Author: Vardiafrica

Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba of the Federal High Court Lagos has ordered former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to disclose the details of the agreement between the Federal Government and X, formerly Twitter. The judgement, considered a landmark verdict, was delivered in May 2024 following a Freedom of Information suit brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). The certified true copy of the judgment was obtained last Friday. SERAP’s Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare revealed in a statement on Sunday that the order was to assess whether the agreement complies with the exercise of Nigerians’ human rights…

United States President Joe Biden led the condemnation after his election rival Donald Trump was wounded in a shooting incident at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday that also reportedly killed at least one bystander. Political leaders on both sides of the aisle slammed the violence minutes after the Republican candidate was rushed off stage by the Secret Service with blood running down his face. “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country… We cannot be like this, we cannot condone this,”…

Donald Trump was rushed off stage smeared in blood after a series of gunshots were fired at a campaign rally on Saturday in Pennsylvania. As bangs ran out, Trump grimaced and clutched a hand to his right ear, where blood was clearly visible across his cheek and mouth. Agents swarmed onto the podium, surrounded the Republican candidate and escorted him roughly off the stage, as Trump raised a fist to the crowd in defiance. The shocking incident will fuel anxiety in a country already on edge about the prospect of unrest and political harassment in the run-up to the November…

Fire has gutted a section of the palace of the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, at Gidan Rumfa. The incident, which occurred on Friday night around 11 pm, has raised concerns about the security and safety of the historic palace. According to palace sources, the perpetrators forced open a door, set the fire, and locked it, causing significant damage to the throne, air conditioners, and other valuables. Despite the severity of the incident, the Kano State Fire Service said they were not informed, as no calls were received at their centres But the Chief of Staff to the Emir,…

Prince William has urged England to “go out there and show the world what you’re made of” when they face Spain in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday. William, who is president of the Football Association, will be at the final in Berlin as England bid to win their first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup. The Prince, a noted Aston Villa fan, attended England’s Euro 2024 quarter-final victory over Switzerland and their group-stage draw against Denmark. In a social media post on Saturday, he said: “We are so proud of you all England, just one last push to…

The Court of Appeal has dismissed the petition filed by the Labour Party and its governorship candidate Udengmobofa Eradiri, challenging the emergence of Governor Douye Diri of the People’s Democratic Party, as governor of Bayelsa State in the November 2023 election. The three-man panel of the appellate court held that the tribunal was right in dismissing the LP’s petition for lacking in merit. The court held that Eradiri and his party failed to prove allegations of non qualification and certificate forgery against Governor Diri and his deputy, as contained in their petition. The court also held that the tribunal was…

Four people have been rescued after a section of a two-storey residential apartment collapsed in Abuja on Saturday morning, with several people trapped in the rubble. This comes less than 24 hours after a school building collapsed on pupils in Plateau State, killing 22 and injuring one hundred and thirty-two persons. It is also eleven days after another building collapsed at Unity House, Area 11, Garki, in Abuja. The collapsed building is located beside Cupid Hotel, Sultan Dansuki Road, Phase 2, Site 2, Kubwa, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory. The FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) was notified of the…

The Federal Executive Council has approved a $21 million project to install metres at all 187 crude oil flow stations in the Niger Delta. The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, announced this at a media briefing in Abuja on Friday, saying that the initiative aims to ensure accurate accounting of the country’s crude oil production using digital platforms. Lokpobiri also mentioned that part of this digital strategy includes implementing a system to track all crude oil vessels from their point of origin in the Niger Delta to their final destinations worldwide. “One of the key approvals of the Federal…

The Nigeria Police Force is set to commence the enforcement of the digitalized Central Motor Registry (e-CMR) within the next 14 days, specifically on the 29th of July, 2024. This, according to police, is to rejuvenate and digitalize the motor vehicle registration system, significantly bolstering our nation’s safety and security framework. A statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the e-CMR is an advanced, real-time online repository of motor vehicle data, designed to support police investigations, operational activities, and combat vehicle-related crimes, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and armed robbery. The transition to a digitalized system will…

Meta said Friday it was lifting restrictions on US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, ending measures put in place after his supporters violently stormed the US Capitol in 2021. It said that “former President Trump, as the nominee of the Republican Party, will no longer be subject to the heightened suspension penalties.” Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended indefinitely a day after his supporters attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and it was determined he had praised people engaged in violence on social media. His accounts were reinstated in February 2023 but with a…