Author: topnews

Human trafficking: Over 1,000 Victims Rescued by NAPTIP

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Between January and July 2023, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Kano Zonal Command, has successfully rescued a total of 1,085 victims of human trafficking. Out of this number, 932 victims were rescued from irregular migration and were repatriated through the efforts of the International Organization for Migration and the National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria. In addition to that, the Zonal Command also saved 163 victims who were being trafficked to European countries via Niger Republic and Libya. Some of these victims were rescued…

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Rivers State Family Court Sentences Pastor to Seven Years in Prison for Defiling and Impregnating Minor

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The Rivers State Family Court has handed a 55-year-old cleric, Pastor Piler Erekwa, a seven-year prison sentence with hard labor for sexually abusing and impregnating a 15-year-old girl in Ndele community, Emuoha Local Government Area. The presiding Chief Magistrate, Ogeh Elkanah, also ordered Pastor Erekwa to pay N500,000 to the victim’s family to cover medical expenses incurred during her pregnancy. The accused had pleaded guilty to the charge of sexual abuse filed by the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department. Share on: WhatsApp

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Anambra State Pupil Admits UTME Result Forgery, Seeks Forgiveness from JAMB and House of Representatives

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An Anambra State pupil named Mmesoma Ejikeme appeared before a House of Representatives ad hoc committee in Abuja after being accused of forging her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result. The teenager had initially claimed to be the top scorer in the 2023 UTME with a score of 362, but later admitted to manipulating her result from 249 to 362. Mmesoma tendered an apology to the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for her actions. JAMB had imposed a three-year ban on her as a consequence of the forgery, leading…

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Nigerian Army Foils Attempt to Smuggle Truckload of Marijuana, Arrests Suspects

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Troops from the Nigerian Army apprehended two individuals, one from Benin (Matthew Edegbe) and the other from Nigeria (Joshua Dansu), while they were attempting to smuggle a truck filled with a substance believed to be marijuana into the country. The arrest took place during a stop-and-search operation on Ajilete Road in Ogun State. The suspects were transporting the drugs in a truck without a license plate. Investigations by the troops revealed that the marijuana was brought in from Ghana. The truck was found to contain 397 wraps of the suspected…

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Agusto & Co. affirms Fidelity Bank’s ‘A’ rating, with a Stable Outlook

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Pan-African credit rating agency, Agusto & Co. has affirmed the ‘A’ rating assigned to Fidelity Bank Plc and assigned an ESG score of ‘2’ in reflection of the agency’s view that environmental, social and governance issues have minimal contribution to the Bank’s credit rating. According to a note on the Agusto & Co. website, “The rating reflects Fidelity Bank’s improved profitability, strong ability to refinance, adequate capitalisation and low level of impaired credits.” Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged commercial bank operating in Nigeria with over 7.5 million customers serviced across…

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Undergraduate Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Internet Fraud in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

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An undergraduate student of the University of Calabar named Peter Againpriye was sentenced to three years in prison by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He was convicted of internet fraud, which included charges of impersonation, obtaining money by false pretense, and possession of fraudulent documents. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought three counts against him. Peter Againpriye, also known as Diana Wilson, pleaded guilty to the charges. One of the charges stated that he obtained €3,000 from someone named Keess Darr under false pretenses,…

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EFCC Secures Jail Terms for Internet Fraudsters and Arrests 33 Suspects in Benin Crackdown

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced that it has obtained prison sentences for four individuals involved in internet fraud. The sentencing was carried out by Justice Efe Ikponmwonba of the State High Court in Benin, Edo State. The convicted individuals are Belebi Koko (22 years old), Igwe Favour (22), Destiny Igwe (24), and Ojo Jolly (25). Each of them received a three-year imprisonment term, with the option to pay a fine of N200,000. In addition to the convictions, the EFCC’s Benin Zonal Command arrested 33 other suspects on…

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137 TETFund-sponsored Students Abscond Abroad, Executive Secretary Calls for Stricter Measures

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The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) revealed that over 137 students sponsored abroad by the fund for higher education have absconded, refusing to return to Nigeria after completing their programs. This has become a significant crisis as the scholars are required to come back to the country after their studies and have a guarantor who will be held responsible for repaying the funds if they do not return. TETFund is now working with various stakeholders to implement stringent and effective measures against those who refuse to…

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President Tinubu Reconsiders N8,000 Cash Grant Plan Amid Criticism

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President Bola Tinubu announced on Tuesday that his administration will reconsider its initial plan to provide monthly cash grants of N8,000 to 12 million households for a period of six months, as part of efforts to alleviate the hardships caused by the removal of fuel subsidies. The decision to review the plan came after facing public criticism, particularly from organized labor, who deemed the cash transfer insufficient to address the needs of vulnerable Nigerians. In response to the public’s concerns, the President directed the immediate review of the conditional cash…

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Anger Erupts in Anambra State as Petrol Price Soars to N700, Commuters Stranded and Prices Surge

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On Tuesday, there was widespread anger in Anambra State due to a sudden increase in the price of petrol. The pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) rose from N530 to N700 per litre. Commuters and motorists were greatly affected by this price hike. Many people rushed to petrol stations and purchased larger quantities of petrol, fearing that the price would further increase to N800 on Wednesday. Initially, petrol stations in major cities like Onitsha, Nnewi, and Awka were selling petrol at N530 per litre. However, as news of the…

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