About 60 million Nigerians between 18 and 40 years of age may be spending up to N1.8 billion on sports betting daily, a recent investigation by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) revealed. The figures are staggering
If it's not a curse how can a university graduate be praying for AC Milan to score at least one goal
It Is a weapon designed to destroy our youths and take them to sorry level in the nearest future, this is what happens when people are impoverished
Sports betting is a popular activity in Nigeria, with many people looking to make extra money by placing bets on their favourite teams. Many sports betting companies now offer online betting services, allowing Nigerians to place bets on their favourite sporting events from the comfort of their own homes.
Sports betting has a long and interesting history in Nigeria, dating back to the pre-colonial era. However, it wasn’t until the 21st century that sports betting became a popular pastime in the country.
About 60 million Nigerians between 18 and 40 years of age may be spending up to N1.8 billion on sports betting daily, a recent investigation by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) revealed.
However, with statistics showing that Nigerians spend such amounts daily on placing bets on sports activities, can sports betting be seen as a curse or a blessing for the country?
The Guardian correspondent spoke to some stakeholders in the sports betting industry, journalists, and a few sports bettors to seek their opinions on the topic.
According to the former MD of Betland and now FIFA-licensed football agent, Babajimi Ogunlana, “sports betting in Nigeria brings both significant benefits and serious risks.
“Economically, it contributes to growth by creating jobs and increasing government revenue, which is essential in a developing economy. It has also provided employment opportunities for many, especially young people, helping to reduce unemployment.
“Additionally, betting companies have the resources to invest in sports development, which could transform communities by supporting grassroots programmes and nurturing local talent.”
However, according to Ogunlana, the social costs can be high due to “the risk of addiction, particularly among young people, which leads to financial hardship, family issues, and mental health struggles.
“Dependency on betting revenue is also risky for the economy, creating an overreliance on an industry with moral and social challenges,” Ogunlana said, explaining that if betting overshadows the spirit of sports, it may lead to public scepticism and disengagement.
In conclusion, he said sports betting can benefit Nigeria if balanced carefully because with responsible gaming practices, robust regulations, and investment in community development, the industry can support Nigeria’s growth while minimising its potential downsides.
A sports journalist, Olufemi Ashaolu, however, thinks that sports betting can be seen as both a curse and a blessing to the country.
“Genuinely, I think it is both ways because when you consider the economic impact, sports betting has experienced so much boom that countries like Ghana now heavily tax earnings,” Ashaolu said.
“However, the negative outweighs other positive considerations because sports betting has pushed many into addiction, and there have been instances where people took their own lives because the outcomes of their bet placement turned out to be unfavourable, either due to the amount used in betting or the expected reward.
“Many youths have put their sustenance on betting, triggering a culture of laziness and uncertainty.
“More so, I think betting has rather killed genuine passion in sports, as the ultimate interest is not in sports itself but what is at stake (financial gain).
“Followership of some sports may have experienced certain booms, but if you remove betting, it’s all a mirage. In the long run, sports betting could become a social problem, particularly in Africa because of the level of poverty and addiction attached to it by the supposedly productive youths, to whom it is more than leisure or fun.”
For Dare Erinle, who is a sports bettor, he said sports betting is a blessing to some people and a curse to others, adding that it is a blessing when it’s working for you and a curse when it’s not working for you.
According to him, though, some people are lucky with it and some are not, but he feels people have different opinions about sports betting in Nigeria.
“Some believe it is a curse while others feel it is a blessing,” Erinle said.
When pressed further on where he stands and the reasons for his opinion and whether sports betting should be stopped as it appears to have more disadvantages than advantages, he said alarmingly: “Stopped ke.
“Some people are cashing out on it instead of their previous bad jobs like stealing and scamming people. The disadvantages are no more than the loss of income to the betting companies.”
The Marketing Manager of sports betting company Betwinner Nigeria Limited, Lukman Rahmon, also gave his opinion on whether sports betting in the country can be seen as a curse or blessing.
“The thing is that anything you are doing and you overdo it, then it has become a big problem, particularly as we are not supposed to overdo some things generally in life,” Rahmon said.
“Sports betting is supposed to be fun and entertainment; it is not a poverty alleviation scheme; it is not supposed to take you out of ‘sapa’ (poverty); that is not the idea behind the industry.
“You are not supposed to stake your child’s school fees or your school fees or your house rent with the idea that you could double the money by winning a sports bet.”
According to Rahmon, sports betting is more of fun and entertainment; it is not a do-or-die affair, and that is why “we at Betwinner have partnered with Gamble Alert to meet our customers or clients to educate them on gambling responsibly.”
However, to sum it all up, he said sports betting is more of a blessing to Nigerians and it can only be a curse if one overdoes it or stakes an amount one cannot afford to lose.
Bobloco: Monday Okpebholo should stop playing to the gallery and concentrate on the task ahead and leave Obaseki, who has done exceptionally well for the people of Edo State.
I believe he has skeleton in his cupboard, the reason he's on the run
Edo Gov Obaseki’s Whereabouts Unknown, He Fled Nigeria Through Land Borders Ahead Of Tenure Expiration, Governor-Elect Okpebholo Alleges
The governor-elect in the statement raised the alarm regarding the whereabouts of Obaseki, saying he reportedly fled Benin City, the Edo State capital, on Friday, using a disguised bus.
Edo State Governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has alleged that the outgoing governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki, has fled Nigeria through the land borders.
Okpebholo is expected to be sworn into office on Tuesday, meaning that Obaseki will lose his immunity.
Obaseki last week said he heard that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was planning to arrest him after the expiration of his tenure as governor.
In a statement made available to journalists on Sunday and signed by his media aide, Godspower Inegbe, Okpebholo said Edo people are worried by Obaseki’s reckless statements.
The governor-elect in the statement raised the alarm regarding the whereabouts of Obaseki, saying he reportedly fled Benin City, the Edo State capital, on Friday, using a disguised bus.
The statement accused Obaseki of chasing out everyone from the Government House on Friday before escaping to a yet-to-be known location more than 72 hours before his official departure from office.
The statement further accused Obaseki of making false claims to shift attention away from his alleged plan to leave the country through the land borders.
“As of Friday, 8th of November, the whereabouts of Obaseki are unknown. He has chased everyone out of Edo State Government House. He has abandoned governance in the State, and he is on the run.
“He has escaped through the road out of Benin. He did not pass through the airport. If he is as popular as he claims, why did he not use the airport to escape? Instead, he hired a bus and disguised while escaping from Edo State.
“Obaseki is trying to push out these narratives in order to distract the public. His antics will not work. We know his plans, and we will continue to expose his shenanigans to Edo people,” the statement read.
Obaseki, on Saturday, claimed that Senator Okpebholo did not invite him to his inauguration slated for next Tuesday.
Okpebholo also accused Obaseki of misappropriating public funds as the state governor.
He said, “According to the unpopular outgoing governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo stole the mandate freely given to him by Edo people. In his usual myopic mind, he wants to change the narratives and set a dangerous precedence.”
The governor-elect said he won the elections convincingly and added that the tribunal will soon validate his claims. He said Obaseki would not get away with the allegations.
“Obaseki will not get away with this misrepresentation. Senator Monday Okpebholo, the Governor-Elect of Edo State, won the 21st September governorship election in Edo State.
“Obaseki is still licking his wound of defeat and is yet to accept the reality. Edo people, through the ballot, rejected the planned continuation of Obaseki’s satanic government through his glorified stooge, Asue Ighodalo,” he said.
Okpebholo said Obaseki is trying to influence the outcome of the ongoing case at the tribunal by making false claims. He said the attempt will fail like a pack of cards.
He said: “The Peoples Democratic Party is already challenging the outcome of the election in court. We are therefore worried that Obaseki is in a hurry to pre-empt the outcome of the tribunal by repeatedly making false claims.
“Unfortunately for Obaseki, his baseless claims will not stand. The Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Ighodalo, have no case against Senator Okpebholo. The tribunal will soon confirm that.”
He warned Obaseki to desist from making false claims and reminded him of severe consequences that may follow if he does not stop.
Senator Okpebholo reminded Obaseki that he will soon lose his immunity and will therefore be forced to face the full wrath of the law if he does not retrace his steps.
“Although Senator Okpebholo is a man of peace, we will not sit back and allow him to keep misrepresenting the true outcome of what happened on the 21st of September.
“Obaseki will soon lose his immunity and if he continues to make his baseless claims, he will face the full wrath of the law very soon and he will prove his unfounded allegations when he is dragged to court,” Okpebholo warned in the statement.
Is this what Jesus had in mind when he established the church? A divided group of believers teaching different doctrines they all claim to be from Gods holy spirit?
Christianity is the most common religion worldwide.
Christianity is a religion that is based on the teachings and life of Jesus of Nazareth. In Christianity, Jesus goes by many names such as Christ and Messiah. Jesus, who is the Son of God, is believed to be the deliverer of humanity in the world’s most popular religion.
A Christian denomination is a religious group within the larger Christian umbrella. A denomination is identified by things such as leadership, name, doctrine, and other things. There are several factors that are used to differentiate between denominations. These factors include things like Jesus’s nature, eschatology, and others.
Christian Denominations By The Numbers
The Catholic Church
The Catholic Church considers itself to be a pre-denominational church. That is, it considers itself to belong to no domination since it precedes all other denominations. Within it, there are 24 autonomous Latin Churches and another 23 Eastern Catholic Churches. Catholics make up the biggest percentage of Christians. Within this denomination, there are approximately 1,285,000,000 people.
Protestantism Protestants are Christians who branched away from the Roman Catholic Church during the times of the Reformation. Branches have also come to be divided into other branches although, strictly speaking, some of the branches cannot be considered to be Protestants.
Other Branches
There are other denominations among Christian that have substantial followings in the world as well. Some of them include the likes of Anglicanism (85,000,000), the Eastern Orthodox Church (270,000,000), and Oriental Orthodoxy (86,000,000).
The Eastern Orthodox Church has the second most followers in the world. This denomination follows the Orthodox jurisdictions and, like Catholicism, the church can track its beginnings to the times of the apostles. However, for this denomination, most of its churches are national churches that emphasize the independence of its building blocks.
Another particularly interesting denomination in this category is the Independent Catholicism one which has a memberships numbering about 18,000,000 worldwide. This particular denomination identifies itself as Catholics, but it is in no way whatsoever associated or acknowledged by the Catholic Church.
Summary
With well over 1 billion people identifying with the beliefs of the Catholic Church, the denomination is the only one to have a following beyond the 1 billion mark. In the second position, Protestantism comes close with 920,000,000 people but still falls short of one billion. However, an interesting argument arises. When it comes to differentiating Protestants from non-protestants, the distinctions are a bit blurry. For example, some religious scholars would argue that Anglicans are part of Protestantism. Going by that logic, then there are roughly 1.5 billion people who practice Protestantism in the world. This figure would then make Protestantism the most popular denomination followed by Catholics with approximately 1.3 billion.
Christian Denominations By The Numbers Rank Christian Denomination Members
1 Catholic Church 1,285,000,000 2 Protestantism 920,000,000 3 Anglicanism 85,000,000 4 Eastern Orthodox Church 270,000,000 5 Oriental Orthodoxy 86,000,000 6 Restorationism and Nontrinitarianism 35,000,000 7 Independent Catholicism 18,000,000 8 Minor Branches 1,000,000
I remember watching him in 24 series, he was initially cast as Detective Michael Norris in season three and four years later as General Benjamin Juma in both 24.
Actor Tony Todd, known for his haunting portrayal of a killer in the horror film “Candyman” and roles in many other films and television shows, has died, his longtime manager confirmed. He was 69.
Todd died Wednesday at his home in the Los Angeles area, his manager Jeffrey Goldberg said in a statement to The Associated Press.
“I had the privilege to have Tony as my friend and client for over 30 years and I will miss that amazing man every single day,” Goldberg said.
“Known worldwide for his towering presence, both physically and artistically, Tony leaves behind an indelible legacy in film, theater, and the hearts of those who had the honor of knowing him," Goldberg's management company said in announcing the death.
“We bid farewell to Tony Todd, a giant of cinema and a beloved soul whose impact on our lives and the world of film will never be forgotten,” it said.
Todd's film resume included roles in award-winning movies such as the Oliver Stone-directed classic “Platoon,” released in 1986.
Todd was also known for his role in the 2000 horror film “Final Destination” and its sequel in 2003. The film company New Line Cinema mourned Todd's death on social media over the weekend:
“The industry has lost a legend," the company said on Instagram. “We have lost a cherished friend. Rest in peace, Tony.”
In “Candyman,” released in 1992 and followed by a remake in 2021, Todd played a menacing killer who had a hook on one arm. The premise is built around an urban myth that Candyman roamed the Cabrini-Green housing projects in Chicago and could be summoned by saying his name five times in front of a mirror. The 2021 movie explores societal problems such as racism and police brutality.
Off-screen, Tony was cherished as a mentor, a friend, and a beacon of kindness and wisdom,” Goldberg's company said. “He gave his time and resources to aspiring actors, consistently advocating for greater representation and authenticity within the industry.”
“Those who knew him will remember his warm laugh, generous spirit, and his dedication to his craft,” the company said. “Whether on stage, on screen, or in personal conversations, Tony brought an unyielding honesty that resonated deeply with his friends, family, and fans.”
A wave of racist text messages summoning Black people to report for slavery showed up on phones across the United States, prompting the scrutiny of the F.B.I.
The N.A.A.C.P. said that messages were received in nine states, and attorneys general in two other states reported the same on Thursday, two days after the presidential election.
The F.B.I. said in a statement that it was “aware of the offensive and racist text messages” and that it was coordinating with the Justice Department and other federal authorities.
The texts, which began as early as Wednesday morning, were reported across the South, and from New York to California. The office of the New York attorney general, Letitia James, said the messages had arrived in phones of middle school, high school and college students in New York City and its suburbs. In a statement, Ms. James called the messages “disgusting and unacceptable.”
Some examples of the messages were shared by recipients and reviewed by The New York Times. They followed a pattern: addressing recipients by name, telling them they had been selected to “pick cotton” on a plantation and ordering them to show up at a specific time to be picked up by slave handlers. Some included a reference to the president-elect, Donald J. Trump.
A spokesman for the Trump campaign, Steven Cheung, said in an email that the “campaign has absolutely nothing to do with these text messages.”
Mr. Trump stoked racism throughout his campaign in speeches that included false accusations against immigrants and inflated crime figures. He demeaned the intelligence of his opponent, a Black woman; repeatedly amplified a lie that Haitian immigrants were eating neighbors’ pets in Ohio and held a rally near the end of his campaign at Madison Square Garden that was rife with bigotry and misogyny.
The messages hark back to the most painful past for Black Americans. “Our executive slave owners will come get you in a brown van, be prepared to be searched down once you’ve entered the plantation,” one version said.
Derrick Johnson, the president of the N.A.A.C.P., said in a statement that the messages reflected how racist groups had been emboldened after Mr. Trump’s victory, and represented a sharp increase in “vile and abhorrent rhetoric.”
These actions are not normal,” he said. “And we refuse to let them be normalized.”
The N.A.A.C.P. said people had received versions of the message in Alabama, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. They seemed to circulate heavily on college campuses, but were not limited to colleges, said Alicia Mercedes, a spokeswoman for the N.A.A.C.P. The University of Southern California said in a statement that students on its campus had received hateful messages, and the Ohio attorney general’s office also said it was investigating reports there.
Among other schools targeted were Fisk University, in Nashville, and Howard University in Washington, D.C., two historically Black universities. Howard is the alma mater of Vice President Kamala Harris and hosted her campaign’s watch party on Tuesday night and her concession speech on Wednesday.
E.J. Hunter of Chicago said that her daughter, a freshman at Howard, was at home when she received the message on Wednesday afternoon, as she prepared to watch Ms. Harris’s concession speech. Ms. Hunter immediately wondered how the sender got her daughter’s full name.
“Seeing this triggered every ounce of mama bear in me, to want to protect my child,” she said. “I know Kamala said we need to roll up our sleeves and get to work, but I didn’t think it was going to be, literally, on Day 1.”
At Spain Park High School in Hoover, Ala., at least two students received the messages, said Monique Norwood, a parent whose 14-year-old daughter got the text on Wednesday.
“When she read it to me, my mouth dropped,” Ms. Norwood, a retailer, said, adding that the texts terrified her daughter. Ms. Norwood offered a message to the president-elect.
“You were saying, ‘Let’s Make America Great,’ yet we have these things going on where children are being targeted,” Ms. Norwood said. “There’s no reason a 14-year-old should receive a message like that. Nobody should receive a message like that.”
Around 7 a.m. on Wednesday morning, less than two hours after the presidential race was called, Monèt Miller, a publicist in Atlanta, was still waking up when she saw the message on her phone, complete with her first name and the initial of her last name.
Ms. Miller, 29, said she wondered if the message had originated from someone she knew. The message felt, she said, like “something to make me feel cautious as a Black woman in America
Donald Trump’s allies and some in the private sector have been quietly preparing to detain and deport migrants residing in the United States on a large scale, according to four sources familiar with the discussions.
And with the former president becoming the president-elect, those preparations are now expected to ramp up.
Immigration was a cornerstone of Trump’s 2024 campaign, and while he repeatedly touted promises of mass deportation on the trail – putting increased emphasis on interior enforcement compared to his 2016 fixation on the border wall – members of his orbit and some in the private sector discussed what that plan would look like, according to the sources.
Trump’s day one priority is to reinstate his former administration’s border policies and reverse those of President Joe Biden, senior Trump adviser Jason Miller told CNN.
Early discussions among Trump’s team have focused on removing undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes, a source familiar with the team’s preliminary plans told CNN. A key issue under consideration is how, when and if to deport immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, commonly known as Dreamers.
Targeting Dreamers would be a departure from the historically bipartisan support they’ve enjoyed. Some are temporarily protected by the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that allows recipients to live and work in the US.
Tom Homan, who previously served as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, could potentially serve as one of the leads on immigration in the administration, sources said.
“It’s not gonna be – a mass sweep of neighborhoods. It’s not gonna be building concentration camps. I’ve read it all. It’s ridiculous,” Homan told CBS News in an interview that aired last month.
“They’ll be targeted arrests. We’ll know who we’re going to arrest, where we’re most likely to find ‘em based on numerous, you know, investigative processes,” he added.
Brian Hughes, a Trump senior adviser, said that when the president-elect returns to the White House, one of his priorities will be border security.
“President Trump won a landslide victory Tuesday because Americans embrace his common sense policy to secure our border and implement mass deportation for illegal migrants,” Hughes said.
Logistical challenges
Even before Tuesday night, some in the private sector who help provide services for detention spaces had already been in ongoing discussions about a potential second Trump term and are expecting planning to pick up, according to one of the sources.
One of the key elements of any plan to deport immigrants is detention space, which Democratic and Republican administrations have grappled with because of limited resources.
The federal government contracts with the private sector to build, operate and manage detention facilities, and works with county jails.
“There’s a small number of beds that are federally owned facilities. The rest of them are split between private detention facilities and county jails,” said John Sandweg, who served as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the Obama administration. “There’s an ICE presence, but by and large the people operating the detention centers are employees of the contractors.”
There are a number of contractors the incoming Trump administration can lean on, including those who already have existing agreements with the federal government, making it a potentially easier process.
The hard part, current and former ICE officials said, is finding the money.
The average cost of apprehending, detaining, processing and removing one undocumented immigrant from the United States in 2016 was $10,900, according to figures released by ICE at the time. That year, ICE also said the average cost of transporting one deportee to their home country was $1,978. Since then, the costs have only grown.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations has generally been underfunded and has previously had to reprogram funds to expand detention space, especially during border surges. But there are limits to how much money can be reprogrammed, officials said.
“They would need to be aggressive to make sure they don’t have to reprogram,” one former senior ICE official said, citing the upcoming budget cycle. “If they want to accomplish the goals they’ve been talking about, they’d need orders of magnitude change.”
That also includes bolstering personnel, which has previously been a challenge for the agency.
“As far as the detention, they can canvas the existing contractors out there. They can move relatively quickly,” the former senior ICE official said, adding that deportations can be challenging with certain countries.
“Every country has different requirements for travel documents. Mexico and Central America, removals can happen quickly from the time they have order of removal. Most any other country it takes a lot longer,” they added.
ICE also has limitations in holding immigrant families – and is not responsible for holding unaccompanied migrant children; that responsibility lies within the Health and Human Services Department.
Mixed outlook at DHS
At the Department of Homeland Security, which is charged with immigration enforcement, officials are bracing for a seismic shift in immigration policy under the incoming Trump administration, prompting some interagency calls Wednesday as people prepare for the weeks ahead.
One Homeland Security official described the mood internally as a “mixed bag.” One of the questions top of mind among those in the department Wednesday was what will happen to Biden administration policies, like parole programs for certain nationalities that allowed beneficiaries to temporarily work and live in the United States.
“Shell shocked among the political,” another Homeland Security official said.
In his first days in office, Biden did away with many of the Trump administration’s controversial immigration policies. Now those policies may make a return.
For some at DHS, that comes as welcome news. Over the last three years, the Biden administration grappled with multiple border crises, garnering fierce criticism internally and [quote]externally among Republicans and Democrats. [quote]Biden administration officials ultimately landed on a much harsher stance on the US-Mexico border that resulted in a dramatic drop in migrant crossings over recent months.
Still, some in the department’s immigration enforcement agencies welcomed Trump’s win.
“There is a lot of optimism and hope,” another Homeland Security official said.
HardMirror: God1000 when you stood for the rights of Palestinians, i thought you were a guy that could think. I thought you were smart and had values. But when you started supporting kamala senselessly, you confirmed that your brain was upside down. People watch too much cnn and msnbc that is why they cant differentiate fantasy from reality.
Many of us support Palestine but we realize that kamala was just a professional politician. The worst kind. The lowest iq type. She ran 2 different adverts. One where she supported Palestine and one where she said she would give isreal full support. She is a chameleon that would say and do anything just to be voted. A pathetic natural liar. She was never going to stop funding isreal. She said it herself.
I understand you man, but you must be joking If you think Donald trump will stop supporting israel with more deadly bombs
I know politicians can be cunning, they say things to get votes, but make no mistake, trump will do worse to Palestinians, I hope he will prove me wrong.
At the bolded, what exactly do you want her to say? It is not in her own interest to openly criticize israel during the campaign, some things are better left unsaid, but I believe she has a better plan for Palestinians
Some people are even saying that she lost because she spoke against israel
whether democrat or republican, no American politician will ever criticize israel openly during election campaign, you need to understand US-israel relations and the reason she had to play both sides
cococandy: I want to say same but in hindsight, people sure love their prejudices so I’m not surprised. Each of his voter group have one group or the other that they hate and he encourages them in it. That’s their unifying umbrella.
Forget all that talk about economy. Harris had a better plan. And the US economy is on the way up from the stuff Trump did to it last time.
So if it’s really about economy for them, they were either not paying attention or just refuse to admit what’s in front of them. (And it’s because of some unnamed prejudice they holding onto).
For white hillbilly’s, you know who they hate For black men, you know who they hate, For straights, we know who they hate For extremist Christian nationalists, we know their hate
He told them they’ll have free speech to harass these people and he’ll make laws to protect them from it.
They don’t care ish about the economy.
it's going to be another four years of chaos, stay safe over there.
The same guy that ranted on Twitter like a child until he got banned, the same guy that was behind the Insurrection at the Capitol, the same guy that mocked a handicapped man, the same guy that ended certain environmental protections, the list could go on and on. This is just insanity.
America has finally lost the little respect I have for them
Stop writing nonsense, I'm not a fan of Tinubu, I didn't vote for him but it is hypocrisy to support Donald trump in America, a man convicted for his many wrongdoings, and then turn around to insult your own president
Sports › Re: Sports Betting In Nigeria: Curse Or Blessing? Nigerians Speak by God1000(op): 10:02am On Nov 11, 2024
