Month: August 2017

Green card scam: Court rejects application to soften American’s bail condition

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An Ikeja High Court on Monday rejected an application to vary the bail conditions brought by Marco Ramirez, an American, accused of defrauding three Nigerians of $565,000 (N204.2 m) in a green card scam. In his ruling, Justice Hakeem Oshodi, the vacation judge said, “There is nothing before this court to support the claims of the defendant. “The application is dismissed and I order that the file should be returned to the registry.” Ramirez had approached the court through his counsel, Mr Ademola Adefolaju, to vary the bail conditions granted…

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Buhari regrets neglect of Cocoa sector

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President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed regrets over the neglect of the cocoa sector over the years, saying his administration will work to re position it and other non-oil export commodities. Buhari said this at the First International Cocoa Summit organised by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment in collaboration with Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Abuja on Monday. The President, represented by Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the country’s annual production of cocoa declined from 420,000 tonnes in the 60s to…

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7m Nigerians suffer stress, depression

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Dr Olabode Shabi, Chairman of the Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria, (SFPN) Ekiti Zone, has said that about seven million Nigerians currently suffer stress and depression. The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the medical consultant made this disclosure at Ado Ekiti in a ceremony organised by the Information Chapel of the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). In a paper titled “’Stress and Depression in Workplace: Strategic approach to management’’ he described stress as an exaggeration of normal physical response to events and life…

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PSG agree €180m deal to sign Mbappe from Monaco

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Paris Saint-Germain have agreed a deal to sign teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe from Monaco, French media reported on Sunday. Radio stations France Info and RMC reported that PSG had agreed to pay 180 million euros ($215 million) including bonuses for the French international striker. That would make him the second most expensive transfer in football history behind Neymar, who joined PSG from Barcelona for 222 million euros earlier this month. Despite the reports, Mbappe was named on the Monaco bench for Sunday night’s Ligue 1 meeting with Marseille. According to…

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Nigerian Agabi makes drones that smell bombs

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A Nigerian engineer and neuroscientist , Oshiorenoya Agabi is blazing a  trail in America’s Silicon Valley by developing drones that are capable of smelling bombs far away. Agabi is the founder and CEO of the Silicon Valley startup, Koniku, a wetware company which is the world’s first neurocomputation company. Koniku is a privately held, venture backed company using biological neurons to interface with the real world. They build systems that use real biological neurons for sensing, control and computation. The company is currently focused on two related technologies: the odour…

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Two Boko Haram factions ready for talks with fed govt – Ex-commander

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Two factions of the Boko Haram insurgency group may be ready for talks with the Federal Government, a former commander of the group, Abdulkadir Abubakar, has claimed. Abubakar, also known as Abu Muhammad, was the chief intelligence officer of the Boko Haram group and one of its top commanders, until his arrest in June by the military in Buni Yadi in Gujba local government area of Yobe State. Abubakar told the News Agency of Nigeria at his cell in Maiduguri that Albarnawi and Mamman Nur factions of Boko Haram were…

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American journalist killed covering South Sudan war

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An American journalist, Mr. Mr Christopher Allen, has been killed while covering clashes between government and rebel forces in restive South Sudan. Officials and the US mission in Juba confirmed on Sunday the freelance reporter and photographer, was embedded with insurgent troops when fighting broke out in Kaya, near South Sudan’s southern border with Uganda. A spokesman for the US embassy said that “an American citizen” had died in the clashes, which also killed 18 others. “Yesterday we confirmed the name and we confirmed the fact that the person was…

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Canada unveils new ‘Gender X’ next week

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From 31 August, Canadian passport holders will have a third option for identifying their gender: “M” for male, “F” for female or “X” for unspecified. Canadian officials said the change is meant to offer transgender individuals the option to accurately describe their gender identity without being forced to identify as their birth gender. “All Canadians should feel safe to be themselves, live according to their gender identity and express their gender as they choose,” Canadian Minister of Refugees, Immigration and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen said in a statement published 24 August. Ahmed…

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Barcelona confident of landing Coutinho for €150m

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Barcelona remain confident they will get Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool, if they offer the Premier League club up to €150million. The La Liga giants feel that Coutinho’s souring relationship with the Anfield side, could work in their favour too. In the last week, Barca confirmed the club-record signing of Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund for an initial fee of €105million, but are ready to smash it again Four days ago, a source in Spain told Sky Sports: “Philippe has never been more determined to leave Liverpool. “To suggest Barca are…

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Nwoye floors Uba, wins APC’s Anambra guber ticket

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Mr. Tony Okechukwu Nwoye, has been declared the winner of the Anambra state governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The 42-year-old medical doctor and politician scored 2,146 votes to beat his closest rival, businessman Andy Uba, who scored 931 votes. Borno state governor Kashim Shetrima announced the result in Awka on Sunday after the keenly contested primary by 11 candidates for the November 18 governorship electiob.. The medical doctor, now a member of House of Representatives (Anambra East/West constituency) was a student union activist before becoming a…

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