As a way of using football as a tool in bringing out the potential of the girl child and enlightening her on the dangers of irregular migration, the International Organization for Migration in collaboration with Laliga and Nigerian Women Football League (NWFL) organised a novelty football tournament between Nigerian Women Football League and female returnees.
The initiative was also aimed at raising awareness on migration challenges, addressing trafficking in persons through football and also promoting gender equality through football.
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Speaking as a member of panel of discussants at the event which was held at the indoor complex of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin on Saturday, wife of Edo State governor, Mrs. Besty Obaseki, while thanking initiators of the event, emphasized the need to educate and enlighten young girls on what they can do with their lives particularly when they toe the path of football.
While speaking on how the Edo State government takes gender-based violence seriously, Mrs. Obaseki said machineries have been put in place across the 18 local government areas to pursue any reported case to a reasonable conclusion..
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On his part, deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, said the programme came at the right time because Edo is redefining how sport management should be in the country.
He said the state government takes a special recognition and focuse much on the young girls so as to promoting their potential, adding that to move against gender discrimination, players of Edo Queens Football Club earn same amount as Insurance Football Club, both owned by the state government.
A cross section of participants at the event.
Also speaking as a panelist, Cyprine Cheptepkeny, IOM awareness Raising Officer, said the organization discovered that football can be used as a tool in enlightening and sensitising young girls on dangers of irregular migration hence the tournament.
She noted that over the years, IOM has observed that some of the returnees are good at playing football and can even play outside the country if such potential is fully put into use.
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While noting that the programme was also aimed at looking at how football can be used to address gender equality and gender based violence, Cheptepkeny added: “Nigeria is the biggest in Africa as regards football, so we are looking at football as a tool that can be used to sensitise and educate our young girls as regards issues of irregular migration and promoting safe and legal migration.
“Not only that, we are also looking at how we can use football and this platform to discuss issues of gender equality and gender-based violence.
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Also contributing to the discussion, Aisha Falode, President of Nigeria Women Football League, urged young girls to be hardworking and focused, adding that “there is dignity in hardwork; there is reward in hard labour; there is no shortcut to success.”
Laliga ambassador, Mr. Mutiu Adepoju, an ex-Super Eagles player urged young girls to be disciplined and work hard, adding that if they use discipline as their watchword and work hard, it will pay them in the long run.
The novelty football match between female returnees and Nigeria Women Football League ended in a goalless draw.
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Mutiu Adepoju, ex-Super Eagles player and his female counterpart, Anair Lomba Alvarez, both Laliga ambassadors were at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin to witness the novelty match.
A Nigerian national who was caught on CCTV camera assaulting a Kenyan woman confined to a wheelchair in Nairobi has been deported.
In the footage that went viral on April 26, 2024, the Nigerian man identified as John Nwankwo Noko, is seen clobbering a helpless Ms. Pauline in the head before two other ladies looking on intervened to stop the act.
In a statement signed by State Department of Gender Principal Secretary Anne Wang’ombe, Nwankwo was deported on Saturday, May 4, 2024, for assaulting his partner, Ms Pauline.
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He is accused of physically assaulting his partner, a Kenyan woman confined to a wheelchair, raising concerns about cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
“The act of violence has not only violated the rights of an individual but has also highlighted the broader issues of gender-based violence, that is rampant in our society,”Orwoba said in the statement.
The case was first brought to the attention of the police by Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba on Wednesday, May 1.
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Orwoba, acting on the video that first went viral on social media on April 29, visited the woman at her home, who confirmed that her life was in danger.
She [the woman] claimed that her Nigerian partner “had been threatening to kill her and her two domestic workers if they outed him,”Orwoba said.
Senator Orwoba then reported the matter to Karen Police Station, after which it was picked up by the offices of Interior Cabinet Secretary Kindiki Kithure, and that of Immigration PS Julius Bitok.
“Mr Nwankwo Noko has been arrested and processed for deportation,”Gender PS confirmed.
The nominated senator, who has continually advocated for violence against women has since demanded an end to the rising cases, saying they not only leave women with physical and emotional damage but also tear the moral fabric of our society.
“We strongly condemn such behavior and we shall continue working towards creating a safer environment for women, free of fear,”Orwoba added.
Watch footage below:
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John Nwankwo, a devil, assaults woman in wheelchair in Kenya…
Criminal: John Nwankwo Noko
Crime: Nigerian man by the name of John Nwankwo Noko was captured on CCTV assaulting a woman in a wheelchair. In the footage, the ruthless man is seen raining kicks and blows on the… pic.twitter.com/COGgqaFEzd
Christine Wilson of Attleboro recently claimed a $1 million jackpot, the Massachusetts State Lottery announced on Wednesday, May 1.
Amazingly, it marked the second $1 million prize she’d won in just 10 weeks.
Wilson’s latest winnings came from playing the 100X Cash $10 instant ticket game. The scratch game involves matching any of the player’s numbers or bonus numbers to any winning number.
In February, Wilson claimed her first $1 million lottery prize after playing the Lifetime Millions $50 instant ticket game.
When she won her first prize, Wilson said that she would use some of the money to buy an SUV. Now she plans to put her new winnings towards savings.
As with her first jackpot prize back in February, for her latest win, Wilson opted for the cash payout option of $650,000 before taxes.
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And it’s not just Wilson who is reaping the rewards for her latest jackpot. The Family Food Mart that sold her the ticket will receive a $10,000 bonus.
Wilson joins other lucky folks who have won a lottery jackpot twice in the last year. In February, a Michigan man won a $110,000 prize by playing the state’s Fantasy 5 Double Play drawing. Six months earlier, the man had also netted $110,000 via the same game.
Meanwhile, in October 2023, Jennifer Minton of Gloucester, Virginia, won $50,000 playing that state’s Safari Quest online game. A week later, she won again, netting a $1 million prize.
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And in March of that same year, a couple from Australia scored two $1 million prizes on separate tickets in the same drawing for Australia’s Monday & Wednesday Lotto game.
About 70 passengers fell ill with a vomiting bug mid-way through their flight from Mauritius to Frankfurt.
According to Mail Online, Condor airline Flight DE2315 was travelling on Thursday, May 2, from Mauritius to Frankfurt when it became clear that many passengers on board were suffering from the bug.
The aircraft landed in the German city at around 5.33pm where it was greeted with a large contingent of emergency services.
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Crew had called ahead to alert officials on the ground of the unfolding emergency.
It was found that 70 of the 290 passengers onboard had suddenly reported symptoms including nausea and vomiting.
A spokesperson for the Germany airline confirmed the incident to the country’s Bild tabloid, adding that the crew was not affected by the illness.
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‘She [the pilot/crew] is also educated and trained for special situations like this,’ the statement to the newspaper said.
‘After carefully examining the overall situation, the flight continued. The aircraft landed safely in Frankfurt, where medical professionals were available to care for the affected guests.’
The airline, however, did not confirm the cause of the sudden illness, but noted that the food onboard would have been prepared in Mauritius.
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‘Condor has already initiated an investigation into the case to get to the bottom of the cause and to derive possible measures from it,’the spokeswoman added.
‘Condor is working closely with all responsible partners and authorities. There is currently no result available.
‘We generally do not participate in speculation about the cause, for example about individual menus on board that were prepared in Mauritius,’ the statement added.