₦airaland Forum

helinues:


Yeh boy. If we dey talk something, no be dogs dey bark, na real human dey yarn.

Those who want to develop Lagos by force would now have a rethink of no place like home

A pure water seller, Ugwu Augustus, has reportedly secured a full scholarship into the university after scoring 309 in the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

According to Alex Onyia, the founder of Educare, an organisation that prepares candidates for UTME, Augustus left school two years ago.

However, he was challenged to join the preparatory class and score above 300 to get a full scholarship.

“This youngster from my village, Ugwu Chibuzo Augustus, scored 309 in JAMB.

“He left school two years ago and has been selling pure water in the streets. We convinced him to join the JAMB prep programme with a promise that he would get a scholarship if he scored above 300,” Onyia shared on social media on Sunday.

Determined, Augustus picked up the challenge and began attending classes while still hawking his pure water after classes.

His handwork was rewarded when UTME results were released and he had an aggregate score of 309.

“During the monthly assessments, he has been consistent with good scores, and right now, he made it. He has now been enrolled in our full scholarship programme.

“He will be rewriting his WAEC from next week because he feels he is prepared enough to do it because of the intense training he gained since September.

“Interestingly, some of the students who did well in science said that Chibuzo usually stays back to explain further to them what was taught in class before he leaves for the day to sell pure water.”

Onyia added that Augustus has created a study group with his classmates where he coaches them on weekends, and all of them scored high.

“The group comprised of those who were desperately determined to score above 300 and get the scholarship. They became close friends and studied together always,” Onyia concluded.

Augustus’ story is one of the several success stories of this year’s UTME despite the poor overall numbers recorded.

According to figures released by the Joint Admission Examination Board, 77 percent of the 1,842,464 candidates whose results were released scored less than 200.

Just like Augustus, 15-year-old, Olukayode Olusola, caught the attention of many as he reportedly scored 95 marks in Mathematics.

The student of Government Secondary School, Omu Aran, Kwara State, scored a total of 362 marks, making him one of the top contenders for the highest scores in the examination.

A breakdown of his results showed that Olusola scored 95 marks each in Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry and 77 in the English Language.

He hopes to study Electrical Electronics at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.

Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, stated that 80 per cent of buildings in Ibeju Lekki have no approval.

He disclosed this in a recent interview with newsmen.

He said, “Just last week Thursday and Friday, myself and the team were in the Ibeju Lekki and Epe axis and you would agree with me that anybody passing through that corridor would see a lot of estates marked. We went there, and I can tell you that from what we saw, over 80 per cent of them do not have approval.

“The procedure to get approval is first to get the planning information, as to what those areas have been zoned for. In this case, what we have is agricultural land, and people now go to their families to buy agricultural land. Of course, those lands would be sold because those families do not know the use such land would be put to.

“The next thing to do is the fence permit. If you missed the earlier information on not knowing the area zoning, at the point of getting the fence permit, you would be able to detect what the area is zoned for. After that, the layout permits a large expense of land follows.”

Olumide noted that a layout permit cannot be obtained if it is not zoned for the purpose it was designed for or for the purpose it was being requested.

“So, you can see all these layers, but people still go ahead to start advertising. Some have even gone to the extent of displaying the sizes they want to sell. Imagine someone in the diaspora who wants to send money without any knowledge. Then, no approval is eventually gotten. Even if they pass the assignment and the survey to them, we would not grant the individual permit, because that area is not zoned for that purpose,” the commissioner explained.

In the same vein, the Chief Executive Officer of Octo5 Holdings, Jide Odusolu, said Lekki Peninsula’s masterplan got distorted post-2010 due to rapid development, with newer estates sidestepping old regulations.

He said, “The Lekki peninsula had a master plan which was originally launched when Bola Tinubu was the governor and updated under Babatunde Fashola. Almost all large estates along the Lekki corridor, especially those developed between 2000-2008, have approved layout plans. It was obligatory and rigidly enforced by the state government.

“However, starting in 2010, the plans became distorted with accelerated development, and many of the smaller schemes that sprung up deliberately sought to avoid the large infrastructure burdens carried by the legacy era developments.

“I am sure investigations with developers such as UPDC (Pinnock Beach), Trojan Estate, Aircom (Northern Foreshore), Cityscape (Buenavista), Howard Roarks (Lake View) and Octo5 (Ocean Bay) will reveal how they all spent huge sums providing infrastructure with zero support from the government while still paying punitive taxes.”

According to Odusolu, the government weaponised planning and titling for internally generated revenue, and that disincentivises compliance, leading to chaotic development.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Fame at Oyster & Co. Nigeria, Femi Oyedele, said most of the estates had layout plans that were not coordinated to form a planned city.

He noted that the communities that were not planned were the historic settlements that the government excised in the scheme.

“To do Lekki better, those estates which have been approved on the west and east arterial roads, which go down to Awoyaya on the east side and to Akodo on the west side of Lekki-Epe Expressway, must be demolished to make way for the planned roads.

“The kind of restoration done to Abuja by Nasir El’Rufai must be done in Lekki. Lekki Peninsular and Victoria Island have a population of over 3 million people. Glasgow has a population of less than 2 million people with twice the roads of Lekki Peninsula,” he enunciated.

Lagos-Calabar Highway red flag, Tinubu’s personal business – Atiku

“Rather than improving the ease of doing business, the Tinubu administration had shown to the world that his personal business interest and that of his family would always be prioritized over and above national interest.” Atiku

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP presidential candidate for 2023, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the lack of proper notification as regards the demolition of properties in the Oniru corridor, including parts of Lagos State’s landmark, as well as tourist and recreational attractions, in order to make way for the Coastal Highway.

According to Atiku, the Tinubu-led government’s bad choice regarding the Lagos-Calabar Highway is one of the major reasons behind Nigeria’s continuous failure to draw in foreign direct investment.

Atiku claimed in a statement issued on Sunday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, that President Bola Tinubu and Gilbert Chagoury, the owner of Hitech, the contractor in charge of the highway project, are the only reasons why the Coastal Highway project is moving more quickly.


Atiku added that the contract was granted in violation of procurement regulations. He further highlighted that the involvement of President Bola Tinubu’s son and his associates on the boards of companies belonging to Gilbert Chagoury presents a clear conflict of interest.

He stated, “The fact that President Bola Tinubu’s son and his surrogates are on the board of companies owned by Gilbert Chagoury constitutes a conflict of interest.

The former Vice President noted that “Tinubu’s son, Seyi, is a director on the board of CDK Integrated Industries, a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group, which manufactures ceramic tiles and sanitary towels.


The statement partly read, “The former Vice President restated that it has become obvious even to the undiscerning that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is being done in a hurry purely because of the business relationship between Tinubu and Gilbert Chagoury, the owner of Hitech, the contractor that was awarded the contract for the highway project in contravention of the procurement laws. It is on record that this project is the most expensive single project ever embarked upon by the Nigerian government.

The fact that it is happening at a time when Nigeria is facing its worst economic crisis ever is a red flag.


“To add insult to injury, this project that is being done more than $13bn was awarded without competitive bidding. From all indications, the so-called Badagry-Sokoto highway would be awarded similarly at an enormous cost to taxpayers purely because Tinubu has put his interest ahead of the Nigerian people.”

“Atiku said the demolition of tourist and recreational facilities and other properties within the Oniru corridor, including parts of Landmark, without ample notice, is one of the reasons foreign direct investments continue to elude the country.

Atiku expresses worry over accidental airstrikes, civilian casualties
He argued that[b] “rather than improving the ease of doing business, the Tinubu administration had shown to the world that his personal business interest and that of his family would always be prioritized over and above national interest.”
[/b]
Atiku noted that investors observe the treatment of local businesses and would avoid regions where their investments lack protection.

The former PDP presidential candidate furthered , “Tinubu has been globetrotting in search of foreign direct investments. He claims to have secured over $30 billion from various companies, but none has been forthcoming. Rather, all manufacturing firms have been posting heavy losses while some are exiting due to his poorly implemented exchange rate unification policy with even Aliko Dangote describing it as a huge mess at the recent annual general meeting of Dangote Sugar Refinery.

“The IMF in its latest report stated that Nigeria will by the end of the year become the 4th largest economy in Africa behind South Africa, Egypt and Algeria, a disgraceful development for a nation which was the largest in Africa by a mile when the PDP left the stage in 2015.

“Investors are seeing how local businesses are being treated and will not come to a place where their investments will not be protected. In saner climes, businesses such as Landmark would have been given at least two years’ notice for effective planning. But Tinubu’s eagerness to satisfy his business partners impaired his ability to coordinate the project properly.

“The awarding of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway was rushed; the environmental impact assessment report was not even completed; the right of way for the 700 km stretch of the highway project was not secured; it was converted from a PPP to a government-funded project within the twinkle of an eye. The N500m that was approved by the National Assembly for the project was ignored, while over N1tn was released by Tinubu’s administration without approval from the National Assembly.”

Banditry now business venture for govt officials, security agents, others – Katsina gov
.
The Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has accused some government officials and security personnel of aiding banditry in the country.

Radda added that it has become difficult to end banditry as it has now turned into a “business venture.”

He stated this on Friday when he featured on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He said, “Now it has turned out to be a business venture. A business venture for the criminals, some people who are in government; some people who are in security outfits, and some people who are responsible for the day-to-day activities of their people.

“These are so many reasons why we are unable to bring banditry to an end.”

He also noted that those behind banditry are not doing it for political reasons, saying, “The issue of the hypothesis behind political motive as responsible for banditry is not true.”

The governor disclosed further that many “northern youths are recruited into banditry with a mere N500.”

To address the escalating insecurity in the northern region, some northern governors recently embarked on a trip to the US.

The foreign trip attracted backlash with many wondering why holding the meeting abroad instead of in Nigeria.

Radda, however, clarified that they were merely invited to attend the conference.

Defence, intelligence chiefs seek technological solutions to tackle insecurity
He added that the trip gave the governors fresh insights into insecurity in the region.

“The meeting was not at the instance of the selected governors of northern states but it was at the instance of the United States Institute of Peace. They were the people who invited us; they hosted us for the meeting. We were invited to sit with them so that we could bring about lasting solutions to the problems that are affecting our people.

“Ten governors were in the United States, Washington D.C and we had a symposium with the United States Institute of Peace so that we can bring about ideas that will end insecurity that is worrying our people and is a major problem to the subnational and they carefully chose the governors of the places affected by banditry and kidnapping,” he said.

He added that during the meeting, the governors were able to cross-fertilise ideas and interact with all stakeholders that are involved in bringing about lasting peace and security globally.


In recent years, bandits have been repeatedly carrying out raids on various locations, especially in rural areas. These raids resulted in the widespread abduction and killing of innocent citizens, disrupting their businesses and daily lives.

According to findings by The PUNCH, in March alone, 165 farmers lost their lives due to attacks by these bandits, who have also prevented access to farms across the country.

Many experts believe that the continued activities of these groups can be attributed to high unemployment rates and poverty. Others suggest that there may be political motives behind these actions.

Consequently, there has been a growing demand for President Bola Tinubu to implement effective measures to address these criminal activities nationwide.

In response to this situation, Tinubu has instructed the Nigerian Armed Forces to intensify their efforts against terrorists and kidnappers who are causing unrest in the nation.

He has also warned against practices that could undermine national interest, assuring servicemen and women of his administration’s commitment to their wellbeing.

Eniola3088:
Good afternoon
Please I want to start study processing for France
And I don’t know how to go about it
Please can anyone list out the documents I will need
Thanks in advance

Kharol1234:
Rubbish skit

The Lagos State Police Command said it has identified the police officer who shot a young man, Toheeb Eniafe, at a petrol station on Wednesday.

This was made known in a statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin on Thursday.

He said, “The person behind the shooting has been identified as a police officer serving at Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 17, Lion Building, Lagos.

“Investigation is still ongoing and further findings will be made available.

“Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command is working with the family of the deceased to ensure that there is no miscarriage of justice.”

PUNCH Online reported earlier that Eniafe was shot on Wednesday at a petrol station belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited at Obalende in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State.

He was reported to have been shot dead while he and some others were resisting the move by some security agents to buy fuel without joining the queue.

The founder of cryptocurrency firm, Binance, was sentenced to four months in US prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to money laundering charges, in the most high-profile crypto case since Sam Bankman-Fried was jailed.

Changpeng Zhao, a Canadian, resigned from his post at the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange platform late last year as part of a deal with US authorities.

According to investigations by two Treasury agencies, Binance failed to prevent transactions by movements such as the Islamic State group, al-Qaeda or the armed wing of Hamas.

Zhao pleaded guilty to violating US anti-money laundering laws and Binance agreed in February to pay $4.3 billion to settle charges.

Prosecutors had asked the judge to impose three years behind bars for a crime that typically results in probation, according to a court filing.

“He made a business decision that violating US law was the best way to attract users, build his company, and line his pockets,” Justice Department lawyers said of Zhao in a sentencing memorandum.

“The sentence in this case will not just send a message to Zhao but also to the world.”

Attorneys for Zhao countered in a filing that being punished with probation is just, appropriate, and in line with legal precedent.

They cited Zhao’s acceptance of responsibility along with what they called his philanthropic track record.

“I made mistakes, and I must take responsibility,” Zhao, who lives in the United Arab Emirates, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, in November.

He has been in the United States since that time.

Binance was created in 2017 and cornered much of the crypto-trading market, turning its founder and chief executive Zhao into a billionaire.

While Binance was founded in China, Zhao moved its operations to other locations internationally after a crackdown on the crypto sector by Beijing.

Binance runs crypto exchanges and provides other services around the world, but it took a severe hit when crypto markets collapsed and regulators began probing the legality of its business.

The volatile industry surged in 2021, with a range of complex products and celebrity endorsements propelling it to a valuation in excess of $3 trillion in 2022.

But a series of scandals, including the November 2022 collapse of Binance’s main rival exchange, FTX, and criminal charges for several industry executives, saw public confidence evaporate and investors pull their money out of crypto.

FTX founder Bankman-Fried was given a 25-year jail term in March.

The crypto industry has bounced back in recent months, thanks in large part to US regulators giving the go-ahead for exchange traded funds (ETFs) in bitcoin which allow investors to trade the asset without actually opening a crypto account.

Binance’s new CEO Richard Teng told AFP this month that the company spent hundreds of millions of dollars on compliance and was working very closely with regulators.

Buhari unbanned our platform to save face; we didn’t meet, dialogue with Lai Mohammed, Fashola, other Nigerian ministers: Twitter Executive

The lies allowed to run unchecked by Twitter, according to Mr Tatum, hampered free speech and had devastating consequences for the microblogging site’s shareholders.



In a 119-page-suit filed in Pender County, North Carolina, U.S.A against X and its owner, Elon Musk, Mr Tatum accused the company, based on the actions of its erstwhile management, of hiding relevant information from shareholders and general recklessness, asserting its alleged failure to proactively disclose take-down requests of unflattering tweets from foreign governments that are hostile to free speech.

In June 2021, Lai Mohammed, then information minister, announced a Twitter ban shortly after the site deleted Mr Buhari’s tweet for inciting violence, which was deemed a violation of Twitter policy and guidelines.

Angered by the deletion, Mr Buhari cracked down on Twitter, ordering all internet service providers in Nigeria to restrict people living in the country from accessing the microblogging site.

Months later, in January 2022, Mr Buhari’s government reversed the ban, which it said was the outcome of several negotiations with Twitter executives and the site’s decision to abide by certain conditions. Some of the so-called concessions were taxation and establishing a physical office in Nigeria.

Peiter Zatko, a former Twitter employee, disputed the claims in a whistleblower report to the U.S. Congress that there were no such dialogues. His report made the centre of a lawsuit filed recently in the United States.

Mr Tatum relied on the whistleblower complaint by Peiter Zatko, a former vice-president (security) at Twitter, to bolster his argument against the corporation and its owner.

Even though Mr Musk was not responsible for the accusations, it was still the company he bought, hence, the liability was his to take.

When Mr Mohammed got wind of the whistleblower’s claims in 2022 and sought to vitiate them at a press briefing in Abuja in December 2022, he insisted that the Nigerian government had indeed negotiated with Twitter to lift the ban.

“The back-and-forth negotiation culminated in a series of agreements that paved the way for the lifting of the Twitter suspension in January this year (2022),” Mr Mohammed said, refuting Mr Zatko’s whistleblower report in 2022.

The Buhari regime blocked Twitter in June 2021 and then falsely claimed to be in negotiations with Twitter executives. Twitter’s failure to correct the false record on many reported non-existent discussions with the Nigerian government permitted Nigeria to negotiate unilaterally through the media and dictate unfavourable terms for a final resolution, according to Mr Tatum’s allegation.

He asserted that Twitter’s decision to refrain from correcting misinformation about Twitter’s proposed negotiations with the Nigerian government directly harmed Twitter shareholders.

Not only did Twitter’s inaction egg on the Buhari regime to control and circulate a false narrative, Mr Tatum said in the suit, it also allowed the Nigerian government to impose various conditions on the platform that harmed free expression rights and democratic accountability for Nigerian citizens.

sonnie10:
Who did they vote for?
Election has consequences

86 rooms where tenants paid N250,000 a year found under Lagos bridge

Lagos State’s Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, on Wednesday said the government discovered 86 partitioned rooms, sized 10×10 and 12×10, under the Dolphin Estate Bridge, Ikoyi, on Lagos Island.

Tenants are said to be paying N250,000 per annum for the makeshift apartment under the bridge.

Wahab shared this information via a post on X.com on Wednesday, along with videos.

He added that the enforcement team of Lagos State’s Ministry of Environment and Water Resources had successfully removed all structures, including a container utilised for various illegal activities, from beneath the Dolphin Estate bridge.

Sharing videos he wrote, “A total number of 86 rooms, partitioned into 10×10 and 12×10, and a container used for different illegal activities were discovered under the Dolphin Estate Bridge.

“They have all been removed by the enforcement team of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources”

A Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Kunle Rotimi-Akodu, further confirmed the eviction of squatters from beneath the bridge towards Dolphin Estate in Ikoyi over illegal settlement and environmental violations.

Rotimi-Akodu mentioned that 23 individuals were arrested during the eviction, which was carried out by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, popularly known as KAI on Tuesday.

He wrote, “Squatters dwelling under the bridge leading from inward Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi were evicted today Tuesday, 30th of April, 2024 by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps LAGESC (aka KAI).

“These people created their illegal settlement under the bridge, thereby exposing the critical infrastructure to impending destruction. 23 persons have so far been arrested and MoE/KAI will continue to monitor the place. The law will take its course.”

He also confirmed that the bridge has hitherto housed 86 rooms, partitioned into 10×10 and 12×10 with squatters paying an average rent of N250,000 per annum.

“Continuation of the removal of abode under Dolphin bridge. 11 more persons were arrested. It is important to note that wood materials were used to construct the shelters, some occupants used gas cylinders, and some had stored fuel for their generators, these are recipes for disaster,” he added.

Lagos State's Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, on Wednesday said the government discovered 86 partitioned rooms, sized 10×10 and 12×10, under the Dolphin Estate Bridge,… pic.twitter.com/cNq7Q0OuE2

flyinnizam:
Both killed with hunter gun. Monkey was sold 20k. Guess how much the antelope was sold?

Police arrest three for allegedly macheting Lagos DPO


Three suspected traffic robbers have been arrested for macheting the Alausa Division District Police Officer, Abaniwonda Tokunbo, at the Otedola Bridge in the Alausa Ikeja area of Lagos State.

The suspects include Tochuckwu Nonso, aged 29, popularly known as Thug Life, and the gang leader, Chidera Christopher, aged 25, and Richard Etim, aged 25.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the incident occurred on April 9 at about 23:00 p.m.

A police source who pleaded anonymity because he is not authorised to speak on the issue told our correspondent that three armed robbers attacked the DPO with cutlasses and stole her Samsung S22 phone.

“On April 9, 2024, at about 23:00 hours, while on a sting operation to Otedola Bridge, Alausa Ikeja, Lagos State, a gang of three armed robbers surfaced from their criminal hideout and suddenly attacked the DPO Alausa division with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, and they made away with her Samsung S22 phone.

The source added that following their deed, the suspects fled to an unidentified location, adding that intelligence reports indicated that the suspects were seen hiding at a hotel in the Akute area of Ajuwon in Ogun State on April 13.

“After the dastardly act, the hoodlums ran away to an unknown destination. Subsequently, on April 13, 2024, at about 10:00 a.m., intelligence gathering showed that the said hoodlums were sighted hiding at a hotel in the in the Akute, Ajuwon area of Ogun State.

Upon receipt of the information, the division’s anti-crime team went to the scene, where Nonso, who is the gang leader, and Christopher were apprehended.

“Upon receipt of this information, the anti-crime team of the division swiftly moved to the location, and one Tochuckwu Nonso, aged 29, AKA Thug Life, the ring leader, was arrested in the company of one Chidera Christopher, aged 25, and they were taken to the station for investigation with the exhibits found on them.”

When contacted the state police public relations officer, Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the incident to our correspondent.

He stated that the gang leader had been robbing on Otedola Bridge for five years and occasionally switching his boys, adding that the stolen items had been recovered.

“The incident is true. Further investigation revealed that the ring leader had been robbing on the Otedola Bridge for the past five years, changing his boys every now and then. The stolen items have also been recovered.”

PUNCH had reported that two notorious traffic robbers, identified as Olumide Oladiji and Lekan Ibrahim, have been arrested in the Agungi Lekki area of Lagos State.

“He Wanted Me To Follow Him”: Diver’s Interaction With Curious Octopus Leads To Shrine Discovery

Scuba diver and photographer Jules Casey is no stranger to witnessing mesmerizing sights. Four years ago, she captured a pair of male and female seahorses united as the female transferred her eggs into the male’s pouch. (Seahorses and sea dragons are the only species in which the male gets pregnant and gives birth.)


And yet, this month, Jules found herself completely perplexed when, during one of her scuba dives, an octopus wrapped its long tentacle around her arm and began swimming away, almost as if indicating there was something he wanted to show her.

An octopus led Aussie diver Jules Casey to an underwater shrine with a photo of a man.
The shrine, named Lorenz' Loop, was created as a tribute by a friend of the deceased man.
Jules had previously found parts of the shrine, including statues and metal pickets, during her dives.

“I don’t know if I found him or if he found me. He reached out his arm to hold my hand, and at that moment, it felt like he wanted me to follow him,” the Australian free diver explained.

After accompanying the huge Maori octopus for a few minutes, the two reached their destination: a secret shrine on the ocean floor.

A Maori octopus wrapped one of his tentacles around Aussie diver Jules Casey and took her to an underwater shrine
"He Wanted Me To Follow Him": Diver's Interaction With Curious Octopus Leads To Shrine Discovery
Image credits: onebreathdiver

At the shrine, she found a framed photograph of a young man holding a white fluffy dog along with a plaque that read “Lorenz.”

The octopus hovered around the intriguing finding, indicating to Jules that he wanted her to focus her attention there.

For the content creator, seeing the man’s photo brought to mind other peculiar objects she had encountered around the area during past dives.

“Several weeks ago, I stumbled upon a few metal pickets in a line spaced 5 meters apart. Then, slowly, the beginnings of a trail, which included a few statues, appeared,” she shared.


“Over the next few weeks, more metal pickets were added; then pipes. The trail looped around not far from the starting point.

“Then, one day, an octopus led me to a plaque, the final piece of this puzzle.”

The octopus stopped at a framed photo of a man holding a white dog, which was anchored to the ocean floor
"He Wanted Me To Follow Him": Diver's Interaction With Curious Octopus Leads To Shrine Discovery

In addition to the statues secured to the ocean floor with metal pickets, Jules’ video documenting her unique underwater adventure also revealed a broad PVC pipe, which her octopus companion repurposed into a shelter.

“Octopuses like to hide in them,” the professional photographer said.

The artificial reef in Mornington Peninsula was named Lorenz’ Loop in honor of the man who inspired the tribute.

But little did Jules know that she’d end up crossing paths with the person who created the shrine.

Sharing her remarkable anecdote with a man at a local dive shop, Jules learned that her interlocutor had been behind the heartfelt tribute.

“I couldn’t believe it. But he showed me a little map he’d drawn of the structures in a loop for his friend, Lorenz, who’d passed away,” she told News Australia.

While she had never been on a scavenger hunt with an octopus before, Jules says that close encounters with this species are not rare, given the animals‘ nature.

“They’re very curious, and I find more often it happens around their mating season. They’ll reach out and touch you. They do spend quite a bit of time exploring your camera.

“They’re amazing creatures. It’s so cool when one of them wants to come and explore you.”

Before the intriguing experience, Jules had encountered other objects from the shrine
"He Wanted Me To Follow Him": Diver's Interaction With Curious Octopus Leads To Shrine Discovery

Maori Octopuses, also known as New Zealand octopuses, are one of the largest octopus species in the southern hemisphere. Their tentacles can reach three meters in length.

Their color ranges from orange-brown to dark purple, and they have numerous small iridescent white spots over their arms, dorsal arm crowns, and webbing.

On social media, Jules shared that she has reencountered the curious octopus following the discovery of the shrine.

“Since we last met, he has lost the tips off most of his arms and has a few white patches. I’m guessing that he’s been mating and is getting close to the end of his life.”

Although this species has a short lifespan—they breed once and live for 12-18 months—the females lay approximately 7,000 eggs and continue caring for them after hatching.

Female Maori octopuses make significant sacrifices for their offspring. During the two months the eggs take to hatch, their mother doesn’t eat to ensure they’re always supervised. Also, by not feeding, they produce less waste, contributing to higher water quality for the eggs.

After the eggs hatch, the females are at risk of dying due to their weakened state from the time spent tending to them.

People reacted to the surprising interaction between Jules and the octopus
"He Wanted Me To Follow Him": Diver's Interaction With Curious Octopus Leads To Shrine Discovery

"He Wanted Me To Follow Him": Diver's Interaction With Curious Octopus Leads To Shrine Discovery

"He Wanted Me To Follow Him": Diver's Interaction With Curious Octopus Leads To Shrine Discovery

"He Wanted Me To Follow Him": Diver's Interaction With Curious Octopus Leads To Shrine Discovery

"He Wanted Me To Follow Him": Diver's Interaction With Curious Octopus Leads To Shrine Discovery

"He Wanted Me To Follow Him": Diver's Interaction With Curious Octopus Leads To Shrine Discovery

"He Wanted Me To Follow Him": Diver's Interaction With Curious Octopus Leads To Shrine Discovery

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5hP7gNyDEO/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Seun Kuti Retracts Allegation On P&ID Fraud, Tenders Apology

Seun Kuti, Afrobeats musician and son of legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has apologised to Bolaji Ayorinde over a defamatory statement he made against the senior lawyer.…

Seun Kuti, Afrobeats musician and son of legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has apologised to Bolaji Ayorinde over a defamatory statement he made against the senior lawyer.

In a video posted on social media, Seun accused of Ayorinde passing information to Process and Industrial Development (P&ID), while representing Nigeria during arbitration proceedings over their disputed gas contract.

The musician boasted that he was ready to meet Ayorinde in court over the controversy surrounding the P&ID gas processing contract case.

Following the development, Ayorinde dragged Seun before Oyo State High Court sitting at Ibadan.

But at the hearing of the suit on April 18, 2024, the parties involved informed the court that they had met and adopted the terms of settlement dated 15/4/2024 and filed the same date.

They urged the court to adopt the terms of settlement as the judgment of the court.

Justice K. Olawoyin adopted the term of settlement as the judgment of the court.

The court said: “In view of the foregoing and in accordance with the expressed desire of the parties in this suit as confirmed by the respective counsel in court, I hereby enter the foregoing terms of statement as the judgment of the court.”

However, Seun said that the statement he posted on his Instagram Handle @bigbirdkuti on October 31, 2023, against Chief Ayorinde were “not true and unfounded and stand retracted”.

He said “It is not true that the claimant (Chief Ayorinde SAN) leaked confidential documents to the adverse side in the P & ID Vs. Nigeria arbitration matter or in any way conducted himself in any unethical or corrupt manner in his work as legal Practitioner for Nigeria in the said case.

“It is not true that the claimant deliberately planned with the opponent to lose in the P & ID Vs. Nigeria Arbitration Matter and sabotaged the interests of Nigeria in the case.

“It is not true that the claimant committed Treachery against Nigeria in the said P & ID Vs. Nigeria Arbitration Matter.

“It is not true that the claimant charged $197 million for a case in which the claimant intentionally sabotaged his country, Nigeria.

“Having now conceded that my allegations are untrue and unfounded and that I have unjustifiably impeached the character and reputation of Chief Ayorinde, SAN, I hereby publicly recant and retract my aforesaid untrue imputations against Chief Ayorinde, which stood to damage the hard earned good name and good will of Chief Ayorinde’s character.”

Libel: Court orders Linda Ikeji to pay NBM N30m damages


A Delta State High Court in Effurun has awarded N30 million damages against popular Nigerian blogger, Linda Ikeji, for a libellous publication against the Neo-Black Movement of Africa.

The lawsuit had Registered Trustees of NBM of Africa, Ese Kakor, Felix Kupa and Mayor Onyebueke as the Claimants against Linda Ikeji as Defendant.

In a ruling on Monday, in Suit No: EHC/210/2021, Presiding Justice Roli Daibo-Harriman, also ordered the absent Defendant, to pay N300,000 as being the cost of litigation.

The Defendant was further ordered to place a publication on her blog and national dailies retracting the libellous publication for which the NBM dragged her to the court, just as she is restrained from further damaging publications against the Claimants.


The NBM of Africa took to court action after she failed to honour a letter by the Claimant demanding retraction and apology over the libellous article published on her blog on Oct. 19, 2021.

The blogger in her publication of 19 October 2021 allegedly labelled the NBM of Africa as a dreaded cult group, , and criminal organisation among other names.

The Claimants approached the court, praying for N1bn damages and an unreserved apology to be published on her blog and two national dailies among others.

Justice Daibo-Harriman, in her ruling, described the tags, including dreaded cultist group, and criminal organisation as used in the Defendant’s publication as all defamatory.

Counsel to the Claimants, Kelvin Agbroko, noted that the ruling, “Will serve as a lesson to bloggers that it is not every item you publish. It is good to verify information before making a publication.

He said, “NBM of Africa is a legal organisation duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. The publication made by the Defendant against my client has been cleared that it was a damaging publication.

“NBM is good to go, we are going to take all necessary steps to enforce the terms of the judgment against her. It was an erudite judgement that is all-encompassing and will be difficult to fault.”

President of the NBM of Africa, Ese Kakor said the outcome of the case had been on for about two years.

He said, “What Ikeji did was just to sell in a bid to defame the character of NBM of Africa. It is very wrong.

“I advised other bloggers not to follow the same steps as they may also face similar litigation. Do not try and defame peoples’ character. NBM has nothing to do with cultism, . It is not a criminal organisation but a well-registered organisation.”

Gunmen abduct singer in Delta, demand $200,000 ransom


A singer, Goodnews Emuemu, aka Gnewzy, has been kidnapped in Delta State.

The music artiste, who is signed to Eric Many Records, was said to have been abducted on his way back from a show in the early hours of Monday, April 29, 2024.

According to the singer’s manager, Obas9ice, who was also in the vehicle when the incident happened, they were accosted on Eklat Road in the Ughelli area of the state by some armed men who were dressed in police uniform.

Shortly after the singer was whisked away, the kidnappers were said to have sent an email to the record label, seeking a ransom of $200,000.

The email, which was sighted by our correspondent, read, “Hi, Dilly. You have seven days to pay $200,000 for your artist, Gnewzy, or we will send out his head. We will send you an email in five days on location for drop-off. Involve the police or mark the money, and he will be killed.”

A statement signed by Dayo Showemimo, the record label’s project coordinator, stated that they were currently working with law enforcement agents to resolve the case.

The statement read in part, “It is with deep concern and grave distress that Eric Many Records announces the unfortunate incident involving our artiste, Gnewzy.

“In the early hours of Monday, April 29, Gnewzy was kidnapped on Eklat Road in Ughelli, Delta State. His manager, Obas9ice, narrowly escaped the same ordeal.

“Immediately following the incident, Obas9ice has been cooperating fully with the Division A police station in Ughelli, providing his account and statement of the events.

“We are actively collaborating with law enforcement authorities to ensure the safe return of Gnewzy. We are in contact with high-ranking police officials, including the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe; and an Assistant Inspector General of Police in Lagos, Idowu Owohunwa.”

The company also called on members of the public to provide any information they might have that could aid the artiste’s safe return.

When PUNCH Online reached out to the Investigating Police Officer in charge of the case, who simply gave his name as Edet, he directed our correspondent to call Edafe.

However, calls and messages sent to Edafe by our correspondent were not answered as of the time of filing this report.

FBI nabs Nigerian official trying to flee U.S. with family after contract procurement fraud

The Nigerian-American allegedly connived with two other officials of Nigerian origin to defraud the Washington D.C. transit authority in COVID-19 supply scheme.


The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) on April 2 took into custody Ifediora Oli, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United States, for allegedly conniving with two persons to defraud the District of Columbia public transit system after securing a Covid-19 testing kit contract worth more than half a million dollars.

Documents seen by Peoples Gazette revealed that Mr Oli, 41, hurriedly purchased plane tickets for himself, his partner and his daughter to travel to Nigeria as soon as he learnt he was under criminal investigation by the U.S. government for his dubious handling of a $659,000 contract to supply pandemic testing kits to the District of Columbia’s Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS).

FBI Special Agent Deborah Frye collected evidence for the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on March 28, which led to Mr Oli’s arrest at his Silver Spring, Maryland, residence on April 2.

Mr Oli, an employee for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who was illegally running his own side business, Highbury Global Group, Inc., allegedly plotted with his longtime friend identified as co-conspirator 1 — a staff of Metropolitan Transit Authority “WMATA”— and co-conspirator 2 (romantic partner of co-conspirator 1) to win and share the proceeds of a government contract deemed a violation of the American law, Ms Frye deposed in court.

Co-conspirator 2, also nicknamed BriBri, worked as a contract specialist at the Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP), a U.S. agency responsible for awarding government contracts to bidding companies.

As a contract specialist at the OCP, co-conspirator 2 was taxed with selecting a company to supply the medical test kits to the DFS in 2021. But she not only allegedly influenced the selection of Mr Oli’s Highbury company for the bid, she also benefited from it, Ms Frye said.

Co-conspirator 2 allegedly used her position as a contract specialist to subtly pressure her colleagues into speeding up the contract award to Mr Oli.

“Co-conspirator 2 again wrote the official about Highbury and asked, ‘Are we not moving forward with the award? The vendor has already confirmed immediate delivery upon receipt of the PO.” Ms Frye stated in her March 28 affidavit.

The FBI agent said Mr Oli, after receiving $630,000 as payment for a job done in 2021, wired $145,000 in two tranches to co-conspirator 1 with explicit instructions to give co-conspirator 2 $15,000 cash, presumably as a show of appreciation for winning the contract bid.

“I add 5k for BriBri,” read a June 2021 WhatsApp message obtained by the FBI from Mr Oli’s phone. “Cash only for bri bri.”

In another WhatsApp message in October 2021, after the completion of the Covid-19 contract, Mr Oli asked his friend, “Give bri bri 10k.”

The cash gift contravened the provisions of a U.S. law stipulating that “District Employees Not to benefit” from awarded contracts.

“No officer or employee of the District will be admitted to any share or part of this contract or to any benefit that may arise,” the provision explicitly stated.

Mr Oli is being represented by Nigerian-American criminal defence attorney John Iweanoge.

U.S. Attorney Timothy Visser of the fraud, public corruption, and civil rights section is prosecuting the matter to prove that Mr Oli deprived the U.S. government of money and honest services of its employees.

EreluRoz:
Is he funny? I don't think so. He sounds like a hitman or whatever they call it.

…demands appointment of court administrators


ABUJA– The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has faulted the composition of the National Judicial Council, NJC, which is the body responsible for disciplining of erring judicial officers in the country.

NBA, which is the umbrella body of legal practitioners in the country faulted the current system that made it mandatory that the Council must be headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN.

According to the NBA, “The inherent flaws in the composition of the NJC impacts negatively on its ability to prosecute judicial misconduct in a manner that inspires public confidence.

Consequently, the NBA recommended that “members of the NJC should be appointed as follows: six judicial officers appointed by CJN; six lawyers nominated by the National Executive Council of the NBA including the NBA President and six non lawyers appointed by the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, subject to the approval of the Senate.

“The Chairmanship of these bodies should be rotated between the heads of the three constituent groups.”

Besides, the NBA recommended the appointment of court administrators to take over the administrative functions if the various Heads of court such as procurement, budgeting, renovation of courts and implementation of judicial appropriations.

“These are activities within court administration that have severally been identified by the anti-corruption bodies as areas prone to corrupt activities.

“This proposal for the creation of this office takes cognizance of the role of the Chief Registrars of courts who will under the proposed arrangements enable them (together with heads of courts) concentrate solely on the business of adjudication especially case management without distraction.”

It further demanded the de-linking of judicial remuneration from that of the civil service, noting that there had always been an informal linkage between judicial salaries and that of senior civil servants and public officers.

“There is the need to de-link judicial remuneration from that of the civil/public service. De-linking judicial remuneration from that of the civil/public service would not only strengthen the perception of judicial independence, but would also provide the necessary safeguard and reassurance to judicial officers,” it added.

The recommendations were contained in proposals the NBA submitted at the just concluded national summit on justice sector reforms.

Meanwhile, reading the communique to newsmen on Friday, Chairman of the Joint Planning Committee of the summit, Dr. Babatunde Ajibade, SAN, said proposals for reform that were made by the NBA were considered and approved in modified form.

He said: “The general consensus reached by this panel was that the role of the NJC in discharging its responsibility for judicial appointments into the Superior Court of record required significant review.

“There was a concern expressed about the fact that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who is the chairman of the NJC is also the chairman of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, which is the body that initially reviews proposals or lists of candidates by appointment into judicial office.


“The members pointed out the seeming inconsistency between the chief justice of Nigeria playing both those roles, as it would appear that he was then recommending candidates to himself being chairman of both bodies, and being the person who appoints a significant number of the members of both bodies other than those who are statutory members.

“There was a general consensus that there was a need to reconstitute or proposed the reconstitution of these bodies, both the National Judicial Council and the Federal Judicial Service Commission,” Ajibade, SAN, added.

Nigerian music star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, recently revealed that his family is responsible for distributing electricity to major parts of Nigeria.

According to him, his family owns four power plants, which significantly contributes to Nigeria’s energy needs.

Appearing on an American podcast, ‘Business Untitled,’ Davido spoke on his family businesses and personal investments.

He said, “I once tried to go into cryptocurrency because Nigeria is big on crypto. Apart from that, me and my family have like four power plants worth a lot of money. We distribute energy to most of Nigeria.

“My wife is into culinary. We are trying to start a restaurant for her. But my main business is what I love; my music.”

While Davido is from a wealthy family with investments in the energy sector, many observers might disagree with his claim that his family supplies most of Nigeria’s energy needs.