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 Judge overturns convictions in 2002 murder of NBA star Chris Paul’s grandfather A North Carolina judge has vacated the convictions of four men previously found guilty in the 2002 death of NBA star Chris Paul’s grandfather, Nathaniel Jones, prompting state prosecutors to consider an appeal. Superior Court Judge Robert Broadie issued the ruling last week after a January hearing in Forsyth County, citing recanted testimony from a key witness, inadequate legal representation, and questionable police conduct. DNA evidence also supported the defendants’ claims that their confessions were false and that they were not at the scene when Jones, 61, was tied up, beaten, and robbed outside his Winston-Salem home, suffering a fatal heart attack. The defendants—Nathaniel Arnold Cauthen, Rayshawn Denard Banner, Christopher Levon Bryant, and Jermal Matthew Tolliver—were 14 or 15 at the time of their arrests. Cauthen and Banner, convicted of first-degree murder, are serving life sentences, while B...

 Wednesday season 2 hits 50 million views in first 5 days on Netflix  “Wednesday” is off to a strong start in its sophomore season, with the debut of Season 2 attracting 50 million views in just five days on Netflix. The first four episodes, released on Wednesday, Aug. 6, reached this total by Sunday, Aug. 10, making it the second-highest single-week viewership for any English-language Netflix TV show, behind only Season 1 of “Wednesday.” The new season also set a record for being No. 1 in the most countries (91) during its first week. Although Season 2’s initial numbers trail Season 1, direct comparisons are complicated. Season 1 was released in full, while Season 2 debuted only its first four episodes, and Netflix has updated how it measures viewership. When calculated by runtime, Season 2’s 201.6 million hours watched translates to 50 million views. The Jenna Ortega-led series remains Netflix’s most popular English-language show with 252.1 million views overall, and Season ...

 BENUE: NOTIFICATION OF THE INDEFINITE SUSPENSION OF THE STUDENTS UNION PRESIDENT  13th August, 2025     |     2:15 PM  This is to formally notify the Rev. Fr.  Moses Orshio Adasu University community and the general public, that the Students Union President, Comr. Tivkaa Evelyn Terwanger has been suspended indefinitely. The House at its plenary session on Tuesday, 12th August, 2025, resolved unanimously to suspend the president on the grounds of forgery, criminal impersonation, gross misconduct and misappropriation of funds.  Ipso facto, the suspended president has been directed to immediately handover the Students Union properties in her custody to the Vice President Comr. Ogberu Emmanuel Abi who shall step in as the Acting President of the Union, pending the conclusion of investigations. The general public is hereby advised not to transact any business with Comr. Tivkaa Evelyn Terwanger in the capacity of the MOAUM Students Union...

 IBOM AIR: COURY FREES COMFORT EMMANSON, AS POLICE WITHDRAW CHARGES 13th August, 2025    Comfort Emmason, the passenger accused of assaulting an Ibom Air staff on Sunday, has been released after a Lagos court struck out the five-count charge against her. At a brief hearing on Wednesday, Magistrate Olanrewaju Salami of the Samuel Ilori Courthouse, Ogba, Lagos, dismissed the case following the decision of the Lagos Airport Police Command to withdraw the charges unconditionally. Police prosecutor, Inspector Olubunmi Adeitan told the court the withdrawal was based on new facts presented to the command after Monday’s arraignment. Lead defence counsel, Adams Otakpe confirmed he had no objection to the withdrawal. In his ruling, Magistrate Salami accepted the position of both counsel and struck out the charges. He, however, advised the 26-year-old to always exercise wisdom in future, regardless of provocation, noting that she had played a role in the controversy. More photos bel...

  FG BANS CREATION OF NEW TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS FOR 7 YEARS 13th August, 2025     The Federal Government has imposed a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, citing the proliferation of under-utilised institutions, overstretched resources, and a drop in academic quality. The decision was approved at Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, following a presentation by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa. Cr: punchng

 JAMB to Screen Over 500 Underage Candidates for 2025/2026 Tertiary Admissions The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) announced on Wednesday that it will conduct a special screening for over 500 exceptional candidates under 16 years old seeking admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session. The screening, scheduled for September 22-26, will take place in Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri, as decided during a virtual meeting of JAMB’s technical committee. JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, revealed that Lagos will host 397 candidates, Owerri 136, and Abuja 66. The screening targets candidates who scored at least 320 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), achieved 80% in post-UTME, and secured at least 24/30 points in a single WAEC or NECO sitting. Oloyede noted that of the 41,027 underage candidates who took the 2025 UTME, over 40,000 failed to meet initial requirements. “This is not new globally; we are ensuring only exception...

 STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT TINUBU DEPARTS ABUJA ON A TWO-NATION VISIT   President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Thursday, August 14, for a two-nation trip to Japan and Brazil.   The President will stop over in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before proceeding to Japan.   In Japan, President Tinubu will attend the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in the City of Yokohama from August 20 to 22.   With the theme "Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa," TICAD9 will focus on Africa's economic transformation and improvements in the business environment and institutions through private investment and innovation. It will also promote a resilient and sustainable African society for human security, peace, and stability.   In addition to attending plenary sessions on themes linked to the conference, the Nigerian President will hold bilateral meetings and meet the chief executive officers of some Japanese companies with i...

 Photos: Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. MB Marwa (Rtd) CON, OFR decorating promoted senior officers of the Agency with their new rank of Assistant Commander General of Narcotics (ACGN)  during a brief ceremony at the NDLEA National Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday 13th August 2025. More photos below. 

 Drug war: Why President Tinubu ‘ll continue to strengthen NDLEA – NSA Ribadu, AGF Fagbemi . Commend Marwa’s leadership as Agency empowers strategic commands, formations with 48 new vehicles . It’s a milestone made possible by the President’s strategic support, says Marwa The National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has said that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will continue to strengthen the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) because of its strategic value to the success of the country’s national security architecture. The NSA stated this in his remarks at the commissioning of 46 new vehicles distributed to strategic commands and formations of NDLEA on Wednesday 13th August 2025 at the Agency’s national headquarters in Abuja where he also commended the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) and his team for their sustained commitment, discipline and energy in transforming the NDLEA into a result-oriented force against on...

 ‎PRESS RELEASE ‎EFFECTIVE POLICING: IGP CHARGES TRADITIONAL RULERS  ON INCLUSIVITY, INTELLIGENCE-LED POLICING ‎ ‎Plays Host to Alaafin of Oyo, Polish Ambassador Designate ‎ ‎The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, today 13th August, 2025, received a delegation of traditional rulers led by the Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty, Alayeluwa Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade and his lovely wife at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. The meeting also had in attendance the Ataoja of Osogbo, the Olu of Ilaro, the Oloro of Oro, the Olusin of Ijora Isin and Prince Akeem Adeyemi, Honourable Member of the House of Representatives, other federal lawmakers, and the coordinating Deputy Inspector-General of Police for the South-West geo-political zone, DIG Adebowale Williams, fdc.  ‎ ‎During the meeting, the IGP emphasized the important role traditional institutions play in ensuring the safety and security of our communities and the Nation at large. He further as...

 LASG RELEASES TRAFFIC DIVERSION PLAN TO CONNECT DRAIN ALONG MODUPE ALAKIJA CRESCENT TO THE DRAIN ALONG THE MEDIAN ON OSBORNE ROAD, IKOYI, ETI-OSA LGA In line with efforts to improve the drainage system on Modupe Alakija Crescent and its environs, there is a need to connect the newly constructed drains, via a cross culvert, to the underground channel beneath the median along Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Eti-Osa LGA. The construction of this cross culvert will require cutting a section of Osborne Road (before Foreshore Towers). The work is scheduled to commence by 10:00 p.m. on Friday, 15th August, 2025 and end by midnight on Sunday, 17th August, 2025. A traffic management plan will be implemented over the two-day period to minimise disruption. This will involve a counter-flow arrangement along Osborne/Alfred Rewane Road, spanning approximately 100 meters from Modupe Alakija Crescent to the Alfred Rewane Road junction. Motorists heading to Osborne Road from Alfred Rewane Road will be divert...

 ANAMBRA BYE-ELECTION: CP ORUTUGU REASSIGNS DIVISIONAL POLICE OFFICERS TO ENSURE NEUTRALITY AND SAFEGUARD OF ELECTORAL PROCESSES  _Orders Police Reinforcement across the State_  The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Ikioye Orutugu, fwc MNIPS PhD, today 13th August 2025, ordered the reassignment of Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) across strategic locations in the State ahead of the forthcoming Anambra South Senatorial District and Onitsha North 1 Constituency bye-elections. This proactive measure is aimed at reinforcing police neutrality, enhancing operational efficiency, and ensuring maximum security before, during, and after the polls. The Command reaffirms its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the electoral processes and the safety of voters, election officials, and electoral materials respectively. The Commissioner of Police stressed that all officers deployed for election duties must discharge their responsibilities with the high...

 South Sudan denies talks with Israel on resettlement of Palestinians The government of South Sudan has denied reports that it is holding talks with Israel to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, saying it “firmly refutes” recent claims in Israeli media suggesting such plans, Anadolu Agency reported. South Sudan “firmly refutes recent media reports claiming that the Government of the Republic of South Sudan is engaged in discussion with the State of Israel regarding the resettlement of Palestinian nationals from Gaza in South Sudan,” a Foreign Ministry statement said on Wednesday. The ministry said the claims are “baseless and do not reflect the official position or policy” of the South Sudanese government. It urged media to “exercise due diligence” and confirm with official sources before sharing news. Displacement of Palestinians Israeli media reported that Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel arrived in South Sudan early on Wednesday, in the first official visit by an Israeli gove...

 Ibom Air: Simi demands sanction against individual who exposed Emmanson's indecent parts Singer Simisola Bolatito Kosoko, popularly known as Simi is calling for sanctions against the individual who filmed and released a video of a passenger, Comfort Emmanson, being removed from an Ibom Air plane with her breasts exposed. According to Simi, it is unfair to only punish Emmanson for her behavior while ignoring the person who recorded and shared the unedited video.  The singer argued that sharing the video without blurring out the "indecent parts" was a violation of Emmanson's privacy and deserves punishment. Simi questioned why the person who posted the video is not being held accountable, stating that they should also face legal action. She wrote on Instagram: “Someone recorded her being dragged off the plane, recorded her being exposed like that, and then posted it without editing out this exposure or blurring it out. I personally want to know who posted that video an...

 Afenifere debunks endorsing coalition, says report is false The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere, on Tuesday, debunked a report claiming that it had endorsed the Coalition movement spearheaded by a group of political parties in Nigeria. This disclaimer followed an ongoing report within the political circle, as claimed by a group that visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his private residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at the weekend. A statement by the national publicity secretary of the organisation, Jare Ajayi, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, declared that Afenifere had not sent any delegation to ex-President Obasanjo in recent times nor made any statement being credited to it. PUNCH Online had reported that a coalition of opposition parties in Nigeria has adopted the African Democratic Congress as its platform for the 2027 general elections. Ajayi maintained that the team that visited were those who played important roles in the attempt to make Peter O...

 2027: Gov Bago declares himself Director-General of Tinubu’s re-election campaign Niger State Governor Umaru Bago has declared himself the Director General of the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential campaign for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. Speaking in Minna, the state capital, on Tuesday, the governor also announced that the state would serve as the headquarters of the campaign. He criticised some members of the ruling party who are agitating for a northern candidate ahead of the 2027 election, stressing that the North and South have an unwritten understanding on the power-sharing formula. He said, “I’m now the self-imposed Director General of the Tinubu campaign for 2027, and Niger State is the campaign headquarters for Asiwaju 2027. “We are Nigerians and we love Nigeria. There is an unwritten understanding in Nigeria for power to rotate between the North and the South. This has brought peace to this country. “We completed the tenure of former President ...

 I bought a burial site, wrote my will after lupus diagnosis – Kemi Afolabi Actress Kemi Afolabi has revealed the harrowing ordeal she faced while battling lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks its own organs and tissues. In an interview on Doyin Kukoyi TV, Afolabi recounted how, at the peak of her health crisis, she was unable to eat or drink, relied on oxygen to breathe, and even prepared for the worst by purchasing a burial site and writing her will. She credited her survival to God’s grace and the unwavering support of her family, friends, and colleagues. Afolabi said her struggle began with severe joint pain “more intense than childbirth,” which led to multiple misdiagnoses at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). It was only after seeking medical care abroad that she finally received the correct diagnosis. She said, “When I was down with Lupus, I thought the end had come. I couldn’t eat or drink. I was using oxygen to breathe. I al...

 Lizzy Anjorin battles blogger in court over alleged falsehoods Operatives of the Zone 2 Command, Lagos, have arrested a 37-year-old blogger, Kofoworola Akanji, and arraigned her before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court for allegedly publishing false and damaging statements about Nollywood actress and businesswoman, Lizzy Anjorin, on Facebook and other social media platforms. Police said the complainant, Anjorin, petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, AIG Adegoke Fayoade, after discovering the alleged false publication online. She sought urgent assistance to identify and apprehend the publisher. Following the petition, AIG Fayoade ordered a special team led by SP Chidi Okoye to investigate. After days of intelligence gathering, the team tracked and arrested Akanji. Upon completion of investigations by Inspector Felix Iwereala and his team, the defendant was charged before the Igbosere Magistrate’s Court, sitting at Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos Island...

 CHAN 2024: Sudan humiliate Nigeria 4–0 to end Eagles’ campaign Sudan on Tuesday thrashed higher-ranked Nigeria 4–0 under the lights in Zanzibar, climbing to the top of Group D and dumping the Super Eagles out of the tournament with a game to spare. Abdel Raouf Yagoub, Sudan’s creative heartbeat, struck twice in the second half to add to Leonard Ngenge’s nightmare own goal and Walieldin Khdir’s emphatic penalty, sealing what coach Kwesi Appiah called “a disciplined, ruthless display that stuck to our plan from the first whistle to the last.” “We were disciplined without the ball, fast in transition and ruthless in the box. “Against a team like Nigeria, you can’t afford to switch off. Tonight, the boys executed perfectly,” Appiah said, according to a post match report on the CAF website. First-half heartbreak for Nigeria Nigeria began brightly, peppering Sudan’s box with early corners and seeing Raymond Tochukwu fire just wide on 11 minutes. The breakthrough seemed theirs when Antho...

 Africa’s Passport Power in 2025: Number of countries they can access and global rankings 1. Seychells: 156/25th Global rank 2. Mauritius: 149/27th 3. South Africa: 103/48th 4. Botswana: 85/59th 5. Namibia: 79/63rd 6. Lesotho: 76/65th 7. Eswatini: 74/66th 8. Malawi: 73/67th 9. Morocco: 73/67th 10. Kenya: 71/69th 11. The Gambia: 71/69th 12. Tanzania: 70/70th 13. Benin: 67/71st 14. Ghana: 67/71st 15. Tunisia: 67/71st 16. Uganda: 67/71st 17. Zambia: 67/71st 18. Sierra Leone: 65/72nd 19. Rwanda: 63/73rd 20. Zimbabwe: 63/73rd 21. Mozambique: 62/74th 22. Sao Tome & Principe: 61/75th 23. Togo: 60/76th 24. Burkina Faso: 59/77th 25. Ivory Coast: 59/77th 26. Senegal: 59/77th 27. Gabon: 58/78th 28. Madagascar: 58/78th 29. Guinea: 57/79th 30. Mauritania: 57/79th 31. Niger: 57/79th 32. Equatorial Guinea: 56/80th 33. Algeria: 55/81st 34. Mali: 55/81st 35. Guinea-Bissau: 54/82nd 36. Chad: 52/83rd 37. Comoros: 52/83rd 38. CAR: 51/84th 39. Liberia: 51/84th 40. Cameroon: 49/85th 41. Egypt: 49/85...

 Veteran Nollywood actor, Tom Njemanze, goes home September 4, 2025 in Owerri Rip EARLIER REPORT IN JULY : 🕊️ JUST IN: Veteran Nollywood Actor Tom Njemanze Passes Away It’s a sad day for Nollywood and all lovers of classic Nigerian cinema. Veteran actor Tom Njemanze, known for his powerful performances and deep baritone voice, has sadly passed away after a battle with prostate cancer. 💔 Tom was more than just an actor — he was a storyteller, a cultural icon, and a pillar of the golden era of Nollywood. From his roles in timeless home videos to his unforgettable presence on screen, he brought characters to life in a way few others could. May his soul rest in peace, and may his legacy continue to inspire generations of actors to come. 🕯️ Drop a candle emoji in the comments if you ever watched a movie featuring Tom Njemanze. One more photo below.