News & Announcements

A hunter who functions as a local vigilante in Adamawa State has killed himself in a circumstance considered too flimsy for suicide.
The hunter, Usman Alhaji Audu of Gada Maisaje in Gombi Local Government Area, shot himself to death allegedly after his mother berated him for beating his young son.

Sources said Usman caned his four-year-old son for returning late from an errand, a punishment which his mother, the boy’s grandmother, considered too harsh and over which she cautioned Usman.
Usman reportedly found the caution of his mother unacceptable and reacted by reaching for his single-barrel Dane gun with which he shot himself.

He was said to have uttered that he preferred to kill himself and leave the world for his mother. He shot himself in the stomach, following which he was taken to hospital where he was confirmed dead.
A source, who on Saturday disclosed to our correspondent said that the incident happened on Wednesday, October 19, questioned Usman’s rationale for killing himself.

“The community is still puzzled by Usman’s action; people are still wondering why he should kill himself just because his mother cautioned him against beating his son harshly,” the source said.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa State, SP Suleiman Nguroje, who confirmed the suicide, said that the police were investigating the matter.

Priscilla Asikhia, a young and talented Nigerian woman, set a remarkable record when she graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from Babcock University in South West, Nigeria, at the age of 25.
Priscilla Asikhia shared her success on her LinkedIn profile, recounting the 10 years of arduous study that it took her to earn a Ph.D.

She stated on LinkedIn that her “successive 10-year education has given me a grounded knowledge of Educational Research, Administration, and Human Resources.”
Priscilla began her higher education at the age of 15, and by the age of 19, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
At the age of 22, she graduated from her Master’s programme in business administration and management.

Priscilla started her Ph.D. studies in the same semester that she finished her Master’s degree in human resources and personnel administration.

She successfully finished her Ph.D. at age 25, making her the institution’s youngest Ph.D. graduate and one of Nigeria’s youngest Doctors of Philosophy.
“I am happy to say that I have just received a Ph.D. degree, making me Babcock University’s youngest Ph.D. graduate. The achievement belongs entirely to God,” she said.Attachments area

Twitter Inc has clarified that it has no plans for a company-wide layoff since it signed a deal to be acquired by billionaire Elon Musk.

According to Reuters a source who viewed the email sent by Twitter General Counsel Sean Edgett to employees on Thursday says the company does not plan layoffs.

It was earlier reported by Washington Post on Thursday that Elon Musk had told prospective investors in his deal to buy Twitter that he planned to get rid of nearly 75% of the company’s 7,500 workers citing interviews and documents.

The Washington Post reported earlier on Thursday that Elon Musk told prospective investors in his deal to buy Twitter that he planned to get rid of nearly 75% of the company’s 7,500 workers, citing interviews and documents.

 The job cuts are expected in the coming months, no matter who owns the company, the Washington Post reported.

Twitter’s current management planned to pare the company’s payroll by about $800 million by the end of next year, a number that would mean the departure of nearly a quarter of the workforce, the report said.

Twitter is yet to respond to requests for comment.

Human resources staff at the social media company has told employees that they were not planning for mass layoffs, but documents showed extensive plans to push out staff and cut down on infrastructure costs were already in place before Musk offered to buy the company, the Washington Post reported.

 Musk had tried to walk away from the deal to buy Twitter in May alleging the company understated the number of bot and spam accounts on the social media platform, which started a series of lawsuits between the two parties.

 Earlier this month, Musk reversed course and said he will proceed with the deal on the original terms.

Bruce Fein, international Counsel to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has recommended that US President Joe Biden impose sanctions against Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and his Attorney General and Minister of Justice,  Abubakar Malami, “for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights against Biafran leader Nnamdi Kanu, including kidnapping, torture, and prolonged arbitrary detention to retaliate for exercising internationally recognized rights to freedom of expression and association.” 

Remarkably, he recommended the sanctions over their repeated non-compliance with several court orders on Nnamdi Kanu, especially on releasing him from the dungeon.

Writing through the US Senate and House of Representatives Committee Chairs and Ranking Members, Fein lamented that “what Nigeria has done to Mr. Kanu is indistinguishable from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Saudi Arabian Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salmansending thugs abroad to poison, murder, torture, silence, and intimidate dissidents to their dictatorial regimes,” adding that  “they are a threat to international peace and security and subvert the rule-based international order championed by the United States. He noted that “to permit President Buhari’s and Attorney General Malami’s thuggery to escape with impunity would be unacceptable.”

“The sanctions should include ineligibility for a visa to enter the United States and to block of all transactions in properties of Mr. Buhari and Mr. Malami in the United States,” he further recommended.

In a tweet made available to The State Online, Friday, by Kanu’s Special Counsel, Bar. Aloy Ejimakor, Bruce Fein’s recommendation reads:  

“RE:  Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act:  Recommending President Joe Biden to impose sanctions against Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerian Attorney General Abubakar Malami for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights against Biafran leader Nnamdi Kanu, including kidnapping, torture, and prolonged arbitrary detention to retaliate for exercising internationally recognized rights to freedom of expression and association.”

He began:

“Dear Committee Chairs and Ranking Members:

I represent Biafran leader Nnamdi Kanu. 

Mr. Kanu has been illegally detained in solitary confinement in cramped quarters for sixteen (16) months without adequate access to needed medical care or to counsel by Nigeria’s State Security Services controlled by President Muhammadu Buhari and Attorney General Abubakar Malami.

Mr. Kanu’s detention followed his kidnapping, torture, and extraordinary rendition from Kenya in June 2021 to retaliate for advocating a Biafran independence referendum modelled on the United States-brokered 2011 referendum for South Sudan.  Mr. Kanu opposes the use of force with the sole exception of self-defence.

On July 20, 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued an Opinion finding Nnamdi Kanu’s detention violated sixteen (16) international human rights guarantees.  The Opinion ordered his “immediate and unconditional release,” Opinion, paragraph 107. (See Attachment A).  President Buhari and Attorney General Malami have ignored the directive for nearly three (3) months with no indication that compliance will ever be forthcoming. 

In January 2022, following the extraordinary rendition of Mr. Kanu, a Nigerian High Court judgment impliedly exonerated him from the Nigerian government’s Orwellian claim that he had jumped bail in evading its notorious attempted assassination.

On October 13, 2022, the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, Abuja Judicial Division, Holden at Abuja, decreed that Nigeria’s detention of Mr. Kanu was illegal because of his extraordinary rendition from Kenya in violation of international and state laws. (See Attachment B). The Court ordered the dismissal of all charges against him. Again, President Buhari and Attorney General Malami have flouted the Court’s orders and kept Nnamdi Kanu illegally detained.

The Opinions of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Court of Appeals of Nigeria speak for themselves.  They are crystal clear.

Accordingly, I would respectfully urge you individually and collectively to recommend to President Joe Biden that he impose sanctions against President Buhari and Attorney General Malami for gross violations of Mr. Kanu’s internationally recognized human rights under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, 22 U.S.C. 2656 note,  The sanctions should include ineligibility for a visa to enter the United States and blocking of all transactions in properties of Mr. Buhari and Mr. Malami in the United States.

What Nigeria has done to Mr. Kanu is indistinguishable from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Saudi Arabian Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salmansending thugs abroad to poison, murder, torture, silence, and intimidate dissidents to their dictatorial regimes.  They are a threat to international peace and security and subvert the rule-based international order championed by the United States.

To permit President Buhari’s and Attorney General Malami’s thuggery to escape with impunity would be unacceptable.

Sincerely,

Bruce Fein

Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu.

Ethiopian Airlines (EA) flight ET-3717 was intercepted by fighter aircraft flying over Greece after reportedly losing radio contact with multiple Air Traffic Control (ATC) centers for more than an hour.   
On October 15, 2022, flight ET-3717, operated by an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-300 freighter registered ET-ALO, began its journey from Liege, Belgium and was en route to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. However, following its crossover from Croatia’s airspace, where it was in contact with Zagreb Center, radio contact with the aircraft was lost.  

Radio silence While the aircraft remained on its planned flight path (via Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and into Greece), multiple calls were made by the various ATC centres as well as other aircraft to raise the crew on all available frequencies, including the International Guard Frequency. However, there was no answer at which point the Athens Center alerted that fighter aircraft would be scrambled to intercept the aircraft.  

Ethiopian Airlines flight ET3717 playback, Flightradar24
More than an hour after communication was lost, a scramble order from the CAOC Torrejon – the responsible Combined Air Operations Centre in south Europe – was given to intercept flight ET-3717, according to a statement provided to AeroTime by the Hellenic Air Force.
“Two GRC F-16 jets were scrambled at 18:45”, the statement continued.

A spokesperson from the Hellenic Air Force told AeroTime that flight ET-3717 was intercepted 10NM south of Kithira Island, upon which radio communication between the aircraft and the ATC was re-established.

Upon radio response from the crew, the GRC F-16 jets returned to base, while flight ET-3717 continued along its flight path and landed at its destination in Addis Ababa with no further incidents recorded.  
No official cause has been reported concerning the extended period of radio silence and Ethiopian Airlines is yet to issue an official statement.

American rapper, Kanye West has tendered his apology to people hurt by his series of anti-semitic comments in the past week.

West appeared on Piers Morgan’s Uncensored show which aired on Wednesday where he was called out by the host for targeting the Jewish community with hurtful remarks.
In one of the tweets that led to Twitter restricting his account, the rapper wrote, “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up, I’ll go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE. The funny thing is I can’t actually be anti-semitic because black people are Jewish also. You people gave toyed with me and gave tried to blackball whoever opposes your agenda.”

Kanye later clarified that he meant to say Defcon 3 in the tweet. Defence readiness condition (Defcon) is an alert system used by the US military, with five levels of readiness, with level one being the highest. Defcon level 3 refers to an “Increase in force readiness above normal readiness.”
While he first doubled down on the comments during the interview, West later acknowledged the fact that he had hurt people and caused “confusion”.

When asked if he regretted his “death con 3” tweet, Kanye said “No… Absolutely not.”
Afterwards, the preview video cuts to him making a U-turn and tendering his apology.
“I will say I’m sorry for the people that I hurt with the Defcon [comment], the confusion that I caused,” he said.

“I felt like I caused hurt and confusion. And I’m sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I have been through.

“I just want to say that it’s wrong to hold an apology hostage and I gotta let go of that, and free myself of the trauma and say, ‘Look, I’m just gonna give it all up to God right now.’ And say to those families that I hurt, you know, I really want to give you guys a big hug. And I want to say I’m sorry for hurting you with my comments.”

Policemen stationed at the Lekki toll gate area on Thursday fired teargas canisters and water cannons at participants of the second memorial of the #EndSARS protest.

In an interview with Channels Television, the spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, said some of the participants were “unruly” and climbed the top of the toll gate.
He said, “That was not needed. You are doing a procession, just walk past. But these people now stopped there and climbed on the toll gate, becoming a nuisance, threatening to break down the existing law and order.

“We can’t stand there and watch them misbehave. The least we could do was to use teargas, any other thing apart from teargas will be more harmful.

“There is no record of injury. We only did our job and faced those who were unruly.”
Some of the participants at the procession include popular comedian Debo Adebayo, also known as Mr Macaroni; and musician Folarin Falana, better known as Falz.

According to the organizers, the procession was to commemorate the second anniversary of the #EndSARS protest against police brutality and extrajudicial killings that rocked Lagos and parts of Nigeria in October 2020. Scores of fully armed police officers were seen with about 25 patrol vans at the toll gate on Thursday.

A Brazilian beauty influencer has been shot dead in her own home by two gunmen who later fled on a motorbike. Content creator Núbia Cristina Braga, 23, also known as ‘Boss’, was found in her home in the neighborhood of Santa Maria in Aracaju, Sergipe State, Brazil, on the evening of October 14.
Núbia, who had nearly 60,000 Instagram followers and dreamed of becoming a world-famous influencer, visited a hair salon just before she was killed

Her last post on Instagram Stories reportedly shows her having her hair done.
The young influencer returned home and was killed shortly after arriving.

According to the police, two men arrived at her home on a motorbike and entered the property through the open front door.

The gunmen reportedly opened fire as soon as they saw Núbia and shot her multiple times before fleeing the scene. Police officers arrived at the home at around 9 pm and found the victim lying dead on the floor in a pool of blood. Local authorities have called on members of the public to come forwards with any information that will lead to the suspects’ arrest.

Núbia provided content on beauty, fashion, and travel on social media and owned her own clothing store called ‘Boss’s Closet’.
Friends said she dreamed of becoming an internationally recognised Instagram influencer.
They also hailed Núbia as a person, calling her cheerful, outgoing, honest, and independent.
She was also recognised for helping her local community in Santa Maria by carrying out volunteer work and helping to organise parties for Children’s Day and Christmas.

Her aunt Cláudia Menezes said: ‘Núbia did volunteer work and helped everyone. She left a legacy behind.’
The police did not mention a possible motive for the influencer’s murder and the investigation is ongoing.
Many of Núbia’s online followers left tributes on her final posts, with one Instagram user commenting: ‘My JESUS, the woman only posted a Story 3 hours ago and was brutally murdered, only GOD can comfort her family and friends.’

Another user said: ‘Rest in peace princess, you were an amazing girl.’
‘There is no other of you, you are unique,’ wrote someone else. ‘Rest in peace.’
‘May your passage be peaceful, God is with you,’ commented another user.

Zimbabwe has approved the use of long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention, the first for Africa.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), “CAB-LA may be offered to people at substantial risk of HIV acquisition as part of comprehensive HIV prevention approaches”.

In most African countries, it includes sex workers and LGBTQIA+ communities, sidelined from access to healthcare because of laws and societal segregation.

In June this year, WHO advised countries to take up this initiative after observing a surge in new HIV infections globally.
“HIV prevention efforts have stalled, with 1.5 million new HIV infections in 2021 – the same as in 2020. There were 4 000 new infections every day in 2021, with key populations (sex workers, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, people in prisons, and transgender people) and their sexual partners accounting for 70% of HIV infections globally,” WHO said at the time.

Research carried out revealed that CAB-LA injections every two months were safe, well-tolerated, and highly effective in reducing the risk of HIV acquisition.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is one of the organisations involved in Zimbabwe’s HIV/Aids battle.
According to their statistics, HIV prevalence has declined from 26.5% in 1997 to 14.3% to date, which is the fifth highest HIV prevalence rate in the world.

There are fears that with Zimbabwe pushing for an R204-billion (US$12 billion) mining sector target, which will result in accelerated mining activities if health is ignored, the country’s HIV prevalence rate could rise.

Ekiti Speaker Funminiyi Afuye has passed on.
Afuye, who represents Ikere constituency 1, died on Wednesday evening at 66 after a brief illness.

Afuye appeared at the inauguration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, on Sunday and was said to have also attended plenary on Tuesday before the sudden turn of events on Wednesday.