Police have identified 22-year-old Robert E. Crimo III as a person of interest in today’s parade shooting & warn he should be considered armed and dangerous. Authorities described his car as a silver Honda Fit with an Illinois license plate DM 80653.
Mbappe says reaching Messi and Ronaldo levels is just unrealistic
"If you tell yourself that you will do better than them (Messi and Ronaldo), it's beyond ego or determination. It's lack of awareness. Those players are incomparable, they have broken all laws of statistics."
The United States of America Senators, Marco Rubio and Josh Hawley have written to President Joe Biden to relist Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ over increasing cases of violence against Christians in the country.
Marco Rubio (R-Florida) Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) Mike Braun (R-Indiana) Tom Cotton(R-Arkansas) Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday told Sweden and Finland that he could still block their drives to join NATO if they fail to implement a new accession deal with Ankara.
Erdogan issued his blunt warning at the end of a NATO summit at which the US-led alliance formally invited the Nordic countries to join the 30-nation bloc.
The two nations dropped their history of military non-alignment and announced plans to join NATO in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Their bids were headed for swift approval until Erdogan voiced concerns in May.
He accused the two of providing a haven for outlawed Kurdish militants and promoting "terrorism".
Erdogan also demanded they lift arms embargoes imposed in response to Turkey's 2019 military incursion into Syria.
A 10-point memorandum signed by the three sides on the sidelines of the NATO summit on Tuesday appeared to address many of Erdogan's concerns.
Erdogan lifted his objections and then held a warm meeting with US President Joe Biden that was followed by a promise of new warplane sales to Turkey.
Yet Erdogan told reporters at an impromptu press conference held as the summit ended that the memorandum did not mean Turkey would automatically approve the two countries' membership.
New countries' applications must be approved by all members and ratified by their respective parliaments.
Erdogan warned Sweden and Finland's future behaviour would decide whether he forwarded their application to the Turkish parliament.
"If they fulfil their duties, we will send it to the parliament. If they are not fulfilled, it is out of the question," he said.
One Western diplomatic source in the hallways of the NATO summit accused Erdogan of engaging in "blackmail".
'73 terrorists' Erdogan delivered his message one day after Turkey said it would seek the extradition of 12 suspects from Finland and 21 from Sweden.
The 33 were all accused of being either outlawed Kurdish militants or members of a group led by a US-based preacher Turkey blames for a failed 2016 coup.
But Erdogan appeared to up the ante on Thursday by noting that Sweden had "promised" Turkey to extradite "73 terrorists".
He did not explain when Sweden issued this promise or provide other details.
Officials in Stockholm said they did not understand Erdogan's reference but stressed that Sweden strictly adhered to the rule of law.
"In Sweden, Swedish law is applied by independent courts," Justice Minister Morgan Johansson said in a statement to AFP.
"Swedish citizens are not extradited. Non-Swedish citizens can be extradited at the request of other countries, but only if it is compatible with Swedish law and the European Convention," Johansson said.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said on Wednesday that Erdogan appeared to be referring to cases that had already been processed by officials and the courts.
"I would guess that all of these cases have been solved in Finland. There are decisions made, and those decisions are partly made by our courts," Niinisto told reporters in Madrid.
"I see no reason to take them up again."
Most of Turkey's demands and past negotiations have involved Sweden because of its more robust ties with the Kurdish diaspora.
Sweden keeps no official ethnicity statistics but is believed to have 100,000 Kurds living in the nation of 10 million people.
The Brookings Institution warned that Turkey's "loose and often aggressive framing" of the term "terrorist" could lead to problems in the months to come.
"The complication arises from a definition of terrorism in Turkish law that goes beyond criminalising participation in violent acts and infringes on basic freedom of speech," the US-based institute said in a report.
In connection with a two-month crime spree in Polokwane, three men received total prison sentences of 384 years. The individuals reportedly identified themselves as Boko Haram gang members.
Ndou Lukase Rembuluwani, 29, Ndou Ben, 29, and Khoza Ngobeni Small, 28, were found guilty on Monday by the Limpopo High Court in connection with 25 crimes that were perpetrated in the Seshego and Westenburg regions in September and October 2017.
“The trio was among the group of criminals who were calling themselves ‘Boko Haram’, terrorising communities around the said areas by committing serious crimes that included murder, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, house breaking with the intention to rob, robbery with aggravating circumstances, malicious damage to property, theft and house robberies,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo.
“They were also convicted for contravening immigration laws for being in the country illegally,” he added.
The Magesi Football Club players were among those that were held at gunpoint at the team’s clubhouse on Wednesday, October 18, 2017, and had their cellphones, soccer gear, shoes, and clothing carted away.
Following an attempted robbery on Thursday, October 19, 2017, in which an accomplice was allegedly shot dead by the victim, police detained the men. According to Mojapelo, the investigating officer got a tip from a hospital the following day.
“According to the information, the suspects sent their girlfriends to go to the hospital and check if their accomplice was brought in. The police immediately activated a snap operation consisting of detectives and Public Order Policing members. On arrival, they found the suspects’ girlfriends, who led the police to Seshego, where the suspects were hiding,” said Mojapelo.
Police detained the three individuals and found some of the stolen goods. The three defendants were subsequently given a total of 128 years in jail by the court.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, after the Caspian summit, spoke about the situation in Ukraine and NATO expansion
On NATO expansion
Putin said that Russia does not have such problems with Sweden and Finland, "as it has with Ukraine."
At the same time, he stressed that Moscow would be forced to respond in the mirror if NATO military infrastructure is deployed in these countries.
About the Russian special operation in Ukraine
When asked if the goals of the special operation had changed, the president replied that nothing had changed. “I said in the early morning of the 24th [February — Approx. ed.] directly publicly to the whole country, to the whole world. I have nothing to add to this. Nothing has changed,” Putin said.
At the same time, the Russian leader added that tactics could be different.
"The tactics proposed by the Ministry of Defense: where to move the troops, what objects to hit," he specified.
According to him, Western calls to continue hostilities confirm the assumption that “the good of Ukraine is not an end, but a means of protecting their interests.
Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma is clear of sexual assault allegations.
Bissouma and a man in his 40s were arrested in the early hours of October 6 last year when police were called to a seafront nightclub in Brighton. https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/06/29/16/59674907-10965817-image-a-87_1656516062360.jpg The Mali international had to amend bail conditions to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations and investigations are still ongoing.
Bissouma, however, is in the clear following the most recent stage of proceedings, released with no further action.
A spokesman for Sussex Police told Sportsmail: 'A man in his 40s from Brighton who was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault has had his conditional bail extended until July 4, 2022.
'A man in his 20s, also from Brighton, who was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault has been released with no further action to be taken.
Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court, Uyo has convicted and sentenced a notorious international fraudster, Scales Olatunji, to 235years imprisonment for internet fraud and money laundering.
Olatunji was arraigned on July 2, 2019 on 45-count charges bordering on identity theft, money laundering and conspiracy.
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, thus setting the stage for his trial.
Age of new CJN, Olukayode Ariwoola, five major things to note about him
There have been controversies about the age of the new acting CJN, Olukayode Ariwoola, with his Wikipedia page indicating his year of birth as 1958. But his curriculum vitae obtained by PREMIUM TIMES confirms the actual date of birth as contained in his official records.
Tanko Muhammad exited on Monday as the 17th head of the Nigerian judiciary after serving as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) for about two and a half years. He was immediately succeeded by Olukayode Ariwoola who hails from Oyo State.
Mr Muhammad, officially due for retirement when he clocks 70 in December 2023, abruptly left office 18 months ahead of time on Monday, citing health grounds.
In line with the norm, Mr Muhammad’s resignation paved the way for Mr Ariwoola, the next most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, to be sworn in by President Muhammadu Buhari as the acting CJN.
Mr Ariwoola is expected to remain as the acting CJN pending when the process of his appointment in substantive capacity will be concluded.
Nigeria’s chief justice, being the head of various key judiciary institutions and with the power to make key appointments to the bodies, has an overbearing influence on the Nigerian judiciary.
Therefore, the personality of the CJN generally determines the direction the Nigerian judiciary faces during his or her time in office.
There have been controversies about his age with his Wikipedia page indicating his year of birth as 1958 as against what is contained in his official records.
Below are six major points, including his date of birth, that you need to know about the new CJN.
1. 17th chief justice since Nigeria’s independence Since when the northern and southern protectorates were amalgamated into the entity of Nigeria, 22 judges, including the newly appointed acting CJN, Mr Ariwoola, have presided over the affairs of the Nigerian judiciary.
Five of the 22 chief justices presided over Nigeria’s judiciary under the colonial rule up till when the first indigenous chief justice, then referred to as the Chief Justice of the Federation, Adetokunbo Ademola, was appointed in 1958.
In 1963, three years after Nigeria gained independence from the British colonial rule in 1960, Nigeria became a republic and the Nigerian Supreme Court was proclaimed.
The appeals to the British Federal Committee of the Privy Council stopped and the Supreme Court became the highest court in Nigeria.
Since the appointment of the late Mr Ademola as chief justice in 1958 up till Sunday, a total of 16 other chief justices have presided over the Nigerian Supreme Court and by extension the Nigerian judiciary.
Mr Ariwoola became the 17th chief justice on Monday.
Referring to Mr Ariwola as Nigeria’s 17th indigenous chief justice would imply counting a long-time Caribbean resident in Nigeria, Darnley Alexander, who was appointed in 1975 as a Nigerian.
Mr Alexander, who was then serving as the chief justice of the South Eastern State (now Cross River State), was appointed by the Murtala Muhammed military regime to replace Teslim Elias who was controversially removed from office. But excluding the late Mr Alexander from the list of former Nigerian indigenous chief justices, then Mr Ariwoola will be the 16th on the roll call.
The new chief justice, a Muslim from Iseyin in Oyo State, is the seventh person from the southern part of the country to hold the office since Independence, while the nine others were from northern Nigeria.
2. To serve two years in office Mr Ariwoola, his curriculum vitae obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, was born on August 22, 1954. This means he will clock 68 on August 22.
If eventually confirmed as the next substantive CJN, Mr Ariwoola will hold office for about two years and two months which will end on August 22, 2024, the day he is expected to clock the mandatory retirement age of 70.
3. Education and legal training According to his profile published on the Supreme Court’s website, Mr Ariwoola started his primary education at Local Authority Demonstration School, Oluwole in Iseyin in 1959. He graduated from the school in 1966.
He attended Muslim Modern School in the same town from 1967 to 1969 and then proceeded to Ansar-Ud-Deen High School Saki, Oyo State, in 1970. He completed his High School at the Ansar-Ud-Deen High School, Saki, in 1974.
He was admitted into the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife) to study Law in 1977.
He graduated from the university with a Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB) in 1980.
He was called to the Nigerian bar and got enrolled as a solicitor and advocate of the Nigerian Supreme Court in July 1981.
4. Teacher turned judge Before his training as a lawyer, Mr Ariwoola taught at Ansar-ud Deen Society Primary School, Atori, Iseyin in 1974.
After he qualified as a lawyer and was practising in private law firms, Mr Ariwoola took up a part-time teaching job at Civil Service Training School (now Simeon Adebo) Secretariat, Ibadan, Oyo State, in 1988.
He also did part-time teaching at Extra Moral (Advance Level) Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, between 1984 and 1988.
He similarly did part-time teaching at the Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration, The Polytechnic Ibadan, between 1989 and 1992.
5. 40 years of legal career, 30 years on the bench Altogether, Mr Ariwoola has put about 40 years into his legal career which started with serving as a state counsel during his national youth service at the Ondo State Ministry of Justice, Akure, between 1981 and 1982.
He later served as a legal officer at the Oyo State Ministry of Justice between 1982 and 1988.
From October 1988 and August 1988, the new chief justice worked in a private law firm, Chief Ladosu Ladipo, SAN & Co. Legal Practitioners, as counsel-in-chambers.
He later served as the principal partner of Olu Ariwoola & Co Mako Allah Chambers in Iseyin from 1989 to 1992.
Mr Ariwoola continued his legal profession on the bench when he was appointed a judge of the Oyo State High Court in 1992.
After three years on the High Court bench, he was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 1995.
He was on the Court of Appeal bench until he was elevated to the Supreme Court in 2011. He is currently the longest-serving Justice of the Supreme Court having spent a total of 11 years on the court’s bench.
This marks the 30th year of his judicial career which started with his appointment as a High Court judge in 1992.
6. Major decisions Mr Ariwoola was part of the seven-man panel of the Supreme Court led by now-retired Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, which gave judicial backing to the virtual court hearing on July 14, 2020.
He was also on the seven-justice bench led by his predecessor, Tanko Muhammad, that affirmed President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in the 2019 general elections.
The panel, in its decision delivered on October 30, 2019, dismissed the suit of the then and now presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, challenging Mr Buhari’s victory in the February 23, 2019, presidential election.
He was also part of the Mr Muhammad-led seven-man panel that delivered the controversial majority judgement of the Supreme Court that sacked Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP as Imo State governor and replaced him with Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in January 14, 2020.
The same panel of which Mr Ariwoola was a part, delivered the Supreme Court’s judgement on January 20, 2020, affirming the victories of Governors Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, and Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State in the 2019 Governorship elections.
Today, 25 Americans have been added to the stop list including the FLOTUS Jill Biden, daughter Ashley and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
Statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry in connection with the introduction of personal sanctions against US citizens
As a response to the ever-expanding US sanctions against Russian political and public figures, 25 American citizens from among the senators responsible for the formation of the Russophobic course, participants in the so-called. the McFaul-Yermak group, which develops recommendations on anti-Russian restrictions, as well as members of the family of President John Biden.
The following is a list of names:
Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden (Wife of US President John Biden)
Ashley Biden Ashley Blazer Biden (Daughter of J. Biden)
Addison Mitchell Mcconnell III (Republican Senate member - Kentucky)
President Muhammadu Buhari will on Tuesday, June 28, depart Abuja on a State Visit to Portugal at the invitation of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
The President, who will hold official talks with his Portuguese counterpart will be conferred with the country’s National Honour and decorated with ‘Great Collar of the Order of Prince Henry.’
The two Presidents are expected to chair an enlarged bilateral meeting and witness the signing of some agreements bordering on issues of mutual concern.
President Buhari will also visit the Portuguese Parliament and hold discussions with its president, Dr Augusto Santo Silva, as well as the Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa.
In the course of the visit, the President is scheduled to address a Forum of Nigerian and Portuguese businessmen and hold separate meetings with select Portuguese Chief Executive Officers and prospective investors to Nigeria.
President Buhari will also participate in the United Nations Ocean Conference, which began in Lisbon on Monday, June 27, and runs till July 1.
The Conference, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal and supported by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), aims to accelerate the adoption of science-based innovative solutions to challenges facing oceans and the global marine ecosystem.
The Nigerian leader is also expected to engage members of the Nigerian community in Portugal on matters affecting them and developments at home.
The President will be accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo; Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare and Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.
Others are National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd); Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar and Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Honorable Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
At least 46 migrants were found dead Monday in and around a tractor-trailer that was abandoned on the roadside on the outskirts of the Texas city of San Antonio.
The grim discovery was one of the worst disasters involving migrants in the United States in recent years -- and came five years after a similar deadly incident in the same central Texas city, a few hours from the Mexican border.
"At this time we have processed approximately 46 bodies that have been triaged and tagged and declared deceased," San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood told reporters.
He said that 16 people had been transported to hospital alive and conscious -- 12 adults and four children.
There were no initial details on the age or nationality of the deceased.
"The patients that we saw were hot to the touch, they were suffering from heat stroke, heat exhaustion, no signs of water in the vehicle, it was a refrigerated tractor-trailer but there was no visible working A/C unit on that rig," Hood said.
Officials said three people were in custody over the incident.
"Tonight we are dealing with a horrific human tragedy," San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg told a press conference.
"So I would urge you all to think compassionately and pray for the deceased, the ailing, the families," he said.
"And we hope that those responsible for putting these people in such inhumane conditions are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
San Antonio, which lies some 250 kilometers (150 miles) from the border, is a major transit route for people smugglers.
It has also been gripped by a record-breaking recent heat wave, and temperatures in the area hit 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.5 Celsius) on Monday.
The vehicle was found on a road near Highway I-35, a major US artery that stretches all the way to the border with Mexico.
A massive emergency operation was underway at the scene involving police, firefighters and ambulances.
According to San Antonio police chief William McManus, authorities were first alerted by an emergency call at about 5:50 pm.
"A worker who works in one of the buildings up here behind me heard a cry for help," he told reporters, "came out to investigate, found a trailer with the doors partially open, opened them up to take a look, and found a number of deceased individuals inside."
He said the probe had been turned over to the federal Department of Homeland Security.
'A better life' Texas Governor Greg Abbott hit, a Republican who advocates a tough line on immigration, hit out at President Joe Biden over the disaster -- blaming his "deadly open border policies."
"These deaths are on Biden," Abbott tweeted. "They show the deadly consequences of his refusal to enforce the law."
Mexico's foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, called the incident a "tragedy" and said the Mexican consul was headed to the site.
Ebrard said the nationalities of the victims were not yet known, but that two Guatemalans were among the survivors.
San Antonio was the site of a similar migrant tragedy in 2017, when 10 people suffocated to death in a sweltering trailer with broken air conditioning and clogged ventilation holes as they traveled into the United States.
Dozens more had been hospitalized with heat stroke and dehydration -- with the truck believed to have been holding as many as 200 people, most of whom fled when it stopped in a parking lot. The truck driver later pleaded guilty to charges related to the deaths.
"Lord have mercy on them. They hoped for a better life," tweeted Gustavo Garcia-Siller, the archbishop of San Antonio, after news broke of Monday's awful discovery.
"Once again, the lack of courage to deal with immigration reform is killing and destroying lives."
Multiple casualties have been reported after an Amtrak train carrying 243 people derailed after striking a dump truck at a public crossing near to Kansas City in Missouri.
The Southwest Chief train 4, which was traveling from LA to Chicago, came off the tracks at Mendon in Missouri on Monday afternoon, Amtrak confirmed to DailyMail.com.
She tweeted: 'An @Amtrak train just derailed in Kansas City (there are likely fatalities but they don’t know all the details) so I’m stuck in Albuquerque tonight because the train can’t go any further.'
A Twitter user called Durand shared the shocking snaps, saying: 'Oh no.. #Amtrak derailment somewhere in #Missouri.'
2022 AMTRAK STATEMENT ON TRAIN 4 DERAILMENT NEAR MENDEN, MO.
On June 27, several cars derailed on train 4 traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago after striking a dump truck at a public crossing in Mendon, Missouri at 1:42 pm. There are approximately 243 passengers onboard with early reports of injuries. Local authorities are currently assisting customers and we have deployed Amtrak resources to assist. Additional details will be provided as available.
Russian hackers claim responsibility for cyberattack on Lithuania
Hacking group claimed attack in response to decision by Vilnius to ban transit of goods to Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave.
Russian hacker group Killnet has claimed responsibility for a denial-of-service (DDOS) cyberattack on Lithuania, saying it was in response to the decision by Vilnius to block the transit of some sanctioned goods to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Lithuanian state and private institutions were hit by the denial-of-service cyberattack on Monday, the Baltic country’s National Cyber Security Centre said in a statement released by the defence ministry.
“It is very likely that attacks of similar or greater intensity will continue in the coming days, especially in the transportation, energy and financial sectors,” the centre said.
Secure networks used by Lithuanian state institutions were among those affected, it added.
A spokesperson for the Russian hacking group Killnet later confirmed that it was behind the cyberattack, Reuters reported.
When asked if the attack was in retaliation for Lithuania blocking the transit of goods sanctioned by the European Union to Kaliningrad, a spokesperson for the Killnet group said: “Yes”.
This attack follows Lithuania’s recent ban on the transit of goods sanctioned by the EU to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, an act that enraged Moscow and who promised a “practical” response to Vilnius for its actions.
Russia’s foreign ministry has demanded the lifting of what it terms Lithuania’s “openly hostile” restrictions on rail transit to Kaliningrad. The list of banned goods includes coal, metals, construction materials and advanced technology.
“If in the near future cargo transit between the Kaliningrad region and the rest of the territory of the Russian Federation through Lithuania is not restored in full, then Russia reserves the right to take actions to protect its national interests,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement last week.
“The situation is more than serious and it requires a very deep analysis before formulating any measures and decisions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Russian hacker group Killnet claimed responsibility on Monday for a DDOS cyber attack on Lithuania, saying it was in response to Vilnius's decision to block the transit of goods sanctioned by the European Union to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
"The attack will continue until Lithuania lifts the blockade," a spokesperson for the Killnet group told Reuters. "We have demolished 1652 web resources. And that's just so far."
Confirmed: Metrics show a disruption to government networks in #Lithuania as the National Cyber Security Centre reports a denial-of-service cyberattack affecting secure networks used by state institutions, also affecting public and private internet infrastructure
Russian hackers have continued attacking Lithuanian website's throughout Monday. Users with IP addresses outside Lithuania experienced issues with Lithuanian airport websites while some could not connect to websites of financial service providers. Killnet boasted attacking over a thousand Lithuanian websites, repeating the demands drop EU sanctions against Russia.
Websites of major telecommunication services providers were also affected by the DDoS attack with some loading unusually slow and other not loading at all. The group also targeted a platform for purchasing cross country bus tickets as well as website of the Supreme Court of Lithuania.
Lithuania's cyber watchdog noted an increase in DDoS attacks against the country last Friday, saying that threat actors targeted government agencies, transport, and finance sectors.
Attackers disrupted the website of the Lithuanian Railways, preventing passengers from purchasing train tickets online. It's not clear whether the attacks NCSC announced are related to Killnet.
Lithuania, a NATO and EU member, borders Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave wedged between Lithuania and Poland. Freight transport from the Russian mainland reaches Kaliningrad via Lithuanian territory. This route has been made difficult to complete for some good amidst EU sanctioning Russia for starting a war against Ukraine.
David Ukpo, who initially agreed to donate his kidney to give Ike Ekweremadu's sick daughter, Sonia, a chance to live isn't the 15-year-old kid he told British authorities he is.
He was born on Oct. 12, 2000. That means he'll be 22 years old in October this year, as his passport and BVN data show. (The passport and BVN data have been doing the social media rounds, but I've decided to conceal the numbers to protect his privacy).
He was also not smuggled into London, as Ekweremadu's December 28, 2021 visa application support letter to the British High Commission shows.
I dislike Ekweremadu the politician but empathize with Ekweremadu the father. As the father of three girls myself, I'll do anything I can to save my daughters from death. That's all this is about. Nothing more.
So far, the evidence seems to be pointing in the direction of the possibility that 21-year-old Ukpo, upon arriving in the UK after agreeing to donate his kidney to Sonia, changed his mind and decided to seek asylum by claiming to be a 15-year-old child who's trafficked to London for organ harvesting.
If that turns out to be true, that would be a horrible way to escape Buhari's Nigeria. Cashing in on other people's personal tragedy--and destroying them in the process-- just to pursue your dream to leave Nigeria is singularly evil.
There are indications that the young man who was to donate a kidney to the daughter of embattled former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu was actually over 21 years old.
This is according to information on the data page of the international passport bearing David Ukpo Nwamini, the same name in which Ekweremadu provided an introductory letter in the medical visa application submitted to the British High Commission in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The date of issuance of the passport is indicated as November 4, 2021 while his date of birth is October 12, 2000. This puts the age of the passport holder in question at 21.
However, under British law, being above 18 is not enough. The question of consent is another burden the Ekweremadus will have to discharge.
Senator Ekweremadu was seeking a kidney transplant for his sick daughter identified as Sonia, and the procedure was scheduled to take place at the Royal Free Hospital in London
The British High Commision duly issued the visa to the supposed donor who later on arrival, reported himself to British authorities that he was held under conditions of slavery. Further investigation on his mission to the UK led to the arrest of Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice, with the Metropolitan Police describing the individual as a minor who was age 15.
Both Ekweremadu and his wife were charged before the Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Thursday. Their request for bail was denied and they are to remain in custody pending the next court date on the 7th of July
The charge against the two borders on conspiracy to arrange the travel of a child into the UK in order to harvest organs.
Earlier on Thursday, the Metropolitan Police published a statement on its website saying,
“[A] Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55 (10.9.66) of Nigeria is charged with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.
“[B] Ike Ekweremadu, 60 (12.05.62) of Nigeria is charged with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting”
The Metropolitan Police further added that “A child has been safeguarded and we are working closely with partners on continued support. As criminal proceedings are now under way we will not be providing further details”.
A three-man panel of the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, on Thursday, June 23, 2022, upheld the conviction of a former Managing Director of the defunct Bank PHB Plc, Francis Atuche, as well as the bank’s former Chief Financial Officer, Ugo Anyanwu.
Atuche and his co-convict, Anyanwu, had approached the appellate court to set aside their conviction by Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on June 16, 2021 over a N25.7 billion fraud.
Chelsea have reached an agreement in principle with Inter Milan that will see striker Romelu Lukaku rejoin the Italian club on a season-long loan, The Athletic understands.
Inter will pay a fee of €8 million plus add-ons, while terms over the 29-year-old’s salary and performance bonuses have also been accepted.
Lukaku is expected to undergo a medical next week before completing his move back to the side he helped win the Serie A title with in the 2020-21 season.
Inter will not have an option or obligation to buy Lukaku after his loan spell.
Paperwork for the transfer is in the process of being finalised, with the relationship between Chelsea’s new co-owner Todd Boehly and Michael Yormark — president of Roc Nation, who represent Lukaku — proving key to the deal getting done.
Lukaku is contracted at Stamford Bridge until 2026.
GRENOBLE: THE COUNCIL OF STATE CONFIRMS THE BAN ON THE WEARING OF BURKINI IN MUNICIPAL SWIMMING POOLS
After examining the appeal filed by the municipality of Grenoble concerning the suspension of the wearing of bukini in Grenoble swimming pools, the Council of State has rendered its verdict. He confirmed, this Tuesday, June 21, the decision of the administrative court prohibiting the wearing of this religious sign.
End of debate. The interim judge of the Council of State confirmed, this Tuesday, June 21, the decision to ban the wearing of the burkini in municipal swimming pools in Grenoble.
Indeed, he considered that "the very targeted derogation made, to satisfy a religious claim, to the common law rules for wearing close-fitting bathing suits enacted for reasons of hygiene and safety, is likely to affect the proper functioning of the public service and the equal treatment of users in conditions undermining the principle of neutrality of public services”...
The Council of State had considered Tuesday, June 14, on the question of the port of the burkini in the swimming pools of Grenoble. Seized by the prefect of Isère via a secularism referral on May 25, the administrative court had suspended article 10 of the new swimming pool regulations authorizing the wearing of the burkini adopted on May 16 by the municipal council.
To justify this suspension, the administrative court had, in fact, considered that the amended regulations authorized de facto "the use of bathing suits not close to the body shorter than mid-thigh", including the burkini.
ON THE SAME SUBJECT Laurent Jacobelli on the burkini: "There are politicians who are ready to sell their souls for a few ballots"
However, according to article 10, which in no way mentions the burkini, “bathing suits must be made of a fabric specifically designed for swimming, fitted close to the body”.
However, the municipality of Grenoble had challenged this decision via its lawyer Me Olivier Coudray. On June 3, the lawyer at the Council of State and at the Court of Cassation had filed an appeal by the City of Grenoble against the court's decision.
On its website , the Council of State indicates that it is the judge of last resort. “His court decisions are set and cannot be challenged,” it read.
The Voter Registration was originally billed to end on June 30, 2022.
BREAKING: Following a suit by SERAP and 185 concerned Nigerians, Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court, Abuja has stopped INEC from ending voter registration.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from ending voter registration on 30 June 2022.
Honourable Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon (Court 10) today granted an order of interim injunction following the hearing of an argument on motion exparte by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
SERAP and 185 concerned Nigerians had early this month filed the lawsuit against INEC asking the court to “declare unconstitutional, illegal, and incompatible with international standards the failure of the electoral body to extend the deadline for voter registration to allow eligible Nigerians to exercise their rights.”
In the suit, SERAP had asked the court for “an order restraining INEC, its agents, privies, assigns, or any other person(s) claiming through it from discontinuing the continuous voters’ registration exercise from the 30th June 2022 or any other date pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”
The suit is adjourned to 29th June, 2022 for the hearing of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.
The suit followed the decision by INEC to extend the deadline for the conduct of primaries by political parties by six days, from June 3 to June 9. But the commission failed to also extend the online pre-registration which ended May 30 2022 and the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) ending 30 June 2022.
In the suit number FHC/L/CS/1034/2022 filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos, and transferred to Abuja, SERAP is asking the court to determine “whether the failure of INEC to extend the deadline for voter registration is not a violation of Nigerian Constitution, 1999 [as amended], the Electoral Act, and international standards.”
SERAP is asking the court for “a declaration that the failure of INEC to extend the deadline for voter registration is a violation of eligible Nigerians’ rights to participate freely in their own government, equality and equal protection.”
SERAP is also asking the court for “an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to extend voter registration by a minimum of three months and take effective measures to ensure that eligible Nigerians are able to register to exercise their right to vote in the 2023 general elections.”
The suit, read in part: “Enforcing unrealistic voter registration deadline while extending the deadline for party primaries would deny and abridge the constitutional and international human rights of eligible voters.”
“INEC mandates ought to be exercised in a fair, just and non-discriminatory manner. The extension of voter registration would ensure that Nigerian voters are treated equally and fairly. The future of Nigeria’s democracy depends on it.”
“Voters are also critical stakeholders in the electoral process. Treating all eligible Nigerian voters fairly would advance the people’s right to vote and to participate in their own government.”
“INEC must not only be independent and impartial in the exercise of its constitutional and statutory responsibilities, but must also be seen to be independent and impartial.”
“Extending the voter registration exercise would also bolster voter confidence in the electoral process.”
“One of the people’s most sacred rights is the right to vote. The commission has a constitutional and statutory responsibility to ensure the effective exercise of the right of all eligible voters to participate in their own government.”
“Extending the deadline for party primaries without providing adequate time and opportunity for eligible voters to register and participate in the 2023 general elections would amount to an unfair and discriminatory treatment of Nigerian voters, and violate other human rights.”
“Extending the voter registration deadline would provide more time for eligible voters, including young people, the elderly, people living with disability, as well as those resident in states facing security challenges and living in IDP camps to participate in the 2023 elections.”
“Extending the deadline for voter registration would be entirely consistent with constitutional and international standards, and the Electoral Act. Any such extension would also not impact negatively on INEC’s election calendar and activities.”
“The public perception of the independence and impartiality of INEC is essential for building public confidence in the electoral process, and ensuring the credibility and legitimacy of the 2023 elections.”
“Where Nigerians have doubts about the independence and impartiality of INEC, they are more likely to have less confidence in the electoral process thereby undermining democracy.”
“Extending the deadline for voter registration would also be justified, given reports of challenges in the voter registration exercise, especially for young people, the elderly, persons living with disabilities, and those resident in states facing security challenges and living in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.”
“The will of the people is expressed through democratic elections. This requires that people should be afforded adequate time and opportunity to register to vote. Extending the voter registration deadline is crucial for promoting the independence and impartiality of INEC and building public confidence in the electoral process.”
“The Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) provides in Section 14(1)(c) that, ‘the participation by the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.’”
“Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022 provides that ‘the registration of voters, updating and revision of the Register of Voters under this section shall not stop not later than 90 days before any election covered by this Act.’”
“Similarly, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance guarantee the right to political participation.”
“These human rights treaties also require states parties including Nigeria to ensure the independence and impartiality of national electoral bodies responsible for the management of elections, as well as to promote the establishment of the necessary conditions to foster citizen participation.”
“The right of people to participate in their government is a fundamental feature of any democratic society, and any undue restriction of the right would strike at the heart of representative government.”
The Supreme Court has overruled Lagos State on its restriction of the use of head covering (hijab) by female Muslim students of public schools in the State.
In a split decision of five to two on Friday, a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court affirmed the July 21, 2016 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Lagos, which set aside the October 17, 2014 judgment by Justice Grace Onyeabo of the High Court of Lagos State, which upheld the hiab restriction.
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who wrote the lead majority judgment, which was read on Friday by Justice Tijani Abubakar, dismissed the appeal filed by Lagos State against the 2016 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Lagos, on the grounds that the appeal was without merit.
The Anambra State Police Command has busted the hotel camp where teenage girls are used as sex slaves.
About 35 teenage girls used for commercial sex slavery have been rescued with about five of them pregnant.
The girls were kept in the hotel where they were used to engage in commercial sex and the money paid to their “madam”, who is currently on the run.
The police also arrested three suspects, including the assistant manager of the hotel, and recovered three pump action rifles and seven cartridges.
The police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, while parading the girls and the suspects at the Area Command, Onitsha, on Wednesday, gave the name of the hotel as Gally Gally Hotel, located in Nkpor, near Onitsha, Anambra State.
The apprehended suspects and the rescued girls are currently at the Area Command, Onitsha, where they are being interrogated.
Police uncover hotel were children are used as s€x slaves in Anambra
The Anambra state police command on June 13 uncovered a hotel named Gally Gally in Nkpor where children between the ages of 14 and 17 are allegedly being used for s€x slaves, pr@stitution, and baby factory.
A statement released by DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, spokesperson of the state police command, states that the operatives rescued, 35 girls and 4 of them are pregnant. He said the police also arrested 3 persons namely: Mrs Ifeoma Uzo age ‘F’ 35yrs, Chidiebere Alaka ‘M’ 28years and Nweke Chidiebere.
''We recovered three pump action gun, seven cartridges and cash sum of Eight hundred and seventy seven thousand, five hundred naira (#877,500).
The Suspects arrested are being interrogated with a view to eliciting information on their involvement and unmasking other gang members.'' the statement in part read
Tochukwu added that the police will hand over the victims to NAPTIP for the welfare and rehabilitation of the children.
He said all suspects will be charged to court at the end of the investigations.
A Kano High Court fixed July 28 for judgment in the case of a school proprietor, Abdulmalik Tanko, charged with the alleged murder of a five-year-old pupil.
The Kano State Government filed five counts of criminal conspiracy, attempt to kidnap, abetment, kidnapping and concealing dead body against Mr Tanko, Hashimu Isyaku, 37, and Fatima Musa, 26, Feb.14.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Usman Na’abba, fixed the date after the Defence and Prosecution Counsel adopted their final written addresses.
Earlier, the defence counsel, Hasiya Muhammad, in adopting her final written addresses dated and filed on May 31, prayed the court to consider the defendants and discharge them.
“We urge the court to adopt our written addresses as our oral argument in this case,” she said.
But the prosecution counsel, Deputy Director Public Prosecution, DPP, Rabi Ahmad, in her final written addresses dated and filed June 6, prayed the court to convict and sentence the three defendants as charged.
Mrs Ahmad argued that the second defendant (Isyaku) is standing trial for concealing a dead body contrary to the provisions of Section 277 of the Penal Code and punishable with death under Section 274(b).
“We urge the court to note the content of exhibit 12 (confessional statement) of the second defendant for burying late Hanifa’s corpse,” he said.
The defendants closed its case on May 10 with three witnesses.
The defence witnesses were the three defendants.
The prosecution counsel on April 12, closed its case against the defendants with nine witnesses and tendered 14 exhibits to prove their case.
Mr Tanko, the proprietor of Nobel Kids Comprehensive College, Kano, was alleged to have kidnapped Hanifa, on Dec. 4, 2021, held her hostage in his house at Tudun Murtala for days before killing and buried her in a shallow grave on December 10, 2021.
The offence, the state said, contravened the provisions of sections 97, 95 and 273, 274(b) and 277 of the Penal Code, Laws of Kano State, 1991.
Chief Okey Ralphs Nwosu National Chairman African Democratic Congress 4 Lusaka Street Zone 6 Abuja RCT
Dear Mr. Nwosu,
MY RESIGNATION FROM ADC I am writing to hand in my resignation from my membership of the African Democratic Congress, effective immediately.
I have resigned because the process and conduct of the party's Presidential Primary on June 8, 2022 at Abeokuta revealed a fundamental clash of values between me and your leadership of the party.
Despite the circular you issued a few days to the Primary committing the party to providing transportation and accommodation for delegates to and in Abeokuta, and which as we agreed would provide a level playing for all the presidential aspirants, the party under your leadership failed to do so. Some aspirants, including myself, made donations to the ADC party account as requested by the party for this purpose. This failure, which appeared intentional, created room for massive abuses of the electoral process including delegate capture and financial inducement delegates. This is only one of numerous inconsistencies and the absence of transparency and predictability in the management of the party that I had progressively complained about.
As you are well aware, I have consistently resisted pressures to join the APC or the PDP precisely to avoid "cash-and-carry" politics. For me to remain a member of the ADC therefore, after what thousands of party members participated in at Abeokuta, would be to endorse political corruption of a most obscene order.
I joined the ADC in October 2021 with the best of intentions. Since then, I have put my entire team to work on growing and improving the party, including raising the party's visibility on all media platforms, recruiting more than 10,000 new members to the party, and providing new offices for various State Chapters of the party at my expense. It is deeply regrettable that other inducements appear to have played more important roles in determining the outcome of the primary than loyalty to the party.
In separate interviews on Monday in Abuja, they said selling sperm was less profitable in Nigeria when compared to other countries.
According to Kalu Ekene, a lawyer, the procedure of donating sperm is stressful, and when compared with the money, it is a waste of time.
“The procedure is ridiculous. I was told I would be paid N150,000 for each donation, but this will be after I have successfully fulfilled all medical requirements,” explained Mr Ekene.
He said donors must undergo medical examinations such as HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, sickle cell and some other sexually transmitted diseases before they can sell their sperms.
“The money for the test and check-up was more than what I will be paid,” noted Mr Ekene. “I found it to be a waste of time. Sperm bankers in Nigeria should work on the payment,” he advised.
Patrick Akpan, a civil servant, said after passing all the requirements, he was asked to remain anonymous.
“If I am going to receive that amount of money, I should be able to know who I am giving my sperm to. What if it is the only child I will be giving away?” Mr Akpan pointed out. “It is not worth the unknown problems in the future.”
He decried that there are no laws backing sperm donation procedures in Nigeria and advised donors to “think this through before becoming a sperm donor in the country.”
Yakubu Tobias, a mechanic, said he was disqualified from donating his sperm because most sperm banks were not interested in donors who were not at least five feet, nine inches tall.
“I was asked to write an essay, or do a taped interview, to be shared with potential buyers, but in the end, my height disqualified me,” Mr Tobias disclosed. “I do not see anything wrong with the pay, if I was able to donate like three times, that is cool money for me. It is better than going to ask my people for money or stealing.”
Isaac Shamaki, a gynaecologist, noted that the procedure for sperm donation was safe and effective.
Mr Shamaki, however, explained that the most common reason some men cannot donate sperm is age.
Dapo Adeniran, an Abuja-based psychologist, said as simple as sperm donation could seem to be, some people find it stressful.
“Prospective parents can use a sperm sample from a friend, acquaintance, or family member, often called a ‘known’ or ‘directed’ donation, or arrange to use a heavily vetted stranger’s sample through a sperm bank or fertility clinic,” stated Mr Adeniran. “Even decades after these practices have become common, many of those who opt for sperm donation are still consistently surprised by all the ways it can shape the family.”
An Ondo State High Court has sentenced three out of four suspected killers of the 58 year old daughter of the national leader of the Pan Yoruba Socio- Political Group, Mrs Funke Olakunri to death by hanging.
They include Muhammed Shehu Usman, Adamu Adamu,and Lawal Mazaje.
The three Suspects were convicted by Justice Williams Olamide for conspiracy to murder, kidnapping and armed robbery.
The Court, however discharged and acquitted the fourth defendant, Auwalu Abubakar, 25 for conspiracy.
Recall that the police also alleged that the suspects also murdered one Ogunbiyi Matthew aged 65 and also kidnapped one Gerald Igboayaka the same day Funke Olakunri was murdered along Ore/ ljebu Ode Expressway on July 12th, 2019.
The suspects are: i. Lawal Mazaje ‘m’ 40yrs from Felele area of Kogi State ii. Adamu Adamu ‘m’ 50yrs from Jada area of Adamawa State. iii. Mohammed Shehu Usman ‘m’ 26 years from Illela area of Sokoto State iv. Auwal Abubakar ‘m’ 25yrs from Shinkafi area of Zamfara State
Local news is reporting 3 dead on arrival, and 4 others shot. Location is a concrete/molding industrial Business @Columbia Machine located in 2921 Bikle Rd in Smithsburg, MD.
A shooter opened fire inside a manufacturing facility in western Maryland Thursday afternoon, killing multiple people, authorities say.
Deputies responded to the active shooting in the 12900 block of Bikle Road in Smithsburg around 2:30 p.m.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office said there are "multiple fatalities."
The suspect was shot and injured during a confrontation with a Maryland State Police trooper, the sheriff's office said. The shooter was hospitalized, but their condition is unclear at this time.
The trooper suffered a minor injury, authorities said.
The facility where the shooting took place is in a remote area about seven miles from Hagerstown, Maryland.
Foreign Affairs › Re: Police Arrest Robert Crimo, Suspect In The July 4 US Parade Shooting Incident by HonNL(op): 11:43pm On Jul 04, 2022*. Modified: 7:14am On Jul 05, 2022
