News & Announcements

The Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri, has abolished the Omajaja term from Itsekiris’s vocabulary owing to what he described as its negative connotation over time.

He made the declaration in a Royal Proclamation in a statement he personally endorsed as the Kingdom rolled out drums to celebrate its annual Praise day.

He noted the palace would no longer make reference to the term, saying all Ìtsekírìs are now to be referred to as Omiwere, and that every Itsekiris’s individual is freeborn.

Ogiame added that the classification does not alter the law and manner of succession to the throne.

He said, “All Ìtsekírìs are now to be referred to as Omiwere.

The official palace-approved symbol or logo for Omiwere will be aware of the leaf.

Those that wish to add something unique to represent them, are free to do so.

The logo shall be worn with pride by all Omiwere. “Today, we move to make further clarifications to our existing society.

These clarifications are not to make one feel inferior or superior to the other, but simply to establish identity and general order in our society.

“Ìtsekírìs are Omajaja, this is not to say we should remove slaves from freeborn, because slaves no longer exist in our society. Both the Prince and Princesses and the children of the Chiefs are Ìtsekírì children. Before now, they were all referred to as Omajaja. The term Omajaja has come to take on a negative connotation over time in our society. It is important to note that from today henceforth, I use my authority to abolish the word Omajaja from our vocabulary.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of Itsekiri sons and daughters on Saturday gathered at the Aghofen, Olu Palace church, Warri to give thanks to the Almighty God.

The soul-lifting event called “Annual Praise Day” was convened by the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III.

The annual Praise and Thanksgiving day is a yearly event held by the Iwere Nation to give thanks to God for sustaining the Warri kingdom.

Different gospel artists and praise groups gave ministration at the well-attended event.

Among the artists were: Ada Gold, Felix Ekenguda, Dero Ofoluwafo, Katy Jakes, Ruke Gure, Blossom Mene, and Mairo Ese.

Others were: Iwere Praise Choir, Ogono for Jesus, Revelation Band, and others.

Malama Khadija, a Kano State woman who married her daughter’s boyfriend, says her decision to marry him is final and nothing can change it.

She vowed never to quit the marriage irrespective of what people are saying about her decision.

She stated that since she has not offended the Almighty God she is unfazed by whatever opinion people hold about her action.

The story of Khadija’s action has continued to generate controversy in Kano, as many people keep wondering whether it’s true, while others argue the legitimacy of marriage in Islam.

Recall that Khadija gave them reason for quitting her initial marriage to marry her daughter’s boyfriend as an action that both she and her daughter didn’t lose the handsome man.

Speaking on the controversy generated in her family and the state, Khadija said she had no regret.

She said, “I wonder why people are after my marriage. I made the decision by myself. Nobody forced me. My daughter rejected the man, and I felt like we can’t lose him. We are happily married and I am enjoying my stay with him.

“I want people to know that I asked clerics about the legitimacy of this marriage and they said there is no problem with that. So, I will not reverse this marriage. I am there to stay; I don’t need any advice.”

On the allegation against the Hisbah Commandant of Rano LGA, Khadija said he didn’t force her to marry.

However, the state’s Hisbah command has constituted a committee to investigate the matter.

Two Nigerians, Gbemisola Akinrinade and Adebowale Adiatu, were detained by the Canadian police for allegedly benefiting themselves with the money from the sales of legitimate airline tickets to unwary clients.

In the racketeering conspiracy, the defendants allegedly sold more than 250 plane tickets fraudulently for more than $500,000, according to Canada Today.

According to a news statement issued by the Peel Regional Police on January 26, 2023, the bulk of the clients who bought the tickets were from the Calgary area, and the flights were mostly to Africa.

Charges against the suspects include fraud, conspiring to commit an indictable offense, possession of property obtained via criminal activity, acquiring under false pretenses, and illegal computer use.

The police claim that many fraud-related instances involve the coercion, manipulation, and exploitation of people in vulnerable positions for the financial gain of the fraudster.

But they advised people to thoroughly research the website they were dealing with and confirm its credibility.

“Anyone who recognises or has information about this type of case is asked to contact the 21 Division C.I.B or Fraud Bureau at (905) 453–2121, ext. 2133 or 3335 or to your local police service.  Information may also be left anonymously by calling Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or by visiting peelcrimestoppers.”

Due to violence on party supporters, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu withdrew from the Lagos State Governorship Debate.

This was announced on Sunday by the debate’s organizers, who termed it “ThePlatform debate for Lagos governorship contenders.”

The governor, who is running for reelection as the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, withdrew from the debate because he did not want to share the platform with an unnamed competitor, according to debate moderator Victor Oladokun.

He said, “On account of this incident which has already gone viral, Governor Sanwo-Olu through his spokesman, announced yesterday (Saturday) that the governor will be pulling out of the debate because he won’t want to share the stage with a particular candidate whose supporters allegedly carried out the attack.”

Recall that over the weekend, in the Surulere region of the state, members of one political party were purportedly seen openly firing firearms at members of another party.

Olufunso Doherty of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party (LP), and Olajide Adediran of the Peoples Democratic Party are among those taking part in the debate (PDP).

Meanwhile, in his rebuttal to the charge against his party, Adediran said his supporters won’t shoot at the people they campaign to at the Surulere area of the state, warning all his fans to stop from all forms of electoral violence.

 No fewer than two children and seven adults were reported to have died after a 20-foot container fell on a commercial bus in Surulere Local Government, Lagos State.

Of the seven others whose bodies were recovered at the accident scene on Ojuelegba bridge were four males and three females while the two children include a male and female.

Meanwhile, the emergency officials were able to rescue a female passenger from the bus on Sunday after extricating the bus which was already been compressed by the container weight.

The woman who has since been rushed to the Burns and Trauma centre in Gbagada General Hospital for adequate medical care was removed after several minutes by the emergency officials including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the State’s fire service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and others.

The Permanent Secretary, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, and the Director of Fire service, Margret Adeseye, confirmed the casualties and removal of the container that had resulted in gridlock, reducing the travel time around the axis.

Oke-Osanyintolu stated that efforts have been made to ensure that the traffic that trailed the accident was cleared to make the bridge free for vehicular movement.

According to him, “further investigations revealed that the bus was picking up passengers when the truck lost control and fell over the side of the bridge.

“After suspending the container load with the aid of the Agency’s forklift and cutting off the top of the bus with light rescue equipment, a single adult woman was extricated alive and taken to the trauma centre.

“The Agency’s heavy-duty Goliath and teams from Onipan and Cappa are on the ground. The Agency’s Ambulance, LASG FIRE, FED FIRE, LASTMA, and Nigeria Police have been working on this situation which is now concluded.

Further investigation to be carried out by the Nigeria Police on the removal of the barriers on the bridge aimed at preventing trucks from ascending.”

The Lagos State Government has responded to the outpouring of comments prompted by the shocking video of a gang shooting in broad daylight in Surulere.

“Security agencies are investigating the video, which has gone viral on social media. We believe they will fish out and prosecute the evil actors, who are believed to be henchmen of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)”, a statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said.

“We condemn this savagery that has portrayed our state, the safest in Nigeria, in a bad light. That is not who we are; we are civilized and cultured.

“Following advice from competent sources, including elders and respectable Lagosians, we will henceforth shun any forum that may require us to be together with PDP and its agents of violence.

“Consequently, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu regrets to announce that he will not be participating at The Platform Governorship Debate of January 29, 2023.

The Governor holds Pastor Poju Oyemade and the Covenant Christian Church family in high esteem and cherishes future opportunities to engage the congregation and render accounts of his stewardship to them as integral parts of the Lagos electorate.

“We will never be found in the company of those to whom the lives of innocent Lagosians mean nothing. Mr Sanwo-Olu won’t share a podium with them.”

Baltazar Lemos, 60, from Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil announced his death on social media and set up a hoax funeral for his friends and family.

Lemos frequently conducts funerals, and has overseen hundreds of ceremonies commemorating the life of other people. 

He recounted how saddened he had been after conducting a service with just two people in attendance compared to other services where more than 500 were present.

So, just like the episode in Friends where Ross Geller held a fake funeral to see which of his old college mates would attend, Lemos pulled the hoax to see who would show up. 

Unfortunately for the 60-year-old Brazilian, his funeral produced similarly disastrous results to that of the fictional paleontologist. 

Earlier this month, Lemos posted a seemingly innocent and cheery photo of himself on his Facebook page, sharing ‘prayers and good vibes with everyone’.

However, Lemos’ friends could see from the background of the image that he was at Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo, suggesting that he had been admitted there.

Another post then went up a day later, announcing that he had died.

‘At the beginning of this sad afternoon, Baltazar Lemos left us. More information coming soon,’ the social media post read.

This left Lemos’ family in shock. They had been unaware that he was ill.

His nephew rushed to the Sao Paulo hospital to ask the medical staff about him. But as he had never been admitted and was not actually dead, hospital staff had no record of him being there.

Concerned friends became distressed about his passing – including his wheelchair-bound octogenarian mother – and started to pay tribute to him and his life. Many commented on the post to ask about the details of his death and the cause, but no further information was given.

The funeral and wake details for a ceremony commemorating Lemos’ life were soon posted to the Facebook page.

Friends and family soon gathered to pay their respects to the Brazilian at a chapel in his hometown of Curitiba. But no sooner had the ceremony started that Lemos’ voice started bellowing out from the speakers, detailing his 60 years of life.

Those in attendance were in shock and tears started pouring from many people’s eyes. The mourners thought that Lemos had recorded the tape before his supposed death.

Alter doors then flung open and the man confronted Lemos’ friends and family.

The mourners were aghast and confused, as tears continued to pour from many of those in attendance.

The hoax funeral didn’t appear to have the results Lemos was expecting. As he tried to explain what had happened, and why he wanted to fake his death, the congregation who had been sorrowful over his passing were now incandescent with rage and started to accuse him of cruelty.

If it was any consolation for Lemos, more people showed up to his funeral than the two old college friends who gathered for Ross Geller’s wake.

Lemos told Brazilian outlet Otempo: ‘I had the idea five months ago. I wanted to make it look like I really died. People interpreted it in their own way. The truth is that I wanted to know who would come to my wake.’

He also apologized for his antics. ‘I didn’t tell anyone, because I hoped it would work out. I had no intention of hurting, offending or causing any harm to anyone. I truly apologize to these people.’

Social media users quickly learned of the disastrous funeral.

One wrote: ‘You got what you wanted Baltazar, to draw attention. In all the groups of event photographers, people are talking about your ‘death’. Everyone was mourning. What a ridiculous joke! You should take a picture with everyone who mourned your supposed death. I don’t know you personally and I hope I never meet you.’

Another of his friends told Otempo: ‘I’ve known him since 2001. I thought the story was horrible. I spent one day sad and the other very indignant. For me, he died on the 17th [the day the fake death was announced], when I found out everything. It was in very bad taste.’Show quoted text

Two Indian Air Force fighter jets crashed on Saturday, killing one pilot, in an apparent mid-air collision while on exercises south of the capital New Delhi.

The crash involved a Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30, carrying two pilots, and a French-built Mirage 2000, operated by a third.

Both aircraft had taken off in the morning from the Gwalior air base, around 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of where they came down.

“The aircraft was on a routine operational flying training mission,” the country’s air force said in a statement, adding that one of the three pilots had sustained fatal injuries.

An investigation was underway to determine the cause of the crash, it added.

Police officer, Dharmender Gaur, told AFP from the scene of the crash that another pilot had been found alive but injured in the forests of Padargarh around 300 kilometers (185 miles).

“We have located the wreckage of one of the planes,” the officer said. “The other plane has likely fallen further away from the site and we have sent teams to locate it.”

Local authorities had been instructed to assist with the air force’s rescue and relief work, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted.

“I pray to God that the pilots of the planes are safe,” he added.
The crash is the latest in a string of aviation accidents involving India’s military air fleet.

Five army soldiers were killed last October when their helicopter crashed in Arunachal Pradesh state, near the country’s militarised and the disputed border with China.

It was the second military chopper crash in the state that month, coming weeks after a Cheetah helicopter came down near the town of Tawang, killing its pilot.

India’s defense chief, General Bipin Rawat, was among 13 people killed when his Russian-made Mi-17 helicopter crashed while transporting him to an air force base in December 2021.

Five Cameroonians have reportedly been detained by the Adamawa Police Command on suspicion of taking part in the attempt to kidnap Emmanuel Ebel, a resident of Jambutu, Yola-North LGA.

The Command’s spokesperson, SP Suleiman Nguroje, revealed this in a statement on Saturday in Yola.

According to him, the crime was stopped thanks to solid information that a good Samaritan provided that resulted in the arrest of all illegal aliens.

“The Command Operatives attached to State Intelligence Bureau in sustained effort foiled an organized Crime to kidnap one Emmanuel Ebel a resident of Jambutu, Yola North local government area.

“The command upon receiving the information designed a security ring around the target and luckily engaged the suspected kidnappers,” he said.

Chubrandom Safinga, 30, Ibrahim Tala, 32, Ngosso Ndjombe, 28, Mmai Rostand, 32, and Nossu Ngambewo Ricky, 27, were among the suspects mentioned by Nguroje.

“All illegal immigrants from the neighbouring Cameroon Republic were arrested 20 minutes before implementing their organized crime.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Sikiru Akande, while commending OC SIB and his men for gallantry performance and professional conduct displayed leading to their arrest, also directs them to sustain the tempo as a strategy for Crime prevention,” he said.

According to Nguroje, the police commissioner asked locals to always report the whereabouts of criminals and their associates to the authorities.

He also gave the government and the good people of Adamawa state assurances regarding the police’s ongoing efforts to safeguard residents’ lives and property.

In northwest Pakistan on Sunday, ten kids died after their boat capsized, according to a local police official.

According to local police officer Mir Rauf, all of the bodies that have been pulled from the Tanda Dam lake near Kohat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province so far ranged in age from seven to fourteen.

Six of the 11 kids who were rescued from the water, according to Rauf, are in a critical condition. When the boat capsized, it was transporting between 25 and 30 students who were on a day trip from a nearby madrassa.

Rauf told AFP that a rescue effort was in progress.

In Pakistan, large numbers of people perish frequently when old, overloaded ships lose stability and toss passengers into the water.

Many people in the nation do not know how to swim, especially women who are deterred from learning because of traditional societal mores. Once they get wet, their full-coverage clothing becomes a burden for them as well.

18 women perished on the Indus River in Punjab province in July when a crowded boat transporting a wedding party across it collapsed.