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 Protest: Tinubu’s Govt Needs More Time, Oba Of Benin Tells Nigerians The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewaure II, has appealed to the Nigerian youths to shelve the planned protest slated for August 1, 2024. In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Osaigbovo Iguobaro, the first-class monarch noted it takes a while for things to get better. He appealed to aggrieved Nigerians to give the Federal Government enough time to implement its economic policies which are expected to alleviate the present hardship. “For things to get better, it has to be tough for a while.” The Monarch also appealed to the federal government to intensify efforts in the implementation of of its economic and security policies. Oba Ewuare therefore advised the those that are planning the nationwide protest to shelve the plan. Recall that some youths had proposed August 1, 2024 to begin a 10-day nationwide hunger and hardship protests across the country to draw the federal and State governments’ attention to the...

 Don’t Force Lagos Govt to Regret Accommodating Non-Lagosians — Monarch Threatens Nigerian Protesters Oba Lukman Adebambo, the Gbadewolu of Araromi in Lagos, has issued a warning against protests in the state, emphasizing the potential damage to infrastructure. The monarch suggested that the upcoming protests might be organized by non-indigenes and reminded residents of Lagos’ accommodating nature. Oba Adebambo stated, “Whenever there is a protest, infrastructure in Lagos State bears the brunt. People should remember that Lagos State accommodates all and indigenes should not be made to regret their accommodative gesture. “We will, henceforth, not tolerate destruction of infrastructure under the guise of protest.” Oba Adebambo urged the agitators to seek peaceful and constructive ways to express their grievances. “It is true that there is hardship in the country, but it is not limited to Nigeria, other countries are also facing similar experiences,” he told The Nation. He urged agit...

 Govs, ministers meet today to stop hunger protest •Reps ask Federal Government to embrace dialogue as Tinubu sues for peace •Abiodun, Uzodimma, Bauchi govt condemn planned rally, Oba of Benin urges patience The Federal Government says it is open to talks with the leaders of the planned nationwide protests slated for August 1-10. At an emergency meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, all the federal ministers were also directed to visit their respective states between Wednesday (July 24) and Thursday August 1, when the protests are scheduled to begin. This is as select ministers will also meet with state governors at the 143rd session of the National Economic Council at the Council Chamber of the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Thursday (today). This formed part of the action points from the emergency meeting between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and all ministers in Abuja on Wednesday morning. A circular sighted by The PUNCH on Tuesday evening showed that Spec...

 Drenched in blood - how Bangladesh protests turned deadly ...An injured protester last week in Dhaka - hospitals struggled to cope with the number of people shot by security forces Anti-government protests have sparked nationwide clashes in Bangladesh between police and university students. At least 150 people have been killed - and some of those caught up in the bloodshed have described to the BBC what happened. One student said demonstrators in the capital Dhaka just wanted to hold a peaceful rally, but the police "ruined" it by attacking them as they were gathering. A student leader now recovering in hospital described how he was blindfolded and tortured by people claiming to be police. Meanwhile, an emergency department doctor said they were overwhelmed as dozens of young people with gunshot wounds were brought in at the height of the clashes. Security forces are accused of excessive force but the government has blamed political opponents for the unrest, which erupted af...

 I’ve daughters too – Akpabio apologizes to Natasha Akpoti for ‘night club’ comment Senate President Natasha Apoti-Uduaghan has apologized to the Chairman of Senate Committee on Local Content, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, for rebuking her. Last week Thursday, Akpabio had cautioned Akpoti-Uduaghan on the floor of the Senate, saying she was not in the night club. The Senate was in session when Akpabio said those in favour of the second reading of a bill to say ‘Aye’, while those against should say ‘Nay’. The ‘Nay’ response came the loudest and as the Senate President contemplated his next action, Akpoti-Uduaghan rose to explain why she and some others were against the second reading of the proposal. “Mr President, we don’t want it to be killed. We just want a bit of modification. We don’t want the bill killed but there should be slight modification.” Responding to her, Akpabio said, “You see Senator Natasha, in the chamber, you have to be recognized before you speak. We’re not in a night...

 63,000 Nigerians lose Instagram accounts over scams Meta Platforms said it had removed about 63,000 accounts in Nigeria that attempted to engage in financial sexual extortion scams mostly aimed at adult men in the United States (US). The majority of the scammers’ attempts were unsuccessful and although mostly targeting adults, there were also attempts against minors, which Meta reported to the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to Reuters. Meta representatives said this was not the first time they had disrupted such networks but added they were disclosing the current operation to “drive awareness.” The social media giant has been on the defence in recent years as governments, including legislators in the US where Meta is based, ramp up pressure on it to address concerns that its executives have ignored evidence that its services harm children. In a hearing earlier this year, one U.S. lawmaker accused Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg and other so...

 Residents in anguish as floods submerge parts of Sango Ota Residents of parts of Sango Ota, a suburb of Ogun State, South West, Nigeria are currently going through a hard time as floods from heavy rains took over parts of the ancient city recently. The worst hit was Sango under the bridge as residents coming from Lagos State to Ijoko Ota via Sango could not make their way home as they had to look for alternative routes to their various homes. A resident of Ijoko Ota, Mr Ganiyu Olamilekan vented his anger on both the state and federal government whom he accused of being insensitive to the plight of the citizenry. The civil servant, who lives in Ijoko Ota but works in Lagos State, said he always got home late at night adding that he was no longer going to work with his car as there was no way he could put the car on the road due to the heavy flooding which has damaged the road. “Both the state and federal governments are insensitive to the plight of the masses. “How could they allow...