Author: Adetutu Audu

Russian-French billionaire Founder and CEO of the Telegram Messaging App, Pavel Durov, was reportedly arrested at Bourget Airport outside Paris on Saturday evening, 24 August, 2024. TF1 TV reports that the 39-year-old was travelling aboard his private jet, when he was arrested at about 8pm local time (6pm GMT)l According to the report posted on their website, Durov had been targeted by an arrest warrant in France as part of a preliminary police investigation. He is expected to appear in court on Sunday, 25 August, 2024. TF1 said the investigation was focused on a lack of moderators on Telegram, and…

The Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, owners of AIT, Raypower and Faaji FM, Raymond Dokpesi (Jnr), has offered explanations on why he had to ease 10 Directors, including Dr. Oluwatosin Dokpesi, the wife of his late father, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, out of the company. Dokpesi offered the explanation in an interview with Daily Sun on Wednesday, days after the sack was confirmed by the firm. He said: “I think the first thing to recognise is that it is not a personal decision to ask anyone to go. “If I had it left to me and to myself, I would definitely…

Sayyu Dantata, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MRS Oil and Gas, has been identified as one of the individuals behind the importation of petroleum products from Malta. Dantata is the half-brother of Aliko Dangote, founder of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, According to Daily Nigerian on Tuesday, 20 August, 2024, based on documents obtained, MRS imported fuel into Nigeria in February through the vessel ‘MT AETHER’. The publication also said in separate letters dated March 4 and addressed to the CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory (NMDPRA) and the CEO of Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC),…

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has commiserated with the family of the late Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state, Barrister Olaniyi Ijalaye. The late Ogun REC reportedly died Monday evening, 19 August, 2024, in Abuja after attending a meeting convened by the Commission at its headquarters. The Governor, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Lekan Adeniran, also condoled INEC for the loss, saying Ijalaye’s death came to him as a rude shock. Prince Abiodun described the late REC as an honest, committed, and cerebral public servant with a high…

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ogun State, Niyi Ijalaye, has slumped and died after a meeting at the headquarters in Abuja. Although, the news of his death has not been announced by the commission or his family, a source within the commission confirmed to TVC News that Ijalaye slumped and died on Monday evening August 19 shortly after attending a crucial meeting in Abuja. He added that the resident electoral commissioner had returned to his hotel room, when the tragic incident occurred. The meeting, presided over by the INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, centered on the upcoming off-cycle governorship elections…

The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies quizzed Josiah Dangut, Nigeria Head of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) over a N6 billion deficit in 2023 and a N5 billion loan for customized calculators. Dangut who appeared before the Committee on Tuesday, 13 August, 2024, in Abuja was accompanied by the Registrar; Angus Okeleze, Senior Deputy Registrar; Victor Odu, Acting Director of Finance; Segun Jerumeh, Deputy Director of Finance, WAEC.Dangut pleaded for more time to present the required documents and explained the 50% payment for the Taraba state office construction to avoid inflationary losses. The committee Chairman assured…

The Commandant of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA), Kwara State, Hajia Fatima Abiola-Popoola, has proposed that newly admitted university students should be made to undergo mandatory drug tests as part of their admission process. She explained that this would “Serve as a preventive measure while offering early intervention and counselling for those already using drugs to prevent them from becoming problematic users”. Hajia Abiola-Popoola made the suggestion during a radio programme in Ilorin. The NDLEA boss further expressed concern over the rising number of drug users in the country. She said: “A 2018 survey shows that 14.3 million people…

President Tinubu departed Abuja Monday, 19 August, 2024, for Paris, using the new Airbus A330, which replaced the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700(BBJ) bought under the Presidency of President Olusegun Obasanjo. This was made known via a press statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy released in Abuja on Monday, 19 August, 2024. “The new plane, bought far below the market price, saves Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly,” the statement said. The statement explained further that, “the recommendation to replace the B737-700 (BBJ) followed an investigative hearing by Nigeria’s…

A chieftain of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Barrister Abayomi Tijani is dead, thegazellenews.com reports. This medium learnt that the late lawyer died late Friday, 16 August, 2024. Thegazellenews.com learnt further that the late politician was sick for a brief period but has regained full fitness. “He was sick but has gotten over it, so it was a shocking surprise for me when I learnt of his death yesterday (Friday). I’m still in shock,” a very close friend and associate of the late lawyer told thegazellenews.com on Saturday, 17 August, 2024. A lawyer, an avowed…

Today would have been Herbert’s 58th birthday, and we would have shared a laugh together. The pain of his loss is still so raw, but today, I choose to remember the man who was more than a brother and friend to me. Herbert’s wisdom, vision, and unwavering belief in Nigeria remain etched in our hearts. We miss you deeply, my brother. He was not just a leader; he was a beacon of hope and a visionary inspiring many. We honor his legacy of progress, integrity, and love for our country. As we remember Herbert today, let us celebrate the incredible…

A 22-year-old content creator, Munachimso Brian Nwana, has achieved the world record for the most fast food restaurants visited in 24 hours. Brian visited 150 different establishments, smashing the previous record of 100, which was set last year by American YouTuber Airrack. Before that, the record had belonged to TikTok stars: Nick DiGiovanni and the late Lynn “Lynja” Davis. No forms of private transport can be used while attempting this record, and due to the city’s limited public transportation infrastructure, Brian completed his entire route on foot. He walked over 25 km beginning in the residential district of Gwarinpa and finishing in the…

Former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, has said that the House of Representatives should get ready to prosecute her whenever they pass their ‘obnoxious’ Counter Subversion Bill. There are reports that the Lower Chamber has introduced the Counter Subversion Bill 2024, which aims to impose stringent penalties on Nigerians who fail to recite the national anthem. According to the proposed legislation, anyone found guilty of refusing to recite the national anthem shall be fined N5 million, face a 10-year prison sentence, or both. The bill also proposes that anyone who destroys a national symbol or a place of worship shall be…

Pastor Kayode Pitan has been appointed as the new pastor of the City of David Parish, Lagos of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. He takes over from Pastor Charles Kpandei, who has been serving as the interim pastor since the suspension of Pastor Idowu Iluyomade. Pitan’s appointment followed the suspension of Iluyomade due to certain allegations. Kpandei has been leading the parish since June, following Iluyomade’s suspension, but Pitan has now been officially designated as the incumbent pastor of the City of David. The decision was said to have taken by the governing council of the church during the…

The United Kingdom has recorded a significant drop in visa applications following the introduction of stricter immigration policies in December 2023 to restrict international students from bringing their dependents. Official figures released by the Home Office at the weekend showed that the number of visa applications fell from 141,000 to 91,000, a stunning drop, translating to over 30 per cent. The new law restricts international students from bringing dependants unless they were enrolled in postgraduate research courses or government-funded scholarship programmes. The changes were part of the government’s efforts to curb immigration, which reached a record high of 1.22 million…

Susan Wojcicki, a Silicon Valley visionary who helped shape Google and YouTube, died Friday after a two-year battle with non-small cell lung cancer, according to her husband. She was 56. “Susan was not just my best friend and partner in life, but a brilliant mind, a loving mother, and a dear friend to many,” her husband, Dennis Troper, wrote in a Facebook post. “Her impact on our family and the world was immeasurable.” Wojcicki, born in Santa Clara, Calif., grew up on Stanford University’s campus, where her father was a physicist. There, she developed a passion for innovation and making…

The terrifying videos were not from Hollywood movies but scenes from Northern Nigeria during the #EndBadGovernance protest. The so-called protesters invaded a Government House, vandalised public facilities, looted an ICT training centre, carted away a Police station signpost, invaded banks, destroyed a mosque, hijacked a Personnel Armour Carrier, flew foreign flags, sought foreign intervention, and chanted “Yara Me Kuke so; Wiwi Mukeso!” in Hausa. The latter means, “Children, what do you want? Cannabis (marijuana) is what we want!” The ‘protest’ in the North is akin to a coup targeted at Arewa leaders. As a Northerner, I feel ashamed to be…

Barring any last-minute change, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun of the Supreme Court is set to emerge as the next Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). If she assumes the office, Kekere-Ekun would become the second female justice in Nigeria to hold the exalted position after Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, who was CJN between July 2012 and November 2014, spending 28 months in office. The current occupant of the office, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who assumed office on June 27, 2022, will formally bow out on Thursday, August 22, 2024, after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70 years. As the most senior justice of…

The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) condemns, in very strong terms, the serial attacks on journalists covering the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest, describing the act as undemocratic and repressive. GOCOP notes that journalists are partners in national development as well as critical stakeholders in the advancement of democracy and civil liberties and therefore deserve to be protected, and not suppressed as the security agents tried to do during the protest. The body of online publishers specifically calls on relevant authorities in Nigeria, especially security agencies, to see journalists as partners and voices of the voiceless rather than treat them as…

Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN) won the coveted Best Exhibitor award at the 2024 Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) held in Lagos August 5 – 7, in addition to seven trophies won by employees. The Shell exhibition combined educative posters with learning sessions for engineering students as well as free medical services where hundreds of conference participants received check-up and drugs. SPE International President Terry Palisch, and Chairman of the Nigeria Council Salahudeen Tahir who jointly presented the award described Shell as a leading light in the oil and gas industry, providing…

A former member of the House of Representatives, Wole Diya is dead reports thegazellenews.com. Diya, a two-term representative of Somolu Federal Constituency in the Green Chamber, thegazellenews.com learnt, died early Friday, 9 August, 2024. Diya, a younger brother to former Chief of Defence Staff, Late General Oladipo Diya, was also a two-term member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Somolu State Constituency I. The younger Diya, in his early 60s died a few days to his birthday which is expected to come up on Tuesday, 20 August, 2024.