Athlete who signed ‘death sentence’ contract is one of hundreds of Africans duped by work permit con
Evans Kibet had hoped his fateful trip to Russia might help his athletics career. Instead, the only exercise the Kenyan now gets is in a yard with other prisoners of war.
The aspiring long-distance runner was captured by Ukrainian forces earlier this year as he wandered in no man’s land near Kharkiv.
Mr Kibet, 36, said he was duped into making the trip from Kenya, then forced into joining the Russian military to feed its insatiable appetite for manpower.
He was lucky to avoid dying in one of the Russians’ notorious “meat-grinder assaults” that have seen hundreds killed each day.
He told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle: “You go 10 metres and you see a dead body. You die there and nobody cares about you. You die like a dog.”
Mr Kibet says Russians told him: ‘Either you go to fight or we’ll kill you’
Kenya’s ministry of foreign affairs this week said more than 200 others from the country were fighting for Russia in Ukraine and recruiting agencies were still luring more into making the trip.
Andrii Sybiha, the Ukrainian foreign minister, said Africans were signing contracts that were “equivalent to a death sentence” and urged their governments to warn them about the dangers.
Ukraine estimates that more than 1,400 citizens from African countries are fighting alongside Russian forces. In some case, they knew what they were signing up for, but Ukrainian official said others were misled with false offers of lucrative jobs, academic courses or citizenship.
Most of Vladimir Putin’s troops are poor Russians, but the terrible casualty rates caused by the relentless offensive have led to recruiters seeking manpower in developing countries.
Mr Kibet, a father to a 16-year-old daughter who he says he “misses greatly”, had tried to eke out a living as a professional runner but struggled to make money.
He said earlier this year he was approached by an agent offering a trip to St Petersburg, where he would talk about athletics training and take part in an exhibition race. Mr Kibet was excited, and told his family he would be gone for only two weeks.
Before the race, he said, he was offered a work permit and given Russian paperwork to sign. As soon as he and three other athletes signed up, their passports were taken and they were put in a car and driven to a camp for a week of military training.
He said: “We signed this contract without reading it, without knowing what it was. We got ourselves in a situation where there was no return. I was told: ‘Either you go to fight or we’ll kill you.’”
Mr Kibet was sent to the war zone, but fled his unit before his first offensive and wandered through the battlefield until he was arrested by Ukrainian troops.
His case came to light when the 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade released a video in which he tearfully told his story. The unit said he had “fought on the side of the enemy, so whether to believe the words and tears is up to your discretion”.
Earlier this year, The Telegraph reported how Russian was using fake shampoo factory jobs to lure men from Cameroon to Moscow, then forcing them to fight on Ukraine’s eastern front.
One tally of Cameroonian social media obituaries suggested the country had already seen more than 60 men killed in the war by the middle of this year.
Russian recruitment has also come under scrutiny in South African, after it was disclosed that the government was trying to retrieve nationals trapped in Ukraine.
News24 reported earlier this week that the men were told they would be sent to Russia for bodyguard training then would return to work in the MK political party’s protection unit.
The men flew to Dubai on July 8, then on to Russia, where their passports were taken away and they were sent to a military training camp. After three weeks they were sent to the front line.
Pretoria said last week that it had received “distress calls” from 17 men aged 20 to 39 who said they were trapped in the Donbas region. Under South African law it is illegal to join foreign armies unless authorised by the government.
South Africa, which is a member of the BRICS group alongside Russia, China and others, did not say which side they were fighting for, but said they had been “lured to join mercenary forces ... under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts”.
Olexander Scherba, Ukraine’s ambassador to South Africa, said: “Ever since this news broke, I received emails from family members of these young people who were lured to the front line. And they were desperate. Don’t do that to your mothers and fathers and sisters.”
This story has actually been debunked and exposed as a lie.
The IDF feminist Yifat tomer-yerushalmi who leaked it confessed and she tried to destroy her phone to cover up the evidence of doctoring the video of the alleged rape.
She's now in custody pending investigation.
Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi confessed that she had wanted to tarnish the image of the right wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu
Greece to buy $3.5B Israeli missile systems for Achilles’ Shield air defense program
Greece is preparing a $3.5 billion overhaul of its national air-defense network under the new “Achilles’ Shield” program, according to the Greek City Times. The move signals a decisive pivot toward Israeli defense technology and highlights growing strategic cooperation between the two nations.
Greece is advancing plans for a $3.5 billion modernization of its air-defense network, a sweeping initiative known as “Achilles’ Shield,” the Greek City Times reported on November 11, 2025. The program aims to replace a patchwork of older Russian and U.S.-made systems with an integrated, multi-layered network sourced primarily from Israeli defense contractors. Officials describe the effort as the most significant overhaul of Greece’s air-defense posture in decades, reflecting both technological ambitions and a changing regional threat landscape.
The Achilles’ Shield program was unveiled by the Greek Ministry of Defense earlier in 2025 with an initial funding package of approximately €2.8 billion (US$3.0 billion), forming part of a broader 12-year defense modernization strategy valued at up to €28 billion through 2036. The centerpiece of the current $3.5 billion planning phase is the urgent replacement of aging short-, medium-, and long-range surface-to-air missile systems.
Under the proposed framework, Greece will acquire the Israeli SPYDER (Surface-to-air PYthon and DERby) system, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, to succeed its outdated Russian OSA-AK and TOR-M1 short-range air defense units. The SPYDER system is known for its rapid reaction time, autonomous engagement capabilities, and mobility, offering a significant upgrade for countering low-flying threats, including UAVs, cruise missiles, and aircraft, in dense airspace.
For the medium-range layer, the Israeli Barak MX system is expected to replace Greece’s legacy U.S.-supplied MIM-23 Hawk batteries. The Barak MX is a modular, software-defined air defense system that integrates multiple interceptors into a unified launcher, offering scalable protection against a broad range of threats, including precision-guided munitions, manned aircraft, and ballistic missiles. The system’s architecture enables simultaneous tracking and engagement of multiple targets across multiple operational domains.
At the upper tier of Greece’s new missile defense network, the Israeli SkyCeptor interceptor—a variant of the Stunner missile used in the David’s Sling system—is reportedly slated to replace the long-range Russian-made S-300 PMU-1 systems. The SkyCeptor, co-developed by Rafael and Raytheon, is designed to intercept advanced threats, such as tactical ballistic missiles, and is integrated into a larger missile defense shield architecture. Its selection marks a clear step toward NATO-standardization and greater interoperability with allied systems.Ezoic
Greece’s decision to transition from Russian-origin air defense platforms to Israeli technology reflects both operational necessity and geopolitical recalibration. Russian systems such as the S-300 and TOR-M1, originally acquired in the late 1990s and early 2000s, are increasingly difficult to maintain amid tightening EU and NATO policy restrictions on Russian military equipment. Operationally, these systems are no longer capable of countering the evolving spectrum of aerial threats, particularly amid rapid drone proliferation and the growing use of precision-strike assets in the region.
The Israeli systems being considered not only offer enhanced performance but are also combat-proven, having been deployed extensively in Israeli integrated air-defense operations. Their selection aligns with Greece’s strategic imperative to deploy a highly responsive, networked, and mobile air-defense posture that can function in contested environments and support integrated NATO operations.
From a procurement perspective, Greece has favored Israeli systems over U.S. or European alternatives in part due to shorter delivery timelines, lower lifecycle costs, and expanded local industrial participation. Israel Aerospace Industries' 2023 acquisition of the Greek defense firm Intracom Defense has further opened the door for enhanced domestic content, including system assembly, maintenance, and future upgrades under the Achilles’ Shield umbrella.
The full scope of the Greek-Israeli air-defense agreement, including contract signatures, delivery schedules, and integration timelines, has yet to be publicly disclosed. However, multiple Greek media outlets and defense industry sources confirm that the first wave of systems is targeted for deployment starting in 2026, with full operational capability expected before the end of 2028. The transition is being managed to minimize capability gaps, with interim operational measures planned to cover critical infrastructure and high-value defense zones.
If confirmed at the projected $3.5 billion value, this air-defense transformation would represent the most significant Greek missile procurement since the original S-300 acquisition, and a defining component of the Hellenic Armed Forces’ strategic posture for the coming decade. Beyond immediate defense gains, the program will also consolidate Greece’s long-term defense-industrial alignment with Israeli and NATO systems, deepening Athens’ integration into Western defense supply chains and enhancing its deterrence profile amid rising regional tensions.
Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has revealed that Nigeria has entered into agreements with over 100 countries to gather data of remote workers in a bid to enforce tax remittance.
Speaking during a webinar hosted by the National Orientation Agency on Wednesday, themed ‘Simplifying Nigeria’s Tax System’, Oyedele addressed concerns about taxation in the digital economy, particularly for remote workers and online income earners.
Oyedele noted that regardless of the company or country, every remote worker in Nigeria is obligated to declare their income by themselves.
“For the other categories of people who work online, the kind of people you spoke about, where companies just outsource something to them…you might have five stars, another person has 50.
“The requirement under this new law is that everybody, whether you earn your money from Google or whether you earn it from XYZ Limited in the Bahamas, you have to declare your income yourself. If you fail to do it, the system will then gather intelligence, which is when the money hits your bank account.”
Nigeria partners over 100 countries to gather data Oyedele said the government has a record of transactions coming into the country, and has signed agreement with over 100 countries to gather data and track Nigerians with money and properties abroad.
“We see this money coming to your Dollar Bank account. If you put the money abroad, Nigeria has signed an agreement with over 100 countries under what is called the Common Reporting Standards. They are already sending us data about Nigerians who have money abroad, property abroad, whether it’s Dubai to the US to Canada to the UK. We have all that information already.”
Oyedele advised Nigerians to “do the right thing”, otherwise, the government will come knocking.
“Essentially, my point is, if it’s about data, the government can get the data. The primary obligation is to do the right thing yourself. If you fail to do it, the government will then come back to you and say, ‘We know this about you, you haven’t been honest, here’s your presumptive assessment. ’ And at that point, you have to deal with it”
Engagement with big tech companies He recounted how Nigeria began engaging with big tech companies three to four years ago, challenging the disparity between traditional businesses and online platforms regarding Value Added Tax (VAT).
“If you are doing your business, brick and mortar, pop and mom shop, and you sell a phone and you charge VAT, why should the person that is selling it online not charge VAT?” he said. “We went to these guys and said the services you render is liable to VAT. You are getting an undue advantage by doing it from abroad.”
Oyedele emphasized that the government adopted a collaborative approach rather than confrontation, resulting in successful agreements with the tech firms.
“We spoke to them, what are your concerns, how can we make it work, and we landed on an agreement. Today I can tell you Nigeria is making billions of dollars from those taxes, from those digital giants without fighting.”
Legislative errors and corrections Oyedele acknowledged inconsistencies in the recently signed tax legislation, particularly regarding turnover thresholds.
“Section 147 of the Nigerian Tax Administration Act says N100 million. Section 202 of the Nigerian Tax Act says N50 million for turnover,” he noted. “The answer to your question is yes, it was an error.”
He explained that the discrepancy arose during the gazetting process after President Bola Tinubu signed the bills into law on June 26, 2025.
“The Department of Government that is supposed to do the gazetting… said they’ve never done anything like that before,” Oyedele said. “In the process of editing, typesetting, the 50 that was there originally went into one of the laws.”
Despite spending three months trying to correct the gazette, the committee decided to proceed with implementation while preparing a list of amendments for next year.
“The minimum threshold for exemption is 100 million. That’s what you’ll find when the regulations are out,” he confirmed. “Let’s move forward so our good becomes better than wait until it is best.”
What you should know Oyedele clarified that Nigeria’s new Capital Gains Tax (CGT) framework will not retroactively tax investment gains made before 2026.
This is according to a statement released by the committee detailing key provisions of the CGT reform set to take effect from January 1, 2026, under the proposed Nigeria Tax Act 2025.
At the heart of the clarification is a cost basis reset and a grandfathering clause designed to preserve old gains while applying tax only to new profits made after the reform takes effect.
Homewrecker’ TikTok influencer ordered to pay $1.75M for destroying manager’s marriage[color
A homewrecker TikTok influencer has been reportedly ordered to pay $1.75 million for allegedly destroying her manager’s marriage under an unusual state law designed to crack down on cheating ways, according to North Carolina court records.
Brenay Kennard, who has nearly 3 million TikTok followers, allegedly seduced her manager, Tim Montague, according to a lawsuit filed in a Durham, NC court by the loverboy’s jilted ex-wife, Akria, according to WTVD
The angry Mrs. Montague had originally sought $3.5 million in damages from Kennard when she first filed a civil lawsuit in 2024 under North Carolina’s alienation of affection law.
Under the law employed by the angry Mrs. Montague — which reads like lyrics from Dolly Parton’s 1973 hit “Jolene” — the plaintiff must prove they are in a loving marriage, the third party had knowledge of the marriage, and the marriage continued while the affair is going on.
North Carolina is one of only six states that still allows a spouse to sue a third party for interfering in their marriage, under a practice that originated in English common law.
“When you are thinking about alienation of affection, you have to think about the humiliation that the spouse went through,” Ms Montague’s attorney, Robonetta Jones, told WTVD.
“Ms Kennard flaunted her relationship with a married man. And of course, it went viral and my client was humiliated as a result of that,” she continued.
The jilted ex-wife, Akira Montague, successfully claimed the affair had caused her mental anguish, damaged her health, and deprived her children of a two-parent household, WRAL reported.
There was cheering in the public gallery as the settlement was agreed, with Ms Montague sharing a hug with her attorney as Kennard quickly left the court.
Kennard denied all of the allegations against her in court, claiming that Ms Montague knew the marriage was over and had allowed the affair.
"She gave her consent. She said it was okay because she knew her marriage was over with, and it was done,” Kennard told the jury, as reported by WRAL.
Mr Montague eventually left his wife for Kennard.
Jones presented more than 700 pages of evidence throughout the six-day trial, which concluded on Monday with the awarding of damages to Ms Montague.
Kennard was married to Mr. Montague’s first cousin at the time of the alleged affair.
She posted a number of pictures and videos to social media showing the two couples hanging out.
“They were able to take trips together, spend time together, and still make sure they held themselves out to be husband and wife,” Jones said, adding that text messages from Kennard had “helped a lot as well.”
Kennard filed an unsuccessful motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that photos and videos presented in court were obtained unlawfully.
But Ms Montague was awarded $1.5 million for alienation of affection and $250,000 for criminal conversation by a Durham County jury, the third-largest settlement in such a case in North Carolina history.
In 2011, Betty Devin was ordered to pay $30 million to Carol Puryear, for having an affair with Donald Puryear, owner of a Raleigh trucking company.
In 2021, former state Sen. Rick Gunn settled a lawsuit filed by Arthur Johns for $3 million, after he was accused of having a long-running affair with John’s wife.
In 2018, NFL star Fletcher Cox was sued by one Joshua Jeffords, who claimed the ex-Philadelphia Eagle had an affair with his wife.
“I believe the message is that there are consequences for interfering with another person’s marriage,” Jones said.
“People have to know that if you interfere and you sleep with someone who’s married, there are consequences in the state of North Carolina and maybe they will think twice before they do it,” she continued.
Kennard did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Four Nigerians have been handed lengthy prison sentences in the United Kingdom for their roles in a violent phone robbery syndicate that terrorised mobile phone outlets across London.
The group, convicted alongside six other accomplices, received a combined jail term of 55 years following a ruling by Kingston Crown Court.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the convictions in a statement published on its website on Monday.
According to the police report, the Nigerians identified as David Akintola, Ayomide Olaribiro, Olabiyi Obasa, and David Okewole were key members of the organised gang that targeted electronics and telecommunications shops across the city.
Other members of the network include James Adodo, Robert Hills, Nelson Joel, Michael Babo, Mushtakim Miah, and Laville Bloise.
Investigators revealed that between September and November 2024, the gang executed 13 coordinated robberies, mostly at EE stores across the UK.
“The group targeted mostly EE stores, using threats of violence to force staff to open secure stock rooms before making off with high-value mobile phones and other devices. In total, they stole items with a total value of £240,000,” the statement read.
Detectives said the syndicate’s downfall came after forensic and digital evidence tied them to several crime scenes. “Officers were able to link suspects to the scenes of the crimes through DNA evidence, as well as call data and vehicle records. They observed the group as they prepared for further offences, and on November 19, 2024, officers moved in to arrest four of the men in the act at an EE shop in Kilburn.
“Searches at addresses linked to the suspects led to the recovery of stolen devices and further evidence connecting the group to the robberies,” the statement added.
Following their arrests, all 10 suspects were charged in court, with eight pleading guilty to conspiracy to rob on January 30, 2025. They were sentenced on Friday, November 7, after months of trial proceedings.
The police detailed the individual sentences as follows: “James Adodo of St Martins Road, Dartford, Kent, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. David Akintola of Samuel Street, Woolwich, was sentenced to six years and six months’ imprisonment.
“Ayomide Olaribiro of Warrior Square, Manor Park, was sentenced to four years and six months’ imprisonment. Nelson Joel of St Martins Road, Dartford, Kent, was sentenced to three years and three months’ imprisonment.
“Olabiyi Obasa of Norfolk Close, Dartford, Kent, was sentenced to three years and six months’ imprisonment. David Okewole of Vale Road, Northfleet, Kent, was sentenced to seven years and six months’ imprisonment.”
Two other members faced lesser sentences after admitting to attempted robbery.
Nigeria’s total public debt may jump by N40.61tn to about N193tn if all loan requests President Bola Tinubu sent to the National Assembly in 2025 are approved and fully disbursed, an analysis by The PUNCH has shown.
The requests, which equal about 26.6 per cent of the country’s existing debt stock as of June 2025, come amid growing fiscal pressures and rising foreign-currency exposure.
Figures from the Debt Management Office showed that as of June 30, 2025, Nigeria’s total public debt stood at N152.4tn, made up of N71.85tn external and N80.55tn domestic debt. The DMO said it used an official exchange rate of N1,529.21 per dollar for the June debt report.
However, The PUNCH adopted the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official exchange rates as of November 10, 2025, which were N1,437.29 to the dollar, N1,662.66 to the euro, and N9.33 to the yen for the loan requests.
Based on the analysis by The PUNCH and the official debt report from the DMO, Tinubu’s 2025 loan pipeline could lift the debt stock to about N193.01tn. The increase represents a 26.6 per cent rise in the country’s total debt portfolio, equivalent to about $134.3bn at the prevailing official rate.
The development would push Nigeria’s external debt component above 57 per cent of total debt, increasing foreign-currency exposure. The PUNCH observed that at least three major requests have been made by the Nigerian President this year.
In May, Tinubu sought the National Assembly’s approval for a $21.5bn external loan package, €2.19bn, and ¥15bn, alongside a N758bn domestic bond to fund the 2025–2026 borrowing plan, infrastructure projects, and accrued pension liabilities.
“In light of the significant infrastructure deficit in the country and the paucity of financial resources needed to address this gap amid declining domestic demand, it has become essential to pursue prudent economic borrowing to close the financial shortfall,” the President said in one of his three letters to the National Assembly.
The Senate approved the request in July. The approval followed the presentation of a report by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt, Senator Aliyu Wamako.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, said most of the loan requests had already been factored into the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and the 2025 budget.
“The borrowing is already embedded in the 2025 Appropriation Act. With this approval, we now have all revenue sources, including loans, in place to fully fund the budget,” Adeola explained.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), also defended the borrowing, saying it aligns with global economic practices. “There’s no economy that grows without borrowing. What we are doing is in line with global best practices,” he said.
Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, who chairs the Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, assured the chamber that the loans are concessional and comply with the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Debt Management Act. “These loans are long-term, some with tenors ranging from 20 to 35 years, and they are strictly tied to capital and human development projects,” he said.
However, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) voiced concerns over transparency and equitable distribution, warning that Nigerians deserve to know the specifics of the loans and their intended impact.
In October, the President transmitted another letter to the legislature seeking $2.3bn in external loans and a $500m debut sovereign sukuk to part-finance the 2025 budget deficit and refinance maturing Eurobonds due later in the year. The National Assembly gave its nod on October 29, bringing the total external funding from both requests to about $24.8bn.
In support of the second loan request, Senator Sani Musa said the borrowing request was critical for the smooth implementation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill. Musa said, “We must give approval to this request so that the 2025 appropriation will be given the necessary funding.”
Also speaking, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North), defended the borrowing plan, arguing that loans, when properly structured and channelled toward productive sectors, could stimulate economic growth and create jobs.
A third request, submitted in early November, sought approval for a N1.15tn domestic borrowing programme to bridge the unfunded portion of the N59.9tn 2025 budget and settle outstanding payments to local contractors.
According to the Nigerian President, the fresh borrowing would “bridge the funding gap and ensure the full implementation of government programmes and projects” under the 2025 fiscal plan. That proposal is still being considered by the relevant committees of the National Assembly.
While critics warn that the trend could push the economy toward unsustainable debt levels, government officials and lawmakers argue that strategic borrowing remains essential to sustaining growth, financing infrastructure, and maintaining investor confidence.
If all the borrowing requests are implemented, Nigeria’s total debt would rise from N152.40tn in mid-2025 to about N193.01tn. Of this, external obligations would increase by about N39.6tn to N111.45tn, while domestic debt would rise by about N1tn to N81.56tn.
Further analysis by The PUNCH showed that Nigeria’s total public debt increased by about N65.02tn within two years of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, driven mainly by exchange rate depreciation and persistent deficit financing, according to data from the Debt Management Office.
Figures from the DMO’s debt reports for June 2023 and June 2025 show that the total public debt rose from N87.38tn in June 2023 to N152.40tn in June 2025, marking a 74.4 per cent increase. While fresh borrowing played a role, most of the surge resulted from the sharp weakening of the naira, which nearly doubled the naira value of existing foreign loans.
The PUNCH observed that roughly two-thirds of the jump in the total debt figure was due to the naira’s sharp depreciation after the unification of exchange rates under Tinubu’s administration.
In June 2023, Nigeria’s total external debt stood at $43.16bn, valued at N33.25tn, based on the then-official exchange rate of N770.38 to a dollar. The total domestic debt was N54.13tn, bringing the combined public debt to N87.38tn.
Two years later, the picture changed sharply. By June 2025, total external debt had risen to $46.98bn, but its naira equivalent had more than doubled to N71.85tn due to the naira’s devaluation.
Between June 2023 and June 2025, the naira weakened from N770/$1 to N1,529/$1, nearly doubling the local-currency value of existing external loans, according to the exchange rates adopted by the DMO in its reports.
Domestic debt also grew to N80.55tn, pushing the overall public debt to N152.40tn. In essence, while the external debt increased by only $3.82bn in absolute terms, its naira value jumped by N38.6tn.
Analysts note that the surge in the local-currency value of external debt mirrors the impact of the exchange rate reforms introduced under Tinubu, which unified the multiple exchange windows in mid-2023.
Domestic debt also rose by N26.42tn within the same period, reflecting sustained local borrowing through Federal Government bonds, Treasury bills, and the securitisation of the Central Bank’s Ways and Means overdraft.
In May 2023, the National Assembly approved the conversion of N22.7tn in CBN overdrafts into long-term debt instruments, a move that immediately swelled the domestic debt profile. The rising debt burden comes as Tinubu’s administration continues to pursue fresh loans to repay maturing loans and finance the fiscal deficit.
Speaking at the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, the Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha, said Nigeria’s public debt remains sustainable, stressing that the country’s debt-to-Gross Domestic Product ratio is currently about 40 per cent, well below the 70 per cent international benchmark for emerging economies.
Oniha explained that, despite growing public concern about Nigeria’s debt profile, the country’s borrowing level is not excessive by global standards.
However, economists have repeatedly warned that while the new loans may help fund infrastructure and budget shortfalls, Nigeria’s debt service burden, already one of the highest relative to revenue in Africa, could worsen without stronger revenue growth and stricter control of public spending.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr Muda Yusuf, earlier expressed concern over the Federal Government’s growing debt commitments, particularly the heavy tilt towards external borrowing.
Yusuf warned that Nigeria’s rising debt service burden is already outpacing capital expenditure and could begin to crowd out essential government functions if not properly managed. “Debt service is already far more than the appropriation for capital spending,” he said, describing the trend as worrying.
He emphasised the need for the government to focus more on revenue growth and fiscal consolidation rather than piling on new debts. “We need to tread very cautiously with respect to debt commitments,” he added.
Yusuf noted that while current economic reforms and improved oil sector performance may eventually enhance revenue and reduce borrowing needs, any new loans must be critically scrutinised for cost and purpose.
The Deputy Country Director at BudgIT, who was formerly its Group Head of Research and Policy Advisory, Vahyala Kwaga, cautioned against the Federal Government’s plan to take on new loans, stressing the risk of breaching Nigeria’s debt threshold.
Kwaga also raised concerns over poor transparency, noting, “The federal government needs to demonstrate far more transparency and accountability in how it has spent previous debt,” he added.
Earlier, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Rafsanjani, criticised the Federal Government’s persistent reliance on borrowing without clear accountability or tangible results.
Rafsanjani expressed concern that previous loans, including the $3.4bn IMF facility secured during the COVID-19 pandemic, have either been misused or remain unaccounted for. “The government continues to borrow, and it cannot prove to Nigerians what they are doing with the borrowing,” he said.
He also accused the National Assembly of being complicit in the borrowing spree, alleging that lawmakers benefit from the process through inflated constituency projects. “They will do everything possible to approve the loan from the president because they are beneficiaries of this,” he added.
Rafsanjani warned that rather than addressing national development, there are growing fears the funds could be redirected toward political interests ahead of the 2027 elections.
Sharing a similar sentiment, the National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, Emmanuel Onwubiko, condemned President Tinubu’s loan request, describing it as reckless and harmful to the country’s future. “There is no valid reason why the president wants to drag the country into these debts,” he said.
Onwubiko also criticised the National Assembly for lacking independence, saying, “Nigerians should hold President Tinubu and the rubber-stamped National Assembly responsible for this vicious circle of dragging the country into a bottomless pit of foreign loans.”
A Chinese official threatened to behead the Japanese prime minister after she suggested Japan could become involved in a war over Taiwan.
Sanae Takaichi, the Japanese leader, said Chinese military action against Taiwan, such as a blockade, could trigger a “survival-threatening situation”, which could force Japan to become involved.
In response, Xue Jian, China’s consul general in Osaka, threatened to “cut off a dirty neck without a moment of hesitation” in a post on X along with a news article citing Ms Takaichi’s comments.
“Are you ready for that?” he added, followed by an angry-face emoji.
The Chinese diplomat also shared several posts written by other people, including one which said that if Japan were to attack Chinese forces, “it would immediately provoke a counterattack from China”, and if Ms Takaichi wants to “casually talk about initiating war as if it’s nothing, the country is finished”.
Minoru Kihara, Japan’s top government spokesman, told reporters on Monday the post was “extremely inappropriate”.
He said Japan’s foreign ministry and the Japanese embassy in China lodged a protest and asked for the post to be deleted.
The post is no longer visible on Mr Xue’s official X account.
Lin Jian, China’s foreign ministry spokesman, said on Monday that the country had lodged a serious protest with Japan over Ms Takaichi’s comments, claiming attempts by Japanese officials to “meddle on cross-strait affairs” would cause serious damage to China-Japan relations.
Ms Takaichi stood by her comments on Monday when asked in parliament to clarify her position.
“Although I did state a number of possible scenarios, I also said the government will make a comprehensive judgment on whether the situation constitutes a ‘survival-threatening situation’ taking into account all information,” she said.
Beijing maintains it has sovereignty over Taiwan, which the government in Taipei firmly rejects.
Most Japanese leaders have chosen to stay away from the hot-button issue to avoid confrontation with China.
Japan is one of Taiwan’s closest neighbours, with its closest island less than 70 miles away, and hosts more than 50,000 US troops, which experts have referred to as the “tip of the spear” if the US were to come to Taiwan’s defence.
The initial comment by Ms Takaichi on Friday was made in response to a question about what would be considered a survival-threatening situation.
Ms Takaichi said a line of Chinese ships around Taiwan would not fall into that category, but if Beijing carried out a naval blockade while fighting was taking place, that would constitute a survival-threatening situation and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces would be sent in to offer support.
Since Mr Xue’s post on Saturday, many in Japan, including the country’s ambassador to Australia, have called for him to be designated a persona non grata and expelled from the country, claiming the post was “excessively rude”.
George Glass, the US ambassador to Japan, also responded to Mr Xue’s social media post, saying it was “time for Beijing to behave like the ‘good neighbour’ it talks repeatedly about – but fails repeatedly to become”.
China’s ministry of foreign affairs criticised Ms Takaichi earlier this month for meeting with Taiwan officials on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea.
The Federal Government (FG) has borrowed N17.36 trillion from domestic and foreign sources in the first 10 months of this year.
This represents N6.06 trillion (55.6 per cent) in excess of the N10.9 trillion stipulated in the 2025 Appropriation Act on 10 months prorate bases. The total borrowing in 2025 approved budget is N13.08 trillion for the entire fiscal year.
The breakdown of the 2025 borrowings so far shows a N15.8 trillion from domestic sources as at October 2025 and N1.56 trillion from the external sources as at first half of 2025.
Meanwhile, the FG last week initiated moves to borrow $2.35 billion (N3.384 trillion) via the Eurobond issuance.
This would increase the total borrowing to N20.74 trillion.
Also, going by the periodic domestic borrowing template operated this year, the estimated total borrowing for the year is put at nearly N23 trillion, bringing total excess borrowing for the year to about N10 trillion, or 80% in excess of the amount in the Appropriation Act 2025.
Financial analysts warn that this persistent overshoot, amid weak revenue performance, heightens the risk of a self-reinforcing debt trap, erodes foreign investor confidence, and threatens private sector access to credit — with knock-on effects on business expansion, job creation, and the general cost of living.
FG, in the Appropriation Act 2025, projected N54.99 trillion xpenditure and N41.91 revenue. This resulted in a deficit of N13.08 trillion, which is to be financed through domestic and external borrowing.
Based on this, the borrowing target for the first ten months was N10.9 trillion, equivalent to N1.09 trillion monthly.
However, data from the Debt Management office, DMO, and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, showed that the FG borrowed N15.8 trillion from domestic investors from January to October (10M’25) through monthly FGN Bond auctions, FGN Savings Bonds, Sukuk Bond and Treasury Bills.
Financial analysts pointed out that by overshooting its borrowing target amidst rising revenue, the FG is continuing with fiscal indiscipline which hallmarked the immediate past fiscal regime under late president Mohammadu Buhari.
They also said this development poses threat to private sector access to credit and economic growth and debt sustainability efforts.
The experts also warned that FG’s excessive borrowing undermines IMF-backed fiscal consolidation efforts.
Breakdown of borrowings
The breakdown of the FG borrowings so far this year show that it borrowed N11.43 trillion in 10M’25 through Treasury Bills (Primary Market Auctions), representing a 4.6 per cent, year-on-year, YoY, increase from N10.925 trillion in 10M’24.
The FG, however, reduced its borrowing through FGN Bonds by 22 per cent, YoY to N4.042 trillion in 10M’25 from N5.15 trillion in 10M’24.
But borrowing through the FGN Savings Bond auction rose by 5.6 per cent, YoY to N40.19 billion in 10M’25 from N38.06 billion in 10M’24.
Similarly, FG raised its borrowing through Sukuk Bond issuance to N300 billion in 10M’25 from zero issuance in 10M’24.
Why FG increased borrowing
Andrew Uviase, Managing Partner at Ecovis OUC, described the escalating borrowing as “a clear reflection of fiscal indiscipline and poor expenditure control.”
According to him, “the government still needs to do a lot more in reducing and controlling the cost of governance. The present situation suggests the government is not bothered about its spending pattern, and without honesty and transparency, we will continue to see excessive borrowing because, realistically, money is never enough.”
He also noted that non-oil revenue performance has remained disappointing, despite improvements in tax collection by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
“Other non-oil sources are not meeting expectations, and insecurity continues to stifle farming and other economic activities that could boost revenue,” he said.
David Adonri, Vice Executive Chairman of Highcap Securities, blamed the borrowing surge on “aggressive and unrealistic revenue assumptions,” particularly oil-related.
“The 2025 budget was anchored on an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day and a price of $75 per barrel — both overly optimistic,” he said. “Actual production has hovered around 1.6 to 1.7 million barrels, while prices have fallen to about $65.”
Adonri warned that the Federal Government’s “addiction to debt” and “brazen fiscal indiscipline” continue to undermine fiscal consolidation. “Despite claims of increased revenue from the removal of fuel and FX subsidies, government spending keeps expanding, and borrowing has become a narcotic,” he said.
Similarly, Tunde Abidoye, Head of Research at FBNQuest Merchant Bank, echoed Adonri’s view, describing the oil benchmarks in the 2025 budget as “overly optimistic,” which he said inevitably leads to “revenue shortfalls and higher borrowing.”
Clifford Egbomeade, a public analyst, attributed the borrowing overshoot to a combination of weak revenue and rising debt-service costs.
“Owing to oil production averaging 1.35–1.4 million barrels per day and inflation eroding consumption, VAT and company tax receipts fell below projections. This forced the Treasury to turn to the domestic market,” he explained.
Egbomeade added that “double-digit yields of over 20% at bond auctions and the deferral of Eurobond issuance due to high global interest rates expanded the government’s cash needs, pushing it into reactive liquidity borrowing rather than strategic deficit management.”
Threat to the private sector, economic growth, and debt sustainability The experts warn that the government’s excessive domestic borrowing is increasingly crowding out private sector credit, raising borrowing costs, and slowing productive investment.
David Adonri, said the government’s excessive demand for domestic credit continues to distort market pricing.
“The price of debt is determined by supply and demand. Excessive borrowing by the government escalates the cost of funds and crowds out the production sector,” he explained. “Lenders prefer risk-free government instruments to private ventures, which discourages investment in the real economy,” he added.
Adonri described the situation as “a vicious cycle where government debt appetite drives up yields, weakens private capital formation, and limits economic productivity.”
Andrew Uviase added: “When the government borrows in an insatiable manner, banks and other financial institutions naturally favour the government because of the security of their loans. Private businesses will struggle to access credit, interest rates will rise, and the manufacturing and productive sectors will suffer.”
He warned that if unchecked, Nigeria could enter a cycle where “new borrowing only serves to pay existing debts,” a development that would further weaken investor confidence and worsen inflationary pressures.
Tunde Abidoye, Head of Research at FBNQuest Merchant Bank, noted that the increased issuance of government securities has put upward pressure on interest rates.
“Higher paper supply should normally push rates up, but the impact has been somewhat moderated by high system liquidity,” he observed. “Nonetheless, elevated yields on government paper continue to attract investor preference, making it harder for private borrowers to compete.”
Abidoye stressed that as yields remain high, banks will increasingly allocate funds to sovereign instruments, reducing credit flow to the real economy.
Egbomeade, described the surge in borrowing as a double-edged sword that provides temporary fiscal relief but worsens long-term debt vulnerability.
“Between January and August 2025, the CBN raised N26.4 trillion through Treasury Bills and OMO operations—up nearly 57 percent year-on-year—showing how much government borrowing is absorbing domestic liquidity,” he said.
“With OMO yields above 20 per cent and the Monetary Policy Rate at 27.5 percent, debt-servicing costs are rising faster than revenues. Banks and institutional investors now prefer high-yield government paper to business lending, starving the private sector of credit,” he added.
Egbomeade warned that while the strategy secures short-term funding, it “weakens medium-term growth prospects and deepens debt-service vulnerabilities.”
Conflict with Fiscal framework, IMF warnings on debt service-to-revenue ratio
Analysts further warn that the borrowing overshoot directly conflicts with the fiscal-consolidation path outlined in the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework (2025–2027) , which aims to narrow the deficit to below 3 percent of GDP, and the IMF and World Bank’s repeated warnings about Nigeria’s rising debt-service-to-revenue ratio — estimated at about 83 percent in 2024.
According to Andrew Uviase, Managing Partner, Ecovis OUC, “When the Government exceeds its borrowing projections, it is a sign that expenditure is not under disciplined control. It could also lead to delays in project execution, which could reduce immediate financing needs.” David Adonri, Vice Executive Chairman, Highcap Securities Limited, said the development shows that the government is only paying lip service to fiscal consolidation.
“I don’t think there is any serious intention to balance the budget. As long as fiscal indiscipline continues, the repeated warnings from the IMF and the World Bank will remain valid. The debt service ratio is still at an unsustainable level,” he said.
Clifford Egbomeade noted that the current borrowing pattern “directly conflicts with fiscal consolidation goals.” He explained:
“The IMF and World Bank have repeatedly cautioned that Nigeria’s debt-service-to-revenue ratio, estimated at around 83 percent in 2024, is unsustainable without meaningful restraint on domestic borrowing. Overshooting the 2025 target by 45 percent contradicts the consolidation path outlined in the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework. Although macroeconomic indicators have improved — GDP growth of 4.23 percent in Q2 2025, inflation moderating to 18 percent, and reserves rising to $43 billion — these gains coexist with a widening fiscal gap as the cost of governance has ballooned to N54.99 trillion. The current borrowing pattern therefore undermines consolidation credibility.”
How to curb excessive borrowing While warning that the current trend undermines Nigeria’s long-term debt sustainability and contradicts the by the International Monetary Fund, IMF for stronger revenue mobilisation, the experts urge the FG to deepen fiscal and tax reforms to reduce reliance on domestic borrowing.
David Adonri, said the government must cut its excessive involvement in sectors better managed by the private sector.
“The government is assuming several responsibilities it ought to allow the private sector handle. These drain public finances,” he said. “Ending perennial deficit budgeting will strengthen the government’s balance sheet.”
Adonri noted that while the 2026 tax reforms may improve revenue, “excessive taxation could backfire saving a man from the lion only to deliver him to the shark.”
While urging the FG to cut wasteful expenditures and plug leakages, Tunde Abidoye, stressed the need for a disciplined approach to public finance.
“The government has to adopt a more disciplined approach by trimming wasteful expenditures and plugging leakages,” he said.
While noting that the, “The capital gains tax has doubled to 30%, and large firms will now pay a minimum effective tax rate of 15%. This should improve revenue,” he, however, urged the government to “reduce the debt ceiling from 60% of GDP and instead benchmark against revenue,” noting that “a 60% debt-to-revenue ratio is a real stress point.”
On his part, Clifford Egbomeade stressed the need for aggressive non-oil revenue mobilisation and better spending efficiency.
“With a 93.7 million-barrel shortfall in oil output, the fiscal base is fragile. The government must fast-track digital tax collection, broaden VAT to informal commerce, and cut wasteful recurrent costs,” he said.
He advised the DMO to “rebalance borrowing toward longer-tenor, concessional external loans to ease refinancing pressure,” adding that “sustained revenue and expenditure reforms are key to turning Nigeria’s debt-driven recovery into sustainable, investment-led growth.”
A powerful and unequivocal statement against sexual harassment and exploitation in Nigeria’s tertiary academic institutions was made by the Senate last week when senators approved a legislation prescribing up to 14 years in prison for lecturers who sexually harass students.
The introduction of the somewhat stiffer punishment will hopefully put paid to the application of the variants of punishment contained in the extant sanction grid, which have proved incapable of reining in the ignoble activities of randy lecturers in the ivory towers. It can be imagined, for instance, how ineffective a deterrence it is to sentence a professor to a two-year jail term for committing the criminal breach of trust and abuse of power which sexual harassment constitutes.
When signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, the Sexual Harassment of Students (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2025, will mark the beginning of a serious and genuine fight against sexual exploitation in tertiary institutions. This is a serious menace that verges on betrayal of trust and abuse of power which hitherto was neither accorded the attention it deserves by the gatekeepers in and outside of the tertiary institutions, nor frontally attacked with commensurate sanctions on the perpetrators.
Nonetheless, it is evident that the author of the bill, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), who is also the Senate Leader, has a full grasp of the enormity of the challenge at hand as he proposed provisions in the Act to address what constitutes impediments in the way of justice for victims of sexual harassment in tertiary institutions and how to lawfully circumvent the obstacles. According to him, the bill seeks to dismantle a “culture of coercion and silence” that has eroded trust between educators and students. He stressed further that the legislation is crafted to “protect students from all forms of sexual misconduct and abuse within academic environments,” while enshrining respect for human dignity and ethical standards in teaching. He added: “This law safeguards the sanctity of the student-educator relationship built on authority, dependency and trust. It ensures that no educator ever uses that trust as a weapon of exploitation again.” Under the new Act, educators convicted of sexual harassment face a minimum of five years and up to 14 years imprisonment, with no option of fine.
It is also interesting that the Act has removed the excuse of lascivious lecturers who would always falsely claim to have a steady and consensual relationship with their victims. It removes the defence of consent, stating: “It shall not be a defence that a student consented to the act. Only a legally recognised marriage between both parties may serve as an exception.”
This provision has effectively dismantled the usual hiding place for randy and irresponsible lecturers. However, there would appear to be a dilemma. The provision in the new Act that seeks to recognise formal marriage as the only form of romantic relationship that could exist between lecturers and their students would seem to infringe on the rights and freedom of both parties to associate and be romantically involved without necessarily signing the dotted lines.
On the surface, what the Act outlaws is sexual harassment; it does not seem to mean that educators and students cannot engage in romantic relationships. But what happens if a voluntary romantic relationship between a lecturer and his student goes awry, and the student mischievously reports sexual harassment to the authorities?
The lecturer may find it difficult to prove consent in order to exonerate himself. After all, the usual refrain is that a student is not in a position to consent to harassment. Thus, it may be wisdom in certain circumstances to forfeit certain freedoms for one’s greater good and/or peace of mind.
The preponderance of cases of sexual harassment in some of the country’s tertiary institutions underscore the imperative of a legislation with stiffer provisions that would appear to impact citizens’ freedom in a tolerable fashion.
At the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), one Professor Richard Oladele was jailed for two years in 2018 for sexually harassing a female student.
Also, three lecturers of the institution were dismissed in 2021 for sexual harassment.
Again, in 2022, a professor in the Department of Linguistics and African Studies was investigated for sexual harassment.
Similarly, at the university of Abuja, two lecturers were dismissed in July 2023 for sexual misconduct. The university has reportedly implemented measures to report and address sexual harassment.
The University of Calabar is also on the ignoble list as Professor Cyril Ndifon, the Dean of the Faculty of Law, was suspended and is currently on trial for alleged sexual harassment.
The University of Lagos is not left out: a lecturer was suspended for raping a 21-year-old student in 2023.
Other institutions whose lecturers were found guilty of sexual harassment of female students include the Kogi State Polytechnic, where a lecturer was dismissed for harassing a female student in 2023, and Ambrose Alli University, which terminated the appointment of a lecturer for sexual harassment in 2023.
There is also the Federal University, Lokoja, which announced the dismissal of four lecturers for sexual misconduct in 2024, and the Lagos State University of Science and Technology, where three lecturers were dismissed for sexual harassment in 2025.
The list is literally endless and even at that, many believe that it pales into insignificance in comparison with the preponderance of cases of sexual harassment in higher institutions that go unreported or are swept under the carpet after being reported. It is only in a few cases where the victims are uncompromising or bold enough to come forward to lodge complaints about their violators and where the authorities of the institutions are willing to investigate that there are documented cases of sexual abuse. It is really terrible . For many years, the student-lecturer relationship which is built on authority, dependency and trust has been tested and betrayed by unscrupulous lecturers, leading to significant compromise of academic freedom and excellence.
We, therefore, welcome any legislation that promises to usher in an era of zero tolerance for the sex-for-grade scandals that have rocked many campuses of tertiary institutions for years. And we urge President Tinubu to sign the bill into law as soon as legislative scrutiny on it is concluded by the National Assembly.
Funke Adeoye, the founder and executive director of the Hope Behind Bars Africa, a nonprofit helping indigent inmates get access to justice and advocating justice sector reforms, has been awarded the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award by the International Bar Association (IBA).
She received the award on Thursday at the IBA’s Annual Conference held in Toronto, Canada.
The award recognises young lawyers aged 35 and below around the world with exceptional records of professional contributions to the rule of law, service to humanity and ethical excellence.
Adeoye founded the organisation aged just 26. Profiling the organisation back in 2023, FIJ reported that within its first five years, it had rescued 416 unjustly detained innocent inmates from various prisons through the provision of legal pro bono services.
“Funke was selected from a global pool of outstanding nominees for her pioneering work at the intersection of access to justice, human rights, and legal technology,” according to a statement signed by Ogechi Ogwuma, a communications officer for the organisation.
“Through Hope Behind Bars Africa, an organisation she founded at age 26, she has led innovative justice interventions that provide quality legal support to wrongfully incarcerated individuals, promote criminal justice reforms, and strengthen civic engagement.
“Her efforts have facilitated access to justice and the rehabilitation of thousands of inmates while advancing structural reforms that make the justice system more accessible across Nigeria.”
Adeoye dedicated the award to young lawyers from Africa and human rights workers upholding the rule of law in challenging environments.
“This recognition is not just about me. It represents every young lawyer who believes that in spite of the state of our world, the law still remains a critical tool for social engineering and transformation,” she said.
“It reaffirms that the world is watching and that ethical, innovative, and people-centred lawyering matters.”
Adeoye graduated from the University of Benin in 2012 with an LLB and she was called to the Nigerian Bar the following year.
She also earned an MSc in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford as a Commonwealth Scholar.
“A vocal advocate for reimagining justice delivery through innovation and inclusion, Funke continues to advance reforms that make justice systems more accessible, equitable, and technology-driven,” Ogwuma added.
“This international recognition marks a significant milestone not only for her but also for Africa’s growing community of reform-driven lawyers who are redefining legal practice as a force for social good.”
This latest award adds to the list of such other coveted awards and recognitions Adeoye has earned over the years. FIJ previously reported that she was among the 18 individuals selected for the Ashoka Fellowship in 2024.
Tesla shareholders have approved a $1 trillion compensation package for chief executive Elon Musk, the largest payout awarded to a corporate leader.
More than 75 per cent of the votes cast were in favour of the pay plan, the company said on Thursday at its annual meeting. The outcome caps a weeks-long campaign by the electric vehicle maker’s board, its chief executive and prominent retail investors to build support.
The pay agreement clears a path for Mr Musk, the world’s richest person, to become the first trillionaire and expand his stake in Tesla to 25 per cent or more over the next decade. To achieve the full payout, he would have to deliver on targets to significantly expand Tesla’s market value, revive its flagging car business and get the fledgling robotaxi and Optimus robotics efforts off the ground.
“It’s not just a new chapter for Tesla, it’s a new book,” Mr Musk said at the shareholder meeting, wearing a black Tesla jacket as he strode the stage in front of a cheering crowd. “And that new book is massively increasing vehicle production and ramping up Optimus production faster than anything’s ever been ramped up before in human history.”
The compensation vote was pivotal for Tesla, after Mr Musk suggested he could step down or spend more time with his other companies if he didn’t get greater control over the car maker. He’s now expected to remain at the helm as Tesla pursues an ambitious agenda built around driverless vehicles and artificial intelligence.
Tesla shares were up less than 1 per cent as of 7.16pm in postmarket trading on Thursday in New York, paring an earlier gain of as much as 3.4 per cent. The stock was up 10 per cent this year through Thursday’s close, narrowly trailing the 14 per cent advance in the S&P 500 Index.
The chief executive, who has led the EV maker since 2008, said that Tesla might end up building a chip factory to get the volume it needs, even as the company works with established suppliers such as Samsung and TSMC.
“Even when we extrapolate the best-case scenario for chip production from our suppliers, it’s still not enough,” Mr Musk said. “So I think we may have to do a Tesla terafab. It’s like giga but way bigger.”
He said next year will focus on Optimus, the Semi truck and the Cybercab. Mr Musk expects production of Cybercab will be roughly in line with regulatory approval. “I’d like to thank Waymo for paving the path here. It’s very helpful,” he added.
Mr Musk said Tesla has aspirational goals to boost vehicle production volume by about 50 per cent by the end of next year.
Aggressive effort
The pay package was widely expected to pass, even after several prominent investors came out in opposition, including Norway’s Norges Bank Investment Management, Tesla’s ninth-largest holder. Proxy advisers Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis recommended investors reject the compensation plan, citing concerns with its magnitude and its potential to dilute other shareholders’ ownership.
The board waged an aggressive effort to garner support, featuring meetings with large institutional shareholders and a series of media appearances by chair Robyn Denholm. In interviews with Bloomberg News, Ms Denholm cast the vote as crucial to Tesla’s future, which needs an engaged Mr Musk to achieve its goals.
Mr Musk himself sought to rally support, using a portion of Tesla’s recent earnings call to lay out why he wasn’t comfortable building a “robot army” unless he owns a quarter of the company.
Schwab Asset Management this week pledged to back the pay proposal after several prominent retail shareholders said on social media that they would move funds out of brokerages that voted in opposition. Several other institutional investors, including Florida’s State Board of Administration, said they would vote for the package.
“Even with the new pay package, there are significant hurdles” to unlocking the payout, including profitably scaling Tesla’s operations and delivering many robots and robotaxis, said Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, a longtime Tesla bull. “Now it’s about driving the most important chapter in Tesla’s history with an autonomous future ahead.”
The win gives Mr Musk a clear, albeit challenging, path to becoming the world’s first trillionaire. Should he hit all of the targets in the plan, including expanding Tesla’s market value to $8.5 trillion, his total stake in the car maker would be worth roughly $2.4 trillion.
That’s more than quintuple his current net worth of about $460 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His net worth would exceed the current gross domestic product of all but seven countries.
Roller coaster
Mr Musk’s fortune has been on a roller coaster ride this year. It stood at roughly $450 billion in January when he joined US President Donald Trump at his inauguration, but began a rapid decline as the chief executive's politics — including a prominent role at the Department of Government Efficiency — alienated many potential Tesla buyers. A subsequent feud between the two sent Tesla shares plummeting, leaving Mr Musk with the second-worst single-day loss ever recorded by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
His wealth has since rebounded, helped by a recovery in Tesla shares as well as booming valuations for his privately held businesses, including xAI and SpaceX.
The new package drew pushback from some of his longtime critics, including New York state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who said on Thursday that this was “pay for unchecked power, not pay for performance”.
Vermont senator Bernie Sanders called the plan “totally absurd".
“People can’t afford their rent, can’t afford health, can’t afford groceries, they can’t afford to retire with dignity,” Mr Sanders told reporters. “And we’re talking about one guy who already owns more wealth than the bottom 52 per cent of American households getting even richer.”
The package comes after Mr Musk’s previous multibillion-dollar compensation plan was struck down by a Delaware judge last year. The company is appealing the ruling and has moved its incorporation to Texas, partly in response to the decision. In August, Tesla’s board also granted Mr Musk an interim award valued at $30 billion, designed to partially replace the payment.
Tesla said on Thursday that it needs time to review the votes for a nonbinding shareholder proposal to invest in xAI, Mr Musk’s artificial intelligence start-up. Of the votes submitted, more were cast in favour of the plan than against it, but the volume of abstentions was so high that it merited further discussion, Tesla said.
The measure, calling for an investment “in an amount and form deemed appropriate by the board,” is advisory, meaning Tesla is not required to move ahead. Mr Musk has been publicly supportive of an investment and floated the idea of a $5 billion stake last year.
In a shocking and emotional revelation, retired adult film star Lana Rhoades has pleaded with every adult site to permanently delete all of her videos, more than 400+ scenes in total, saying she was "19 years old, broke and groomed" when she entered the industry.
Rhoades opened up about the trauma and called for greater protection for young actors.
The former adult actor, who left the industry several years ago, described her experience as deeply traumatic, explaining that she was manipulated and pressured into situations she did not fully understand at the time.
In the past, too, Rhoades has spoken about the emotional toll her past work has taken on her, admitting that she has spent years reclaiming her identity and moving on from an industry that still profits from her image. Her appeal has reignited discussions about consent, exploitation, and the rights of adult stars, especially those who entered the business at a young age.
Lana Rhoades has made it clear that her primary reason for wanting her videos removed is personal and protective. She says the content represents a period in her life when she was young, vulnerable, and coerced into situations she did not fully consent to or understand.
Her goal is to prevent her son from ever seeing her past in the adult industry and to reclaim a sense of dignity and control over her own image. Beyond her personal reasons, Rhoades’ request also highlights broader concerns about the permanence of online content and the limited rights performers often have over videos they starred in.
“I was 19, broke, and groomed. I want every video gone so my son never sees his mom like that," says Rhoades.
Social Media Reacts as Fans Debate Her Decision to Remove 400+ Videos
As soon as the post surfaced on social media, it quickly went viral and sparked debate. One X (formerly called Twitter) wrote:
"The porn industry is generally easy money and when someone asked me at 19 if I wanted to get into the industry that was the line they used to try and get me into it. I said "no", walked away, and now 30 years later the fear of having videos of myself out there is something I don't have to worry about. Getting into the industry generally starts with a question of "do you want to make some easy money?"
"Everyone has a right to make a change and make a better life for themselves. We should try to provide her positive reinforcement for this change and not cut her down," another added. Social media erupts with support and debate over Rhoades’ decision to delete her videos
While one said, "I genuinely feel bad for her. Most of us don’t have our mistakes on film or the internet.The internet may be forever, but if she repents and turns her heart to Jesus she deserves forgiveness. But I doubt she'll be able to have the consequences of her actions removed from the internet."
A 6-month pregnant woman was r@ped, her husband k!lled. An 8-year-old girl was shot in the face. Bandits k!lled without mercy - Nigerian doctor recalls harrowing experience working in bandit-ravaged Zamfara community
I worked in a tertiary health facility in Zamfara during my compulsory housemanship. That area was ravaged by armed bandits and kidnappers at the time. For every call duty, we had no less than ten new casualties, some brought in dead—men, women, and children. These bandits terrorized villages and killed people without mercy. I sutured different kinds of bul:let wou—nds that period, people sho.t in their genitals, legs, anus—you name it! My nostrils were literally fed up with the sme.ll of innocent blo..od.
There were days I got emotional on the job, as I could not stand the depth of unhindered wickedness that was perpetuated in the land.
Most of the medical officers in surgery department took lots of alcohol. I guess it was their own way of calming their nerves and zoning out of the realities at work.
Most nights, the attac-ked villagers came in soaked in their own blood, crying, cur..sing at Nigeria and calling on God to help them. They had no one to call on, but God.
I remember a six months old pregnant woman who was rap;ed and her husband kill:ed in her presence. Sol.diers were not left out too, they were bad-ly brui.sed and injured. Some di.ed, reigning ins$ults on Nigeria till they breathed their last. It was a horri@fic experience.
I still recall an eight year old girl who was sh-ot in her face. Eyes apart, face in sham:bles, but she managed to breathe through her disfig-ured nostrils. We referred them to ABU teaching hospital but the father said they had no money for surgery. They took her out of the hospital, I really can’t tell how that story ended. She was only eight!
I ran home immediately after my housejob and never looked back.
People sit behind their keypads and drop hot takes when they have no experience of what mass kill…ings is all about. They talk without empathy because they or their loved ones are not in anyway affected.
The truth remains that real kil.-lings have been happening in Nigeria in thousands, and the government has been inattentive to it.
I’m particularly thankful that these two days have aroused our leaders to action. Let them protect those who they are leading. Let them be held accountable for their negligence all through the years.
And I sincerely hope that Nigeria recovers from this colossal disgrace.
The EU earns ≈ €45 billion from Nigeria every single year — that’s €123 million a day.
Here’s the 2024–2025 breakdown (official EU & Nigerian Customs data, released Oct 2025):
1. Oil & Gas (72%) • Nigeria ships 1.6 million barrels/day to Europe • 2025 avg. Brent price: $78/barrel • €36.2 bn cash straight to EU energy giants (Shell, Total, Eni, BP)
2. Cocoa, Sesame, Leather (18%) • EU buys €8.1 bn of Nigerian farm & raw materials • Germany alone takes €2.4 bn cocoa beans
• EU aid + loans: €680 million • Net flow: Nigeria → EU = €45 bn OUT, €0.68 bn IN → 66 times more leaves than arrives
Fun (painful) facts
• €45 bn = 3× Nigeria’s entire 2025 health + education budget • One Rotterdam refinery makes €9 bn profit on Nigerian crude alone • Shell’s Nigeria dividend to EU shareholders: €5.6 bn last year
Bottom line:
The EU extracts ≈ €45 billion from Nigeria yearly — more than the GDP of 12 African countries combined. That’s the real “partnership”. 😕
Sources: EU Commission DG-TRADE Oct 2025, Nigerian Customs Service, Shell/Total Q3 reports.
A 21-year-old Muslim convert from East Yorkshire has been convicted of planning a terrorist attack after a trial at Leed's Crown Court revealed his detailed preparations for an atrocity.
Jordan Richardson of Oliver Close in Hen was found guilty on multiple terrorism charges, including preparing acts of terrorism, collecting information useful for terrorism, and distributing terrorist publications.
The court heard that Richardson, who described himself as an Anglo jihadi, had identified potential targets, including Meadow Hall Shopping Center near Sheffield, and had regularly expressed intentions to kill Jewish people. Prosecutors presented evidence that he joked about entering a synagogue wearing a suicide vest.
When arrested last December while traveling to work, authorities discovered handwritten notes in his backpack containing attack plans alongside instructions for manufacturing mustard gas.
Subsequent searches of his residence uncovered a crossbow, crossbow bolts, and a combat style knife. Digital evidence revealed his extensive engagement with extremist Islamist propaganda, including material glorifying terrorist actions.
Prosecutor Katherine Robinson told the court that Richardson was not merely an online fantasist, but was actively preparing to execute his plans, noting his possession of weapons and chemical weapon instructions. The jury was shown social media posts by Richardson, including one featuring Meadow Hall's exterior, followed by a clip with the text, "How life feels when you finally give up and just start killing people brutally."
Despite Richardson's defense that he was role-playing as an extremist to escape feelings of depression and isolation, the prosecution demonstrated his commitment to violent ideology through his actions and communications with individuals professing allegiance to Islamic State.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunley, head of counterterrorism policing Northeast, stated that Richardson had rapidly radicalized through online propaganda and was preparing to conduct an attack on members of the public. He emphasized how the case illustrates the real world threat of self-radicalization, noting Richardson's swift transition from recent convert to committed and dangerous extremist within months.
Does Burna Boy know that music is evil in Islam and that in Islam musicians will not go to heaven?
BAILMONEY: "whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter, he will be among the losers". Surah Ali Imran 85
Foreign Affairs › Evans Kibet: How A Kenyan Athlete Was Tricked Into Joining The Russian Army by BlackViper(op): 7:00pm On Nov 14, 2025
