Author: Akintayo Adams

Four Nigerian gang members have been sentenced to a total of 13 years in prison for producing over 2,000 fake marriage certificates, allowing Nigerian citizens to live in the UK illegally. The individuals, Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade (41), Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo (38), Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi (31), and Adekunle Kabir (54), made fraudulent EU Settlement Scheme applications between March 2019 and May 2023, according to the Home Office. The convictions were reported by the Evening Standard on Tuesday. The group provided false Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other fraudulent documents to support applications for Nigerian nationals seeking to remain in the…

Popular Nigerian music video director and cinematographer, ThankGod Omori, widely known as TG Omori, has disclosed that he recently underwent a kidney transplant. In a heartfelt post on his verified X account (formerly Twitter), Omori revealed that his survival is due to his only brother, who donated one of his kidneys to save his life. Omori shared, “Yesterday, my only brother gave me one of his kidneys so I could live again,” expressing deep gratitude for the life-saving gesture. He also posted a photo of himself receiving treatment in the hospital, with the caption, “Keep my spirit alive.” TG Omori,…

Over 31.8 million Nigerians are currently grappling with acute food insecurity, with malnutrition among women and children compounding the crisis, according to the 2024 Cadre Harmonise report. The combination of surging food prices, attributed to the removal of fuel subsidies, and persistent security challenges has put millions of citizens in a vulnerable state. The report, highlighted by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning’s Public Relations Officer, Julie Osagie-Jacobs, during a joint review meeting on the implementation of food systems in Nigeria (held from August 26-27, 2024), underscores a worrying rise from 18.6 million people assessed as food insecure in…

The Lagos Mass Transit Red Line Rail will begin partial operations today (Wednesday). This was made known by the spokesperson for the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Kolawole Ojelabi, in a statement on Tuesday. The trains will convey passengers freely and run four daily trips between Oyingbo and Agbado. It is also a transport project connecting Lagos with Ogun State, as many Lagos workers and business owners reside in Ogun. “From Wednesday, August 28, the Red Line system will interact with non-fee-paying passengers in organised groups to collect feedback before the commencement of commercial operations. “The partial operations, similar…

Johann Rupert, a South African billionaire, has overtaken Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote to become Africa’s richest man. Dangote, who had held the top spot for several years, saw his fortune drop by $1.7 billion year-to-date, while Rupert’s wealth surged by $1.87 billion, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Rupert, 74, controls Cie Financiere Richemont, the world’s largest luxury watchmaker, and has additional holdings through Remgro, an investment vehicle based in South Africa. Meanwhile, Dangote’s wealth comes primarily from his 86% stake in Dangote Cement, alongside investments in Dangote Sugar, Nascon Allied Industries, and his massive Dangote Refinery. Other notable African…

President Bola Tinubu will hold bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. This is expected to hold at the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation Summit between September 4 and 6, 2024. President Bola Tinubu is set to visit China to represent the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at an upcoming summit. As the current chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Tinubu will engage in discussions focused on regional peace and security. According to presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, who briefed State House correspondents on Tuesday, the trip is also aimed at delivering significant economic…

The newly appointed Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mohammed Mohammed, has officially taken over leadership from his predecessor, Ahmed Abubakar. President Bola Tinubu selected Mohammed for the role following Abubakar’s resignation. The formal transition took place on Tuesday, August 27, during a handover ceremony that was captured on video by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). Abubakar had tendered his resignation to President Tinubu during a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Saturday. Subsequently, on Monday, Tinubu approved the appointments of new Directors-General for both the NIA and the Department of State Services (DSS). Get instant and latest…

Afrobeats star Divine Ikubor, better known as Rema, has touched down in his hometown of Benin, Edo State, ahead of his much-anticipated homecoming concert. His record label, Mavin, shared a video of his arrival on X, formerly known as Twitter on Tuesday with the caption, “Benin, your illustrious son; The Prince of Afrobeats – Rema is Home!” The concert is set for August 30 at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium and was first announced by Rema in July. This follows a previously planned concert by Governor Obaseki in December 2023, which was cancelled due to Rema’s health concerns. Get instant and…

Cristiano Ronaldo, the all-time leading goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League, will be honoured with a special award from UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin for his outstanding contributions to the world’s most prestigious club competition. The recognition will be given during the inaugural 2024/25 UEFA Champions League 36-team league phase draw ceremony, which is set to take place on Thursday, 29 August, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. Ronaldo, whose illustrious career spans over 18 years in Europe’s top leagues, has scored an incredible 140 goals in 183 Champions League appearances. He leads Lionel Messi by 11 goals and is far…

Poland Goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczęsny has announced his retirement from the beautiful game. He made the announcement via a post on his Instagram handle, saying this is a time for reflection and gratitude. “I left Warsaw, my hometown in June of 2006 to join Arsenal with one dream to make a living out of football. Little did I know it would be a start of a journey of a lifitime,” the post read. He appreciated the clubs he played for and the Polish National Team whom he was honored to represent 84 times. “Today, tough my body still feels ready for…