Ovation publisher, Dele Momodu, has hit out at conspiracy theories over the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests around Nigeria.

In a tweet on Friday, Momodu insisted that “nobody instigated anyone or anything.”

The media guru also absolved the Igbo of any blame during his conversation with a ‘Tinubu apologist.’

Momodu wrote: “This unfortunate conspiracy theory was forwarded to me this morning by a Tinubu apologist. Here’s my response: It is all a cheap blackmail. The people are hungry while government is living large.

“The Igbo are largely traders. They look after their own globally. Nobody instigated anyone or anything.

“You guys should accept the reality that Tinubu has not done very well. Leave the Igbo out of your excuses. To ethnicise the protests is to be disingenuous…”

As the nationwide hunger protests entered the second day, human rights lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa has called on Nigerians to suspend the demonstrations immediately.

Adegboruwa made the plea in a statement on Friday while reacting to the losses recorded during the ongoing demonstrations, stating that it was not the goal of the protests.

He wrote: “I appeal to the protesters to withdraw themselves from their various protest grounds and to suspend the protests immediately and indefinitely, to give room for meaningful dialogue and engagement with the federal government.

“Given that the protests were said to have been hijacked by sponsored agents, it is necessary to avoid further losses and casualties. The organisers and their representatives should embrace dialogue.

“My sincere condolences to the employers and families of the security personnel and also to the protesters, praying to God to comfort them and to grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable losses.”

He further urged President Bola Tinubu to “directly address the nation and then engage the protesters through their representatives.”

DAILY POST reports that Adegboruwa is one of the lawyers of the Take It Back Movement, one of the groups participating in the ongoing protests.

Adegboruwa had on July 26, 2024, written to the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun on behalf of the group planning the #EndBadGovernance protest to provide police coverage for protesters.

Despite a 24-hour curfew order, reports indicated that protesting youths in Potiskum town of Yobe State have set ablaze a vehicle belonging to the Red Cross Divisional Office.

The protesters were said to have looted items in the divisional office.

DAILY POST had earlier reported that, three protesting youths were gunned down when they attempted to vandalise food stores belonging to some non-governmental organisations operating in the area.

Potiskum, Gashu’a and Nguru towns have been under 24-hour curfew when the August 1 nationwide protests against bad governance turned violent.

As of the time of filling in this report, the Yobe State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has not yet confirmed the incident.

United States Vice President Kamala Harris has secured enough delegates to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.

Fox News reports that a virtual roll call to formally nominate Harris as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee kicked off on Thursday.

“I am honored to be the presumptive Democratic nominee,” Harris said on a call with supporters.

The Democratic National Committee’s electronic voting for their party’s 2024 standard bearer comes less than two weeks after President Biden ended his re-election campaign.

Biden instead endorsed Harris to succeed him at the top of the ticket.

Democratic Party is using a virtual roll call which will conclude on Monday.
This is two weeks ahead of the August 19 start of the party’s convention at the United Center in Chicago.

The naira recorded a significant depreciation against the dollar in a single day at the foreign exchange market to end the week on a negative note amid the ongoing hardship protest by Nigerians.

FMDQ data showed that the naira depreciated to N1, 617.08 per dollar on Friday from N1, 570.00 exchange on Thursday, losing N47.08.

Similarly, on the black market, the naira weakened to N1, 610 per dollar on Friday from N1, 600 exchanged the previous day.

A Bureau De Change operator in Wuse Zone 4, Dayyabu Ashiru, said: “We buy at N1, 610 per dollar on Friday evening from N1600 Thursday, when offices closed due to the Hardship Protest”.

This has rolled back, the two consecutive gains the naira recorded on Wednesday and Thursday.

DAILY POST reports that on a week-on-week basis, the naira declined at official and parallel foreign exchange markets which recorded N1, 609.29 and N1595 per dollar, respectively, last Friday.

This means that the currency has failed to stabilise despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s policy interventions in the past months.

However, the gap between the official and parallel FX markets has continued to shrink which stood at N7.08 on Friday.

The development comes as the hardship protest which started on Thursday entered day two on Friday.

Amid the ongoing nationwide protests against bad governance in the country, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adamu Garba, on Friday, said the North is played into the protest of vandalism.

Garba said northern influencers pushing for the protest should realize that they have been used to destroy their commonwealth.

“The North is played into this protest of vandalism. Those northern influencers pushing for this protest should by now, realize that they have been used to destroy their commonwealth,” he posted on X.

Recall that some Nigerians are on a nationwide protest commencing on August 1 to August 10, 2024.

The organisers of the protest have lamented about widespread hunger and inflation in the country.

Nigeria’s Chukwuebuka Enekwechi has made it to the final of the men’s shot put event at the 2024 Olympic Games, DAILY POST reports.

Enekwechi advanced into Saturday’s final, placing fifth overall in qualification Group B.

The 31-year-old threw a distance of 21.13m to earn himself a place in the final.

The African champion is the first Nigerian to make it to the final of any event at the ongoing games.

It would be recalled that Enekwechi made it to the final of the shot put event four years ago in Tokyo.

He would be hoping to make it to the podium by finishing in the top three.

Big Brother Naija season 9 housemate, Tjay has nearly drowned during the Thursday’s night pool party.

During the Thursday party, Tjay and some housemates were having fun inside the pool before he lost his footing.

The 33-year-old doctor in a now viral video is seen struggling to maintain his balance and footing while trying to stay afloat in the pool.

No one noticed the situation until Ben, Tjay’s partner in Biggie’s house came to rescue him after he saw him battling to keep his head above the water.

Watch the video below;

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, FCT Commandant, Dr Olusola Odumosu, has said there is no report of vandalism of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure, CNAI, during the ongoing protest in the territory.

Odumosu said this after inspecting some critical national assets and infrastructure in Abuja on Friday.

Odumosu was said to have visited railway stations at Wupa, Kukwaba 1 and 2, Bassanjiwa, Gwagwa and Idu areas of the FCT.

He equally inspected the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Headquarters, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Wuse, FCT Water Board in Asokoro and the Abuja Central Mosque.

The commandant commended protesters for not interfering with the activities at the railway stations as the protest progresses.

“We discovered that none of the railway corridors were tampered with by miscreants during the day-1 protest but day-2 is still ongoing.

“We have a collective duty to protect CNAI as these amenities were provided with our common wealth,” he said.

He further stated that although it was the right of every citizen to engage in peaceful protests, the Corps will not tolerate any attempt to cause destruction of government properties and installations.

Odumosu, however, frowned at the attack on motorists on Thursday in the Lugbe area of the territory, and the burning of private vehicles in Nyanya.

During the commandant’s visit to the Idu railway, the FCT Administration (FCTA), Director of Transport, Engr. Joseph Akinteye commended the personnel of the corps for their diligence in securing the railway stations.

“We have not had any case of vandalism in a long while, this shows the commitment of your men in securing critical infrastructure in the FCT,” Akinteye said

Nollywood actress and media personality, Toke Makinwa, has berated those taking advantage of the ongoing nationwide protest to destroy and vandalise properties of fellow Nigerians.

Recall that a cross-section of Nigerians trooped out on Thursday to begin a nationwide demonstration over the high level of hardship in the country.

There were reports that some hoodlums took advantage of the peaceful protest to loot the government and private properties in some parts of the country.

Reacting via her X handle Thursday evening, Makinwa said it was uncalled for.

She noted that the individuals whose properties were being looted were also passing through the same hardship.

“Destroying properties and stealing from your fellow Nigerians who are passing through the same hardship is not right at all. This is very sad,” she wrote.

Responding to a critic, she clarified that her tweet does not in any way suggest that the crimes were being perpetrated by the protesters.

She wrote, “I did not say the stealing and vandalism was done by protesters, the people who have their things stolen are Nigerians too, going through the same hardship. What have they done to deserve this?”