2 social media influencers convicted for abusing naira notes (Guardian)
Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, has convicted two social media influencers, Bukola Arike Rufai and Abdulateef Ayinde Jimoh, for abusing naira notes.
The duo were prosecuted by the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a joint one-count charge bordering on currency mutilation.
According to the charge, “That you Bukola Arike Rufai and Abdulateef Ayinde Jimoh on or about the 25th day of September, 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did mishandle Naira Notes, issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 21 (3) of the Central Bank Act 2007 and punishable under Section 21 (1) of the same Act.” Read more
Again, 3 killed in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway crash (Punch)
Barely 24 hours after a driver lost his life in a truck collision accident along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, three people have lost their lives in another accident.
The spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, told PUNCH Metro on Wednesday that the accident occurred late Tuesday at the Ogere area of the expressway.
According to Akinbiyi, the accident involved four vehicles, including a DAF truck with number plate ARG 851; a Toyota Sienna with number plate AKD 555 JA; a Toyota Camry with number plate KRD 35 JM; and a Toyota bus with number plate JJJ185 YG. Read more
Why coalition members adopted ADC – Spokesperson (Channels)
The spokesperson of the opposition coalition, Bolaji Abdullahi, has explained why members of the group selected the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their political platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abdullahi, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, stated that the choice was driven by the party’s openness to reform and alignment with the coalition’s shared values and vision.
“When we started this journey, we had a list of options, parameters, and conditionalities—the kind of party we were looking for. Those from the APC said no, because the founding principles that led to the formation of the APC had been betrayed. Read more
CBN’s money policies have added value to economy — Senate (Tribune)
The Senate has commended the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for its macroeconomic policies which it noted have stimulated economic growth in the last 6 months.
Senator representing Lagos East and Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Adetokunbo Abiru gave the commendation on Wednesday at his Committee engagement with the CBN.
Governor of the apex bank, Yemi Cardoso, led his management team to the session with the Senate.
Senator Abiru who noted that the focus of the statutory meeting with the CBN was to promote transparency, adherence to statutory mandates, and effective policy communication, maintained that CBN financial and monetary policies have induced remarkable improvements in the Nigerian economy in the last 6 months. Read more
Access Bank champions sustainability at climate governance launch (Sun)
Access Bank PLC reaffirmed its leadership in sustainable finance at the launch of the Climate Governance Initiative Nigeria (CGIN) Chapter, hosted by Lagos Business School.
The high-profile event marked a major step in advancing climate-conscious governance within Nigeria’s corporate sector and drew participation from key stakeholders, including board directors, executives, regulators, and sustainability advocates.
Dr. Greg Jobome, Executive Director of Risk Management at Access Bank, was a featured speaker at the event, invited in recognition of the Bank’s pioneering role in integrating sustainability into its operations and governance framework. His participation underscored Access Bank’s reputation as a front-runner in climate-aligned decision-making in Africa’s financial services industry. Read more
Coalition members have nothing to offer –ADC presidential candidate (DailyTrust)
The 2023 Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has said that members of a coalition established to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027 has nothing to offer.
Kachikwu stated this when commenting on the recent ADC meeting which produced David Mark and former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, as Chairman and Secretary respectively.
He noted the opposition politicians in the ADC are the same people who have been ruling Nigeria. Read more
Hunger, inflation fuelling Nigeria’s insecurity, Methodist Prelate tells Tinubu (Vanguard)
The Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence Dr Oliver Ali Aba, has told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that hunger and inflation were fuelling insecurity in the country, and called for urgent government action to address the deepening economic hardship.
Recall that the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, expressed same sentiment at an event in Abuja two weeks ago.
Speaking at the 43rd Council of Bishops of the Methodist Church Nigeria, held at the Methodist Cathedral of Unity, Wuse, Abuja, Dr Aba said insecurity remained the root cause of Nigeria’s socio-economic woes and urged the authorities to act with ‘honesty and seriousness’ in tackling the nation’s challenges. Read more
Cardi B earns her biggest hit in years as she preps her new album (Forbes)
For years, Cardi B has been teasing her sophomore album and promoting it with single after single. The hip-hop superstar has scored multiple huge chart wins with both her own tracks and a variety of collaborations, but for quite a while, there was no word about a full-length.
Now, the rapper has finally revealed that Am I the Drama? is set to arrive in mid-September, more than seven years after her debut full-length Invasion of Privacy took over the world. Cardi’s latest single “Outside” brings her back to the charts in the United Kingdom and earns the rapper the biggest hit she has managed in that nation in years.
“Outside” debuts on four rankings in the UK this week, earning its loftiest starting point on the Official Hip-Hop and R&B Singles chart. On that tally, Cardi launches her latest tune at No. 15, scoring the third-highest-ranking debut. Read more
Inside the Courtroom for the Sean Combs Verdict: ‘There Were Gasps’ (Variety)
In a bonus episode of Variety‘s Strictly Business podcast, reporter Ethan Shanfeld provided insight into how the verdict for the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial played out in the courtroom.
The trial resulted in a split verdict. Combs was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and was acquitted on sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
“The first verdict was not guilty on the racketeering charge, which was count one. There were gasps. Diddy ended up sort of like pumping his fist in the air after they were all read,” said Shanfeld, who covered the trial for Variety. Read more
Diddy denied bail—deemed too violent to be released after partial acquittal (AllHipHop)
Diddy was denied bail by a federal judge after being convicted of transporting women for prostitution.
Diddy will remain behind bars after a federal judge refused to grant his release following a partial acquittal in his high-profile sex trafficking and racketeering trial.
YNW Melly’s bail gets denied
Despite being cleared of the most serious allegations—including racketeering and sex trafficking involving Cassie Ventura, Diddy was found guilty on two counts of transporting women across state lines for prostitution. Read more
At least 3 killed after AU military helicopter crashes in Somalia’s Mogadishu airport (AfricaNews)
A military helicopter operated by the African Union crashed and caught fire Wednesday at the airport in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, killing at least three people, according to Somali authorities.
The helicopter was arriving from Baledogle Airfield in the Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia with eight people on board.
The helicopter originally belonged to the Ugandan Air Force but was being operated by the African Union peacekeeping mission, said Artan Mohamed, who heads the immigration office at Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle airport. Read more
Rescuers search rough seas for 38 missing after ferry sinks near Bali, Indonesia (CNN)
Rescuers were searching Thursday for 38 people missing in rough seas overnight after a ferry sank near Indonesia’s resort island of Bali.
Another four people died and 23 have been rescued, according to the Surabaya Search and Rescue Agency.
The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank almost half an hour after leaving East Java’s Ketapang port late Wednesday, the National Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement. It was bound for Bali’s Gilimanuk port, a 50-kilometer (30-mile) trip.
The ferry carried 53 passengers, 12 crew members and 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks, it said. Read more
Iran’s president halts cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog, reports say (Euronews)
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered a halt on Wednesday to cooperation with the IAEA, following a parliamentary bill.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday ordered the country to halt its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after Israeli and US airstrikes hit its top nuclear facilities, state media reported.
Pezeshkian follows a law passed by Iran’s parliament last week to suspend that cooperation, as politicians unanimously supported the move against the IAEA, according to Iranian state media.
The bill was also backed by Iran’s Guardian Council. Read more
Juventus among clubs interested in €10m-rated Ndidi (Guardian)
Reports in the United Kingdom confirm that Juventus are among the clubs to have enquired after Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who is available for a cut-down price after the Foxes’ relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, reports football-italia.net.
According to reports from transfer expert Ben Jacobs, Juventus have discussed a potential move for the Nigeria international, as have Manchester United, Everton, and most recently Real Betis.
The 28-year-old, who has spent the past eight-and-a-half years with Leicester, is also attracting interest and is reportedly open to the idea of moving to the Saudi Pro League this summer.. Read more
Onuachu joins Trabzonspor on three-year deal (Punch)
Nigeria striker Paul Onuachu has officially joined Turkish Super Lig outfit Trabzonspor on a three-year contract, as he gets set to begin his second adventure at the club, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 31-year-old, who scored 17 goals in 25 matches during a successful loan spell at the modest Super Lig club two seasons ago, makes a full return this time on a permanent basis following successful negotiations with parent club Southampton. Talks with the Saints had stalled in previous weeks due to what Trabzonspor described as shifting conditions and unrealistic expectations.
However, Southampton confirmed last Friday that they had reached an agreement with Trabzonspor for the transfer of the Nigerian forward, which brought an end to protracted negotiations that had dragged on for several weeks. Onuachu managed four goals across 25 appearances in the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, but it was insufficient as Southampton were relegated. Read more
Cuban women’s volleyball team barred from Puerto Rico tournament after visa denial (AfricaNews)
The Cuban women’s national volleyball team has been forced to withdraw from a major regional tournament in Puerto Rico after the U.S. denied their visa applications, dealing a blow to the team’s hopes of advancing in international rankings.
Twelve athletes, along with coaches and a referee, were set to participate in the Final Four tournament of the North, Central American and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) from July 16 to 21. The event plays a key role in qualifying for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, and for the next Volleyball World Championships.
Dayana Martínez, a key middle-blocker on the team, expressed frustration and disappointment after their plans were abruptly halted. Read more
Jake Paul enters WBA cruiserweight rankings, making him eligible for title shot (CNN)
Jake Paul has entered the World Boxing Association’s cruiserweight rankings, making the YouTuber-turned-boxer eligible to fight for a world title.
The WBA slotted Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) at No. 14 in the latest edition of its rankings late Monday night, two days after Paul beat 39-year-old Julio César Chávez Jr. by unanimous decision in Anaheim, California.
The WBA’s decision to rank Paul likely means the sanctioning body would allow him to fight WBA cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez, who won his latest title defense in the penultimate bout in Anaheim. The fighters have not agreed to a deal, but Paul and Ramírez stared each other down during the post-fight news conference. Read more
Emma Raducanu embraces ‘massive’ Aryna Sabalenka clash after booking Wimbledon blockbuster (Tennis365)
Emma Raducanu believes she is ready for the “massive challenge” of facing Aryna Sabalenka after booking a blockbuster contest versus the world No 1 at Wimbledon.
World No 40 Raducanu booked a meeting against Sabalenka thanks to an impressive 6-3, 6-3 win over former SW19 champion Marketa Vondrousova on Wednesday night
The 2021 US Open champion was in sublime form, though now faces perhaps the toughest test in tennis against Sabalenka, who has been a dominant No 1 in recent months. Read more