“How My Friends Accused Me Of Using My Sick Wife For Money Ritual” – Obi Cubana

Billionaire businessman, Obinna Iyiegbu aka Obi Cubana, has opened up on his wife’s struggle with an illness that almost took her life.

Speaking during an interview with host Chude Jideonwo, Obi Cubana revealed that the incident happened after she gave birth..

According to him, his wife displayed an unyielding strength that left him in awe.

He said: “So, my wife, after she gave birth on Valentine’s Day, developed a strange illness.

“Someone called me and said, ‘See what they are hearing—that I went to use my wife for juju,’ and it was my friend. So, the person taking care of the brain is not the same person taking care of the… so they were just different people.

“A professor said, ‘Obi, your wife will not die, but I’m sorry, she will not be able to walk again and give birth again.’ Tears! My wife held me; she said, ‘Don’t worry, don’t mind them, let’s go.’ That night, I cried throughout the night, and she said, ‘Obi, I will walk on my feet again, and I will train this baby.’”

Meta Finally Lifts Trump’s Remaining Facebook, Instagram Restrictions

Meta has lifted all remaining restrictions on former President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts ahead of the upcoming Republican convention next week.

Nick Clegg, Meta’s global affairs president, announced on Friday that with the Republican and Democratic national conventions approaching and the formal nomination of presidential candidates underway, both parties’ nominees should have equal opportunity for political expression.

Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were initially suspended indefinitely in January 2021 following the Capitol attack, due to his posts perceived as endorsing violence.

Although access was partially restored in 2023 with restrictions, Meta decided to fully lift these penalties on Friday.

Clegg described the initial ban as an exceptional decision made under extraordinary circumstances.

Napoli Boss Conte Gives Update On Osimhen’s Future At The Club

Napoli manager, Antonio Conte, says Victor Osimhen must keep working hard despite his uncertain future at the club.

Osimhen had an agreement with Napoli to leave the club this summer.

Any potential suitor must pay the €130 million release clause in his contract.

At the moment, no club in Europe is willing to pay the staggering fee.

Conte stated that he is not sure where the Nigerian will be playing next season.

“I spoke to Victor and there are no changes on his situation. He’s a top player,” Conte said in quote relayed by transfer market specialist, Fabrizio Romano.

“He’s Napoli player today so he needs to work hard, even if we’ve an agreement [for his potential exit] and still we don’t know the outcome of this story.”

Dog Eats Flesh Off Girl’s Head, Attacks Owner Trying To Protect Victim In Ibadan

Pandemonium broke out in the Adagbada Arola area of Apete, Ibadan, Oyo State, recently after a five year old girl identified as Moridiyat Rauf was att@cked by the dog of an elderly woman she had gone to spend time with. The raging dog bit off her hair and flesh covering her head.

The girl, as a usual practice, had gone to the dog owner’s house to play with her, with the belief that the animal was in its cage. However, unknown to the woman, whose name was given as Mrs Esther (surname withheld), the dog had somehow loosened the padlock used to hold the cage, and as the girl came in, it pounced on her.

The dog owner reportedly struggled to extricate the girl from the dog but was unsuccessful, making her shield the badly injured Moridiya with her body. Angry at the move, the dog descended on its owner, bit off her tongue and tore off a big chunk of flesh off of her face.

Nigerian Tribune reports that neighbours and sympathisers started looking for items to dislodge the dog, as they were afraid to immediately move in to avoid the dog turning on them. Eventually, they succeeded in subduing the dog and rescued the girl.

The girl’s brother, who spoke on the incident, disclosed that the girl’s mother left for the market at about 7:30 am. He said that he was in the sitting room with Moridiya’s elder brother watching videos on the phone while she and another sibling were playing with a teddy bear.

Believing that she was still inside, he said that he went to another part of the house and later rushed to the dog owner’s house on hearing of the commotion.

“I heard the piercing cry of my sister and went to trace where she was. As I stood at the gate of the woman’s house, I was shocked by what I saw. The mummy shielded my sister with her body. I started shouting ‘Dog! Dog!’ I shook the gate. I picked stones and climbed the fence, but the dog held on to my sister and its owner. Other people started coming to find a way of rescuing them. We were looking for a weapon that would subdue it. Eventually, elders got in, killed the dog and quickly rushed my sister to the hospital,” he narrated to the Nigerian Tribune.

It was gathered that Moridiya was first rushed to the Health Centre at Ajibode area, from where she was promptly referred to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan for emergency medical attention. The dog owner was also taken to the same hospital for medical attention

Nigerian Workers Spend 65% Of Salary On Foods – UN

The United Nations (UN) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led federal government to make dedicated budgetary allocation to curb food insecurity.

The UN Director of World Food Programme (WFP) Africa Union Global Office, Dr. Hameed Nuru, made the call in Ilọrin, Kwara State capital, on Wednesday.

He spoke as the Guest Speaker at the maiden annual lecture of the University of Ilorin’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine themed: “Navigating nexus of food security, safety and diseases: a holistic sustainable future and economic economic prosperity”.

The programme was in honour of a former deputy vice chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University and first professor from Ilorin Emirate, Professor Saka Nuru.

According to him, statistics at the UN shows Nigerians spend over 65 per cent of their salary on food consumption as against 5-6 per cent acceptable rate, adding that “This is unacceptable”.

He said the country’s future is bleak without food security, adding that, “It’s not the oil, gold, diamond and other natural resources that can guarantee Nigeria’s future but food security which is now directly linked to national security.

“In Nigeria, you see budget for health, education and infrastructure among others but not on food security. It’s is only spread between budgets of other ministries. We need a dedicated budget for food security because time has come for it. Nigeria is a hotspot on food insecurity among other nations.

“We have about 36 active conflicts in Africa with some more that 30 years old. This is the single most important challenge to food insecurity in Nigeria and other affected countries”, he said.

Dr Nuru said Nigeria is predicted to have one million malnourished children from August this year due to conflicts, insecurity, and climate change, especially, in the North East, replica of the situation in Somalia.

He said there is need for Nigeria to harness indigenous foods adding that over $60.8 billions was spent to import food to Nigeria and other African countries in contrast with $15 trillion spent on conflict globally to buy guns and ammunition. This is sad”.

“Government should come up with policy that will make citizens have access to food. It’s undignifying to always hand over food to people without developing their economic capacity to be able to access the food themselves”, he said

“Africa should move away from agriculture for the stomach to agriculture for wealth and strengthen agriculture production to address food security.

“Government policy should attract more youth into the agricultural sector, encourage and support the African Free Continental trade agreement:

“WFP is prioritising its operations to reach 1.1 million vulnerable people every month in northern Nigeria. Those receiving assistance include displaced people living in camps or host communities, as well as vulnerable members of host communities and people returning home after months of displacement”, he submitted.

In her remarks, the Dean, faculty of veterinary medicine, Prof Oyebisi Azeez, said the occasion was to celebrate the legacy of Prof Nuru and reflect on impact of his work on the faculty, university and humanity/animal globally.

CBN Faults Binance For Carrying Out Banking Services Through Naira P2P In Nigeria

CBN faults Binance for carrying out banking services through Naira P2P feature in Nigeria
by Nnaemeka Onyekachi

Story highlights
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) criticized Binance for unauthorized deposits and withdrawal services, typically reserved for banks and licensed financial institutions.

Binance and its executives face allegations of money laundering, foreign exchange contravention, and conspiracy to conceal financial proceeds, with the government highlighting transactions worth $35,400,000.
The trial revealed that Binance facilitated peer-to-peer transactions involving naira without authorization, and concerns were raised about its impact on Nigeria’s exchange rate and compliance with regulations.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has faulted the Binance cryptocurrency platform for carrying out deposits and withdrawal services meant for banks and other authorized financial institutions on its platform, without authorization.

Dr. Olubukola Akinwunmi, Head of Payment Policy and Regulation Division at the CBN, told Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday that the deposits and withdrawal transactions done on Binance platform was what banks in Nigeria were authorized by the apex bank to do.

Nairametrics reports that the Nigerian government had accused Binance and its executives, Tygran Gambaryan and the fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla, of allegedly conspiring amongst themselves to conceal the origin of the financial proceeds of their alleged unlawful activities in Nigeria, including $35,400, 000.

The Nigerian authorities allege they committed an offence contrary to Section 21 (a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

What transpired during the trial
Led in evidence by counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ekele Iheanacho, the CBN staff told the court that the Binance website convinced many Nigerians to swiftly deposit and withdraw NGN or naira on Binance via a cash link.

He added that statements on the Binance website also stated it “does not charge deposit fees. For each withdrawal, a flat fee is paid by users to cover the transaction cost of moving the cryptocurrency out of their Binance account.”

He explained that “depositing and withdrawing naira is a regulated activity carried out by banks and other financial institutions duly licensed by Central Bank of Nigeria.”

He maintained that Binance was not given the authorization to carry out such transactions on its platform.

He also said that Binance facilitated conversion from naira to dollar, adding that that kind of service also required authorization by the CBN, either as an authorized giver or as a Bureau de Change.

He also told the court that traders who deal in foreign exchange on Binance “normally trade in pseudonyms” thereby hiding their identities in contravention of relevant laws.

The witness explained,

“The selling party will provide a bank account to which the buying party can send or transfer the naira amount into the account provided by the selling party.

“Once the buying party transfers the amount agreed, it clicks on a particular icon on the Binance platform to communicate the fact that he has transferred the amount.

“The Binance platform will on the side of the selling party, await confirmation based on which it will release the cryptocurrency or fiat currency.

“The Binance platform facilitated all these processes for the (naira)peer-to-peer transaction.”

After the witness’ examination, the court adjourned to July 16 for cross-examination by the defence.

Justice Nwite also ordered the Nigerian Correctional Services to produce the medical reports of the Tigran Gambaryan that day, warning the correctional service against non-compliance to the court’s directives.

He added that the medical practitioner at the prison service will have to appear in court if the medical report is not produced.

More insights
A director from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had told the court that the Binance platform became a reference point for determining Nigeria’s exchange rate.

SEC is a Federal Government agency that carries out registration of all capital market stakeholders, instruments to be traded on the market, and all the trading platforms.

In addition, the SEC makes rules and regulations on the capital market, conducts investigations, investigates enforcement as well as monitors the market.

Nairametrics reports that a popular method of buying and selling crypto is through Peer-to-peer, otherwise known as P2P.

The seller and buyer are connected in what can be likened to a marketplace.

Binance and its executives are faced with two separate suits by the FIRS and EFCC; the former bordering on tax evasion while the latter on money laundering and foreign exchange contravention.

Nairametrics recalls that the executives have also instituted a fundamental rights case against agencies of the Nigerian government, citing a violation of their constitutional right to liberty.

On February 28, Nigerian authorities detained two senior Binance executives, Nadeem Anjarwalla, a 37-year-old British-Kenyan who serves as the regional manager for Africa, and Tigran Gambaryan, a 39-year-old American who is the head of financial crime compliance at Binance.

Backstory
Recently, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA) classified cryptocurrency trading as a national security issue.

Following this, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed four fintech startups operating in the country—Opay, Moniepoint, Paga, and Palmpay to block the accounts of customers engaging in cryptocurrency transactions and to report those transactions to law enforcement agencies.

Earlier in February this year, crypto trading platform, Binance, had to disable its peer-to-peer feature for Nigerian users as it came under the searchlight of the Nigerian government over allegations of currency manipulation and money laundering.

Meanwhile, SEC, during a virtual meeting with the Blockchain Industry Coordinating Committee of Nigeria (BICCoN), called for a new cryptocurrency measure that aims to remove the naira as a currency pair from cryptocurrency peer-to-peer platforms.

The Acting Director General of the SEC, Dr. Emomotimi Agama, who made the call, emphasized the need to clean up the virtual assets space from illegal trading activities and safeguard the integrity of the Nigerian capital market.

Agama noted that the recent surge in peer-to-peer (P2P) crypto trading has reportedly impacted the Naira’s exchange rate, prompting the SEC to consider delisting the Naira from P2P platforms to curb market manipulation.

Source:- Nairametrics

NOUN Scraps Law Programme, Leaves Over 1000 Students’ Career In Jeopardy

The National Open University (NOUN) Law students have called out for help over the scrapping of the law programme by the University management, leaving students who are nearing completion of their projects in dilemma.

Documents seen by SaharaReporters show that on 25th of January, 2023, the University’s Senate ratified the scrapping of the law degree programme of the University, at the end of the 2023 second semester .

Concerned by the development, students under the aegis of “concerned law students” wrote the House of Representatives seeking intervention.

In the letter dated on 27th of October, 2023, the House of Representatives acknowledged the call for intervention while promising to convene a meeting between student representatives and the management of the Open University.

Other correspondences received show that between November 2023 and January, 2024, the National Assembly held a meeting between the students and the university management however, this has not led to a meaningful development.

SaharaReporters understands that over 1500 final year students of the university are affected by the decision to make the law department “cease to exist”.

These students are at the risk of not graduating despite spending millions to study the law degree in the institution.

It was gathered that it cost about N3 million for a law student to graduate up to 500 level in the institution.

SaharaReporters earlier reported how students of the institution lamented their inability to be issued graduation certificates and failure of the university to convoke them, putting them in a dilemma of lacking evidence to show for their academic sojourn in the institution.

Although the University denied, NOUN, which operates a distance-learning and study Centre model, has been at the fore of controversies around issues of accreditation and management.

Students lament that the institution does not usually communicate developments to it and fails to attend to their queries on these developments that affect their academic wellbeing.

A student who does not want to be named noted that the development of the law students for instance was first seen on social media with no official communication to them.

“We were not notified, we only saw a statement on social media suggesting that the law programme would be stopped after we spent how many years on it and no one has offered any form of apology or genuine concern”.

It was also gathered that the university intends not to take in new law students in order to seek fresh accreditation for the law programme; however the legal dreams of the current 500-level law students and their investments for five years is threatened by the development of the institution’s law programme.

The Public Relations Officer of NOUN, Ibrahim Sheme, refused to comment on the development when contacted, asking SaharaReporters to instead visit him at the office.

Source:- Saharareporters

NYSC DG Warns Corps Members Against Posting Camp Activities On Social Media

The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, has issued a stern warning to corps members against sharing camp activities on social media.

During a visit to the NYSC Orientation Camp in Ede, Osun, on Friday, July 5, Ahmed emphasized that posting camp events on social media violates the scheme’s standing rules and policies.

He urged corps members to maintain good character and discipline throughout the three-week orientation exercise. He also encouraged them to stay focused and take full advantage of the skills acquisition program offered in the camp.

“The skills acquisition program is designed to make you self-reliant and not dependent on white-collar jobs,” Ahmed stated. “We are collaborating with stakeholders to provide grants, so please take this opportunity seriously.”

The Director-General assured corps members of their safety and security, stressing that camp officials would not assign them to unsafe locations. “Your safety is our priority. Be vigilant and take precautionary measures to stay safe,” he added.

Ahmed also advised the corps members to maintain high standards of hygiene to avoid contracting diseases, particularly cholera. He encouraged them to be exemplary ambassadors of the NYSC wherever they are posted.

“We want you to be good ambassadors wherever you are posted in the country,” Ahmed concluded.

Kylian Mbappe To Join Real Madrid

Real Madrid are set to announce Paris Saint Germain forward, Kylian Mbappe as new signing next week after winning the Champions League.

The talented France international is often considered a potential Ballon D’or winner after conquering the french league with 191 goals and lifting the 2018 FIFA world cup with France.

The Paris Saint Germain all time leading goalscorer, after seven (7) seasons with the french giants, will formerly announce Real Madrid as his new club in the coming week as all documents have been signed and finalised.

Mbappé made the decision to part ways with PSG in February, he can now be considered new Real player.

Price Hike Forces Many South Africans To Dump DSTV

South Africans dump DStv as price pain sets in

MultiChoice is struggling to hold on to DStv subscribers as years of price increases made the service expensive and uncompetitive in the new streaming market.

MultiChoice’s results for the six months ended 30 September 2023 revealed a loss of R911 million, a big decline from the R55 million profit over the same period last year.

One reason for the poor results is that middle-class South Africans continue to ditch DStv in preference for streaming services.

Over the last year, DStv subscriptions in South Africa declined by 486,000 – from 9.115 million to 8.629 million.

What was striking was that the subscriber decrease happened across the board over the last six months.

Simply put, DStv subscribers in the premium, mid-market, and mass-market segments are all cutting the cord.

An even bigger concern is that the average revenue per user (ARPU) in all of DStv’s segments is declining.

That means MultiChoice is losing DStv subscribers and making less money per subscriber. This explains its dismal financial state.

MultiChoice seemed undeterred by declining subscriber numbers and again increased the price of most DStv bouquets on 1 April 2024.

The pricing of its DStv satellite pay-TV package increased by between 3.1% and 7.8%. DStv’s streaming-only packages remained unchanged.

MultiChoice may try to increase the money it makes from its subscribers through these price increases, but this strategy has been failing.

Despite price increases last year, mass-market ARPU declined by 3%, mid-market by 2%, and premium by 4%.

This means many DStv subscribers are dumping the more expensive packages or downgrading to cheaper options.

The reality is that South African consumers are stretched financially and cannot afford more expensive DStv services.

There is no easy way out for MultiChoice. It faces declining revenue in South Africa, and the expedient way to address this decline is through higher prices.

Unfortunately, this strategy will fuel MultiChoice’s downward spiral, with more high-end subscribers downgrading or cutting the cord completely.

MultiChoice is pinning its hopes on Showmax to save it from declining DStv subscribers and bolster its financial performance.

Showmax 2.0 – a revamped version of its streaming service – was launched on 12 February 2024, with prices ranging between R39 and R99 per month.

MultiChoice is betting on Showmax to compete with Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video to become the leading streaming service in Africa.

Showmax 2.0 was created through a partnership between MultiChoice, Sky, and NBCUniversal’s Peacock. MultiChoice owns 70% of the new service, while NBCUniversal owns 30%.

MultiChoice and NBCUniversal announced they will invest $177 million (R3.3 billion) in the new Showmax offering during the current financial year.

This shows how serious MultiChoice is about competing in the streaming market and taking on Netflix in Africa.

Anthony Martial Confirms Man United Exit After Nine Years

Anthony Martial has confirmed that he will leave Manchester United this summer after nine years.

Martial’s contract expires at the end of the 2023/24 campaign and having not agreed on an extension, he has announced that he will be departing.

In an open letter to supporters on social media on Monday evening, May 27, he said:

“Dear Manchester United fans, It’s with great emotion that I write to you today to say goodbye. After nine incredible years at the club, the time has come for me to turn a new page in my career.

“Since I arrived in 2015, I have had the immense honour of wearing this shirt and playing in front of you, the best supporters in the world! You have been an unwavering support, through the good times and the difficult. Your passion and loyalty have been a constant source of motivation for me.

“I’d like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you’ve done for me. Your songs, your encouragement and your love for the club are memories that will remain engraved in my heart forever.

“I would also like to express my gratitude to all my teammates, technical staff and all the members of the club I have met during my 9 years here. I am proud to have been able to share these experiences with you.

“Manchester United will always be in my heart. This club has left its mark on my career and offered me an incredible opportunity to play in front of you. I’m leaving to take on new challenges, I’ll always be a Red Devil and I’ll continue to follow the club’s results with passion. Thank you again for everything, and see you soon. With all my affection, Anthony Martial.”

Martial joined United in 2015 as a teenager from Monaco in a deal worth an initial £36m, potentially rising as high as £57.6m.

The forward enjoyed a bright start to life at Old Trafford and scored on his debut with a brilliant solo goal against Liverpool – one of 17 in all competitions that season.

He remained a key player for the next few campaigns with his 23 goals in the 2019/20 campaign a career-best. However, inconsistency and injuries blighted his final few years with the club.

He joined the Spanish side Sevilla on loan for the second half of the 2021/22 campaign. Martial made just 19 appearances this season under Erik ten Hag, scoring twice. He has been linked with a move to Inter Milan.

Cristiano Ronaldo Breaks Saudi Pro League Scoring Record

Al Nassr striker, Cristiano Ronaldo has capped his first full Saudi Pro League season in style by breaking the record for the most goals scored in one campaign.

The Portuguese striker, 39, scored a brace in his side’s 4-2 win over Al Ittihad on the final matchday to take his tally this season to 35 goals.

The previous record was held by former Al Nassr forward and Moroccan international Abderrazak Hamdallah, who scored 34 goals in 2018-19.

As a result of his achievements, Ronaldo has now become the first player to be a top goalscorer in four different top flights; the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A and the Saudi Pro League.

Ronaldo, who played for Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, joined Al Nassr in January 2023.

Korra Obidi Blasted Over Unclad Carnival Outfit, Suggestive Dance

Controversial dancer, Korra Obidi faces severe backlashes following her choice of out and dance moves at a recent carnival.

The mother of two who is faced with a back-and-forth clash with her husband over their children’s custody made headlines once again following her appearance at the Caribbean Islands carnival.

In the video shared on her Instagram page, Korra Obidi rocked a colourful beaded carnival outfit with feathers on it; leaving most of her body exposed.

“I love the Caribbean Islands! I love Carnival! They say, go where you are loved.  I felt loved, not judged and seen ,” she captioned the video.

Lucky Woman Wins $1million Lottery For The Second Time In 10 Weeks

A Massachusetts woman won the lottery twice.

Christine Wilson of Attleboro recently claimed a $1 million jackpot, the Massachusetts State Lottery announced on Wednesday, May 1.

Amazingly, it marked the second $1 million prize she’d won in just 10 weeks.

Wilson’s latest winnings came from playing the 100X Cash $10 instant ticket game. The scratch game involves matching any of the player’s numbers or bonus numbers to any winning number.

In February, Wilson claimed her first $1 million lottery prize after playing the Lifetime Millions $50 instant ticket game.

When she won her first prize, Wilson said that she would use some of the money to buy an SUV. Now she plans to put her new winnings towards savings.

As with her first jackpot prize back in February, for her latest win, Wilson opted for the cash payout option of $650,000 before taxes.

And it’s not just Wilson who is reaping the rewards for her latest jackpot. The Family Food Mart that sold her the ticket will receive a $10,000 bonus.

Wilson joins other lucky folks who have won a lottery jackpot twice in the last year. In February, a Michigan man won a $110,000 prize by playing the state’s Fantasy 5 Double Play drawing. Six months earlier, the man had also netted $110,000 via the same game.

Meanwhile, in October 2023, Jennifer Minton of Gloucester, Virginia, won $50,000 playing that state’s Safari Quest online game. A week later, she won again, netting a $1 million prize.

And in March of that same year, a couple from Australia scored two $1 million prizes on separate tickets in the same drawing for Australia’s Monday & Wednesday Lotto game.

Court Stops Implementation Of New Electricity Tariff

A Federal High Court in Kano has issued an order restraining the National Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Kano Electricity Distribution Company from implementing the new electricity tariff for Band A consumers.

The suit marked FHC/KN/CS/144/2024 was filed by Super Sack Company Limited and BBY Sacks Limited.

Others are Mama Sannu Industries Limited, Dala Foods Nigeria Limited, Tofa Textile Limited, and Manufacturers Association Of Nigeria Limited.

However, ruling on an ex-parte motion by Abubakar Mahmoud, counsel to the plaintiffs, the presiding judge, Abdullahi Liman, ordered NERC and KEDCO from going ahead with the impending tariff pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed before it.

The order also restrained the defendant from intimidating and threatening to disconnect the applicants’ electricity supply for non-acceptance of the new increased tariff.

In April, NERC approved an increase in electricity tariff for customers under the Band A classification.

With the new tariff, customers under the category, who receive 20 hours of electricity supply daily, would begin to pay N225 per kilowatt, starting from April 3 — up from N66.

The sudden hike has since been criticized by the House of Representatives and other stakeholders who have asked NERC to suspend the implementation of the new tariff.

Source:- Punchng