Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that the holy month of Ramadan will commence on Saturday, March 1, following the sighting of the Ramadan crescent moon in the Kingdom. With this confirmation, more than 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide will observe the sacred month by fasting daily from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, consists of 12 months in a 354- or 355-day year. Fasting during this period is one of the five pillars of Islam and is considered obligatory for all healthy adult Muslims. However, exemptions are granted to young children, individuals who are ill, travelers, and…

Thousands of WhatsApp users across the globe have reported issues with the messaging app, experiencing difficulties in sending and receiving messages. Frustrated users took to social media to confirm whether others were facing similar disruptions. According to Down Detector, the outage began around 3:10 PM and has significantly affected users in both the UK and the US. The disruption has impacted incoming and outgoing message traffic, with more than 21,000 complaints logged in the UK alone. Of those reporting issues, 59% said they were unable to send messages, 22% faced server connection problems, while 19% experienced general app malfunctions. Meta,…

Microsoft on Friday said it was retiring Skype, the online voice and video call pioneer that the tech titan bought in 2011. “Starting in May 2025, Skype will no longer be available,” said a post from Skype support on X, directing users to sign into Microsoft’s Teams platform for further use of its services. Skype was founded in 2003 by Scandinavians Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis in Estonia, revolutionizing internet communication by offering free voice calls between computers and affordable rates for calls to landlines and mobile phones. Over the years, and as internet speeds improved, Skype evolved to include…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday arraigned a former Governor of Abia State, Theodore Orji, and four others, at the Abia State High Court for allegedly misappropriating about ₦47bn. Apart from the former governor, the other four defendants are his son, Engineer Chinedum Orji; a former Commissioner of Finance for Abia State Dr. Philip Nto; a government contractor Obioma King; and a former Director of Finance for Abia State, Romas Madu. They were all arraigned before the Chief Judge, Justice Lilian Abai on a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy to steal and convert billions of naira meant…

Oando Plc has been selected as the preferred bidder for the lease of the Guaracara Refinery in Trinidad and Tobago. According to local media reports, Oando defeated Trinidad’s CRO Consortium and INCA Energy, an American company to win the lease of the refinery. The country’s Minister of Energy, Stuart Young, announced that the decision was primarily based on Oando’s strong financial track record, highlighting its $1.5bn acquisition of ConocoPhillips’ assets in Nigeria in 2014. Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday, Young said Cabinet had taken “considerable time” discussing the decision. “We had robust conversations and interrogations,” he said, emphasising…

President Bola Tinubu has said that his administration is open to learning and not ashamed of copying what is working in other climes. The President spoke at a meeting with an Airtel delegation led by Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal at the State House in Abuja on Thursday. According to him, the telecoms sector’s regulatory framework and operations would be reviewed to reflect global best practices, with a greater focus on protecting infrastructure. “I am grateful for your openness, readiness, and confidence, which moved us very close to the Prime Minister of India. When he was here, we discussed things at…

The Supreme Court has barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation and other agencies from releasing funds to the government of rivers state until it purges itself of what the court describes as flagrant disobedience to court orders. In a one hour, thirty-six-minute judgement delivered by justice Emmanuel Akomaye, the five-man panel of the court unanimously dismissed the cross-appeal filed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara challenging the validity of the House of Assembly presided over by Martin Amaewhule as the Speaker. In dismissing Governor Fubara’s appeal, the court ordered Martin Amaewhule to resume sitting immediately…

The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has ordered that all members of the Lagos House of Assembly be joined as parties in the suit filed by Hon. Mudashiru Obasa. Justice Yetunde Pinheiro has also adjourned till March 7 to hear all pending applications in the matter. Hon Obasa had approached the court to challenge his removal by at least 36 of his colleagues on January 13, 2025. In the application dated February 12, 2025, and filed by his lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Afolabi Fashanu, the claimant stated cthat he was removed from his position on January 13,…

The Ogun State Police Command has launched a manhunt for a man caught on camera kicking a young boy in a disturbing viral video that has sparked outrage online. The video, shared by a Facebook user, Adelere Rasaki, was posted on Thursday with a plea for help in identifying the man. In the video, the man kicked the boy who was standing before him with such force that the child fell, hitting his head on the ground and bursting into a loud cry. Rasaki’s caption read, “This man, Odukaye Kunle, by name is not supposed to be living among the sane. Please…

Nigerian football legend, Jay-Jay Okocha, has criticised former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher over his remarks regarding the Africa Cup of Nations, suggesting that the Englishman does not appreciate African football. Okocha, speaking in an interview circulating X on Friday, said, “There are some players that will say something, you just overlook it. If you look at their career, if you look at the type of football that they played, you can understand. I mean, you wouldn’t want your son to be like Carragher. So, he can never appreciate African football or the talents that come from Africa.” His comments follow…