₦airaland Forum

Amotolongbo:
Only God knows what the Igbo girls like in Femi and always running after him.

VLADIMIR Putin's men were reportedly killed by poisoned water bottles in a suspected Ukrainian sabotage operation.

At least four soldiers were said to have died in excruciating pain after drinking from bottles labelled "Our Water", allegedly supplied to the front line in a humanitarian consignment.

Several others are said to be in critical condition in another major blow to Mad Vlad's invasion of Ukraine.

The deadly incident, which unfolded in the Panteleimonivka area of Donetsk, has sparked horror and fury across pro-Kremlin military channels.

Distressing footage seen by The Sun shows poisoned troops convulsing, moaning in agony, and slipping into unconsciousness as medics scramble to help.

In one chilling clip, a soldier is heard asking a stricken comrade: “Have you taken some water on the way?” — but the man is too far gone to respond.

“He is so unwell,” another voice says.

The water reportedly came from Simferopol, the capital of Russian-annexed Crimea, and was distributed under the guise of aid.

Now, it’s feared to have been a Trojan horse of death.

Investigators are combing through the supply chain, desperate to uncover who tampered with the water — and how it reached frontline troops.

Pro-Kremlin outlet Tsargrad demanded answers: “The situation requires a thorough investigation – who supplied the water, how it got to the front line, and who could have poisoned it?”

They warned: “One thing is clear – soldiers should be extremely careful with any drinks.”

The poison panic has spread fast, with Putin's mouthpiece channels flashing urgent warnings to not drink the water amid soaring summer temperatures.

While some Russian-linked media are already blaming a “Ukrainian sabotage operation”, hard evidence is yet to emerge.

A Ukrainian source hit back, suggesting: “It’s unclear whether this was actual poisoning or drug overdoses, with commanders possibly using the ‘poisoned water’ story to cover up drug-related incidents.”

Putin's firestorm

As poisoned soldiers writhed on one front, Putin launched a merciless aerial onslaught across Ukraine — striking shopping centres, apartment blocks, and industrial targets in a scorched-earth campaign that continues to defy global warnings.

In the town of Dobropillia, a 500kg glide bomb dropped by Russian forces ripped through a busy shopping centre, killing two and wounding at least 25.

Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike as “horrendous, dumb Russian terror”, accusing Moscow of trying to kill as many civilians as possible.

At least 54 shops and 13 residential buildings were hit.

Officials fear more victims remain buried under the rubble as rescue teams battle fires and dig through twisted metal.

This isn’t the first time Dobropillia has been attacked — a March missile and drone strike killed 11, including five children.

And the terror continues: from kamikaze drone attacks in Dnipro that left the city choking in smoke, to deadly barrages on Nikopol, Kharkiv and Sumy.

In Nikopol, Russian forces pulled a grotesque double hit — striking a cargo truck, then targeting emergency responders when they arrived.

Even as Russia unleashes devastation, Ukraine is punching back.

Overnight, drones reportedly struck key military-linked manufacturing targets deep inside Russian territory, including a chemicals plant in Tula and an aircraft repair facility in Smolensk.

In Belgorod, three civilians were reported killed and 17 wounded, while in Voronezh, drones slammed into a tower block — injuring at least three children.

The poisonings and bombings are unfolding as geopolitical tensions spike — with Donald Trump firing a 50-day peace ultimatum at Putin, threatening to hit Russia with 100 per cent tariffs unless it agrees to a ceasefire deal.

The US President, who has sent special envoy Keith Kellogg to Ukraine this week, expressed fury over Russia’s continued targeting of civilians.

He promised to back Kyiv with “everything” in America’s arsenal — including JASSM cruise missiles — to force Putin back to the negotiating table.

But the Kremlin is snarling back.

Russian sources scoffed at Trump’s ultimatum, reportedly saying it might make Moscow demand more territory, not less.

And Putin appears unfazed.

Touring a drone factory, he bizarrely praised Ukraine’s “incredible innovations”, even as his forces flattened civilian centres.

Football legend Michel Platini has 20 trophies and medals stolen in scary home invasion

The home of former French football captain Michel Platini has been burgled with 20 trophies and medals stolen from the property.

Football legend Michel Platini's home was targeted by burglars in the early hours of Friday morning, with 20 of his treasured trophies being stolen.

The former French captain and Juventus star was woken from his sleep at approximately 4.30am when he spotted a "hooded individual dressed in black" outside his bay window.

Upon venturing into his garden at his residence near Marseille in the Bouches-du-Rhone area, he discovered his shed had been ransacked.

Approximately 20 trophies and medals from his illustrious playing career were pilfered during the break-in.

The Marseille prosecutor's office has "confirmed the opening of an investigation into aggravated burglary committed at Michel Platini's home" to French media outlet RTL.

The local gendarmerie brigade is conducting the preliminary inquiries.

Platini, 70, previously served as the contentious president of UEFA and managed the France national side between 1988 and 1992 following his retirement.

In March, both Platini and former FIFA president Sepp Blatter were cleared in a corruption case appeal, following their acquittal in 2022 following allegations of fraud mismanagement.

“Michel Platini must finally be left in peace in criminal matters,” said the Frenchman’s lawyer Dominic Nellen in a statement. “After two acquittals, even the office of the attorney general of Switzerland must realise that these criminal proceedings have definitively failed.”

“The criminal proceedings have had not only legal but also massive personal and professional consequences for Michel Platini, although no incriminating evidence was ever presented,” Nellen added, before suggesting further legal action “against those responsible for the criminal proceedings”.

Blatter added: “You have seen my daughter was coming with tears because she believed in [her] father and I believed in myself.

“To wait such a long time affects the person and my family was very much affected.”

The complex case centred around a payment made from FIFA to Platini, with Blatter’s approval, in 2011 for supplementary and non-contracted salary working as an advisor for four years.

But both men claimed that they had a verbal agreement for the Frenchman to be paid backdated additional salary for advising Blatter at a time when FIFA's finances ensured he had not received a payment.

Donald Trump has warned Iran that he will bomb the country again if it tries to resume its nuclear programme.

The US president claimed it would take “years” to bring the sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan back into service and promised to “obliterate” any new nuclear sites Iran may try and build.

In a post on his Truth Social site sent from his golf club near Washington, he claimed all three of Tehran’s nuclear sites had been destroyed after the US dropped 14 30,000lb GBU-57 “bunker buster” bombs on them.

“It would take years to bring them back into service and, if Iran wanted to do so, they would be much better off starting anew, in three different locations, prior to those sites being obliterated, should they decide to do so,” he said before ending with his trademark signoff. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Mr Trump has endured a difficult week, fending off criticism from his supporters about his administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case and the embarrassing revelation that he allegedly sent a lewd message and drawing to the billionaire financier in 2003, before he was convicted of sex offences.

On Thursday, the White House said the swelling in Mr Trump’s legs was caused by chronic venous insufficiency, a condition in which veins have trouble moving blood back to the heart.

On Saturday, he pivoted back to one of the major successes of his presidency so far: Operation Midnight Hammer, when B-2 bombers struck Iran’s nuclear sites without Iran firing a shot in defence.

Mr Trump claims the Iranian programme was “totally obliterated”. But a recent assessment by US intelligence suggested that only the underground site at Fordow was completely destroyed.

Two other sites, at Natanz and Isfahan, may not have been dealt a knockout blow, according to officials who briefed NBC News last week.

Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman, dismissed the report.

He said: “The credibility of the Fake News Media is similar to that of the current state of the Iranian nuclear facilities: destroyed, in the dirt, and will take years to recover.”

There have also been questions about whether the lead-up to the strikes on June 21 allowed Iran enough time to move highly enriched uranium to secret locations.

For example, 16 lorries were spotted lining up outside Fordow ahead of the attacks.

A possible destination was Pickaxe mountain, Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā, which is 90 miles south of Fordow, and minutes away from Natanz in central Isfahan province.

Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Iranian officials refused to answer questions about what was happening at the fortified, underground facility.

He said: “Since it is obvious it is in a place where numerous and important activities related to the programme are taking place, we’re asking them, ‘What is this for?’ And they are telling us, ‘It’s none of your business.”

nnachukz:
Now they want to be monitoring everything that happens around the world from ground using MOSSAD and sky using Dror1. Their next well planned war with any country will be deadly, they deliberately made it reprogrammable so that even the launcher (Elon) won't know the real purpose of the satellite. Once fully fixed, it will be reprogrammed for the real purpose of it.

Trump reportedly asked Volodymyr Zelensky whether Kyiv could strike Russia's two biggest cities — if the US supplied the right firepower.

The bombshell July 4 call marks a stunning shift in Trump’s approach to the Ukraine war — with the peacemaker-turned-hawk now eyeing direct strikes on Russian cities to bring Putin to heel.

"Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? Can you hit St Petersburg too?” Trump asked during the call, according to the Financial Times, citing two sources briefed on the exchange.

Zelensky’s answer was swift and direct: “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.”

Trump, far from recoiling at the idea, backed it — describing the plan as a way to “make them [Russians] feel the pain” and force the Kremlin into a ceasefire

Some of Ukraine's attacks on Moscow this year include a March strike on one of Russia's prized oil refineries - just 55 miles away from Putin's Black Sea palace.
Read more on Trump & Putin

Russian air defences were also left scrambling to shoot down over 337 drones across 10 different regions, with Moscow and Kursk as the main targets.

It’s the clearest sign yet that Trump is done playing diplomatic games with Vladimir Putin — and is now preparing to take the fight to Russia’s doorstep.

The White House has refused to comment on the bombshell report.

But it comes hot on the heels of Trump’s blistering crackdown on Moscow, including a pledge to hit Russia with 100 percent tariffs if Putin doesn’t agree to a peace deal within 50 days.

The Financial Times revealed that following the call, a list of long-range weapons was shared with Zelensky in Rome during meetings with US defence officials and Nato intermediaries.

The weapons discussed included the Tomahawk cruise missile, with a 1,600km range, and the Army Tactical Missile System (Atacms), which Ukraine has already used to hit Russian-occupied areas — and in some cases, targets deeper inside Russia.

The plan under discussion could allow Trump to bypass the congressional freeze on direct US military aid by authorising weapons sales to European allies, who would then transfer them to Ukraine.

A workaround, but one that could supercharge Ukraine’s firepower without violating legal constraints.

Putin defies Trump's ultimatum and BOMBARDS Ukraine - as Kremlin mouthpiece warns Russia will 'turn Kyiv into Hiroshima'

But American officials have expressed concern over Kyiv's lack of restraint, particularly after a series of daring attacks — including the infamous Operation Spiderweb, where Ukraine’s SBU smuggled drones disguised as prefab homes into Russia and destroyed a fleet of strategic bombers.

That strike, seen as a major psychological blow to the Kremlin, left 12 Russian aircraft heavily damaged or destroyed — retaliation for Moscow’s continued bombardment of Ukrainian cities.

While US-supplied Atacms missiles can reach up to 186 miles (300km), they still can't hit Moscow.

But the message from Trump is clear: if Kyiv can deliver the pain, Washington may provide the means.

Trump's fury has been building and his patience with the Kremlin tyrant is wearing very thin.

On Monday, in the Oval Office alongside NATO chief Mark Rutte, he slammed Putin’s refusal to deal, and threatened 100 per cent secondary tariffs on Russia if there’s no ceasefire in 50 days.

He also reaffirmed support for NATO’s collective defence — in a stark contrast to his earlier skepticism of the alliance.

“I’m disappointed in President Putin. I thought we would have had a deal two months ago,” Trump said.

“We are very, very unhappy with [Russia], and we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs.”

He also revealed plans to arm Ukraine with Patriot air defence systems, while NATO allies would pick up the bill.

“We’re not buying it,” Trump said.

“We will manufacture it, and they’re going to be paying for it.”

Rutte called it a “game changer”, promising a massive increase in European-supplied equipment.

One of the powerful weapons which could make the cut and be included in package deal is America's joint air-to-surface standoff cruise missiles (JASSM).

According to the defence news website Military Watch, President Trump is considering supplying the rarely used Lockheed Martin equipment to help Ukraine.

The standard AGM-15 JASSM has an outstanding range of up to 230 miles with a warhead weighing 450 kg.

They are also well-known for their ability to fly at low altitudes, which allows them to avoid radar detection.

But Putin wasn't listening.

Within hours of Trump's tariff threat, Russia launched a fresh blitz across Ukraine, striking sites in Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia.

Drones targeted a university in Sumy, wounding a 14-year-old girl and a 19-year-old student, while a missile hit a medical facility in Shostka.

In response, Ukraine launched its own drone blitz across southwest Russia, injuring civilians and damaging homes and industrial sites in Voronezh and Lipetsk.

Putin infamous crony, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, mocked Trump’s deadline as “theatrical,” writing on X: “Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin.

“The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn’t care.”

Cameroonian President Paul Biya says he would be seeking an eighth term in office in October’s presidential election. 

Biya is 92 years old and is the world’s oldest serving president.

He announced his intent on Sunday via his official X and Facebook accounts in French and English.

“I’m running for the presidential election on October 12, 2025,” the Facebook post reads.

“Rest assured that my determination to serve you is matched to the severity of the challenges before us. Together there are no challenges we cannot overcome. The best is still to come.”

Biya’s decision to contest the presidential elections could keep him in power until he is nearly 100.

He came to power more than four decades ago in 1982.

Last month, rumours of a military coup ousting Biya went viral on social media, but Cable Check, the fact-checking arm of TheCable, found them to be false.

Rumours about the 92-year-old president often intensify during periods when he is out of the public eye for extended periods.

But the president has been posting regularly in the buildup to Sunday’s announcement.

Last year, rumours about his death sparked widespread speculation after he was absent from the public space for over a month.

The government responded by banning local media from discussing his health and officially denying the rumours, confirming he was alive and in good health, often resting in Geneva.

Garba Shehu, the former Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has admitted that the widely publicized story about rats invading the Presidential Villa in 2017 was a fabrication intended to divert public attention from concerns over Buhari’s health.

In his new book, According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience, which was launched on Tuesday in Abuja, Shehu revealed that the story was a deliberate “spin” to shift focus away from the mounting speculation about the president’s medical condition and ability to govern.

The incident followed Buhari’s return to Nigeria on August 19, 2017, after nearly three months of medical treatment in the United Kingdom.

At the time, the Presidency had announced that Buhari would be working from home rather than his office at the State House: a move that further stirred public skepticism.

The situation was already tense, as Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), had claimed that Buhari had died and was replaced by a Sudanese clone named Jibrin.

In Chapter 10 of his book, titled Rats, Spin and All That, Shehu recounted the events that led to the creation of the rat story.

“So in the few hours of the president’s return, I picked up a conversation in the office of the CoS, where the chief, a few principal officers and the permanent secretary sat over lunch, a damage to a cable was noticed and it needed fixing,” he wrote.

“Someone speculated that rats may have caused that damage, given that the office was unused for a long time.

“When the surge in calls for explanation of why the president would be working from home, if truly he had recovered his health and fit for the office came, I said to the reporters that the office, which had been in disuse, needed renovation because rats may have eaten and damaged some cables.”

According to Shehu, the story quickly went viral, even making it into the BBC World News bulletin’s top five stories. He said the media frenzy intensified, with journalists, including BBC Hausa, pressing for more details about the rodents.

“To get them (journalists) off my back, I referred them to the strange rats that invaded the country in the 1980s during the rice armada that came here aboard ships bringing the commodity from Southeast Asia,” he wrote.

“As was known of them, in their destructiveness, those rats ate just anything anyone could imagine. Many critics disagreed with me, saying that we were covering up the president’s ill health. Some people had a good laugh over the narrative, and an insignificant few believed me.”

Shehu also recalled being questioned about the narrative by then Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

“At a later meeting, the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo asked me why I had toed that line of story,” he wrote.

“I said to them that the choice I made was deliberate: I wanted the discussion to shift, to move to any other issue besides the president’s health and his ability to continue in office as the leader of the country. In my view, that spin succeeded. Both of them disagreed, saying that this was well off the mark.

ABUJA – The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has hailed a landmark judgment by the High Court of Kenya, which declared the abduction and forced transfer of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021 as unlawful and unconstitutional.

In a ruling delivered on 24 June 2025, Justice E.C. Mwita condemned both the Kenyan and Nigerian governments for gross violations of Kanu’s fundamental rights and awarded him KSh10 million in compensatory damages.

Justice Mwita, in his judgment, stated, “The government of Kenya violated the Constitution and Mr. Nnamdi Kanu’s rights and fundamental freedoms. Having entered Kenya lawfully, he was subject to the protection offered by the Constitution of Kenya 2010. However, he was abducted, kept in solitary confinement, tortured, and forcibly removed from Kenya without following the law.”

The court further declared that Kanu’s abduction, incommunicado detention, and denial of food, water, and medication were flagrant breaches of his constitutional rights. It also ruled that his forcible removal to Nigeria violated Kenyan laws and international legal standards.

Reacting in a statement on Friday signed by IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the group described the judgment as a ‘resounding judicial earthquake’ that vindicates its long-standing position on Kanu’s illegal rendition.

IPOB accused the Nigerian and Kenyan governments of orchestrating a ‘criminal act of state-sponsored international terrorism’ and vowed to pursue global accountability for those involved.

The group emphasised that Kanu’s rendition was not an extradition but an ‘extraordinary rendition’ involving collusion between Nigerian and Kenyan security agencies.

“He was abducted in broad daylight at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, chained, tortured, and flown illegally to Abuja without any extradition hearing or judicial warrant,” the statement read.

The group also expressed gratitude to Professor PLO Lumumba, lead counsel in the Kenyan litigation, and Justice Mwita for their “courage, clarity, and tenacity” in delivering the judgment.

“This verdict places a permanent legal stain on the records of former presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, as well as their accomplices,” the statement added.

IPOB warned that the judgment marks the beginning of a global campaign to hold all perpetrators accountable.

“All those responsible, in Kenya, Nigeria, or elsewhere, shall be pursued to the ends of the earth under the universal principle of accountability for crimes against humanity,” the statement added.

‘El-Rufai suffers from small man syndrome’ — Onanuga cites Obasanjo’s jibe at ex-governor

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, has tackled Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, over his comment against the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking in an interview with Arise Television programme, el-Rufai said Tinubu would require a miracle to secure re-election in 2027.

El-Rufai said a poll conducted by his group in various regions, particularly in the south-east and north, showed a 91 percent disapproval rating for the president.

The former Kaduna governor added that the disapproval rating in Lagos stands at 78 percent.

In a post published on X on Wednesday, Onanuga referenced a remark made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his three-part memoir — My Watch — against el-Rufai

Onanuga said the former Kaduna governor is always trying to elevate himself, giving the impression of having more “height” than he actually does.

“Nasir’s penchant for reputation savaging is almost pathological. Why does he do it? Very early in my interaction with him, I appreciated his talent,” Onanuga posted excerpt from Obasanjo’s book.

“At the same time, I recognised his weaknesses; the worst being his inability to be loyal to anybody or any issue consistently for long, but only to Nasir el-Rufai.

“He lied brazenly, which he did to me, against his colleagues and so-called friends. I have heard of how he ruthlessly savaged the reputation of his uncle, a man who, in an African setting, was like a foster father to him.

“I shuddered when I heard the story of what he did to his half-brother in the Air Force, who is senior to him in age”.

In the memoir published in 2014 Obasanjo said el-Rufai is battling from the “small man syndrome”.

The former president appointed el-Rufai as the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT) from 2003 to 2007.

El-Rufai is currently one of the opposition political leaders organising a coalition to unseat Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

In March, the el-Rufai resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Switruth:
No country owns football anymore. Even Somalia fit beat Argentina

Resnik:
They underestimated African football, I hope Jamie Carragher watched that game. Stupid fool

‘We Requested for More’: What Terrorists With Missile System Said on Camera

On Saturday, a one-minute video posted on social media platforms showed a group of terrorists assessing a Man-Portable Air Defence System (MANPADS).

A MANPADS is a lightweight missile launcher designed to shoot down aircraft, especially low-flying ones.

In the video posted by Defence Times, a page that provides security information on X, the men were filmed around a forest area. They had a conversation about the MANPADS, its capabilities and their ability to use it.

The caption of the video suggested that the men are in an area in Zamfara State, where a fighter jet was shot down by terrorists in July 2021.

The men also claimed that they had downed three different Nigerian fighter aircraft.

Their conversations in Hausa revealed that the weapon contained ammunition, and they took pride in being able to use it against the authorities.

One of the men, who was identified as Ibrahim, shortened to ‘Ibro’, expressed his proficiency in handling the weapon.

“Ibro, you can use this weapon, can’t you?”one of the men asked.

“I can, by His Grace,” the one carrying the weapon responded.

“And you can shoot down a plane with this, can’t you?” he asked again.

“Of course I can. We are masters at shooting down planes,” Ibro affirmed.

“Whew! This is a very big gun, isn’t it?”

“In Nigeria, we’ve brought down three planes with it.”

“So, Ibro, that means if you sight a plane, that’s the end of it, right?”

“You mean now?” Ibro asked.

“Yes. Is that how you shot down that plane?”

“The other plane, right? Yes, we brought it down with this.”

“Wow! Ibro, you really do have a deadly weapon, don’t you? And I can see it has plenty of bullets.”

“There are about 50,” Ibro said.

“And what are you going to do for Dauda?”

“We have requested for more.”

WHAT KIND OF WEAPON IS IT?

Using InVid and Google Image Reverse, FIJ analysed the key features of this weapon and found that it has similarities with other weapons like this and this.

They are similar to the SPG-9 recoilless rifle made by the Soviet Union or more closely like the SPG-82, B-10 and Type 65 MANPADS.

These weapons have long, pipe-like barrels and are designed to fire powerful explosive rounds. They usually have a tube opening in the front where the projectile comes out, and a sling or handle so the weapon can be carried over the shoulder. Some also have a small trigger or grip area. The one seen in this image is very similar to a group of weapons known as recoilless rifles.

These types of weapons were once common in Cold War-era conflicts.

HOW DID THEY GET IT?

According to a report by the United Nations on Libya’s arms proliferation, Nigeria is one of the countries serving as a destination hotspot for these kinds of weapons.

“In terms of end users, while various types of individuals and armed entities are benefitting from the dissemination of Libyan arsenals, the majority of areas in question are prone to terrorism and the materiel is likely to enhance the capacity of terrorist groups in areas such as Egypt, Mali, Nigeria, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia and the Gaza Strip,” the report reads in part.

In February, Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), told the Senate Public Accounts Committee that the police could not account for 178,459 missing firearms from the inventory of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

This is another opportunity for terrorists and criminals to get access to weapons such as this missile system.

While it might be difficult to determine the exact cost of the weapon in the footage because most of the weapons are traded through a black market, Havocscope, a website that provides information and threat intelligence on the global black market, said that Arms Trafficking across the world costs about $1 billion annually.

It states that the recoilless rifles like the SPG-9 can fetch between $400 and $2,600, depending on the region and condition.

The Nigerian Army has yet to comment on the circulating video of the suspected terrorists handling the MANPADS.

Bandits in Zamfara displaying what appears to be a MANPAD claiming that they downed 3 Nigerian Aircrafts with the weapon...

With July 2021 incident in Zamfara its not clear if their claim is correct but then is it possible that they still have this capability since 2021?

🚨Bandits in Zamfara displaying what appears to be a MANPAD claiming that they downed 3 Nigerian Aircrafts with the weapon...

With July 2021 incident in Zamfara its not clear if their claim is correct but then is it possible that they still have this capability since 2021? pic.twitter.com/QqGYNsFrd6

— DefenceTimesNG (@DefenceTimesNG1) May 24, 2025

SmartPolician:
If a child of 7 cannot run errands for the house, when exactly will he learn how to run errands? Perhaps when he's 18? Almajiris who are much younger even sleep by the roadside, begging across Nigeria. Anyways, rest in peace to the boy!

Nentawe Yilwatda, the minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction, says the federal government is using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify poor Nigerians residing in urban slums.

Speaking on Arise TV Prime Time programme on Friday, the minister said AI has enabled the expansion of the national social register.

He added that the register, which initially targeted only the rural poor, has grown from 13 million to 19.7 million people.

“To help someone, you must first know them. You can’t support people you can’t identify. That’s why we started by validating the social register,” Yilwatda said.

“The president ordered that we include the urban poor as well. We used satellite imagery to locate urban slums, then base stations and telecoms data to identify phone numbers in those locations.

“AI helped us generate a list of urban poor individuals by verifying those numbers, their access to financial services, and other indicators.

“So now, the updated social register covers both rural and urban communities, making it more inclusive and reliable.”

The minister said the federal government is targeting 15 million households — about 75 million individuals — with its anti-poverty programmes.

“Nigeria has around 43 million households. We’re targeting 15 million with these interventions. Multiply that by an average household size of five, and we’re reaching about 75 million people,” Yilwatda said. 

‘42% NIGERIANS AFFECTED BY FOOD POVERTY’

The minister added that government is providing conditional cash transfers to food-poor households as part of its multidimensional poverty reduction efforts.

“We need to differentiate between food poverty and multidimensional poverty. Multidimensional poverty includes a lack of access to education, clean water, healthcare, and financial services. Food poverty, which focuses solely on access to sufficient food, affects roughly 42% of the population,” he said.

“If you take 42% of 200 million, that’s about 80 million people. Divide that by an average household size of five, and you have roughly 20 million households affected.

“The federal government is targeting 15 million of them. That means over 75% of the food-poor population is being covered through conditional cash transfers.”

He said each household receives N75,000, which may seem small in urban areas but has a significant impact in rural communities.

“I know 75,000 might seem insignificant to someone living in the city. But in rural areas, it makes a difference,” he added. 

“We conducted a joint research project with the World Bank and some civil society organisations. It showed that up to 18% of recipients were able to start nano or small-scale businesses with that money.

“About 82% used the funds to improve food security. And 52% were able to pay school fees for their children.

“So, while this is not their sole source of income, it is a meaningful supplement that helps cushion the impact of poverty.”

Yilwatda said the federal government has also introduced a range of structural measures to tackle poverty and food insecurity.

“The cost of food this year has stabilised, and food inflation has reduced. The government has introduced several measures to address this,” he said. 

“For example, student scholarships have been offered to ensure that those who have fallen below the poverty line can still access education.

“The government has also made N1.5 trillion available through the aggregate bank for farmers. This will allow them to access loan schemes, boost agricultural production, and enhance food security.”

The minister said past efforts focused mainly on humanitarian aid, but the current administration is pivoting towards long-term poverty eradication.

“Poverty alleviation reduces the pain; poverty reduction moves people out of poverty entirely,” he said.

“Until now, the focus was mainly on humanitarian interventions — relief materials, food distribution, and cash transfers. But that’s not enough. We’re shifting towards actually reducing poverty.”

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has requested approval from lawmakers to raise almost $24 billion for an external borrowing plan over the next two years to boost economic growth.

The loans comprising $21.5 billion, 2-billion-euro and 15-billion-yen will be used to fund projects in sectors including infrastructure, health and agriculture, Tinubu said in a letter to federal lawmakers, that was read by the Senate president on Tuesday. “All of which will improve the livelihoods of the average Nigerian.”

President Bola Tinubu has asked the National Assembly to approve a fresh $21.5 billion external loan and a ₦758 billion domestic bond to fund key sectors and settle outstanding pension liabilities.

The requests were contained in separate letters sent to both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and read during plenary sessions on Tuesday.

The proposals have now been referred to the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts for further legislative action, with a report expected in two weeks.

According to the President, the loan will be used to finance critical projects in infrastructure, health, education, and water supply across the country.

In a related request, Tinubu asked the Senate to authorise the issuance of Federal Government bonds in the domestic debt market, totalling ₦757.9 billion, to address pension arrears under the Contributory Pension Scheme.

He also requested approval to raise an additional $2 billion from the domestic market to support investments in critical sectors of the economy. This request has also been sent to the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts for review.

Earlier, the President had written to the House of Representatives to seek approval for the revised 2025–2026 external borrowing plan.

According to the letter read by the Speaker, the borrowing plan includes $21.5 billion, €2.2 billion, ¥15 billion Japanese yen, and a €65 billion grant.

It noted that the loans are intended to address the country’s infrastructure deficit and improve employment, among other objectives.

He also reiterated his request to borrow ₦757.98 billion from the domestic market to settle outstanding pension liabilities.

According to figures released by the Debt Management Office (DMO), Nigeria’s total public debt stood at ₦144.6 trillion as of December 31, 2024.

The data shows that external debt accounted for ₦70.2 trillion, while domestic debt amounted to ₦74.3 trillion.

A breakdown of the figures reveals that the federal government was responsible for ₦62.9 trillion of the external debt and ₦70.4 trillion of the domestic debt. In contrast, state governments owed ₦7.3 trillion externally and ₦3.9 trillion domestically.

Agbegbaorogboye:

Sey Pendu fans will not advise him to retire like dis before he tear cloth enter market

Is he the first to miss golden chance in football history? Higuain miss chance for Argentina to win WC. Terry miss chance for Chelsea to win UCL. Even Yakubu miss open net that would have helped Nigeria qualify. That did not stop him from chewing gum.

How can a senior player like Pendu miss a chance and start talking to himself all over the pitch over 20minutes after the match ends.

This guy should let go of the obsession. This is no longer about love of winning. It is now looking more like a mental issue

He has graduated from crying to soliloquizing. What next?!!

Antichristian2:
Japa Japa japada! Make anyone no gaslight NIDCOM! Na una use ya money Japa! Water come pass garri u dey blame NIDCOM!