Author: Safiu Kehinde

Safiu Kehinde The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has on Thursday reaffirmed the victory of Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, over the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, at the 2024 governorship election. In a judgement delivered by a three-member panel led by Justice M. A. Danjuma, the court dismissed an appeal filed by Ighodalo, to challenge the election outcome. The appellate court held that it found no reason to dislodge the May 15 judgement of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which validated the declaration of Gov. Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner…

Safiu Kehinde Controversial Nigerian musician, Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, has fired back at social media influencer and activist, Martins Vincent Otse (VeryDarkMan), for criticizing him over his claim of having sexual affairs with a minor. NPO Reported that the singer had on Tuesday sparked public outrage after admitting to having sexual affairs with a 15-year-old girl. Joining other critics to condemn Speed Darlington, VeryDarkMan took to his social media page where he accused the singer of committing statutory rape while alleged that it won’t be his first time. VDM dug out an old video where a woman…

Safiu Kehinde The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has summoned Nigerian musician, Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, over claim of sleeping with a minor. NPO Reported that the controversial singer had on Tuesday raised public eyebrow during a livestream session where he allegedly confessed having sexual affair with a 15-year-old girl. As captured in a viral video clip from the livestream, the singer described his sexual encounter involving the minor that left bed sheets stained with blood. He claimed to have paid hotel staff N2,000 to change the sheets. “Before they could come…

A South African woman convicted of kidnapping and trafficking her six-year-old daughter has been sentenced to life in prison, along with her two accomplices. The jail terms for Racquel “Kelly” Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyns come more than a year after Joshlin Smith mysteriously disappeared outside her home in Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town. Despite a highly publicised search for the girl, who vanished in February 2024, she is yet to be found. The sentencing follows an eight-week trial that captivated South Africa, with witnesses and prosecutors making a number of shocking allegations. Judge…

Google on Thursday began direct online sales of its popular hardware devices in India, including Pixel phones, watches and earbuds, ahead of an anticipated launch of its first physical stores in the South Asian nation. The Alphabet-owned firm said it has for the first time enabled direct online purchases for Indian users on the official Google Store website. The company currently sells it products in India through authorised retailers and via Walmart-backed e-commerce platform Flipkart. Apple, its bigger rival in the premium smartphone category, already sells its phones directly to Indian users, and operates its own retail stores in Mumbai…

Safiu Kehinde Former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s fresh external and domestic loan request, labelling it a reckless and dangerous Ponzi scheme. NPO Reported the President’s letter to the National Assembly on Wednesday, requesting approval of plan to take $ $21.5 billion external loan and a N758 billion domestic bond to settle outstanding pension liabilities and other expenses. Reacting in a post on his X handle on Friday, Atiku warned that the loan if approved will raise Nigeria’s total public debt from N144.7 trillion to a crushing N183 trillion. This, according to the 2023 Peoples…

Safiu Kehinde President Bola Tinubu has reassured Nigerians of his administration’s push towards restoring the country’s economic stability and uplifting Nigerians’ collective hope and aspirations. Tinubu made this known in a statement marking the second anniversary of his administration on Thursday. Recall that the President was sworn in on the 29th of May 2023 following his emergence as the winner of the Presidential election. While appreciating Nigerians for resilience and undaunted spirit, Tinubu recounted the achievements of his administration over the past two years. Coupled with the removal of fuel subsidy and  floating of Naira, Tinubu highlighted other accomplishments of…

Apologises over Delay Safiu Kehinde The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has given reasons for the delay in conducting English Language Paper 2 in the ongoing 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). NPO Reported that the council had come under fire over the conduct of the examination on Wednesday which failed to commence until 9:pm in most centres across Nigeria with some having to wait till 9:30pm-10pm before the paper arrived at the centres. With the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination’s (UTME) howler still fresh in the mind of Nigerians, WAEC’s reignited netizens…

Safiu Kehinde The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has sparked public outrage after delay in conduct of its examination, forcing candidates to write in the night. The worrisome ordeal which was experienced in all centres and secondary schools across Nigeria had brought the examination board under limelight as several videos of candidates writing their English Language examination in the dark surfaced online. While the examination eventually commences around 9pm in some centres, others reported commencement around 9:30pm. The situation forced several parents and guardians to stay up late and keep watch on their wards at their respective centres. Recounting their…

Safiu Kehinde The Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje has narrated how a female medical degree holder abandoned her certificate for carpentry as he expressed the need to promote inclusivity, especially for women and persons with disabilities in technical education. Bugaje stated this in Abuja while assessing the impact of President Bola Tinubu’s administration after two years in office. Appealing for greater gender inclusivity in vocational and technical education, the NBTE Boss stressed that deliberate policies such as scholarships and incentives could help bridge the gender gap. In support of his position, Bugaje shared an…