Author: Vardiafrica

Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio said Thursday that drug abuse in the country was a “national emergency”, outlining plans to combat a synthetic drug popular with young people. Kush, a mixture of chemical substances with similar effects to cannabis, has been prevalent in the country for several years. “It is my solemn duty as president… to declare a national emergency on drug abuse,” Bio said in an address to the nation. “Our country is currently facing an existential threat due to the devastating impact of drugs and drug addiction, in particular the devastating synthetic drug kush,” he added. A…

The head of Niger’s military government on Thursday ordered the dissolution of all local councils and put an army officer in charge of the capital, state media announced. General Abdourahamane Tiani, who ousted the African nation’s elected president in a coup last July, signed an order for the dismantling of municipal and regional councils that were last elected in 2020, Tele Sahel reported. “Municipal councils, town councils and regional councils are dissolved,” the report said without giving any explanation. A second decree reported by state radio named military, police and public officials who will be put in charge of local…

President Bola Tinubu has called on Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to collaborate with potential Nigerian vaccine manufacturers to ensure equitable access to life-saving vaccines for children and adults. Speaking at a meeting with a delegation of GAVI led by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Sania Nishtar, at the State House, on Thursday, President Tinubu said partnership on local vaccine production has become necessary owing to the challenges faced by developing countries, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious disease outbreaks. ”We have capable and talented people who can make the necessary contributions to the production of vaccines in Nigeria…

Los Angeles police and the FBI are investigating a daring heist of nearly $30 million in cash after burglars apparently broke through the roof of a money storage facility and cracked a safe David Cuellar of the Los Angeles Police Department said the robbery — one of the largest cash thefts in the city’s history — took place on Easter Sunday in the northern suburb of Sylmar. The Los Angeles Times, citing a source familiar with the investigation, said burglars busted through a roof to access the building’s vault, somehow evading a sophisticated alarm system. The elaborate and complex theft…

The Federal High court sitting in Abuja has adjourned the money laundering case against Binance crypto until April 8. The suit which was filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will now be heard on the new date. The court also adjourned until April 19, the tax evasion case against Binance, and its two executives arrested in the country over alleged tax evasion The matter was moved following the failure of the Federal Inland Revenue Seevice to serve the second defendant (Binance) before arraignment. In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/115/2024, Binance was accused of failing to register with the FIRS for the…

The Federal Government is set to arraign Binance Holdings Limited and its two top officials, Tigran Gambaryan and the fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla on allegations bordering on tax evasion The company and its two executives are set for arraignment before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja. One of the defendants, Tigran Gambaryan, arrived at the court at 9:15 am on Thursday while his colleague, Anjarwalla was absent as he was said to be on the run. The Federal High Court is still observing its Easter vacation and the trial judge is not a vacation judge but the Chief…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested and detained controversial cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye aka Bobrisky, over abuse of naira, spraying of naira notes and currency mutilation. Bobrisky, who has been embroiled in several controversies over the past weeks, was arrested in Lagos on Wednesday night, and has since been detained at the Lagos Command of the EFCC. Confirming the development to our correspondent in a telephone interview on Thursday, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, noted that Bobrisky would be charged to court Oyewale said, “Bobrisky is with us. He was arrested last night in Lagos, and he…

The Labour Party (LP) says Julius Abure, its national chairman, has escaped an assassination attempt. Obiora Ifoh, national publicity secretary of the LP, said in a statement that Abure’s Abuja residence was “gutted by a mysterious fire” around 1 a.m. on Wednesday. “The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Barrister Julius Abure early this morning allegedly escaped an assassination attempt on him at his Abuja residence,” the statement reads. “His residence was also gutted by a mysterious fire which started a few minutes after 1 a.m. while Abure and the members of his family were asleep. “According to a member…

Rivers State governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has warned that he will surprise those who consider his honest decision to implement the presidential peace accord on the political crisis in the State as a sign of weakness. The governor said he had been inundated with several comments in the media about the implementation of the peace pact, and had chosen to be silent out of maturity and wisdom. Fubara spoke on Wednesday when he received members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) from the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State on a solidarity rally at Government House,…

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday signed the National Students Loan Amendment bill into law The President signed the bill in a short ceremony at the State House in the presence of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Minister and Minister of State for Education, Hannatu Musawa, the Minister of State for Youth, Ayodele Olawande, the president of the National Association of Nigerian Students, other government officials and aides to the president. Tinubu initially signed the student loan bill into law back in June 2023, to…