Month: January 2025

SERAP Sues NCC Over Telecom Tariff Hike

Ganiyu Amodu

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over the 50 percent hike in telecom tariffs approved by the regulatory body. According to a statement by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the suit, filed on January 26, 2025, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeks to challenge the increase, which was recently authorized by the NCC. The new tariff structure raises the average cost of calls from N11 to N16.5 per minute, the price of 1GB of data from N287.5…

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Court Orders Arrest Of Access Bank MD Over Alleged Stealing

Ganiyu Amodu

A Lagos State High Court has ordered the arrest of the acting Managing Director of Access Bank, Bolaji Agbede and three others for allegedly stealing a property. Justice Ibironke Harrison gave the order following a suite filed against Agbede and three others -Balmoral International Limited, DDSS International Company Limited and Adejare Adegbenro. The property, located at Plot 40b, Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos belongs to a firm owned by Gbolahan Obanikoro, son of a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro. Bolaji Agbede and the three other defendants were…

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Raising ₦90bn Runway Cost To ₦532bn Unreasonable — Keyamo

Abibat Babalola

Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, has flayed a contractor for raising the construction cost of the Abuja second runway from ₦90bn To ₦532bn. The minister, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Hardcopy programme on Friday, said the variation of the contract was outrageous and unreasonable. He said, “As public officers, we must be reasonable because the positions we are kept are positions of trust and positions where people expect you to act with the fear of God. “So, somebody cannot come and vary a contract and you are seeing like…

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‘No Apology,’ K1 Defends Controversial ‘Ganusi’ Remarks Against Muslim Clerics

Abibat Babalola

Popular Fuji musician King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, widely known as K1 De Ultimate, has refused to apologise to Islamic clerics (Alfas) following a controversial remark he made during his late mother’s Fidau prayer, which many found offensive. In a clip showing K1 in conversation with a man while preparing for his late mother’s 8-day Fidau prayer, the artist was heard using the phrase “Ganusi” in reference to some Islamic clerics. Many interpreted the remark as implying that certain Alfas attend such ceremonies primarily for financial gain. The Fidau prayer, a…

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Trump Freezes All Foreign Aid

Abibat Babalola

The US State Department has frozen nearly all foreign assistance worldwide, effective immediately, days after President Donald Trump issued a sweeping executive order Monday to put a hold on such aid for 90 days. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a cable, seen by CNN, to all US diplomatic posts on Friday outlining the move, which threatens billions of dollars of funding from the State Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for programs worldwide. Foreign assistance has been the target of ire from Republicans in Congress and…

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‘I’m Delighted And Proud,’ Walker Joins AC Milan On Loan

Ganiyu Amodu

England right-back Kyle Walker has completed a loan move to AC Milan from Manchester City, the clubs announced on Friday. The 34-year-old Walker will join Milan for the remainder of the season in a deal that could become permanent in the summer. Walker endured a difficult campaign as City captain and had not started a game since their derby loss to Manchester United on December 15. He ends his long association with City, whom he joined from Tottenham in 2017, after winning six Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions…

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Popular Lagos-based Singer, Mukaila Senwele, Is Dead

Ganiyu Amodu

Mukaila Senwele, a Lagos-based comic musician of Ilorin origin renowned for his iconic phrase “Koni da fun ebo to se Costay,” has died. According to a family source, the artist, who hailed from Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State, passed away on Friday night. His remarkable performances and unique style of entertainment earned him widespread admiration, particularly among socialites. A family member told ROYAL NEWS that Senwele exhibited no signs of illness before his sudden demise. Why I Dumped Acting In US — Bukky Wright I Remain Lagos…

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Why I Dumped Acting In US — Bukky Wright

Ganiyu Amodu

Veteran actress, Oluwabukola Ajoke, aka Bukky Wright has opened up about her time away from Nigeria and how she changed careers during her stay in the United States of America. Speaking in an interview with Saturday Beats, she said, “I will be practising it (tech) simultaneously with entertainment. The fact that I had to deviate totally from entertainment to tech was something many people thought I would not be able to do. I would tell all my mentees that if I can do it, they can do it too.” On…

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I Remain Lagos Assembly Speaker – Obasa

Ganiyu Amodu

The immediate past Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has said that his removal as Speaker was not constitutional, stating that due process was not followed. Obasa was removed by 35 out of the 40 members of the assembly on January 13, 2025, over allegations of misconduct and mismanagement of funds, and replaced with his former Deputy, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Lawal-Meranda. He spoke on Saturday amidst cheers from members of the Mandate Movement and politicians from some local governments in the state at the…

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Russia-Ukraine War Avoidable If Trump Was President In 2020 – Putin

Ganiyu Amodu

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he was ready for talks with US counterpart Donald Trump on Ukraine, praising him as a “smart” leader who might have prevented the conflict from starting in 2022. Kyiv reacted quickly, warning against being excluded from negotiations. The Russian leader did not say when talks would take place, and the Kremlin said earlier it was still waiting for “signals” from Washington, despite Trump announcing Thursday he was willing to meet Putin “immediately”. “We have always said, and I want to emphasise this once again,…

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