Author: Vincent Osuwo

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, the former president of Mauritania, was sentenced to five years in prison on Monday by a court in the capital, Nouakchott, for abusing his office to acquire ill-gotten riches.Aziz, who ruled the crossroads country between North and Sub-Saharan Africa from 2008 to 2019, was deposed by his successor and current President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, a former political friend. Since January, the former president has been on trial with ten other notable persons, including two former prime ministers, for unlawful gain, abuse of functions, influence peddling, and laundering. He was found guilty of illegal enrichment and laundering,…

A suspected serial burglar, named Sunday Joseph, was hospitalized after being arrested and beaten to a pulp by people of the Olupitan neighborhood in Ore, Odigbo Local Government neighborhood of Ondo State.The culprit was apprehended by the mob after breaking into many houses in the vicinity, stealing phones and money in Ondo.According to reports, the alleged burglar, who disguised himself as a vigilante, was apprehended on Saturday. Joseph was apprehended for the same crime about two years ago but escaped, according to report.On Saturday, however, some local youths surrounded the burglar as he attempted to flee.During interrogation by the irate…

Nigerian international striker Victor Osimhen has been named the Italian Footballers’ Association Footballer of the Year for his outstanding performance with the Neapolitans last season. Other awards presented at the Monday night ceremony included team of the year, coach of the year, club of the year, and goal of the season. Osimhen’s 26 goals were crucial to the Partenopei winning their first Scudde in 33 years. This achievement has also earned Nigerian nominations for other prizes, including the FIFA Best and the Balon d’Or. Mike Maignan, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Kim Min-jae, Andrea Bastoni, Theo Hernández, Stanislav Lobotka, Hakan Alhanolu, Nicolo…

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, (UNICAL) Prof. Florence Obi, has suspended the payment of undergraduate school fees until further notice as a result of student protests against the recent hike in fees. In a statement issued on Monday, the UNICAL’s registrar, Gabriel Egbe, expressed the administration’s commitment to addressing students’ concerns.Egbe informed the students, who are seen as critical stakeholders, that the university’s administration is trying to resolve the matter. Students had previously protested the increase in school tuition, highlighting Nigeria’s difficult economic situation.They voiced fear that the fee increase will drive some students to abandon their…

The Rivers State Police Command has apprehended two renowned kidnappers who kidnapped and buried alive a former Chairman of the Community Development Committee in the state’s Kereken-Boue, Khana Local Government Area.According to the police, the kidnappers collected N200,000 from the victim’s wife as part of the ransom before burying him alive.On Monday, the state commissioner of police, Olatunji Disu, stated this during his first news conference in Port Harcourt, the state capital.While noting that the kidnappers confessed to the murder, Disu stated that two additional armed robbery suspects were also apprehended after a neighborhood sweep. The police boss also revealed…

The United Kingdom (UK) has announced a new set of rules aimed at reducing migration into the country. The UK Home Secretary, James Cleverly, disclosed the new set of rules on Monday on the floor of Parliament. According to Cleverly, the United Kingdom is set to raise the minimum salary requirement for obtaining a skilled worker visa. Currently set at £26,000, the new threshold will be increased to £38,700. Cleverly further stated that the implementation of the rules in the previous year could have resulted in a decrease of 300,000 migrants annually. According to the home secretary, those coming on…

Nigeria’s export value increased by 60.78% quarter-on-quarter to N10.35 trillion in the third quarter of 2023. According to the National Bureau of Statistics’ ‘Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics (Q3 2023),’ total foreign trade increased to N18.80 trillion. It said, “Nigeria’s total trade in the third quarter of 2023 stood at N18.80tn. Exports totaled N10.35 trillion, while imports totaled N8.46 trillion. Total exports climbed by 60.78 percent compared to the second quarter of 2023 (N6.44 trillion) and by 74.36 percent compared to the same quarter in 2022 (N5.93 trillion). Nigeria to begin exporting petroleum products in 2024 – Kyari “Similarly, total…

Gold reached a record high on Monday, as rising expectations that the Federal Reserve may decrease interest rates in the new year have weakened the dollar in recent weeks.Gold which is regarded as a safe haven investment, reached an all-time high of $2,135.39 per ounce.Profit-taking set in later, causing it to trade at $2,069.01. The dollar was also stronger on Monday.According to observers, gold is also benefiting from the Israel-Hamas conflict. “Concerns about the shaky global economic backdrop and the Israel-Hamas conflict have fueled investor demand for safe-haven assets like gold,” said Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor.…

The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has announced a more than 100% increase in tuition fees for undergraduate students. The declaration was made in a statement sent by the UNICAL’s administration to the media in Calabar on Monday.According to the statement issued by the institution’s spokesman, Mr. Effiong Eyo, the decision to raise the tuition was made at an emergency meeting of the university’s Senate on Friday.According to the announcement, the upward review will be implemented in the academic sessions 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.The increase means that for non-science courses, new students, returning students, and final-year students will pay N111,000, N91,500, and…

Many villagers have reportedly died after a bomb was allegedly dropped by a Nigerian Air Force fighter jet during a Maulud festival at Tudun Biri, a locality in Kaduna State’s Igabi Local Government Area.According to reports, no fewer than 30 Kaduna villagers were killed in the incident, which occurred at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday. Residents told newsmen that the bomb struck while the villagers gathered to commemorate Maulud in the village. “They were celebrating Maulud (the birth of Prophet Muhammad) when the jet dropped the bomb, resulting in the immediate death of more than 30 people,” a resident said. When…