Foreign / News

Netflix suspends service in Russia amid Ukraine invasion

Netflix has moved to suspend its streaming service in Russia following President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to multiple reports, the streamer announced that it would suspend all future projects, acquisitions and now all of its services in Russia in a bid to protest the war spearheaded by the country.

“Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” a spokesperson for Netflix said in a recent interview.

Prior to the latest move, Netflix had confirmed four new Russian originals including a crime thriller series directed by Russian filmmaker Dasha Zhuk. The series which had began principal photography was put on hold.

Although relatively new in Russia (the streaming platform launched in 2016 with an estimated 1 million subscribers), the latest move joins other global corporate bodies as well as film studios who have in recent weeks moved to boycott the country amid the ongoing war.

Companies including Microsoft and Apple announced that they were suspending activities in the country even as they continue to face sanctions.

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Crime / Drugs / Law / News

Abba Kyari pleads not guilty to drug trafficking

Suspended DCP Abba Kyari  on Monday pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charge filed against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Kyari told Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, on Monday, following his arraignment, alongside six others, on allegations bordering on drug trafficking.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that while Kyari pleaded not guilty to counts one, two, three, four and eight levelled against him, the other four police officers, who are defendants in the trial, also pleaded not guilty to counts one, two, three and four filed against them.

But Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, who are 6th and 7th defendants respectively, pleaded guilty to counts five, six and seven preferred against them. Although their names were also mentioned in counts three and four where allegations bordering on conspiracy were leveled against Kyari and others, they were not asked to take a plea on these two counts.

The four members of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022 include ACP Sunday J. Ubia, ASP Bawa James, Insp. Simon Agirigba and Insp. John Nuhu.

Umeibe and Ezenwanne are the two alleged drug traffickers that were arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu.

Shortly after taking their plea, the NDLEA lawyer, Joseph Sunday, Director, Prosecution and Legal Services, prayed the court for a trial date for the 1st to 5th defendants

Sunday also urged the court to grant a leave to review the charges against  Umeibe and Ezenwanne who pleaded guilty for the charges against them.

“We hope to file our proof of evidence latest tomorrow (Tuesday),” he said.

Kanu Agabi, SAN, who led a delegation of Senior Advocates of Nigeria that appeared for Kyari and Ubia,  however informed that a bail application had been filed in respect of his clients.

The NDLEA’s lawyer, Joseph Sunday, Director, Prosecution and Legal Services, who confirmed being served with the bail application, said a counter affidavit had been filed in its opposition.

The NDLEA, in the …

Foreign / News

Ukraine is Europe’s ‘fastest growing refugee’ crisis since WWII

The number of people fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has topped 1.5 million, making it Europe’s fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II, the United Nations said on Sunday.

“More than 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine have crossed into neighbouring countries in 10 days,” the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grande tweeted.

The UN described the outflow as “the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II”. On Saturday it had reported that nearly 1.37 million refugees had fled.

The director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also expressed grave concern at the worsening humanitarian situation.

“@WHO has confirmed several attacks on health care in #Ukraine, causing multiple deaths and injuries. Additional reports are being investigated,” Tedros tweeted.

“Attacks on healthcare facilities or workers breach medical neutrality and are violations of international humanitarian law.”

The WHO said on Sunday it had deployed staff to Moldova, Poland and Romania “to scale up (the) response capacities of its country offices, including operations, engagement with partners and support to the (Ukrainian) government for the health response”.

The body said it had also mobilised logistics to set up an operational hub in neighbouring Poland and help secure land corridors “to facilitate rapid movement of supplies to affected populations”.

It added a second shipment of health supplies was on its way to Poland, following a first shipment on Thursday that included trauma and emergency health supplies.

The WHO had earlier condemned a slew of verified reports of attacks on health care in Ukraine.

UN officials said they expected the wave of refugees to intensify further as the Russian army pressed its offensive, particularly toward the Ukranian capital Kyiv.

Since Russia invaded on February 24, a total of 922,400 people have fled Ukraine to Poland, Polish border guards said on Sunday.

Hungary, Moldova, Romanian and Slovakia have also seen Ukrainian refugees arrive.…

Crime

Police Officers nabbed for manhandling youths, bundling one into car boot + Video

Four policemen, led by an Inspector, have been ordered arrested by the Commissioner, Edo State Police Command, Philip Ogbadu, for manhandling some youths in the state.

The spokesman of the Command, Bello Kontongs, confirmed the development in a statement on Thursday.

This was shortly after the video in which the policemen were seen bundling one of the youths into the boot of a Mercedes Benz went viral.

The incident, which occurred in the PZ area of Benin, the Edo State capital, drew the ire of Nigerians. Kontongs, in the statement titled: “Viral video of unprofessional conduct of policemen,” said: “The attention of the Edo state police command has been drawn to a viral video capturing the unprofessional conducts of its personnel’s at PZ area along Benin-Sepele road, Benin city.

“The team made up of an Inspector and three others who were involved in the unprofessional conduct and incivility against two young men as seen in the viral video, have been identified, arrested and subsequently defaulted.

“The Commissioner of police frowns and unreservedly condemns the act and has ordered a full scale investigation and assuring that the outcome of the investigation would be carried out to the latter and as well communicated to the Public without reservation.

“The CP further assures members of the public of their safety and employs them to make it duty bound to always report unwholesome/ unprofessional conduct of personnel of the command.”

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Church / Foreign / News

Primate Ayodele to Putin: The war will end but you won’t go scot-free

The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has warned the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, following the invasion of Ukraine that happened a week ago.

The man of God revealed this in a statement released by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, in the early hours of Friday.

Ayodele made it known that Putin will not go scot-free because he has resisted God’s warning to put an end to the crisis.

It would be recalled that Primate Ayodele warned the president few days after the invasion that he should end the war because he foresees an assassination attempt on his life. Unfortunately, Putin has not put an end to the war, causing more destruction in Ukraine as against the warnings sent to him by the man of God.

In this fresh warning, Primate Ayodele noted that plans to assassinate President Putin is underway because he didn’t listen to God.

He also revealed that a Russian soldier will be used to execute the plans.

He said: “President Vladimir Putin of Russia has gone against God’s warnings.

“I warned him to put an end to the invasion of Ukraine but he didn’t listen.

“Just like pharaoh whose heart was hardened against God’s children but perished, Putin will not go scot-free.

“I still insist that this war will not lead to Third World War.

“It will come to an end but President Putin will not go scot-free.

“A Russian soldier will be used to execute the plans to take his life.”…

Foreign / News / politics

Ukraine War: 427 stranded Nigerians arrive Abuja

No fewer than 427 Nigerians based in the troubled Ukraine arrived Nnamdi Azikwe International airport, Abuja Friday morning.

They arrived en route Romania on Maxi air.

It was gathered that the Federal Government will give each of them $100.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday approved over $5m to effect the immediate evacuation of stranded Nigerians in Ukraine which has been over week invaded by Russia.…

News / Travel

House of Reps delegation jets out to ‘witness’ evacuation of Nigerians fleeing Ukraine

The delegation left the country in order to “witness” the evacuation of Nigerians fleeing Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s attack. This comes a day after the National Assembly approved the request of President Muhammadu Buhari for the release of $8.5 million for the evacuation. The delegation is due to witness the evacuation to be carried out by Air Peace and Max Air in Poland, Romania and Ukraine border. They, however, did not wait for any of the airlines for the trip.

The delegation boarded a Turkish Airlines flight.

The trip followed a resolution passed by the House of Representatives over the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.…

Foreign / News / Security

Mutinous Russian troops argue about orders to bomb civilian areas

Russian soldiers taking part in the invasion of Ukraine are in “complete disarray”, according to voice recordings obtained by a British intelligence company.

The intercepted radio messages indicate that troops are refusing to obey central command orders to shell Ukrainian towns and are complaining about running out of supplies of food and fuel.

The recordings are among around 24 hours of material obtained by intelligence firm ShadowBreak since the invasion of Ukraine began last week.

In one of the eavesdropped conversations, listened to by The Telegraph, a soldier reportedly sounded as though he was crying. In another, a soldier was heard losing his temper when asking when food or fuel would arrive.

He said: “We’ve been here for three days! When the hell is it going to be ready?”

A third message revealed a tense exchange in which the same soldier had to remind a colleague speaking from a command centre that they could not use artillery on an area until civilians – who were labelled “the goods” – had left.

ShadowBreak’s founder Samuel Cardillo, 26, told The Telegraph he had been sent the messages by amateurs listening in with antennas.

He said: “What we have found is that the Russian operatives are operating in complete disarray.

“They have no clue where they are going and how to really communicate with each other properly.

“There were periods where we heard them (Russian soldiers) crying in combat, a period where they were insulting each other – obviously not a sign of great morale.”

Cardillo said that some of the messages were also “proof of war crimes” because they revealed order to fire missiles into urban areas.

Other video recordings are said to show Russian soldiers retreating back into Russia after becoming frustrated, whilst a text message sent by a soldier to his mother is alleged to have said: “The only thing I want right now is to kill myself.”

In a further sign that morale may be poor, a senior US defense official told the New York Times on Tuesday that …

Drugs / Foreign / News

Abba Kyari: FG begins US extradition process as Malami files case

Nigeria has approved the request by the United States for the extradition of suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari.

A grand jury, last April 29, filed an indictment against Kyari with the approval of the US District Court for Central District of California.

A Deputy Clerk of the court issued a warrant of arrest for him.

Kyari is wanted to stand trial for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft. He was accused of conspiring with a United Arab Emirates-based Nigerian, Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi, to commit the crime.

On Wednesday, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), filed an application before the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja for Kyari’s extradition.

The application, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/249/2022, was filed under the Extradition Act.

The AGF said the application followed a request by the Diplomatic Representative of the US Embassy in Abuja.

It is “for the surrender of Abba Alhaji Kyari, who is a subject in a superseding three counts indictment”.

Kyari and five other police officers are undergoing interrogation by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over a cocaine deal.

Last week, a court endorsed further 14-day detention for the suspects.

In the affidavit filed in support of the extradition application, the AGF stated that he was satisfied that provision is made by the laws of the US such that so long as Kyari has not had a reasonable opportunity of returning to Nigeria, he will not be detained or tried for any offence committed before his surrender other than the extradition offence which can be proved by the fact on which his surrender is sought.

He added that he was satisfied that the offence in respect of which Kyari’s surrender is sought is not political nor is it trivial.

The AGF also expressed satisfaction that the request for the surrender of Kyari was not made to persecute or punish him on account of his race, religion, nationality or political opinions but in good faith and the interest …