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  The entertainer had been serving a three- to 10-year sentence in a prison outside Philadelphia. Bill Cosby had his conviction for sexual assault overturned by a Pennsylvania appeals court on Wednesday and was freed from prison, a dramatic reversal in a case had represented the first high-profile sexual assault trial to unfold in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement. Mr. Cosby had served three years of a three- to 10-year prison sentence at a maximum-security facility outside Philadelphia when the seven-member Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Cosby, 83, had been denied a fair trial in 2018. One of Mr. Cosby’s lawyers on the appeal, Brian W. Perry, said that his client was released from prison shortly after 2 p.m. and was headed to his home in suburban Philadelphia. The ruling upended the legal case against Mr. Cosby brought by prosecutors in Pennsylvania that began with his arrest in 2015 on charges of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his home in the Philadel...

Unity Bank commits over N30m to empower NYSC members   Nigerian lender, Unity Bank Plc has committed over N30 million to empower National Youth Service Corps  (NYSC) members through the Bank’s flagship Youth entrepreneurship development initiative known as Unity Bank Corpreneurship Challenge. The sum includes N4 million won by beneficiaries on four separate editions across four states and N10 million won by beneficiaries across the ten states in the latest edition. The Corpreneurship Challenge, specially designed to targets corps members has produced no fewer than 48 winners across 14 NYSC camps in 13 States and the Federal Capital Territory since inception in 2019. The Director-General of the NYSC, Brig.-Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim in a recent meeting with the Managing Director of Unity Bank Plc, Mrs. Tomi Somefun commended the bank for providing financial grants to the corps members. He said the pilot project of the “Corpreneurship challenge” had created opportunities for self-emplo...

We are designing new business district for Ibadan-Makinde ...charges professionals to join politics ... ‘our members are more comfortable in Oyo’ - NIA President Oyo State Governor, 'Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday, said that his administration is designing a brand-new business district for Ibadan as a way of expanding socio-economic activities within the city and Oyo State in general.  Governor Makinde, who stated this while receiving a team of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) led by its President, Arc Sonny Echono, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office, at the Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, said his administration has been doing everything within its powers to keep the state safe and ensure businesses thrive. A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the governor as saying that he was happy the NIA chose to hold its meeting in Ibadan, adding that the decision was a demonstration of the confidence its members have in the State. He said...

“WE ARE PARTNERS IN PROGRESS TO SAVE THE SCHOOL” - UZODIMMA  His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma made the assertion as he received the Governing Council of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri on a courtesy call at the Sam Mbakwe, Exco Chamber. Governor Uzodimma in his address, assured the Governing Council of his vision in upgrading the educational institutions in the State both in infrastructure and the quality of education. “I assure you that this Administration will not fail you, we will support every meaningful request presented to us.” Gov. Uzodimma said. In response to their prayers especially on the recovery of the Properties forcefully taken and some destroyed by the past administration, The Governor, reassured them that the Shared Prosperity Government geared in recovery amongst Rehabilitation and reconstruction, is already looking into illegal acquisition of Imo People’s properties, added that Properties of the institution will not be left out...

The Nigerian Army today 30 June 2021,  observed the 40th day prayers for the repose of the souls of the former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), late Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 other personnel, who died in the unfortunate air mishap of 21 May 2021 at the Kaduna International Airport. The COAS, Major General Faruk Yahaya expressed his condolence to the widows, children and relations of the deceased. He urged them not to despair and assured them of the continuous support of the Nigerian Army. Conducting the prayers at Niger Barracks, Abuja, the Director Islamic Affairs, Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Shehu Mustapha prayed to Almighty Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest in Al-Janah Fir-daus. He prayed to God to grant the  families  and relations of the departed souls, the Nigerian Armed Forces and friends, the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.  He further stated that the demise of Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 others is a great loss...

PRESS RELEASE BY HIS EXCELLENCY MAHDI ALIYU GUSAU ON THE OCCASION OF THE GOVERNOR’S DEFECTION TO THE APC  Fellow Citizens Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press I find it necessary to address you this morning on behalf of myself, my family and indeed members of our great Party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on whose platform, through an act of sheer divine providence, I and my boss, His Excellency Dr Bello Mohammed Matawallen Maradun, were jointly saddled with the onerous responsibility of running the affairs of our State for a 4 year term by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in a hallmark judgement that has been adjudged as one of the most compelling in the history of Nigerian jurisprudence.  No matter how one looks at it, the bottom line is that every single action right from the unnecessary intra-party disagreement on the part of the opposition which culminated into the court case, to the eventual judgement which gave victory to the PDP, everything was specifically ordained by ...

  A 70-year-old British national identified as David Henry Graves has committed suicide, police in the district have confirmed. Mangochi Police says the incident occurred in the wee hours of June 7, 2021 at Michesi Village in the area of Traditional Authority Mponda in the district. According to Sub Inspector Amina Tepani Daudi (in the picture), the deceased's wife, Jane Rex, 34, in the afternoon of June 6, 2021 as usual went out drinking with friends and left the husband at home. "She came back totally drunk in the wee hours of the next day and went straight to bed, but was awakened by their son in the morning who informed her that he saw his father hanging to the roof of the kitchen. The wife rushed to the kitchen where she found her husband lifeless," said Daudi. Police say the wife found a suicide message which was sent to her by her husband before taking his own life. According to the suicide note, the British national was complaining about his wife's tendency of...

By Joseph Egbeocha (ABS News) In line with the commitment by the wife of the Governor of Anambra state, Dr Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano to  stop open defecation in the state, and to uplift the living standards of Ndi Anambra, a new toilet facility has been built and commissioned at Unizik temporary site junction Awka. The facility which is dedicated to the Governor’s wife has sections for male, female, physically-challenged persons, and for nursing mothers.  The facility has round-the-clock security, borehole and overhead tank for adequate water supply that will guarantee hygiene at the facility. Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Awka Capital Territory Development Authority, ACTDA, Barrister Amaechi Okwuosa, who announced that the dedication of the facility to the Anambra first lady was to immortalise and help her achieve lofty objectives for Ndi-Anambra, recalled that Mrs Obiano had embarked on similar projects in Local Government Areas across the State, adding that the ...

Justice E. A. Obile of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday, June 28, 2021 convicted and sentenced Ekene Alobo, to two years imprisonment for stealing and obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to section 33 (2) (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 33 (2) (c) of the same Act.  Alobo, 28, was convicted after pleading ‘guilty’ to one-count charge bordering on stealing and obtaining under false pretences. The charge read:"That you  Ekene Alobo and Desmond Ogadinma Ekeh (now at large) on or about 18th day of December 2020, around Kaduna Street D/line, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud used an unauthorized access device and obtained  the sum of N214,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fourteen Thousand Naira only) from one Mr. Hamilton Tugborowei and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 33 (2) (b) of the Cybercrime ...

N362m Diezani Bribe: Appeal Court Affirms Conviction of Former INEC Officer The Court of Appeal, Yola Division, Adamawa State has affirmed the conviction of Ibrahim Mohammed Umar, a former electoral officer with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Yola South Local Government Area. Umar and his accomplice had earlier been convicted of a three count charge by an Adamawa State High Court and sentenced to Seven (7) years imprisonment for receiving monetary benefit (bribery) to the tune of N362 million, being part of the bribe allegedly distributed by a former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke to influence the outcome of the 2015 elections.     Umar was arraigned alongside a former staff of a new generation bank by the EFCC on September 28, 2018. During the trial, EFCC called 14 witnesses and tendered several documents which were admitted in evidence. Justice Nathan Musa, in his judgment, held that EFCC proved its case beyond reasonabl...

Kano State High Court presided over by Justice Farouq Lawan today June 30, 2021 convicted and sentenced the duo of Jude Ameh and Ademola Aderibigbe on a one count amended charge of theft. The convicts were said to have connived and fraudulently stole the sum of N11, 360,000 (Eleven Million Three Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira only) from the complainant for their personal use. Upon arraignment, both convicts had pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the 17-count charge brought against them. Prosecution counsel Salihu Sani requested a date to proceed to trial. However, before the commencement of trial, the convicts approached the Commission with a plea bargain proposal which was subsequently accepted by the parties. At the resumed hearing of the matter today, the convicts changed their plea from ‘not guilty’ to ‘guilty’ to an amended one count charge. The charge reads, ''That you Jude Ameh and Ademola Aderibigbe sometime in 2017 at Kano within the Jurisdiction of the High Court of Kano State...

President Muhammadu Buhari has reflected on the complexities of the Nigerian condition, concluding that neither ethnicity nor religion was to blame, “but we ourselves,” for inherent injustices. The President spoke recently while receiving members of the Muhammadu Buhari/Osinbajo (MBO) Dynamic Support Group, who visited State House, Abuja, to present a compendium of five years achievements of the administration. President Buhari went into the trajectory of his struggles to get justice at the courts, after disputed results of presidential elections in 2003, 2007, and 2011, submitting that people who ruled against him were of his own ethnic stock and religious persuasion, while those who stood up for him were of other faiths and ethnicity. “Our problem is not ethnicity or religion, it is ourselves,” the President submitted. His words: “After my third appearance in the Supreme Court, I came out to speak to those who were present then. I told them that from 2003, I’d spent 30 months in cour...

President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a congratulatory message to his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of founding of the Communist Party of China. In a letter to the Chinese leader, the President said China has succeeded in building a “moderately prosperous society” and is on the way to building a “modern socialist country.” President Buhari also affirmed that relations between the two nations “have witnessed an increasingly enhanced political trust, closer mutually beneficial economic and trade relations and cumulatively dynamic people to people exchange between Nigeria and China.” The full text of the letter is reproduced below.   Femi Adesina Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) June 30, 2021       H.E. Xi Jinping General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and President of the People's Republic of China (PRC)   CONGRATULATIONS  “On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the found...

“Lagos State has a special place for young people, who are doing great things.” Those were the words of the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, when he appeared on Real Talk With Kike, a Silverbird Television talk show. Omotoso recalled Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu's visit to some Tech Hubs, saying he accompanied Mr. Governor and discovered how youths are using technology to resolve everyday challenges. He said it is an indication that quite a large number of jobs can be created in the Education and Technology pillar of the T.H.E.M.E.S development agenda. His words: “The Government will do everything possible to support these youths to achieve their dreams in Lagos State.” “As part of strengthening this sector, the State Government is poised to establish a Technology Cluster in Yaba. The cluster - Knowledge, Innovative Technology and Entrepreneurship (K.I.T.E), will be sited on 2,200 square metres of land.” “As part of its Smart City Project, t...

  Ecobank Group named 2021 African SME Bank of the Year The Pan-African banking group, the Ecobank Group, is the African Banker’s  2021 African SME Bank of the Year. Ecobank beat a host of other banks in the African Banker Awards 2021 to take home the SME Award in a 2020 tumultuous year characterised by the Covid-19 pandemic which continues to ravage many African economies, with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) taking the greatest hit. Among other criteria, the African SME Bank of the Year award 2021 recognises the bank which has significantly contributed to the development of the SME sector, thus helping them to build the economic backbone of the continent. Part of the entry criteria required that the winning bank has significantly catalysed funding into the private sector in Africa and promoted enterprise development by facilitating credit and access to finance for SMEs. Since the onset of Covid-19, the Ecobank Group has considerably ramped up investments in programmes ta...