News & Announcements

Nigeria is now ranked second globally among nations with a high rate of maternal fatalities, according to a recent report from the World Health Organization, WHO.

According to the research, titled the 2023 Progress research, Nigeria accounts for 29% of the world’s annual total of 290,000 maternal mortality cases and may not meet the SDG target by 2030.

Additionally, the nation has the highest rate of infant and child fatalities worldwide. The study also singled out 8 additional nations with high rates of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, and maternal deaths, including Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, and the United Republic of Tanzania.

According to the research, maternal and newborn death rates in Nigeria have remained stable since 2015, happening roughly annually.

The global health organization issued a warning that, based on current trends, over 60 nations, including Nigeria, may fail to meet the Sustainable Development Goals’ deadline for reducing maternal, neonatal, and stillbirth death.

As more women continued to pass away from pregnancy-related complications over the last three years, Nigeria moved up to second place in the report that attributed the development to COVID-19 pandemic disruptions.

Growing poverty, deteriorating humanitarian situations, and insufficient funding plaguing nations worldwide are further concerns to be concerned about.

The body of a man who has not yet been identified was reportedly discovered in a nearby automobile.

The man was discovered naked in a black Toyota automobile, according to an eyewitness who talked to PUNCH Metro under the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.

He was reportedly found with his head on the driver’s seat and a leg spread across the passenger seat, sprawled across the front seats of the car.

The individual was not known to be a local, according to eyewitnesses.

Newsmen also learned that the individual had no signs of violence on him.

However, despite the fact that the dead wasn’t a resident, a different local told that some hawkers said he was a well-known figure in the neighborhood.

The resident said, “We woke up to see his body lying naked in the car. There was no sign of violence on his body.

“No one can say what was responsible for his death. The best people can do is to speculate.

“He was found lying across his car’s front seat with his head on the driver’s seat while his leg is on the passenger’s seat. One of the hawkers in the area said he was a regular face in the area. The man was completely naked. His shirt and trousers were found on the floor of the car.”

It was learned that police officers from the Isheri Divisional Headquarters went to the spot and retrieved the automobile while also evacuating the body.

It was discovered that the body had been taken to a nearby general hospital’s morgue.

In order to obtain more information, a police officer at the station advised our correspondent to get in touch with Ben Hundeyin, the state police public relations officer.

“We are aware of the incident. We have taken the body to the General Hospital. You can contact the PPRO for more details,” the police officer said.

Frederick Nwajago, the Eze Ndigbo of Lagos’ Ajao Estate, has been charged with terrorism by the government of Lagos State.

He was charged on nine counts in court, including “attempt to do acts of terrorism, participation in terrorism, meeting to support a proscribed entity, attempt to finance an act of terrorism, and preparation to commit an act of terrorism, preferred against him by the state government.”

It was reported that Nwajagu was arrested on April 1 following a viral video, in which he threatened to invite members of the  Indigenous People of Biafra to Lagos to secure properties of Igbo people living in the state.

In the 49-second viral video,  Nwajago was heard saying, “IPOB, we will invite them. They have no job. All of the IPOB will protect all of our shops. And we have to pay them. We have to mobilise for that. We have to do that. We must have our security so that they will stop attacking us at midnight, in the morning, and in the afternoon.

“When they discover that we have our security before they will come, they will know that we have our men there. I am not saying a single word to be hidden. I am not hiding my words, let my words go viral. Igbo must get their right and get a stand in Lagos State.”

In response to his comments, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the public relations officer for the Lagos Police, stated the command will oppose IPOB’s presence in the state.

The 67-year-old was taken before the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Yaba after his arrest, which issued a ruling that he should be kept in prison custody.

He was brought by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice on Tuesday and arraigned before Justice Yetunde Adesanya.

Jonathan Ogunsanya, a deputy director in the ministry of justice, testified in court on behalf of Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, the attorney general of Lagos State, that the Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate had violated sections 403(2) and 12(c), 18, 21, and 29 of the Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The defendant, however, entered a not guilty plea when the charges were directed at him.

The trial was delayed by the judge until July 4.

The US has accused South Africa of supplying arms to Russia in a covert naval operation, escalating a foreign policy crisis for President Cyril Ramaphosa over the country’s ties to the Kremlin and position on the Ukraine war.

Reuben Brigety, US ambassador to South Africa, told local media on Thursday that the US believed weapons and ammunition were loaded on to the Lady R, a Russian vessel under sanctions that docked at Simon’s Town naval dockyard near Cape Town in December.

“Among the things we noted was the docking of the cargo ship . . . which we are confident uploaded weapons and ammunition on to that vessel in Simon’s Town as it made its way back to Russia,” he said, in comments reported by South Africa’s News24. 

“We are confident that weapons were loaded onto that vessel, and I would bet my life on the accuracy of that assertion,” he added.

The US embassy and South Africa’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ramaphosa told lawmakers in South Africa’s parliament on Thursday that “the matter is being looked into, and in time we will be able to speak about it.” His office said it would respond “in due course”.

John Steenhuisen, leader of South Africa’s main opposition Democratic Alliance, called for an urgent parliamentary debate on South Africa’s involvement with Russia, and said that the US claim “brings into question the transparency” of the ruling African National Congress.

The rand dropped 2 per cent to 19.2 to the US dollar on the reports, its weakest level since April 2020.

South Africa has said it is non-aligned in the war, but Ramaphosa’s government is under pressure over signs it is favouring Russia, for example by holding joint naval exercises this year. 

Ramaphosa has also extended an invitation for Russian president Vladimir Putin to attend a Brics leaders’ summit in Johannesburg in August — a move that has backfired on Pretoria after the International Criminal Court indicted Putin for war crimes.

South Africa, a member of the ICC, would be legally obliged to arrest Putin if he travels there.

Sydney Mufamadi, Ramaphosa’s national security adviser, recently visited the US to explain South Africa’s stance and to try to preserve trade links.

The scandal over the Lady R is likely to overshadow these efforts.

The Lady R, which is owned by Transmorflot, a company placed under sanctions by the US last year, appeared to switch off its transponder as it made the stop in Cape Town after a voyage down the west coast of Africa.

South Africa’s defence minister said after the ship left port that it had delivered a consignment for the country’s defence forces, but provided no details on what the vessel may have picked up in Cape Town.

The South African government in January officially denied that it had approved any arms sales from South Africa to Russia since Moscow began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
                 

First Lady Aisha Buhari took the incoming first lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, around some strategic areas of the official residence of the Presidential family in the Aso Rock Villa.

The Aso Rock tour took place on Tuesday when Buhari received Tinubu. However, newsmen were not allowed access to some parts of the building during the tour.

She explained that the Glass House in the villa is a transitional home of the first family and specifically meant for presidents during a transition period.

Buhari said: “The highly secure residential area of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is strictly to serve as an accommodation for the President and members of the family.”

The First Lady said that the glass house is a transit accommodation for outgoing presidents to pave the way for necessary renovations on the main house for the incoming president and his family.

Responding, Tinubu expressed appreciation to the first lady for the warm reception accorded her.

Tinubu promised to work tirelessly for the benefit of all Nigerians.

President Muhammadu Buhari will hand over to President-elect Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023, after serving two terms.

A 300-level student, Job Alawari-Kei, of the Department of Petroleum and Gas Engineering, Federal University, Otuoke (FUO), in Bayelsa State, had reportedly slumped and died after taking an overdose an Illicit drug locally known as Colos or Colarado.

A street lingo for synthetic cannabinoids, Colorado is a trending cocktail of psychotropic drugs commonly used by many Nigerians, especially youths.

According to some students on campus, the illicit drug known as Colos is mainly taken among youths, especially those involved in Internet fraud popularly known as Yahoo Yahoo.

A student, who pleaded anonymity, said the deceased boy was celebrating a recent breakthrough on an Internet deal with his friends when he consumed an overdose of the illicit drug that killed him.

When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asinim Butswat, who confirmed the incident, said the remains of the deceased has been deposited at the hospital for autopsy, while an investigation has been launched into the matter.

Butswat said: “On May 3 2023 at about 2200 hours, one Job Alawari Kei ‘m’ 19, a student of the Petroleum and Gas Engineering Department of Federal University Otuoke, slumped after intake of illicit substances.

“He was rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead. The corpse has been deposited at the Hospital for autopsy. The investigation is ongoing.”

Sale Mamman, a former minister of power, was detained by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission agents in connection with an alleged N22 billion fraud.

Reliable sources claim that the former minister was imprisoned at the anti-graft agency’s headquarters after being arrested early on Wednesday.

According to reports, the arrest is related to the Commission’s ongoing inquiry into allegations of wrongdoing in the management of various power plants.

Mamman is accused of conspiring with Ministry employees in charge of the accounting for the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro Electric Power projects in order to divert N22 billion, which they then divided among themselves.

Millions of naira and dollars have been confiscated, and the investigations have also turned up properties linked to the accused in Nigeria and abroad.

President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Mamman, a Taraba native, in August 2019. Mamman was fired exactly two years later, in 2021.

Sanna Marin, the prime minister of Finland, has announced her separation from husband Markus Raikkonen after 19 years of marriage.

According to a Daily Mail report, the pair, who are both 37, married in August 2020 in a small ceremony and had a five-year-old daughter named Emma Amalia Marin.

However, the pair, who have been together since they were 18 years old, announced today that they had filed for divorce.

“Together we’ve filed for divorce. We’re grateful for the 19 years together and for our beloved daughter,” Marin wrote on Instagram.

“We’re still best friends, close to each other and loving parents. Going forward we will still spend time together as a family and with each other. We wish you will respect our privacy. We won’t comment further on this.”

Following her election loss last month, Marin will leave her position as prime minister. Due to her partying while in government, she has been involved in a number of scandals.

According to the Daily Mail, Olavi Uusivirta, a 39-year-old Finnish singer, denied having an affair after Marin was secretly caught dancing intimately with him in August of last year. There is no indication that the couple’s breakup was caused by Uusivirta.

Femi Otedola, a multibillionaire businessman, claimed on Tuesday that his offer to pay N250 billion for the Nigerian giant Transnational Corporation Plc was turned down.

Weeks after acquiring interests in Transcorp and selling the shares, Otedola made several accusations against Tony Elumelu, the chairman of the company, in a statement to TheCable.

Otedola disclosed that the reason he purchased the company’s stock was because he thought the Group had the potential to reach a price of N2 trillion.

Otedola said, “I offered to buy Transcorp Plc for N250bn, but unfortunately, my offer was rejected. My goal was to maximise the company’s potential as a Nigerian conglomerate with a market cap of at least N2tn instead of the current N40bn, but it seems some shareholders have a different vision.

“As a businessman, I believe in healthy competition and market dynamics. Two captains cannot man a ship, and I respect the majority shareholder’s decision to buy me out. This is the nature of the game.”

Going back in time, Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Transcorp, and the biggest shareholder of Geregu Power disclosed various commercial transactions.

He said, “In 2005, while Tony was the Managing Director of Standard Trust Bank, he approached me to get funds to acquire UBA. I enthusiastically gave him $20m, which was N2bn at that time to buy the necessary shares in UBA for the acquisition.

“After a short period of time, the share price moved up and I decided it was a good moment to sell and get out of the bank. However, Tony appealed to me to hold on to the shares as he was convinced that there were future prospects – so I kept the shares.”

He added that, “I became chairman of Transcorp Hotel in 2007 with a shareholding of five per cent and unknowingly, Tony gradually started buying shares quietly.

“By the following year in 2008, I went bankrupt in Nigeria. Tony proceeded to take my shares in UBA to service the interest on my loans and he also took over my shares in Africa Finance Corporation, where I was the largest shareholder.

“Shortly after, Albert Okumagba informed me that an American firm wanted to acquire my shares in Transcorp, which I then agreed to sell. However, this supposed American firm turned out to be Tony Elumelu. The revelation of this prompted me to resign as chairman of the hotel.”

He continued that, “Years later in 2012, Tony said he wanted to see me so we met in my office where I had previously had a meeting with foreign investors who had not yet departed the premises. Curious to know, he asked what sort of meeting I had had and I disclosed that I wanted to go into the power business, specifically Ughelli Power Plant. Tony quietly went ahead to bid for Ughelli and he outbidded me by offering to buy the plant for $300m.”

Otedola added that his offer to buy Transcorp was “made with the best intentions for Transcorp Plc and its shareholders. I saw an opportunity to unlock the company’s full potential and create value for everyone involved.

“It’s important for investors to understand that free entry and free exit are crucial to healthy markets. The scramble for shares after my acquisition is a testament to the value that Transcorp Plc can offer, and I hope the company continues to thrive under new leadership.”

Tony Elumelu, the chairman of Transcorp Group, was unable to comment on the situation as of the time of publication despite attempts to contact him.

President-elect Bola Tinubu left Nigeria on Wednesday afternoon for Europe, two weeks after arriving back in the nation following a three-country trip that included stops in London, Saudi Arabia, and Paris.

It was gathered that the visit is a part of his efforts to work with some of his senior advisers to fine-tune the transition plans and programs as well as his policy options.

The travel was required, according to a statement from the Office of the President-elect that was signed by Tunde Rahman, so that Tinubu could do various responsibilities free from undue stress and interruptions.

“He will use the opportunity of the trip to finetune the transition plans and programmes, and his policy options with some of his key aides without unnecessary pressures and distractions.

“During the visit, the President-elect will engage with investors and other key allies with the goal of marketing investment opportunities in the country and his administration’s readiness to enable a business-friendly climate through policies and regulations”, he stated.

According to the announcement, meetings have already been scheduled with representatives from the manufacturing, agricultural, tech, and energy sectors of the European business community.

“Asíwájú Tinubu hopes to convince them of Nigeria’s readiness to do business under his leadership through mutually-beneficial partnerships premised on jobs creation and skills acquisition.

“Reviving the country’s economy forms a major plank of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda and the meeting is part of his efforts to re-establish Nigeria’s importance in the global economic chain and create empowering opportunities for the country’s huge youth population.

“The President-elect has hitherto promised to hit the ground running and the visit is reflective of his commitment to the promise as he has already begun talks with global actors in the important areas of the economy and security.

“Before he left the country, Asíwájú Tinubu met with the House of Representatives candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker endorsed by his party, the All Progressives Congress, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who were presented to him by Joint Task Team of the House.

“He is scheduled to return shortly for preparations towards his official swearing in as the 16th President of the country on May 29, 2023”, Rahman added.