The Heartland Football Club of Owerri now has ex Nigerian International, Emmanuel Amuneke as its new Technical Adviser.
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma unveiled Amuneke at a ceremony on Monday, held at the Government House, Owerri, the State capital.
Governor Uzodinma urged the former Super Eagles winger to surpass records set by past Coaches of the club and ensure that Imo State return to its rightful place in the Nigerian football space.
He further charged the new Coach to bring his wealth of experience to bear on the development and progress of Heartland FC in order to change the face of the club.
Responding, the new Technical Adviser expressed his desire and readiness to make the Club a force to be reckoned with in the Nigerian football league.
Football enthusiasts believe that the unveiling of the former Super Eagles winger will restore the old glory of Heartland FC by putting it on top of the table in the coming season.
Vice President Kamala Harris has secured enough votes from delegates to become her party’s nominee for president, Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said Friday.
The announcement was made before the online voting process ends on Monday, reflecting the breakneck speed of a campaign that is eager to maintain momentum after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed Harris as his successor less than two weeks ago.
Harris is poised to be the first woman of color at the top of a major party’s ticket, and she joined a call with supporters to say she is “honored to be the presumptive Democratic nominee.”
“It’s not going to be easy. But we’re going to get this done,” she added. “As your future president, I know we are up to this fight.”
Harrison pledged that Democrats “will rally around Vice President Kamala Harris and demonstrate the strength of our party” during their convention in Chicago later this month.
The Democratic National Committee did not provide details of the delegate vote count, including a number or state-by-state breakdowns, during a virtual event that had the flavor of a telethon, with campaign officials keeping tabs on a delegate-counting process whose result is a foregone conclusion.
No other candidate challenged Harris for the nomination, and she swiftly solidified Democratic support in the days after Biden endorsed her.
Democrats still plan a state-by-state roll call during the party’s convention, the traditional way that a nominee is chosen. However, that will be purely ceremonial because of the online voting.
As Harris prepares to face off with Republican nominee Donald Trump, her campaign is reorganizing its senior staff and bringing on a coterie of veterans of President Barack Obama’s successful campaigns.
On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country.
I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.
I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda. If you’re with me, add a donation right now.
At this unprecedented juncture in American history, we must be clear about what just happened. The Democrat Party forced the Democrat nominee off the ballot, just over 100 days before the election.
Having invalidated the votes of more than 14 million Americans who selected Joe Biden to be the Democrat nominee for president, the self-proclaimed ‘party of democracy’ has proven exactly the opposite.
The party’s prospects are no better now with Vice President Kamala Harris, who co-owns the disastrous policy failures of the Biden Administration. As second in command and a completely inept border czar, Harris has been a gleeful accomplice — not only in the destruction of American sovereignty, security, and prosperity, but also in the largest political coverup in U.S. history. She has known for as long as anyone of his incapacity to serve.
Regardless of the chaos in the current White House, our adversaries around the globe should be reminded that the U.S. Congress, the U.S. military, and the American people are fully prepared and committed to defend our interests both at home and abroad.
If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.
Vice President Kamala Harris said she will seek the Democratic nomination to replace President Joe Biden, after Biden suddenly ended his campaign and endorsed her earlier Sunday.
“I am honored to have the president’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said in a statement issued by Biden’s campaign. “Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead.”
Biden’s endorsement gives Harris a major advantage ahead of the planned vote from convention delegates next month.
We condemn political violence in the leading democracy of the free world. We are thankful to God for the survival of former President Donald J. Trump without fatal injury. We extend our condolences to the family of the deceased spectator and offer our prayers for the injured. Our prayers remain for a speedy and total recovery of former President Trump.
We applaud the rapid response of the Secret Service and are grateful that the assassination attempt failed. This allows Donald Trump to continue in the democratic process. We salute President Biden for condemning the assassination attempt and for his conversation with Donald Trump.
Our prayers are with both candidates and the democratic process in America. As Africans, we draw inspiration from the American democratic process. Long live American democracy, and may God bless America.
Meta said Friday it's removing any previously imposed penalties and restrictions on former President Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts, as the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election nears.
The company first took action against Trump's social media accounts in 2021, shortly after the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington, D.C. At the time, Meta suspended Trump's accounts for a two-year period, after it deemed that some of the former president's actions, such as praising the Capitol rioters, were a potential risk for inciting more violence.
In January 2023, Meta said it would reinstate Trump on its platform, and he regained access to his accounts the following month. But Trump was still subject to remaining penalties and restrictions that could have led to his social media accounts facing long suspensions.
Following Meta's latest announcement, if Trump were to violate the company's community guidelines, he would face a much shorter possible suspension that could last only a few days, as opposed to a lengthier suspension under the previously imposed penalties.
Meta's president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, wrote in the Friday blog post that the original suspension and penalties "were a response to extreme and extraordinary circumstances, and have not had to be deployed."
"With the party conventions taking place shortly, including the Republican convention next week, the candidates for President of the United States will soon be formally nominated," Clegg wrote. "In assessing our responsibility to allow political expression, we believe that the American people should be able to hear from the nominees for President on the same basis."
A Meta spokesperson characterized the update as "simply bringing presumptive GOP nominee Trump to parity with President Biden."
'You fought for it, you voted for it and now it has arrived... change begins now' - Incoming PM, Starmer
It is official - the Labour Party has won a majority in the House of Commons and will form the next government.
Sir Keir Starmer has won the magic number of 326 seats and will become the country's next prime minister.
Sky News
Labour Party officially wins 2024 UK general election after reaching the required 326 seats
BBC News
I am sorry: Outgoing UK PM, Sunak concedes defeat
"On this difficult night, I'd like to express my gratitude to the people of the Richmond and Northallerton constituency for your continued support," he says.
"The Labour Party has won this general election, and I've called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.
"Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides. That is something that should give us all confidence in our country's stability and future.
"The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn... and I take responsibility for the loss.
"To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry."
More than 1,300 pilgrims died amid scorching heat during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia’s health minister said Sunday.
Speaking to state-owned television, Health Minister Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel said that 83% of the fatalities were among unauthorized pilgrims who walked long distances under soaring sun heat.
The fatalities included more than 660 people from Egypt, according to two officials in Cairo.
NCC says telcos not to blame for data depletion, blames malwares, background apps, GPS, others
The Consumer Affairs Bureau of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has identified seven factors causing data depletion for mobile subscribers in Nigeria.
This comes amidst an increase in complaints from subscribers about how their data subscriptions are getting drained quickly.
While many subscribers have been blaming the service providers for stealing their data, information released by the Commission suggests otherwise.
Specifically, mobile network operators comprising MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile have been at the centre of consumer complaints about data depletion.
According to the Commission, there are several factors causing data depletion for most subscribers and these include:
Background apps: NCC observed that some apps continue to consume data even when the users are not actively using them. “Background data usage can quickly add up and deplete your data allowance,” the Commission said.
Automatic updates: The Commission added that automatic updates for apps, operating systems, and other software can also use up a significant amount of data. Location services: GPS and other location services can consume a lot of data, according to NCC, especially if you use navigation apps like Google Maps.
Advertisements: Some apps display ads that use data. “These ads can consume data even if you don’t interact with them,” the Commission stated.
Roaming: The telecom regulator also identified roaming as one of the factures that could lead to data depletion. “If you travel abroad and use your phone, you may be subject to data roaming charges, which can quickly add up and deplete your data allowance.”
Malware: The Commission added that malware and viruses can consume data without your knowledge. “If you suspect that your phone has been infected, it’s important to remove the malware as soon as possible.”
Hunter Biden has been convicted of all three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018 when, prosecutors argued, the president’s son lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.
Hunter Biden faces up to 10 years in prison on the first count, five years on the second count and another 10 years on the third count when he is sentenced. It’s not clear how long a sentence he could receive. The sentence is up to the judge and Hunter Biden is a first-time offender.
Judge Maryellen Noreika noted that sentencing typically is 120 days out, but no sentencing date was set.
Hunter Biden left the courthouse holding hands with the first lady and his wife, Melissa. They did not speak to reporters, got into waiting SUVs and drove off.
The former Ajax Superstar was involved in a ghastly accident that claimed the lives of his son and younger brother
Today, I visited the Ex-Super Eagles star, Tijiani Babangida, who was involved in a fatal road accident last month in Kaduna. I went to condole with him on the sad loss of his son and his younger brother, Ibrahim Babangida, former Under 17 World Champion, to the tragic accident.
His wife was also injured in the unfortunate incident. I encouraged him not to be despirited by the present painful challenges but continue to rest his hope in God Almighty. One cannot question God.
As a fan who follows the trajectory of our sports stars, I believe they deserve our care and love, having made the nation proud and made us happy by deploying their talents for the good of society.
I was happy to know that his colleagues are in solidarity with him with the former Atlanta 96 Olympic football medalist, Emmanuel Babayero by his side. I pray God Almighty to grant him and his wife quick recovery, forgive the sins of the dead and grant them eternal rest. -PO
Claudia Sheinbaum was elected Mexico’s first woman president by a landslide Sunday, preliminary official results showed, making history in a country plagued by rampant criminal and gender-based violence.
In her first remarks after being confirmed as the winner, Sheinbaum vowed that she would not let Mexico down,
“I won’t fail you,” she said.
The 61-year-old former Mexico City mayor, a scientist by training, won around 58-60 percent of votes, the National Electoral Institute announced after a quick count.
That was more than 30 percentage points ahead of her main opposition rival Xochitl Galvez, and some 50 percentage points ahead of the only man running, long-shot centrist Jorge Alvarez Maynez.
Voters had flocked to polling stations across the Latin American nation, despite sporadic violence in areas terrorized by ultra-violent drug cartels.
Thousands of troops were deployed to protect voters, following a particularly bloody electoral process that has seen more than two dozen aspiring local politicians murdered.
Earlier, Sheinbaum hailed what she called a “historic” election day.
After casting her ballot, the presidential front-runner revealed she had not voted for herself but for a 93-year-old veteran leftist, Ifigenia Martinez, in recognition of her struggle.
Born to a Professor mother and a chemical engineer father, the 61-year-old leftist becomes Mexico's first President of Jewish descent.
Claudia holds a Doctorate degree in Energy, Sustainability and Environment Engineering. She was part of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change team that shared a Nobel Peace Prize with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore in 2007.
She is an avowed feminist, supporter of LGBT rights, gender and women equality. Claudia served as Environment Minister, then first female mayor under mentor and outgoing President, Lopez Obrador.
Under Mexican Constitution, she is to serve only a term of six years.
"The cause of the crash, of course, isn't clear -- at least not clear to us," White House spokesperson John Kirby tells us about helicopter crash that killed Iran's Raisi.
"But I would note that Iranian official sources are out there citing poor flying conditions as a cause for concern -- specifically fog. And every country, no matter who they are, has a responsibility, their own responsibility to ensure the safety and reliability of its equipment, and that includes civil aviation."
"It's not surprising -- sadly, but not surprising -- that the Iranian regime wouuld once again find a way to try to blame the United States for problems of its own making," Kirby said.
Jennifer Jacobs
“Expressing condolences is a generally accepted procedure. Raisi is responsible for atrocities in his country and violence against protesters. He was also responsible for Iran's support of terrorist networks around the world, including support for Hamas. There was no doubt that this was a man who had a lot of blood on his hands. However, as we always do, we usually regret the loss of life and therefore express our condolences."
The US expresses its official condolences for the death of Iranian President Raisi, FM & other officials. As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people & their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood stood for a moment of silence for Islamic Republic President Raisi.
The ZiG is the country's sixth currency since independence in 1980
Zimbabwe is replacing its collapsing local currency with a new one backed by gold and foreign currencies that it hopes will be more stable and help bring down inflation, the central bank said on Friday.
The Southern African country relaunched its own currency in 2019 after a decade of dollarisation, but it struggled to win public trust and more than 80% of domestic transactions are now conducted in foreign currency.
A more than 70% slide in the Zimbabwean dollar since the start of the year pushed price rises beyond 55% in annual terms in March (ZWBCPY=ECI), opens new tab, evoking bitter memories of hyperinflation under former leader Robert Mugabe.
The new currency - called Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) - will circulate alongside foreign currencies, central bank governor John Mushayavanhu told a press conference in the capital Harare.
The central bank also said it was "recalibrating" its main interest rate and setting it at 20%, without elaborating, a drastic cut from the previous rate of 130%.
In a monetary policy statement, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe said the new currency's starting exchange rate would be determined by the closing interbank exchange rate on April 5 and the London PM Fix price of gold on April 4.
The bank referred to the new currency as "structured", saying it would be "anchored by a composite basket of foreign currency and precious metals (mainly gold) held as reserves for this purpose by the Reserve Bank".
"If we implement these measures, we expect them to have an impact on inflation," Mushayavanhu told reporters.
Banks are to convert their current Zimbabwean dollar balances into ZiG with immediate effect, while people will have 21 days to exchange their old notes and coins for new ones, the monetary policy statement said.
Friday's announcements are the culmination of months of deliberations between the central bank and finance ministry on currency reforms.
The central bank also said on Friday that it had $100 million in cash and 2.52 tonnes of gold worth $185 million in reserve assets.
A strong earthquake rattled New York City and the surrounding area Friday morning.
It happened at approximately 10:20 a.m.
The quake - which the USGS has said was either 4.7 or 4.8 - was centered near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, 40 miles west of New York City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
So far, there have been no reports of damage.
The impact was felt throughout the Tri-State Area, including upstate in Syracuse, as well as in Philadelphia and as far away as Baltimore. Reports of buildings shaking and rattling came in from New Jersey to Long Island.
Gov. Phil Murphy said New Jersey has activated its Emergency Operations Center, and urged residents to not call 911 unless they are experiencing an actual emergency.
The MTA said is inspecting all New York City-area bridges and tunnels. No damage has been reported at this point.
"I was laying in my bed, and my whole apartment building started shaking. I started freaking out," one New York City resident told CBS New York's Elijah Westbrook.
Cracks in walls were visible in an apartment in Berkeley Heights, N.J.
It's not the first time the East Coast and New York City have been hit with a quake. A 5.0 quake was measured in New York City in 1884.
There's a major fault lin New Jersey called the Ramapo Fault, which stems from the Appalachian mountains, and there are at least five smaller fault lines under Manhattan island.
The quake comes just a few months after the USGS warned nearly 75% of the United States could face damaging quakes in the next 100 years.
In 2011, a 5.8 quake struck in Virginia and rattled the entire East Coast.
Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen has been swashbuckling atimes this season, with 70 points, 10 points ahead of Bayern Munich having not lost a game in the Bundesliga this season with 26 games played.
Excerpts from Xabi Alonso's Press Conference....
“I had a good meeting with Bayer Leverkusen and I informed them that I will STAY and continue at the club”.
“After lot of talks about my future, I used the break to reflect and make my decision”.
“This is the place to be for me”.
“My job at Bayer is not over. I want to help the club, help the players to develop, the board is great… it’s all fantastic here”.
“I’m still young coach but I think this is the best decision for my future. I took my time and I’m sure about that”.
“I’m grateful to Bayer and the board, the players, the fans… I feel that this is the best way, to continue together”.
“I have also informed the players, it’s true”.
“My deadline was this week, it’s matter of respect. Now everything is clear”.
“I’m not gonna comment about Liverpool or Bayern. These are big clubs and I’ve strong links with them but I’m in the place where I want to be”.
“It’s not time to decide my future now, I want to develop at Bayer Leverkusen”.
MTN Group says it is in talks with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to increase tariffs due to foreign exchange (FX) impact.
Ralph Mupita, MTN Group’s chief executive officer, spoke during an interview with Bloomberg on Monday.
“We obviously are engaged with the authorities and regulators to get some tariff increases for both voice and data, so that we can actually absorb some of the inflation-related and FX impacts that are in our operating costs, particularly the network operating costs,” he said.
Mupita made this known while speaking on three broad areas the company is working on to limit the impact of the currency devaluation.
Aside from speaking with the regulator, he said part of the solution in tackling FX impact could be through borrowings, renegotiating with IHS Towers, a telecommunications infrastructure provider, and reducing expenditure.
“There are not too many kind of derivative instruments that we can use against this FX impacts that we have seen, but there are kind of three broad areas that we are working on, in terms of limiting the impact of the currency devaluation,” he said.
“The first is to look at borrowings and that would have taken particularly the kind of letters of credit that would have been used to procure capex, so looking at reducing the outstanding balances there.
“The other is we are in conversations with IHS, in particular around some of our top contracts. We have sat down and we are looking at aspects that we can renegotiate to lessen the impact.
“And the third is actually to reduce expenditure. Nigeria is a big part of our expense efficiency program. We were looking to take out 7 to 8 billion rand of expenses out of construction on a sustained ongoing basis. So those are some of the initiatives that we are taking.
IMPACT OF FX ON MTN EARNINGS
Mupita said there was almost a 97 percent decline in the value of the naira, which reduced earnings from the Nigerian market.
“The big impact on our results was that we had significant naira devaluation, the naira at the midpoint of the year was around 462. We ended the year at 907, almost 97% devaluation of the naira,” Mupita said.
“When we consolidate at the group level, obviously, the Nigeria earnings would have been reduced. But, there was a second headwind, which was that there were foreign exchange losses that came through.
“So when we report underlying earnings, headline earnings of 1203, almost 500 of that was a loss coming out of Nigeria.
“Quite significant impact on the reported results, but the underlying momentum that we saw in the business actually was pretty resilient.”
He said naira devaluation had the most significant impact on MTN group results.
Senegal opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a political newcomer popular among the country's disaffected youth, was set to be declared the next president after his main rival called him on Monday to concede defeat.
Provisional results showed Faye with about 53.7% and Amadou Ba - from the current ruling coalition - with 36.2% based on tallies from 90% of polling stations in the first-round vote, the electoral commission said.
Ba and President Macky Sall both congratulated Faye, who turned 44 on Monday. They hailed the outcome as a win for Senegal, whose reputation as one of West Africa's most stable democracies took a hit when Sall postponed the vote. "The Senegalese people have reinforced the good health of our democracy.. I wish him (Faye) success at the head of our country," Ba said.
A peaceful transition of power in Senegal would mark a boost for democracy in West Africa, where there have been eight military coups since 2020.
Some of the juntas that seized power have cut ties with traditional power-brokers in the region such as France and the United States, and turned instead to Russia for help in their fight against a jihadist insurgency spreading through countries that neighbour Senegal.
Senegal's international bonds rose on reports that Faye was close to being declared a winner, reversing sharp falls from earlier in the day.
Many hope the vote will bring stability and an economic boost after three years of unprecedented political turbulence which saw several waves of deadly anti-government protests.
"I am happy to see there is a wind of change," said Tall, an opposition supporter who joined revellers during the night as street celebrations broke out in anticipation of Faye's victory.
"It is wonderful because democracy has won. Many thought it would not happen," he said, only wishing to give his first name.
Full, official results are expected to be announced by the Dakar appeals court on Friday.
YOUNG VOTERS Faye has not publicly spoken since he cast his vote. He owes much of his success to the backing of firebrand opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who was barred from running due to a defamation conviction.
The two former tax inspectors, who were both released from jail this month, campaigned together under the slogan "Diomaye is Sonko", promising to fight corruption and prioritise national economic interests.
They are particularly popular among young voters in a country where more than 60% of people are under 25 and struggle to find jobs.
Police crackdowns on protests, the government's failure to cushion rising living costs and concerns Sall would seek to extend his mandate beyond constitutional limits buoyed the opposition.
Anger crystallised around Sonko's prosecution only grew when authorities sought to postpone the vote, initially scheduled to take place in February, by 10 months.
Investors are meanwhile wary about a potential change in leadership to an anti-establishment government that may not pursue the same business friendly policies seen under Sall's government that has attracted investments into infrastructure.
Senegal is set to start producing oil and gas this year. Faye has promised a raft of changes including plans to renegotiate the country's oil and gas contracts, though he sought to reassure investors last week that the country would respect its external commitments.
Ecuador's youngest mayor and an aide were shot dead on Sunday, police in the South American country have said.
Brigitte Garcia, 27-year-old mayor of San Vicente, and her communications director Jairo Loor, were found dead in Manabi province, officers said.
Police added that the pair had both suffered gunshot wounds and that the gunfire had come from within the car, which was rented.
Ms Garcia - a member of former president Rafael Correa's left-wing Citizen Revolution Movement party - is the latest political figure assassinated in Ecuador.
Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was killed last August while leaving a campaign event two weeks before the election. He was a vocal critic of corruption and organised crime.
In July 2023, the mayor of Manta Agustin Intriago was murdered while touring a construction site.
Mr Correa and Luisa Gonzalez, the party's presidential candidate in the recent elections, called Ms Garcia's killing an assassination on social media platform.
"I've just found out they've assassinated our fellow mayor of San Vicente Brigitte Garcia," Mr Gonzalez said on social media.
"I have no words, in shock, nobody is safe in Ecuador NOBODY."
On Sunday morning, the Kaduna State Government and the Defence Headquarters announced the return of 137 abducted pupils and students of LEA School, Kuriga, in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Governor Uba Sani and Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, issued separate statements confirming the development. While Sani did not state the number of returnees, Buba said the military rescued 76 females and 61 males, totalling 137.
Referring to the March 7 abduction, Buba’s statement partly read: “During the incident, unconfirmed number of pupils were abducted.” Some rescued Kuriga schoolchildren
On Sunday, FIJ visited the Kuriga LEA school where the attack occurred and confirmed from security personnel what the actual figures were. During the course of our visit, the Kaduna State government was in a meeting with the Chikun LGA chairman, dignitaries from Kuriga and other stakeholders in the government house.
At that meeting, the government questioned the total number of abducted persons, as they only took custody of 137. This dispute led to the school’s vice principal having to produce attendance sheets for junior and senior secondary school students present on that day, who were all discovered to be missing. What he did not have was the register for the primary school. This register was in Kuriga.
Sources told FIJ that the government and military representatives at the meeting began quizzing the community representatives over the primary school attendance lists for the day and sent for the files to arrive from Kuriga the same day. FIJ saw them before they were transported to the government house at about 12:30 pm. LEA primary school attendance registe
“Some persons escaped that day and found their ways out of captivity,” Jibrin Kuriga, a resident of the area, whose 9-year-old daughter was abducted, told FIJ. “These people who escaped were not up to 50, so they do not account for the total number of persons still missing.
“We don’t know the total figure yet, but even the government has not told us how many they rescued or what their names are.” Jibrin Kuriga at Government House
Jibrin was in the meeting with the government, and FIJ interviewed him at the government house after the meeting. He was involved in talks, as he was the first person the terrorists spoke with after the abduction.
Kuriga residents described him as a negotiator and intermediary between the community, government and terrorists and said he was the one who informed them of the N1 billion ransom demand.
“We told Jibrin we do not have that kind of money,” some of the abducted schoolchildren’s parents told FIJ. “But he told us the terrorists did not want our money; they wanted N1 billion from the government because the children were ‘government’s children’, according to them.”
When FIJ asked Jibrin if the government paid ransom, he said, “No! No ransom was paid.” But he stated he did not know how the military rescued the children or if any arrests were made. He also said he was not the only one with access to the terrorists.
Meanwhile, FIJ confirmed 287 persons were abducted on March 7.
“We have the full list. There were 287 abductees, including pupils, students and teachers,” a security officer told FIJ. “This list was compiled by parents and teachers and given to the vice principal because even the principal of the junior secondary school was kidnapped.
“The government and military have not said anything about the principal’s rescue or release. The highest-ranking staff member is the vice principal, and he was at the meeting in the government house. The school had two principals: one for the senior secondary school and another for the junior secondary school. The senior secondary school principal was killed in his home earlier this year, while the junior one was abducted on March 7. The total number is 287.”
FIJ learned that the schoolchildren had been taken to a military hospital for check-ups and would likely be presented to their parents on Monday.
FIJ called Abdallah Yunusah, a senior special assistant to the Kaduna State Governor on media and publicity, but his number was unreachable. As of press time, he also had not responded to our text message.
Voice, Data Services Affected by Undersea Cable Cuts Restored
Following the disruption on March 14, 2024, which affected data and voice services due to cuts in undersea fibre optics along the coasts of Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal, we are pleased to announce that services have now been restored to approximately 90% of their peak utilization capacities.
All operators who were impacted by the cuts have taken recovery capacity from submarine cables which were not impacted by the cuts, and have thus recovered approximately 90% of their peak utilisation capacities.
Mobile Network Operators have assured the Commission that data and voice services would operate optimally pending full repairs of the undersea cables as they have managed to activate alternative connectivities to bring back the situation to normalcy.
We extend our appreciation to telecom consumers for their patience and understanding during the downtime caused by the undersea fibre cuts.
Signed:
Reuben Muoka Director, Public Affairs 18th March, 2024
The Creator Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Napoleon
Best Supporting Actor WINNER: Robert Downey Jr, Oppenheimer✓
Sterling K Brown, American Fiction Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon Ryan Gosling, Barbie Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Best International Feature WINNER: The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom✓
Io Capitano, Italy Perfect Days, Japan Society of the Snow, Spain The Teacher’s Lounge, Germany
Best Costume Design WINNER: Poor Things✓
Barbie Killers of the Flower Moon Napoleon Oppenheimer
Best Production Design WINNER: Poor Things✓
Barbie Killers of the Flower Moon Napoleon Oppenheimer
Best Hair and Make-Up WINNER: Poor Things✓
Golda Maestro Oppenheimer Society of the Snow
Best Adapted Screenplay WINNER: Cord Jefferson, American Fiction✓
Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Barbie Tony McNamara, Poor Things Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
Best Original Screenplay WINNER: Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, Anatomy of a Fall✓
David Hemingson, The Holdovers Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer, Maestro Samy Burch, May December Celine Song, Past Lives
Best Animated Feature WINNER: The Boy and the Heron✓
Elemental Nimona Robot Dreams Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best Animated Short WINNER: War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko✓
Letter to a Pig Ninety-Five Senses Our Uniform Pachyderme
Best Supporting Actress WINNER: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers✓
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple America Ferrera, Barbie Jodie Foster, Nyad
Best Documentary Feature WINNER: 20 Days in Mariupol✓
Bobi Wine: The People’s President The Eternal Memory Four Daughters To Kill a Tiger
Best Cinematography WINNER: Oppenheimer✓
El Conde Killers of the Flower Moon Maestro Poor Things
Best Editing WINNER: Oppenheimer✓
Anatomy of a Fall The Holdovers Killers of the Flower Moon Poor Things
Best Sound WINNER: The Zone of Interest✓
The Creator Maestro Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Oppenheimer
Best Original Song WINNER: “What Was I Made For?”, Billie Eilish and Finneas, Barbie✓
“I’m Just Ken,” Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, Barbie “The Fire Inside,” Diane Warren, Flamin’ Hot “It Never Went Away,” Jon Batiste, American Symphony “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People),” Osage Tribal Singers, Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Original Score WINNER: Oppenheimer✓
American Fiction Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Killers of the Flower Moon Poor Things
Best Live-Action Short WINNER: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar✓
The After Invincible Knight of Fortune Red, White and Blue
Best Documentary Short WINNER: The Last Repair Shop✓
The ABCs of Book Banning The Barber of Little Rock Island in Between Nai Nai & Wài Pó
Best Director WINNER: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer✓
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall
Best Actress WINNER: Emma Stone, Poor Things✓
Annette Bening, Nyad Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Best Actor WINNER: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer✓
Bradley Cooper, Maestro Colman Domingo, Rustin Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Best Picture WINNER: Oppenheimer✓
American Fiction Anatomy of a Fall Barbie The Holdovers Killers of the Flower Moon Maestro Past Lives Poor Things The Zone of Interest
Sports / Heartland FC unveils Emmanuel Amuneke as Technical Adviser by HonNL: 7:09pm On Aug 05
