2025 | Page 163 of 264 | Trendbrio.com

Controversial Influencer VeryDarkMan Re-Arraigned for Cyberbullying Iyabo Ojo, Tonto Dikeh, Others

Fola Badmus4 months ago4 months ago03 mins

Controversial social media figure Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), was re-arraigned on Thursday at the Federal High Court in Abuja on a five-count charge bordering on cyberbullying and defamation against several public figures The Nigeria Police accused the outspoken activist of publishing offensive and defamatory content on his Instagram handle targeting celebrities including Nollywood stars Iyabo Ojo and Tonto Dikeh, and music producer Samuel Oguachuba (a.k.a. Samklef). The charges also include alleged derogatory comments aimed at senior police officers and lawmakers. VDM pleaded not guilty to all charges before Justice Musa Liman, who now presides over the case following the transfer of Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon to another division. Otse had previously been arraigned on the same charges in May 2024 and was granted ₦10 million bail with stringent conditions. According to court documents (Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2024), VDM is alleged to have: VDM’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, requested that the previously granted bail terms be retained. The prosecution did not object, and Justice Liman upheld the earlier bail conditions. The case was adjourned to July 24, 2025, for trial. The charges fall under Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, which criminalizes online harassment and the spread of harmful content.

Ola Aina: Offside Flag Could Have Prevented Awoniyi Injury

Fola Badmus4 months ago4 months ago03 mins

Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina has said the injury that saw teammate Taiwo Awoniyi placed in an induced coma could have been avoided if the the offside flag had gone up in time. The incident in question took place in the closing stages of Forest’s 2-2 draw against Leicester City, where Awoniyi clattered against the post. The forward finished the game despite being in significant pain and sources told ESPN he later underwent “urgent” surgery on an abdominal injury and was placed in a coma to aid recovery. Awoniyi collided with the post in an attempt to get on the end of a cross from Anthony Elanga. The winger had strayed offside in the buildup but as per protocol, the assistant referee only raised his flag once the play was done. “Anthony was miles offside. The whole world could see and so could I from where I was,” Aina told the Daily Mail. “You think ‘offside’ straight away. Surely you could just lift the flag up? Personally I liked how it was back in the day when for offside they just put it up straight away. “A simple decision and get on with the game. Having to see it out and then just see this happen … well none of this would have happened to T [Awoniyi] if the flag had just gone up would it?” In the aftermath of the game, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis stormed onto the pitch and remonstrated with manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Forest later released a statement explaining that the owner’s emotional reaction was due to seeing Awoniyi in immense pain and his frustration at the medical staff for letting him continue the game.

Nottingham Forest to Review Taiwo Awoniyi Injury

Fola Badmus4 months ago4 months ago02 mins

Nottingham Forest are said to be preparing to launch an internal investigation into Sunday’s incident involving Taiwo Awoniyi. The Reds striker sustained a serious abdominal injury when he collided with a post in the closing stages of the 2-2 draw with Leicester City at the City Ground. He received treatment before returning to the pitch for the final minutes of the match. Awoniyi was taken to hospital on Monday and underwent surgery, then was placed into an induced coma before undergoing another operation on Wednesday. It is understood he was woken from the induced coma on Wednesday evening. Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo had been given the thumbs up by Forest’s medical team for Awoniyi to continue playing against Leicester. Owner Evangelos Marinakis was unhappy about the situation, calling it a “misjudgement” from the medical staff in a statement on Sunday night. According to The BBC , Forest are set to open an internal review into the incident to determine why Awoniyi was allowed to continue playing. Nottingham Forest have not confirmed or denied that there will be an internal investigation.

Labour Party Chairman Abure Dares Peter Obi Others to Prove Corruption Claims

Fola Badmus4 months ago4 months ago02 mins

Labour Party National Chairman, Julius Abure, has publicly challenged Peter Obi and other former presidential aspirants to present evidence of any funds allegedly given to him or the party during the 2023 general elections. In a video shared by Symfoni on Tuesday, Abure firmly denied receiving money from any candidate for personal use, including Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential flagbearer. He warned that if provoked further, he would expose certain individuals in the party, claiming their reputations would be tarnished “like rotten eggs.” Addressing party members in Abuja, Abure said, “Let any of them—Peter Obi and others who contested—come out and say what they personally gave me or the party. Enough of hiding and alleging corruption. If they have evidence, let them present it. If not, they should remain silent forever.” He also hinted at convening a world press conference to address the allegations, saying he has stayed quiet out of respect and a hope for reconciliation. Speaking further, Abure criticized Abia State Governor Alex Otti, claiming the party received no money from him either. “He asked me what he could do for me. I said, ‘Nothing. Use your money for the election,’” Abure stated. “The party doesn’t have N1,000 from him or any other elected officials, except a few.” Amid growing internal rifts and accusations of financial misconduct, Abure maintained that the Labour Party leadership rejected bribes and resisted political pressure during and after the elections.

Taiwo Awoniyi Out of Coma After Abdominal Injury

Fola Badmus4 months ago4 months ago03 mins

Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has woken from an induced coma after he underwent surgery to repair a serious abdominal injury. The Nigerian was brought on as a late substitute when his side faced Leicester City in the Premier League last Sunday, but after colliding with the post in the closing minutes, the forward suffered a ruptured intestine. Despite the serious nature of the injury and footage showing the 27-year-old in discomfort, he played on for the remainder of the match, though he was later taken to hospital. Awoniyi had the first part of the surgery on Monday and spent Tuesday in an induced coma, before the second stage of the operation was completed on Wednesday. The striker was subsequently woken from the induced coma in the early evening after the second stage of the surgery, and Nottingham Forest will reportedly look to establish the key details around why Awoniyi was allowed back on to the field of play. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was criticised for coming onto the pitch against Leicester following the full-time whistle, but he later clarified that he only did so to express concern to manager Nuno Espirito Santo over how Awoniyi’s injury was handled. The injury that Awoniyi suffered is extremely serious, with mortality rates even in the event of surgery standing at 9%, so it is perhaps understandable that Marinakis was deeply concerned. Officials have faced criticism for allowing the passage of play that led up to Awoniyi’s injury to occur given Anthony Elanga was in a clear offside position in the buildup. The rules regarding offsides state that when a clear goalscoring opportunity is likely, assistant referees must delay raising their flag until the phase of play has concluded. While the rule would in principle prevent players from missing out on golden chances in the final third, many pundits have suggested that allowing such passages of play to develop and relying on the intervention of VAR could lead to serious injury. Perhaps the serious nature of Awoniyi’s injury will cause football’s lawmakers to reconsider their stance on when officials should flag for offside.

UK Commends Tinubu’s Economic Reforms Says Nigeria Now More Investible

Fola Badmus4 months ago4 months ago02 mins

ABUJA — The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for implementing bold economic reforms that have made Nigeria more appealing to investors. Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Montgomery described the policies as transformative and praised the administration’s efforts. He highlighted the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the exchange rate as major achievements, noting that these reforms are already improving Nigeria’s investment climate. “These economic reforms are paying off, and they are now making Nigeria more investible,” he stated. While applauding the reforms, Montgomery acknowledged the current economic hardship faced by many Nigerians due to rising inflation, which he said remains in the mid-20 percent range. He admitted the reforms are painful in the short term but necessary for long-term stability. Despite the economic strain, the High Commissioner expressed optimism, projecting that inflation would ease in the coming months and years, further reinforcing Nigeria’s status as a promising destination for foreign investment.

Lagos Secures $13 Trillion in Partnerships, Eyes Global Investment Growth

Fola Badmus4 months ago4 months ago02 mins

The Lagos State Government has attracted over $13 trillion in strategic global partnership deals over the past six years, aimed at bolstering infrastructural investments across critical sectors. Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, disclosed this during a ministerial press briefing on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term anniversary. She highlighted that Lagos secured $4 million in Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) disbursements in 2024 and is targeting a total of $30 million by 2025. The state also finalized a $200 million partnership with Abu Dhabi Ports to develop the Lekki corridor, focusing on logistics, ICT, and healthcare. Additional trade missions and deals have been advanced with the United States, EU, G7, and Swedish firms to expand 5G broadband access. Ambrose-Medebem emphasized Lagos’s improving business climate, citing a $50 million investment by the International Finance Corporation in the Lagos Free Zone and recognition from the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) as the South-West’s top reformer. An MoU with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council also positions Lagos as a trade gateway for 56 nations. Efforts to strengthen industrial capacity continue with new small-scale industrial estates under construction in Ikorodu and rehabilitation plans for older estates across the state. On consumer safety, the government has sanctioned 35 supermarkets for selling expired goods and pledged to continue enforcing protective measures while pushing toward becoming a global smart-city hub.

JAMB Admits to Technical Glitch In 2025 UTME

Fola Badmus4 months ago4 months ago06 mins

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has admitted that there were errors that affected the performance of candidates during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination held across different centres in the country. The Registrar of the board, Ishaq Oloyede, who made the admission during a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, also broke down in tears while admitting to the error. “Once again, we apologise and assure you that this incident represents a significant setback…. We remain committed to emerging stronger in our core values of transparency, fairness and equity. “It is our culture to admit error because we know that in spite of the best of our efforts, we are human; we are not perfect,” Oloyede said as he wiped tears off his eyes with a white handkerchief. He also announced that about 379,997 candidates in the just concluded 2025 exercise would retake the examination. This followed widespread complaints of technical glitches, unusually low scores, and alleged irregularities in the questions and the answers during the exercise. However, in a post on its X handle on Wednesday, the examination body said it established that a technical glitch affected 157 centres out of the 887 centres. This, it said, was responsible for the general low performance of the candidates. It said, “Man Proposes, God Disposes! It has been established that a technical glitch affected 157 centres out of the 887 centres in the 2025 UTME. This was basically responsible for the general low performance of the candidates scheduled to sit the examination in those centres. “As such, all the affected candidates will be contacted to reprint their examination slips towards retaking their examinations starting from 16th May, 2025.” JAMB had released a statistical breakdown of the 2025 UTME, where it revealed that over 1.5 million of the 1.95 million candidates who took the examination scored below 200. In a post on its official X on May 5, it highlighted that a total of 1,955,069 candidates sat for the examination, and of this number, a significant 1,534,654 candidates—representing 78.5 percent —scored below the 200 mark. A breakdown of the results showed that only 4,756 candidates (0.24 percent) achieved scores of 320 and above, while 7,658 candidates (0.39 percent) scored between 300 and 319. In total, just 12,414 candidates (0.63 percent) scored 300 and above. For the 250-299 score range, 73,441 candidates (3.76 percent) were recorded, while a larger proportion, 334,560 candidates (17.11%), scored between 200 and 249. The category with the highest number of candidates was the 160 to 199 range, with 983,187 candidates (50.29 percent). Further down the scale, 488,197 candidates (24.97 percent) scored between 140 and 159, and 57,419 candidates (2.94 percent) scored between 120 and 139. A percentage of candidates, 3,820 (0.20 percent), scored between 100 and 119, while 2,031 candidates (0.10 percent) fell below the 100 mark. In addition to the overall results, JAMB also disclosed that 40,247 underage candidates were allowed to participate in the examination due to their “exceptional abilities.” However, only 467 of these candidates (1.16 percent) achieved scores that met the defined threshold for “exceptional ability.” In 2024, over 1.94 million candidates registered for the UTME, with 1,904,189 candidates taking the examination across 118 towns and more than 700 centres. JAMB also said that only 0.4 percent of candidates who took the 2024 examination scored above 300, while 24 percent scored 200 or higher. JAMB also reported that 97 candidates were involved in examination infractions in the 2025 UTME, while 2,157 others were under investigation for “suspected malpractices.” The board further noted that 71,701 candidates were absent from the examination, and those facing biometric challenges were being investigated. JAMB also noted that those cleared would be rescheduled for examination at designated centres. It added that some results, including those of blind candidates and candidates in the JEOG category, are still being processed and will be released once finalised. JAMB had assured that candidates who faced biometric challenges or were involved in investigations would be given fair treatment, with rescheduling for those cleared.