Author: Chronicle Editor

Myanmar security forces opened fire on pro-democracy protests on Saturday killing four people, a protester and media said, as the military reinforced its bid to end dissent with arrest warrants for online critics and internet blocks. Security forces in the central town of Monywa fired on a crowd killing three people, the Myanmar Now news service said. “They started firing non-stop with both stun grenade and live rounds,” the protester in Monywa, who asked not to be named, told Reuters via a messaging app. “People backed off and quickly put up barriers, but a bullet hit a person in front…

Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association chairman in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Mohammed Hussain and his counterpart in Toto local government area, Mohammed Umar have been killed by suspected bandits. They were murdered in Garaku, Kokona LGA on Friday night during an attack. Nasarawa Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Ramham Nansel, said: “On 2/4/2021 at about 7pm, information was received that unknown gunmen suspected to be Fulani bandits attacked and killed one Mohammed Hussaini, the Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Nasarawa State and Mohammed Umar, the Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Toto LGA at Garaku market. ‘Bandits won’t surrender until…

The spokesman for the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, is dead. He died in the early hours of today due to complications from Covid-19, according to family sources. As at the time of this report, the details of his death are still sketchy. “I just spoke with Dr. Joe, his wife. She’s in a panic mode. She said a part of her is gone. Odumakin had been in the ICU of LASUTH for the past one week after being transferred from IDH Yaba,” a source said. Odumakin was a human rights activist who played a vital role in the…

The Nigerian Air Force has dismissed claims by terror group Boko Haram that it gunned down the missing Alpha jet, which disappeared from radar on Wednesday, March 31. Boko Haram claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft in a viral video. But the Director Public Relations and Information Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said the viral video could be clips from a previous incident. https://twitter.com/NigAirForce/status/1378120435800358916?s=20 See the full statement here: Crashed NAF Alpha Jet aircraft was not shot down by Boko Haram The attention of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has been drawn to some videos being circulated on…

Dr Isa Ali Pantami, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy has resolved the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) dispute between telecommunication giant, MTN and commercial banks. MTN had halted USSD services for commercial banks telling customers to make use of MTN apps only for the purchase of airtime and data. Reacting to the fallout, Pantami called a meeting between the telco and the banks as well as inviting regulatory agencies to the meeting. “On the fallout between MTN Nigeria and some banks on USSD services today, I engaged with both regulators, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria…

The UK’s medicines watchdog says it has found 30 cases of rare blood clots in people who have had the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says the risk of having this type of clot is “very small”. The UK cases were out of more than 18 million doses given as of 24 March. Fears over clots have led nations such as the Netherlands, Germany, France and Canada to restrict the jab’s use. The pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has said international regulators had found the benefits of its jab outweighed risks significantly. The MHRA, the European…

Nike has won its lawsuit against Brooklyn art collective MSCHF over their controversial ‘Satan Shoes’ that contain a drop of real human blood in the soles. The $1,018 (£740) trainers are modified Nike Air Max 97s that feature an inverted cross, a pentagram and the words “Luke 10:18”. MSCHF produced the shoes in collaboration with rapper Lil Nas X. It said only 666 pairs were made and all but one have already been shipped. Nike claimed trademark infringement, asking a federal court in New York to stop MSCHF from selling the shoes and prevent them from using its famous Swoosh.…

Fresh off its hiking of transfer charges on USSD and just over a year after the Nigerian government somewhat pardoned it for not paying over $2 billion in dodged taxes, MTN is looking to drive Nigerian SMEs who sell data and airtime out of business. The South African behemoth, which is said to have illicitly repatriated nearly $10 billion from Nigeria, has compelled SMEs who aggregate data and airtime sales to push only MTN platforms while at the same time cutting down commissions on sales. Knowing that such an action would bring undue inconvenience to millions of Nigerian, MTN told…

Senate President Ahmad Lawan on Friday donated the sum of N8 million naira to victims of the Yan harawa market fire disaster. The Senate President made the donation when he paid a visit to the market in Gashua, Bade Local Government Area of Yobe State. Lawan during the visit appealed to the leaders of the Yan Harawa market association to ensure that all victims of the fire incident benefit equally from monetary donations irrespective of party affiliation. He also assured that the Federal Government through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) would support victims of the fire incident. Lawan wants…

Shoprite workers at Ring Road branch, Ibadan, on Friday, embarked on another round of protest, shutting down the company indefinitely. The workers, under the aegis of National Union of Shop and Distributive Employees (NUSDE), vowed that the company would remain shut until management acceded to their demands. The chairman, NUSDE, Shoprite branch, Mr. Williams Peter, said the union was using the Easter period to press home its demands since dialogue had failed. He stated that all Shoprite stores had been shut down nationwide because the negotiation between the union and the management had been deadlocked. Peter attributed the indefinite strike…