Headline

Terror Alert: Buhari Told To Sack Service Chiefs As US, UK Citizens Flee Abuja

Published

3 years ago

October 28, 2022

Editor

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Friday, called for the sack of all Nigeria’s service chiefs and the National Security Adviser as American and British nationals flee Abuja over imminent attacks by terrorists.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, said the service chiefs have shown themselves to be ineffective, incompetent just as it is suspected that they are simply reeling out bogus records of achievement despite the continued offensive launched by insurgents.

The group also faulted the inability of the service chiefs and their agencies to re-arrest fighters of the Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) sects who escaped from the Kuje prison in July during an unprecedented jailbreak.

Following its notice of a possible terror attack, the United States Mission and the British High Commission suspended consular services in Abuja and began the evacuation of their citizens from Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.

However, the Federal Government through the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has insisted that there were no threats of terrorist attacks in Abuja.

The Federal Government has maintained that the President Buhari government won’t be stampeded.

Continuing, Onwubiko said, “To lend credence to the terror alerts by the US and the UK, a joint operation launched by the Department of State Services, the National Intelligence Agency, the police and some American soldiers this week reportedly arrested five ISWAP commanders and 30 fighters in phase 3, Trademore Estate in Abuja.

“The detained fighters reportedly masqueraded as artisans, cart pushers and security guards in Abuja and they are all from a particular tribe known to have terrorist affiliation!”

Onwubiko further highlighted that heightened tension in the nation’s capital has made the popular Jabi Lake Mall shut its doors to shoppers and visitors yet the Federal Government is grandstanding emptily and releasing Boko Haram members in detention all in the name of deradicalization.

“Shockingly, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor recently said 101 convicted terrorists and those awaiting trial have been moved from prisons to a deradicalisation camp for reintegration into society. Should the government even have contemplated that? Shouldn’t terrorists be summarily executed after conviction?

“Where are the Boko Haram terrorists that escaped from Kuje prison in July when it was attacked and hundreds of inmates freed? Where are all the thousands of terrorists that escaped from the over 10 jailbreaks in Nigeria in the last two years?” he asked.

Onwubiko added, “HURIWA calls for a comprehensive investigation by the National Assembly on all the claims by the military heads of successes against terrorists because if terrorists can constitute such a huge threat to Abuja and even threaten to take over Abuja imminently, this shows that there is something fishy with the information the military dishes out to Nigerians claiming successes against insurgents. These stories might be empty propaganda because these claims aren’t backed up with authentic photographic evidence!

“Also, why is the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola still on seat? Why are the non-performing service chiefs being rewarded with further stay by the government when the terrorists are still able to threaten Nigeria and the world is running away from Abuja? Why is this government made up of deceivers and liars? Pathetic! Abuja must not fall like Kabul in Afghanistan!”

Headline

Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Is Dead

Published

7 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.