Canada-based Nigerian woman, Amaka Patience Sunnberger, has dismissed the possibility of arrest or deportation after the Nigerian House of Representatives urged the Canadian government to prosecute her for inciting violence and genocide against Yoruba and Benin people.

In a viral video clip that started trending on X.com on Thursday, Sunnberger cited her Canadian citizenship as protection, stating that Canada’s legal system is unlike Nigeria’s, where arrests can be made without questioning.

She said, “Somebody just send me message, say them arrest me, say them wan deport me, with passport? I be Canada pikin.

“See am now, I dey house, why I go dey lie?

This comes after a video clip surfaced on Tuesday, showing her making threatening comments against Yoruba and Benin people during a virtual meeting on TikTok.

The woman, claiming to be a resident of Ontario, Canada, vowed to harm Yoruba or Benin individuals she encounters, sparking outrage and prompting the House of Representatives to request her prosecution.

The House of Representatives has written to the Canadian government, urging it to investigate and prosecute Sunnberger for her inciting comments, which it said violate international and Canadian laws.

Holders of Canadian visitor visas will not be able to apply for a work permit within the country.

This is coming amidst recent immigration reforms that have sparked protests, especially amongst international students.

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in a statement on Wednesday said it will discontinue the policy that allows visitors to get a work permit with immediate effect.

“While the temporary policy was set to expire on February 28, 2025, IRCC is ending the policy as part of our overall efforts to recalibrate the number of temporary residents in Canada and preserve the integrity of the immigration system,” the statement read.

The policy was introduced in August 2020 to assist visitors in Canada who were unable to return home because of border closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visitors could apply for a work permit without having to leave Canada. Also, anyone who had held a work permit within the preceding 12 months but had changed their immigration status to “visitor” became eligible to “work legally in Canada while waiting for a decision on their new work permit application.”

However, the IRCC said that “some bad actors were using the policy to mislead foreign nationals into working in Canada without authorization.”

It, however, said it will continue to process applications submitted before August 28, 2024, under the policy.”

Tensions heightened earlier this week when tens of thousands of international students took to the streets across Canada to protest against new immigration policies introduced by the federal government that could see about 70,000 of them deported.

As of 2023, international students made up 37 per cent of study visa holders in Canada.

However, the recent cap on student visas is expected to reduce the intake of foreign students by 35 per cent, a move the government argues is necessary to alleviate pressures on housing, unemployment, and public services.

In June, the Canadian government further tightened regulations by announcing that foreign nationals would no longer be able to apply for a PGWP at the border.

This decision has sparked fears among students who are concerned about their future in Canada.

Student advocacy groups, including the Naujawan Support Network, have warned that many international graduates could face deportation once their work permits expire at the end of the year.

The Federal Government has approved a 50 per cent subsidy for the electricity consumed in hospitals across the nation.

This followed a promise by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, that the Federal Government would subsidise electricity in hospitals and universities, even if they are on Band-A feeders.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced on Thursday that the Federal Government has approved the 50 per cent electricity subsidy for public hospitals.

According to him, this gesture aims to reduce the running costs for public hospitals and alleviate the impact on patients.

Alausa made this disclosure at the National Neo-Psychiatric Hospital in Barnawa, Kaduna, where he unveiled the electronic health records and an alternative power supply source at the Lawal Jafaru Isah Emergency Complex and the solarisation project at the dialysis unit, which includes a solar-powered borehole.

Speaking recently in Ibadan, Adelabu, however, said the government would not subsidise private businesses operating in these universities and hospitals.

The minister disclosed that the government was aware that universities and hospitals are having challenges paying the bills.

However, he said the Federal Government was planning to meter all businesses running in each of the institutions to prevent paying subsidies to private businesses.

“We know they are development institutions, they are social institutions. But inside the health and educational institutions, private businesses are hiding under them. These people charge their customers commercially and they expect to be subsidised because they are located within the territories of these institutions.

“We said no, go and do a proper search and meter everybody. For the ones that are properly health and education-related, we are ready to subsidise them, even if they are on Band A. We are compiling our data, DisCos will collect a certain amount and the government will pay the balance. But we must get the data right so that we are not subsidising a private business that is charging its customers commercially. That will be an abnormal profit and it is unfair,” he stated.

After the Federal Government removed subsidies from customers categorised as Band A and upgraded their daily electricity supply to a minimum of 20 hours daily, universities and public hospitals cried out that their bills had skyrocketed.

Recently, the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital cried out over what they described as an outrageous electricity bill charged by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company for May.

The institutions said they were jointly presented with a bill of about N280m for May instead of the less than N100m they used to pay.

The Ministry of Power has yet to give details of the subsidy arrangement for the institutions.

The Minister of Power’s spokesman, Bolaji Tunji, promised to revert.

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, has declared that the union will not be intimidated by external pressures, following his appearance at the Intelligence Response Team headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

Ajaero, who was invited by the police to address allegations of terrorism financing, cybercrime, subversion, criminal conspiracy, and treasonable felony, arrived at the IRT office at 10:17 a.m. and left shortly after 11:15 a.m.

Speaking to journalists at the Labour House after leaving the police headquarters, Ajaero asserted that the NLC remains committed to defending the rights of Nigerian workers and will not be cowed by any form of intimidation.

“We can’t be intimidated,” he stated emphatically. “The allegations against us are baseless, and we have nothing to hide.”

Reflecting on the challenges faced by labour leaders, Ajaero shared, “You can’t do this job we’re doing without this type of hazard. Even at the unit level, some of us experienced it, as far back as 1997/1998 with Femi Falana, we were equally together in the cell during the time of Abacha… but whatever the case is, we’re out to continue the struggle, we’ve gotten minimum wage but we can’t be intimidated, we have to press for its implementation as soon as possible.

“Every other thing that will make the welfare of the Nigerian workers worthwhile, we will be involved in it,” he noted.

Ajaero further explained that his appearance before the police was in the interest of transparency and to clear the air on the unfounded accusations levelled against him and the NLC.

He noted that the union would continue to fight for the welfare of workers and stand firm in the face of challenges.

Despite the seriousness of the allegations, Ajaero maintained a confident stance, dismissing the claims as an attempt to weaken the labour movement.

“Our resolve is stronger than ever,” he added. “We will continue to champion the cause of workers across the nation, no matter the obstacles.”

The NLC president’s appearance at the IRT headquarters followed his initial invitation by the police on August 20, which he was unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances.

Africa has become a dumping ground for 55 million used vehicles from Europe and America, the Chief Executive Officer of the the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM), David Coffey, has said.

He said the trend can change if there is synergy between the National Automobile Design and Development Council (NADDC) and AAAM, which is on a mission is to industrialise and grow the automotive sector in Africa.

He said the sector can be developed wworking with African governments to develop and refine policies, collaborating with the public and private sectors, promoting affordable mobility with safe, low-emission vehicles, and eveloping a value chain, including finance sector partnerships.

Coffey, who dissected Nigeria’s manufacturing capability, identified the lack of demand as a key challenge.

He called for the strengthening of the automobile policy for increased investment in the sector, adding that partnership with local businesses would boost local production, enhance technology transfer and raise industrial capacity.

He was impressed by the capability he witnessed and suggested partnering with local businesses.

Coffey spoke during the tour of automobile companies by the Director-General of the National Automobile Design and Development Council (NADDC), Mr Joseph Osanipin.

Accompanied by the AAAM team, he visited Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) and Afro Asia at Nnewi, Anambra State, where he applauded the companies for their innovation approach.

Osanipin expressed a strong interest in replicating Innoson’s model to boost local manufacturing capabilities across Nigeria.

The Director-General acknowledged the success of Innoson, which manufactures complete CNG buses from scratch, using locally sourced materials like glass, iron, and plastic.

He said the model should be replicated in other manufacturing entities and partnering with Innoson to grow the industry.

Osanipin also emphasised the importance of setting standards and conducting peer reviews with other economies.

He praised Innoson’s use of local content and urged the company to improve it to 70-80 percent in view of the necessary capacity, expertise, and materials available.

Osanipin said the vehicles produced by IVM have met global standards, adding that the factory has the capacity to produce at least 30,000 vehicles per year if orders are placed.

Inoson Motors Chief Executive Officer Dr Innocent Chukwuma, urged Nigeria to adopt Natural Compressed Gas (CNG) as a fuel source, given the high cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

He said the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicle is the best option, stressing that it is a cheaper attractive alternative.

Chukwuma said: “The federal government should issue directives to promote the adoption of CNG, as it is crucial for saving our economy from the burden of expensive PMS. As the president highlighted, fuel costs are draining our country’s resources.

“By switching to CNG, we can conserve funds for other essential purposes. I urge everyone to support the transition to CNG, as it will benefit both individuals and the nation as a whole. A prosperous Nigeria benefits everyone.”

Osanipin also visited the Afro Asia Nigeria Limited, where the CEO Chief A.C. Okafor, presented a comprehensive overview of the company’s manufacturing processes, ranging from plastic recycling to finished product production.

Okafor, who spoke on the challenges confronting the industry, said policy inconsistency is a significant obstacle.

He emphasised the need for auto policy legislation to unlock the industry’s full potential and facilitate its growth.

An employee of the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), Auwal Dankode, has been praised for his integrity after returning $10,000, approximately N16 million.

Dankode, a worker at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, was said to have found the money while cleaning the aircraft.

According to a post by the security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makaman, on the X platform on Wednesday, Dankode discovered the cash during his routine cleaning duties and immediately reported it to the airline company’s manager.

Zagazola stated that Dankode, a native of Kode in Kano State, is known for his strong fear of God and integrity.

His selfless act, he said, has highlighted the importance of honesty and accountability in the workplace.

Zagazola added that as investigations continue to identify the owner of the lost money, “Auwal’s actions serve as a shining example of the positive impact that even small acts of kindness can have.”

The post read: “This boy, Named Auwal Ahmed Dankode, an employee of Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), found $10,000—approximately N16m—Inside a plane while cleaning it.

“Upon discovering the money, Auwal immediately reported it to the airline company’s manager to initiate the search for the rightful owner. The incident took place at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. Auwal, originally from Kode in Kano State, is known for his strong fear of God and honesty.”

Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, Waheed Ayilara, is dead.

Ayilara, it was gathered, died in the early hours of Thursday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, The Nation reported.

Sources close to the family told The Nation he underwent prostate cancer surgery on Wednesday before he died hours later.

“We are very sad to inform you that our friend, brother, and family, the Commissioner of Police for Akwa Ibom State, Waheed Ayilara, is dead,” the family was quoted as saying.

A top police officer in Akwa Ibom State, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, also confirmed the CP’s death.

In November 2023, as a DCP, Ayilara was unveiled as the acting Commissioner of Police in Lagos.

Ayilara, a former Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department, took over from AIG Idowu Owohunwa.

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, deployed Ayilara to head Akwa Ibom State Command in February 2024.

Gernot Rohr has backed his compatriot Bruno Labbadia to make an instant impact with the Super Eagles, DAILY POST reports.


Labbadia was named Super Eagles head coach on Tuesday by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The 58-year-old will be the sixth German to manage the three-time African champions.


Rohr,who was in charge of the Super Eagles between 2016 and 2021 labelled Labbadia a very good coach.

“He’s a very good coach, I hope he’s well treated by the NFF and Nigerian fans,” the 71-year-old was quoted by SCORENigeria.

“He has experience in the Bundesliga, I hope he quickly finds his way in Nigeria, which is a different environment.”

Rohr will come up against Labbadia when Benin Republic face the Super Eagles in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying tie in Uyo on Saturday, September 7.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, detained an Assistant Superintendent of Police, A. A Babangida, and 19 others for 30 days over their alleged involvement in banditry, kidnapping and terrorism activities.

Justice Peter Lifu gave the order while delivering a ruling in an ex-parte application marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1146/2024, brought before the court by the Defence Intelligence Agency.

Justice Lifu ordered that Babangida be detained along with the other suspects for 30 days to enable DIA operatives to carry out a thorough investigation into their alleged involvement in the crime.

The other suspects are Usman Idris, Abu Safiyanu, Alhassan Idris, Sahada Ishaka, Abubakar Ibrahim Sani Bello, Yahaya Abdullahi, Haruna Salisu and Mohammed Muazu.

Others are Nura Idris, Manu Mohammed, Umar Lamu, Abubakar Mandara, Suleiman Mohammed, Alhaji Madayi, Amodu Oghewe and Uzoma Aghaoyibo.

Babangida was alleged to have been helping the Boko Haram, bandits and ISWAP members in carrying out terrorism activities in some parts of the country.

He was arrested in June following an intelligence report received by the DIA and has since been in the custody of the agency.

DIA’s counsel, S.A Aminu, while arguing the ex-parte application, told the court that the agency “intends to carry out a critical investigation into the unlawful activities of Babangida and others before handing them over to the Attorney General of the Federation for prosecution”.

The lawyer told the court that the involvement of the suspects in terrorist activities was complex and the bomb experts for the gang had just been apprehended based on information obtained from detainees.

She, therefore, requested the permission of the court to detain the suspects for 90 days.

The agency, in a 21-paragraph affidavit ex-parte application, explained how it obtained information that led to the arrest of the suspects in various locations and at different times.

After going through the documentary exhibits placed before the court, Justice Lifu declined to grant the 90 days requested by DIA on the grounds that the suspects had been in custody for three months.

He held that according to the Constitution, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

He ordered the agency to “detain the suspects till the conclusion of the investigation.”

Justice Lifu also ordered that the DIA should do everything within its powers and within the ambit of the law to complete its investigation into the allegations against the suspects so as not to run foul of the law.

Nigeria's divorce rate, however, surpasses that of Canada, India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Peru, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, placing it in a significant global context.

Divorce.com, a United States website which offers resources and support for navigating divorce, has included Nigeria on its list of countries with high divorce rates.

According to data published on their website in July, Nigeria ranked eleventh out of twenty-six countries with the highest divorce rate.

The results were meticulously obtained after sampling respondents from these countries and compiling statistics from 16 primary sources, ensuring a comprehensive and reliable research process.

The report also revealed a significant trend. Women in sub-Saharan Africa, especially Nigeria, are taking the initiative in divorce more often than men, a powerful reflection of changing gender dynamics.

According to the data, Maldives has the highest divorce rate at 5.52 per cent, while India has the lowest rate at 0.01 per cent.

Maldives tops the list because women in the country have become more financially independent and can sustain themselves without husbands. Also, there is little to no stigma associated with getting divorced in modern Maldives.

However, India has the lowest divorce rates because marriage is highly valued, and divorce has historically been stigmatised, which has created intense social pressure to maintain the marriage, even in the face of difficulties.

Rationale

Divorce.com claimed that Nigeria’s divorce rate reached 2.9 per cent in 2023 based on available data on marriage and divorce, which translates to 1.8 per cent divorces per 1,000 people in the same year.

Just like Maldives, Nigeria was ranked eleventh among the countries with the highest divorce rate because its women are financially independent and can sustain themselves without husbands.

They stated that the data was arrived at based on scholars’ belief that high divorce rates in Western countries stem from the reduced stigma surrounding divorce and the growing financial independence of women.

Countries with higher divorce rates than Nigeria include the Maldives, Cuba 2.9 per cent, Finland 2.4 per cent, Sweden 2.5 per cent, Denmark 2.7 per cent and Ukraine 3.1 per cent.

For instance, Canada, a country with a similar socio-economic profile to Nigeria, had a divorce rate of 2.8 per cent, while India, a country with a different cultural and religious context, had a divorce rate of 0.1 per cent.

Other countries with lower divorce rates than Nigeria include Malta 0.6 per cent, Ireland 0.7 per cent, Guatemala 0.6 per cent, Venezuela 0.7 per cent, Uruguay 0.8 per cent, Austria 1.6 per cent, and Belgium 1.8 per cent.

Factors that contributed to divorce

According to Divorce.com, various factors influence a country’s divorce rate, and these factors differ across continents.

In the countries with the highest divorce rates, religion, local divorce laws, lack of social support, and limited employment opportunities are significant contributors.

These factors can lead to a breakdown in trust and communication, making it difficult for couples to maintain a healthy and committed relationship.

Other common factors include marrying too young 45.1 per cent, financial hardship 36.7 per cent, substance abuse 40.6 per cent, and domestic violence 23.5 per cent.

Africa

Additionally, eleven other African countries were ranked behind Nigeria in divorce rates.

These countries include Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan, Mauritius, Libya, South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.

Egypt’s divorce rate was 2.2 per cent, Algeria’s 1.6 per cent, Tunisia’s 1.2 per cent, Sudan’s 1.5 per cent, Mauritius’ 1.7 per cent, Libya’s 0.2 per cent, and South Africa’s 0.4 per cent.

Furthermore, Ethiopia has a divorce rate of 2.6 per cent, Kenya 0.06 per cent, Zimbabwe 0.07 per cent, and Mozambique 0.04 per cent.

Determining factors

According to Divorce.com, the primary factors influencing divorce rates in Africa include age at first marriage, financial independence, polygyny, and HIV/AIDS risks.

The report also revealed that women in sub-Saharan Africa initiated divorce more often than men.

Specifically, 34.6 per cent of women with secondary school education, 38.6 per cent of those living in urban areas, 57.6 per cent employed outside the household, and 75.1 per cent in monogamous unions have divorced.

Additionally, they highlighted that marriage stability in sub-Saharan African countries mainly depends on religion and extended family ties.

“In particular, conservative Christians, who considered divorce a taboo in the past, now increasingly believe it to be a better option than domestic violence and infidelity.

“In addition, if a marriage requires paying a substantial amount of money to the bride’s family, maternal relatives will try to keep the union from falling apart. Otherwise, they will have to return the portion or all of the “bride price”, Divorce.com added.