Headline
Only White Paper Can Confirm Alleged Killings – Chief Of Defence Staff
Published
4 years agoon
By
Editor
…Cautions Against Inciting Comments
… Obaseki Solicits Armed Forces Support
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor on Tuesday evening in Benin City the Edo State Capital has said that only a white paper form the report of the Lagos State #ENDSARS Judicial panel which indicates that there were killings during the protest in Lekki, would confirm the alleged incidents.
He assured that the Nigerian Armed Forces remain committed to their professional calling of protecting the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
He cautioned Nigerians against making inciting comments on what is happening across the country.
Speaking to journalists shortly after a courtesy visit on Governor Godwin Obaseki in government house, Irabor said the operations of the armed forces should not be compared to that of the police.
He added that his men and women remain professionals.
READ ALSO: Chief Of Air Staff Hints On When Insurgency, Banditry Would End
Irabor, who was on a farmiliarisation visit to military formations in the state said, “I am sure those of you in the media must have seen that there is a report that was released though in my view a wrong channel that is making the rounds in the social media.
“Whether it is a true report, I can’t tell but I would like to indicate that the normal procedure is to have such a report submitted to the convening authority and then there will be a white paper based on which one can make informed comments.
“But whatever you see currently, I will like to indicate that the armed forces of Nigeria is a professional armed forces. We are peopled by Nigerians and we remain committed to constitutional mandate, so we do not at this point think that Nigerians should make disparaging remarks regarding the armed forces of Nigeria in the sense that we are professional armed forces, and if there are issues, of course we address them within the ambits of the provision.
“It will not be right to disparage men and women who have worked so hard to ensure that the territorial integrity of this nation is kept intact; so, in the meantime, until I see the full report, I may not be able to… but I can assure you that the armed forces of Nigeria are well disciplined and we do not engage in any ignoble acts.
“If Nigerians don’t trust us then we wouldn’t have been doing what we are doing and in any case, it is the armed forces of Nigeria and remember, we are not talking about the police, we are talking about the armed forces with emphasis armed forces, so, when the armed forces are called out, it is because there is a need for the armed forces; there is no one who do not require and desire to live in peace, and so we need to understand that the armed forces is there to keep the peace to provide the ambience that will enable each and every Nigerian to live up his desires in peace and harmony, so let us not make inciting comments that will put the entire space on fire, that is not right.”
Earlier, Obaseki who lauded the CDS where the governor called for supported from the armed forces to check banditry and criminality in Edo forests and waterways.
According to him, “You are one person that we are very proud of; apart from being a well-decorated officer, in a short while, you have taken charge of the defense functions through your network. We have been watching with admiration the way you are coping and thriving with the very difficult challenge of stabilizing the security of this country.”
Obaseki, while calling for more collaboration with the military to improve security in Edo, said, “We have been able to record quite a lot of success in relation to what is going on in the rest of the country. We have some challenges and we would like you to support us. We are currently experiencing problems in some of our forests particularly the Okomu axis, which borders the Ose River.
“We find bandits and criminals coming there to undertake massive logging of woods and transport them; they now buy arms to reinforce their activities there. I am glad you came with all the men in the navy to see how you can give us additional support to patrol the waterways to checkmate the activities of these criminals.”
READ ALSO: BREAKING: EndSARS Panel Equates Killing Of Unarmed Protesters At Lekki Toll Gate To Massacre
He further noted, “In the last couple of weeks, we have found lifeless bodies in the forest, which is now a den for cultivation of cannabis. We would like to work with the military to rout out these criminals.
“We want to assure you that you can always count on us in Edo to help in working with you to stabilize the security situation in this country.”
Headline
Fake Labubu Dolls Worth Millions Seized In London Raid Amid Growing Safety Fears
Published
17 hours agoon
August 3, 2025By
Editor
Thousands of fake Labubu dolls believed to be worth millions of pounds have been seized at an industrial estate on the outskirts of London following a major crackdown led by Trading Standards and law enforcement agencies.
The operation, which followed weeks of investigation, traced the fake merchandise from a corner shop in Swansea, south Wales, to a warehouse complex in London.
Officers discovered rooms stacked floor-to-ceiling with fake goods, but it was the imitation Labubu dolls at the centre of a viral TikTok craze that drew the most concern.
The dolls, produced by popular toy company Pop Mart, have surged in global demand, with some genuine pieces retailing for up to £80. The popularity of the brand helped the company double its revenue to £1.33 billion last year, according to Forbes. However, authorities say the boom has also attracted criminal enterprises looking to profit from the trend through counterfeit production.
READ ALSO:‘This Is Why I Hate London’, Ivan Toney Fumes After His Car Is Broken Into
“The head comes off. The feet pull off. The eyes aren’t glued in,” said Rhys Harries, a Trading Standards officer, while examining one of the seized dolls. “These are clear choking hazards.”
Using a plastic tool modelled after a child’s throat, Harries demonstrated how easily parts of the fake dolls could become life-threatening. “These parts would get stuck and potentially cause choking,” he warned.
The scale of the operation was alarming. Border Force officials say they have intercepted hundreds of thousands of fake Labubu dolls at UK ports in recent months, with many traced back to manufacturers in China, Hong Kong, and Turkey.
In one case, a mother from Caerphilly, Jade, recounted how fake Labubu dolls she bought for her six-year-old son Harri’s birthday began falling apart within hours. “The hook came off and ended up in his mouth,” she said. “Luckily he was old enough to spit it out and tell me.”
READ ALSO:Bank CEO Beaten To Death In London
Despite knowing the dolls were fakes, Jade said she bought them due to the high cost of the original ones and peer pressure from other children. She got the knock-offs for just over £10 each.
Authorities say the rush to cash in on the craze has led to the use of substandard and potentially dangerous materials, including toxic plastics. Kate Caffery, deputy director of intelligence and law enforcement at the UK’s Intellectual Property Office, said counterfeiting is the second most lucrative source of criminal income worldwide, after drug trafficking.
“There’s a complete disregard for safety,” Caffery said. “They’re made from anything from the inferior to the outright dangerous.”
TikTok collector and plush toy enthusiast Meg Goldberger, 27, said she struggled to find genuine dolls due to scalpers bulk-buying authentic stock and reselling them at inflated prices. “They sell out in seconds,” she said. “Some resellers are using bots to buy hundreds at once.”
Investigators found invoice books showing the dolls were destined for locations across the UK. Some of the seized dolls will be used as evidence, while the rest will be stored in a secure location before being recycled or destroyed.
Pop Mart has been contacted for comment on the counterfeit issue, which authorities say is now a national concern.
Headline
Young Catholics Converge On Rome For Pope Leo’s Vigil
Published
1 day agoon
August 2, 2025By
Editor
Thousands of young Catholics began assembling Saturday for an evening prayer vigil led by Pope Leo XIV, the culmination of a week-long pilgrimage and a key event in the Jubilee holy year that is expected to draw up to a million people.
The “Jubilee of Youth” — when the Vatican invites Catholics aged 18 to 35 to the seat of the global Church’s power — has seen young pilgrims from around the world flood Rome, waving flags, singing or praying in groups.
It comes nearly three months after Leo, 69, the first American pontiff, began his papacy, and 25 years after the last such massive youth gathering in Rome under Poland’s Pope John Paul II.
On Saturday morning, thousands of young pilgrims had already gathered at the vast open space in Rome’s eastern Tor Vergata neighbourhood where the pope will lead the vigil, the ground already dotted with blankets and mattresses.
READ ALSO:Full List: 57 Lawyers Nominated For SAN Status
Elsewhere in the Eternal City, numerous groups of young people were seen preparing to set off for the venue.
On the plaza outside the Basilica of St John Lateran, they filled water bottles, applied suncream and checked bags of food and snacks — ready to spend the next 24 hours surrounded by a swarm of people and then sleep under the stars.
Victoria Perez, who carried a Spanish flag, could not contain her excitement at seeing “the Pope up close.
“It’s the first time I’m going to see him, and I can’t wait,” the 21-year-old told AFP, excited to experience the “night of prayers under the stars”.
French pilgrim, Quentin Remaury, 26, said he had been inspired by the late Pope Francis’s rousing message to youth during a 2016 visit to Krakow, Poland.
READ ALSO:Gunmen Invade Catholic Seminary School In Edo, Kill One, Abduct Three
“Pope Francis told us to ‘get off your couches,’ and that really gave me a boost,” he said.
– ‘What is his message?’ –
Since the youth jubilee began on Monday, attendees have participated in various Church-planned events throughout the city.
On Friday, approximately 1,000 priests were on hand to take confession at Circus Maximus, one of Rome’s top tourist spots.
Some 200 white gazebos lined the hippodrome where chariot races were once held, and youths lined up to speak to priests in 10 different languages.
Of the many languages heard on the streets of the Italian capital this week, Spanish seemed to dominate. The Vatican has said that more than 146 countries were represented, and it expects up to a million people to attend the vigil.
READ ALSO:Okuama-Ewu identifies 11 persons Killed By Military, 413 Houses Destroyed
The pilgrimage is taking place as economic uncertainty and anxiety over climate change rise among the under-30s, with many saying they were curious to hear the Church’s position on global warming, wars and economic inequalities.
Samarei Semos, 29, said she had travelled three days from her native Belize to get to Rome.
“We are still trying to understand his leadership,” she said of the new pope, adding she hoped he would have a strong say about “third world countries”.
As Parisian student Alice Berry exclaimed, “What does he have to say to us? What is his message for young people?”
– Raising voices –
The youth pilgrimage also comes amid global alarm over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and more than three years of war in Ukraine.
READ ALSO:Pope Leo XIV Outlines A Path For A Modern Church That Follows Francis’ Steps
The Vatican has praised young Catholics who managed to travel to Rome from war-scarred countries, with Pope Leo saying the voices of the world’s youth “will be heard to the end of the earth”.
In an unprecedented move, Leo hosted a mass on Tuesday for Catholic social media influencers, signalling the Vatican’s openness to supporting the Internet-savvy youth.
More than 4,300 volunteers will be working the event to welcome the young pilgrims, along with over 1,000 police, according to organisers.
Roman authorities have tightened security in the city — which has seen an unprecedented number of people, with both tourists and pilgrims inundating the city.
AFP

Ukrainian drone strikes killed three people and wounded two others overnight in western Russia, regional governors said on Saturday.
One woman was killed and two other people were wounded in an attack on an enterprise in Penza, the region’s governor, Oleg Melnichenko, wrote on Telegram.
An elderly man was killed inside a house that caught fire due to falling drone debris in the Samara region, Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev posted on Telegram.
In the Rostov region, a guard at an industrial facility was killed after a drone attack and a fire in one of the site’s buildings, acting Rostov governor Yuri Sliusar said.
READ ALSO:CAF Awards 2024 Final Nominees Revealed [Full list]
“The military repelled a massive air attack during the night,” destroying drones over seven districts, Sliusar posted on Telegram.
Russia’s defence ministry said its air defence systems had destroyed 112 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory — 34 over the Rostov region — in a nearly nine-hour period, from Friday night to Saturday morning.
In Ukraine’s central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, overnight Russian drone attacks left three people wounded, governor Sergiy Lysak wrote on Telegram.
Several buildings, homes and cars were damaged, he said.
READ ALSO:Tension In Edo Over List Of Commissioner-nominees
Russian forces have claimed advances in Dnipropetrovsk, recently announcing the capture of two villages there, part of Moscow’s accelerated capture of territory in July, according to AFP’s analysis of data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War.
Kyiv denies any Russian presence in the Dnipropetrovsk area.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire in the more than three-year conflict, said Friday that he wanted peace but that his demands for ending Moscow’s military offensive were “unchanged”.
Those demands include that Ukraine abandon territory and end ambitions to join NATO.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, said only Putin could end the war and renewed his call for a meeting between the two leaders.
“The United States has proposed this. Ukraine has supported it. What is needed is Russia’s readiness,” he wrote on X.
AFP
- NAS Offers Free Medical Services To Over 800 Residents In Imo Community
- We May Not Have A Country If APC Retains Power In 2027 – El-Rufa’i Warns
- 2027: Otuaro Urges N’Delta Youth To Resist Politicians’ Ploy To Destabilise Region
- Opposition Will Collapse In Edo Before 2027, Says Okpebholo
- Afenifere Hails UN For Declaring July 7 World Amotekun Day
- Seadogs Champions Social Justice Through Inaugural Art Exhibition In Owerri
- UNICEF, U-Report Build Capacity Of Youth Advocates On Child-Friendly Budgeting
- Hotel Under Construction Collapses In Edo Kills Owner
- Anambra guber: Soludo Raises Alarm, Alledges Plot By APC To Manipulate Election
- 7 Essential Blood Tests Every Adult Should Take Regularly
Trending
- Entertainment5 days ago
BBNaija 10: We Were Close To Having Sex – Isabella Breaks Down In Tears Over Love Interest, Kayikunmi
- Entertainment5 days ago
Reactions As 2Face Idibia Weds New Lover, Natasha Osawaru [VIDEO]
- Entertainment5 days ago
‘I Have Nothing Left,’ Actor Don Richard Solicits Financial Help Amid Battle With Kidney Disease [VIDEO]
- News5 days ago
BREAKING: Tinubu Appoints New Federal Fire Service Boss
- News5 days ago
‘Too Extravagant,’ US Embassy Knocks Nigerian Govs For Lavish Spending
- News4 days ago
[OPINION] The Gaffe And The Uproar: Okpebholo In The Public Eye
- News2 days ago
JUST IN: NNPCL Boss, Ojulari Allegedly Forced To Resign
- News3 days ago
Group Rejects Bill Seeking To Install Ooni, Sultan As Permanent Co-chairmen, Council Of Traditional Rulers
- Metro2 days ago
How We Killed Nurse, Child In Abuja School After Collecting Ransom – Suspect
- Entertainment5 days ago
Burna Boy Performs During England Women’s Euro Trophy Parade [VIDEO]