Suspected herdsmen kidnap nine travelers in Ondo; demand N100 million ransom from their families

Nine persons traveling from Lagos to Abuja have been abducted by suspected herdsmen along lsua highway in Akoko South East area of Ondo State.

A family member of one of the victims, Bamidele Ojo, who confirmed this to Vanguard, said the victims were on board a Toyota Sienna space bus when they were ambushed by the suspected herdsmen.  The victims were allegedly marched into the forest by their abductors after their vehicle was stopped on the highway.

 

Bamidele said the abductors have reached out to the families of the abducted travelers and are demanding N100 million ransom.

Spokesperson of the Ondo state police command, Tee-Leo Ikoro, confirmed the incident and said one of the victims has been rescued. Ikoro said police detectives in the state were working with hunters, local vigilante, and other agencies to ensure the release of the remaining eight victims.

684 new cases of Coronavirus recorded in Nigeria

684 new cases of Coronavirus were recorded in Nigeria on Friday, June 26, 2020.

 

According to a breakdown by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 259 of the new cases were recorded in Lagos, Oyo-76 Katsina-69 Delta-66 Rivers-46 Ogun-23 Edo-22 Osun-22 Ebonyi-21 FCT-20 Kaduna-16 Ondo-10 Imo-9 Abia-9 Gombe-5 Plateau-4 Bauchi-4 Ekiti-2 Anambra-1.

In total, Nigeria has now recorded 23,298 cases of COVID-19. 8,253 patients have been discharged from various Isolation centers across the country, while 554 deaths have been recorded.

See a breakdown of cases in the different states below.

No part of the country can claim to be safe from terrorists, armed robbers and human traffickers - Obasanjo says; Calls for restructuring

Former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has lamented on the the security state of the nation, saying insecurity now affects every part of Nigeria irrespective of geographical location, tribe, language and religion.

Obasanjo speaking at this year’s edition of the Sobo Sowemimo Annual Lecture organised by Abeokuta Club titled, “COVID-19 and the Nigeria security issues: The way forward.”, noted that insecurity was now the order of the day in the Buhari-led administration.

He said; “Let me lay more emphasis on the issue of security, which in itself is serious enough to make restructuring imperative. The South-West governors cried out and devised Amotekun as a solution or part-solution.  We have yet to see how successfully that will be operated. Other zones are clamouring for a solution because in no state and in no geopolitical zone is life and property safe and secure.

“Criminality is the order of the day.  And it cuts across the entire nation.  Insecurity is one issue of commonality among Nigerians, no matter their tribe, language, religion, geographical location, gender, age or social position.’’

“I leave out economy which is in the doldrums and fighting corruption where you see more heat than light and which is festering like a bad sore. That, to me, is what reform of federating units and restructuring is all about and not about break-up or disintegration. Insecurity brought about by widespread criminality of Boko Haram, insurgents, herdsmen/farmers conflict, terrorists, bandits, armed robbers, militants, kidnappers, abductors and human traffickers is a new phenomenon that is ravaging the entire country.’’

According to Obasanjo, no ethnic group and even the Fulanis in Nigeria are collectively satisfied with the present security situation in spite of the President Muhammadu Buhari being a Fulani man.

He said “I am, of course, discounting invidious and irredeemable Fulani fundamentalists and hegemonists. Federal security architecture, as organised and operated by the present government, cannot give any individual or group hope, let alone assurance of security within Nigeria,’’ 

“Not that I am afraid of revolution, no, not at all, but I love and cherish peace and, of course, not peace of the graveyard.  If I am concerned about security issues in Mali because of possibility of flow-over to other parts of West Africa, I should be more concerned about security in any part of Nigeria. I have not lived for the demise of Nigeria nor for its destruction or incapacitation in any form.  Rather, I have lived to make and see a great and united country.’’

“Now, no part of the country can claim to be safe from the menace and insecurity caused by terrorists, armed robbers, human traffickers, kidnappers of all sorts, cattle rustlers, insurgents, bandits and herders/farmers conflicts.

“We are all challenged to put our thinking caps on, join hands and seek solutions together, otherwise, we will be destroyed piecemeal.’’

Nigerian crossdresser, Jay Boogie, shares hot photos on IG

Port Harcourt-based male crossdresser, Daniel Anthony aka Jay boogie, shared some hot photos on his Instagram page this morning.

See another one below.

OPPO Mobile Nigeria unveils Two winners from the OPPO Reno3 Urban24 Contest with prizes worth Millions of Naira in Cash and Endorsements

Meet the new faces of OPPO Nigeria, Emmanuel Somto and Jumoke Azeez. They emerged winners in the male and female categories out of over 2,500 aspiring models who participated in the contest.

They will each be getting N1,000,000 cash, Brand New #OPPOReno3 smartphones and a golden opportunity to be the stars on the cover of the no1 Fashion and Style magazine in Nigeria, Genevieve Magazine.

The announcement was made on OPPO Nigeria’s social media platforms on the 26th June, 2020 and fans have been congratulating the winners in good faith.

In his remarks, Joseph Adeola, the Public Relations Manager of OPPO Nigeria said, “We created this contest as our contribution to supporting Nigerian talent by not only providing them the resources they need to have their big break but also, the required platforms to launch them into global limelight as fast as possible.

We are very passionate about youth and we are confident that Nigerians are one of the most creative and talented people in the world.

Everyone who participated in this contest is a star and we will be working with a good number of the finalists even though they did not win”.

The OPPO Reno3 contest was open to all young Nigerians via the OPPO Nigeria social media pages and over 2,500 entries were initially submitted. After vetting by a panel of elite judges, 20 finalists were selected. 10 male and 10 female models, after which they were all published on the brand pages and voting began. Voting lasted a week and the male and female participants with the most points emerged winners of the contest.

The OPPO Reno3 Urban 24 seeks to support two (2) young and aspiring models by empowering them with not just millions of Naira and OPPO Reno 3 smartphones but also providing them with a chance to exclusively launch their modelling careers with a cover appearance on the renowned Genevieve Magazine, as well as modelling deals with the OPPO Nigeria brand in future campaigns.

For more information, please contact the OPPO Nigeria PR Manager: joseph.adeola@oppo-aed.ng

About OPPO

OPPO is a leading global smart device brand that since 2008 has been relentless in the pursuit of the synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. As at today, OPPO provides cutting edge smartphones to over 200 million people all over the world.

OPPO operates in more than 40 countries of the world, with 6 Research Centers and 4 R&D worldwide and an international design center in London. OPPO has more than 40,000 employees are dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world.

OPPO is popular for its stylish smartphone designs, quality photography experience and the status symbol it provides to its users.

UN says it is ‘deeply disturbed’ by video of couple having sex in its official vehicle (video)

The United Nations has reacted to a video of a couple having sex in one of its official cars in Israel. 

 

In the viral video which was shot in HaYarkon Street, a major thoroughfare in Tel Aviv, a woman wearing a red dress was seen straddling a man in the back seat of a white SUV with UN markings. The video featured a 4×4 vehicle which is “likely assigned to the UN Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO)”.

The people caught on camera are believed to be staff members of a peacekeeping organization in Israel. 

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN’s Secretary-General said they are “shocked and deeply disturbed” by the scandalous viral video. He described the behavior as “abhorrent” and further disclosed that an investigation into the matter was “moving very quickly.”

Dujarric said;

“We are shocked and deeply disturbed by what is seen on the video.

“The behaviour seen in it is abhorrent and goes against everything that we stand for and have been working to achieve in terms of fighting misconduct by UN staff.

“We became aware of the video a little bit more than two days ago and our colleagues in the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) were immediately activated.

“Their investigation I know is moving very quickly. We know the location of the incident and the identification of individuals in the video, who are likely assigned to the UNTSO, is close to being completed.

“As part of the UN’s commitment to transparency, the UN will provide updates on the conclusion of the investigation, and any further action.”

BBC reported that the UN has strict policies against sexual misconduct by its staff members, and workers may be disciplined or possibly banned from peacekeeping operations if they are found to be in breach of the rules. 

The inter-governmental organization has been plagued with allegations of sexual misconduct by its peacekeepers and other staff in recent years. In 2019, there were a total of 175 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse against UN staff members. Of those allegations, 16 were substantiated, 15 were unsubstantiated and the others are still being investigated.

Properties worth millions of Naira destroyed as fire razes 11 shops in Lagos (photos/videos)

Some traders are currently counting their losses after a fire outbreak razed 11 shops on 401 road in Gowon Estate in Lagos State in the early hours of today June 27.

Men of the state fire service were on hand to help put out the fire, although several properties worth millions of Naira were destroyed in the inferno.

The cause of the fire outbreak is being investigated.

Watch videos from the incident below.

"Nobody in my family should ever ask me for money " Suki Hana goes off on her family members after they refused to babysit her kids so she could work

Suki Hana, a rapper and social media personality who rose to fame for her viral songs, has called out her family after they refused to help her.

The 28-year-old has three kids from previous relationships. She had her first child at 18.

As her career is taking off after the release of her songs "Blame Trina", "5 Foot Freestyle", "All in your Throat" and "Drug Dealer" featuring Cuban Doll, it appears she's having difficulties combining it with her role as a mother and she expected her family to step in and help her.

When they didn't, she took to Twitter to blast them, writing: "Nobody in my family should ever ask me for money if y’all didn’t help me babysit my kids when I had to do a show. If you ain’t help me with my dreams I can’t buy you no house. Y’all ain’t even congratulate me when I made it to tv. Kiss my ass."

 

Her words, "when I made it to TV" references her new deal with the Love & Hip Hop Franchise. She joins the cast of Love & Hip Hop Miami in season three, which chronicles her struggles to be taken seriously as an artist.

She later found someone to watch her kids and she took to Instagram to write: "I finally got a babysitter now we back in business, lol."

Nigerians condemn FBI for focusing on 6 Nigerians on the wanted list when there are more numbers of suspects from other nationality

Nigerians have taken to Twitter to blast the FBI for a tweet where the bureau focused on the 6 Nigerians wanted for scam on a list where there are more numbers of suspects from other nationalities.

The FBI shared photos of the 6 Nigerian fugitives on their wanted list and tweeted on Friday: "Help the #FBI find ?six Nigerian nationals wanted for their involvement in ?business? email ?compromise (BEC) schemes resulting in over $6 ?million in losses. Read more about each defendant and submit tips at http://tips.fbi.gov. #FugitiveFriday."

However, on the full wanted list, there are 20 Asians, 39 Arabs, 16 Russians and more. The FBI did not mention the other scammers and their nationality, even though they have a larger number, instead they focused on the 6 Nigerian scammers and this angered people.

Nigerians took to Twitter to blast the FBI for continuing to further the stereotype that only Nigerians are fraudsters, whereas people from other nationalities do worse.

Some pointed out that people wouldn't even know that there are fraudsters from other nationalities involved if they do not click the link to read further.

Meanwhile, people who didn't click the link to see the full list are already calling out Nigerians for fraud. As a result, 6 Nigerians is currently trending on Twitter.

Below are tweets from Nigerians blasting the FBI.

"The Simpsons" will no longer have white actors voice characters of colour

The Simpsons will no longer use white actors to voice ethnic minority characters, the producers of the long-running animated series announced Friday, June 26. "Moving forward, THE SIMPSONS will no longer have white actors voice non-white characters," Fox Studios said in a statement to AFP. The series, launched in 1989, has a number of coloured characters that are voiced by white actors. The recurring character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, a grocer of Indian origin, is voiced in the American version of the show by white actor Hank Azaria. The character has long been seen as problematic and conveying racist stereotypes. Last January Azaria announced that, in agreement with producers, he was abandoning the role. The change will also affect the character of Dr Hibbert, a black character voiced by the white actor Harry Shearer who also lends his voice to many other characters on the series — from Homer Simpson’s boss Mr Burns to the chirpy neighbour Ned Flanders. This announcement came as Mike Henry, the white actor who voices the black character of Cleveland Brown in Family Guy, another animated series produced by Fox, announced on Twitter and Instagram that he was giving up the role.

Belgian star, Thomas Meunier signs for Borussia Dortmund from PSG after turning down Man United and Chelsea

German club, Borussia Dortmund have completed the signing of Thomas Meunier from Paris Saint-Germain on a four-year deal.

The 28-year-old Belgium right-back had been linked with Premier League clubs Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham but he decided to join the Bundesliga giants Dortmund on a free transfer.

Announcing the deal on Twitter, Meunier tweeted: 'A great day has arrived! I have the immense honor to announce my engagement with Borussia Dortmund! A new chapter opens to us, to you, to me. What a pride to wear the yellow and black jersey!

Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc said: 'Thomas Meunier is a player who has demonstrated his quality at the highest level in the Champions League and in the national team over a long period of time and will really benefit us with his experience.'

Meunier, who will link up with his compatriots Axel Witsel and Thorgan Hazard at Signal Iduna Park added: 'Borussia Dortmund plays exactly the football that I want to play: exciting, authentic, and natural. BVB is known for its enthusiastic fans and the atmosphere during the game with PSG at Signal Iduna Park really influenced my decision.

The two Nigerian brothers allegedly paid by Jussie Smollett to carry out homophobic attack refuse to testify against him

Nigerian brothers Ola and Abel Osundario, who had agreed to testify against Hollywood actor Jussie Smollett after being allegedly paid by the actor in January 2019 to carry out a homophobic attack against him in Illinois, have now refused to testify in the court case against him, saying the police still treat them as suspects.

The Chicago Police Department claims Ola and Abel Osundario were paid $3,500 to stage an attack against the 'Empire' actor in January 2019 before he claimed he was a victim of a homophobic attack leading to a court case.

The new case against Smollet came months after the county's state's attorney's office abruptly announced it was dropping charges against the actor, angering police, Donald Trump and City Hall.

The case was restarted again following public outcry and early this month, a Cook County judge dismissed actor Smollett's attempt to have criminal charges against him dropped, telling the actor that the new charges against him do not violate his right against double jeopardy.

Smollett's attorneys made the double jeopardy argument after a special prosecutor secured a six-count indictment on charges alleging that he lied to police about a racist and anti-gay attack that police say he staged himself. 

The Nigerian brothers agreed to help police in the case against Smollett but now their lawyer has said they have changed their minds because the police are treating them as suspects and are still withholding their belongings as evidence.

'It's been over a year and they need to give us our stuff back,' Abel Osundairo complained to CBS 2 on Wednesday.

'I would understand if we were defendants in the case, which we are not'

During a police raid, a number of possessions belonging to Abel were taken,  and Abel says most of the items he can't get back belong to his loved ones.

'Most of the stuff isn't even mine,' Abel said. 'They belong to my oldest brother, my mother, my sister. They even took my dog's toy.'

But he's also concerned about his 9mm gun taken by police.

'Legally it belongs to me, and I want to know its whereabouts,' he continued.

His attorney, Schmidt Rodriguez, has filed a court motion with a judge for the items to be returned. Abel also filed a police report on Wednesday as part of the administrative dispute.

'Of course I'm skeptical, because you are saying one thing one day and another thing another day,' Abel Osundairo said. 'It's just another thing we have to go through.

Former Oyo state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, dies at 70

Former governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, has died. He was 70 years old. Ajimobi who has been in a coma and on life support, died of COVID19 complications in a hospital in Lagos state today June 25. The former governor was rumored to have died last Thursday, June 18 but his aides and family members denounced the report asking Nigerians to rather pray for his recovery. Late Ajimobi was governor between 20011 and 2019. He is survived by his wife, Florence, and children. May his soul rest in peace, Amen.

Dino Melaye sings as he taunts suspended National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomole, in new video

Dino Melaye has shared a new video taunting suspended National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomole.

 

The former lawmaker sang a song in Yoruba as he mocked former Edo state governor,  Oshiomhole, today June 25.

''Why did Buhari, APC take Oshiomole to Golgotha? Meanwhile myself and Sen Saraki are waiting for our retirement letter from the disgraced former chairman.'' he wrote

Recall that the National Working Committee of the party which Oshiomole set up before he was suspended, was dissolved earlier today at the NEC meeting of the APC held in the statehouse Abuja.
 

The NEC meeting was converged by Victor Giadem and was attended by President Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and APC governors.

There is no love lost between Dino Melaye and Oshiomhole. 

Watch Dino's video below

Governor Godwin Obaseki emerges Edo state PDP governorship candidate

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has emerged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for the September 19 governorship election in the state.

 

Obaseki emerged the party's candidate during the primary held at the Samuel Ogbemudia International Stadium Benin City today June 25.

His emergence came after his closest rivals in the race, Ken Imasaugbon, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, stepped down from the race minutes into the primary election.

With Obaseki’s emergence as PDP’s candidate, the governor will face his political rival Osagie Ize-iyamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other candidates in the September 19 governorship election.

In 2016, Ize-iyamu was PDP’s candidate while Obaseki with the backing of his erstwhile political godfather, Adams Oshiomhole, contested under APC and won the election.

Social media will kill this generation - Paul Okoye 'Rude Boy' reacts to release of Hushpuppi's arrest video

Paul Okoye 'Rude Boy' has reacted to the release of the video which showed how Hushpuppi and others were arrested in a sting operation dubbed "Fox Hunt 2". 

 

The singer in his Instastory post expressed shock over the amount of money Hushuppi and his alleged gang members were accused of stealing. He added that "social media will kill this generation". 

See Paul Okoye's post below; 

Police interrogate D'banj over rape allegation

Nigerian singer, Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo, popularly known as D'banj, has been interrogated by the Nigeria Police Force over the rape allegation made by Seyitan Babatayo.

 

The singer was interrogated by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Adaku Anya, at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Garki, Abuja, Punch reports.

The publication adds that Seyitan was also invited for questioning but pleaded that she couldn't afford to travel to Abuja so she was allowed to report at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Alagbon, Ikoyi.

According to the publication, a top police source said D'banj insisted in his statement that he never raped his accuser, Seyitan Babatayo.

The source said: "D’Banj has been questioned twice at the FCID, Abuja. He was questioned last week and also this week. We will leave no stone unturned as we investigate the matter."

"Seyitan appealed with us that she had no means of travelling down to Abuja. So, she has been given the option of reporting at the FCID Annex, Alagbon, Ikoyi," the officer added.

Recall that the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, had ordered a probe into the rape allegation against the singer (read here). The IG had referred the case to a Deputy Inspector-General of Police to handle.

Liverpool are champions of the English Premier League

Liverpool football club of England are now the premier league champions after Chelsea beat Manchester City 2-1 tonight.

Manchester city needed to win Chelsea tonight to have a chance of defending the title against Liverpool next week but faltered after Chelsea's two goals.

It took Liverpool 28 wins and 86 points amid a Coronavirus imposed break after an incredible season where they have lost only once, to win the title .

Liverpool F.C. had previously won England's top football league 18 times. The club's last league title win was the 1989-90 season.

Congrats to them!

"Jude Okoye you will suffer for your evil ways" Cynthia Morgan writes on Instagram

A message shared via Cynthia Morgan's Instagram account cussed out Jude Okoye for his "evil ways."

 

The last we heard from the singer and her former record label boss, it appeared they were ready to bury the hatchet. Cynthia, who had said her music career came to a halt after she signed with Jude Okoye's Northside Entertainment label, cleared the air in an open letter and thanked Jude Okoye (read here).

However, only weeks after thanking him, the singer, who now goes by the name Madrina, appears to be back to blasting him.

The message shared via her Instagram Stories reads: "@judeengees you will suffer for your evil ways."

It is not clear what prompted Cynthia's recent outburst.

594 new cases of Coronavirus recorded in Nigeria

594 new cases of Coronavirus were recorded in Nigeria on Thursday, June 25, 2020.

 

According to a breakdown by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 159 of the new cases were recorded in Lagos, Delta-106, Ondo-44, FCT-34, Edo-34, Oyo-33, Kaduna-33, Enugu-28, Katsina-25, Imo-22, Adamawa-15, Ogun-12, Osun-11, Abia-8, Rivers-6, Nasarawa-5, Bauchi-5, Niger-5, Kebbi-4, Ekiti-3, Plateau-1, Taraba-1.

In total, Nigeria has now recorded 22,614 cases of COVID-19. 7,822 patients have been discharged from various Isolation centers across the country, while 549 deaths have been recorded.

See a breakdown of cases in the different states below.

Ex-governor Abiola Ajimobi died from multiple organ failure due to COVID-19 complications- Lagos Commisioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi

Professor Akin Abayomi, the Commissioner for Health in Lagos State, has revealed that former Oyo state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, died from multiple organ failure due to COVID-19 complications. The former governor died on Thursday, June 25.

In a tweet posted on Friday June 26, the Commissioner for Health said Ajimobi died at the First Cardiologist Consultant, a private COVID-19 approved care facility in the state.

''We regret the death of immediate past Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajumobi who passed on June 25, 2020 at First Cardiologist Consultant; a private #COVID19 approved care facility in Lagos State. The former Governor died from multiple organs failure following complications from #COVID19 infection.

On behalf of #COVID19Lagos Incident Commander @jidesanwoolu  and the entire #COVID19Lagos response team, we convey our heartfelt condolences to the family of the former Governor and the people of Oyo state. May his soul rest in peace'' he tweeted

The former governor was 70 years old.  

What I will tell you will make you drink Sniper - Daddy Freeze reacts to being called out for dining with Hushpuppi after criticizing Pastors (videos)

Daddy Freeze has reacted to the backlash that trailed a video of him dining with arrested suspected fraudster, Hushpuppi. 

The media personality known for calling out Pastors over some of their actions, was accused of hypocrisy for dining with Hushpuppi. He was also accused of mocking unemployed Nigerians as he mentioned how much the "Instagram" big boy's driver and cleaner makes. 

Here are some posts below; 

Daddy Freeze has however defended himself by quoting Mark 2:15 where Jesus dined with "sinners". He added that Nigerians are funny people and he is glad that he is not accountable to anyone except his master. The media personality went on to block social media users who were trolling him and also said "he will say what will make them drink sniper". 

On being a hypocrite, he stated that he uses the scripture to point fingers at Nigerian Pastors while they can't do same to him. 

Here is the video below;