Author: Vincent Osuwo

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the remand of one Chidiebere Justice Mark, also known as Justice Crack, in the custody of the Department of State Services for alleged cybercrime offenses related to a viral video involving the Nigerian Army. The DSS arraigned Mark before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on a three-count allegation of allegedly spreading false information and publishing things that could cause civil strife. The defendant, who was arrested by the Nigerian Army over the weekend, was accused of posting a popular video and accompanying claims on his X account, @JusticeCrack, alleging poor feeding of Nigerian…

The family of an 18-year-old social media user and UTME candidate, Kingsley Akunemeihe, has appealed to billionaire businessman Tony Elumelu to forgive him following his arrest over a viral post alleging that the banker had divorced his wife. In a video appeal shared on Sunday on her Instagram handle, the suspect’s sister, Ngozi Akunemeihe, said the teenager was picked up after sharing a post on X (formerly Twitter) that claimed Elumelu had divorced his wife, Awele. According to her, the young man was arrested while returning home after sitting for his JAMB examination and has since remained in detention. “Mr.…

Human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore has called on the Nigeria Police Force to release three individuals arrested over alleged defamatory reports involving Tony Elumelu, Chairman of United Bank for Africa. In a statement on Facebook on Monday, Sowore argued that publishing claims about a public figure’s marital status does not constitute a criminal offense warranting arrest or detention. “We must continue to remind the Nigerian Police Force… that it is not a criminal offense warranting arrest or detention for bloggers to report that @TonyOElumelu, Chairman of @UBAGroup, has reportedly divorced his wife,” he wrote. “At most,…

The United Bank for Africa has described as false and defamatory a viral social media rumor that its Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, had divorced his wife, Awele. The bank’s Group Head of Brand, Marketing, and Corporate Communications, Alero Ladipo, issued a formal warning on Sunday, describing the publication as “fabricated, reckless, and malicious,” adding that it was designed to harm the bank’s and its chairman’s reputations. The statement read, “The attention of UBA Group has been drawn to a false, defamatory, and malicious publication currently circulating on social media platforms, falsely alleging that the Group Chairman, Mr. Tony O. Elumelu,…

Arinze Onwumelu, a Nigerian doctor working in Canada, has encouraged musician Portable to seek a head scan following his brutal celebrity boxing bout with skit artist Carter Efe. The high-intensity duel took place over the weekend in Lagos, and Portable lost. The fight’s outcome which drew substantial attention from fans and celebrities, sparked social media buzz after the ‘Zazuu’ crooner was defeated. In a tweet and viral video posted on social media on Monday, Onwumelu, also known as Dr. Zo, urged Portable to have a head scan, preferably magnetic resonance imaging, to rule out any potential internal injuries received during…

Arinze Onwumelu, a Nigerian doctor working in Canada, has warned that Nigerian street singer Portable may never recover from the punches he received from comedian Carter Efe during their celebrity boxing bout. The high-intensity duel took place over the weekend in Lagos, and Portable lost. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the fight’s outcome, which drew substantial attention from fans and celebrities, sparked social media buzz after the ‘Zazuu’ crooner was defeated. In a tweet and viral video posted on social media on Monday, Onwumelu, also known as Dr. Zo, urged Portable to have a head scan, preferably magnetic…

Nigerian business mogul Femi Otedola has dismissed claims that he financed the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, describing the reports as false and misleading. In a statement on X on Monday, Otedola said he did not invest in the refinery project, contrary to circulating social media claims. “Reports claiming that Femi Otedola funded the Dangote Petroleum Refinery are completely and utterly false. He has not invested a single kobo, not one dollar, not one naira. “The real story, which those peddling these lies conveniently ignore, is that Mr. Otedola has actually been requesting a special allocation to participate in the refinery’s forthcoming…

The foreign ministry spokesman of Iran, Esmaeil Baqaei, said on Monday that the United States must reduce its demands on the Islamic republic, with negotiations stalled over ending the two-month-long Middle East war. “At this stage, our priority is to end the war,” he said in a briefing broadcast by state television. “The other side must commit to a reasonable approach and abandon its excessive demands regarding Iran.” Negotiations between the two countries have stalled since a ceasefire was declared on April 8, with only one round of direct peace talks held thus far. Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of…

Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Kano State Governor, has urged his followers and Nigerians to unite behind the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) following his decision to join the party. Kwankwaso stated in a statement on Monday via his X page that the decision was motivated by a strong commitment to democratic ideas and the need to establish a genuine political platform. “Yesterday, we took a bold and decisive step by formally joining the Nigeria Democratic Congress,” he said, noting that the move reflects “a deep commitment to democratic values.” “We are determined to provide our people with a credible platform where…

Iran executed three individuals who were convicted of participating in anti-government rallies that erupted in the country in December and January, officials said Monday. Arrests and executions in Iran, notably in connection with the December protests over living costs, have increased since the start of the regional war started by a US-Israeli invasion on February 28. “Mehdi Rassouli and Mohammad Reza Miri, Mossad agents involved in the January riots in Mashhad (northeast), responsible for widespread violence and the death of a member of the security forces, were hanged,” said the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan Online website, referring to the Israeli spy…