Headline

Canadian Church Installs Nigerian Journalist As Elder

Published

5 months ago

February 13, 2024

Editor

A Nigerian journalist, Chief Femi Shodunke, has been ordained as an elder in a Canadian church.

Shodunke was a one-time Deputy Editor of the Nigerian Compass newspaper.

He was ordained alongside three other women members of the Christ Reconciliation Ministries International.

The other three are Helene Tabah Keating, Mary Eyere Tataw, and Lydia Besong Nkongho.

Speaking at the church’s headquarters in Fort McMurray, Alberta Province, the leader of CRMI, Apostle Lewis Ayuk Nkongho, stated that the ordination was the first set of elders.

Nkongho said the ordination was a surprise decision as directed by the Holy Spirit.

Nkongbo said, “And today, God wants us to honour them. I don’t honour them with levity; I honoured them with God’s grace, and I want to pray that the church should honor them as well.

“And you will not look at them henceforth with levity because you will miss the blessings they have.”

Addressing the Elders, he said, “I know this caught you by surprise; so it was not prearranged. So, it’s not me; it is an endowment that God wants to give to you.

“Now you will make it more public because you are public now. You have been hiding, so the manifestation of His presence will become public given upon you that even when you salute somebody something will come out.”

He added, “We are recognising them as elders in this church. These ones standing here, they carry the spirit, they carry God’s presence, they carry God’s glory. Don’t make the mistake that those who stand on the pulpit always are the carriers.

“There are people sitting at the pew that carry more grace than the people standing here; many, they have the grace that is bigger than people standing on the pulpit.

Nkongho described Shodunke, popularly called “Oluwo”, as a gift to the church with his abundant wisdom and knowledge.

“Most of you can not tell us the message that was preached last Sunday, but he can tell you the message preached six months ago. This is grace; I say this is grace. There was a day I greeted him in front of my house and we all laughed.

“I was not alone and he told me, pastor, you greeted me, I said yes. But, he said I felt something within you; that’s been over a year, but I greeted many other people, they did not catch it.”

“So, from that day, no matter what’s happening, I knew for God to have made him understand that truly there is something in me that connected to him, that’s how God did it. Me, I will give high five every day, but you will not see it, but if it is God’s time you will see it. It’s God’s time,” he added.

Headline

Barack Obama, Wife Endorse Kamala Harris For US President

Published

13 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Editor

Former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have endorsed Kamala Harris’ bid for Presidency.

In a one-minute long video that captured a private phone call between the couple and the Vice President, Harris expressed gratitude for the endorsement and their long friendship.

“We called to say Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office,” Obama told Harris.

“I am proud of you. This is going to be historic,” the former first lady told Harris.

“Earlier this week, Michelle and I called our friend Kamala Harris. We told her we think she’ll make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support,” Obama said on social media platform X.

Responding, Harris said: “Thank you both. It means so much. And we’re gonna have some fun with this too”.

Obama, the first U.S Black president, remains one of the most popular figures in the Democratic party even after more than a decade has passed since he was last elected.

Harris is making plans to name a running mate by Aug. 7.

Advisers to former President Donald J. Trump said they would not commit to another debate, one they had already agreed to participate in, now that the Democrats have changed candidates from President Biden to Vice President Harris.

Headline

33 Nigerian Students Receive $2.92m Scholarships From American Universities, Colleges

Published

1 day ago

July 25, 2024

Editor

33 high achieving Nigerian students have received full scholarships totaling $2.92 million to attend American universities and colleges for the 2024/2025 academic session.

This feat was made possible through the Opportunity Funds Program of the United States Consulate General Lagos that is designed to increase access to U.S. higher education institutions for highly qualified international students who have limited resources to cover upfront costs of attending a university in the United States.

Delivering remarks at a reception in Lagos in honor of the U.S. bound students, Consul General Will Stevens congratulated the scholars on their admission to several outstanding U.S. universities to pursue studies in a diverse range of disciplines.

He urged them to take advantage of the opportunities American universities have to offer and become actively involved in the many organizations and clubs that will enrich their experience as international students.

“This Fall, you will join the over 17,000 Nigerian students studying in the United States. You have successfully navigated the daunting U.S. college and university admissions process and we are so excited for your future. You have excelled in Nigeria, and I have no doubt that you will continue that path of academic excellence,” Consul General Stevens told the departing students.

One of the scholars, Chigozie Paul Odo, received full funding for a Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of South Carolina. His doctoral research will focus on immuno-therapy with the goal of contributing to lasting solutions to the treatment of cancer.

Odo, who lost his father and sole breadwinner for his family during his second year at university, expressed appreciation to the U.S. government for covering the upfront costs of applying to U.S. universities through the Opportunity Funds Program.

“My dream of studying in the United States which seemed impossible is now a reality,” he added.

The 33 departing students — 10 undergraduate and 23 graduate students —will be studying a variety of subjects including biomedical engineering; computer science; mechanical engineering; earth and planetary sciences; organic and medicinal chemistry; civil, construction, & environmental engineering; among others.

Following a very rigorous selection process, the successful students received financial aid that covered expenses involved in the college application process such as standardized tests, application fees, U.S. visa and SEVIS fees as well as air travel to the United States. EducationUSA advisers worked closely with the students through regularly scheduled meetings, seminars and bootcamps, to support them throughout the application process.

Now in its 20th year, the Opportunity Funds Program underscores the importance of educational exchange and the positive impact it has on fostering mutual understanding and strengthening ties between the two nations.

Headline

Meta Deletes 63,000 Accounts In ‘Yahoo Boys’ Crackdown

Published

2 days ago

July 24, 2024

Editor

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has removed 63,000 accounts associated with the notorious “Yahoo Boys” scam group, the company announced in its Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report on Wednesday.

The accounts, deleted over the past few weeks, were used for financial sextortion scams and distributing blackmail scripts. Meta reported that a smaller network of 2,500 accounts, linked to around 20 individuals, primarily targeted adult men in the United States using fake identities.

Meta said it identified and disabled these accounts through a combination of advanced technical signals and comprehensive investigations, enhancing its automated detection systems.

“Financial sextortion is a borderless crime, fueled in recent years by the increased activity of Yahoo Boys, loosely organised cybercriminals operating largely out of Nigeria that specialize in different types of scams,” the social media giant stated.

It added, “We’ve removed around 63,000 accounts in Nigeria attempting to target people with financial sextortion scams, including a coordinated network of around 2,500 accounts.”

“We’ve also removed a set of Facebook accounts, Pages, and groups run by Yahoo Boys—banned under our Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy—that were attempting to organize, recruit and train new scammers,” the company explained.

During the investigation, Meta said it found that most scammers’ attempts were unsuccessful, though some had targeted minors. These cases were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Meta revealed that it also shared information with other tech companies via the Tech Coalition’s Lantern program to help curb these scams across platforms.

Further, the parent company of Facebook said it removed around 7,200 assets in Nigeria, including 1,300 Facebook accounts, 200 pages, and 5,700 groups that were providing scam-related resources.

These assets were found offering scripts and guides for scams and sharing links to collections of photos for creating fake accounts, it expounded.

Since this disruption, Meta’s systems have been actively blocking attempts from these groups to return, continually improving their detection capabilities.

The company noted that it has also been working closely with law enforcement, supporting investigations and prosecutions by responding to legal requests and alerting authorities to imminent threats.

The social media giant stated that its efforts extend beyond account removal.

“We also fund and support NCMEC and the International Justice Mission to run Project Boost, a program that trains law enforcement agencies around the world in processing and acting on NCMEC reports.

“We’ve conducted several training sessions so far, including in Nigeria and the Cote d’Ivoire, with our most recent session taking place just last month,” the firm revealed.

To protect users, especially teens, Meta disclosed that it has implemented stricter messaging settings for users under 16 (under 18 in certain countries) and displays safety notices to encourage cautious behaviour online.

Last week, Meta was fined $220m by Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission for multiple violations of data protection laws linked to WhatsApp.

The investigation, initiated in May 2021, found that Meta’s privacy policies infringed on users’ rights, including unauthorized data sharing and discriminatory practices.

Meta plans to appeal the decision, arguing that it disagrees with the findings and the imposed penalty. The FCCPC aims to ensure fair treatment of Nigerian users and compliance with local regulations.