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A coalition of civil society organisations, labour activists, youth groups, community associations, and concerned Nigerians have declared June 12, Nigeria’s Democracy Day, a day of nationwide protest and mass action against worsening insecurity, widespread hunger, and deepening economic hardship across the country.   The coalition, which includes prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), musician and activist Falz (Folarin Falana), the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), the Joint Action Front (JAF), the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC), and several other groups, accused the Federal Government of failing to address the security and economic challenges confronting millions of Nigerians. In a statement issued yesterday, the coalition said there was little for ordinary Nigerians to celebrate on Democracy Day as many citizens continued to grapple with insecurity, poverty, inflation, and declining living standards.   According to the groups, communities across the c...

Billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is set to testify behind closed doors before the U.S. House Oversight Committee on Wednesday following renewed scrutiny over his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.   The committee requested Gates’ voluntary cooperation after the release of files related to Epstein earlier this year raised fresh questions about the nature and extent of their relationship. Lawmakers from both parties are expected to question Gates about his interactions with Epstein and what he knew during the period they were in contact. The hearing marks one of the most high-profile congressional interviews linked to the ongoing review of the Epstein files.   Among the documents released were draft emails allegedly written by Epstein in 2013. The messages contained a series of graphic and unverified claims regarding Gates’ personal life and suggested that Epstein had played a role in facilitating meetings and providing as...

The Edo State Government has ordered the immediate closure of three secondary schools in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area following intelligence reports of a planned kidnap att@ck targeting students.   The directive, contained in a circular issued by the State Ministry of Education and signed by its Permanent Secretary, Enodolomwanyi Otamere, gave the name sof the affected chool as Ososo Grammar School, Ososo Comprehensive High School and Makeke Secondary School. The authorities said the decision was taken as a precautionary measure to safeguard students, teachers, and other school personnel amid growing security concerns in the area.   Otamare said that in spite of the closure, candidates currently sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) would continue to have access to examination centres under strict security arrangements.   “Candidates currently participating in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (...

A senior Russian general was killed in a car bombing after his son may have accidentally given away his location by posting a picture of the vehicle's licence plate on social media, according to reports. The car believed to belong to Lieutenant General Davydov was set on fire in Moscow on Tuesday, June 9, killing the 57-year-old Putin ally instantly. But his whereabouts may have been revealed due to a careless mistake by his son, who is a Russian military cadet. Davydov was reportedly pulled from the burning wreckage of a BMW X3 and pronounced dead at the scene of the massive blast. His identity has not yet been officially confirmed. Davydov was not thought to own a BMW, but a social media post reportedly from his son Rafael shows the young man posing next to that exact car. The vehicle in the post appears to match the one seen in footage of the fiery explosion. The post may have betrayed the general's location to those who wanted him dead. Reports suggest that assassins used t...

  Twelve people have been k!lled and nine others wounded following a mass sho0ting at Jumpers Informal Settlement in Cleveland, Johannesburg.   It is reported that at about 11:10pm on Tuesday night, police responded to a sho0ting incident at the informal settlement. Upon arrival,  they found numerous people with multiple gunsh0t wounds.   Eight men and three women were declared de@d at the scene. One other victim, a man, later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.   At least nine other people were transported to various hospitals for treatment.   It is alleged more than 10 heavily armed men were dropped off by a white Toyota Quantum just after 8pm. They allegedly entered the informal settlement opening fire on residents at multiple locations, before fleeing the scene in the same vehicle.   A resident who spoke to eNCA, said the sound of gunfire rang out for more than an hour as he cowered in the toilet.   The resident said shootings in the area w...

Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka has responded to renewed criticism on social media following the resurfacing of old videos in which he spoke about former President Goodluck Jonathan. Reacting to the backlash, the cleric maintained that Jonathan's case was different, claiming he had advised the former president on how to win his re-election bid but that his advice was ignored. “Former President Goodluck Jonathan's case is different. He decided to fail. I told him what to do to win the election, but he refused. He failed because he disobeyed the advice of a man of God,” Mbaka said. His comments come days after many Nigerians criticised him over remarks he made in a recent video concerning the abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State..