The 94 sacked lectures of Enugu State College of Education, Technical (ESCET) have appealed to Gov. Peter Mbah for reinstatement.

The group made the appeal in a letter to Mr Mbah, signed by Dr Egbo Doris, Dr Njideka Frank and others, made available to journalists on Sunday in Enugu.

In the letter titled “A passionate appeal to reconsider staff disengagement at Enugu State College of Education (Technical) Enugu”, the group said if nothing was done, their disengagement would bring untold hardships to their families.

Mr Mbah had, in October 2023, constituted a seven-member investigative committee to probe alleged fraud and corrupt practices in the school.

According to them, they wrote to the governor as responsible and dedicated indigenes of Enugu state who were employed at ESCET on Oct. 22, 2021.

They stated that on Feb. 26, they received the distressing news of their disengagement from service, which was communicated to them through the acting registrar of the school, Pat Aneke.

Ms Aneke informed them he took directives from the government implementation committee, to deliver the disengagement message to the affected staff.

While appealing to Mr Mbah for reconsideration and reinstatement, the group said: “Our dedication to the educational growth of the school has been top-notch.

“It is only our set and Alvan Ikoku College of Education Owerri, that were successful in the whole of the South East in the 2023 TETFAIR programme. We believe that the sudden termination of our employment does not accurately reflect our contributions.

“It was only this set, disengaged since the establishment of ESCET, that was able to attract international education grant for further research work to continue improving on the quality of education in Nigeria.”

They disclosed that they were special hybrid and highly intellectual academicians that had been working for the institution on how to increase internally generated revenue (IGR) through different research engagement for the school before their disengagement.

According to the group, upon their employment, they remained dedicated and committed to the growth of the college and never deterred from discharging their duties in spite of irregular payment of staff salary.

“It is equally sad to state that two of our colleagues lost their pregnancies at their duty post, right inside the examination hall, while selflessly and diligently serving the institution as invigilators.

“May the blood of those innocent babies be enough atonement and cry for justice on behalf of all the disengaged staff.

“It is quite unfortunate that both the Investigation and Implementation Committees set up to look into the various challenges of the ESCET never deemed it fit to have a word or two with any of us.

“We strongly believe that the challenges of the institution could be tackled without depleting the already understaffed institution.

“After our employment, proper documentation was done and regularization, through verification of our documents for relevance and our names were duly added in ESCET Payroll.”

They equally alleged that they were being owed cumulatively to the tune of 13 months of salary arrears and “you can imagine the excruciating pain, and rude shock this sad news triggered on us.

“We are those fathers, mothers, aunties, uncles, sisters, brothers, who have found out excuses explaining to our children, and families, why lunch and dinner are no longer available on the table.”

The police command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said it has arrested 15 suspects in connection with the vandalism of a warehouse belonging to the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCTA) in Abuja.

The police public relations officer in the FCT, SP Josephine Adeh, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

She said two security guards employed by the warehouse management were among the suspects, arrested over the vandalism of the warehouse in the Tasha area of Abuja.

Ms Adeh said 26 bags of maize, five motorcycles and some vandalised aluminium roofing sheets were recovered from the suspects.

“The Police Command in the FCT is fully informed about the impulsive attack on Agric Department Strategic food store located at Tasha area of Abuja, on March 3.

“The attack has resulted in the vandalism and looting of the warehouse.

“The command wishes to state that normalcy has since, been restored to the area and the situation, under control,” she said.

The agricultural and rural development secretariat of the FCTA had earlier confirmed the looting of its warehouse on Sunday by some hoodlums.

The management of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has raised a panel to examine circumstances surrounding the stampede and the casualties reported at its former zonal office in Yaba, Lagos State.

The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, directed the panel headed by a management member to identify the stampede victims and work out modalities for providing support and assistance for their immediate families.

In the same vein, NCS has suspended the exercise to commiserate with the families of the deceased.

At the same time, officials have returned to the drawing board to fine-tune strategies for resuming the exercise without a hitch.

In a statement on Sunday in Abuja, the National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, said the NCS would thoroughly investigate the stampede and tidy up loose ends.

He said, “This is a deliberate management decision to enable us to produce a more robust and comprehensive action that will not defeat the original intention of supporting Nigerians.

“We commiserate with the families that lost their loved ones as we appreciate the understanding and cooperation of all Nigerians.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected families during this challenging time, and we assure them of our unwavering support. We are working with families and caregivers to establish contact and engage directly with the victims’ families.

“Following this incident, an internal investigation has commenced to understand the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate event.”

About seven persons died in a stampede during the distribution of the rice last week.

At least 50 acres of palm trees and pineapples, worth N150 million, were destroyed by an inferno at Royal Farm in Akeredolu Village, Osu, Atakumosa West Local Government Area of Osun.

The founder of the farm, Rufus Jegede, who disclosed this at a news conference on Sunday, said the incident occurred on Friday.

Mr Jegede said he started the farm, comprising palm oil production, animal husbandry, such as piggery and cattle rearing, and other arable cropping, in 2015 after his retirement.

He said that before the incident, at least 50 kegs of palm oil were produced per week, while about 500 tons of pineapples were harvested annually.

Mr Jegede said he lost close to 4,000 palm trees and five acres of pineapple farm, as they were badly burnt, lamenting that with the incident, there would be no harvest from the palm trees and pineapples this year.

He said that only his farm was destroyed by the fire, thus suspecting that some hoodlums, whom he described as “wicked individuals”, might have set the farm ablaze.

“This is the third time that the farm would be ravaged with fire since its establishment,” he said.

Mr Jegede further stated that a man, identified as Sunday, who used to disturb, steal, and harvest their plantain and pineapple, had been apprehended in connection with the fire.

He complained of laziness among some youths, who were not ready to contribute their quota toward making Nigeria greater.

“Most of the people doing farming in Osun are northerners and foreigners. It appears as if our youths are not interested,” he added.

Mr Jegede, however, expressed the regret that despite the popularity of the farm, no government agency had come to visit the facility, adding that there had also been no intervention or support from anywhere.

He called on the government to prioritise agriculture by making policies to further encourage farming in the country.

The people of Ndieze Enyim autonomous community in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have elected a retired police officer, Chief John Nwokpor Nwophoke Odah, as their traditional ruler.

Chief Odah who served and retired as a Sergeant in the Nigeria Police Force, is now the Eze-elect (Nwopho 111 of NdieborIshiagu) in Ndieze Inyimegu autonomous community.

Speaking after his election, he commended other aspirants for dropping their ambitions to support him in the interest of peace and development of the community.

The newly elected traditional ruler pledged “fairness and balance” in managing affairs between traditional worshippers and Christians.

He attributed the increase in food insecurity in the South-East to communication gap between real farmers and politicians, adding that most incentives made for farmers ended in the hands of politicians who sell them to business owners for money.

The traditional ruler appealed to the federal and state governments for the early release of farm inputs and other necessary incentives to enable farmers get them as at when due.

Eze Nwokpor, who emphasized on the need for youth empowerment, blamed insecurity in the country on politicians “not settling their boys after using them to win elections “.

He also cautioned the youths to follow the culture of their land while embarking on marriage, in order to reduce cases of divorce in the society.

Eze Nwokpor is coming into power six years after the death of his predecessor, His Royal Highness, Eze Thomas Elom.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has forecast hazy and thundery weather conditions from Sunday to Tuesday nationwide.

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Saturday in Abuja, predicted dust haze over the Northern region during the forecast period with prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Taraba and Kaduna states during the afternoon and evening period.

According to the agency, a sunny atmosphere with patches of clouds are expected over the North Central with prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi and the Federal Capital Territory during the afternoon and evening period.

“Cloudy skies with intervals of sunshine are expected over the inland states and the coastal cities of the South with prospects of morning thunderstorms over parts of Lagos state.

“Later in the day, thunderstorms are envisaged over parts of Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Edo, Abia, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Cross River during the afternoon and evening period,” it said.

NiMet expected sunny skies and a hazy atmosphere over the Northern region during the duration of the forecast period on Monday.

It also envisaged a sunny atmosphere with patches of clouds over the North Central cities throughout the forecast period with chances of few thunderstorms over parts of Niger, Kwara, Kogi and Benue during the forecast period.

The agency predicted a cloudy atmosphere with spells of sunshine over the inland states and coastal cities of the South during the morning hours.

NiMet predicted thunderstorms over parts of Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Osun, Edo, Ebonyi, Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Rivers later in the day.

“For Tuesday, Cloudy skies with sunshine intervals are expected over the Northern region during the duration of the forecast period with chances of thunderstorms over parts of Gombe, Kebbi, Kaduna and Taraba during the afternoon and evening period.

“Sunny atmospheres with patches of clouds are anticipated over the North Central cities throughout the forecast period with chances of thunderstorms over most places during the afternoon and evening period,” it said.

The agency, therefore, urged the public to take adequate precaution as strong winds might precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms were likely to occur.

According to NiMet, temperature values are still high especially in the North, please stay hydrated.

It advised people with respiratory issues to be cautious of the present weather situations and stay hydrated as temperature values are still high especially in the North.

The agency also advised airline operators to get updated weather reports and forecasts from its office for effective planning in their operations.

Amotekun operatives in Osun State have arrested a 23-year-old man, Isaac Okon for alleged human trafficking.

According to information made available by the Corps Commander, Brigadier General Bashir Adewinmbi on Saturday, the suspect was arrested on Thursday, February 29, 2024, around 6:45pm with five young boys along Ajebandele, Osun State.

General Adewinmbi revealed that the suspect was allegedly transporting his kidnapped victims without the knowledge of their parents or relatives.

The Osun Amotekun boss disclosed that the boys were taken out of Akwa Ibom State under the pretence of working in Lagos but unknowingly to them, they were being transported to Osun State to work on the farm.

“He took them away without the consent of their parents or relatives and moved them down to Osun State. He was heading to Ajebandele before luck ran against him in Ifetedo in the Ife South local government area of Osun State.

“The trafficked victims are David Dominic Udoh, 23 years old, from Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom, Moses Ibom Sunday, 10 years old, from Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom State, David Sunday Okafor, 11 years old, from Arujukwu Village in Akwa Ibom State, Wisdom Ukpong Bassey, 15 years from Akwa Ibom State, and Hope Nwem Eto, 14 yrs old from Akwa Ibom State.

Upon interrogation, he confessed to transporting the young boys to Osun State without the consent of their parents or relatives and that he lied to the young boys that he was taking them to Lagos State but he planned to take them to Ajebandele in Osun State to work in a farm.”

Adewinmbi revealed that both the suspect and the victims have been transferred to the National Agency For Prohibition On Trafficking In Person, NAPTIP for investigation and prosecution.

In observance of the 2024 World Civil Defence Day, the Taraba State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has welcomed 50 new officers into its ranks.

The induction ceremony, held at the state command headquarters on Saturday, saw Commandant Adamu Salihu urging officers to confront the prevailing security challenges.

Addressing the newly inducted officers, whom DAILY POST learned have completed a rigorous five-month training program, Commandant Salihu stressed the importance of discipline and dedication in tackling the state’s security issues.

He highlighted prevalent concerns such as kidnapping, armed robbery, and communal clashes, urging officers to actively contribute to resolving them.

Representing the state governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Gebon Kataps, reiterated the government’s unwavering support for the NSCDC’s initiatives.

Governor Kefas commended the NSCDC for its commitment to peacekeeping efforts and assured continued backing in the fight against crime.

The induction ceremony, he said, underscores the state’s commitment to enhancing security and fostering collaboration with law enforcement agencies to safeguard communities.

A paramedic who injected Elijah McClain with a fatal overdose of a sedative after police put him in a chokehold has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Paramedics Peter Cichuniec and Jeremy Cooper were found guilty in December of criminally negligent homicide.

Peter Cichuniec was sentenced on Friday, and Cooper will learn his punishment at a hearing in April.

The 2019 killing of the 23-year-old black man initially received little attention from the public.

But it faced fresh scrutiny a year later after George Floyd’s death in Minnesota sparked nationwide racial justice protests against police brutality.

Cichuniec, 51, was also convicted of second-degree assault for making the decision to inject McClain with ketamine, a powerful sedative.

McClain, a massage therapist, had been walking home from a convenience store when he was stopped by three police officers from the Denver suburb of Aurora responding to a call about a “sketchy” person in the area.

He was placed in a chokehold during the confrontation that followed. Bodycam footage of the incident showed him repeatedly telling officers: “I can’t breathe.

“Prosecutors said the paramedics failed to conduct basic medical checks on McClain before injecting him with the maximum dose of ketamine. He never regained consciousness and died after being removed from life support three days later.

They had also left him lying on the ground, making it difficult to breathe, and had failed to monitor his condition.Cichuniec was accompanied in court by his wife and family on Friday, according to Colorado Public Radio.

“There are many, many tragedies in my career, but there are people I wish I could say they are OK, but I can’t,” he tearfully told the judge.

“We are not God. I am not God. And we can’t always have a positive outcome. We can’t save everyone … Elijah will always be on my mind, along with all the others,” he continued, according to CPR.

Two officers involved in the incident, Nathan Woodyard and Jason Rosenblatt, were acquitted of charges in November and October, respectively.

A third officer, Randy Roedema, was found guilty in October of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault. Prosecutors in that case argued that his statement that McClain was “definitely on something” had contributed to the paramedics’ decision to inject him with ketamine.

Roedema was sentenced in January to 14 months in prison.

The city of Aurora in 2021 agreed to pay $15m (£12m) to settle a lawsuit brought by McClain’s parents.

The Oyo/Osun Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has seized sacks of fake pharmaceutical drugs worth N1.8 billion.

The agency on its official X handle on Friday stated that the Customs Area Controller Comptroller, Ben Oramalugo, disclosed this at a press briefing at the command’s headquarters on Thursday.

Mr Oramalugo noted in the statement that the service successfully intercepted and seized contraband goods, including items posing threats to economic stability and lives of citizens in the country.

He said, “Highlights of the seizures include 53 sacks of fake pharmaceutical drugs with a Duty Paid Value of ₦1,739,000,000.00, 1,309 pieces of used tyres with a DPV of ₦70,140,000.00.

“Others are; 345× 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice, 344 × 25 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 4 wraps (4 kilogram) of Indian hemp, 45 sacks, 8 sacks (9 bales) of used clothing and shoes, 34 cartons of foreign wine, and 40 bottles (5 litres), 21 bottles (1 litres) of foreign vegetable oil, all with a total DPV of N1,890,022,931.00.

“Despite the prevailing economic challenges, the command demonstrated resilience and efficiency in revenue generation by collecting the sum of N5,664,295,751.15 in February 2024. When added to the sum of N6,824,954,338.96, already collected for January 2024, the cumulative sum of N12,489,250,090.11 was collected so far for the fiscal year of 2024.”

Saying that borders within the commands area of responsibility were still closed due to the Federal Government’s policy on border closure, Mr Oramalugo noted that the “command’s officers remain vigilant and dedicated to preventing the smuggling of items that could compromise the health and well-being of our citizens.”

He commended the efforts of “traditional rulers, local government chairmen and key stakeholders in both Oyo and Osun states, who have continued to enlighten their people about the negative effect of smuggling on the economy.”

He commended the service’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and the nation’s overall well-being, adding that, “We are confident that, through collective efforts, we can overcome the challenges we face and contribute to a more secure and prosperous future for Nigeria.”

Former Tennis Star, Tania Okpala, who is undergoing rehabilitation from drug- related challenges, has returned to tennis courts.

Ms Okpala, who had joined City Sports Club on the sponsorship of Nonye Soludo, engaged in routine trainings as part of her rehabilitation process.

Mrs Soludo, wife of Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, who described herself as Ms Okpala’s number one fan, expressed satisfaction at her level of recovery after seeing her play again.

According to Mrs Soludo, the training is part of her process of recovery, saying it keeps her busy, focused and mentally balanced.

“I am impressed with her training and work rate, her footwork, flexibility and understanding of the game. I am committed to Tania’s full recovery, as she recovers, we will engage her positively to ensure she goes back to tertiary institution for further studies,” she said.

Mrs Soludo took over the rehabilitation and welfare of Ms Okpala after she was seen in viral video roaming the streets of Awka with visible signs of psycho-social challenges.

Ms Okpala is a former national junior tennis champion.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS has marked the 10th anniversary of zero discrimination day, noting that progress on advancing equity and fairness made for all, regardless of gender, sexuality or HIV, is in peril.

The day of activism was established by UNAIDS a decade ago.

But, despite improvements in some societies, attacks on the rights of women and girls, of LGBTQ+ people and of other marginalised communities are increasing.

“The attacks on rights are a threat to freedom and democracy and are harmful to health. Stigma and discrimination obstruct HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care and hold back progress towards ending AIDS by 2030.

“It is only by protecting everyone’s rights that we can protect everyone’s health,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

At the start of the AIDS pandemic 40 years ago, two thirds of countries in the world criminalised LGBTQ+ people. Today, two thirds of countries do not, the agency noted.

Some 38 countries around the world have pledged to end HIV-related stigma and discrimination, and today, 50 million more girls are in school than in 2015.

UNAIDS said it was crucial to keep supporting women’s movements, LGBTQ+ rights as well as campaigns for racial justice, economic justice, climate justice and for an end to conflict.

“As communities across the world stand up for rights, the United Nations is not only on their side, but by their side,” said the agency in its statement marking the day.

On the day, and across the whole of March, events are being organised to remind the world of this vital lesson and call to action: by protecting everyone’s health, we can protect everyone’s rights.

“Through upholding rights for all, we will be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and to secure a safer, fairer, kinder and happier world for everyone,” Byanyima said.

A student of the Federal University of Technology Owerri, FUTO, Owerri, has died while several others sustained injuries in a cult-related incident.

The incident took place on Friday morning when students from Imo State University, IMSU, entered the FUTO campus in a motorcycle convoy, leading to a confrontation.

During the confrontation, the FUTO Man O War commander was fatally stabbed in the neck by one of the IMSU students.

The death and injuries have left the university community in mourning and shock.

Ukraine has donated 25,000 tonnes of wheat as emergency food assistance to 1.3 million vulnerable, crisis-affected people in northeast Nigeria amidst rising inflation and food price spikes.

This is contained in a statement by Atinuke Akande-Alegbe, spokeswoman for the British High Commission’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, on Friday.

The statement said the donation was made under the auspices of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) response in the North-East.

It explained that the contribution was part of Ukraine’s humanitarian ‘Grain from Ukraine’ initiative launched by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The statement disclosed that the shipment was made through a collaborative effort from the UK, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Luxembourg, Norway, the Republic of Korea and Sweden, who transported it from Ukraine to Nigeria.

According to the statement, the grain intervention was informed by the soaring prices of staple food in Nigeria, pushing basic meals out of reach for millions of vulnerable families nationwide.

“This is a really tough time for many people across the world, including in Nigeria. It is important that we help the most vulnerable populations. The UK is proud to be part of the global community supporting WFP to distribute lifesaving grain across Nigeria, reaching over 600,000 people.

“This contribution will go some way to addressing rising food insecurity driven by conflict and regional instability. We continue to back measures that help reduce its impact in Nigeria, support livelihoods and promote peace.

“Deadly conflicts and persistent violence in northeast Nigeria have driven millions of people out of their homes, off their farms and across the region, jeopardising agriculture and livelihoods production,” said Cynthia Rowe, British High Commission development director.

The UK will pay at least £370m to Rwanda as part of its plan to relocate asylum seekers there, the government’s spending watchdog has revealed.

Up to £150,000 will also be paid for each person sent to the east African country over a five-year period.

Labour said the new figures in the report by the National Audit Office (NAO) were a “national scandal”.

However, the Home Office said: “Doing nothing is not without significant costs.

“A spokesperson said: “Unless we act, the cost of housing asylum seekers is set to reach £11bn per year by 2026.

“Illegal migration costs lives and perpetuates human trafficking, and it is therefore right that we fund solutions to break this unsustainable cycle.

“The NAO report comes after MPs have been calling for greater transparency over the cost of the scheme.

Under the five-year deal, the UK would be able to send individuals who arrive in the country illegally to Rwanda to claim asylum there.

The aim of the policy is to deter people from crossing the English Channel in small boats – something Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made one of his key priorities.

However, the scheme has been stalled by legal challenges and no one has been relocated there yet.

The government says it is aiming for deportation flights to take off by the spring.

Legislation seeking to revive the plan has been approved by MPs and will be debated in the House of Lords next week, where critics are likely to seize on the latest costs.

Under the scheme, the Home Office has agreed to pay money into a fund to support economic growth in Rwanda, as well as providing extra payments to cover the cost of processing and relocating individuals there.

The UK has already paid £220m into the economic development fund since April 2022, with further annual payments of £50m scheduled for the next three years.

This amounts to a total of £370m over five years.If more than 300 people are eventually sent to Rwanda, the UK would pay a one-off sum of £120m into the fund, with further payments of £20,000 per individual relocated.

On top of this, the UK government would also provide up to £150,874 per person to cover costs such as accommodation, food and education.

These payments would stop if the individual chooses to leave Rwanda, with the UK instead paying £10,000 per person to facilitate their departure.

The NAO’s report also reveals that the cost of setting up the scheme could rise from £20m to £28m.

There are also expected to be other future costs, including an estimated £11,000 per individual for flights to Rwanda.

The NAO does not come to a judgement on whether the scheme is value for money as the watchdog said this would depend on whether it is successful in deterring people from coming to the UK illegally.

Labour has pledged to scrap the Rwanda policy if it wins the next election, describing it as an expensive “gimmick”.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “This report reveals the national scandal the Tories have been trying to hide.

“Its shocking analysis shows the costs of the failed Rwanda farce are even higher than previously thought.

“The report was produced in response to a request from two cross-party committees of MPs – the Public Accounts and Home Affairs Committees.

In December the Home Office’s most senior civil servant wrote to the chairwomen of both committees to reveal some of the costs associated with the scheme but they said this did not provide enough information on how much had been spent so far.

The state-run Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) on Thursday cut power supplies to the parliament over a debt of 23m Ghanaian cedi ($1.8m; £1.4m).

The outage interrupted a debate on the president’s State of the Nation speech.

A video shared by local media showed MPs in the dimly lit chamber chanting: “Dumsor, dumsor”, which means power outage in the local Akan language.

Local media reported that a back-up power generator restored power to the chamber a few minutes later.

But other parts of the parliament building remained without power for most of the day before supplies were restored.

MPs and parliamentary staff who were using the elevator when the abrupt blackout hit were stuck, Ghana’s TV3 channel reported.

The power company’s communications director William Boateng told Reuters news agency it had resorted to disconnecting power because of parliament’s refusal to “honour demand notices to pay up”.

Electricity was restored later in the day after parliament paid 13m cedi and made a pledge to settle the remaining debt within a week, Mr Boateng added.

“Disconnections are for everybody; anyone who doesn’t pay and fails to make arrangements, the team will disconnect,” he told Reuters.

Ghana’s electricity company, which is facing crippling financial difficulties, frequently disconnects power from indebted clients.

In recent years, power shortages have worsened as the country grapples with its worst economic crisis in a decade.

Private electricity suppliers are owed $1.6bn by the state power company, according to Elikplim Kwabla Apetogbor, the head of the organisation representing them.

Last July, they threatened to shut down operations over the arrears.

India has retained its title of the world’s fastest growing major economy as it expanded by 8.4% in the last three months of 2023.

The data comes as the country is set to hold a general election this year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that it shows “the strength of Indian economy and its potential”.

India is forecast to overtake Japan and Germany as the world’s third biggest economy in the next few years.

The better-than-expected growth was led by a strong performance by the country’s manufacturers, with the sector expanding by 11.6% in the period.

Private consumption, which makes up almost two-thirds of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), also rose by 3.5%.

People’s spending power was affected last year due to high prices of staple foods such as onions. That led to the government introducing a number of measures to help curb food price inflation.

In recent years, Prime Minister Modi has raised government spending on infrastructure and offered incentives to boost the manufacturing of phones, electronics, drones and semiconductors to help India compete on the international market.

On Thursday, the government gave the greenlight to the construction of three semiconductor plants worth 1.26 trillion rupees ($15.2bn; £12bn) by firms including Indian conglomerate Tata.

But the agricultural sector, which accounts for about 15% of the $3.7tn (£2.93tn) economy, continued to struggle because of weak monsoon rains.

Some farmers have been protesting to demand minimum crop prices.The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects India’s economy to expand by 6.5% in 2024, compared with 4.6% for China.

Beijing is under growing pressure to unveil stimulus measures to support the world’s second biggest economy which is facing a number of challenges including a property market crisis, high youth unemployment and falling prices, known as deflation.

Voting is under way in Iran as the country holds its first elections since the 2022 anti-government protests.

Friday’s elections are seen as a crucial test of legitimacy and national support for Iran’s leadership – but a low turnout is expected.

Voter apathy remains high following a period of unrest after the death of a young woman detained by morality police for wearing “improper” hijab.

More than 61.2 million people are eligible to vote.Two separate polls are taking place on Friday: one to elect the next members of parliament, and another to elect members of the Assembly of Experts.

The assembly selects and oversees Iran’s most powerful figure and commander-in-chief, the supreme leader – who makes key decisions on issues important to voters, such as social freedoms and economic conditions.

On Thursday, current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – who has held the position for more than three decades – encouraged voters to cast their ballots.

Refraining from voting “would not solve anything”, he said.

In the run-up to the elections, state media tried to encourage voting and build enthusiasm by airing dozens of elections specials and creating new channels to give candidates airtime.

Voter turnout is expected to be low, however, with a state-linked polling agency projecting a 41% turnout for the parliamentary elections – which, if accurate, will be the lowest turnout in the past 12 such ballots.

Many Iranians are reluctant to vote – or choosing not to – following the mass protests of 2022, which were triggered by the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

Iran’s harsh crackdown on protesters saw hundreds of people killed and thousands injured. Many were arrested and remain in prison – and in some cases, received the death penalty.

Since then, Iran’s political and social atmosphere has become more repressive and the public has become further dissatisfied with the government.

This year, a record number of 15,200 candidates were approved to stand for the 290 seats in the parliamentary election – but only 30 were from the reformist camp.

Reformists have described the elections as “meaningless, non-competitive, unfair, and ineffective in the administration of the country”.

On Thursday, US spokesperson Matthew Miller said a “great number of Iranians” had no expectation that the elections would be free and fair.

“The world has long known that Iran’s political system features undemocratic and non-transparent administrative, judicial and electoral systems,” he added.

Polls opened at 08:00 (04:30 GMT) and are expected to remain open for 10 hours – though in previous elections voting time was extended up to midnight in some cases.

The federal government says it will commence the distribution of the 42,000 metric tonnes of grains approved by President Bola Tinubu to vulnerable Nigerians next week in Niger.

Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja when he visited the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, on Thursday in Abuja.

He said Niger would be used as a pilot state for the North-Central for the distribution of the grains.”

We will take it to the states and then to the local governments so that it will be on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) template.”

NEMA and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) will be responsible for the distribution,” he said.

Mr Bago said he was in Abuja to discuss with Mr Kyari the visit of Mr Tinubu to Niger for the inauguration of the exercise.

The governor said Niger had acquired over 120 trucks of grains to complement the federal government’s efforts.

He said items to be distributed included rice, millet, guinea corn, sorghum, soya, and beans.

Also speaking, Mr Kyari said the distribution would begin from the states and then to the local governments.

He said NEMA would do the distribution.” As I mentioned before, it’s 42,000 metric tonnes of assorted grains, maize, sorghum, millet and dairy,” he said.

On dry season farming, the minister said the second phase of the dry-season farming would also commence next week.

At least five persons have lost their lives in an auto crash along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Four other persons sustained varying degrees of injuries in the accident which occurred around 2:48 pm on Thursday at Fidiwo bridge along the highway.

The accident involved a Prime bus with registration number, MUS 191 HA, and a Toyota Camry car marked AKD 754 BG.

The Public Education Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun Sector Command, Florence Okpe, confirmed the accident to journalists.

The FRSC publicist noted that the accident involved nine persons in total, comprising of six female and three male adults.

Okpe said, “Five persons lost their lives from the crash – three female and two male adults.

“Probable causes of the crash were wonderful overtaking, speed and tyre burst which led to loss of control and veer – off the road.”

She added that the injured victims were taken to Victory Hospital in Ogere, while the corpses of the victims were deposited at FOS Morgue, Ipara.