hiding to safe himself from possible body harm.

Machina, was elected as the candidate of the party after the incumbent, Senate President Ahmad Lawan decided to contest the presidential ticket of the party instead of seeking to re-contest his senate seat.

Lawan was subsequently defeated by Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and is believed to be interested in dragging the ticket back from Machina, who has been adamant, insisting that he would not entertain anything of such.

Informed political sources revealed that pressures has continued to mount on Machina to give the ticket to Lawan who has been at the National Assembly since the resumption of the present democracy in 1999.

The argument from within and outside Yobe State is that Lawan stands a chance of being returned as the Senate President in 2023 and getting better bargain for the people of the Northeast state.

Sources revealed that as the pressure continues to mount, Machina for fear that his stand not to relinquish the ticket may assume dangerous dimension has gone into hiding.

Confirming this, is a statement issued on Thursday by the candidate’s campaign organisation.

The statement signed by Hussaini Isah, the Spokesman, Bashir Sheriff Machina (BSM) Campaign Organisation read: “Information at the disposal of Bashir Machina Campaign Organisation is that there is security threat to the senatorial candidate of APC for Yobe North, Hon. Bashir Sheriff Machina especially in relation to his refusal to relinquish his legally acquired ticket.

“Credible sources confirmed that some people want him arrested or at worst eliminated. They have resorted to employing diabolical means over unlawful means, in pressurising him to step down.

“We use this opportunity to notify the security agencies of this threat or likely breach of security around our senatorial candidate, we believe the security agencies will rise up to the occasion and take the threat seriously.”

The statement added that: “As Campaign Organisation, we warned that the people behind his ordeal in the last four days should be held responsible if any mishap happens to him. By this notice, we are putting everybody on red alert.”

Politics, World News

Ekiti Governorate: Federal High Court denies firing APC candidate.

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Federal High Court authorities have refuted media reports that one of its judges, Inyang Ekwo, disqualified All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate Biodun Oyebanji from the Ekiti state gubernatorial election. .

The gubernatorial election in Ekiti state is scheduled for Saturday, June 18.

“Such a report is unfounded, highly malicious and is intended not only to mislead members of the public, but also to cause tension,” the court’s chief information officer, Catherine Christopher, said Thursday night.

The statement further discredited the existence of such a case before Mr. Ekwo or any other court judge.

“The Federal Superior Court hereby discredits the existence of any such case in its entire jurisdiction and indeed the injunction as alleged.

“The court categorically states that there has been no such case before the Hon. justice IE Ekwo.

“It is worrying that some media professionals are quick to give false information to the public for their own selfish interests, and thus unduly heat up politics,” the court’s leadership lamented.

“This spurious report sold to the public is very unfortunate and unacceptable. It should be totally ignored,” the statement advises.

He advised journalists to imbibe ethical values ​​of “professionalism and truth” in their reporting on issues.

Some news platforms reported on Thursday that the Abuja Federal High Court annulled the APC gubernatorial primary election in Ekiti state for alleged irregularities that characterized the process.

But APC in Ekiti state had previously criticized the report insisting that Biodun Oyebamiji, who emerged as the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the primary election, was still their candidate in Saturday’s election.
The party urged its supporters to ignore any reports to the contrary.

World News

UNICEF returns 1.3m girls to school in Northern Nigeria.

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The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, says it has returned 1.3 million girls to school in Northern Nigeria.

This is out of the estimated 13 million out-of-school children in the last 11 years, since the implementation of the different interventions, especially the Girl Education Project, GEP3.

The Senior Education Manager of UNICEF Field Office in Kano, Micheal Banda, who made this known during a 3-day Media Dialogue on Girls’ Education in Katsina State, said out of the number, over 300,000 girls have been enrolled back to school in Katsina State alone.

Politics, World News

Ekiti Election: We Are Ready, BVAS Will Perform Optimally – INEC

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INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, gave the assurance on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

He revealed that over 980,000 residents have been captured in the commission’s voters’ register but less than 200,000 of the figure were expected at the polling units.

“As of today, we have a total of 988,923 voters on the voters’ register,” Okoye said. “This is the number that will vote during this governorship election.

“Out of this number, as of the 13th day of June 2022, 749,065 have collected their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs). So, we are ready for this particular election and every PVC that has not been collected will be mopped up and kept in safe custody pending the conclusion of the election.”

He recounted that the chairman of the electoral umpire had hinted that the collection of PVCs by residents would stop on Thursday.

Optimum Operation

The INEC official explained that this was to allow the commission the opportunity to separate the PVCs collected in order of the respective polling units, registration areas, per local government areas.

He believes such an action will enable accredited observers, the media, and political parties among other stakeholders to have access to the number of persons who are eligible to vote in every polling unit and every registration area.

Okoye also hinted that the commission has concluded arrangements to ensure voters were not delayed unnecessarily due to accreditation in a bid to cast their ballots.

According to him, INEC has deployed more Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the exercise compared to the number of polling units where the election will take place.

“In any polling unit where we have more than 750 registered voters, we are going to deploy an additional BVAS to those polling areas,” the INEC national commissioner said. “We have a total of 2,445 polling units that will be used for this election, but we have deployed a total of 3,346 BVAS to Ekiti State. So, we are going to have redundancies in every registration area.

“We have also trained enough registration area technical assistants who can intervene at very short notice if there is any challenge with the BVAS. From the test runs we have done, we are confident that the BVAS will perform optimally and that every person who is genuinely and legally registered to vote in this election will have an opportunity of exercising his/her right.”

Lifestyle, World News

9 killed, 11 injured in Gombe road accident.

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The Gombe State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Thursday, June 16, confirmed the death of nine persons in a road accident. 

The Sector Commander, Felix Theman, said the accident occurred at the Bomala junction on the Gombe southern bye-pass at about 8pm, on Wednesday, June 15, as a result of brake failure from a trailer conveying gallons of vegetable oil.

Theman said 20 persons were involved in the accident with nine confirmed dead and 11 others sustaining varying degrees of injuries. 

He said the injured victims were evacuated to the Gombe Specialists Hospital and the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe (FTHG) for treatment. 

The sector commander advised drivers against speeding, especially in overcrowded areas, saying the speed limit within the metropolis must not exceed 40 kilometre per hour. 

Meanwhile, the driver of the trailer truck, Babayaro Muhammad, who survived, said he lost control of the truck when the break of the vehicle failed. 

Babayaro said because of the darkness of the night he could not ascertain the number of vehicles he ran into.

“The break failed and I lost control of the truck and ran into several vehicles,” he said.

World News

Ondo church massacre: Olowo of Owo joins Ogun worshippers to invoke curses on perpetrators .

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The Olowo of Owo Kingdom,Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III on Thursday afternoon, June 16,  joined the ‘god of iron’ (Ogun) worshipers to invoke curses on the terrorists who killed worshippers at St Francis Catholic Church, Owo.

At least 38 worshippers were gruesomely murdered by the terrorists who attacked the church on June 5, 20222. 

The brief event saw the worshipers, Olowo and other ‘ogun’ enthusiasts ditching out ancestral curses on the perpetrators with the staunch belief that in no distant time nemesis will catch up with them.

Pictures and video clips show Olowo moving to the site of invocation with Chief Dada Aderobagun, the Olu Ode of Owo Kingdom performing the rituals that preceeds raining of curses on the evil doers.

The Special Assistant Media to the Olowo of Owo, Mr Sam Adewale, explained that the attack on 127 worshippers necessitated the invocation of Ogun curses on perpetrators of the gruesome attack on Owo community. 

Politics, World News

Kidnapped Plateau CAN chairman Rev. Kanyoma regains freedom.

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hairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau state, North Central Nigeria Rev. James Kantoma who was kidnapped by gunmen have regained his freedom.

Kantoma who doubles as the Catholic priest in charge of St Anthony’s Parish in Jos East LGA was kidnapped at his church compound in Angware community, in the early hours of Monday when gunmen invaded the community.

Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria Plateau North Rev. Nenman Gowan who confirmed the release on Thursday in Jos said the Priest is in stable condition but undergoing treatment and rehabilitation after suffering varying degrees of traumatic experience.

He did not however mention if any ransom was paid before the release of the Catholic Priest.

The abductors had earlier on demanded 50 Million Naira as ransom.

Politics, World News

2023 Elections: Atiku Announces Okowa As Running Mate

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The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, has announced Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate.

Atiku made the announcement at a meeting attended by PDP executives at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, said a 17-member committee had been set up by the party to pick a running mate.

He said the committee had submitted three names to Atiku to choose from.

The final decision however, Ayu said, was Atiku’s.

Speaking at the announcement event, Atiku said making a choice between the three names had been a difficult decision.

He also noted that some of the qualities he looked out for include someone who understands the enormity of the challenges facing the country and one who has demonstrated, from experience, that he can proffer some solutions.

He said he looked out for one who has the qualities of a president, who can stand in for him when he’s not around.

According to him, while all the three names submitted were qualified, he had to settle for just one: Okowa.

‘Congratulations’
Okowa had arrived the PDP headquarters in a celebratory mood.

Some party members welcomed him into the building with the words ‘congratulations’.

Okowa and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, were among names being mentioned as prospective running mates to the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

‘Distinguished’ Wike

Earlier, the PDP had denied reports that it had ruled out Wike from the Vice Presidential race.

“If anything, our Party reiterates its confidence in Governor Nyesom Wikes’s outstanding ability and commitment to the ideals and values of the PDP,” a statement signed by spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba, said.

“His records of achievement as a Local Government Chairman, Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Governor, Minister of State for Education, currently Governor of Rivers State and the runner-up in the PDP Presidential Primary stand him out as possessing requisite qualities, qualifications, capacity and wide acceptability for the position of the Vice-Presidential candidate of our Party.

“The various positions creditably held by Governor Nyesom Wike distinguished him as an excellent team player in public governance.

“In fact, Governor Wike’s energy, brilliance, commitment and passion were acknowledged by the National Working Committee (NWC) of our Party and he is adjudged as the foremost candidate in consideration for the position of the Vice-Presidential candidate of the PDP.

“While the PDP notes the interest of the media and the public in our Party’s choice of Vice-Presidential candidate it is imperative to state that as an organic Party, all our processes will be followed through in strict adherence to our procedures before any official announcements.

“The PDP urges Nigerians to disregard the mischievous reports aimed at undermining our Party’s unity at this critical time.”

Politics, World News

Police have failed, Nigerians will bear arms soon – Akeredolu warns FG.

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Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum Rotimi Akeredolu has again weighed in on the widespread insecurity witnsessed across the country. 

Delivering a keynote address at the opening of the ongoing Attorneys-General of the 36 States, the Ondo state Governor noted that police is overwhelmed.

Akeredolu who disclosed that the police blamed non-availabilty of vehicles for their inability to mobilise to the scene of the recent Owo attack, asked the Police to “close shop” if the Federal Government could not meet its equipment needs.

The Governor also challenged states to restructure the country by, among others, setting up their own anti-graft agencies.

He also said Nigerians might be forced to bear arms soon as the mass killings, kidnappings and other serious security failures around the country had shown that a central police command was ineffective to keep Nigerians safe.

Akeredolu said; 

“The Police have failed.

 “We will carry arms very soon. Oga Malami. There is no other way.”

Lifestyle, Politics, World News

Sinners are those making laws in Nigeria – Bishop Kukah.

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Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Most Rev. Mathew Hassan Kukah has said that democracy is not developing at the right pace in Nigeria because those making the laws are benefiting from the system.

The Convener of the National Peace Committee who spoke in an interview on Channels Television, stated that as long as politicians make the rules, there would not be an improvement in the country.

Kukah said; 

“The problem with Nigeria’s situation is that the sinners are the ones trying to make the law. These are the consequences of where we find ourselves now.

“I speak to the fact that as long as the universities are the way they are, as long as we do not have privileged intellect and the diagnostic tools required to refine processes, as long as we are hoping that politicians are the ones to set their own rules, as long as we expect that almost all of these are politics, there would not be an improvement in the country.

“In my view, had it been we have a country that is working, a country that takes research seriously, it is the business of political scientists to equip the people in power with the required tools for analysis, to the options that are available to ensure things go the way they should go.

“But unfortunately, if you have a situation where the universities are not funded, the country itself behaves as if it wants to close the universities, what else do you expect?

“Unless and until this government and other government in Nigeria takes academic exercise very seriously, we can not expect the person who is sick to be the one to provide the medicine for his cure.”

Kukah also acknowledged that the amendment in the electoral law would instil greater confidence in Nigeria’s democracy.

He added; 

“Gradually, as the quality of people’s lives is increasing, people can become a little bit relaxed but for now, politics in Africa and Nigeria seems to be a bit tense because of the nature of the sharing of the political benefits.

“If people in power continue to practise nepotism when people feel that they have voted and the people who are benefiting are those who have just come out of the comfort of their rooms, they are bound to feel frustrated. These are ingredients for violence in Nigerian politics.”

World News

Tragedy averted as engine of Lagos-Bound plane with 33 passengers catches fire mid-air.

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A pilot of Overland Airways made a successful landing of a distressed aircraft on the Runway 18R of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday evening June 15, after the plane’s engine caught fire mid-air.

The plane which was flown from Ilorin International Airport had 33 passengers onboard.

The Pilot-in-Command of the aircraft had declared a May Day which in aviation parlance implies an emergency situation while authorities at the airport had activated all emergency procedures as the crew tried to maneuver the plane.

The pilot finally landed the faulty ATR aircraft safely on the international airport’s runway amid a fully prepared airport emergency response team.

“Overland Airways wishes to inform the general public that its flight OF1188 from Ilorin to Lagos experienced an unusual high turbine temperature on one of its engines today, Wednesday June 15, 2022 around 7:50pm.

This occurred in the approach phase of flight and the aircraft landed very safely as the Crew skillfuly implemented their standard procedures for such abnormal situations.

All 33 passengers remained calm through the process and safely disembarked row by row in accordance with post COVID-19 procedures after the Aircraft came to a halt on the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos runway 18 Right. No passenger was hurt in any way.

Overland Airways salutes the professional interventions of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Accident Investigation Bureau Nigeria (AIB-N) which were very prompt and reassuring.

Overland Airways regrets any inconvenience to its passengers and assures the travelling public of its full commitment to safety of its services and passengers.”

Football, Politics, World News

‘I’m not sure if I will be jailed or killed for these words, but I am speaking as it is’ –  Former Russia captain, Igor Denisov says as he criticizes Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

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Former captain of the Russian football team, Igor Denisov, has criticized Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine describing it as a ‘catastrophic.’

The Russian parliament recently passed legislation that could see dissenters against the country’s military action jailed for up to 15 years.

But Denisov, 38, a former defensive midfielder who captained the Russian team between 2012 and 2016, shunned the new legislation to criticize the ongoing brutal conflict.

‘These events are catastrophic,’ Denisov told Nobel. ‘It’s horrific. I am not sure if I will be jailed or killed for these words, but I am speaking as it is.’

He added that he no longer feels any pride in his country and even wrote to President Putin asking for him to halt the war, which has seen thousands killed and millions more driven from their homes.

Denisov, who played for Russian clubs Zenit Saint Petersburg, Dynamo Moscow and Lokomotiv Moscow during his club career, was an influential player for the national team.

He played 54 times for Russia between 2008 and 2016, representing them at the 2012 European Championship and the 2014 World Cup.

Russia have been banned from playing in international competitions as a result of the invasion of Ukraine, with their club sides also banned from European competitions such as the Champions League.

Lifestyle, World News

Nigerian couple who kept Nigerian woman as domestic slave in UK to be sentenced this month.

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A couple who allegedly made a vulnerable Nigerian woman ‘perform forced labour’ in their home in east Belfast, United Kingdom, will be sentenced for the slavery offence on June 27, 2022, a court has heard.

The Nigerian couple, Osarobo ‘John’ Izekor,36, and his 29-year-old wife, Precious Izekor, will also have to pay their victim £10,000 in compensation, Belfast Telegraph reported. 

The husband and wife, with an address at Ashmount Gardens in Lisburn, admitted that on dates between September 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017 they ‘required another person to perform forced or compulsory labour’.

While the victim was forced to carry out domestic duties, a majority of the criminality by the Izekors was unpaid childcare.

The case, which was heard at Belfast Crown Court, is one of the first prosecutions under the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act (NI) 2015. 

The couple admitted keeping the Nigerian woman as a domestic slave in their then Castlereagh Place home in Belfast for a ten-month period.

Crown barrister Charles MacCreanor said the woman who could not read or write – arrived in Northern Ireland in 2011 and worked as a nanny for a five-year period.

When her employer returned to Nigeria in Autumn 2016, she moved into Castlereagh Place and was told money would be sent back to her family for any work she undertook.

During the ten-month period of offending, the woman had her own room and was given food and clothes – but was not paid any money.

In addition, the Izekors had possession of her passport and other documents, which she didn’t have access to.

Mr MacCreanor said that whilst living with the Izekors, the woman was in contact with a relative of John’s, who expressed a desire for her to return to Nigeria so they could get married.

This relative asked the woman about her documentation and Visa status, and when she raised this issue with Precious, an argument ensued.

Despite her request for her documents, they were not handed over to the woman and the argument led to a “deterioration of relations”.

Following this, the woman tried to look for her passport and other documents when Precious Izekor was out. A few days later, she left the Izekors and went to stay with a friend.

This friend, the court heard, was concerned for the woman, felt she was being exploited and accompanied her to the Home Office.

When a Home Office official called at the Izekors’ home, Precious was asked about the woman, and denied knowing her.

An investigation was launched which resulted in the involvement of the PSNI and the subsequent arrests of both John and Precious Izekor.

During his police interview, John Izekor initially denied any wrong-doing and made the case they were letting the women stay in their home and were helping her.

In her interview, Precious told officers the woman was a family friend and was never asked to do any form of work or labour.

Mr MacCreanor said there were text messages between the husband and wife which indicated the control they had over the woman whilst she was living with them.

He also said that she spoke to police about her ordeal, the woman said she felt isolated and alone whilst living with the couple.

Defence barrister Barry Gibson, representing John Ikezor, said that following his arrest his client spent three months on remand.

He also spoke of Izekor’s university education, extensive work history and his clear criminal record.

Precious Izekor’s barrister Gavan Duffy QC revealed there was a former good relationship between the two women, and said there was a complete lack of violence or physical assault.

After listening to submissions from both the Crown and defence, Judge Richard Greene QC spoke of the complexities of the case and said he wanted to consider several issues before passing sentence.

After being told that the Izekors had previously lodged £10,000 to the court to act as a surety for bail, the judge ordered that this money be paid to the woman they kept as a domestic slave.

Judge Greene told the couple the charge they pleaded guilty to was “an extremely serious offence” and released them on continuing bail ahead of sentencing, which is set to take place on June 27, 2022. 

Politics, World News

Fauci tests positive for COVID-19.

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Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious diseases expert, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday but is experiencing “mild symptoms,” the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said.  

“He is fully vaccinated and has been boosted twice,” the agency said. “He is currently experiencing mild symptoms. Dr. Fauci will isolate and continue to work from his home. He has not recently been in close contact with President Biden or other senior government officials.” 

Fauci has been the face of the government’s response to COVID-19 for more than two years and has previously avoided testing positive for the virus. But he is the latest in a long string of high-profile cases among lawmakers and government officials in Washington, D.C.  

Biden is so far one of the few top government officials who has avoided getting it, though the White House acknowledges he could.  

While Fauci is 81, cases are significantly less worrisome today than in the early days of the pandemic, before vaccines and booster shots were available, though there remains some risk.  

Pfizer’s treatment pill, Paxlovid, also lowers the risk for high-risk people who test positive.  

Fauci’s positive case illustrates how widespread infections have become, with many people having tested positive at least once. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra tested positive a second time in less than a month this week.  

New subvariants of omicron have shown an increased infectiousness and an ability to evade vaccines to a certain degree, such that there is far from complete protection against getting infected. Vaccines and booster shots still provide valuable protection against severe disease, which many experts view as the most crucial.  

Suspect admits to murder of missing journalist, indigenous advocate in BrazilUS prison workers produce $11B worth of goods and services for ‘little to no pay at all’

The White House has maintained that tools like boosters and Paxlovid mean the country is in a new era of the virus where cases have been defanged to some degree. 

“Dr. Fauci will follow the COVID-19 guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and medical advice from his physician and return to the NIH when he tests negative,” the NIH said.  

Lifestyle, World News

Rivers woman sells sister’s child for N600,000, police arrest suspects.

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The police in Rivers State have smashed a child trafficking syndicate and rescued a five-year-old girl sold for N600,000 to an undisclosed buyer in Imo State.

The child was said to have been kidnapped from Omagwa community in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State after she went missing on May 20, 2022.

The state Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka, disclosed this while parading 30 suspects arrested for various crimes at the police headquarters in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

Eboka said the suspects would be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations.

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