News & Announcements

The famed vocal group “Backstreet Boys” member and American musician Nick Carter has allegedly been charged with rape.

According to News, a complaint was made on Thursday, alleging that Nick was accused of raping a woman during a concert in Washington state when she was 17 years old.

According to the lawsuit, Carter allegedly gave the woman HPV and threatened to have her locked up if she told anybody what had transpired.

“He also said he’d turn people against me because he’s Nick Carter and he would wreck my life,” the woman is quoted as saying in a news release from her lawyer, Mark Boskovich.

Carter’s lawyer Michael Holtz called the accusations “legally meritless” and “completely incorrect” in a statement.

Holtz said the woman had been “manipulated into making false allegations about Nick and those allegations have changed repeatedly and materially over time.”

“No one should be fooled by a press stunt orchestrated by an opportunistic lawyer — there is nothing to this claim whatsoever, which we have no doubt the courts will quickly realize,” he said.

As a result of the allegations, the US television network ABC has canceled a performance by Nick’s band, the “Backstreet Boys.”

Even though it was supposed to air on December 14, it was currently missing from ABC’s schedule of holiday specials.

According to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the state is moving toward reaching its goal of being free from all types of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

This was announced by Sanwo-Olu on Friday during the publication of a book by Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), titled “Living For a Higher Purpose.”

The governor, who was represented by the Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, stated that his administration was trying to not just lessen but ultimately eradicate domestic and sexual violence.

He claims that the state administration has made great progress against domestic and sexual violence during the last three years.

”Institutions have been strengthened to respond appropriately, policies have been formulated and introduced in ensuring we have to provide holistic care and support to survivors.

‘We are also gradually ending the culture of impunity, as evidenced in the convictions secured by the Ministry of Justice.

”In simple terms, we are indeed, walking the talk. One of the individuals responsible for achieving my vision of a Lagos State free from all forms of sexual and gender based violence is the author we are celebrating today, Mrs Titilola Viviour-Adeniyi,” he said.

The Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT), despite the difficulties it faced, had weathered the test of time via its transformation into a full agency, sanctioned by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-administration, Olu’s according to Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa, who was reviewing the 13-Chapter book.

As a result of the book providing hope and direction to every committed public servant who intended to take actions to improve the lives of regular inhabitants, Atsenuwa referred to the author as a merchant of hope.

According to the book’s author, Vivour-Adeniyi, the narrative celebrates people who have transformed from victims to survivors and is inspirational.

She claimed that numerous people and institutions had contributed in some manner to this, and she found that to be very satisfying.

The author applauded the efforts of the previous and present administrations in Lagos State, as well as NGO’s, partners in development, volunteers, security agencies, and other stakeholders, for having the political will to combat SGBV.

The need for a multi-sectoral strategy to combat the plague of SGBV in the state gave rise to the book.

A police patrol vehicle was ambushed and set on fire in the New Market area of Enugu State on Saturday morning by some ‘Unknown Gunmen’ implementing the five-day sit-at-home order issued by Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa, who is living in the diaspora.

However, the attack did not result in any fatalities, despite the fact that it greatly increased local panic.

In an effort to implement Ekpa’s sit-at-home order, the over ten hoodlums rushed the New Market area as early as 6 am. However, they apparently encountered several police officers on the ground and attacked them.

They allegedly engaged the police officers stationed at the market in a gunfight before successfully setting fire to their patrol car.

Some of the market’s early-arriving traders fled for safety, leaving their products behind.

An eyewitness, Mike Ezeh said, “I saw a group of boys around 6 am this morning shouting on traders coming to market to go home. They were shouting; don’t you know there’s sit-at-home? Why are you disobeying it?

“Shortly, I saw a police patrol vehicle coming, and immediately, they engaged them in a shootout. I left my goods and ran to safety. After the shooting stopped I came out and saw they had set ablaze the police patrol vehicle in front of the Colliery hospital.”

There is yet to be any report from the state police station.

The University of Calabar has ordered the cessation of the practice of “water ritual’’ in the school, describing it as unwholesome and not academic.

Students randomly pour water on matriculating and graduating students as part of the “water ritual” as a “initiation rite.”

The vice-chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi, ordered the end to the practice, which she claimed was no longer acceptable and constituted rights abuses, according to the registrar of the university, Mr. Gabriel Egbe, who made the announcement in Calabar on Friday.

“The vice-chancellor has directed that the practice be discontinued against the backdrop of a viral video in which a female student was subjected to indignity at the last matriculation.

“In the video clip, a group of young men indulged in inhumane and barbaric action.

“Besides the official discontinuance of the unacceptable act, a committee has been set put to investigate the ugly act meted on the female student and those found culpable will be sanctioned appropriately.

“The Acting Chief Security Officer, retired Capt. Austin Bisong, and other relevant officers in the university have been tasked to ensure that the ugly episode never occurs again,’’ Egbe stated. (NAN

Pelumi Olajengbesi, the singer’s lawyer, revealed the news of D’banj’s release by saying that the ICPC had freed the musician on self-recognizance on December 9, 2022.

This comes two days after the commission issued a warning against starting any media trials and Dbanj’s legal counsel demanded a full probe into the situation.

Recall that on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, after being questioned by officials on a funds diversion charge, D’banj was taken into custody by the ICPC.

Olajengbesi shared the good news of the singer’s release on his Facebook page and clarified in a statement on Friday that D’banj was cleared of any wrongdoing.

The post read: “After 72 hours of unfair detention and false allegation against Mr. Daniel Oladapo (D’banj), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Friday afternoon released the popular singer.

“It is instructive to note that the ICPC released D’banj) on self-recognition after the agency could not find anything incriminating on him.

“Nigerians must be told the truth that D’banj) is clean and have no criminal or fraud record. It, however, an embarrassment to the entire country that such a huge allegation of N900m fraud against a public figure without any evidence.

“The ICPC Chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye (SAN) and the entire officers of the ICPC must be deeply sad and embarrassed also that their decent organization was used for such a shameful publicity against an innocent man. Only few organizations and persons stood and waited to verify the claims. This form of media trial is evil.

“The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, who claimed to have instructed the ICPC to detain D’banj must now be ready to explain to world the money traced to his account and the amount.

“We still demand that the minister provide the details of the government authority D’banj allegedly collaborated with and provide the account and N-power funds allegedly traced to Dbanj’s account.

“This is injustice and upon the instruction of our client, we may head to court to seek redress, a public apology and compensation from the ICPC. The detention of D’banj is an injustice having that the ICPC found nothing incriminating traced to his innocent personality.

“This is to say a big thank you to Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and my Learned Senior Barr. Babs Akinwumi for the leadership.”

Hundreds of journalists and other employees at The New York Times have begun a strike over the demand for better salaries and improved health insurance funding.

In a statement on Wednesday, The NewsGuild of New York, a union of media workers, said the action followed the company’s refusal to reach a contract agreed upon with the workers.

Over 400 New York Times tech members have also sent a petition to management announcing their intent to walk out for one hour because of “similar struggles that they’ve faced at the bargaining table”.
“The major sticking points continue to be around economics, especially wages, a $65,000 salary floor proposed by the Guild, and funding employees’ health insurance sustainably.

“The company has frequently misrepresented its own proposals to the public and the press, especially by claiming ‘increases’ in compensation that are really unspoken hypotheticals neither side recognizes as possible outcomes of bargaining.

“All workers who signed the walkout pledge are anticipated to participate in the one-day work stoppage, with some major desks losing 90% of their workforce that day, and other departments being essentially empty of Guild employees,” the statement reads.

President, NewsGuild of New York, Susan DeCarava, said the strike, which is the first in 40 years, is to ensure that the company rewards those behind its success.

The Department of State Services has given Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and other stakeholders in the downstream sector 48 hours to end the lingering fuel scarcity across the country.

Addressing journalists at the DSS headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, the spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, said they held a closed-door meeting with stakeholders who agreed to end the scarcity.

He said all DSS commands had been placed on red alert and would commence operations to bring defaulters to book.

Finally, a circular from the Lagos State government directing principals and school administrators to permit Muslim children to wear the hijab in all state-owned schools has been released.

Hakeem Muri Okunola, the State Head of Service, issued the circular on Monday, December 5, with reference number CIR/HOS/’22/Vol.1/068. It became effective right away.

A few hours after a Muslim human rights group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), appealed to the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to get involved in the hijab issue because it affects Muslims’ constitutional rights in the state, the state under Gov. Sanwo-leadership Olu’s officially approved the hijab.

On Friday, June 17, 2022, the Supreme Court issued a decision supporting the wearing of the hijab in all Lagos State schools. However, MURIC Director Prof. Lakin Akintola was concerned that the Lagos State Government had not issued a statement following the decision.

The State issued the circular informing all state parastatals and agencies, including school principals and administrators, to let any female student to wear the hijab on uniforms in all state-owned schools after the Supreme Court verdict in less than 24 hours of MURIC’s appeal.

“It’s hereby notified for general information that the supreme court judgment SC/910/2016 delivered on the 17th of June 2022 on the use of Hijab as it affects pupils/students in Lagos State schools has delivered that the students should be allowed to wear the hijab if desired,” the statement read in part. 

You should be aware that the verdict is binding on all schools in the State, Muri-Okunola said, adding that detailed rules on the wearing of the hijab will be sent to all government entities in due time.

“As a law-abiding administration, all accounting officers are to note the contents of this circular for immediate compliance and give it the deserved service-wide publicity,” he noted. 

In response to the development, Hajiah Mutiat Orolu-Balogun of the Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative, HRAI, expressed happiness over the news and claimed that by making it simple for the supreme court’s ruling on the hijab to be implemented, the state has demonstrated that it is a responsible and law-abiding government.

In protest of the government’s levy on trailers, lorries, trucks, and other vehicles bringing goods into the state, trailer and lorry drivers blocked the Enugu-Onitsha, Onitsha-Owerri expressway, Niger Bridge Head, and all roads that lead into and out of Anambra State through Onitsha early on Friday.

For trailers loading and unloading cargo in Anambra State, Governor Charles Soludo levied a charge of N30,000.

Other vehicles subject to the levy include lorries and trucks, which are charged at different rates of N25,000 and N20,000 for vehicles with 10 and 6 tires, respectively.

According to reports, some people pay N15,000 for loading and unloading of items, with buses paying the least, between N5,000 and N3,000.

The state’s residents and drivers have strongly opposed the fees and have criticized the government as insensitive and anti-people in their criticism.

Even business owners, importers, and warehouse operators in various parts of Onitsha and its surroundings had objected to the levies and urged the state government to revoke them and remove the individuals assigned to collect them.

According to them, the collectors pose a threat to their safety and life and expose them to kidnappers.

Some Onitsha locals complained about the levies since they had to travel far distances to their markets and destinations due to the protesting trailer and truck drivers blocking the highways.

They questioned why a responsible administration would impose such a high charge at this time of year, given the high rate of inflation, the high price of fuel, the fact that many people are going hungry, and the fact that preparations for Christmas and the New Year are at their most intense.

Some asked what the government wanted the poor masses to do, describing the government as greedy, callous and irresponsible.

Odion Omoroge, a driver this morning, claimed to have driven all night from Abuja to Benin before bringing bags of garri and some yam tubers into Onitsha.

In response to the levy, he expressed amazement and said that he had never before seen one anywhere in Nigeria, calling the Soludo-led administration “the worst the people of the state will face.”

According to Omoroge, “The problem with this government, as I observe, is that it believes that money collected from the people as levy and tax and other revenues are the only money that it will use to work for the people.

“It is not talking about money from the government, and one begins to wonder if Anambra State is not getting any allocation from Federal government.

“What Anambra people and people coming into this state will be seeing in the near future about this government will be terrible and shocking to them; its obsession for levy and revenue is alarming.

“I am afraid that one day there may be blood revolt by the people, against this government because everything it is doing is at the extreme

“Touts are everywhere in Onitsha violently collecting money from people, even men and women on uniforms are violently stopping motorists on the roads accusing them of one false traffic offense or the other and violently collecting cars and vehicles keys and making them part with fines ranging from N10,000, N20,000 and N50,000.

“We know that these monies are not paid into government accounts.

“Violence in everything about collection of money is being witnessed daily in Anambra State, particularly in Onitsha.”

In the event that Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, wins the election next year, the party has pledged to enact a minimum salary of N80,000 to N100,000.

Ayo Olorunfemi, the party’s deputy national chairman, made this announcement on Thursday’s episode of Sunrise Daily on Channels Television.

Olorunfemi stated that the party intended to advocate for hourly paid jobs as mentioned in its manifesto while raising the present minimum wage from N30,000 to between N80,000 and N100,000.

In the LP’s manifesto, which was released a few days ago, Obi pushed for the payment of hourly wages rather than the nation’s current monthly system.

According to the LP chieftain, if a worker makes about N1,000 per hour at work, he can boast of earning N4,000 per day, which, depending on the nature of the job, can bring in between N80,000 and N100,000 per year.

“It depends on the nature of the job that would be given out. For instance, when you take a cursory look at the manual labourer out there, he does not take less than N2,500-N3,000 per day which is still not okay as far as the reward system is concerned. If you divide N3,000 by six hours, you will be talking about N500 per hour,” Olorunfemi said.

“So, when you benchmark that against what we have now, certainly, you would be talking of something within the range of N500-N1,000 per hour depending on the nature of work, and at the end of the day, someone can effectively say that he can make up to N4,000 in a day. And when you multiply N4,000 in a day by 20 or 25, we are talking about N80,000 or N100,000 in a month.” He added.

The LP leader said that the party is targeting “N80,000-N100,000” as a new monthly minimum wage, adding that “that is exactly where we are headed!” when pressed for more clarification on his statement.

Olorunfemi said the present N30,000 minimum wage does not reflect the realities of the sweat of the Nigerian workers, adding that the Labour Party would ensure the new wage structure is implemented if the party wins next year’s polls at the centre.

“As a matter of fact, you know the amount of oil in the name of oil theft that has been leaving this country,” Olorufemi added. “We know where these things are coming from. They say there is no money but we know these monies have been stashed in the rooms or toilets of a few persons.”