Author: Vardiafrica

Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, has declared a 24-hour curfew in the state after the protest against economic hardship turned violent. The governor announced the curfew in a broadcast at the government house on Thursday. He directed all security agencies in the state to “ensure full and immediate compliance” with the curfew. The governor said it is “regrettable that the whole protest that was meant to be a demonstration of the democratic right to voice our concerns was hijacked by thugs and hoodlums who embarked on looting of business premises, government properties and maiming of innocent citizens”. “Such miscreants have…

Federal Capital Territory FCT Minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has again called on those protesting against the President Bola Tinubu administration to come for dialogue, saying government is ready to listen to them and also walk them through some governance issues that they may not have been privy to. He spoke on Thursday while presenting staff of office to four newly appointed chiefs in the territory. Commending protesters in the FCT for been nonviolent, Wike urged them to continue to resist those who will want to destroy the nation. He said Abuja as the nation’s capital remained a precious asset to…

Hoodlums have looted the newly built Nigeria Communication Commission Industrial Park in Kano State as the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest started today. The vandals targeted the Kano Information and Communication Technology Centre, just days before its scheduled launch, setting it on fire and making off with valuable equipment. Photos circulating online show youths leaving the scene with looted items, including computers, furniture, and electronics. Related News Nationwide protests have erupted across Nigeria, as citizens vent their frustration over the country’s prevailing economic hardship. While many demonstrations have remained peaceful, pockets of violence have been reported in various regions

Premier League champions, Manchester City have been fined more than £2million by the Premier League for delaying kick-off to matches. The champions reached a sanction agreement with the league over 22 separate charges, all related to the past two seasons. City were adjudged to have delayed the kick-off to the second half of their final game of last term against West Ham, by two minutes and 46 seconds on the day they clinched a fourth consecutive title. The fines range from £10,000 to £200,000, the lowest for the first offence and the highest as a result of the West Ham fixture. 18 of the…

The Lagos state government has secured a court order restricting protesters to the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota and Peace Park, Ketu. Emmanuel Ogundare, the judge at the Lagos high court, granted the restriction order on Tuesday while ruling on an ex parte application filed by Lawal Pedro, the state’s attorney-general. While moving his application, Pedro argued that as the chief law officer of Lagos and has been privy to notices by different interests who are for and against the nationwide protest, there is a need to protect the infrastructure of the state and prevent irreparable loss of lives…

Organisers of the planned August 1 nationwide protests have rejected the proposal by Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police (IGP), that the demonstration should be conducted in confined spaces. The organisers insisted that the protest would be a public march across the country. On Tuesday, there was a meeting between the IGP, Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, the lawyer representing the Take-It-Back Movement. The meeting was convened following a letter from Adegboruwa on behalf of the Take-It-Back Movement to the IGP seeking police protection during the protest. During the meeting, which was conducted via Zoom, Egbetokun asked the…

The Nigeria Customs Service has suspended import duties and taxes on essential food items. This was revealed in a video posted on X, by the Customs Comptroller General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, where he said the suspension is to make food items affordable for Nigerians. He acknowledged that the global inflation is affecting nations including Nigeria, saying the NCS is committed to implementing the Federal Government’s directive on the suspension of tariffs on essential items. “Global inflation is impacting nations worldwide, including Nigeria. To address this, the federal government through the Nigeria Customs Service is suspending import duties and taxes on essential food…

Ahead of the planned nationwide protest billed to start August 1, the Federal Government has declared all its 256 custodial centres across the country as “red zones” whose sanctity must not be violated under any guise. The Controller General of Corrections (CGC) Hailey Nababa gave the warning in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja. “In view of the purported national protest scheduled to be held on the first day of August 2024, the Nigerian Correctional Service wishes to inform the public that the Custodial Centres have been designated as red zones; therefore, any person or group of persons who…

Aviation authorities in Nigeria have grounded aircraft belonging to Arik Air over a controversial $2.5m debt. The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on Tuesday said the move was a sequel to an order by the enforcement department of the FCT High Court, regarding a debt of $2.5m owed by Arik to Atlas Petroleum International Ltd. It said, “On the 19th day of July, 2024, the enforcement department of the FCT High Court enforced an Order made by the Court regarding a debt of $2.5 million owed by Arik Airline to one Atlas Petroleum International Ltd. by attaching their aircrafts. Arik…

Telecoms firm MTN has closed its offices nationwide. While it did not indicate the reason for the closure, the move came barely 24 hours after aggrieved customers vandalised MTN’s office in the Festac area of Lagos. The aggrieved customers whose lines were disconnected for defaulting in the NIN-SIM linkage policy had stormed the office to complain over the move. But in viral videos spotted by Channels Television, some of them were seen pulling the office’s fence. It took the intervention of police authorities in Lagos State to restore normalcy to the area “This should not be the way to go!…