News

Domestic Violence On Increase Despite Sensitization, NHRC Laments

Published

6 months ago

March 3, 2025

Olumide Dosumu, the Edo State Coordinator, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has raised concern over the spate of domestic violence despite massive sensitization campaigns.

Dosumu said though the commission does receive various forms of complaints on human rights abuses on a daily basis, domestic violence tops the charts.

The Edo State Coordinator, NHRC, spoke at a one-day Palm Oil Supply Chain Human Rights Training Workshop for CSOs and media organizations, organised by African Law Foundation (AFRILAW) in Benin.

Speaking on the sub-topic ‘Human Rights Law and Protection of Community and Indigenous People’s Rights in Nigeria’, Dosumu, who said though civil society organisations have been doing their best in sensitizing the public on the need to shun violence, they need to do more.

He urged them to redouble their efforts and keep advocating until there are drastic reductions in human rights abuses in the state and in the country at large.

On his part, the Executive Director, AFRILAW, Mr. Okereke Chinwike, while speaking on the topic: “Responsible Oil Palm Chain and Protection of Community/Indigenous People and Human Rights Defenders in Nigeria, maintained that, the civil society organizations are saddled with the responsibilities of championing the course of those whose rights and privileges have been abused in any of the communities where these oil palm multinational companies operate.

He charged civil society organizations and the media organizations to wake up to their core duty and mandate to ensure that these companies carry out their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) to their host communities.

He stressed that any CSR carried out must measure up to standard and not just giving them what they feel like giving as CSR.

Speaking on the “Effective Oil Palm Business Enterprise and Host Community Engagement for Sustainable Oil Palm Development in Nigeria, an independent research consultant, Dr. Uyi Ojo, said 60,000 persons have been displaced from their communities by a multinational palm oil company that forcefully acquired their farm lands to enlarge their plantations.

Mr. Ojo, represented by Dr. Osuma Oarhe, said that such an act violates the rights of the people of the communities who have been displaced.

Ojo said one of the major reasons host communities and the multinational companies are usually having a showdown is that, they are not adequately compensated for the acquisitions of their lands.

He added that, the best way to have gone about the whole process is for the host communities and the companies to sit down and have a Community Development Agreement (CDA) signed by both parties.

He said media organizations can also do a lot to help report human rights abuses in the various host communities and by so doing, keeping them in check and ensuring that there is a mutual benefit between the multinational companies and their host communities.

News

Smokers Risk Cardiac Arrest, Expert Warns

Published

43 minutes ago

September 4, 2025

Editor

A Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, in the department of surgery, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo, Prof Eyo Ekpe has warned cigarettes smokers and patients with diabetes to take adequate of their chest in order not to fall a victim of cardiac arrest .

He said that these health conditions trigger certain types of abnormal heartbeats called arrhythmias responsible for sudden cardiac arrest.

Professor Ekpe gave the warning on Wednesday while delivering the 117th Inaugural Lecturer of the University of Uyo, titled “My Chest! My Chest!! My Chest!!!: Relieving Chest Pain, Preventing Death and Restoring Health”

He disclosed that many Nigerians have died for ignoring cardiac arrest triggers, preventing them, or seeking late medical attention to chest related ailments.

“Chest pain should not be ignored. Symptom of chest pain that is reported early would afford the clinician the opportunity to obtain adequate medical history from the person, medically examine the person thoroughly, optimally conduct the necessary laboratory tests to unravel the cause, and apply an evidence based treatment modality to relieve the chest pain, prevent death and restore heath.

“People should guard their heart diligently to prevent heart attack. Cigarette should not be smoked, high blood pressure should be prevented or controlled, diabetes mellitus should be prevented or controlled, and high blood cholesterol and lipoprotein should be prevented or controlled. A culture of regular physical exercise must be intentionally domesticated.

“People should guard their heart diligently to prevent cardiac arrest. Causes and triggers of arrhythmias should be prevented by preventing stress, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, coronary artery disease and electrolyte disorders, and avoiding cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse,” he stated.

Ekpe said medical consultation for chest problems should be with qualified medical doctors to avoid misdiagnosis, wrong treatment and complications, adding that regular medical checks and timely reports of symptoms of ailments must be prioritised.

“Safe-driving habit and road safety must be taken as a serious business. Seat restrained-belt should be used by all occupants of moving vehicles.

“Bicycles, motorcycles and tricycles should not ply traffic-congested roads. All victims of chest pain and chest injuries must be attended to by qualified medical doctors in a timely manner,” he advised.

News

FirstBank’s Digital Banking Channels Suffers Downtime

Published

1 hour ago

September 4, 2025

Editor

FirstBank has suffered a temporary disruption to its major digital banking channels, which will prevent some customers from completing transactions.

In a notice issued on Thursday, the bank said the downtime is affecting services on FirstMobile, FirstOnline, and its *894# USSD platforms.

“Please be informed that we are currently experiencing some downtime affecting transactions to other banks on FirstMobile, FirstOnline, and USSD platforms. Customers may therefore experience delayed or declined transactions,” the circular read.

The bank apologised for the inconvenience and assured customers that its technical team, working with partner service providers, is making every effort to restore full services as quickly as possible.

The disruption occurred less than two months after FirstBank introduced facial biometric authentication on its FirstMobile app, designed to enhance the customer experience and security.

News

JUST IN: Tinubu Begins 10-day Vacation, Departs Abuja For Europe

Published

3 hours ago

September 4, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday commenced a 10-day vacation as part of his 2025 annual leave, the Presidency announced.

According to a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President will spend the 10-working-day vacation between France and the United Kingdom, after which he will return to Nigeria.

Onanuga said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja today, September 4, to commence a working vacation in Europe, as part of his 2025 annual leave.

“The vacation will last 10 working days.

“President Tinubu will spend the period between France and the UK and then return to the country.”

Details later…