Headline

Bayelsa: NCDMB Fumes, Warns Against Protest By HOSTCOM

Published

5 years ago

October 8, 2021

The management of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has finally given clarifications on the protest embarked upon by youths and members of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM) at its headquarters in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

NCDMB also warned against what they described as HOSTCOM’s misconceived and unwarranted action which has caused the state a lot in the past weeks, noting that It is shocking and absolutely galling that the group seems to be completely oblivious of the consequences of their unlawful action of obstructing and preventing oil and gas transactions with the board for two weeks running, knowing the criticality of oil and gas operations to Nigeria’s economic survival.

Recall that DAILY POST had earlier reported that hundreds of protesters besieged and shut down activities at the headquarters of NCDMB.

The aggrieved youths and members of HOSTCOM were later said to have been considered and given some slots but they rejected the offer of training just 100 youths from the earlier agreed and approved 1000 youths from over 850 communities in the eight local government areas of the state.

In a statement, issued and sent to DAILY POST by the General Manager Corporate Communications/Zonal Coordination, NCDMB, Engr. Ginah O. Ginah, the board highlighted its core functions as it relates to the host communities and other parts of the country.

The statement reads, “We, the Management of NCDMB, have watched with dismay the needless disruptive protests by members of Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM) and their allies since last week, despite all entreaties by the State Governor, His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri as well as other well-meaning citizens and groups in Bayelsa State for them to end the violent protests and explore the option of dialogue.

“In view of the flagrant refusal to vacate the siege on our office and quit violence, we are constrained to issue this release to debunk the deliberate falsehood and distorted narrative put out by the group to justify their unwarranted disruption of our operation and to tarnish the image of the Board.

“We had expected that reason would prevail and that the group would appreciate the incalculable harm their misconceived and unwarranted action is causing the state as a whole, but it is unfortunate that little or no consideration is given to this fact.

“It is shocking and absolutely galling that this group seems to be completely oblivious of the consequences of their unlawful action of obstructing and preventing oil and gas transactions with the Board for two weeks running, knowing the criticality of oil and gas operations to Nigeria’s economic survival.

“We wish to set the records straight and correct the blatant falsehood being peddled by HOSTCOM and their sponsors, which is calculated to mislead the public and attract cheap sympathy. It behooves us to categorically state as follows:

“That the mandate of the NCDMB as stipulated in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act is strictly, To develop local Capacities and Capabilities and To Monitor compliance and enforce provisions of the NOGICD Act.

“That for the sake of emphasis, NCDMB is not an interventionist agency for the Niger Delta region, much less for Bayelsa state. Indeed, the NOGICD Act and the work of NCDMB is to cater to the entire country, not narrow sectional interest.

“That NCDMB is not obligated to grant or accede to every request or demand from members of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas in Bayelsa State or any group for that matter.

“That since its inception, NCDMB Board has taken a special interest in the development of Bayelsa State and its indigenes to such a point that other states in the region have continued to accuse the Board of bias, favoring Bayelsa State more than all the other oil-producing states.

“That in line with the Board’s determination to spur rapid development of the State and indigenes, the Board has sited several strategic projects in different parts of Bayelsa State, and actively worked to maintain a healthy relationship with the communities hosting our projects. There’s hardly any incidence of downtime or disruption of our operations by our host communities.

“That in our relationship with communities hosting our projects, they do not dictate to the Board nor make onerous demands.

“That it is ridiculous and unimaginable that any group could dictate to the Board, what to do, when to do it and how to do it as HOSTCOM and their allies are trying to do on this occasion, even arm twisting the Board to give into their demands.

“Specifically, that no group can and should think that it could come up with any ridiculous demand and compel the Board to yield to their pressure, just as HOSTCOM is doing even with all kinds of blackmail and outright falsehood.

“That the sticking point in the ongoing disturbance is that HOSTCOM requested the Board to train 1000 persons and submitted the names to the Board, expecting the Board to accept their list without question.

“That Board turned down the bogus list as there is no budget to accommodate such an unreasonable demand. Contrary to HOSTCOM’s false assertion, the Board did not at any time agree to train 1000 persons submitted by HOSTCOM.

“That HOSTCOM now wants to compel the Board to train the 1000 persons they submitted to the Board without regard to the Board’s training plan and budget, particularly because the leaders of HOSTCOM had allegedly extorted various sums of money from each of the nominees.

“Realizing that the nominees they have extorted money from would vent their anger on them, the HOSTCOM leaders became restive and took to the street in a desperate move to arm-twist the Board to give into their inordinate demand and to cover their actions.

“The leaders of HOSTCOM have threatened the lives of some NCDMB personnel and their families over this impasse and the threats have been duly reported to the relevant security agencies for a thorough investigation.”

Headline

Woman Passes Out After Receiving 100 Strokes Of Cane

Published

4 days ago

May 24, 2026

Editor

A woman has passed out after she and her partner were each flogged 100 times in public for engaging in sex outside marriage under strict Sharia laws in Indonesia’s Aceh province.

The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, was later carried away after the punishment was carried out in Banda Aceh, located at the northern tip of Sumatra island on Thursday.

A masked official dressed in brown robes administered the caning before members of the public who gathered to witness the punishment.

Her partner was also seen wincing in pain while receiving the lashes.

The pair were among several individuals punished for violating Sharia regulations in the province.

Authorities from the Banda Aceh Sharia Court and the Prosecutor’s Office handed down punishments ranging from 25 to 100 lashes for offences including extramarital sex allegedly arranged through online applications.

Aceh remains the only province in Muslim-majority Indonesia operating under Sharia law, where unmarried couples are prohibited from having sexual relations.

Caning is commonly used in the province as punishment for offences such as gambling, alcohol consumption, same-sex relations and sex outside marriage.

Under Aceh’s Sharia regulations, child rape offenders face some of the harshest penalties, including up to 200 strokes of the cane, a prison sentence of as long as 200 months or fines equivalent to two kilograms of gold.

The punishments are usually carried out publicly as a way of shaming offenders in addition to inflicting physical pain.

Such canings are often conducted outside mosques or in open public spaces, with residents watching and taking photographs during the exercise.

Human rights organisations have continued to condemn the practice, arguing that it causes emotional trauma and violates international human rights standards.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly criticised the punishments, saying they conflict with Indonesia’s constitution and global legal obligations.

Amnesty said in a statement: “Caning contravenes Indonesia’s constitution and is in clear violation of international human rights law and standards.

‘It constitutes a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and can amount to torture in violation of the UN Convention against Torture and other international covenants, to which Indonesia is a State Party.’”

Despite the criticism, local authorities have defended the punishments as part of Aceh’s religious and cultural identity, insisting they serve as a deterrent against immoral behaviour.

Earlier in January, another couple in the province reportedly received 140 lashes each after being found guilty of drinking alcohol and engaging in sex outside marriage.

(Daily Mail)

Headline

Senegal’s President Sacks Prime Minister After Months-long Feud

Published

4 days ago

May 24, 2026

Editor

Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has sacked Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government following months of rising political tension between the two former allies.

The decision was announced in a surprise decree read on national television by a presidential aide, stating that Faye had “ended the duties” of Sonko and “consequently those of the ministers and secretaries of state who are members of the government”.

Sonko, who remains a highly influential figure among Senegal’s youth, responded on social media, saying he would “sleep with a light heart”.

The political fallout comes at a time of growing economic strain in the country, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) putting Senegal’s public debt at 132% of its GDP.

His removal followed a tense parliamentary session on Tuesday, where Sonko openly criticised President Faye’s handling of the debt situation.

The development is striking given that Faye’s rise to power was largely tied to Sonko’s popularity and political backing.

Sonko would almost certainly have contested the presidency himself in 2024, but was barred from the race due to a defamation conviction. Instead, he threw his support behind Faye, rallying voters with the slogan “Diomaye is Sonko, Sonko is Diomaye”.

The alliance helped unseat former President Macky Sall in a dramatic electoral victory, despite both men having been released from prison only days before the vote.

Tensions between the two leaders had been building for months, with Faye reportedly accusing Sonko of excessive dominance within the ruling Pastef party, while Sonko accused the president of weak leadership and failing to defend him against critics.

(BBC News)

Headline

Six Nigerians Arrested In Thailand Over AI-Powered Romance Scam

Published

4 days ago

May 24, 2026

Editor

Six Nigerian nationals have been arrested by the Thailand Police Force for allegedly operating an AI-powered deepfake romance scam syndicate from a luxury condominium along the Chao Phraya River in Nonthaburi Province, following a cocaine trafficking investigation that exposed their activities.

Thai authorities said the operation began after police arrested a Nigerian suspect identified as Patrick and three associates in April over alleged drug trafficking offences. During the raid, officers reportedly seized assets valued at about 2.5 million baht.

Investigators said financial transactions linked to the suspects led them to several foreign nationals living in a high-end riverside condominium near Phra Nangklao Bridge in Nonthaburi. Police discovered that many of the occupants were staying in groups of five or six per apartment under student visas despite not being enrolled in any educational institution or engaged in lawful employment.

According to Thai police, officers executed search warrants on three condominium units on May 22. The suspects allegedly refused to open their doors, forcing authorities to break into the apartments.

Videos circulating on X captured the moment police officers forcefully gained entry into one of the apartments before arresting the suspects.

During the operation, one suspect reportedly attempted to escape by climbing over a balcony, while another was found hiding on the bathroom floor while allegedly sending warning messages to occupants in neighbouring units.

Police recovered 18 mobile phones, three laptop computers and three bank passbooks from the apartments. Authorities said some of the phones were still logged into active conversations with victims at the time of the raid.

Investigators alleged that the syndicate specialised in romance scams targeting older Thai women by using AI-generated faces and manipulated video calls to create fake online identities.

The suspects allegedly posed as pilots, United States military officers, doctors and engineers to gain the trust of victims before requesting money under false pretences.

Police said the fraudsters typically claimed that valuable packages or gifts sent to victims had been withheld by customs officials and required payment of clearance fees before release.

Authorities also said they recovered scripts for sexually explicit conversations allegedly used to emotionally manipulate victims into transferring funds. Investigators claimed the group relied heavily on artificial intelligence technology to generate realistic Western faces for fake video interactions.

Thai police said all six suspects are currently facing preliminary charges bordering on illegal association and immigration overstay, while additional fraud and romance scam charges are expected to follow as investigations continue.