Nigerian sprint icon Tobi Amusan has become the world’s fastest woman in the women’s 100m hurdles after running a world-leading 12.40 seconds.
In a thrilling race, the world record holder secured the victory, leaving behind Danielle Williams, the world champion, who clocked her best time of the season at 12.46 seconds. Following closely was American Christina Clemons, claiming the third spot with a time of 12.54 seconds.
This triumph means the Nigerian athlete has now claimed the top spot globally, surpassing American Tonea Marshall’s previous record of 12.42 seconds set in late April.
Tobi Amusan’s impressive win arrives just two months before the Paris 2024 Olympics, setting the stage for an exciting competition ahead.
John Enoh, the minister of sports development, on his X handle congratulated Amusan over the feat.
“Take your flowers Tobi Amusan, you stormed to an emphatic win in the women’s 100m hurdles at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational, clocking a time of 12.40s (0.9), a World Lead time! You defeated World Champion Danielle Williams, who came 2nd in 12.46s, while Christina Clemons was 3rd in 12.54s,” he wrote.
“Tobi, you keep making our country proud. Paris Olympics is around the corner, your performance gives us hope just like others, that Nigeria is set to break a jinx. Keep soaring, we are proud of you.”
Recall the 26-year-old athlete recently set a new African record in the 60m hurdles event, clocking in at 7.77 seconds during the Astana Indoor Meet in Kazakhstan. This impressive feat shattered a record that stood for 25 years, previously held by Gloria Alozie.
With her exceptional performance, she is anticipated to lead the Nigerian team’s charge for gold medals at the upcoming Olympics, scheduled to kick off on July 26 at France’s national stadium.
Media
Take your flowers Tobi Amusan, you stormed to an emphatic win in the women's 100m hurdles at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational, clocking a time of 12.40s (0.9), a World Lead time!
— Senator John Owan Enoh (@OwanEnoh) May 12, 2024
You defeated World Champion Danielle Williams, who came 2nd in 12.46s, while Christina Clemons was… pic.twitter.com/wsvKt9Gflv
A mother of five, Ramat Mercy Mba, has been convicted by a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwagwalada, Abuja, of forging the signature of the late Abba Kyari, former Chief of Staff to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
Justice Ibrahim Mohammad postponed the convict’s sentencing until May 16th, 2024, but ordered her to remain in the Suleja Correctional Centre.
In June 2022, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) charged Mba with five counts of cheating, fraud, and forgery.
The charges violate Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 200 and Sections 320 (b) and 366 of the Penal Code Cap 89 laws of Northern Nigeria.
One of the counts read: “THAT you RAMAT MERCY MBA (F) sometimes in the month of October, 2019 or thereabout at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fraudulently induce one Mr. Ismail Adewole Oladipupo, an unsuspecting job seeker and collected the sum of Seven Hundred Thousand Naira only N700,000.00 from him which sum was paid into your private account under the guise of securing employment for him at the National Space Research and Development Agency. (NASDRA), AND you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320(b) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria.”
During the trial, the Prosecutor of the ICPC, Hamza Sani, presented evidence before the court revealing how the convict fraudulently deceived her victims by falsely claiming to secure employment for them in government agencies such as the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The documentary evidence presented further proved that the convict had fraudulently forged a letterhead paper and signature of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari.
The letter was a request to the ICPC Chairman to recruit three individuals.
However, the late Chief of Staff distanced himself and his office from authorising the letter in a written correspondence that was also tendered in court as an exhibit.
In his judgment, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad convicted the mother of five on counts 1, 2, 3, and 5 for cheating and forgery.
She was discharged on count 4, which deals with a felony.
The Catholic Bishop of Yola, Stephen Mamza, has lamented the growing number of churches in the country set up as commercial ventures to make money for the owner(s).
The cleric lamented that many people are going into ministry and setting up churches just to make money and live in affluence.
Speaking on Sunday at St Augustine’s Catholic Church, Bekaji, Yola, where he presided over a Mass to mark this year’s World Communications Sunday of the Catholic Church, Bishop Mamza said many people just want to become general overseers and own private jets.
In his words, “Even the holy spirit will find it difficult to count the churches in Yola. Churches are set up today just for business.”
Bishop Mamza recalled a particular experience when the general overseer of a particular church asked him to buy his church because the church was not yielding financial fruits.
“A general overseer approached me to buy his church. He said things were not moving well for him, and he knew of a place where things would work and where he wanted to go,” he said.
Speaking on the theme for the day, the catholic bishop emphasized the need to strengthen human communication with all the necessary empathy that it possesses even as human beings pursue technology.
Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, Western Marine Command, have intercepted 12,500 litres of Premium Motor Spirit known is petrol worth N8,750,000 along the Isalu Creek Badagry Waterway en route to Benin Republic.
According to a statement and pictures shared on X.com by the NCS on Sunday, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Paul Bamisaiye, revealed this at the command’s headquarters on Friday.
The statement partly read, “At about 2330hrs on Wednesday, 8 May 2024, while on joint patrol based on credible intelligence, we received the movement of two boats laden with what was suspected to be petroleum products concealed in sacks. Upon receipt of the information, the team moved into Isalu Creeks Badagry Waterway.
“The Customs Area Controller stated that careful examination of the seizure at the Command Headquarters revealed ‘177 sacks and 61 kegs of 25 Litres Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) containing 12,500 Liters with a total Duty Paid Value standing at N8,750,000.”
Bamisaiye was reported to have warned smugglers to desist from their acts or risk arrest, stating that the action of the smugglers contravenes Sections 245 and 254 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
He was quoted as saying, “There’s a strong warning to the economic importance of this kind of seizure at a time of fuel scarcity cannot be over-emphasised.
“People are suffering due to artificial scarcity, but they are busy smuggling these products outside the country to make money. It’s either they stop this act, or we continue to arrest them. We have zero tolerance for this act.”
Similarly, PUNCH Online reported on Saturday that the Adamawa/Taraba Area Command of the NCS said it intercepted 12,435 litres of PMS worth N10.8 million being illegally exported to Cameroon.
Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, on Saturday opened up on her Nigerian origin, referring to the African giant as “My country”.
Meghan, who came into the country with Prince Harry on Friday, thanked Nigerians for welcoming her and Harry to “my country,” sharing that a DNA test recently revealed that she is “43 per cent Nigerian.”
DAILY POST gathered that Meghan spoke at a programme organised by women in leadership, co-hosted by the Head of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
According to Daily Mail, Duchess, who arrived at the summit almost an hour late, told the audience: “I want to start by saying thank you very much for just how gracious you’ve all been in welcoming my husband and I to this country … my country.”
She revealed that she discovered her Nigerian heritage via a genealogy test, saying the first thing she did after the result was “call my mum, because I wanted to know if she had any awareness of it.”
She noted that her visit to the country has given her a better understanding of being a Nigerian
She said, “Never in a million years would I understand it as much as I do now. And what has been echoed so much in the past day is, ‘Oh, we are not so surprised when we found out you are Nigerian”.
The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, has recounted his observation at the Nigeria Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna State.
Recall that the Duke visited the hospital on Friday as part of his itineraries to engage with the nation’s wounded and injured military personnel and their families.
Naija News reports that Prince Harry, while giving his remarks at a reception organised by the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Saturday, said the morale of the 50 wounded and injured service personnel was low.
According to him, the injuries of the wounded soldiers are defining their current lives, notwithstanding he met a few service personnel that had smiles on their faces.
He said, “I will tell you a story from yesterday when I visited the Kaduna Hospital. I met with approximately 50 wounded and injured service personnel.
“50 of them were lying down in the hospital on their bed, and I am sure anyone wouldn’t mind me saying that morale was low.
“I can see it in their faces and I can see it in their eyes — That as far as they were concerned, their injuries were now defining their lives.
“Now, there were two that were a little different. They had smiles on their faces. One of them was doing push ups on his bed, and I was intrigued, and I remembered them because I saw them in Germany.
“What it reminded me of is the power of seeing what is possible post-injury. These individuals witnessed it themselves and they came back to have new operations.
“They knew their lives were not going to be defined by the injuries of the past, and that is what this is all about. That is what this new centre that you are building is going to be all about as well.”
“I Never Asked Anyone To Worship Me” — Wike Begs Ogu/Bolo For Forgiveness Over Successor Rift
AFOLABI
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and immediate past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has admitted his mistake supposedly about his successor and begged people of Ogun/Bolo local government area to forgive him.
He has also emphasized that at no point did he tell anybody to worship him, stating that people should be appreciative of those or whoever that is instrumental to their elevation.
Minister of the FCT, Wike, spoke on Saturday at St. Martins Church Field Ogu town in Ogu/Bolo LGA, for the grand civic reception held in honour of George Thompson Sekibo, who celebrated 20 years of meritorious service at the National Assembly and 36 years of his life in public service.
The minister said that God cannot come down to help people, but would use somebody to accomplish that, condemning ingratitude in the lives of some individuals.
Wike stated: “My dear people, I came because I respect people who appreciate what God has done for them; who appreciate what God has used people to do for them.
“God does not come down. God uses people to help people. So, when you have been helped, you appreciate Him and, then, God will know you have appreciated Him.
“I have never told anybody to worship me. Nobody can worship man. All of us believe that we only have one God. And it is only that God we will worship. And will continue to worship that God.
“But, as politicians, we appreciate people who have helped us. Is it not correct?
“Ogu/Bolo people, when I came to ask you to support me, you supported me. Did I worship you? But, I have to appreciate you. I have to thank you. If you did not support me, I would not have been in the position where I am.
I never said I would worship you. Did you tell me to worship you? So, how did the issue of worship come?
“I want to say this clearly, in life, we may have made a mistake. You have made and there is nothing anyone can make about. I have made a mistake. I own it up. And I ask God to forgive me. I have said all of you forgive me. But, we will correct it at the appropriate time.
“I am a human being. I am bound to make a mistake. My judgment can be wrong. So, forgive me for making a wrong judgment. That is life. So, nobody should kill himself.”
To the lawmaker representing Ogu/Bolo constituency in the House of Assembly, Wike declared:
“Let me say this clearly, Arnold, don’t be frightened that anybody would remove you as an Assembly member. Nobody will remove you as Assembly member.
“Most of you don’t understand. This (politics) is our work. What l am doing is to make them fear, to make them angry. I have no other job than to make them to be angry everyday, to make them make mistake everyday. And they will be in trouble everyday. So, don’t worry yourselves.
“If they like, they can go to anybody by 2am, 4am to get injunction. The law will take its course. We are not afraid. We followed due process. We must follow due process.
“We are not going to harm anybody. We are not going to give money to anybody to buy arms and kill anybody. We won’t do that.
“As you see me, I think well. You see, I came with Senator Magnus Abe. I work with people who have brain. In politics, when people who have brain disagree, they agree.
Wike taunted those saying they would bring him, saying nobody could do that.
“When you are in charge, you are in charge. So, don’t worry”, urging them to calm down because everything would be over.
He, however, advised Ogun/Bolo people to forget the abuse coming from their detractors, noting that one must be alive for people to abuse him.
“At the appropriate day, that day when the result would be announced, we will know who is who. Don’t worry yourselves. We have defeated them severally.
“No amount of propaganda can help you. Ogu people have shown loyalty. And I want to thank you.”
The FCT minister declared that he knows how to handle the people he described as “buccaneers”, stressing that he would continue to handle them.
He acknowledged that it is not easy to be in power, saying that it is only those who lack knowledge of why they are in power give excuses.
“When you want to do bad, you say there is too much pressure on you, saying they say I should bring N20 billion, N10 billion, N100 billion. They want to run away from fulfilling the promises you made to people.
“Look at all the council chairmen; look at all the Assembly members. These are young men, whom I talked to, spoke to that all these things are for the interest of all of us. Do it. And they all did it. Today, somebody says they are nobody. Will you accept that?
“Look at Assembly people sat down in their various constituencies. You never brought a dime. I never knew you were so rich; I never knew your father was a managing director of Shell before and now you are feeding Assembly people, paying their children’s school fees. I never knew that. It’s unfortunate.”
Wike reiterated that he would not abandon Ogu people, emphasizing that from 1999 to 2014, no governor in the state had recognized the traditional institution in Ogu/Bolo, but he broke the jinx.
The FCT minister berated traditional rulers in the area who failed to be appreciative of the person who lifted them up.
“I have maintained peace. And I will continue to maintain peace. And I want all of you to continue to maintain peace. There will come a time when nobody can tell me that I would not live in my house. Nobody can tell me that I cannot go to my house. Maintain peace and follow law. Follow due process.”
In an attempt to promote religious tolerance, a Muslim man shared photos of himself and his Christian wife praying in their respective ways, but the gesture backfired, sparking controversy and criticism from followers.
The photos, posted on social media, depict the husband and wife praying in the same room, with the woman kneeling in the Christian tradition and the man on a prayer mat, following Islamic practices. After their separate prayers, the couple embraced, symbolizing their unity despite their religious differences.
“My wife and me. Christian and Muslim relationship,” the man captioned the photos, aiming to showcase the harmony in their interfaith marriage.
However, the well-intentioned gesture was met with backlash from some Muslim followers, who criticized the man for not converting his wife to Islam. They argued that such a relationship is forbidden in Islam, rendering the marriage unlawful.
In response to the criticism, the man explained that while he and his five daughters are Muslim, his wife is still learning about Islam and has not yet converted. This explanation did little to assuage the concerns of his followers, who maintained that the marriage is illegitimate according to Islamic teachings.
The controversy has reignited the debate surrounding interfaith marriages and the challenges of reconciling religious beliefs with personal relationships. While some have applauded the couple’s display of mutual respect and tolerance, others insist on adhering to religious doctrines that prohibit such unions.
As the conversation continues online, religious scholars and community leaders have weighed in, offering their perspectives on the matter. Some have called for greater understanding and acceptance of interfaith marriages, while others have reiterated the importance of upholding religious principles.
The incident has shed light on the complex dynamics of navigating different belief systems within personal relationships and the ongoing need for open dialogue and education to promote religious harmony and tolerance in diverse societies.
Wale Ojo, Kehinde Bankole, Layi Wasabi, and Demola Adedoyin were among the winners at the 2024 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA).
The annual event, which recognises outstanding performances in television, film, and entertainment took place on Saturday night at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos.
Bankole defeated Funke Akindele and Ireti Doyle to clinch the ‘Best Lead Actress’ category.
Ojo won the ‘Best Lead Actor’ category while Demola snagged the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ award for their roles in ‘Breath of Life’ respectively.
The award ceremony featured captivating performances from music stars such as Adekunle Gold, Chike, Seyi Sodimu, and Shaffy Bello.
‘Breath of Life’ was the biggest winner of the night, clinching six categories — including ‘Best Lead Actor’, ‘Best Supporting Actor’, ‘Best Supporting Actress’, ‘Best Director’, ‘Best Sound Design’ and ‘Best Movie’.
Below is the list of winners at the AMVCA 2024:
Best Digital Content
- National Treasure – Adebola Adeyela (Lizzy Jay)
- Medical Negligence – Isaac Ayomide Olayiwola (Layi Wasabi)
- Copyright Infringement – Isaac Ayomide Olayiwola (Layi Wasabi) — WINNER
- Hello Neighbour – Elozonam Ogbolu, Lina Idoko and Jemima Osunde
- The Boyfriend – Maryam Apaokagi-Greene
Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa)
- Mami Wata (CJ Fiery Obasi)
- Jagun Jagun (Femi Adebayo) — WINNER
- Ijogbon (Kunle Afolayan)
- Orisa (Odunlade Adekola)
- Nana Akoto (Kwabena Gyansah)
Best Indigenous Language (East Africa)
- Where The River Divides
- Ormoilaa Ogol (The Strong One) — WINNER
- Wandongwa
- Nakupenda
- Itifaki
Best Indigenous Language (South Africa)
- Service To Heart
- Uncle Limbani
- Motshameko O Kotsi — WINNER
Best Multichoice Talent Factory Movie
- Grown
- Her Dark Past — WINNER
- Somewhere in Kole
- Full-Time Husband
- The 11th Commandment
- Mfumukazi
Best Scripted M-Net Original
- Slum King — WINNER
- Half Open Window
- Itura
- The Passenger
- Magic Room
Best Unscripted M-Net Original
- What Will People Say
- The Irabors’ Forever After
- Nwuyee Bekee (Foreign Wives) — WINNER
- Date My Family Zambia
- Royal Qlique (Season 2)
Best Indigenous M-Net Original
- The Passenger
- Nana Akoto
- Apo
- Irora Iya — WINNER
- Love Transfusion (Kiapo Cha Damu)
Best Short Film
- T’egbon T’aburo
- Broken Mask — WINNER
- Eighteenth Year
- Man and Masquerades
- A Place Called Forward
Best Supporting Actor
- Alexx Ekubo (Afamefuna)
- Demola Adedoyin (Breath of Life) — WINNER
- Itele d Icon (Jagun Jagun: The Warrior)
- Gregory Ojefua (This is Life)
- Timini Egbuson (A Tribe Called Judah)
- Levi Chikere (Blood Vessel)
- Ropo Ewenla (Over the Bridge)
Best Supporting Actress
- Joke Silva (Over the Bridge)
- Fathia Williams (Jagun Jagun – The Warrior)
- Bimbo Akintola (The Black Book)
- Genoveva Umeh (Breath of Life) — WINNER
- Eliane Umuhire (Omen)
- Tana Adelana (Ijogbon – Chaos)
- Ejiro Onojaife (The Origin: Madam Koi Koi)
Best Lead Actor
- Wale Ojo (Breath of Life) — WINNER
- Stan Nze (Afamefuna)
- Marc Zinga (Omen)
- Gideon Okeke (Egun)
- David Ezekiel (Blood Vessel)
- Richard Mofe Damijo (The Black Book)
- Adedimeji Lateef (Jagun Jagun – The Warrior)
- Gabriel Afolayan (This is Lagos)
Best Lead Actress
- Segilola Ogidan (Over the Bridge)
- Lucie Debay (Omen)
- Omowunmi Dada (Asiri Ade)
- Ireti Doyle (The Origin: Madam Koi Koi)
- Adaobi L. Dibor (Blood Vessel)
- Evelyne Ily (Mami Wata)
- Kehinde Bankole (Adire) — WINNER
- Funke Akindele (A Tribe Called Judah)
Best Cinematography
- MAMI WATA (Lílis Soares)
- Blood Vessel (Gideon Chukwu)
- Over The Bridge (KC Obiajulu) — WINNER
- Breath of Life (Ola Cardoso)
- Jagun Jagun – The Warrior (Adeoluwa Owu)
- Ijogbon – Chaos (Adekunle Nodash Adejuyigbe)
- Omen (Joachim Philippe)
Best Editing
- Chuka Ejorh And Onyekachi Banjo (Over The Bridge)
- Holmes Awa (Breath of Life)
- Alex Kamau And Victor Obok (Volume)
- Dayo Nathaniel (Ogeere – Earth)
- Antonio Ribeiro (The Black Book) — WINNER
- Nathan Delannoy (Mami Wata)
Best Sound Design
- Ava Momoh (Over the Bridge)
- Daniel Pellerin and Amin Bhatia (Kipkemboi)
- Grey Jones Ossai (Breathe of Life) — WINNER
- Grey Jones Ossai (Blood Vessel)
- Samy Bardet (Mami Wata)
Best Art Direction
- Blood Vessel (Victor Akpan)
- Over The Bridge (Abisola Omolade) — WINNER
- Breath of Life (Okechukwu Frost Nwankwo, Kelechi Odu)
- The Black Book (Pat Nebo and Chima Temple)
- Jagun Jagun: The Warrior (Tunji Afolayan)
- Mami Wata (C.J Fiery Obasi)
- Omen (Eve Martin)
Best Costume Design
- Demola Adeyemi (Over The Bridge)
- Bolanle Austin Peters, Ituen Basi, Folake Coker and Clement Effanga (Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti)
- Lola Awe (Jagun Jagun: The Warrior) — WINNER
- Bunmi Demilola Fashina (Mami Wata)
- Daniel Obasi (Breath of Life)
Best Makeup
- Francesca Otaigbe (Over the Bridge)
- Campbell Precious (Mami Wata) — WINNER
- Hadizat Gambo (Mojisola)
- Hakeem Onilogbo (Jagun Jagun – The Warrior)
- Feyisayo Oyebisi (A Tribe Called Judah)
Best Writing TV Series
- Skinny Girl in Transit (Season 7)
- Wura (Season 2)
- Visa on Arrival
- MTV Shuga Naija
- Volume — WINNER
- Masquerades of Aniedo
- Slum King
Best Writing in a Movie
- Breath of Life (BB Sasore)
- Over The Bridge (Tosin Otudeko)
- Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (Tunde Babalola) — WINNER
- Jagun Jagun: The Warrior (Adebayo Tijani)
- Afamefuna (Anyanwu Sandra Adaora)
- A Tribe Called Judah (Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele, Collins Okoh and Akinlabi Ishola)
- Mami Wata (CJ Fiery Obasi)
Best Documentary
- Ormoilaa Ogol (The Strong One)
- Lobola, A Bride’s True Price? — WINNER
- Empalikino (Forgiveness)
- The Water Manifesto: Osun (Water for Gold)
- Sowing Hope
Best Scripted Series
- Volume
- Wura (Season 2) — WINNER
- Slum King
- Itura
- Chronicles
Best Unscripted Series
- Lol Naija (Season 1)
- Nightlife In Lasgidi
- The Real Housewives Of Lagos (Season 2)
- Gh Queens (Season 2) — WINNER
- Mutale Mwanza Unscripted (Season 1)
Best Director
- Moses Inwang (Blood Vessel)
- Adebayo Tijani And Tope Adebayo (Jagun Jagun – The Warrior)
- Bb Sasore (Breath of Life) — WINNER
- Johnscott Enah (Half Heaven)
- C.J Fiery Obasi (MAMI WATA)
- Kayode Kasum (Afamefuna)
- Tolu Ajayi (Over The Bridge)
Best Movie
- Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti
- Breath of Life — WINNER
- Over The Bridge
- Blood Vessel
- A Tribe Called Judah
- The Black Book
- MAMI WATA
Trailblazer of the Year
- Chimezie Imo
Industry Merit
- Idowu Philips (Iya Rainbow)
- Richard Mofe Damijo
[TheCable]
Prince Harry and his team visited the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna to interact with wounded soldiers who are receiving treatment.
The Duke of Sussex is in Nigeria with his wife to champion the Invictus Games, which Harry founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans.
Nigeria joined the Invictus Community of Nations in 2022 becoming the first African country to join.
Prince Harry’s visit to Kaduna came 68 years after his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II visited the state during the time of the late Premier of Northern Region Sir Ahmadu Bello.
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Blomberg’s recent report has revealed that Nigeria’s currency, the naira, has emerged as the world’s worst performing currency in the past month.
The currency took a downturn after its recent gains and wonderful performance last month, when it was ranked as one of the best-performing currencies globally as of April 2024.
According to the report, the reversal in Naria’s gains has placed increased pressure on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to continue raising interest rates.
Naria’s depreciation to 1,466.31 against the dollar was reported to be its weakest level since March 20.
The Bloomberg report released on Friday explained that the recent development is attributed to scarcity of USDollar in the local markets, with only $84 million available on Thursday, half of the previous day’s supply.
However, Tribune Online reports that the nation’s currency plummeted to as low as N1,600/$1 on the official market and N1800/$1 on the parallel market in March.
Razia Khan, the Chief Economist for Africa and the Middle East at Standard Chartered, who spoke with Bloomberg, estimated that $1.3 billion in naira futures will mature at the end of this month, potentially dampening market sentiment and expected to create more demands for dollars.
She said, “When the currency appreciated very fast, there had been a bout of profit-taking by offshore investors, and this meant that the dollar-naira exchange rate backed up again.
“This is completely in line with the functioning market.”
Continuing, the report by Bloomberg stated that the naira’s current performance is expected to intensify pressure on the country’s apex bank, leading to implementation of another rate hike after its upcoming policy meeting on May 21.
Meanwhile, the CBN was reported to have increased rates by a total of 600 basis points in February and March, adding that this aided the naira in rebounding from its low of 1,627 naira on March 8 to 1,072 in mid-April.
The naira, on Friday, also depreciated by 0.9% to N1,468 against the dollar in the unofficial market.
The Kano State Shari’ah Court, sitting in Kura, has sentenced a 30-year-old man, Haruna Abdulkarim, to receive 10 lashes as punishment for deceiving others by falsely claiming to be a Muslim in the process of converting to Islam.
Abdulkarim was arrested following a tip-off, as he had been attending daily and Friday mosque prayers, masquerading as a Christian seeking to embrace Islam and soliciting funds under the guise of almsgiving.
The Hisbah Commander in Kura LGA, Alhaji Ali Alkasim Kura, subsequently transferred him to the Police for further investigation and legal action.
During his court appearance, the accused admitted guilt and asserted his insolvency despite numerous obligations on his part.
Abdulkarim pleaded for leniency, vowing not to engage in such deceitful acts again.
After receiving the prescribed 10 lashes, the Court cautioned that any recurrence of the offense would result in the imposition of the harshest penalty.
The offender, Abdulkarim, appealed for forgiveness from all Muslims, particularly those who had supported him. He then assured that he would not engage in such behavior again. Moreover, driven by a genuine sense of remorse, he expressed his intention to seek guidance from Islamic scholars to deepen his religious understanding.
The average price of refilling a 12.5-kilogram Cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, Cooking gas, has surged by 55.22 per cent to N15,929.04 in March from N10,262.56 the same month last year.
The National Bureau of Statistics disclosed this in its latest March Cooking Gas Price Watch.
On a month-on-month basis, the price of cooking gas surged by 5.77 per cent to 15,929.04 in March 2024 compared to 15,060.38 in February.
On state profile analysis, Sokoto recorded the highest average retail price for the refilling of a 12.5kg Cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) with N17,833.33, followed by Osun with N17,588.46 and Anambra with N17,417.65.
Conversely, the lowest average price was recorded in Katsina at N12,400.00, followed by Kebbi and Bauchi with N13,137.50 and N14,484.25, respectively.
Analysis by zone showed that the South-South recorded the highest average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg Cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) with N16,859.85, followed by the South-East with N16,734.87. In contrast, the North-East recorded the lowest price with N14,943.48.
The development comes amid the soaring inflation in Nigeria.
NBS plans to release April’s inflation next week.
Meanwhile, the country’s headline and food inflation increased to 33.20 per cent and 40.01 per cent in March 2024.
A 300-level student of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo State, in the Department of International Relations, has reportedly been raped by two university sheriffs in a classroom.
Vanguard gathered that the said 300-level student was in class with her boyfriend at about 7 pm on Thursday when the university sheriffs walked in and demanded N5,000 from them, of which they only had N1,500.
A close friend and hostel mate of the victim, who pleaded strict anonymity, shared with Vanguard that the sheriff sent the boyfriend away and before he could return she was already raped.
Explaining to Vanguard in a WhatsApp chat and phone call, the friend said of the victim, “My friend came back to the hostel crying, and when we asked her what happened, she said she was raped by two sheriffs in the class. They came and demanded N5,000 but we only had N1,500 with us and we transferred to their bank account. After that, they sent my boyfriend away and did not allow me to leave.
“Currently, she is depressed because when we took her to the medical centre, she was being blamed. She wrote to us that they are traumatizing her at the medical centre. They’re blaming me. They are calling me all sorts of names. They said I will never get married. They said I would be stigmatized in this school, that I would be a disgrace to everyone in school. They said I deliberately allowed them.”
However, the university management has initiated an investigation into the matter. In a press release sighted by Vanguard on their official X page formerly known as Twitter and signed by the Public Relations Officer, Ajayi Crowther University Oyo, Mr Olufemi John Atoyebi said action will be taken as the suspects have been handed over to the state police.
“Management of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, received with shock a report of an alleged rape of one of our female students last night, Thursday, May 9, 2024, by two members of our vigilance group.
“The Management promptly handed over to the police the two people alleged to have committed the crime, while the university has set up its internal panel of inquiry to investigate the allegation.
“The Management wishes to assure all stakeholders that ACU will not tolerate any act of misconduct capable of tarnishing its enviable image.
“Raising Godly intellectuals is our primary goal in ACU, and we will not allow any act of misconduct capable of diverting our attention from our goal. Heavy penalties await anyone who is found culpable after our thorough investigation.”
Efforts to reach the Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Police Command, SP Wale Osifeso, proved abortive, but a text was sent to him.