The Chairman and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has stated that her office reached out to newly elected UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, but received no response.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Dabiri-Erewa emphasized that Nigeria would not compel Badenoch to embrace her Nigerian roots if she chooses otherwise.

“It depends on whether she embraces her Nigerian identity. We reached out to her once or twice, but there was no response. We don’t force anyone to acknowledge being Nigerian,” Dabiri-Erewa explained.

The NiDCOM chief noted the commission’s openness to engaging with Nigerians abroad who actively choose to celebrate their heritage.

She cited the example of a former Miss Universe Nigeria who reconnected with her Nigerian roots after facing challenges in South Africa.

“She then identified with Nigeria, came to Nigeria, and we hosted her. If the Nigerian blood is in you, you’re always a Nigerian,” she added.

Badenoch, born in London in 1980, spent part of her childhood in Lagos and later in the United States, where her mother worked as a lecturer.

Concluding her remarks, Dabiri-Erewa stressed that the choice to identify with Nigeria remains with Badenoch, affirming NiDCOM’s readiness to engage with anyone who identifies with Nigeria.

“We are open to working with anyone who sees themselves as Nigerian, but it’s not something we can force,” she concluded.

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday, approved a minimum wage of ₦80,000 for the state workforce.

In a statement released by the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, in Ibadan, the state capital, it was revealed that the Technical Committee set up by the state government had recommended and obtained approval from Makinde for the implementation of the new salary scale.

Oyelade said, “This new scale will be implemented as soon as the consequential adjustments process is completed by the committee, which comprises both government and Labour top officials.”

Oyelade recalled that, only last month, a federal government agency, the National Bureau of Statistics, in its latest employment statistics published for 2024, rated the state as the most worker-friendly in the whole of Southern Nigeria due to a significant decline in the state’s unemployment rate, following the high-pitched employment of workers into various sectors of the state.

“The Oyo State Government has been paying workers’ salaries on the 25th of every month since Governor Makinde took office in 2019.

“The governor began paying the previous ₦30,000 minimum wage from the start of his tenure over four years ago, including consistent payments of pensions, gratuities, and a 13th-month salary for both workers and pensioners alike.

“Since November 2023, Governor Makinde has been paying ₦25,000 to workers and ₦15,000 to pensioners as a welfare wage award. The Makinde administration introduced the wage award to cushion the effects of the Federal Government’s fuel subsidy removal and has remained consistent with these payments for over a year, even to this day.”

The commissioner reiterated that the governor has paid the backlog of gratuities from 2008 to 2015 for pensioners, with an increase in gratuity payments for those under both the Local Government Staff Pensions Board and those paid by the Ministry of Establishment and Training.

He added that the governor has also reinstated pensioners whose names were removed by the previous administration and continues to provide all pensioners with an annual Christmas/New Year chicken bonus.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and owner of X (formerly Twitter), saw his fortune surge by around $13 billion just hours after his ally, Donald Trump, won the U.S. presidential election.

Investors were quick to predict that Trump’s victory could bring favorable conditions for Musk’s primary venture, Tesla (TSLA), causing shares to jump by 13% at Wednesday’s market open, according to CNN.

This market response significantly boosted the value of Musk’s 411 million Tesla shares by over $13 billion, yielding an astronomical return on the $119 million he has reportedly donated to Trump’s campaign efforts.

Musk has shown strong support for Trump throughout the election, donating heavily and even interviewing the former president on X. The Federal Election Commission notes that Musk has contributed close to $119 million through a
political action committee aimed at backing Trump, making him one of Trump’s most high- profile supporters in the tech sector.

While Musk has historically benefited from government support for his ventures, including Tesla and SpaceX, some speculate Trump’s stance on electric vehicles (EVs) could create a more challenging environment. Trump has
expressed skepticism about EVs, calling them costly and job threatening to the traditional auto industry. His pledge to repeal what he terms "Biden’s EV mandate," despite no formal
mandate existing, adds uncertainty.

Though Trump’s policies could impact federal incentives for EVs, analysts say Tesla might weather the changes, possibly even finding competitive advantage in a reduced-subsidy
market.

Democratic candidate and Vice President, Kamala Harris has called President-elect Donald Trump, who contested the 2024 US election as the Republican candidate.

According to Associated Press, Harris called Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him on his election victory.

Recall Donald Trump was elected US 47th president, four years after he was voted out of power.

Kamala Harris replaced President Joe Biden, who withdrew from the race in July due to age-related issues and a poor election debate.

Trump will be sworn in as president after an inauguration on Monday, 20 January 2025.

Meanwhile, the Russian government has stated that it has no immediate plans to congratulate Donald Trump on his recent election victory in the United States, amid ongoing hostilities between Russia and U.S.-supported Ukraine.

The Kremlin, through President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, emphasized that the U.S. remains an “unfriendly” nation in Russia’s view.

Peskov highlighted the historically low level of U.S.-Russia relations, noting that it is difficult to imagine them deteriorating further.

According to Peskov, Moscow is observing developments and carefully analyzing statements from American politicians regarding Russia, signalling a cautious approach.

Russia’s response comes as global leaders have been extending their congratulations to Trump, who defeated Kamala Harris to secure a second non-consecutive term as U.S. President.

However, the Russian government cautioned its citizens to remember the U.S.’s “direct and indirect involvement in a war against our state,” underscoring the severe tensions between the two nations.

The Kremlin’s stance leaves open questions about how Trump’s return to office may impact the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, a situation that remains unresolved.

Bandits have reportedly killed 10 farmers, including women and a Chinese national from Wayam and Belu-Belu villages in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.

Naija News learnt that six of the victims were beheaded, and the attackers went away with their heads, while many others who sustained bullet wounds were being treated at a clinic in Kagara, the Headquarters of Rafi LGA.

According to Daily Trust, many people were also kidnapped during the attack that happened around 5am on Tuesday when the victims were observing their early morning prayers.

A resident in the area, Bala Tukur, who spoke with the publication above, said the residents of Wayam, Belu-Belu, Madaka and adjoining communities had all fled to Kagara town, the Headquarters of Rafi LGA, since Tuesday morning.

He noted that said bandits had resumed aggressive attacks in the last week as farmers from Wushishi, Rafi, Shiroro, Mariga and Kontagora LGAs of the state began to harvest their farm produce.

He said, “At Wayam village near Madaka under Kagara town, they mercilessly killed 10 people and injured many. The way they killed us now is very traumatic, I swear. Everybody has fled.

“Many people have not been able to harvest 50 percent of their crops, including maize that were ready for harvest and getting those crops harvested now would be hard.

“Recently, residents of Kukoki were asked to pay N1.5 million to be allowed to harvest their crops. They paid but bandits came back to attack them four days ago.”

The Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Enugu State, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, has called on Nigerians to pray against potential famine in Nigeria.

He condemned the rising cost of fuel in the country, adding that the country is already facing hunger and if the situation is not addressed, it could lead to a famine crisis.

Mbaka shared his concern during the commissioning of a new filling station, Blessed Omemma Oil and Gas Limited, in Abakpa, Enugu East Local Government Area.

He urged the government to take immediate action to tackle the fuel price increase and emphasized the need for collective prayer to find a solution.

The cleric also advised Nigerians to invest rather than keeping their money in banks, pointing out that the money will continue to depreciate.

He said, “We need more prayers for Nigeria to be well, what we are facing now is hunger, but if we’re not careful, we could face famine.

“I encourage people to invest their money wisely; don’t leave it in the bank where it will keep devaluing.

He further remarked, “The government knows what they need to do about the fuel hike. One solution from them can overcome these toxic situations, and that’s why I emphasize the power of prayer.”

A 24-year-old chef, Olusola Folorunso and a security guard Rafiu Mutairu, 47, have been arrested by the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) from the Lagos State Police Command over the alleged theft of their boss’ property worth N5.5 million.

The suspects were arrested last Friday in the Badagry and Ishasi areas of Lagos, respectively.

According to the police, the two who were working for the same employer at a popular estate in Ojodu, Ikeja, had sometime in September 2024 allegedly carted away and sold off the property while their boss was on a foreign trip.

Police listed the stolen items to include 5 split air conditioners, a chest freezer, a pumping machine, a fridge and freezer, one inverter, and jewellery which were all valued at N5.5 million.

“Investigation revealed that while Folorunsho moved away the household items and personal effects from their boss’ residence, the security guard assisted in providing the buyers for the items. Investigations further revealed Folorunsho ran away to Badagry after committing the crime and all efforts to get him to assist in the recovery of those items proved futile,” the police said.

Meanwhile, the Commander of the RRS, CSP Shola Jejeloye has directed that the suspects be charged in court.

The government of Equatorial Guinea has launched a thorough investigation into hundreds of leaked s3x tapes allegedly involving the country's financial crime chief, Baltasar Ebang Engonga, with various women, including wives of prominent officials in his office.

The government also announced that it was suspending officials involved in the scandal, according to a statement issued by the Equatorial Guinea Press and Information Office, published on the government’s website.

Vice-President Teodoro Mangue on Tuesday said any official found engaging in s3x acts at work would be sanctioned as this was a “flagrant violation of the code of conduct.”

The government said the recent decisions had been taken in the wake of the widely circulated videos which had “denigrated the image of the country.”

“Among the decisions taken are the suspension of employment of the officials who appear in the homemade adult videos circulating on the networks, severe measures for the members assigned to the surveillance of the inmates for not fulfilling their duties and allowing such acts, as well as the reinforcement of security in all judicial offices in the country; in addition to the installation of surveillance cameras in the judicial and ministerial offices,” the statement said.

“The Executive has made this decision in the wake of the sexual videos that have gone viral on social media in recent days, which have denigrated the image of the country.

“And in order to correct this bad behaviour of some officials of the public and judicial administration of Equatorial Guinea, the Vice President of the Republic, concerned about this situation, has urgently summoned the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, the Attorney General of the Republic, and several members of the government headed by the Prime Minister, to adopt strategies to stop this type of behaviour and thus propose preventive measures,” it added.

The Equatorial Guinea’s financial crime chief and head of the National Agency for Financial Investigation (ANIF), has since been arrested over the leaked s3x tapes.

The tapes, allegedly numbering over 300, depict Ebang in encounters with multiple women, some of whom are reported to be married, including the wife of the Presidential security head and his own brother’s spouse.

The videos, reportedly recorded in various locations including his office, hotels, and public spaces were found during a corruption probe.

Ebang, who is married and has six children, had initially been detained for allegations of corruption, but the investigation uncovered these recordings on his personal devices, which were subsequently leaked online.

Kanu Nwankwo, the former Super Eagles forward, has endorsed Ademola Lookman to be crowned the next Africa’s best player.

The 2024 CAF Awards will hold in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday, December 16.

Lookman is in the running for the prestigious award along with nine other players including his Super Eagles teammate, William Troost-Ekong.

The winger has been widely tipped to win the award after a stellar year for club and country.

The 27-year-old was the only African player nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’or, finishing in 14th position.

“Lookman is a very good player, humble, works very hard and going by the records, I believe he will win,” Kanu told Brila FM.

“I don’t know of any African player who has done better than him this year.

“He was ranked well in the Ballon d’Or (14th).

“He has done well for both club and country.”