Borno : Boko Haram kills scores in fresh attacks

It has been reported that in Borno State, at least 29 persons have been killed by Boko Haram insurgents.

This happened on Saturday in fresh attacks by Boko Haram insurgents on three local government areas of Borno State.

The three local governments attacked are Gubio, Nganzai and Monguno.

The Boko Haram attacks came barely a day after the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), claimed that the terrorist group had been degraded and were only taken advantage of the COVID-19 to execute pockets of attacks.

It was reported that the group had on Tuesday killed 81 persons in a major attack on Gubio.

The group reportedly returned to another settlement in Gubio, Dunga village, where they struck on Saturday morning.

Just about the same time, the insurgents attacked Usmanti village in the Nganzai Local Government Area, killing 29 persons.

Credible sources reported that the insurgents invaded Usmanti around 11 am on Saturday.

“The insurgents executed a daring attack killing 29 persons in the village. The village though in Nganzai Local Government Area shares boundary with Gubio Local Government Area where 81 persons were killed on Tuesday,” one of the sources said.

The insurgents were also said to have attacked Monguno town, one of the most strategic towns in Northern Borno, which houses humanitarian operations and has structures accommodating over 100,000 internally displaced persons.

Eyewitnesses in Monguno revealed that the military was able to repel the terrorists.

They said land troops were assisted by air strike, rooting out the invading terrorists.

Regina Askia's daughter recreates some of her old photos

The daughter of Regina Askia, Stephanie Hornecker has gone on to recreate some old pictures of her mother and they are adorable.

The resemblance between mother and daughter is very striking too! 

Check out the original photos of Regina and the recreated photos of Stephanie 

COVID-19 survivor billed $1.1m by hospital

A survivor of the dreaded COVID-19 disease has been reportedly billed $1.1m by the hospital where he recovered.

Reports from Seattle Times has it that a survivor of COVID-19, a 70-year-old American man who nearly died of COVID-19 has been billed a heart-stopping $1.1 million for his hospital expenses.

Michael Flor was admitted to a hospital in the northwestern city on March 4, and stayed for 62 days – at one point coming so close to death that nurses held up the phone so his wife and children could say goodbye.

But he recovered and was discharged on May 5 to the cheers of nursing staff – only to receive a 181-page bill totalling $1,122,501.04, he told the newspaper.

It includes $9,736 per day for the intensive care room, nearly $409,000 for its transformation into a sterile room for 42 days, $82,000 for the use of a ventilator for 29 days, and nearly $100,000 for two days when his prognosis was life-threatening.

Flor is covered by Medicare, a government insurance program for the elderly, and should not have to take out his wallet, according to the Times.

But in a country where health care is among the most expensive in the world – and the idea of socializing it remains hugely controversial – he said he feels “guilty” knowing that taxpayers will bear much of the cost.

“It was a million bucks to save my life, and of course I’d say that’s money well-spent… But I also know I might be the only one saying that,” the Times quoted the survivor as saying.

A gigantic plan adopted by Congress to keep the American economy afloat through the coronavirus shutdowns includes a $100 million budget to compensate hospitals and private insurance companies that treated COVID-19 patients.

Atlanta : Police Boss resigns over murder of black man

The police chief in the US city of Atlanta resigned after an officer fatally shot a black man during an arrest.

This was revealed by the Mayor on Saturday. It was learnt that the new killing has injected fresh anger into protests against racism and police brutality.

Demonstrators blocked an interstate highway and set alight the Wendy’s restaurant where 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was killed late Saturday, local media reported.

This came hours after Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who has been touted as a potential running mate for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, announced the resignation of Chief Erika Shields.

Brooks had been asleep in his car at the Wendy’s drive-through late Friday, and employees called police to complain he was blocking other customers, an official report said.

He failed a sobriety test and resisted when police tried to arrest him, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

Surveillance video showed “that during a physical struggle with officers, Brooks obtained one of the officer’s Tasers and began to flee from the scene,” the report continued.

“Officers pursued Brooks on foot and during the chase, Brooks turned and pointed the Taser at the officer. The officer fired his weapon, striking Brooks,” it stated.

Brooks was taken to a hospital but died after surgery, it said, adding that one officer was injured.

An Atlanta police spokesman identified the policeman who carried out the shooting as Garrett Rolfe. He was dismissed from the force on Saturday, while the second officer was placed on administrative duty, according to ABC News.

The unrest comes as the US faces a historic reckoning on systemic racism, with mass civil unrest ignited by the May 25 killing of another African-American man, George Floyd, while in police custody.

Floyd died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

Protests which spread first around the country then the globe in the weeks since, have forced a conversation on the legacies of slavery, colonialism and white violence against people of color, as well as the militarization of police in America.

Shields had worked for police department of Atlanta for more than two decades.

“Because of her desire that Atlanta be a model of what meaningful reform should look like across this country, Chief Shields has offered to immediately step aside as police chief,” the mayor said in televised comments.

Foreign tax - Senate summons CBN, FIRS

The managements of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has been issued fresh summons by the Senate Public Accounts Committee.

This was made known by the Chairman of SPAC, Senator Matthew Urhoghide on Saturday.

Urhoghide said the committee queried the CBN last week when it discovered that it did not remit  $3.3 billion from the $21.3bn collected by the FIRS as foreign tax in 2015, into the Federation Account.

He said the Senate panel acted on an audit query raised against the CBN by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation.

Quoting the audit query, Urhoghide said while the FIRS recorded $21.3bn as the total foreign tax collected by it in 2015 and domiciled in the apex bank, the CBN, on the other hand, recorded $18bn.

He said the CBN, following the committee’s directive, had submitted some documents to defend its claims.

The senator said a formal invitation had been sent to both the CBN and the FIRS to appear before it whenever the Senate reconvened to defend their separate claims. He said, 

“Based on the report before us from the Auditor- General for the Federation, there is a huge difference between the account of the FIRS and that of the CBN.

The FIRS gave an amount which is higher than what the CBN presented. The CBN said the amount it gave was based on an exchange rate which was different from that of the FIRS.

The foreign tax came in dollars and at that time, the FIRS said it calculated the foreign currency with a particular exchange rate and we discovered that the difference in the exchange rate adopted in calculating the foreign tax by the two agencies was huge.

It is almost half of the money we are talking about; we then asked them to bring the necessary documents that must tell us the exact amount collected in foreign currency,  the exact period the money came in and the approved exchange rate at that time.

Already, the CBN has submitted some documents but we have yet to scrutinise them. We believe it should be part of the documents we are expecting. We want to know the exchange rate at that time. The point is that, what the CBN is declaring is different from what the FIRS was expecting them to declare.

While the FIRS is insisting on its own naira equivalent of the money as of the time it was paid, the CBN is declaring a different figure.

So, we want to know whether the exchange rate then was N197 to $1 or not. We summoned them again and asked them to come and defend the documents they presented to us.”

The Senate had last week Wednesday queried the CBN  over an alleged unremitted $3.3bn from the $21.3bn collected by the FIRS as foreign tax in 2015.

Urhoghide had asked the CBN to explain the shortfalls and the Deputy Governor (Corporate Affairs) of the bank, Mr Edward  Adamu, did so but the panel appeared unconvinced by his explanations.

Obaseki - JSS3, SS3 students are priority in Edo

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has insinuated that the JSS3 and SS3 students in the state will be given top priority when schools reopen.

Schools in the state were shut in March as part of measures to curtail the spread of the coronavirus disease.

But in a statement on Sunday, the governor said the state government was liaising with the Federal Ministry of Education to develop guidelines for the reopening of schools. He said, 

“Schools remain closed, however, guidelines for phased reopening are being developed together with the Federal Ministry of Education especially for students in JSS 3 and SS 3 who are preparing for their exit examinations.

I encourage all Edo parents and guardians of pupils in primary schools, to continue to utilize our e-learning platforms for their educational needs, while they are still at home.”

Obaseki noted that preparations were on for churches and mosques to reopen in the state, stressing that contact tracing of COVID-19 suspected cases would be extended to worship centres.

“Following consultations with the Christian Association of Nigeria and religious bodies, we will commence a reopening of places of worship. We are expanding screening and testing to religious groups/organisations and business establishments. 

We call on all religious organisations, corporate bodies, and health facilities to assist us drive modalities for our new norm and cooperate with the designated health and security agencies in this regard,” he added.

The governor emphasised that the 10pm to 4am curfew as directed by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 subsist in Edo state.

See how Tonto Dikeh protects herself from fake friends

Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh has lent her opinion on the issue of back stabbing friends.

This is coming in the wake of the sad news of popular Abuja hair vendor who was poisoned to death by her friend.

Tonto Dikeh took to her Insta story to write,

"I replace my head with that of any friend who wants me down,” actress Tonto Dikeh prays, as she reacts to the news of an Abuja businesswoman allegedly poisoned to death by a friend."

See slides for more details 

Photo credit - Instablog 

Check out these blazers styles inspired by Jackie Appiah

Ghanaian actress, Jackie Appiah is one of the style influencers who slay every fashion look effortlessly.

Over the years, she has proven how much of a style icon she is, either on the red carpet or the streets. 

Whenever Jackie steps out, she serves the right style goals to die for.

Whether an entrepreneur or manager of a company, you have to dress like a woman who commands respect while leading your team.

Here are fashionable ways you can rock your blazers as inspired by actress, Jackie Appiah.

SERAP to Buhari - Publish details of N800 billion recovered loot

SERAP has enjoined Buhari to publish details of N800 billion recovered loot.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has asked the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to order the publication of a comprehensive list of names of people from whom N800 billion in looted funds have been recovered.

The group, in a Freedom of Information Act request, asked the President to direct the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, and Minister of Justice and Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, to publish the details of spending of the money and the dates of the recovery.

SERAP also urged the president to “direct appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly, thoroughly and transparently investigate allegations that payments totalling N51 billion were made into individual accounts in 2019.”

SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said, 

“SERAP notes that in your speech to mark the occasion of the Democracy Day on June 12, 2020, you disclosed that the government’s anti-corruption fight has yielded over N800 billion in recovered loot.

Publishing the details regarding the N800 billion recovered loot and investigating the alleged suspicious payments into personal accounts would be entirely consistent with fundamental principles of due process, and Nigeria’s international anti-corruption commitments.

The information will also reveal the truth of where the money is going and why it is there, and allow Nigerians an opportunity to assess the impacts of any projects carried out with the recovered loot and the alleged payments into individual accounts.”

Bobrisky - I stan Hushpuppi

Popular Nigerian cross dresser, Bobrisky has taken to her Instagram page to air her view on the arrest of Nigerian big boy, Hushpuppi.

Bobrisky wrote,

"Many of us are just d biggest hypocrite ever !!! Before his arrest many of you are in his dm, comment section kissing his ass. But immediately you heard about his arrest your true self came out. If you don’t like him stand on ur ground.. stop faking love when you see him and then go behind to call him names. To cut d story short be urself and stop acting two face. I Stand with @hushpuppi . Many of you will insult me under dis post, but guess wat I don’t care 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂"