Nigerian Academic Excellence Magazine (NAEM)

(The Whistler)The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned recent Federal High Court judgments and called for visa restrictions on judges allegedly issuing rulings perceived as politically motivated. HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, called on the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union to impose travel restrictions on Justices: John Tsoho, Joyce Abdulmalik, Peter Lifu, James Omotosho, Donatus Uwaezuoke Okorowo, and Emeka Nwite for allegedly delivering politically motivated judgements. The group specifically said Justice Abdulmalik’s recent judgement blocking FAAC allocations to Rivers State amounts to a “constitutional coup” and capable of disrupting Nigeria’s democracy. The Rivers ruling, according to HURIWA, disregards a longstanding Supreme Court principle affirming that statutory allocations to states cannot be withheld by federal authorities. HURIWA insisted that the judgement violates established legal precedence, putti...

  (Vanguard)  Major oil marketers across Nigeria have raised the prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, from N1,010 to N1,050 per litre, marking a 4% increase in Lagos and surrounding areas. Meanwhile, independent oil marketers have adjusted their prices to between N1,100 and N1,200 per litre, up from about N1,060 per litre, with variations depending on location. Vanguard’s investigation revealed that due to the deregulated market, petrol prices are not fixed, resulting in slight price differences among filling stations, although some stations maintain similar pricing.   Credit: Vanguard 

  (Naija News) The lawmaker representing Delta North in the Nigerian Senate, Ned Nwoko, has maintained that the Southeast has been marginalized and creating a 6th state will assuage their agitation. Naija News reports that Ned, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, pointed out that the Southeast is the only region with five states, unlike other regions, except for the Northwest, which has seven states. The lawmaker expressed confidence that the Federal Government would create another state out of Delta State to give the South-South a 7th or a 6th for the Southeast. Ned Nwoko added that the people of Anioma in Delta State are proudly Igbos and would become the 6th state of the South East. He said, “The creation of Anioma State is very possible. The need is for self-determination. Let me tell you this, I represent 9 local government areas. “My constituency is made up of 9 local government areas. Out of this 9 lgas, 6 of them are oil and gas producing. We’re pre...

(Vanguard) The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has vowed to withdraw the services of its members from all duties if the Federal High Court judgement that barred the Central Bank of Nigeria from paying allocation to Rivers State affects the well-being of its members. The Rivers State Council of NLC took this position during an emergency meeting in Port Harcourt, on Thursday, attended by labour leaders. The Chairman of NLC in the state, Alex Agwanwo, who addressed pressmen after the meeting, said the council condemned the decision by court stopping the state’s allocation. Agwanwo said the council considered the decision of the court and found out that the judge, who entered the judgement did not consider the interest of the entirety of the people of the state, describing it as anti-development. The labour leader opined that the judgement lacked human face and empathy, adding that workers would be affected heavily. He said: “Yesterday, there was a court judgement stopping the state allocati...

(Daily Mail Exclusive) Donald Trump has overtaken Kamala Harris in the final DailyMail.com/J.L. Partners national poll before Election Day, with the former president holding a three-point lead over the vice president. Both candidates have shored up their bases, but Trump has done better at picking up support from independents and undecided voters in the final push, according to the data. The poll of 1,000 likely voters, which has  margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent, shows that Trump is trending up, with the support of 49 percent to Harris' 46 percent. The race is still close. Yet, with five days to go, the numbers mean Trump is currently on course to become the first Republican candidate since George W. Bush in 2004 to win the popular vote. The vice president held a one-point lead when the poll was last conducted in September. She enjoyed a two-month honeymoon after President Joe Biden announced he was ending his reelection campaign. Her poll numbers and fundraising surge...

  Elon Musk on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania.(Samuel Corum via Getty Images). BY Alena Botros (Fortune) The world’s richest man is buying real estate. What’s so surprising about that? Not much. But what if I told you he’s bought three mansions, one that’s behind another and a third that’s a 10-minute walk away, all in Austin, supposedly for his children and their mothers.  It seems Elon Musk has been attempting to build a sort of family compound, according to reporting by the New York Times, citing people familiar with his plans. Musk apparently recently told people close to him that he sees his children, of which there are at least 11 per the Times, and two of their three mothers, all living together in the adjoining properties.  Credit: Fortune 

Justice A. T. Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has convicted and sentenced a final year student of the University of Port Harcourt, Henry Nathaniel Ekanem forteen(14) years imprisonment for internet fraud. He was jailed on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 upon arraignment by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on seven-count charges bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and impersonation. One of the counts reads: "That you, Henry Nathaniel Ekanem on or about 17th September, 2024, at Choba in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of Twenty Two United States of America dollars ($22)  from Diana Roskov by fraudulently representing yourself as Coran Capsha, manager of the singer, Chris Stapleton, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable...

Governor Siminalayi Fubara. X/@SimFubaraSKC (Channels Television) Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Wednesday said concerns over the Federal High Court decision that restricted the release of state allocations is “the least” of his problems. Governor Fubara stated during a special thanksgiving service organised by the state government to celebrate his administration’s resilience amid escalating political crises, which began with the arson attack on the State House of Assembly complex exactly one year ago. Governor Fubara assured that despite the court order, his administration would continue payments to contractors and ensure workers’ salaries are disbursed from tomorrow. He also confirmed that allocations for the 23 Council Chairmen would be credited, as the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) procedures have been completed. The governor encouraged his supporters to remain resilient, assuring them that all challenges are surmountable. Reflecting on his administration...

(Daily Mail) Deputy secretary general Naim Qassem was recently elected and named the leader of the terror group, one month after the former chief was killed in an Israeli airstrike. But Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, in charge of the IDF, has said as he shared a photo of Qassem: 'Temporary appointment. Not for long.'  It comes just weeks after the Shia cleric delivered a ranting 19-minute speech in the wake of Nasrallah's assassination, vowing that Hezbollah would continue fighting a 'long battle' with Israel.  Qassem's accession marks the first time Hezbollah has had a new leader since February 1992 when Shia cleric Nasrallah took power and oversaw the group in its transition from a militant force into a political party and regional powerhouse.  But his accession to the position of secretary general sees him inherit a sorry state of affairs, with Hezbollah engaged in bitter fighting with IDF troops in southern Lebanon while Israel's Air Force (IAF) ...

  (Punch) A Kuje Magistrate Court on Wednesday granted bail to a House of Representatives member for Aba North and South, Alex Ikwechegh, in the sum of N500,000. Ikwechegh was arraigned for allegedly assaulting a Bolt driver, Stephen Abuwatseya, outside his Abuja residence. The lawmaker went viral in a video on social media for allegedly assaulting the bolt driver. In the video, the lawmaker could be heard threatening the driver and assuring him that he could make him disappear without a trace. Credit: punchng.com 

  (WION)According to a report published in the South China Morning Post, a woman - identified as Jane Huang - received a call from a government official who asked her a very unexpected question, “[Hello!] Is that Ms Huang? Sorry to disturb you. I am from your sub-district office, are you pregnant now?” The 35-year-old working mother said that the worker went to the extent of asking her when she had her last period and gave her a reminder about now being "the right time” to conceive another baby. I laughed so hard when I told my husband about it. The surveyor must be from the previous generation, who did not realise that she was talking to a whole different generation that values privacy, quality of life and choices much more,” said Huang. Like Huang, China's government is pursuing thousands of women to plan a child and soon get pregnant. The government is also trying to understand why so many women are not willing to have more children and come up with a new policy in the wake...

  (AIT LIVE) Niger State House of Assembly has raised the alarm over take over and occupation of one of the biggest military training camps in Nigeria by terrorists saying the gunmen have also chased away about 23 farming communities within the area. The training camp is located at the Nagwamase Military Cantonment in Kontagora, headquarters of the Kontagora local government area of the state. The Nagwamase Military Cantonment, Kontagora, hosts the largest military training camp in Nigeria, where personnel of the Nigerian Army Artillery Corps undergo training, but according to the state lawmakers, the facility has been taken over by terrorists. The Assembly, therefore, urged the State Government to liaise with the military authority to flush out the terrorists from the training camp, which also plays host to about 23 communities in the area. In a motion of urgent public importance brought by the member representing Kontagora II State Constituency, Abdullahi Isah, during plenary on ...

  Ogun State — ₦146.88 billion Southeast IGR — ₦142.95 billion 1 Enugu — ₦33.86 billion 2 Anambra — ₦33.46 billion 3 Ebonyi — ₦30.84 billion 4 Abia — ₦23.73 billion 5 Imo — ₦21.05 billion @Statisense (National Bureau of Statistics, NBS) My Take  This is shocking! We have work to do in the Southeast.

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Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu [Credit:Oriental News Nigeria] (NAN) Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has sued the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged threat to arrest, detain and prosecute him after his tenure as governor. Mr Sanwo-Olu, through his lawyer, Darlington Ozurumba, filed the fundamental right enforcement suit before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of a Federal High Court in Abuja. When the matter was called for mention on Tuesday, Mr Ozurumba informed the court that he had withdrawn the earlier originating summons filed and replaced it with a new one. The lawyer said the anti-graft agency had been duly served with the latest court documents. However, EFCC’s counsel, Hadiza Afegbua, said she had yet to see the documents. Besides, the proof of service of the processes was not in the court file and Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until November 11 for further mention. The originating summons, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/773/2024 dated and filed on June 6, the gover...

  (Tribune) The planned screening of ministerial nominees sent to the Senate last week by President Bola Tinubu may run into some troubled political waters as lawmakers from the South-East zone were said to have expressed displeasure over what they termed apparent neglect of the zone. Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune confirmed that the South-East caucus in the National Assembly has been angered by the marginalization of the zone as seen in the ministerial configuration. It was learnt that the lawmakers have been meeting since the list was unveiled and that they will seek to halt the screening in the Senate. A source close to the National Assembly said that lawmakers from the South-East have expressed displeasure that President Tinubu has continued to marginalize the zone despite repeated complaints, especially following the last ministerial nominations, when it was confirmed that the South-East only has 10.4 per cent of the 48 ministers appointed by the president. A lawmaker ...

  The Imo State Police Command has arrested a 17-Year-Old Lady addressed as Jesse Chidiebere, a student of Imo State University, IMSU, who faked her kidnapping and de$ath. A Press statement by the public relations officer of the command, ASP Henry Okoye, disclosed that her arrest was effected by the Orji Police Divisional Headquarters on October 26, 2024, at 10 pm after receiving a distress call from concerned citizens reporting her missing. The situation reportedly caused public unrest as her family and the university community were thrown into panic. According to the statement, a message sent from her WhatsApp account claimed she had been abducted and killed, urging her family to go to the Orji Police Station for confirmation. Okoye further stated that in responding to the distress call, police operatives launched a search and discovered the following morning, October 27, 2024, that Chidebere was alive and had fabricated the story as a prank on social media. The Police Spokespers...

NEW YORK, October 29. /TASS/. US entrepreneur Elon Musk opined that Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump is heading towards a "crushing victory" in next week’s presidential election as he compared the results of early votes in Pennsylvania of four years ago and this year. "Early votes in Pennsylvania now show Republicans doing 435k better than Democrats vs the same date in 2020. [US President Joe] Biden’s margin of victory was only 80k in 2020. Trending towards a crushing victory," Musk wrote on his page on X. The United States will hold its presidential election on November 5. Trump was nominated as the Republican Party’s candidate for president. He is running against US Vice President Kamala, the Democratic presidential nominee. Credit: Tass

(Punch) South African retailer, Pick n Pay has announced it will exit Nigeria, selling its 51 per cent stake in a joint venture as part of a strategy to restructure operations outside of its home market. Pick n Pay Chief Executive Officer, Sean Summers, confirmed the exit on Monday, according to Reuters, signaling another major South African player stepping back from Nigeria’s retail sector. Pick n Pay initially entered Nigeria in 2021 after partnering with A.G. Leventis (Nigeria) in 2016 and operated two stores. The venture was originally viewed as a step into one of Africa’s largest consumer bases, targeting Nigeria’s underserved grocery retail market. However, it appears economic challenges, naira volatility, and other regulatory issues may have contributed to making it difficult for the retailer to maintain profitability and expand as envisioned. Despite this exit, Pick n Pay previously expressed optimism about Nigeria’s long-term potential, citing it as an appealing growth market....

  (Vanguard) Nollywood actress Regina Daniels has revealed how she faced opposition from her family regarding her marriage to politician Ned Nwoko. The actress made this known during a live session on her social media handle where she addressed rumors that she had no choice in marrying Nwoko, who is significantly older. Regina Daniels revealed that her mother and family were initially against the union. She also disclosed that, at the time she met Nwoko, she also had suitors but chose her husband. The actress said: “I was going to visit my boyfriend, I was so angry, I was like mum, ‘Why do we all need to go visit and go sightseeing?’. But when we got there, we met a cute man. Moral of the story: Your boyfriend should not stop you from finding your husband. “When I saw him with my husband, I forgot I was supposed to have a boyfriend. At that time, I had like 20 boyfriends. All serving different purposes. When people think I didn’t have a choice or my mum forced me, not knowing that ...

(NewsMirror) The member representing Aba North and South Federal Constituency, Hon. Mascot Ikwechegh, whose video went viral for humiliating a delivery driver has tendered a public apology after he was arrested by the police. The apology letter, personally signed by him reads: I, Honourable Alex Ikwechegh, Member of the House of Representatives, wish to address a deeply disturbing incident that occurred at my residence recently. A video has surfaced showing me engaging in unacceptable behavior towards an Uber driver who came to deliver a waybill for me. I am deeply sorry for my actions and acknowledge that they were unacceptable and unbecoming of a public official. As a public servant, I recognize the trust placed in me by my constituents and the Nigerian people. My behaviour fell short of the standards expected of me, and for that, I am truly sorry. I understand that my actions have caused harm and embarrassment to the driver, my constituents, and the nation at large. I want to assure...

  Arraignment of Police Inspector Joseph Ozonwanji, formerly of the Anti-Cultism Police Squad, Enugu over the k$lling of popular musician Igbo Jah. X/@Enugu_PoliceNg (Channels Television) The Nigeria Police, on Monday, arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court, Police Inspector Joseph Ozonwanji, formerly of the Anti-Cultism Police Squad, Enugu, for the m@rder of an Igbo ogene musician, Okezie Mba, popularly known as Igbo-Jah, at the weekend. His arraignment followed his orderly room trial and approval of his dismissal and arraignment by the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 13, AIG Godwin Aghaulor. The police prosecution was led by the Officer-in-Charge of the Enugu State Police Command, SP Justice Attah and Emmanuel Ajogwu. The charge marked CME/614/2024, reads: “That you Ozonwanji Joseph ‘m’ on 25th day of October 2024 at about 2010hrs at anti-Cultism Police Squad, Goshen Estate Enugu in the Enugu North Magisterial District did unlawfully k$ll one Okezie C...

The House of Representatives has officially responded to the allegations of assault involving Alex Ikwechegh, the member representing Aba North/South Federal Constituency of Abia State, following a viral video that captured him assaulting Stephen Abuwatseya, a Bolt driver. In the footage, Ikwechegh threatened the driver, boasting that not even the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, could intervene. In a statement issued on Monday evening, Rotimi Akin Rotimi, Jr, the spokesman for the House of Representatives, announced that an investigation into the matter was underway. The statement reads, “The House of Representatives is monitoring media reports concerning an alleged incident involving Rep. Alex Ikwechegh (APGA, Abia). These reports, which have garnered widespread media coverage and public attention, detail accusations of a physical confrontation with an e-hailing driver, Citizen Stephen Abuwatseya, and the use of threatening language. “The 10th Assembly, House of Represe...

(Vanguard) Stephen Abuwatseye, the Bolt driver allegedly assaulted by Alex Ikwechegh, a member of the Nigerian House of Representatives from Abia State, has shared his harrowing experience. In a conversation with social media personality Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, Abuwatseye revealed that Ikwechegh threatened to pay fifty million Naira to individuals to kill him. He explained that this threat prompted him to record the incident. Abuwatseye also mentioned that he is unwell, noting that the lawmaker hit him several times on the chest. Parts of his statement: “You Common Bolt Driver. You Are a Poor Man. You Have Pride in Your Poverty. Do You Know Who I Am?”, Alexander Ikwechegh told me. Victim’s Account: “I said, ‘So the problem you have now is that a poor man should not speak. I am a Nigerian and should not be treated as a foreigner in this country. I am from Delta State, and I cannot have you treat me like a foreigner in my own country. “The honorable member was not detained wh...

A reconstruction of an ancient church recently discovered in Armenia. The newly discovered church measures about 100 feet across and is shaped like an octagon with “cruciform annexes oriented east-west and north-south,” according to Achim Lictenberger, who noted the discovery of a similar structure from a slightly later period found in Abchazia (Sebastopol). | Credit: AGAP By Madalaine Elhabbal (CNA- EWTN News) A team of German and Armenian researchers made a groundbreaking discovery last week of an ancient church in Armenia dating back to the fourth century, making it the oldest documented church in Armenia, which is considered the first Christian nation in the world. In an email correspondence with CNA, co-directors of the project Achim Lichtenberger and Torben Schreiber of the University of Münster and Hayk Gyulamiryan of the Armenian Academy of Sciences explained the significance of the discovery made by the team at the site of the ancient city of Artaxata. The project’s fourth co-...

(Sahara Reporters) Four Nigerian men have been declared missing by their family members after they travelled to Benin Republic for business activities. The men identified as Habeeb Adesola, Baseer Adesola, Moshood Afolabi and Rufai Gafar reportedly left Nigeria on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, to meet their business partner in Benin Republic but have since gone missing. A family source told SaharaReporters on Monday that their mobile numbers have not been reachable since Wednesday, October 23, 2024, a family who spoke to SaharaReporters. According to the family source, the four men confirmed their arrival in Benin Republic on Tuesday and that they were staying at the F&F Hotel in the Savalou region. “Since that moment, by Wednesday, their phone numbers could not be reached again. The phone of their business partner is also not reachable,” the family source added. The family identified their business partner in Benin Republic as one Ogah K. Anthonin. A statement issued by the family re...

(Vanguard) The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), on Sunday, urged South-East residents to upgrade their pre-paid meters before Nov. 24. The EEDC Head of Corporate Communications, Mr Emeka Ezeh, told newsmen in Enugu. “This is due to the Token Identifier (TID) rollover, an exercise that affects all Standard Transfer Specification (STS) compliant prepaid meters across the globe,” Eze said. It would be recalled that EEDC had in its various engagements and enlightenment programmes notified South-East residents that all STS prepaid meters would cease to accept credit tokens by Nov. 24 unless they are upgraded. Ezeh said that the EEDC successfully cut over to its newly acquired vending system, “SuperEdge”, as part of its preparation for a smooth upgrade. According to him, prepaid meters not upgraded will no longer accept new tokens, though they will still be functional till the energy credits already loaded in them are used up. “Consequently, customers who have not recharged the...

  Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Las Vegas on October 24, 2024. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images CNN —  Top executives at some of the country’s largest tech companies have sought out Donald Trump ahead of Election Day, looking to get an audience with the former president as the likelihood he returns to the Oval Office sits at a coin flip. Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook chatted last week about the iPhone maker’s ongoing legal issues in Europe, the former president divulged in an interview Thursday. Later in the day, Trump told a Las Vegas audience that the “head of Google,” who is CEO Sundar Pichai, called to marvel over the Republican nominee’s campaign stop slinging french fries at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s. “He said, ‘This is one of the hottest things. We have never seen anything like this,’” Trump recalled. He retold the story Friday on Joe Rogan’s podcast and identified the executive as Pichai. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy also recently reached out to check...