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Tag: World

  • EXCLUSIVE: Tinubu Has Only Held One Federal Executive Council Meeting Since Inauguration Over Ill Health, Had Car Driven Close To Plane On Return To Abuja From 78th UNGA

    President Bola Tinubu has only held one Federal Executive Council meeting since his inauguration as President on May 29, 2023, due to his failing health, SaharaReporters has learnt.

    The maiden and only cabinet meeting so far chaired by President Tinubu was held at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja on August 28.

    It is not clear how the 48 ministers appointed by Tinubu have been giving briefings and taking directives from the President in the absence of weekly FEC meetings.

    Meanwhile, according to Section 148 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, The President shall hold regular meetings with the Vice-President and all the Ministers of the Government of the Federation for the purposes of – (a) determining the general direction of domestic and foreign policies of the Government of the Federation; (b) co-ordinating the activities of the President, the Vice-President and the Ministers of the Government of the Federation in the discharge of their executive responsibilities; and (c) advising the President generally in discharge of his executive functions other than those functions with respect to which he is required by this Constitution to seek the advice or act on the recommendation of any other person or body.

    However, SaharaReporters has exclusively learnt that the President has been ill and therefore unable to fully discharge his responsibilities in office.

    In early September, Tinubu left Nigeria on Monday, September 4, 2023, to attend the G-20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India.

    He returned to Abuja on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, after stopping over in the United Arab Emirates following the G20 summit in India.

    Then on Sunday, September 17, Tinubu left Abuja for New York to attend the 78th UN General Assembly. Tinubu, however, did not return to Abuja until Friday, September 29 ahead of Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Anniversary on October 1 and one week after he attended the 78th UNGA from September 19 to 23.

    An authoritative source has however told SaharaReporters that the President returned to Abuja on September 29 without the usual welcoming ceremony at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

    “Tinubu has not been having FEC meetings. Even when arrived from his trip to New York, United States for UNGA, there was no airport ceremony to welcome him.

    “His car had to be driven to where he would alight the plane from the stairs because he was sick,” the Presidency source said.

    Also, according to the source, the President had a secret meeting with a Nigerian-Lebanese developer with alleged criminal records, Gilbert Chagoury, last week

    In September, SaharaReporters reported that the multi-billion-naira firm awarded the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Hitech Road Construction Company, a subsidiary of Hitech Construction Company was owned by Chagoury.

    Chagoury is an ally of President Tinubu.

    The Nigerian government had unveiled the plan for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway and according to David Umahi, the Minister of Works, Hitech Construction would fund the project under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

    Hitech is a division of the Chagoury Group, a business conglomerate owned by Chagoury, a known ally of the Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Eko Atlantic in Lagos is also the brainchild of the businessman.

    Years back, Chagoury was banned from getting a visa on terrorism grounds for allegedly funding a political coalition, Hezbollah, which the United States deems a terrorism group.

    He was also in the past accused of drug dealings by the US and Lebanese governments.

    The Los Angeles Times, which did a deep dive on Chagoury — in its August 30, 2016 edition, said that Chagoury’s visa troubles likely stem from his support of a Christian Lebanese politician.

    The politician, Michel Aoun, is part of the same political coalition as Hezbollah, which the United States deems a terror group.

    “Chagoury’s name has been brought up of late, because of an ask Clinton Foundation head Doug Band made of Hillary Clinton’s State Department – he wanted to put the donor, whose parents were Lebanese, in touch with the American government’s top Lebanon person,’’ the US’ daily had stated.

    ‘’Donald Trump, among others, used the correspondence to try and show that the Clintons were running a ‘pay-for-play’ enterprise between the State Department and the family foundation, where Chagoury had been a million dollar donor.’’

    Since the 1990s, Chagoury was reported to have cultivated a friendship with the Clinton family, in part by writing big checks, including an estimated $5 million to the Clinton Foundation, this is despite being a non-citizen forbidden by law to make donations to the campaigns of US politicians.

    He however flouted that law with his numerous donations. By the time Hillary Clinton became the Secretary of State, the relationship was strong enough for one of Bill Clinton’s closest aides to push for Chagoury to get access to top diplomats and thus began the US exploring a deal to build a consulate at the Eko Atlantic city.

    Between 2012 and 2016, he sought to help fund election campaigns of some US politicians. He donated to the Republicans and was listed as a sponsor for a 2014 art exhibit at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

    One other campaign he funded was that of Jeff Fortenberry, a US lawmaker, in 2016.

    Fortenberry was later convicted of concealing information and making false statements to US federal authorities who were investigating illegal contributions made by Chagoury who is a foreign national, to his re-election campaign.

    Fortenberry resigned from office after his conviction.

    However, in 2019, Chagoury reportedly paid $1.8 million in fines to resolve the investigation when it began.

    Born in Nigeria to Lebanese immigrants, the businessman flourished in the 1990s through his close association with the late dictator, Sani Abacha by receiving development deals and oil franchises.

    After Abacha died in 1998, the Nigerian government hired lawyers to track down funds stolen through associates of the late dictator.

    The trail led to bank accounts all over the world, some under Gilbert Chagoury’s control.

    In 2000, the Lebanese businessman was convicted by a Swiss court for laundering some of the funds Abacha looted from Nigeria.

    He agreed to pay a fine of about 1 million Swiss francs (about $600,000) at that time to get his Swiss conviction expunged and handed back $66 million to the Nigerian government but denied knowing the funds were stolen

    Chagoury later returned to Nigeria in the early 2000 and from there became a business partner with Tinubu, who was then governor of Lagos State.

     

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  • Court fixes Dec 1 to rule on alleged N1.7bn fraud case against First Nation MD, Kayode Odukoya

    Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, adjourned till December 1, 2023 for judgment, an alleged N1.7bn fraud case involving Kayode Odukoya, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of First Nation Airways Limited.

    Odukoya is facing trial, alongside First Nation Airways Limited and Belleview Airlines Limited on seven-count charges bordering on forgery, use of false document, perjury, stealing and obtaining credit by fraud, contrary to Section 85(1), 86(1), 278(1)&(b), 285(1), 313(1)(a) &(b), 361(1)(a)& (b), 363 (1) and 364(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.

    One of the counts reads: “Kayode Odukoya and First Nation Airways, on or about the 29th day of August, 2013 in Lagos, within the lkeja Judicial Division, by means of fraud, obtained the credit of N307,268,406.43 for yourselves from Skye Bank Plc (Now Polaris Bank Ltd) and made the bank to incur liability by presenting a Memorandum of Loss at Lagos State Certificate of Occupancy registered as No.33 at page 33 in Volume 1011 at the Lagos State Registry, Alausa, Ikeja in respect of property being and situate at No. 29 Oduduwa Street, lkeja GRA. Lagos State.”

    Another count reads: “Kayode Odukoya, First Nation Airways Limited and Bellview Airlines Limited, on or about the 7th day of October, 2016 in Lagos, within the Lagos Judicial Division, dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N1, 742,994,962.04 (One Billion, Seven Hundred and Forty-one Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety-four Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixty-two Naira, Four Kobo) property of Skye Bank Plc.”

    He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, thereby prompting the commencement of trial.
    The prosecution, before closing its case on November 30, 2020, had called five witnesses and tendered several documents to prove the case against the defendants.

    However, the defendant, through his counsel, E.D. Onyeke, had applied for a no-case submission.
    The Judge , on January 11, 2022, dismissed the no-case submission and also ordered the defendant to open his defence.

    The defendant, thereafter, took to the dock to defend himself. He denied the allegations levelled against him.
    Following the conclusion of his defence, Justice Dada had adjourned for the adoption of final written addresses.

    At Tuesday’s proceedings, prosecution counsel, Nnaemeka Omewa, adopted the final written address of the prosecution and urged the court to hold that the prosecution proved its case against the defendant.
    Onyeke also adopted the final written address of the defence.

    He, however, urged the court to discharge and acquit his client.
    After listening to both parties, Justice Dada adjourned till December 1, 2023 for judgement.

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  • Judicial Watch: Federal Court Hearing Set for FBI’s Records on Hunter Biden Gun Scandal – FBI Refuses to Divulge Number of Records Due to ‘Ongoing Criminal Investigation’

    (Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch today announced that a federal court hearing is scheduled for Friday, October 13 in its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit for records regarding the gun owned by Hunter Biden that reportedly was thrown in a trash can behind a Delaware grocery store. The FBI is refusing to disclose basic information about the records because it alleges doing so would interfere with the criminal prosecution of Hunter Biden.  

    The court hearing, before Judge Jia M. Cobb of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is set for October 13, 2023, at 10 a.m. ET.

     In an August 2023 joint status report to the court, the FBI claims it has completed a search for records responsive to Judicial Watch’s FOIA request and is “currently processing” the records but added that its “position is that the number of potentially responsive records is exempt from disclosure … as this case relates to an ongoing criminal investigation.”

     Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit after the FBI withheld records in response to a January 30, 2023, FOIA request (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:23-cv-00920)). Judicial Watch is asking for:

    All records, including investigative reports, telephone logs, witness statements, memoranda, and firearms purchase documentation, related to the reported purchase, possession, and disposal of a firearm owned by Hunter Biden discarded in a Delaware trash receptacle circa October 2018.

    All records of communications of FBI officials regarding the reported purchase, possession, and disposal of the firearm.

    Judicial Watch argues that the Hunter Biden gun case “is indisputably of significant public intertest:”

    It is also time sensitive. [Judicial Watch] has asked and Defendant has refused to provide the number of potentially responsive records that needs to be processed in this case. Without this number, Plaintiff cannot evaluate – let alone agree to – a processing time of 120 days. In addition, because it appears as though Defendant will be providing [Judicial Watch] with a “no number, no list” response at the end of the 120 days, it could be more efficient and economical for the parties to simply commence summary judgment briefing and for Defendant to file its opening brief in 60 days.

    “The FBI unlawfully hid records about its Hunter Biden cover-up and now is using the compromised prosecution of Hunter Biden as an after-the-fact justification for its cover-up,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “It is simply remarkable that the Biden administration is invoking privileges – that are usually used to protect national security information – to hide details of the FBI’s clean-up operation about Hunter’s mishandling of his gun.”

    In February 2023, from a separate lawsuit, Judicial Watch released records from the United States Secret Service that implicate the FBI in the unusual action of helping Hunter Biden.

    In response to a February 24, 2021, email inquiry from Politico reporter Ben Schreckinger regarding the Secret Service’s involvement in the investigation of the Hunter Biden gun incident, the Communications Department asked for “more information or documentation.” Schreckinger responded: “Sure thing. Agents visited StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply and asked to take possession of the paperwork Hunter had filled out to purchase a gun there. The FBI also had some involvement in the investigation.”

    In October 2020, The Blaze reported that in October 2018, Hunter Biden’s handgun was taken by Hallie Biden, the widow of then-presidential nominee Joe Biden’s son Beau. In 2021, Politico reported:

    Hallie took Hunter’s gun and threw it in a trash can behind a grocery store, only to return later to find it gone.

    Delaware police began investigating, concerned that the trash can was across from a high school and that the missing gun could be used in a crime, according to law enforcement officials and a copy of the police report obtained by POLITICO.

    But a curious thing happened at the time: Secret Service agents approached the owner of the store where Hunter bought the gun and asked to take the paperwork involving the sale, according to two people, one of whom has firsthand knowledge of the episode and the other was briefed by a Secret Service agent after the fact.

    Judicial Watch has multiple federal lawsuits focused on Biden family corruption.

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  • US A-10s arrive in Middle East after terrorist attacks in Israel

    U.S. Central Command announced the arrival of A-10 Thunderbolt IIs in the Middle East region Thursday as a show of U.S. military strength and support for Israel.

    “The 354th Fighter Squadron and their A-10 Thunderbolt IIs arrived in the region to support the U.S.’s increased posture,” U.S. Central Command stated on X, formerly Twitter. “These aircraft are in addition to the A-10s from the 75th Fighter Squadron already in the region.”

    The A-10 Thunderbolt IIs are in addition to the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group that arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday. A press release by CENTCOM explained that the aircraft carrier and strike group are meant to “deter any actor seeking to escalate the situation or widen this war.”

    CENTCOM noted that the U.S. military forces in the region included the USS Gerald R. Ford with eight attacks and support aircraft squadrons, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Carney, USS Ramage, USS Roosevelt, and the Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy.

    READ MORE: Elon Musk makes all Tesla Superchargers free in Israel

    CENTCOM added that the deployment of U.S. Air Force A-10s, F-15s, and F-16s in the region will increase the “posture” of the U.S. military.

    “The arrival of these highly capable forces to the region is a strong signal of deterrence should any actor hostile to Israel consider trying to take advantage of this situation,” General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, said.

    Prior to the USS Gerald R. Ford arriving in the region, CENTCOM issued a statement reaffirming the commitment of the United States to Israel and its partners in the Middle East. CENTCOM made it clear that in addition to the military resources being deployed in the Middle East, the United States “maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this posture if required.”

    “USCENTCOM stands firmly with our Israeli and regional partners to address the risks of any party seeking to expand the conflict,” Kurilla stated.



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  • NUPRC Grants First Petroleum Exploration License Since Commencement Of PIA In 2021

    The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Commission (NUPRC) in compliance with the provisions of Section 71 (1) – (10) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 has granted a Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) to TGS-PetroData Offshore Services Limited (TGS-PD).

    The PEL is the first under the PIA 2021 and is under the licence agreement which the Commission and TGS-PD executed for a Geophysical Survey Project for the acquisition of about 56,000 square kilometres of 3D seismic and gravity data.

    The development is another milestone in the smooth implementation of the PIA for the attraction of investment in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

    Without data, reserves cannot be auctioned for development and revenue attraction.

    The NUPRC said in a statement that data acquired under the PEL is not proprietary but speculative/multi-client survey data but one acquired in partnership with the commission.

    The statement signed by the Commission’s Chief Executive, Engr, Gbenga Komolafe, said, “The licence therefore authorizes TGS-PetroData Offshore to carry out non-exclusive Petroleum Exploration Operations on a multi-client basis within the licensed area and permits the use of the acquired 3D seismic and gravity data by exploration companies.

    “Due to the specialized nature of the Geophysical Survey Vessel to be used for the acquisition of the 3D seismic and gravity data, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) granted no objection to TGS-PD to deploy the facility.

    “The acquisition of the 3D seismic and gravity data commenced on July 17, 2023, and the processed data will be available for use by mid-2024.”

    The NUPRC stated that the scope of the Geophysical Survey Project includes acquisition of about 11,900 sq. km of new 3D seismic and gravity data in water depth ranging from 30m to 4000m offshore Niger Delta, and acquiring seismic and gravity data at the same time will improve the correlation of identified structures and reservoirs among others.

    Based on section 71(7) of the PIA, the Commission and Federal Government will benefit from the revenue that will be generated from the data use licence that will be granted to interested exploration companies by TGS-PD.

    It added that the new 3D seismic and gravity data being acquired will further provide an opportunity for understanding the regional petroleum system of the ultra-deep waters of Nigeria and unlock the hydrocarbon prospect of Nigeria’s frontier basins (Ultra-deep offshore).

    The statement added, “The 3D seismic and gravity data when acquired will be useful in future deep water licencing rounds which will attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) into oil and gas exploration in Nigeria.”

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  • No power, water or fuel to Gaza until hostages freed

    No power, water or fuel to Gaza until hostages freed - Israel gives Palestine ultimatum

     

    The Israeli government has said there will be no humanitarian break to allow power, water, food or fuel into Gaza Strip until all hostages held by Hamas militants are freed.

    Israel is preparing to launch a ground invasion into Gaza in response to bloody massacres carried out in 20 Israeli communities by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas last weekend, during which dozens of hostages were also seized, in the most serious escalation in the region for 50 years.

     

    The energy minister, Israel Katz, wrote on social media on Thursday, October 12 that no “electrical switch will be turned on, no water hydrant will be opened and no fuel truck will enter” until the “abductees” were free.

    No power, water or fuel to Gaza until hostages freed - Israel gives Palestine ultimatum

    Israel Defence Forces strikes killed at least 33 people within two hours overnight on Thursday, according to Al Jazeera bringing the death toll in Gaza to 1,354. The publication said fighter jets had attacked houses in several areas, and civil defence groups recovered the bodies of the dead. In some areas, residents were sifting through rubble with their bare hands looking for survivors and bodies.

    The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, landed in Tel Aviv on Thursday as part of a Middle East tour to show Washington’s solidarity with Israel, after a first plane loaded with US munitions arrived in Israel on Wednesday night.

    “You may be strong enough on your own to defend yourself,” Blinken said at a joint press conference with Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. “But as long as America exists, you will never, ever have to. We will always be there by your side.”

    Netanyahu has vowed to “crush and destroy” Hamas and as of Wednesday night, he leads a newly formed unity government and war cabinet, including members of the opposition.

     

    The UN said late on Wednesday the number of people displaced by the airstrikes had soared 30% within 24 hours to 339,000 – two-thirds of them crowding into UN schools. Palestinian media said that bombing had killed the brother of Mohammed Deif, Hamas’s military commander, and a senior commander from Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

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  • Trump Faults Israeli PM Netanyahu For Not Being ‘Prepared,’ Says He Once Let U.S. Down Amid Conflict With Hamas

    Former president Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called Hezbollah terrorist attackers “very smart” as Israel recovers from the deadliest attack it has suffered in 50 years.

    “He has been hurt very badly because of what’s happened here,” Trump said of Netanyahu in an excerpt of an interview with Fox News presenter Brian Kilmeade that aired Wednesday night. “He was not prepared. He was not prepared and Israel was not prepared.”

    Israeli has declared a state of war and called up 360,000 reservists after a surprise attack by Hamas militants on Saturday killed at least 1,200 people and wounded more than 2,700.

    Later on Wednesday, Trump, the clear polling leader in the Republican presidential race, complimented the intelligence of Hezbollah, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States. The Iran-aligned group, based in Lebanon, exchanged fire with Israeli forces on the country’s northern border Wednesday.

    “You know, Hezbollah is very smart,” Trump said. “They’re all very smart.”

    That remark drew condemnation from one of his Republican rivals, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

    “It is absurd that anyone, much less someone running for President, would choose now to attack our friend and ally, Israel, much less praise Hezbollah terrorists as ‘very smart,’” DeSantis said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

    In the same breath, Trump acknowledged that his remark about Hezbollah could be controversial, immediately adding, “The press doesn’t like when they say it.” He went on to repeat that he views Xi as a “very smart man” because “1.4 billion people, he controls it with an iron fist.”

    “They kill me the next day — ‘I said he was smart,’ ” Trump mocked. “What am I going to say? But Hezbollah, they’re very smart.”

    He added, speaking again of Israel’s enemies, “They’re vicious and they’re smart and boy, are they vicious.”

    According to the Washington Post, elsewhere in Wednesday’s speech, delivered to an auditorium of supporters in West Palm Beach, Fla., Trump elaborated that he had “a bad experience with Israel as president,” telling a story about the U.S. operation to assassinate Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

    In Trump’s account, Israeli intelligence helped the U.S. locate Soleimani and plan the drone strike that killed him, but on the eve of the operation withdrew its participation.

    The accuracy of Trump’s account could not immediately be confirmed. At the time of the assassination, the Israeli government reacted with restraint to avoid fanning tensions with Iran. In 2021, a retired Israeli military officer acknowledged that his country’s intelligence contributed to the U.S. airstrike.

    “I’ll never forget that Bibi Netanyahu let us down. That was a very terrible thing,” Trump said in Wednesday’s speech. “So we were disappointed by that. Very disappointed. But we did the job ourself. It was absolute precision, magnificent, beautiful job. And then Bibi tried to take credit for it. That didn’t make me feel too good. But that’s all right.”

    As Trump told the story, he suggested he was recounting it publicly for the first time, and that it possibly included classified information. He was indicted in June by special counsel Jack Smith on 40 counts arising from allegedly mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House.

    “I don’t think this has ever been told,” Trump said in the speech. “They’ll say, ‘Oh, it’s classified information.’ Well, maybe it is, but I don’t think so.”

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  • Tinubu urges Supreme Court to dismiss Atiku’s petition seeking nullification of victory

    President Bola Tinubu has petitioned the Supreme Court to reject an appeal that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP candidate, filed to overturn his election victory.

    In a 42-page brief of argument on Thursday, Tinubu urged the Supreme Court to uphold what he called the “well-considered decision of the Court of Appeal,” which had on September 6 dismissed the joint petition Atiku and his party had filed against him while the Court of Appeal was serving as the Presidential Election Petition Court, or PEPC.

    Tinubu’s team of 17 attorneys, which included 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria, made the argument.

    Insisting that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, correctly declared him the victor of the presidential election that took place on February 25, Tinubu told the supreme court that according to statistics, he received 25% of the total votes in the 29 states of the federation.

    The former vice president and the PDP, he claimed in court, were only able to win 25% of the total votes cast in 21 states of the federation, “as against the constitutional requirement of 24.7 states, which is the mathematical results of two-thirds of the 36 states of the federation and the FCT (making 37)”.

    Read Also: Bawa out as Tinubu appoints Olukoyede as new EFCC Chairman

    He told the apex court that Atiku and the PDP, being dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, on March 21, approached the PEPC “on trumped up allegations of non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, corrupt practices, non-scoring of majority of lawful votes cast at the election and non-qualification of the Respondent.”

    President Tinubu further explained, “The hyperbolic character of the forgoing allegations was exposed by the petition itself, which had no facts in support thereof.

    “Starting from the allegation of non-qualification of the Respondent, all that the Appellants submitted to the lower court through their petition was that the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) was at the time of the election, not qualified to contest the election not having the constitutional threshold.

    “While they also claimed to have won the highest number of votes cast at the election, as against INEC’s declaration, throughout their petition, they did not suggest an alternative score which they considered correct, whether for themselves or the Respondent.

    “Though they had alleged that the election was riddled with non-compliance and corrupt practices, the paragraphs of their petition putting up these allegations were nothing short of vague, imprecise, generic and nebulous.

    President Tinubu told the apex court that whereas Atiku raised issue of non-transmission of results, all the witnesses he brought before the PEPC, “agreed that the election went very smoothly, where INEC complied with all the prescribed procedures.”

    He, therefore, urged the Supreme Court to dismiss Atiku’s appeal as “lacking in merit and to affirm the election and return of the Respondent by INEC as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, having scored highest number of lawful votes cast and fulfilling all constitutional requirements.”

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  • Boxing star sending private jet filled with supplies to Israel

    Floyd Mayweather, a famous U.S. boxer, is sending his private jet full of crucial supplies to Israel as the nation continues to recover and respond to the devastating terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas.

    According to TMZ Sports, Mayweather is working with a relief organization in Israel to arrange for “Air Mayweather” to be sent to Israel this weekend to deliver the aid.

    TMZ Sports reported that Mayweather’s aid to Israel will include items such as food, water, and bulletproof vests for both the Israel Defense Forces and civilians. The pilots of “Air Mayweather” will be Chris Javier, AJ Ramey, Freeman Blakney and Sam Kniskern.

    READ MORE: Madonna, Natalie Portman, other celebs react to Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel

    The American boxing legend uploaded a post on Instagram earlier this week, sharing his thoughts on the current situation in Israel and the ongoing violence in the Middle East. Alongside a photo of himself in Jerusalem, Mayweather confirmed his support for the Jewish people on Instagram.

    “I stand with Israel against the Hamas terrorists. Hamas do not represent the people of Palestine but are a terrorist group that are attacking innocent lives!” he wrote. “I stand for all humans and wish for the safe return of all Americans and Israelis and any human that were kidnapped as hostages during these horrific war crimes. This is not a time for politics. This is a time for safety, first and foremost. God Bless America. God Bless Israel. God Bless Human Kind!”

    In a second Instagram post featuring a photo of a clenched fist with the colors and star of the Israeli flag, Mayweather stated, “I stand with Israel and Jews all around the world. I condemn antisemitism at all cost. I stand for Peace. I stand for Human Rights! Terrorism Is Never The Answer.”

    According to TMZ Sports, Mayweather’s provision of aid to the nation of Israel is not the only time the iconic boxer has used his platform and financial resources to help those in need of aid during tragedies. During the summer fires in Maui, Mayweather reportedly helped provide food, shelter and transportation for 70 families.



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  • No Plans For Victims As IMF Releases Statement On Israel-Hamas War

    There is no immediate plan for relief for the victims of the Israel-Hamas war as the battle between the warring parties intensifies, a statement released by the International Monetary Fund on Thursday suggests.

    In a statement on Thursday released by the IMF press department which is five days after the clash began, the institution mourned the losses in Israel and Gaza but was silent on the issues of aid to the victims.

    “The IMF deeply mourns the tragic loss of life of so many civilians in Israel and Gaza. To those who have lost loved ones, to colleagues and partners in the region, and those worried about family and friends, you are in our thoughts.

    “We hope that peace and stability prevail,” the IMF said.

    Hamas launched a dreadful attack on Israel on Saturday, when they were wrapping up the seven-day-long Jewish festival of Sukkot.

    Hamas fired Thousands of missiles from Gaza on indiscriminate targets in Israel leading to death and lots of injuries.

    As of Thursday, at least 1,200 people have died as a result of the Hamas assault, IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said.

    Israel began retaliation which has led to 1,354 deaths in Gaza, while the Palestinian health ministry said over 4,250 have been wounded since Israel began to retaliate.

    At the World Economic Outlook, the IMF said it cannot estimate the impact on the global economy.

    IMF’s Director, Research Department said Pierre Olivier Gourinchas said, “We are monitoring closely the situation. One of the things that we have observed already is that oil prices have increased somewhat over the last few days, by about four percent. And of course, this is something that we see often in situations where there is geopolitical instability in the region.

    “We see spikes in energy prices and oil prices. We’ve seen that in previous crises and previous conflicts. And, of course, this reflects the potential risk that there could be a disruption either in the production or transport of oil in the region.”

    Unlike the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the IMF on the 25, of February released a lengthy statement that assured it would provide relief for Ukraine.

    “Today I met with our Executive Board to brief Executive Directors on our initial assessment of the unfolding situation. I assured them that our staff will continue to work closely with the authorities to support Ukraine in every way we can. We will also continue to work hand in hand with the World Bank Group and other partners to coordinate our support and ensure the maximum benefit for Ukraine.

    “The Fund has a number of instruments in its toolkit and, as the situation in Ukraine evolves, we will continue to discuss with the authorities how we can best assist them.

    “These discussions are being conducted remotely with staff participating from Washington. In addition to ongoing policy advice, we are exploring all options for further financial support, including under the existing Stand-By Arrangement for an outstanding amount of US$2.2bn.

    “The authorities have also requested IMF emergency financing,” part of the statement of the IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva reads.

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