Crime / Foreign / News

Avocado farmers take up arms as Mexico violence spikes

A convoy of vigilantes snakes along a road in western Mexico, vowing to defend their avocado orchards from gangs sowing terror in a country reeling from a new wave of bloodshed.

Armed with assault rifles and other firearms, the masked men travel between plantations and maintain checkpoints in Ario de Rosales in Michoacan state, the scene of a bloody cartel turf war.

Before they began patrolling the area, residents lived in fear of kidnapping, extortion and theft of avocados, according to a member of the self-defense group Pueblos Unidos, which says it has 700 members.

“We need to be armed to defend ourselves,” he told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity, wearing a badge reading “Down with injustice, no more dead.”

Previously, criminals “came to do what they wanted to us, and that doesn’t happen anymore,” he added.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador opposes such self-defense groups — a phenomenon that dates back to 2013 — saying that some of them have become fronts for criminals.

Such comments are not well received in Ario de Rosales, where another Pueblos Unidos member says the president should “get his shoes dirty” to discover the reality of life in the area, where the Jalisco New Generation and Los Viagras cartels operate.

The police and military “feared the criminals or were paid by them to do nothing,” said another vigilante who gave his name as Martin.

‘Hugs not bullets’

It is estimated that there are around 50 such self-defense groups in Mexico, which has seen intensifying violence in recent months, notably in Michoacan and the northern states of Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.

Mexico registered 14,243 murders in the first five months of the year, and the bloodshed has shown no sign of stopping since then.

On June 19, alleged members of the Gulf Cartel shot dead 15 people described by the government as innocent victims in the border city of Reynosa in Tamaulipas.

Four attackers were killed by the police.

One hitman who was arrested said that the massacre sought to “heat up the plaza” …

Entertainment / News

Victor AD mourns TB Joshua, says he healed him of skin disease

Victor AD also revealed how TB Joshua gave him over a million naira when he was going through some challenges.

The singer, who made this known in an Instagram post titled, ‘Tribute To Prophet TB Joshua,’ said the pastor showed him so much undeserved love.

He wrote; “My Dad, late Mr Emmanuel Adere introduced me and my entire family to SCOAN in 1996 and ever since then you’ve been a blessing to us.

“I still remember how God used you to heal me of a skin disease as a little boy, after moving from one hospital to another but all to no avail. You showed me so much undeserving love, helped my family and me countless times.

“I remember when I was going through some challenges and I was planning to speak to you about it. But before I did you, reached out to me and gave me over a million naira, and I was like, I was about to tell you that I was going through challenges. You smiled and said I know what you are going through… God is with you. I felt peace in my heart.

“You taught me how to pray for grace and God’s mercy and exclude all boasting from my achievements. You never judged me even when you knew my flaws. You welcomed me with so much love and said everyone makes mistakes and mistakes are correctable.

“I can go on and on… words are too weak to express your good deeds for this generation. We love you, Daddy. Rest on till will meet again.”

TB Joshua died on Saturday, June 5, 2021, at the age of 57.

The popular pastor was laid to rest in his church premises at Ikotun, Lagos on Friday, July 9, 2021.

…
Entertainment / Health

Sound Sultan dies of throat cancer at 44

He died following a hard-fought battle with Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is a group of related cancers that affect the lymphatic system.

Recall that in May, it was reported that the artiste was diagnosed with throat cancer in the United States.

He was said to have commenced chemotherapy in one of the hospitals in the country.

Sound Sultan, whose career in show business started in the 1990s, however, died two months later.

The versatile artist is survived by his wife, three children and siblings.

May his soul rest in peace.

…
Entertainment / Music

Kingdom emerges winner of Nigerian Idol season 6 in pulsating finale

The finale night also witnessed performances from some of the biggest acts in Nigeria including Mavin’s newest signee, Ayra Starr who performed her song “Away”; award-winning singer Patoranking who performed his new hit “Celebrate Me”. RnB star, Chike joined Francis Atela on stage for a breathtaking duet of the former’s song, “Roju”. While Kingdom and superstar producer Cobhams Asuquo came together for yet another beautiful performance.

Kingdom’s win further emphasizes his musical talent, which he has displayed from the auditions to the live shows, where he constantly wowed the judges with his flawless performances. Kingdom did just enough at the finale to edge out Francis who has equally been a standout contestant all season.

Reacting to his win, a very emotional Kingdom said,‘’My grandma used to say one day you’ll be very great. And then she died. And I almost gave up. But I want to thank the judges for believing in me and my fellow contestants for pushing me.”

Commenting on Kingdom’s emergence as the winner of Nigerian Idol season 6, CEO of MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, said, “We are proud of what Kingdom has achieved on the show. His emergence as the winner is a testament of how much great talent abounds in Nigeria. For us at MultiChoice, we are committed to helping talent like Kingdom, as well as other contestants that participated, reach their potential and also launch them to a much bigger audience.”

Kingdom, a Computer Science and Informatics student at Federal University, Otuoke, and a music teacher, walks away with a recording deal of a six track EP, with music video shoots for three of the songs, and over 50 million Naira worth of prizes, which include a N30 million cash prize and a brand new SUV.

Nigerian Idol Season 6 was sponsored by Bigi Drinks and Tecno Mobile.

…
News / politics

APC appoints two Governors to reconcile aspirants

The All Progressives Congress has appointed Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu and AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman of Lagos and Kwara States to head its reconciliation efforts on the Anambra State governorship election.

Senator John Akpanudoedehe, National Secretary APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee, said this in a statement on Sunday.

He said the decision to appoint the governors followed the recently concluded APC primaries to elect the party’s candidates for the forthcoming November 6, 2021 Anambra State governorship election.

Akpanudoedehe said: “The CECPC has appointed the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-olu and the Governor of Kwara, Alhaji AbdulRasaq AbdulRahman to unify and strengthen the party in the state ahead of the elections.

“The two party leaders are charged with the responsibility of bringing together all the erstwhile aspirants and their supporters to join the campaign organisation of the party and achieve victory for it in the state.”

Akpanudoedehe said the governors were mandated to do everything reasonable and necessary to ensure that all feuding parties, erstwhile aspirants and their supporters close ranks and worked for the APC.

He added this was critical to ensure that the party defeated contestants that would be fielded by other political parties for the election.

He stressed that the party was looking forward to a unified front and a shared commitment to support it before, during and after the election.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Senator Andy Uba won the June 26 primary election conducted by the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led committee.

Abiodun is the governor of Ogun State.

Fourteen aspirants took part at the primaries: Andy Uba, Nwokafor Daniel, George Moghalu, Paul Orajiaka, Edozie Madu, Chidozie Nwankwo, Maxwell Okoye, Geoffrey Onyejegbu, Azuka Okwuosa, Onwa Mokelu, Igwebuike Hygers, Godwin Okonkwo, Beneth Etiaba and Onunkwo Obinna.

Most of the aspirants, including Moghalu, had criticised the primaries, saying it was marred with irregularities and never held in some parts of the state.…

News / politics

Ohanaeze Ndigbo demands fair trial for Kanu

Pan-Igbo socio-cultural organization, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has demanded that the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, must be within the ambit of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and in conformity with global best practices.

To ensure that the IPOB leader gets a fair hearing, the organization said it had constituted a legal team led by its national legal adviser and eminent Igbo leaders to monitor the legal proceedings throughout the trial.

These were part of the resolutions contained in the communiqué issued by the organization after its National Executive Committee meeting held in Enugu on Saturday July 10, signed by its national publicity secretary, Hon. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia.

It stated: “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has observed with keen interest the recent re-arraignment and consequent trial of our son, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“Inasmuch as Ohanaeze Ndigbo is not averse to the trial of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, we however submit that he should be tried within the ambit of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and in line with global best practices.”

The organization also expressed its support for the stand taken by the Southern Governors Forum on anti-open grazing, restructuring, rotation of the President of Nigeria to the South in 2023, and the proposed five per cent share of the Petroleum Industries Bill (PIB) for the host communities.

It said further that while it identifies with the Igbo youths in their grievances over Igbo marginalization, menace of the Fulani herdsmen, among others, it does not support the use of any form of violence to redress the relative deprivation and prevailing inequality and injustice across the country.

“We, therefore, urge the youths to be law-abiding and sheathe their swords as the South East leaders and stakeholders address these our collective grievances through meaningful dialogue and negotiations,” it said.

It also advised Igbo youths to take advantage of the ongoing voters’ registration, saying this is the only means to guarantee effective participation in Nigerian politics “and a sine qua non to …

Football / Sports

Italy win Euro 2020 title in dramatic penalty shootout

Italy are the champions of Europe. On Saturday in the Euro 2020 final, the Italians defeated England in a penalty shootout to become the undisputed kings of the continent. The win is Italy’s second ever Euro title and first since 1968. It was the first shootout in a Euro final since 1976.

England manager Gareth Southgate brought on both Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho to take penalty kicks, and both missed. Rashford hit the left post and Sancho’s effort was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma. The goalkeeper saved young talent Bukayo Saka’s attempt, which was England’s fifth, to clinch the title.

A second-half goal from Italy forced extra time as they were level with England 1-1 after 90 minutes. After Luke Shaw’s second-minute opener, it was defender Leonardo Bonucci who got the Italians on the board at Wembley Stadium, cleaning up a loose ball inside the box with 23 minutes to go. As a result, 30 minutes of extra time will be played, with penalty kicks deciding it if no team has the advantage after the half of hour of additional play.

In the first half, England had just one shot, but boy did they capitalize on it. It was Kieran Trippier’s fine ball to an open back post in the second minute, with Shaw putting the ball away with a fine touch that saw it hit the post and get past Donnarumma. From that moment on, Italy saw most of the ball and had six shots during the remainder of the half, but most of them weren’t all that great aside from a Federico Chiesa effort that went wide of the right post. England defended well, were quick to react and closed down in a timely manner to frustrate Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne and company.

With changes needed for the Italians, Roberto Mancini opted to bring in midfielder Bryan Cristante in the 54th minute, and shortly after, he played a huge part in them drawing even. On a corner kick, he flicked a header to the back post, which saw …

Basket Ball / Sports

Giannis Antetokounmpo goes for 40-10 again, Milwaukee rolls in Game 3

We have ourselves a series. After dropping the first two games in Phoenix, the Milwaukee Bucks pulled out a much-needed 120-110 win over the Suns in Game 3 at Fiserv Forum Sunday night. With the victory, the Bucks now trail 2-1 in the NBA Finals, which is much more manageable than 3-0 — a deficit that’s proven to be historically unsurmountable.

As they have been throughout the postseason, the Bucks were led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 40-plus points for the second consecutive game. In all, Antetokounmpo finished with 41 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in 38 minutes of action. It was an extremely impressive performance from the two-time MVP, but he also had his fair share of help. Jrue Holiday had 21 points, nine assists and five rebounds, while Khris Middleton added 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists of his own. Chris Paul led the way for Phoenix with 19 points and nine assists, and DeAndre Ayton added 18 points and nine rebounds, but ultimately their production wasn’t enough.

The win was a big one for the Bucks, and the loss was obviously disappointing for a Suns team that controlled the first two games of the series. Still, neither team can afford to dwell on it for too long as they have to prepare for Game 4 on Wednesday night. Here are four key takeaways from Milwaukee’s win over Phoenix in Game 3.

1. Giannis made some NBA history

Not only did Giannis Antetokounmpo propel the Bucks to a Game 3 win, but he also made some serious NBA history in the process. By finishing with 41 points and 13 rebounds, Antetokounmpo became just the second player ever to record 40-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in consecutive NBA Finals games. The only other player to do it was Shaquille O’Neal.

Antetokounmpo did a lot of his damage from the paint in Game 3. In fact, the 24 points that he scored in the paint tied the record for the most in a Finals game over the last …

Military / News / politics

Buhari has mismanaged Nigeria’s diversity, says Col Abubakar Umar

Former military governor of Kaduna State, Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (ret), has accused President Muhammadu Buhari’s government of exhibiting poor skills in managing the diversity in the country.

In a statement, yesterday, entitled, ‘‘Nigeria: A nation challenged,’’ he said it was quite strange and disturbing that the Federal Government was according undue attention to the threats of separatist movements in contrast to the more daunting ones posed by bandits, kidnappers and insurgents in the Northwest, some parts of North Central and Northeast.

The former governor, who is also the leader of Movement for Unity and Progress (MUP), a civil rights group, said the arrest and prosecution of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is not Nigeria’s problem, rather “the inability of government to put an end to insurgency, banditry and kidnapping, while injustice, lack of equity and fairness is giving rise to the agitation by separatist groups in the country.’’

The former Governor called on President Buhari to exhibit the traits of uniting all the component parts of Nigeria together, instead of dividing the country, and subsequently, leading it to disintegration.

Recall that the respected critic had in an open letter dated May 30, 2020, warned the President that his knack for appointing people from his section of the country will ruin Nigeria.

Umar is renowned for opposing the annulment of the June 12 election in 1993 by the government in which he served. He was military governor of Kaduna between 1985 and 1988 under the regime of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.

In his statement, Umar said: “The recent re-arrest of the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was greeted with a loud sigh of relief and celebration in some sections of the country. It also elicited congratulatory messages to the Federal Government, which appears overwhelmed by the intractable security challenges and in dire need of any redeeming act.

“Activities of those criminals have resulted in the evacuation of over 20 per cent of the villages in Northwest and Northeast. Hundreds are being murdered and maimed every …

Crime / Foreign / Law / News

South Africa’s ex-president Zuma hands himself to prison

South Africa’s ex-president Jacob Zuma turned himself in to prison late Wednesday to begin serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court, his foundation said.

In a historic ruling, the Constitutional Court last week handed Zuma a 15-month term for snubbing anti-graft investigators.

Police had earlier on Wednesday warned they were prepared to arrest the former president by a midnight deadline to enforce the ruling, unless the top court instructed otherwise.

But Zuma decided to make his way to an unnamed prison in his home province of Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN).

“Please be advised that (ex) President Zuma has decided to comply with the incarceration order,” the foundation tweeted.

“He is on his way to hand himself into a Correctional Services Facility in KZN,” it said, just minutes before the deadline expired.

A convoy of cars believed to be carrying Zuma drove out of his homestead at high speed about 40 minutes before the cut-off time for him to give himself up.

Zuma had mounted a last-ditch legal defense and refused to turn himself in by Sunday night as the court ordered. Under the ruling, police were given three days to arrest him if he failed to surrender.

He had pleaded with the court for an 11th-hour reprieve.

In an urgent request to the Constitutional Court late Wednesday, Zuma’s lawyers asked it to “direct the suspension of its orders… to prevent our client from being arrested prior to all legal processes being finalised”.

Zuma’s first application to halt his arrest was heard on Tuesday but the judgement was reserved until Friday.

Separately, he has pleaded with the Constitutional Court to reconsider and rescind its jail order. That challenge will be heard next Monday.

Zuma, 79, was forced out of office in 2018 and replaced by Cyril Ramaphosa after a nine-year tenure stained by corruption scandals and the taint of cronyism.

Critics nicknamed him the “Teflon president” for his perceived ability to sidestep justice.

But his fortunes changed on June 29 when the court issued its damning judgement against him for contempt.…

Entertainment / News

‘Leave my boy alone,’ Angelique Kidjo claps back at Burna Boy’s critics

During the chat, the host questioned her about the perception of Burna Boy’s unapologetic nature and Kidjo responded that, “That’s the way to to do, because he knows what he is talking about.

“When you’re talented, yes, you have to have humility but that doesn’t mean you’re going to walk on yourself and apologize. For what? I’m good at what I do. You don’t like it? Sorry! If it was an African-American person having that attitude, nobody would say anything.

“That’s my boy mehn! Let him do his stuff. If you don’t like it, sorry for you… You leave my boy alone!”

You might recall that the public love from the legendary Kidjo to Burna Boy started when she publicly gave a shout-out to the Nigerian superstar, after her album, Celia won over African Giant. She was also the one who consoled Burna Boy after he was downtrodden by the loss.

You can watch her comments below;

…
News

Top 10 Nigerian most streamed songs doing Numbers

Feelings take the Top spot. It leads this week’s streaming and TV chart to become the fourth song ever to have reached No. 1 on all four major charts published by Turn Table Charts; Top 50, radio, TV and streaming.

Olamide’s “Rock” is down to No. 2 after spending three non-consecutive weeks at the top of the chart. It drew 1.97 million equivalent streams (down 29.1%), 32.4 million in radio reach (down 21.1%) and 10.7 million in TV reach (essentially week-over-week).

Rema’s “Soundgasm” holds at its No. 3 peak for a second straight week. The song continues to grow on radio and TV across the country.

Justin Bieber’s “Peaches (Masterkraft Remix)” rockets to No. 4 – a new peak for the song following the African remix featuring Alpha P & Omah Lay. “Peaches (Masterkraft Remix)” tallied 42 million in radio airplay reach (up 105%), 3.53 million in TV airplay reach (down 29.6%) and 182,000 equivalent streams (up 227%).

The total chart points for “Peaches (Masterkraft Remix)” includes chart points for the original which initially peaked at No. 5 and another remix featuring Usher, Snoop Dogg & Ludacris.

“Peaches (Masterkraft Remix)” is Omah Lay’s fifth top five entry on the chart, first top ten (and chart entry) for Alpha P and Masterkraft’s first top ten.

Burna Boy’s “Kilometre” slips 4-5 while Ruger’s “Bounce” slides down one place to No. 6.

Rounding out this week’s top ten of the Top 50; Joeboy’s “Show Me” moves to a new peak at No. 7, Cheque’s “History” with Fireboy DML rises 10-8, Buju’s “Outside” is up to No. 9 and Adekunle Gold’s “It Is What It Is” falls 7-10.

Just outside the top ten is a couple of debut entries; Rexxie’s “All” featuring Davido at No. 11 and AV’s “Big Thug Boys” at No. 15.

…
Entertainment / News

Davido pays tribute to Obama DMW

Obama DMW reportedly died of suspected heart failure at a hospital in Lekki, Lagos state on Tuesday, June 29.

In a long post shared via his Instagram page on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, the music expressed his sadness over the demise of one of his close associates.

“This is by far the hardest thing I’ve had to write. I am hurt, broken, sad, and lost. For the first time in my life, I am EXTREMELY confused. The pain is one I cannot explain. 44 was more than an elder brother to me, he was a protector,” he wrote.

“He was someone that literally just always made me smile. He would do absolutely anything to make me smile, no matter the issue or problems I had. His response was always “Don’t worry, I’ll talk to them”, “Don’t worry I’ll sort it out”, “Don’t worry I’ll give them something”.

“I would never believe in a millions years I will be writing a tribute like this to someone so dear to me this soon. All my life it’s been “David you’re strong, David you’re strong”. 44 I won’t lie to you, this time around, this one WEAK ME!!”

“I miss you so much 44. You became so peaceful. You ound peace and purpose, a true generational influence. I cannot even begin to count the amount of people you helped, artistes you brought to me, people you brought together in nothing but love and brotherhood. Actors, artistes, influencers all. God!

“44 I swear you will never be forgotten. Up until now I cannot believe this is real, I don’t even know what I’m writing, I’m just writing. I’m just confused.”

“This has been such a haunting week for all of us. All of us, me, his family, his son, his daughter, his brothers, his friends, a whole brotherhood; God give us all the strength. This isn’t even about me, it’s about all of us, and all the amazing plans and vision you had. 44 I swear, I will not let a single one of

…
Entertainment / News

‘Learn marshal act to defend yourself’ – Stella Damasus advises women as she slams those who accused her of promoting domestic violence

The movie star made this known while reacting to the comments she got from some men after she shared a clip from a movie on her Instagram page.

In the clip, a woman walked into her husband cheating and instead of the stereotype reaction of sobbing or denial, she attacked him with her marshal skills.

“For me posting that video was not in any form promoting domestic violence,” she said.

 

According to Damasus, the reason she posted the video was to show a different side of the story. A side, different from the typical Nigerian movie where the man would abuse or send the wife out of the house.

The actress slammed those who questioned her motive behind the release of the video.

She went on to advise women who are experiencing domestic violence in their homes to learn marshal acts to defend themselves from their abusive partners.

…
Sports / Tennis

Roger Federer knocked out by Hubert Hurkacz in quarter-finals

The Swiss lost 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-0 to the 14th seeded Pole, who reached his first Grand Slam semi-final.

It is the first time 20-time major champion Federer has lost a set to love at the All England Club.

Hurkacz will play seventh seed Matteo Berrettini for a place in Sunday’s final.

The Italian defeated Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3 5-7 7-5 6-3 to reach his first Wimbledon semi-final.

“It’s super special for me,” said Hurkacz, only the second Polish man to reach the semi-finals at a Grand Slam.

“Playing here and the special things [Federer] has done here, it’s a dream come true.”

Hurkacz, who was six when Federer won his first title at SW19, is the first player to win a set to love against the Swiss since Rafael Nadal in the 2008 French Open final.

Federer, at 39 years and 337 days, had been bidding to become the oldest man to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals in the Open era.

But defeat marked his first straight-set loss at Wimbledon in 19 years and left pundits and fans wondering whether this could turn out to be his final appearance at the grass-court Grand Slam.

Federer himself said he “does not know” if he will play at Wimbledon again.

Off-colour Federer falls short in bid to match record

Federer had two knee surgeries in 2020 and this was only his fifth event in 17 months, but had made no secret of the fact Wimbledon was his target this year as he looks to equal Martina Navratilova’s record of nine singles titles here.

With Novak Djokovic – into the semi-finals after defeating Marton Fucsovics – breathing down his and Rafael Nadal’s necks in the race for the most Grand Slams, this could have been his last chance to pull clear of his old foes on his best surface.

There had been concerns over his form coming into the tournament after a last-16 defeat by Auger-Aliassime at the Halle Open last month left him despondent, and he avoided an upset in the opening …

Football / Sports

England through to the finals after Controversial Penalty

Captain Harry Kane ended England’s 55-year wait for a major men’s final appearance with a dramatic extra-time winner, converting the rebound after Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel had saved his contentiously awarded penalty.

Three years on from the heartache in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Moscow, and 25 years on from his infamous missed penalty in the shootout defeat to Germany at Euro 96, it was redemption for Southgate and his players, as more than 60,000 fans generated a frenzied atmosphere seldom seen at the new Wembley.

“I’m so proud of the players,” Southgate said. “It’s an incredible occasion to be a part of, the fans were incredible all night.

“For our country… I’ve not heard the new Wembley like that, ever. To be able to share that with everybody is very special.”

England’s triumph was made all the more impressive by the spirited Denmark side they had to battle so relentlessly to overcome.

Mikkel Damsgaard gave the Danes the dream start with an exquisite opener from a free-kick, as Jordan Pickford was beaten at Euro 2020 for the first time. England replied by forcing Simon Kjaer to turn the ball into his own net, but Denmark, inspired by goalkeeper Schmeichel, repelled attack after attack and forced extra-time, before Kane finally secured that long-awaited final appearance

“It was never going to be straightforward, the game the other night in Rome was, but we told the players that they would have to show resilience and come back from some setbacks, and we did that tonight,” Southgate added.

“I felt we would get over the line but knew we would have different sorts of battles. Denmark are so underrated as a team; they did cause us a lot of problems.

“When you have waited as long as we have to get through a semi-final the players – given the limited amount of international experience some of them have – have done an incredible job.

“The most pleasing thing is that we’ve given our fans and nation a fantastic night, and …

Crime / News

UNICEF expresses concerns over child abductions in West, Central Africa

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has expressed “deep concerns” over the spate of child/children abductions in some parts of West and Central Africa.

In a statement on Wednesday July 7, 2021, the organization noted that on July 5, 150 students were abducted from a school in Kaduna State, Nigeria, and expressed the fear that such abductions would likely increase over the coming weeks.

“We are deeply concerned that as in years past, non-state armed groups and parties to conflict in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Niger and Nigeria will ramp up these violent activities over the coming weeks ahead of the rainy season when their movements could be restricted by flooding.

“Such incidents appear to be increasing in frequency, raising fears for the safety and wellbeing of the region’s children,” it said. It noted that in 2020, according to the latest report of the United Nations Secretary-General on children and armed conflicts, one in three child victims of grave violations has been in West and Central Africa.

“In Burkina Faso, attacks against civilians and other violations of international humanitarian law have spiked significantly in recent weeks. On 5 June, at least 130 civilians were killed in an attack on a village in Yagha Province that lasted for hours. This was the single deadliest attack in the country since the outbreak of violence in 2015.

“So far this month, 178 civilians have been killed, including children. More than 1.2 million people, 61 per cent of whom are children, are now displaced because of violence – a ten-fold increase in just the last three years.

“In Cameroon, members of an armed group attacked a religious center in Mamfe on 6 June, killing a 12-year-old boy and wounding a 16-year-old boy.

“Attacks on civilians, abductions and killings of school children and teachers are on the rise across the northwest and southwest parts of the country. We estimate that one million children in Cameroon need protection from violence.”

It noted that threats against aid …

Entertainment / News

Celebrity Milestone Birthdays that have happened this year

Turning a certain age especially round figures is a big deal to a lot of people and Nigerian celebrities are not left out. Milestone ages are wildly and largely celebrated on and off social media, and for most people, it is a transition to the best years of their lives yet. Here is a list of 5 Celebrities that have turned a milestone age in the year 2021.

1. Banky W Popular singer, Banky W clocked 40 in March and he was celebrated by fans and colleagues. To mark the special occasion, a party was thrown for him.

 

2. RMD Veteran actor, Richard Mode-Damijo turned 60 on July 6 and it was a big deal for him because none of his parents lived till that age. You can be sure that he still has solid plans to live life to the fullest.

3. Burna Boy The Grammy award-winning artiste was definitely excited to climb the 30th floor and he was well celebrated by fans, family and other superstars. He got a special gift from Manchester United star, Pogba, and his mum carried him on her back.

4. Temi Otedola The billionaire daughter and fashion influencer clocked 25 in style and she was well celebrated by fans and colleagues. Her musician boo, Mr Eazi took her to a private island to celebrate the special occasion.

5. Timi Dakolo The Iyawo Mi crooner climbed the 4th floor in January with excitement and he was well celebrated by fans and colleagues. A beautiful surprise dinner was thrown for the singer by close friends and colleagues.…

Sports / Tennis

Marcus Rashford and Andy Murray Support Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon after struggling with her breathing during the second set of her fourth-round match with Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic; Marcus Rashford leads defence of the teenager after she faced criticism for pulling out of the match.

Raducanu revealed she struggled with her breathing and felt dizzy during her fourth-round Wimbledon clash with Ajla Tomljanovic on Monday before being advised to retire.

Difficulty breathing was given as the official reason for her withdrawal on Monday night but the initial lack of explanation for what caused it led to intense speculation.

John McEnroe was heavily criticized after jumping to the conclusion immediately after the match on the BBC that she could not handle the occasion, and Piers Morgan said on Twitter saying she needed to toughen up.

Andy Murray weighed in, replying to a tweet from Kevin Pietersen about mental toughness being what separated good athletes from great ones, although the former England cricketer later insisted he had not been referring to Raducanu.

Murray wrote: “No question mental toughness can be what separates the best in sport but surely both of you aren’t judging her mental toughness on yesterday’s match?!

“I think some of what he (McEnroe) said was fair yes.. however the timing of it was a bit off considering nobody had any clue what her issue was injury/illness/breathings issues etc at the time of his comments.”

Several other sports stars then got behind the teenager who announced herself as a new star of British tennis by reaching the last 16 on her debut at the All England Club.

Rashford, who has taken on politicians in his bid to improve childrens’ lives for the better, drew

…