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Edo Poll: Journalists Trained To Curb Misinformation, Fake News

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By Joseph Ebi Kanjo, Benin 

No fewer than 40 journalists have been trained by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and DUBAWA on modern technologies and skills on fact-checking.

The two-day training which was held in Benin City was in partnership with Google News Initiative, and was aimed at equipping journalists with necessary skills in checkmating misinformation and fake news even as the Edo State governorship election draws nearer.

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INFO DAILY reports that the journalists most of whom are Benin-based were introduced to modern technologies in fact-checking such as Google Reverse Image Search; Forensically; Deepware; Google Pinpoint; Google Advanced Search; Google Maps,/Earth; Search4faces, etc.

Speaking on the sub-topic: ‘Elections, Fact-checking and Observer Networks: Leverage and Lessons for Upcoming Election’ as it relates to Edo election, Mboho Eno of CJID, emphasised the need for collaboration between journalists, media organisations and civil society organisations in order to achieved the desired results in the election.

READ ALSO: Presidency Cautions Speculators As Naira Maintains Steady Appreciation

He urged journalists to hone their fact-checking skills with relevant google tools in order to prevent the spread of misinformation during the election.

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Group photograph of journalists and the facilitators after the two-day training.

Eno, while urging journalists to give reports of the right information during the election, said if journalists do not give life to misinformation, it won’t spread.

…critical role of elections reporting, fact-checking and observer networks is to ensure free, fair and transparent elections.

“That is why we need to have journalists who are always looking out for potential threats to peace and stability during the election.

“Our aim is to ensure that during the election process in Edo State, we have some forms of decorum,” he added.

READ ALSO: Delta Killings: Military Sets To Build Barracks On Okuama As Demolition Of Houses Continues

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Also teaching on the sub-topic: ‘Using the RTI in Fact-checking,’ Akintunde Babatunde, Programme Director, CJID, urged journalists to utilise the Freedom of Information Act to hold public office holders accountable.

Teaching on the sub-topic: ‘Digital Verification Skills and Tools’ Silas Jonathan, while opening journalists’ eyes to modern technologies used to verify information before going to the press, said this will differentiate them from untainted journalists.

DUBAWA/CJID fact-checker, Silas Jonathan teaching journalists on moderns to use in fact-checking.

Lateef Sanni, teaching on the sub-topic: Digital Safety and Security for Journalists, urged journalists to always be at alert as they use the cyberspace for their job, just as he advised them to protect their gadgets from hackers.

Lateef Sanni teaching

Earlier, Temilade Onilede, while giving an overview of the programme, said CJID was concerned about how fake news is spreading faster, and how best to use journalists to checkmate spread of such fake news even as the Edo State governorship election draws nearer.

Temilade Onilede

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Abuja School Closed For One Week Over Death Of Four-year-old

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The Brickhall School, Abuja on Wednesday announced that it has decided to mourn the memory of its late four-year-old pupil, Miguel Ovoke by closing down the school for one week.

The PUNCH reported how Ovoke was declared dead by Excel Specialist Hospital, Abuja.

The medical report, signed by Dr. Akinwande Ajayi, on behalf of the medical director, indicated that he was brought in, “on account of aspiration on meat while feeding at school.”

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The hospital said upon examination, the medical team found that the boy’s pupils were fixed and dilated, with a nonreactive response to light.

READ ALSO: Man Dies On Top Of Married Woman In Akure

His peripheral pulses were said to be “impalpable, blood pressure was unrecordable, and there was no cardiopulmonary activity or respiratory excursions.”

The report indicated that all efforts of the medical team to resuscitate him failed.

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The report concluded that he was “Brought in Dead.”

Meanwhile, the school, in a statement released on Wednesday and signed by its management, said it was greatly saddened that the life of the pupil could not be saved despite the timely response of its trained nurse and the eventual decision to rush him to a hospital.

READ ALSO: Kidnappers Sleep Off After Abducting Pastor’s Wife, Others In Ondo

While noting the decision to mourn the late pupil by closing the school for one week, the school respectfully urged everyone connected to the tragedy to respect Miguel’s memory with dignity and peace while allowing medical professionals and law enforcement agencies to conclude with the autopsy.

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The school said, “It is with profound sorrow and deepest sympathy that we at Brickhall School, Management, and the Parents Teacher’s Forum express our heartfelt condolences to the family of our dearly beloved pupil, Miguel Ovoke.

“We are devastated to report that Miguel tragically passed away on April 24, 2024, following a sad incident where he choked on a piece of meat offal from his meal brought from home, despite the immediate and expert care provided by our dedicated staff and certified school nurse.

“In response to this heart-wrenching event, we convened an urgent meeting with our school community on the day of the incident.

“Out of respect for Miguel’s memory and to honour his bright spirit, we suspended classes for over a week, allowing our community time to mourn and reflect on this profound loss.”

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Generator Fumes Kill Mother, Son In Delta, Daughter Hospitalised

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The Delta State Police command has warned the public about the dangers of generator fumes and urged them to be careful.

This warning comes after an incident in which a mother and son lost their lives while using generator inside their house during rainfall.

According to a statement signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, on X.com on Wednesday, the mother and son died two days ago in Asaba, the state capital while the daughter is currently receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.

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The statement read, “Generator fumes is dangerous. It kills!!!

“A mother and son died in Asaba two days ago while her daughter is currently receiving treatment at the hospital.

“What happened? While the generator was working, it started raining, so they moved the generator somewhere inside the house and continued using it.

“Unfortunately, they slept off, and that was how they died of suspected generator emissions(carbon monoxide), and her daughter was rushed to the hospital.

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“This is not the first time we have recorded this incident in Delta. it’s important we know, learn, and educate others”

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Air Peace, Seven Countries To Revive Bankrupt Caribbean Airline

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Air Peace, a private Nigerian airline, and the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, and St Vincent and the Grenadines have concluded plans to revive a longtime regional carrier, Leeward Islands Air Transportation Limited, which is currently in comatose.

Last December, the airline’s administrator, Cleveland Seaforth, announced that the final flight of the airline would be in late January and by February 4, employees of the air transport company would be laid off.

According to an AOI report on Wednesday, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browned announced a newly revamped LIAT 2020 in the wake of LIAT bankruptcy.

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Browned added that the airline is expected to start flying soon, with the company’s jets currently undergoing testing.

The inter-Caribbean Airline was founded in 1956. The airline was burdened with debt for almost its entire existence.

Although based in Antigua, at one point, 11 Caribbean islands were shareholders in the company, making for an almost impossible management structure.

This led to a controlled bankruptcy of the airline in 2020 after many years of financial challenges, said to have been occasioned by mismanagement.

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Air peace

Air Peace, a fast-rising Nigeria airline with its recent commencement of direct flight operations to London.

The commencement of the service came a month after it announced plans to begin direct flight operations to London on March 30 during a prelaunch forum organised by the airline in February.

In November, Air Peace’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Allen Onyema, announced that the airline had successfully obtained the Foreign Carrier Operator Permit and Third Country Operator Permit.

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With this development, Air Peace became the first Nigerian airline to operate direct flights to Europe and the United Kingdom.

Contacted, the Chief Operating Officer of the Airline, Oluwatoyin Olajide, confirmed the development but couldn’t give details as she said she was onboard en route to the United States.

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