Author: Akintayo Adams

The Cameroonian presidency has denied reports claiming that President Paul Biya has passed away. The 91-year-old leader, who has been the subject of health-related speculation, had missed several international events, fueling rumors of his death. ABS Africa TV, on Tuesday, falsely announced Biya’s death. The president had not been seen publicly since leaving Beijing on September 8 after attending the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation. Despite expectations of his return to Cameroon, he remained in Switzerland on medical advice. A statement from Samuel Ayolo, the director of the presidency’s civil cabinet, reassured the public that Biya is alive and in good…

Access Bank has announced a temporary shutdown of services to facilitate a system upgrade aimed at enhancing its offerings. In a communication sent to customers on Tuesday, the bank revealed that the upgrade would be conducted in phases, beginning on Saturday, October 12, 2024, at 10 pm, and concluding on Sunday, October 13, 2024, at 6:30 am. During this period, customers may experience temporary disruptions on the Access More app, Internet Banking platform, and ATMs. However, the bank assured that cards would remain operational, and the *901# service would still be available for essential transactions such as funds transfers, airtime…

In the second quarter of 2024, foreign investors bypassed 26 states in Nigeria as the country’s capital importation reached $2.60 billion, marking a 152.81% year-on-year increase compared to $1.03 billion in Q2 2023. This data was revealed in the latest capital importation report released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday. Lagos State continued to dominate as the top destination for foreign investments, attracting $1.37 billion, or 52.52% of total capital inflows. Abuja followed closely, receiving $1.24 billion, which accounted for 47.48% of the total. The number of states with no recorded investments slightly decreased from 27 in Q2…

Egyptian Premier League giants, SC Zamalek, have indicated that they remain open to signing World Cup-winning defender Sergio Ramos, despite challenges posed by his high salary demands. Zamalek’s media coordinator, Ahmed Shawky, confirmed that Ramos, now a free agent, had been offered to the club through agents and mediators. While acknowledging Ramos’ stellar career and potential value, Shawky noted that financial difficulties could impede the deal, stating, “Sergio Ramos is a fantastic player who would be a huge asset for any club in the Middle East or Africa.” Speculation about Zamalek’s interest in Ramos began last month, ahead of their…

The State House has revealed that its overhead expenditure for 2024 reached ₦22.62bn, distributed across seven cost centres, including State House Headquarters, the offices of the President, Vice President, and Chief of Staff, among others. Permanent Secretary Olufunso Adebiyi shared this information during an oversight visit by the House of Representatives Committee on Special Duties to the Presidential Villa’s data centre. He reported a 99% implementation of overhead expenditure and a 43% implementation rate for capital projects for 2024. Adebiyi also highlighted that ₦15.08bn had been released, with ₦14.9bn already spent, leaving a small balance. Capital expenditure for the year…

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has officially designated the third stanza of Nigeria’s National Anthem as the National Prayer. In addition, the first stanza is now to be recited at all official functions, while all three stanzas will be reserved for special national events like Independence Day, Democracy Day, Children’s Day, and others. This update was shared by the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, during a briefing held at the agency’s office in Umuahia, Abia State. Represented by Mrs. Theresa Maduekwe, the DG explained that several proposals aimed at strengthening national values had been…

A Nigerian man recently took to social media to share his heartbreak after finding out that his girlfriend had cheated on him with another man. To make matters worse, he revealed that the new guy had physically assaulted him, leaving him with an injured lip. In a video posted on TikTok, he showcased his face and the caption, “Not only did she cheat on me, the new guy beat me too.” He went on to display the injury, showing the aftermath of the altercation. As the video gained attention online, many concerned individuals flooded the comments to share their thoughts…

French authorities have expelled Omar bin Laden, son of the late Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, due to social media posts advocating terrorism, according to France’s new Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau. Omar, 43, who was born in Saudi Arabia and has lived in Sudan and Afghanistan, left his father at the age of 19. In 2016, he moved to Normandy, France. Retailleau stated on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday that Omar had made these controversial posts in 2023. Consequently, the prefect of Orne issued an order for him to leave France, a decision upheld by the courts in the…

A Federal High Court in Abuja reinstated Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) on Tuesday. The court affirmed the validity of the 2024 Labour Party national convention held in Nnewi, which re-elected Abure, ruling that the convention complied with Nigerian laws. This decision was shared in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh. Justice Emeka Nwite, delivering the judgement, directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fully recognize Abure’s leadership and extend all privileges to the National Working Committee led by him. Previously, INEC had refused to acknowledge Abure as the…

Popular activist Deji Adeyanju has confirmed that singer and social media sensation Darlington Okoye, known as Speed Darlington, is currently being detained by the Nigerian Police Force in Abuja. Adeyanju, who is also a lawyer, stated that Speed Darlington was arrested in Lagos last Friday and has since been transferred to Abuja, where he remains in custody. The arrest reportedly stemmed from a formal complaint filed by Grammy Award-winning artist Burna Boy, although specific details regarding the petition have not been disclosed. Adeyanju shared this information in a post on his X account on Tuesday, saying, “We just spent the…