Six Oba of Benin palace functionaries have been ostracized.

The palace functionaries were said to have engaged themselves in a sacrilegious show of shame and falsehood against the Benin Custom and tradition.

The banished palace functionaries are Johnbull Igbinosun, Iduhonre (Ihogbe), S.E. Aigbiremwen, Efesoghoba (Ogbelaka) and two other Ogbelaka functionaries — Ogbeide Osagie and Osamudiame.

READ ALSO: Oba Of Benin Suspends Six Officials For Posing As Palace Emissaries To Ooni Of Ife

They had falsely claimed to be emissaries of the Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, His Royal Majesty, Ewuare Il, Oba of Benin in the palace of the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi; (Ọjájá II), where they rendered a “disjointed account of the link between the Benin Royal Dynasty and the Ooni-ship of Ife at Ooni of Ife’s Palace in Osun State recently.”

A statement signed by Mr. Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Chief Press Secretary to the Oba of Benin on Monday April 29, 2024, said they admitted before a committee led by Chief Ekhoerovbiye Oviasogie, the Uwangue of Benin that they erred against Benin Customs.

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The Uwangue of Benin, who described their action as a deliberate attempt to rubbish Benin Kingdom, pronounced the suspension of the Palace functionaries.

Consequently, they were also stripped off of Benin Royal beads, recognition as palace functionaries and their traditional titles, which were handed over to the ancestors.

The suspended palace functionaries were also barred from parading themselves as Benin palace functionaries and stopped from participating in any traditional rites in Benin.

They were thereafter escorted out of the Palace by Chiefs, including Ewaise (traditional seers) with occipital horns invoked ancestral spirits to bear witness.

Seventy-seven per cent of the 1,842,464 candidates whose 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results were released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Monday scored less than 200.

Giving a breakdown of the results of the 1,842,464 candidates released, the Board’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede noted that, “8,401 candidates scored 300 and above; 77,070 scored 250 and above; 439,974 scored 200 and above while 1,402,490 scored below 200.”

The Board is expected to announce the minimum benchmark for the 2024/2025 academic session admissions during its policy meeting to be held at a later date.

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Over the years the benchmark for admissions to universities has hovered around 180 to 200.

Oloyede also gave the new format for acceptance of admissions.

He said, “ Either a candidate sends ACCEPT/REJECT on his dedicated phone line to 55019/66019, or a candidate accepts or rejects any admission offer (programme change inclusive) with his/her fingerprint (biometric) at an accredited CBT centre or any JAMB Office.

“The above newly-crafted methods of accepting or rejecting admissions, are aimed at protecting the details of the candidates and upholding the sanctity of the admission process.

“With this new method, the candidates’ registered phone (SIM) is now more important than ever as it is now required to perform even more sensitive operations. We are in discussions with NCC on dedicated student’s SIM with restricted services.”

A Delta State High Court in Effurun has awarded N30 million damages against popular Nigerian blogger, Linda Ikeji, for a libellous publication against the Neo-Black Movement of Africa.

The lawsuit had Registered Trustees of NBM of Africa, Ese Kakor, Felix Kupa and Mayor Onyebueke as the Claimants against Linda Ikeji as Defendant.

In a ruling on Monday, in Suit No: EHC/210/2021, Presiding Justice Roli Daibo-Harriman, also ordered the absent Defendant, to pay N300,000 as being the cost of litigation.

The Defendant was further ordered to place a publication on her blog and national dailies retracting the libellous publication for which the NBM dragged her to the court, just as she is restrained from further damaging publications against the Claimants.

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The NBM of Africa took to court action after she failed to honour a letter by the Claimant demanding retraction and apology over the libellous article published on her blog on Oct. 19, 2021.

The blogger in her publication of 19 October 2021 allegedly labelled the NBM of Africa as a dreaded cult group, black axe, and criminal organisation among other names.

The Claimants approached the court, praying for N1bn damages and an unreserved apology to be published on her blog and two national dailies among others.

Justice Daibo-Harriman, in her ruling, described the tags, including dreaded cultist group, black axe and criminal organisation as used in the Defendant’s publication as all defamatory.

Counsel to the Claimants, Kelvin Agbroko, noted that the ruling, “Will serve as a lesson to bloggers that it is not every item you publish. It is good to verify information before making a publication.

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He said, “NBM of Africa is a legal organisation duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. The publication made by the Defendant against my client has been cleared that it was a damaging publication.

“NBM is good to go, we are going to take all necessary steps to enforce the terms of the judgment against her. It was an erudite judgement that is all-encompassing and will be difficult to fault.”

President of the NBM of Africa, Ese Kakor said the outcome of the case had been on for about two years.

He said, “What Ikeji did was just to sell in a bid to defame the character of NBM of Africa. It is very wrong.

“I advised other bloggers not to follow the same steps as they may also face similar litigation. Do not try and defame peoples’ character. NBM has nothing to do with cultism, black axe. It is not a criminal organisation but a well-registered organisation.”