Headline

Herders Invasion Of Edo Community: Police, Army Deploy Personnel To Troubled Spot

Published

4 years ago

January 4, 2022

Editor

The Edo State Police Command and 4 Brigade Nigerian Army yesterday deployed personnel to the troubled 2nd Abumwere Ojigbelu Camp in Ovia Northeast Local Government Area of Edo State.

Recall that the multi-ethnic farming community was invaded by suspected Fulani Herdsman dressed in military uniform on Sunday morning, chasing away villagers and taking over their farms.

The Police, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police, AS Wase in a joint operation with soldiers from the 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Benin City, led by Major AJ Isa conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

Speaking to journalists after the assessment, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Bello Kontongs, said the joint force has gone around the area, to see for themselves, adding that there was no house burnt, nobody was killed nor raped.

He said the suspected herdsmen came to the community and told them to bring their vigilante men and their guns, but the villagers told them that they don’t have any guns, but were shooting fireworks during the Yuletide period.

The herdsmen instructed them not to ring their security bell nor use the fireworks again insisting that it is a disturbance to their cows.

“We want to assure the community and all residents of Edo State that the situation is under control. The State Government, after seeing the report online sent the delegation to assure those from Edo, Delta states, and those from the North that they should go about their normal businesses because the joint team is there to maintain peace and order.”

Speaking, Mr. Pius Osai, 54 years farmer, who hails from Delta State said, they came back this morning from where they ran to and when he got to his farm, he saw a young Fulani Herder, grazing his cows on his cassava farm.

“As I came this morning with my wife, we saw a Fulani boy inside my farm. He asked what I was doing here and I told him this is my farm. He said the cassava belongs to their cow, plantain belongs to them, and the cocoa belongs to us. I told my wife let us go home because our life is important.”

Also speaking, the village head, Solomon Omoragbon said he lives in Benin City, but was told that some herdsmen came on Sunday and ordered them to bring their vigilantes and guns, but they told them they have no guns, they asked about the sounds they hear, but they were told the sounds was from fireworks.

Then they ordered them not to shoot the fireworks again and that they should go and call him (the village head) but the youths told them, that he is not around.

Headline

Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Is Dead

Published

2 hours ago

September 23, 2025

Editor

The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdulaziz, has died at the age of 82.

According to a statement from the Royal Court, the revered cleric passed away on Tuesday morning.

Born in Mecca in November 1943, Sheikh Abdulaziz rose to become one of the most influential religious authorities in the Kingdom.

He served as head of the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta, as well as the Supreme Council of the Muslim World League.

Headline

Antitrust Trial: US Asks Court To Break Up Google’s Ad Business

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2025

Editor

Google faces a fresh federal court test on Monday as US government lawyers ask a judge to order the breakup of the search engine giant’s ad technology business.

The lawsuit is Google’s second such test this year, following a similar government demand to split up its empire that was shot down by a judge earlier this month.

Monday’s case focuses specifically on Google’s ad tech “stack” — the tools that website publishers use to sell ads and that advertisers use to buy them.

In a landmark decision earlier this year, Federal Judge Leonie Brinkema agreed with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) that Google maintained an illegal grip on this market.

Monday’s trial is set to determine what penalties and changes Google must implement to undo its monopoly.

According to filings, the US government will argue that Google should spin off its ad publisher and exchange operations. The DOJ will also ask that after the divestitures are complete, Google be banned from operating an ad exchange for 10 years.

Google will argue that the divestiture demands go far beyond the court’s findings, are technically unfeasible, and would be harmful to the market and smaller businesses.

“We’ve said from the start that DOJ’s case misunderstands how digital advertising works and ignores how the landscape has dramatically evolved, with increasing competition and new entrants,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs.

In a similar case in Europe, the European Commission, the EU’s antitrust enforcer, earlier this month fined Google 2.95 billion euros ($3.47 billion) over its control of the ad tech market.

Brussels ordered behavioral changes, drawing criticism that it was going easy on Google as it had previously indicated that a divestiture may be necessary.

This remedy phase of the US trial follows a first trial that found Google operated an illegal monopoly. It is expected to last about a week, with the court set to meet again for closing arguments a few weeks later.

The trial begins in the same month that a separate judge rejected a government demand that Google divest its Chrome browser, in an opinion that was largely seen as a victory for the tech giant.

That was part of a different case, also brought by the US Department of Justice, in which the tech giant was found responsible for operating an illegal monopoly, this time in the online search space.

Instead of a major breakup of its business, Google was required to share data with rivals as part of its remedies.

The US government had pushed for Chrome’s divestment, arguing the browser serves as a crucial gateway to the internet that brings in a third of all Google web searches.

Shares in Google-parent Alphabet have skyrocketed by more than 20 percent since that decision.

Judge Brinkema has said in pre-trial hearings that she will closely examine the outcome of the search trial when assessing her path forward in her own case.

These cases are part of a broader bipartisan government campaign against the world’s largest technology companies. The US currently has five pending antitrust cases against such companies.

AFP

Headline

Google Faces Court Battle Over Breakup Of Ad Tech Business

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2025

Editor

Google faces a fresh federal court test on Monday as US government lawyers ask a judge to order the breakup of the search engine giant’s ad technology business.

The lawsuit is Google’s second such test this year after the California-based tech juggernaut saw a similar government demand to split up its empire shot down by a judge earlier this month.

Monday’s case focuses specifically on Google’s ad tech “stack” — the tools that website publishers use to sell ads and that advertisers use to buy them.

In a landmark decision earlier this year, Federal Judge Leonie Brinkema agreed with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) that Google maintained an illegal grip on this market.
Monday’s trial is set to determine what penalties and changes Google must implement to undo its monopoly.

Google will argue that the divestiture demands go far beyond the court’s findings, are technically unfeasible, and would be harmful to the market and smaller businesses.

In a similar case in Europe, the European Commission, the EU’s antitrust enforcer, earlier this month fined Google 2.95 billion euros ($3.47 billion) over its control of the ad tech market.
Brussels ordered behavioral changes, drawing criticism that it was going easy on Google as it had previously indicated that a divestiture may be necessary.

The trial begins in the same month that a separate judge rejected a government demand that Google divest its Chrome browser, in an opinion that was largely seen as a victory for the tech giant.

That was part of a different case, also brought by the US Department of Justice, in which the tech giant was found responsible for operating an illegal monopoly, this time in the online search space.
Instead of a major breakup of its business, Google was required to share data with rivals as part of its remedies.

The US government had pushed for Chrome’s divestment, arguing the browser serves as a crucial gateway to the internet that brings in a third of all Google web searches.
Shares in Google-parent Alphabet have skyrocketed by more than 20 percent since that decision.

Judge Brinkema has said in pre-trial hearings that she will closely examine the outcome of the search trial when assessing her path forward in her own case.

These cases are part of a broader bipartisan government campaign against the world’s largest technology companies. The US currently has five pending antitrust cases against such companies.