Connect with us

Headline

Deborah: Knocks As Atiku Condemns German-based Nigerian’s Murder

Published

on

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, on Friday came under fire on social media after he condemned the murder of a Nigerian man, Abdulsamad Lawani, in Germany.

The former vice president’s action angered Nigerians, who referred to the gruesome killing of Deborah Samuel, a Christian 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education Sokoto, who was killed by fellow students in May 2022, for allegedly blaspheming Prophet Muhammad.

Advertisement

Atiku had condemned Deborah’s death but later deleted the tweet hours after and took to his Facebook page to justify his actions.

Condemning Deborah’s death, a tweet via Atiku’s verified page had read, “There cannot be a justification for such gruesome murder. Deborah Yakubu was murdered and all those behind her death must be brought to justice. My condolences to her family and friends.”

READ ALSO: Deborah Samuel: Don’t Overlook Atiku, Tambuwal’s Action In 2023, Group Warns

Advertisement

However, in a message on his verified Hausa page, the former Vice President distanced himself from the deleted tweet. He also stated that any message on social media without the initials “A. A.” was not his.

“This evening I received information that a post was made that doesn’t agree with my orders. I use this to announce that any post without A. A. is not from me. May God protect us,” he wrote in Hausa language.

In a swift turn of events, Atiku on Friday, took to both his Twitter and Facebook pages to condemn the death of the German-based Nigerian, Lawani, although the circumstances surrounding the death were not revealed.

Advertisement

The former vice president wrote, “It is with deep pain that I learnt of the gruesome murder of a young Nigerian in Germany, Abdulsamad Lawani. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends and the Diapora at this time of grief. May his soul rest in peace, -A.A.”

Following his condemnation message, a tweep, S.Kabiru wrote, “Every four year looking for votes empathy. Once you lose now you’ll shut down again like Ajaokuta. May the soul of the faithful departed find repose.”

Another tweep, Sochi, wrote, “What about the gruesome murder of Deborah?? Your account is usually active every for years.”

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Deborah: Tambuwal Receives Report On Students’ Unrest, Considers Reopening College

A tweep, Akparawa Wilson, wrote, “I personally cant take you serious except you bring back this tweet (the deleted tweet condemning Deborah’s death),” sharing a picture of the now deleted tweet.

Another tweep, Savage God, who wrote in Pidgin English said, “Make una dey see hypocrite of the highest order. See…way dey form him care, same man who deleted tweet about the murder of DEBORAH some few months ago. Baba…Nigerians eye don open reach back.”

Advertisement

However, Atiku during the Channels Television people’s town hall meeting in December, explained why he deleted the tweet where he condemned Deborah’s murder.

He again stated that he deleted his tweet condemning the murder of Deborah because the tweet was shared without his approval.

Advertisement

Headline

US To Revoke Student Visas For Those Who Skip Classes, Programmes

Published

on

The United States has issued a warning to international students regarding the consequences of violating student visa regulations.

In a message shared via its official X handle on Monday, the US Mission in Nigeria stressed that students who drop out, skip classes, or leave their academic programmes without notifying their schools risk having their US student visas revoked.

Advertisement

Such actions could also lead to disqualification from obtaining future US visas, it stated.

READ ALSO:9 Most-requested Documents For Work Visas

The mission advised all student visa holders to strictly adhere to the terms of their visas and maintain their academic status to avoid any immigration issues.

Advertisement

If you drop out, skip classes, or leave your programmes of study without informing your school, your student visa may be revoked, and you may lose eligibility for future US visas.

“Always adhere to the terms of your visa and maintain your student status to avoid any issues,” the mission noted.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Headline

Fake Labubu Dolls Worth Millions Seized In London Raid Amid Growing Safety Fears

Published

on

Thousands of fake Labubu dolls believed to be worth millions of pounds have been seized at an industrial estate on the outskirts of London following a major crackdown led by Trading Standards and law enforcement agencies.

The operation, which followed weeks of investigation, traced the fake merchandise from a corner shop in Swansea, south Wales, to a warehouse complex in London.

Advertisement

Officers discovered rooms stacked floor-to-ceiling with fake goods, but it was the imitation Labubu dolls at the centre of a viral TikTok craze that drew the most concern.

The dolls, produced by popular toy company Pop Mart, have surged in global demand, with some genuine pieces retailing for up to £80. The popularity of the brand helped the company double its revenue to £1.33 billion last year, according to Forbes. However, authorities say the boom has also attracted criminal enterprises looking to profit from the trend through counterfeit production.

READ ALSO:‘This Is Why I Hate London’, Ivan Toney Fumes After His Car Is Broken Into

Advertisement

“The head comes off. The feet pull off. The eyes aren’t glued in,” said Rhys Harries, a Trading Standards officer, while examining one of the seized dolls. “These are clear choking hazards.”

Using a plastic tool modelled after a child’s throat, Harries demonstrated how easily parts of the fake dolls could become life-threatening. “These parts would get stuck and potentially cause choking,” he warned.

The scale of the operation was alarming. Border Force officials say they have intercepted hundreds of thousands of fake Labubu dolls at UK ports in recent months, with many traced back to manufacturers in China, Hong Kong, and Turkey.

Advertisement

In one case, a mother from Caerphilly, Jade, recounted how fake Labubu dolls she bought for her six-year-old son Harri’s birthday began falling apart within hours. “The hook came off and ended up in his mouth,” she said. “Luckily he was old enough to spit it out and tell me.”

READ ALSO:Bank CEO Beaten To Death In London

Despite knowing the dolls were fakes, Jade said she bought them due to the high cost of the original ones and peer pressure from other children. She got the knock-offs for just over £10 each.

Advertisement

Authorities say the rush to cash in on the craze has led to the use of substandard and potentially dangerous materials, including toxic plastics. Kate Caffery, deputy director of intelligence and law enforcement at the UK’s Intellectual Property Office, said counterfeiting is the second most lucrative source of criminal income worldwide, after drug trafficking.

“There’s a complete disregard for safety,” Caffery said. “They’re made from anything from the inferior to the outright dangerous.”

READ ALSO:Nigeria’s Uche Nnaji’s Car Burgled At London Carpark, Rolex, Foreign Currency, Others Carted Away

Advertisement

TikTok collector and plush toy enthusiast Meg Goldberger, 27, said she struggled to find genuine dolls due to scalpers bulk-buying authentic stock and reselling them at inflated prices. “They sell out in seconds,” she said. “Some resellers are using bots to buy hundreds at once.”

Investigators found invoice books showing the dolls were destined for locations across the UK. Some of the seized dolls will be used as evidence, while the rest will be stored in a secure location before being recycled or destroyed.

Pop Mart has been contacted for comment on the counterfeit issue, which authorities say is now a national concern.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Headline

Young Catholics Converge On Rome For Pope Leo’s Vigil

Published

on

Thousands of young Catholics began assembling Saturday for an evening prayer vigil led by Pope Leo XIV, the culmination of a week-long pilgrimage and a key event in the Jubilee holy year that is expected to draw up to a million people.

The “Jubilee of Youth” — when the Vatican invites Catholics aged 18 to 35 to the seat of the global Church’s power — has seen young pilgrims from around the world flood Rome, waving flags, singing or praying in groups.

Advertisement

It comes nearly three months after Leo, 69, the first American pontiff, began his papacy, and 25 years after the last such massive youth gathering in Rome under Poland’s Pope John Paul II.

On Saturday morning, thousands of young pilgrims had already gathered at the vast open space in Rome’s eastern Tor Vergata neighbourhood where the pope will lead the vigil, the ground already dotted with blankets and mattresses.

READ ALSO:Full List: 57 Lawyers Nominated For SAN Status

Advertisement

Elsewhere in the Eternal City, numerous groups of young people were seen preparing to set off for the venue.

On the plaza outside the Basilica of St John Lateran, they filled water bottles, applied suncream and checked bags of food and snacks — ready to spend the next 24 hours surrounded by a swarm of people and then sleep under the stars.

Victoria Perez, who carried a Spanish flag, could not contain her excitement at seeing “the Pope up close.

Advertisement

It’s the first time I’m going to see him, and I can’t wait,” the 21-year-old told AFP, excited to experience the “night of prayers under the stars”.

French pilgrim, Quentin Remaury, 26, said he had been inspired by the late Pope Francis’s rousing message to youth during a 2016 visit to Krakow, Poland.

READ ALSO:Gunmen Invade Catholic Seminary School In Edo, Kill One, Abduct Three

Advertisement

Pope Francis told us to ‘get off your couches,’ and that really gave me a boost,” he said.

– ‘What is his message?’ –

Since the youth jubilee began on Monday, attendees have participated in various Church-planned events throughout the city.

Advertisement

On Friday, approximately 1,000 priests were on hand to take confession at Circus Maximus, one of Rome’s top tourist spots.

Some 200 white gazebos lined the hippodrome where chariot races were once held, and youths lined up to speak to priests in 10 different languages.

Of the many languages heard on the streets of the Italian capital this week, Spanish seemed to dominate. The Vatican has said that more than 146 countries were represented, and it expects up to a million people to attend the vigil.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:Okuama-Ewu identifies 11 persons Killed By Military, 413 Houses Destroyed

The pilgrimage is taking place as economic uncertainty and anxiety over climate change rise among the under-30s, with many saying they were curious to hear the Church’s position on global warming, wars and economic inequalities.

Samarei Semos, 29, said she had travelled three days from her native Belize to get to Rome.

Advertisement

“We are still trying to understand his leadership,” she said of the new pope, adding she hoped he would have a strong say about “third world countries”.

As Parisian student Alice Berry exclaimed, “What does he have to say to us? What is his message for young people?”

– Raising voices –

Advertisement

The youth pilgrimage also comes amid global alarm over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and more than three years of war in Ukraine.

READ ALSO:Pope Leo XIV Outlines A Path For A Modern Church That Follows Francis’ Steps

The Vatican has praised young Catholics who managed to travel to Rome from war-scarred countries, with Pope Leo saying the voices of the world’s youth “will be heard to the end of the earth”.

Advertisement

In an unprecedented move, Leo hosted a mass on Tuesday for Catholic social media influencers, signalling the Vatican’s openness to supporting the Internet-savvy youth.

More than 4,300 volunteers will be working the event to welcome the young pilgrims, along with over 1,000 police, according to organisers.

Roman authorities have tightened security in the city — which has seen an unprecedented number of people, with both tourists and pilgrims inundating the city.

Advertisement

AFP

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending