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 13-Year-Old Commits Suicide After Being Wrongfully Accused of Stealing 1000 Naira in Kaduna A 13-year-old boy has reportedly committed suicide in Ungwan Maigero, Kaduna. According to reports, he took his own life after being wrongfully accused of stealing one thousand naira by a neighbor. More details shortly...... More photos below.

 EFCC Arrests Five Suspected Internet Fraudsters in Abuja   Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Wednesday, June 6, 2024, arrested five suspected internet fraudsters in Abuja. They were arrested following a predawn sting operation at the Ipent 7 Estate, Gwarimpa, Abuja, sequel to intelligence and surveillance on their alleged fraudulent activities in the estate. Items recovered from them include: a white Toyota Hilux, ash-coloured Mercedes Benz GLK 350, 2014 Model and a white Mercedes Benz GLE 43, AMG 2017 Model. They will be charged to court as soon as the investigations are concluded. More photos below.

 PRESS RELEASE  FG launches first technology based media audience measurement system in Nigeria  The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has formally launched the Audience Measurement System for the broadcasting sector to generate accurate and reliable data of television viewers in the country. Idris, who performed the launch in Abuja on Thursday said the Audience Measurement System holds immense importance in ensuring that broadcasting endeavors are not only impactful but also reflective of the diverse preferences and needs of the audience.  “It is a tool that empowers us to understand and respond to the dynamic nature of our media consumers, providing valuable perception into their viewing habits, content preferences, and engagement patterns. It is therefore gratifying to note that this project, which started in 2020, has finally come to fruition,” he said. The Minister described the introduction of the system as a groundbreaking achie...

 Oyo Courts Jail 36 Internet Fraudsters in Ibadan The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentence of thirty-six (36) internet fraudsters to various jail terms before Justices Uche Agomoh and E.U. Akpan of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, Oyo State;  Ladiran Akintola, K.B. Olawoyin, Bayo Taiwo and O.S. Adeyemi of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan. The convicts are Ayodele Victor Ayodeji, Adebayo Kazeem Akanbi, Ajayi Charles Temitayo, Rokeeb Olamide Taiwo, Olaleye Adedolapo Emmanuel, Emiade Azeez Ayotunde, Azeez Ademola, Afolabi Mayowa Akinbobola, Shittu Waheed Adeleke, Franklyn Ibeh Kelechi, Olanrewaju Olaitan Quadri, Olawale Elijah Seyi Awofolaju, Samuel Olayemi Ademeso, Akindele Timothy Olatunde, Sholeye Gideon Olamilekan, Waheed Olamide Ahmod, Lawal Paul Jelili, Asaju Muhammad Numan and Badejo Adefemi Emmanuel. Others are: Gomina Dennis Ozaveshe, Adio Hassan Taiwo, Adio Kehinde Hozaine, Adewunmi Adeboye ...

 EFCC Arrests 11 for Suspected  Illegal Mining Activities in Ilorin Operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested eleven persons and impounded eight truckload of assorted minerals for suspected involvement in Illegal mining activities in Ilorin,  Kwara State    The suspects are Ibrahim Gambo, Hakeem Saka, Ahmad Muktar, Sulaiman Ibrahim, Ibrahim Muhammad, Jamiu Mustapha, Rabiu Musa, Aisha Muham, Abdulwasiu Hannafi, Qudus Olalere and Babatunde Hakeem.   They were arrested on Wednesday, May 5, 2024,  upon credible intelligence at different locations in Ogbomosho, Oyo State   while conveying assorted solid minerals suspected to be marble stone, white powder, lithium, lepidolite to undisclosed destinations without lawful authority.  The suspects will be arraigned in court upon conclusion of ongoing investigations.

 FLOOD: BENUE GOVT URGES RESIDENTS TO MOVE TO SAFER GROUNDS, CLEARS DRAINAGES In preparation to curtail the impact of the impending flood this year, the Benue State Government has warned residents living along the river banks to move their households to higher and safer grounds. Recall that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had warned of flood recently listing 30 States including Benue as those with high risk of being flooded this year. The state Commissioner for Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Mr. Ugwu Odoh, said the state government has put in place adequate measures to handle any effects that might occur. Odoh who spoke to newsmen in his office in Makurdi, said that the state government has already began sensitization of people living in the identified areas to be affected while adequate preparation had been made to tackle evacuate those in the areas. He noted cases of flood is no longer a new thing for those in Benue, saying even last year, many areas ...

 Senate Passes National Anti-Doping Bill The Senate has passed the National Anti-Doping Bill seeking to domesticate the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s convention against doping in sports. The Upper legislative chamber passed the bill for the third time, after the adoption of a report presented by the Chairman of the Committees on Sports Development and Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters on the National Anti-Doping Bill, 2024, Sen.Kawu Abdulrahman. The bill, among other things, also seeks to establish the National Anti-Doping Centre to combat doping in sports, in compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code. The Code is a core document, that provides the framework for anti-doping policies, rules, and regulations within sports organisations and among public authorities. It is designed to harmonise anti-doping policies and ensure the standards are the same for all athletes. The executive bill which now makes it incumbent for Nigeria, to domes...

 Taliban publicly flogs 63 in Afghanistan, including women, drawing UN condemnation The United Nations is condemning the Taliban after it publicly flogged more than 60 people at a sports stadium in northern Afghanistan.  The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan wrote on X that 63 people were "publicly lashed" by "Afghanistan's de facto authorities" on Tuesday in the Sari Pul province.  "UNAMA reiterates its condemnation of corporal punishment and calls for respect for international human rights obligations," it added.  Taliban’s supreme court in a statement confirmed the public flogging of 63 people including 14 women who had been accused of crimes including sodomy, theft and immoral relations.   The Taliban, despite initial promises of a more moderate rule, began carrying out severe punishments in public – executions, floggings and stonings – shortly after coming to power again in 2021. The punishments are similar to those during the Talib...

 STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT TINUBU TO INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCIERS: SEE AFRICA AS A DESTINATION FOR GROWTH AND PROSPERITY President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in Abuja called on international development financiers to see Africa as a destination for growth and prosperity. Speaking at a meeting with a delegation of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, led by its Managing Director, Mr. Makhtar Diop, President Tinubu urged global financiers to consider more strategic investments in agriculture, infrastructure, research, and development on the continent. "The IFC and the World Bank need to see Africa differently. I am glad an African is at the helm of affairs at IFC, and as an African, understands that the potential for growth, peace, stability, and prosperity is here. "The world has to see us as a continent that can help the rest of the world, and not perceive us as backwards, unstable, and with leadership problems. "T...

 Indian Prime Minister Modi resigns Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, June 5, met President Droupadi Murmu and tendered his resignation along with the Council of Ministers. This would lead to the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha, which was in session from 2019 to 2024. The President has accepted the resignation and has asked Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers to continue till the new Government assumes office. The term of the current 17th Lok Sabha ends on June 16. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won a majority in the Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, June 4. The Congress, part of the opposition INDIA alliance, won 99 seats in the elections as against 52 in 2019, eating into the BJP's share in Rajasthan and Haryana. The Bharatiya Janata Party won a total of 240 seats in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, falling short of absolute majority. However, together with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the saffron camp has easily crossed the halfway m...

 Missouri man was forced to jump 22 feet from a bridge after an SUV tried to hit him. He laid 13 hours before help arrived. Jeremiah Koch was out for an evening bicycle ride at around 8 p.m. on May 29th. As he was riding his bike across the Loutre River Bridge, a gray SUV veered over onto the shoulder and began bearing down on him. With only seconds to spare before being struck down by the SUV, Koch made the decision to jump over the side. His intention was to hold on to the concrete barrier until the driver passed however he lost his grip and plummeted 22 ft below. Upon impact with the ground, Koch broke his ankle, knee, back sacrum and several ribs. Due to his injuries he was unable to move from the spot and laid there for 13 hours until pedestrians heard his cries for help the next morning.  Koch says he made eye contact with the driver before making his decision to jump and it was clear the driver intended to hit him. Montgomery County Sheriff's office is investigating the...

 Professional rock climber sentenced to life in prison for sexual assaults at Yosemite National Park A professional rock climber has been sentenced to life in prison after he was found guilty of repeatedly sexually assaulting a woman during her weekend trip to Yosemite National Park in 2016, prosecutors said Tuesday.  Charles Barrett, who was charged with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact, was sentenced this week after a trial revealed multiple victims of abuse.  Barrett was said to be living and working for a private business in the park at the time.  "Barrett’s long history of sexual violence supports the imposition of a life sentence," U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert said in a statement.  "He used his status as a prominent climber to assault women in the rock-climbing community, and when his victims began to tell, Barrett responded by lashing out publicly with threats and intimidation. This case is a testament to t...

 Biden commemorates D-Day at Normandy, calling on allies to repel 'tyrant' Putin in Ukraine President Biden commemorated the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France, using the occasion to call on allies to repel "tyrant" Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine.  At a ceremony held near the beaches of Normandy, Biden, speaking after French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, described the state of the world on June 6, 1944, when 73,000 Americans joined Allied forces to carry out the critical mission that came to be known as D-Day, considered a major turning point in World War II.  "The evil of Hitler's Third Reich was devastating the world," Biden said. "Nazi Germany had subjugated the once free nations of Europe through brute force, lies and twisted ideology of racial superiority. Millions of Jews murdered in the Holocaust, millions of others killed by bombs, bullets, bloody warfare. Hitler and those with him...

 Rapper 50 Cent says Black men are 'identifying with Trump' over Biden Rapper 50 Cent said that he believes Black men are identifying with former President Trump over President Biden, in new comments on Wednesday. The rapper and liquor company owner – whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III – was meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday alongside civil rights attorney Ben Crump, to discuss representation for Black entrepreneurs in the liquor industry and initiatives to bridge the wealth gap, CBS News reported. Jackson, who voiced support for Trump earlier this year, was asked about which candidate he was backing in the 2024 election. Jackson said that he hadn't made up his mind about who he was voting for yet. However, he told CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion that he believed Black men were "identifying with Trump" because "they've got RICO charges [too]." The former president, who was found guilty in a New York City...

 6 confirmed dead after school bus plunges into river in northwest Syria At least six people, most of them children, drowned when a school bus went off the road into a river in northwest Syria on Thursday, emergency responders said. The bus carrying dozens of children left the road near the city of Darkush, west of Idlib, and plunged into the Orontes River, a local civil defense organization also known as the White Helmets said in a statement. Rescue teams were searching for survivors in the cliffside and in the river, it said. It was not immediately clear what caused the bus to go off the road. Images from the scene showed a steep crag overlooking the riverbed where searchers were scrambling over boulders. It was the latest tragedy to affect an area that has already been hit hard by Syria’s ongoing civil war and by a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and northern Syria last year. Most of the 5.1 million people living in opposition-held northwest Syria have been ...

 Polish soldier dies days after being stabbed by migrant at border with Belarus Poland's military says a soldier who was stabbed last month from behind a barrier at the border with Belarus has died. It said earlier the soldier was stabbed in the chest by a migrant who reached through the bars of the border barrier. The soldier was hospitalized in serious condition in the town of Hajnowka. On Thursday he was taken to a military hospital in Warsaw but died there in the afternoon, the military said. The situation at the European Union’s eastern border is increasingly tense under growing pressure and aggression from thousands of people from the Middle East, Asia and Africa trying to force the metal barrier that Poland put up in 2022 to seal the frontier. Poland and the EU say many of the migrants are organized and aided by Russia and its ally Belarus to destabilize Europe. Their pressure intensified this spring, ahead of key elections to the European Parliament. In-person voting began ...

 Security: Anambra Business Man Donates Communication Gadgets For Community By Juliana Nwachukwu An Anambra business man, Chief Chuka Emedebe has donated 30 Motorola communication gadgets to Oba community vigilante operatives through OPU to enhance their safety and effectiveness in maintaining peace and security. Chief Emedebe while presenting the gadgets to OPU President General, Chief Anthony Uzor Ejiofor, praised the security outfit's performance and encouraged them to continue protecting lives and properties in the area. According to him, "I did this to help in providing security in Oba, on two occasions I have made cash donations to Oba and I will get more things for them with time,to help improve on security, even if security is everybody's business," he stated. He commended the OPU President General and members for their dedication to community security, recounting how a recent encounter with their prompt response inspired his donation. The Oba security Chairma...

 Video shows giraffe at Texas drive-thru safari park lifting toddler into the air A video has captured the moment a giraffe lifted a 2-year-old girl out of the back of a pickup truck while she was trying to feed the animal during a drive-thru safari in Texas.  Jason Toten told KWTX that his "heart stopped" and his "stomach dropped" during the incident involving his daughter Paisley at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, outside of Dallas, on June 1.  "We stopped to feed the giraffes and I turned around to look out the back window, and I saw the giraffe kind of digging around right there, and then it just grabbed her and I didn’t see her no more," he said to the station.  "Paisley was holding the bag [of food] and the giraffe went to go get the bag, not get her, but ended up getting her shirt too and picking her up," Toten added. "Soon as she went up her mom just yelled hey -- like ‘HEY!’ -- and the giraffe just kind of let go."...

 Illegal migrant from Venezuela allegedly shot NYPD officers at 'point-blank range,' ordered held without bail The illegal immigrant accused of shooting two New York City Police Department officers in Queens was arraigned on attempted murder and other charges on Wednesday, as prosecutors outlined how the suspect allegedly opened fire at "point-blank range" during a struggle on the ground.  Bernardo Raul Castro Mata, 19, appeared remotely from his hospital bed to be arraigned in Queens Criminal Court in connection to the shooting of officers Richard Yarusso and Christopher Abreu.  Judge Jeffrey Gershuny ordered Castro Mato, who is recovering from a gunshot wound to the ankle, held without bail on charges of attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration, the New York Daily News reported. More than 50 police officers attended the hearing in person to show support for Yarusso and Abreu.  Queens As...

 104-year-old WWII veteran who stormed Omaha Beach returns on D-Day's 80th anniversary World War II veteran Steven Melnikoff, who bravely stormed Omaha Beach, made a triumphant return to honor his brothers in arms on the 80th anniversary of D-Day.  The 104-year-old veteran sat down with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum in Normandy, France on Tuesday to reflect on his service during a period of immense uncertainty that shaped the course of history. At age 24, Melnikoff served in the 175th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division in Operation Overlord in Normandy, France, and the weeks that followed. The decorated veteran earned two Purple Hearts and three Bronze Stars for his bravery.  "The infantry only got 12 weeks training, but because they knew we were gonna go into this battle, we got 17 weeks training. But then, after 17 weeks, we came over to England, and I trained five additional months… before we went in," Melnikoff said.  American troops heroically stormed ...

 IDF says terrorists hiding in UN school killed in strike, local officials report 23 women and children dead An Israeli strike Thursday morning took out Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists hiding at a United Nations school for displaced Palestinians in central Gaza, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) say, while local officials say that the strike killed more than 30 people, including 23 women and children. Israel said it was targeting a Hamas compound inside the school containing 20 to 30 fighters and that many of them had been killed. Witnesses and hospital officials said the predawn strike hit the al-Sardi School, run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). The school was filled with Palestinians who had fled Israeli offensives and bombardment in northern Gaza, they said. "Eliminated: several Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists who embedded themselves inside of an @UNRWA (United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees) school," an IDF post ...

 Putin threatens to arm allies for strikes on the West in response to Ukraine's NATO support President Vladimir Putin warned Wednesday that Russia could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets in response to NATO allies allowing Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory. Putin also reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to use nuclear weapons if it sees a threat to its sovereignty. The recent actions by the West will further undermine international security and could lead to "very serious problems," he said, taking questions from international journalists — something that has become extremely rare since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine. "That would mark their direct involvement in the war against the Russian Federation, and we reserve the right to act the same way," Putin added. The United States and Germany recently authorized Ukraine to hit some targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they are supplying to Kyiv. On Wednesda...

 Teen survives shark bite off Texas beach: 'I started punching it' A 19-year-old Oklahoma teen recalled surviving a shark bite in the waters off a beach near Galveston, Texas, while on vacation with her family last week. Damiana Humphrey told FOX26 Houston the shark took her hand in its jaws while she was swimming in waist-deep water with her siblings.  "As I was turning, a shark grabbed a hold of my hand," the teen said. "I looked down and there was a shark attached to my hand, so I guess I started punching it. That part is kind of blurry to me." When the shark eventually let go of Damiana’s hand, she and her siblings rushed to shore. While Damiana said her encounter with the shark "is kind of blurry to me," she said her siblings believed the shark was four to five feet long. It was unclear what type of shark bit the teen. Damiana was rushed to a hospital with four severed tendons in her hand and underwent surgery, the outlet reported. Damiana tol...

 Trial underway for US soldier arrested in Russia on theft charges A court in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok on Thursday began the trial of an American soldier arrested earlier this year on charges of stealing. Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, flew to Vladivostok, a Pacific port city, to see his girlfriend and was arrested after she accused him of stealing from her, according to U.S. officials and Russian authorities. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported from the courtroom in the Pervomaisky District Court in Vladivostok that Black agreed to testify in the trial and will respond to the accusations against him later in the proceedings. The report also cited local police as saying that Black is cooperating with the authorities. Black’s arrest further complicates U.S. relations with Russia, which have grown increasingly tense as the fighting in Ukraine continues. Russia is holding a number of Americans in its jails, inc...