Some students of Obafemi Awolowo University sustained injuries after torrential rainfall accompanied by a whirlwind on Thursday morning ripped off the ceiling of the Oduduwa hall while a lecture was ongoing.

Disclosing this in a statement, the university’s spokesman, Abiodun Olarewaju, said, “The torrential rainfall of early Thursday morning, accompanied with a whirlwind, which started as students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, were having a lecture, SER to be precise, in the Amphitheatre of the Oduduwa Hall, affected the ceiling of the Amphitheatre as it fell off and injured a few of the students.”

The statement added, “The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, led other principal officers to the medical and health centre of the university, and ensured that the injured students were given adequate medical attention.”

The statement noted that the vice-chancellor followed two other students, whose cases demanded more medical attention to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), where the chief medical director, John Okeniyi, “physically supervised the proceedings.”

The vice-chancellor appealed for calm and urged students and staff to continue their academic and administrative activities.

He added that the university management had sealed off the amphitheatre, the venue of the unfortunate incident, until further notice.

Emirates Airlines has announced October 1, as the new date for its resumption of flights to Nigeria.

This was disclosed in a post via the airlines’official X handle, on Thursday.

The post reads, “We’re back, Nigeria! We’ll be resuming services to Lagos from 1 October 2024, and we can’t wait to offer unrivalled connectivity to Dubai and beyond to over 140 cities.”

The airline will be operating a daily service between Lagos State and Dubai and will offer customers more choices and connectivity from Nigeria’s largest city to, and through, Dubai.

This came after the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo visited the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-S on Wednesday.

In October 2022, Emirates Airlines halted flight operations to Nigeria due to challenges in repatriating funds trapped in the country.

A Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court, on Thursday, ordered one Garba Aliyu to sweep the court premises for three weeks for stealing a woman’s purse.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Chidi Leo told the court that Aliyu criminally trespassed into the shop of one Adanna Ebuka pretending to buy a loaf of bread.

Leo said that the convict went into the complainant’s shop and stole her purse, adding that the purse was recovered during a police investigation.

The 30-year-old suspect was convicted and sentenced after pleading guilty to theft.

The Magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel said the convict’s plea had saved the court time, adding that the punishment would have been more severe if he had not pleaded guilty.

Emmanuel said the court took into consideration the fact that Aliyu was a first-time offender.

He advised the convict to desist from such acts in the future, stressing that the court frowned at acts of violence.

Residents of Azugwu, Abakaliki Local government Area of Ebonyi State, have shut down the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, located at Awolowo Street, over three months of blackout.

The shutdown has led to the interruption of business activities at the EEDC office on Tuesday which lasted till Thursday morning.

It would be recalled that the residents had protested earlier to inform the power company of the lingering blackout, which has caused hardship and economic challenges to business owners in the area.

However, on Tuesday, the residents came out in large numbers both men, women, young and elderly to display their grievances over the lengthy period of blackout that has collapsed business activities in the area and caused hardship to the people.

A resident of the Area who gave his name as Paul Nwafor said “We’ve been passing through difficulties because of EEDC and their activities in Azugwu. In this regard, we wrote a letter to the commissioner of police and the DSS, which we copied to NERC. After meeting with the police authorities, we agreed to embark on this peaceful protest to display our anger over the total blackout for months.

When contacted on the development, EEDC Distribution Manager, Nwankwo Cyprian, stated that the company was aware of the situation, explaining that there have been a series of meetings with the management.

He, however, said he could not give a definite date as to when the light would be restored.

He appealed for calmness and assured them that on or before the end of May 2024, positive news would emerge.

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, on Wednesday in Abuja arrested five persons for selling counterfeit cosmetics.

NAN reports that the arrest was made at the Garki and Wuse axis during an enforcement to curb substandard goods.

Speaking with newsmen after the enforcement, Mr Embugushiki-Musa Godiya, NAFDAC Head of Investigation and Enforcement, Federal Taskforce, said that the arrested persons would be investigated.

Godiya said that NAFDAC would work to ensure that fake cosmetics and other counterfeit products were completely wiped out of the country.

He said that the agency had been investigating some of the counterfeit cosmetics following intelligence reports, adding that some of those products were illegally imported into the country, despite security at the border.

“NAFDAC is present in all the ports of entry of the country, but with the nature of our borders, these smugglers will always find a way to beat the system that the government had put in place.

“That is why if they escape from the port or borders, we go to the market and to all the places, gather intelligence reports, go after them and confiscate these products for possible prosecution,” Godiya said.

He said that the market value of the seized cosmetics was N35 million, adding that NAFDAC would continue investigation into the issue to unravel the level of involvement of the suspects.

Godiya said that after investigation, the management of the agency would take its regulatory action, which probably may be prosecution of those suspects for the crime committed.

The Swedish government has said it will return 39 pieces of Benin artefacts in its museum to Oba of Benin, Ewuare II.

The Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Annika Hahn-Englund, conveyed the Swedish government’s decision on Tuesday night when she paid a courtesy visit to the Oba in his palace in Benin, Edo State.

Hahn-Englund also said the trade between Nigeria and Sweden is the second largest market in Sub-Sahara Africa.

She noted that the trade partnerships are in the areas of infrastructure, telecommunication, energy and other businesses that significantly support the economy of both countries.

She said, “I would like to convey the decision of the Swedish government to return 39 artefacts to the Benin kingdom. This is possible because of the cooperation between the two countries in the areas of culture, education and trade.

“So, Your Majesty, I am very honoured to be here tonight.”

Responding, the Oba, on behalf of the Edo people, welcomed the decision and expressed gratitude to the Swedish government.

The Benin monarch recalled how he made a request through the Swedish monarch, His Royal Majesty Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus, during his courtesy visit to him in 1998 in Sweden as the Nigerian ambassador to Scandinavian countries.

The Oba said that the Federal Government-backed Benin Royal Museum project is still on course, and commended partners for their support and devotion towards the project.

The Oba also commended the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, which is an agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria, responsible for the preservation, promotion, and development of Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

The traditional ruler, who prayed for members of the diplomatic mission, noted that the remarkable reign and enduring affection of the Swedish monarch remained indelible.

The Oba added, “The demand for the return of looted Benin artefacts has been on since the reign of Oba Akenzua II. I am elated to hear that the return of the artefacts has been approved by the Swedish government. This has been my request for a long time. God’s time is always the best.”

Ireland’s cabinet has approved a plan to raise the minimum age for purchasing cigarettes to 21.

The cabinet said in a statement on Tuesday that the plan would make Ireland the first country in the EU to take such a measure.

It said the move came 20 years after Ireland became the first country to ban smoking in workplaces, including pubs and restaurants. Currently, 18 per cent of the population over the age of 15 are smokers.

The new proposal is designed to reduce Ireland’s adult smoking rate to less than five per cent.

Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke kills an estimated 4,500 people a year in Ireland.

The government said the evidence showed that people were at high risk of becoming smokers between the ages of 18 and 21.

It added that raising the minimum purchasing age would make it harder for young people to access tobacco products through direct and proxy buys, as well as social sources.

Health minister Stephen Donnelly said it was a “tough” measure, adding that “the health impacts of tobacco smoking are immense and require tough responses.”

According to health officials, smoking has caused 13 per cent of all cancers and contributed to many preventable illnesses, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, eye diseases, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

It is also responsible for five per cent of hospital inpatient admissions, while the financial loss caused by smoking was estimated at €10.6 billion annually.

“Our smoking rates are still unacceptably high, so I am delighted that we are progressing with a strong population protection measure. A measure that will help bring us closer to the goal of a tobacco-free Ireland,’’ chief medical officer Breda Smyth said.

The bill would provide that the prohibition on tobacco product sales will not apply to those who are currently between the ages of 18 and 20. The proposed legislation would not impact the minimum legal age of sale of nicotine-inhaling products or vapes.

Since December, the sale of vapes to fewer than 18s has been banned. There is currently no proposal to extend this ban to 21.

The government said preliminary legal advice suggests Ireland cannot pursue a “smokefree-generation” policy as suggested in other jurisdictions because of the EU’s single market rules and tobacco products directive.

China has accused U.S. President Joe Biden of slapping new tariffs on Beijing as part of his re-election campaign and threatened retaliation.

“The U.S. should immediately correct its wrong practices and cancel the additional tariffs imposed on China,’’ a statement from the Beijing Ministry of Commerce said.

China would “take resolute measures to defend its own rights and interests after the U.S. decided to take this step due to domestic political considerations.’’

The U.S. is increasing tariffs on electric cars from China from 25 per cent to 100 per cent as part of a crackdown on Chinese imports of solar cells and semiconductors.

Harbour cranes and certain medical products were also affected.

The official Chinese state news agency Xinhua added.

“The newly announced tariff increase is mainly a symbolic gesture by which the Biden administration is trying to play tough with China amid the increasingly fierce election campaign for the presidential candidacy,’’ it stated.

The current tariffs, first introduced by former U.S. president and current Biden challenger Donald Trump in 2018, have now been increased by the Biden administration.

The Biden administration effectively kept Chinese vehicles out of the U.S. car market.

The Chinese state broadcaster CCTV spoke of an abuse of trade protectionism measured by the U.S. which would seriously hinder the modernisation of the U.S. car industry.

CCTV said negative effects on consumers are also to be expected, adding that the moves would also undermine global efforts to combat climate change.

The U.S. presidential election is coming up in November.

Rescue crews in Mumbai, India’s financial epicentre, on Tuesday, deployed excavators to clear tangled metal debris in their desperate search for survivors trapped beneath a collapsed billboard.

The tragic incident claimed the lives of at least 14 individuals late Monday.

According to Reuters, the billboard, bigger than an Olympic-sized swimming pool, crushed a fuel station, homes and cars during a thunderstorm late Monday, trapping more than 100 people, according to authorities.

Rescuers worked through the night to pull people from the debris on the side of a busy arterial road in the Mumbai suburb of Ghatkopar.

Some 75 wounded were rescued and 14 bodies found, the city’s civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, said.

“The operation was very challenging due to the weight of the structure and the presence of flammable liquid and gas at the site,” Mohsen Shahedi, a senior National Disaster Response Force officer, told the agency.

Shahedi said the rescue operation was nearly over except for one last sweeping search.

“We believe there is no one else stuck under the debris,” he said.

Videos captured the towering billboard swaying in the wind before succumbing to a dust storm and rainfall, which besieged the city. The chaos brought traffic to a halt and caused flight disruptions at Mumbai airport.

BMC revealed that the agency responsible for the billboard lacked the necessary permit, as stated in their official announcement.

The billboard spanned approximately 1,338 square meters (14,400 square feet), a staggering nine times larger than the maximum allowable size.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has threatened a nationwide strike.

The union decried the failure of the Federal Government to appoint Governing Councils for Federal Universities.

The union also faulted what it described as the nonchalant attitude of the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to matters pertaining to academics in Nigerian Federal Universities. The body of academics, during an ongoing press briefing at the University of Abuja, also faulted the 35 per cent salary increment for professors and the 25 per cent salary increment for other academics in the university system.

The body said it saw the increment as a wage award that could be withdrawn by the government anytime it deems fit.

Speaking during the ongoing briefing, the President of the union, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke noted that it has given the Tinubu-led government enough time to set things in motion.

Osodeke noted that the union was also concerned over the failure of the Federal Government to appoint members of Governing Councils for Federal owned universities.
Osodeke also noted that the dissolution of the governing councils was illegal as it was against the principles guiding the existing universities.

The National Universities Commission had, on June 22, 2023, announced the dissolution of governing councils of all federal universities and boards of other agencies and parastatals in the country.
The NUC directive was based on a similar one three days earlier by President Bola Tinubu ordering the dissolution of the boards of all government parastatals, agencies and companies.

A man who was arrested in Edo State for dressing his four-year-old girl in skimpy dresses to dance inappropriately on social media has revealed his motives.

According to him, he dressed her in skimpy dresses and posted the content on her Instagram page in anticipation of her upcoming birthday.

He said part of the strategy was to make his daughter a celebrity.

The father, simply identified as Suleiman, was arrested on Sunday after the controversial posts went viral, sparking outrage and concern for the child’s well-being.

In a video released by the state police command and sighted by PUNCH Online on Tuesday, the father said, “I am used to watching other people’s content creation; comedy, and those other people, so I think that she is too small, so she cannot be doing comedy, so I decided to bring her up in a model way, to be dressing like a model, and to look like a model.”

When pressed further about the appropriateness of his actions, the father revealed his intentions. “This month is her birthday, May 28. So, I wanted to mark her birthday bash on her Instagram.:

The police officer interrogating the father then questioned the morality of his actions, asking, “So, do you think you have done a good thing to the life of that young girl?”

The father responded, “To my understanding, I want her to become a celebrity.”

The incident sparked widespread concern and condemnation from child protection advocates and the public, raising questions about the exploitation of minors as the child, in many videos, has been seen with her father dancing inappropriately among many other things.

The police statement released after the father’s arrest read, “The Edo State Police Command is aware of the trending video of a child of about four years old conspicuously naked and used as adult content in an undisclosed hotel in Auchi, Edo State.

“The Commissioner of Police Edo State Command, CP Funsho Adegboye, immediately drafted a tactical team to go all out and arrest the suspect and his cohort.

“Within 12 hours, the father of the girl was arrested, investigation has commenced further revelation will be made known to the public.”

Gombe State High Court has convicted and sentenced the duo of Abdulwahab Magaji and Salihu Musa to nine years imprisonment for employment fraud and intent to defraud.

Magaji faced a one-count charge of employment scam while Musa was arraigned on two-count charges of intent to defraud and conspiracy by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The charge against Magaji reads: “That you Abdulwahab Adamu Magaji and Adamu Usman between January and December 2023 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court obtained the aggregate sum of Seven million and eight hundred thousand Naira, N7,800,000, only from one Hajia Hauwa Ali which you claimed was payment for the offer of an employment at the Ministry of Health in Gombe, Gombe State and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 of the Penal Code Law and Punishable under Section 322 of the same Law.”

One of the charges against Musa reads: “That you Salihu Musa sometime in January 2023 at Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with intent to defraud, made false documents, to wit: Bank of America ATM card with card No 4658656032040012, Australia New Zealand Bank Debit card, etc, which you knew to be false document and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 362 of the penal code law and punishable under Section 364 of the same law.”

The EFCC in a statement on its official X handle said the defendants pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them, prompting prosecution counsel S.E Okemini to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, while defence counsel, I.S Gadah and U.M Mojaji pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that the defendants were first-time offenders.

Delivering the judgement Justice Abdulhamid Yakubu convicted and sentenced Musa to six years imprisonment with an option to pay a N60,000 fine.

He also forfeited an iPhone S6 being the tool of his crime to the federal government while Magaji bagged three years imprisonment or a fine of N30,000.

The judge also ordered Magaji to pay N7,800,000 (Seven Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira, the proceeds of his crime to his victim within three months, beginning from May 2024.

The Plateau State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a man caught with what looked like an Improvised Explosive Device inside a commercial Bank in Plateau State.

DAILY POST reported that a video on Monday surfaced of a young man caught attempting to detonate a bomb in a bank in Dadin Kowa town of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert and security analyst in Lake Chad, in a post on his X handle on Tuesday, said the yet-to-be-identified man wore belts packed with what appeared to be a Person Borne Improvised Explosive Device (SPBIED).

Makama had said the suspect was apprehended on Monday when he was found with an apparent bomb strapped to his body to detonate at the bank.

The security expert explained that the vigilante Security at the bank prevented the detonation after they spotted the suspect, arresting him before he could achieve his aim.

Confirming the incident on Tuesday, the State Police, DSP Alfred Alabo, said the command immediately deployed its officers to the Bank after an alarm was raised.

According to him, it was later discovered that the explosives seen on the young man were fake.

The Lagos State Police Command has announced the arrest of about 428 suspects from different black spots across the state.

The State Police Spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, made this known in a statement on Monday.

According to him, the suspects were arrested at Fagba, Orile, Mile-2, Oshodi, Dopemu, Alausa, Ijora Badia, among other places.

He further stated that after screening, the suspects, who were found not culpable were released, while others would be charged to court.

No fewer than 2,500 suspected criminals have been arrested in the last four months through the massive raid of black spots in Lagos State.

The Kaduna State command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, said it confiscated 425,127kg of illicit drugs in April.

The state NDLEA Commander, Mr Samaila Danmalam, who revealed this, said the 71 suspects were arrested in connection with various drug crimes.

He listed the seized drugs to include cannabis sativa, cocaine, rohypnol, methamphetamine and heroin.

According to him, the agency dislodged 10 drug joints, secured seven convictions and arraigned six suspects within the period under review.

The commander said numerous enlightenment programmes against drug abuse were conducted under the agency’s non kinetic approach to combat drug crimes.

Danmalam attributed the success recorded to synergy with sister agencies, traditional rulers, community heads and the media, calling for more support and cooperation to make the state drug free.

The Police has filed a three-count charge against two persons before the Federal High Court, Lagos, for alleged cyberstalking, illegal publication and defamation of a monarch, Oba Saheed Elegushi.

The two defendants were identified as Adesola James and Odunmosu Azeez Awiye.

DAILY POST gathered that the two will be arraigned tomorrow, Tuesday, before Justice Abimbola Awogboro.

It was alleged that Adesola James and Odunmosu Azeez Awiye, alongside others at large, between the months of December 2023 and March 2024, in Lagos, conspired to commit felony bordering on cyberstalking, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, University of Abuja, UniAbuja, says the union will not call off its strike until all issues are addressed.

The branch Chairman, Dr Sylvanus Ugoh, told NAN on Monday in Abuja that the members were not working.

“Those against the strike may possibly be beneficiaries of what the union is fighting against.

“Any member found breaking the strike will be subjected to disciplinary procedure.”

According to him, 90 to 95 per cent of lecturers are on strike.

NAN reports that ASUU, UniAbuja branch, had on May 2 declared an indefinite strike to draw the attention of the school management to issues bordering its members.

One of the issues listed by the union was the university’s refusal to conduct elections for the office of the Deans of Faculties and Provost, College of Health Sciences.

The union also accused the University of carrying out promotion of some members of staff without following due process.

Other reasons for the strike, according to the union, include: “Advertorial for the vacancy of the post of Vice Chancellor without following due process, among others.’’

The chairman said that ASUU as a body in the university had withdrawn the services of its members.

“ASUU do not lock university, what ASUU did was to withdraw the services our members render to the university.”

What we are saying is that our members are not working,” he said.

On the issue of some lecturers indicating interest to lecture, he said that even in a national strike some would still want to go against the action.

However, Dr Habib Yakoob, the Acting Director, Information and University Relations, said the management was not aware of any strike.

Yakoob said that many lecturers have indicated interest to lecture, adding that students were also prepared to receive lectures.

Namitra Bwala, the student at the centre of a recently viral video depicting her being bullied by fellow students, on Monday, has initiated legal proceedings against Lead British International School, Gwarimpa, Abuja.

On April 22, an X user, #mooyeeeeeee, posted videos of a female student of Lead British International School, who was seen being bullied by her classmates.

In one of the videos, the victim was seen being slapped repeatedly by another female student while asking “Who broke my heart?”

In another video, the victim was seen sitting next to a male classmate who was heard saying “I spoilt her relationship”.

However, the lawsuit, filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory under case number FCT/HC/CV/2341/24: MISS NAMTIRA BWALA v LEAD BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL LTD, seeks damages from the educational institution for its alleged failure to provide a safe and conducive learning environment for the plaintiff.

According to a public statement on Monday issued by Marvin Omorogbe., the founding partner of the law firm representing Bwala, the legal action is aimed at holding the school accountable for its negligent conduct regarding the highly publicized incident.

The lawsuit further requested, “the Defendant to issue a public apology to the Clamant in two national daily newspapers.

“An order directing the Defendant to pay the Claimant the sum of N500,000,000.00 (Five Hundred Million Naira) as general damages for the Defendant’s breach of the duty of care it owes to the Claimant, and its negligent conduct in failing to prevent the assault, torment, emotional distress, pain, trauma and breach of privacy suffered by the Claimant while under the Defendant’s custody and supervision.”

The law firm emphasised its client’s hopes that the lawsuit would catalyse meaningful changes and prompt the implementation of adequate measures to prevent similar occurrences within the school premises.

“Our client hopes that this lawsuit will bring about drastic changes and adequate measures to prevent a reoccurrence of similar issues in the school,” the statement added.

The viral video, which sparked widespread outrage and condemnation, depicted Ms Bwala being subjected to bullying by her peers, raising concerns about the school’s ability to ensure the safety and well-being of its students.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has called upon a French airline, Air France-KLM, to make its lower-priced ticket fares available to Nigerian travellers, emphasising the importance of fairness in ticketing.

This was disclosed in a press statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media and Communications to Keyamo, Tunde Moshood on Monday.

More than two years ago, foreign airlines, including Air France-KLM, suspended their low-priced tickets for Nigerian routes due to ticket revenue, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, being inaccessible in Nigeria.

However, In March, the airlines started to restore their low-priced fares after the Central Bank of Nigeria finalised the payment of approximately $7bn backlog, encompassing over $700m in unremitted ticket revenue.

The statement read in parts, “During the meeting, Air France-KLM expressed appreciation for the improved facilities at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, particularly acknowledging the enhanced experience at wing E. They also extended gratitude for the Minister’s leadership in fostering a smoother relationship between their team and various aviation regulatory agencies.

“Highlighting their commitment to innovation and service excellence, Air France-KLM announced the launch of their new Airbus A330/A350 aircraft, emphasising their dedication to deploying modern and improved aircraft services on routes within Nigeria. This initiative aligns with their overarching goal of providing Nigerian travellers with a superior journey experience.

“Air France-KLM commended the Minister for his intervention and successful facilitation of fund repatriation, showcasing the effectiveness of collaborative efforts in overcoming challenges within the aviation sector.

“In response, the Minister welcomed the Air France-KLM team and expressed gratitude for their visit. He emphasised the importance of equitable pricing for Nigerian travellers, urging the airline to consider offering lower-priced ticket fares to ensure parity with fares in neighbouring regions.”

Keyamo emphasised Nigeria’s commitment to partnering with the travel industry, stressing collaboration with Air France-KLM to enhance travel accessibility and affordability for Nigerians.

“He reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to fostering partnerships within the travel industry, emphasising the government’s open-door policy and willingness to collaborate with airlines to enhance travel accessibility and affordability for all Nigerians.

“The courtesy visit by Air France-KLM exemplifies the mutual commitment to advancing the aviation sector in Nigeria and lays the groundwork for future collaborations aimed at delivering unparalleled travel experiences to passengers across the nation.”