₦airaland Forum

AmalaAtiEwedu:
Igede boy
wetin u dey do for living? 🤔

After Oil, Pentecostal Churches Have Become The Most Lucrative Business In Nigeria.

I'm Not Aware Of Any Oil Magnate Who Has Up To 3 Private Jets, But I Know A Nigerian Pastor Who Does”

Nigerian Bishop, Godfrey I. Onah

Content creator and nature conservationist Graham "Dingo" Dinkelman died on Saturday from a venomous snake bite, his wife Kirsty said. He was 44.

Dinkelman was allergic to snake venom and the bite he experienced sent him straight into anaphylactic shock, she said in an Instagram post on Sept. 30.

Known as "South Africa's Steve Irwin," Dinkelman spent a month in the ICU in an induced coma before he passed, Kirsty said in a statement posted to Dinkelman’s Instagram on Thursday.

MasterTeeUSA:
I've voted...looking at swing states...not sure Harris can pull this off.

Kingsnairaland:
If Haris the Satan associate wins I will give you one thousand dollars

Go mark today trump wins

AishaDant:
I don't feel sorry for him.

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has condemned the detention and reported maltreatment of minors involved in the #EndBadGovernance protests in Nigeria.


The organisation expressed deep concerns following alarming reports that several detained children, some under the age of 15, collapsed due to malnutrition inside the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The minors have been held since August by the Nigerian police after participating in protests against worsening insecurity and deprivation in the country.

In a statement signed by CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani on Friday, the organisation called on Senator Oluremi Tinubu to intervene, urging her to see these young detainees as “her own children.”

CISLAC also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to halt these actions by government officials, including the Minister of Justice, and to immediately order the release of the minors.

“It is disturbing and damaging to Nigeria’s global image to witness such treatment of young citizens who were only exercising their constitutional rights,” Rafsanjani stated. He added, “The inhumane detention and maltreatment of these children must end."

"Anyone responsible for detaining these minors unjustly is the true criminal here, and this incident warrants urgent intervention.”

"Images and videos from the courtroom have circulated widely on social media, depicting the harrowing scenes of some minors lying on the floor as lawyers and others tried to revive them.

"This incident occurred when the minors were brought to court from various police detention cells, where reports claim they were denied adequate food and medical care.

"Sources allege that the prolonged detention and harsh conditions were intended to punish the minors, who have been accused of fighting the government despite the absence of credible evidence. CISLAC has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to take immediate action, advocating for the rights of the detained minors."

The organisation further urged international bodies such as UNICEF, the World Food Organization, the World Health Organization, and Save the Children Foundation to condemn the incident and pressure the Nigerian government for an unconditional release. “Detaining these children under such appalling conditions is unconscionable,” Rafsanjani emphasised.

“We are appealing to all responsible authorities to ensure their swift release and hold accountable those who orchestrated their detention. This incident stands as a dark stain on our national commitment to the rule of law and respect for human rights.”

The minors were initially detained following a police order, which cited alleged involvement in a supposed plot to destabilise the government. However, CISLAC and other rights groups argue that their detention violates both national and international human rights standards.

A suspected electric cable thief met his horrible death Thursday midnight after he was electrocuted from deadly voltage from the electric wire he sought to vandalise in Gombe State capital.

Our correspondent reports that this occurred barely 48 hours after electricity was restored to the Northern part of the country following a 9-day blackout.

Residents of Orji Estate in Gombe, the state capital woke up to a shocking sight Friday morning of the horrifying body of the suspected cable thief which was burnt beyond recognition.

The electrocuted body was found dangling on a power line near the state Ministry of Women Affairs around the estate

Motorcycle riders, popularly known as ‘Achaba riders’ as well as passersby flocked to the scene to take a glance at the horrific aftermath of the man’s ill-fated attempt to vandalise and steal electric cables.

Eyewitnesses described the gruesome scene, saying the deceased’s head was burned to ashes with clothes tattered and body parts severely burnt.


Our correspondent who visited the scene reports that electricity workers carefully removed the corpse from the pole, while police officers evacuated the remains of the yet-to-be-identified vandal.

When contacted by LEADERSHIP for official confirmation, the spokesman of the Gombe State Police Command, Buhari Abdullahi, promised to get back shortly.

The police spokesperson has however not responded to the incident as at the time of filing this report.

The polls are tight — and many are considered fake. The betting markets reportedly are rigged. So, who is a voter to believe when searching for a prediction on who will be elected president on Nov. 5: Vice President Kamala Harris or former president Donald Trump?

Well, so-called presidential election Nostradamus who has nailed every presidential election except one since 1984, is sticking with the pick he made months ago, when the polls were against her.


Harris will beat Trump on Tuesday, said Allan Lichtman — who predicted Trump would win in 2016, when most national polls showed Hillary Clinton far ahead and that Trump would lose against Joe Biden in 2020, told USA Today.

“Nothing has changed to change my prediction that I made on Sept. 5, in defiance of the polls,” Lichtman said in a YouTube video.

Lichtman, a historian at American University, predicted in September Harris would win the race. He bases his forecast on true-or-false questions — or “keys” — on the candidates and not on current polling.

Midterm Gains

“The Democrats did better than expected in 2022. But they still lost House seats, so the key is false.”

Incumbency

“Biden withdrew from the race, costing the Democrats this key. It is false. … If Biden stayed in they would have salvaged this one key. That’s all.”

Primary Contest

“The Democrats finally got smart and united overwhelmingly behind Vice President Harris, so the key is true.”

Third party

“RFK Jr. dropped out of the race and no other third-party candidate is anywhere close to the 10% polling threshold needed to turn this key. It’s true.”

Short-Term Economy

“Look, despite all the loose talk about a so-called vibecession, the economy is not in recession, so this key is true.”

Long-Term Economy

“Growth during the Biden term is far ahead of growth during the previous two terms, so this key is clearly true.”

Policy Change

“Rejoining the Paris Accords on climate change, the CHIPS bill, the infrastructure bill, the Inflation Reduction (Act) and climate change bill. Clearly, the key is true.”

Social Unrest

“There have been sporadic protests, but nothing approaching the massive sustained social unrest needed to turn this key, so it’s true. … yes, there are a lot of protesters upset with Biden’s polices in the Middle East, but now with Harris, not Biden front and center, that has dampened social unrest.”

White House Scandal

“Oh, my favorite key, the scandal key. And Republicans have been trying for years to pin a scandal on President Biden and come up empty, so the key is true. … There has to be at least some bipartisan recognition of actual corruption that implicates the president himself and not a family member, so the key remains true.”

Incumbent Charisma

“This is a very high threshold key. You have to be a once-in-a-generational, broadly inspirational candidate. Harris has not met that standard, so this key is false.”

Challenger Charisma

“Some people think Donald Trump is a god, but he only appeals to a narrow base, so that key is true.”

Lichtman said eight “keys” were “true” for Harris and were unchanged since September. Three were deemed “false” and favored Trump: White House party gained House seats in the 2022 mid-terms, the sitting president is running for reelection and the determination that Harris wasn’t a particularly charismatic candidate. Foreign policy failure or success were a toss up and could be pivotal.

Voters in Botswana have rejected the country’s long-serving governing party in a result that marks a political earthquake in the diamond-rich southern African nation.

The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) - in power since independence in 1966 - has won only four parliamentary seats as of Friday afternoon. It will be replaced by the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).

In a phone call to UDC leader Duma Boko, President Mokgweetsi Masisi conceded and congratulated his opponent.

Despite overseeing a dramatic change in Botswana, recent poor economic growth and high unemployment dented the BDP’s popularity.

The party "had got it wrong big time", Masisi told a press conference.

"I will respectfully step aside and participate in a smooth transition process ahead of inauguration. I am proud of our democratic processes and I respect the will of the people."

He has urged his supporters to remain calm and rally behind the new government.

Speaking to Boko on the phone, the outgoing president said: "You can count on me to always be there to provide whatever guidance you might want."

In his first comments to the media since the outcome was clear, Boko, a 54-year-old former human rights lawyer, said: "What has happened today takes our democracy to a higher level. It now means we've seen a successful, peaceful, orderly democratic transition."

"It's a shock to me in terms of the numbers. I'm humbled and I can only pledge to [the people of Botswana] that we'll do the very best," he added.

This was the third time he had run as a presidential candidate.

UDC and other opposition party supporters have been celebrating in the capital, Gaborone, and elsewhere in the country.

"I did not ever think I would witness this change in my life," 23-year-old student Mpho Mogorosi, who had gone on to the streets of Gaborone, told the Reuters news agency.

"The BDP had stayed too long in power and I am proud to be part of the people that removed them for a better Botswana," she said.

A party in power for 58 years pledges change for Botswana
The UDC has won 35 seats, according to the latest tally, which means that it has an outright majority in parliament.

It has pledged to adopt a new economic strategy that creates well-paying jobs and distributes wealth that empowers all citizens.

Kgoberego Nkawana, just elected as an MP, told the BBC's Newsday programme that many young people in Botswana remained jobless despite huge deposits of diamonds and a fairly thriving tourism industry in the country.

A man in a dark blue suit wearing a light blue shirt and a tie
IMAGE SOURCE,AFP
Image caption,Duma Boko, leader of the UDC, is set to be Botswana's next president
"The unemployment rate is very very high and people are living literally on handouts from government because there are no jobs. So it's really bad," Nkawana said.

The party has committed to creating 450,000 to 500,000 jobs within five years.

The Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), supported by former President Ian Khama who split from the BDP, has so far secured five seats while the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) has got 14 seats as things stand.

Political analyst Lesole Machacha said the way that the change in government has been accepted was very impressive.

"It's very rare [on the continent] for a smooth transition to occur," he told the BBC. "This has been very peaceful."

Masisi - in office since 2018 - led the BDP’s failed campaign.

The president ran on a message that his party could bring about "change", but not enough voters were convinced the BDP could do what was needed for the country.

Official results are expected to be announced by the electoral commission later Friday.

Additional reporting from Innocent Selatlhwa in Gaborone.

Many people were reportedly killed in a renewed attack by bandits at Anyiin in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.

The attackers were said to have invaded the town on Wednesday around 6:32 pm, killing many people.

Several others reportedly sustained varying degrees of injuries, while many people were reported missing as of the time of filing this report.

Anyiin is the hometown of the former governor of the state, Gabriel Suswam.

A community leader from Anyiin, Joseph Anawah, who spoke to our correspondent on Thursday, said that the suspected bandits, numbering over 20 and heavily armed, carried out an operation that lasted three hours.

He said, “Terrorists yesterday, Wednesday, October 30, 2024, unleashed terror on Anyiin town, Logo LGA of Benue State, in an operation that started around 6:32 pm, leaving over 15 people dead, some with injuries, and others missing.”

Among those killed in the gruesome attack, according to the community leader, are a retired primary school supervisor, Orihundu Ati, and the son of the Kindred Head of Mbawuave, Zaki Mbatern.

Others he listed include the son of the former Chief of Staff to the former Logo local government chairman, Tordoo Suswam, and the son of Mr Uyange Chembe, the younger brother of the late District Head of Ukemberagya, Zaki John Chembe.

Anawah, a former aide to the former governor of the state, Gabriel Suswam, said the large number of invaders overwhelmed the security operatives stationed in the town.

While noting that Wednesday’s attack was the second in October, Anawah called on the state government to collaborate with the Federal Government to provide maximum security in the area.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the state command, Catherine Anene, said she had yet to receive a report on the incident.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the State Governor on Security and External Affairs, Alex Igbaya, confirmed the incident but declined to give a casualty figure.

He said, “Security personnel have already been deployed to the area; military men are there.”