President Muhammadu Buhari has extended heartfelt condolences to the Fasasi family on the death of renowned singer and songwriter, Olanrewaju Fasasi, popularly known as Sound Sultan, noting that he lived an exemplary life.

The Fasasi family announced on Sunday that the 44-year-old singer has died after “a hard-fought battle with Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma”.

He was buried in New Jersey, U.S. on Sunday (the same day he died) according to Muslim rites amidst tears and tributes.

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President Buhari in a statement signed by his special adviser on Media, Femi Adesina said Sound Sultan’s demise is not only a loss to the Nigerian music industry, but to the country as a whole.

“As a celebrated rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, he lived an exemplary life, achieved several milestones in his career and contributed greatly to the development of the Nigerian music and entertainment industry through his artistic genius, creativity and talent, which has inspired many young Nigerians in the industry,” the statement read in part.

The deceased, President Buhari affirms, was kind, generous, and deeply passionate about issues in the country, which reflected in his music and art, and as an avid basketball fan, he made telling contributions to the development of local basketball in the country.

The President prayed for the eternal repose of the soul of the departed and divine peace and comfort for the family, friends, and associates.

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popular Nigerian musician who died after a hard battle with cancer

'He Lived An Exemplary Life,' Buhari Praises Sound Sultan


Nigeria on Sunday recorded 12 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 as fears about a third wave triggered by the Delta variant of the virus heighten.

According to data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, two deaths were also recorded on Sunday.

Till date, 168,552 cases have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with 2,124 deaths

Sunday’s new cases were reported from three states – Akwa Ibom (6), Ogun (4), and Rivers (2).

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Meanwhile, state governments have warned that the number of new cases may soon spike as the Delta variant surfaces.

Scientists believe the variant is more contagious and deadlier.

On Thursday, the NCDC confirmed Nigeria’s first case of the variant in Delta state and Oyo State said on Sunday it had recorded another.

In a statement on Sunday, the Lagos State Government raised the alarm of a possible third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and imposed restrictions and sanctions.

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Fear as Nigeria Records 12 New COVID-19 Cases, Third Wave On Its Way

Africa has just lived through its most devastating week of the pandemic, but the worst is yet to come as the third wave gathers pace on the continent, the World Health Organization said Thursday.

“Africa has just marked the continent’s most dire pandemic week ever. But the worst is yet to come as the fast-moving third wave continues to gain speed and new ground,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s  regional director for Africa.

Cases are doubling every 18 days, compared with every 21 days only a week ago, she said during a virtual press conference, adding that “the end to this precipitous rise is still weeks away.”

Coronavirus cases have been rising in Africa since the start of the third wave on the continent on May 3. During the week ending July 4, more than 251,000 new Covid-19 cases were recorded on the continent,  a 20% increase over the previous week and a 12% jump from the previous January peak.

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Sixteen African countries are now seeing a resurgence of the virus, with the more contagious Delta strain detected in 10 of them.

South Africa is the worst-hit country in Africa, with new daily infections hitting record highs of 26,000 cases over the weekend, fuelled by the Delta variant.

Vaccination rates remain sluggish, with only 16 million people, 2% of the African population, fully vaccinated.

But Moeti said there was some room for optimism because vaccine deliveries were picking up after grinding to a near halt in May and early June.

In the past two weeks, more than 1.6 million doses were delivered to Africa through the Covax scheme, which was set up to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines to poorer countries.

A US shipment of 20 million Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer-BioNTech is due to arrive soon, to be distributed to 49 countries. Donations from Norway and Sweden are due to follow.

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“Our appeals for ‘we first and not me first’ are finally turning talk into action. But the deliveries can’t come soon enough because the third wave looms large across the continent,” she said.

Africa has so far received 66 million doses and has administered 50 million of them.

Moeti urged governments to expand vaccination sites and take other measures to take advantage of the vaccine deliveries when they come.

According to latest figures, Africa has officially registered  5,730,638 cases and 147,125 deaths from Covid-19.

WHO speaks on the issue of COVID-19 in Africa

Worst Of COVID-19 Is Yet To Come For Africa: WHO

The remains of founder of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) Prophet Temitope Joshua, popularly called T.B. Joshua have arrived the church premises.

His remain dressed in white arrived around 11am and was carried into the church in a glass casket.

The Nation had reported a large crowd besieged the church to witness the lying-in-state and interment in honor of its late founder.

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Many church members and sympathisers who all wanted to catch a glimpse of the late founder maintained a long queue before they gained entry.

The Nation observed T.B Joshua’s son-in-law, Bryan and his daughters Serah, Promise, Hart as well as his wife Evelyn were present at the lying-in-state service.

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Remains of TB Joshua arrive Synagogue for Lying-in-State

UEFA on Wednesday opened disciplinary proceedings and charged England over their fans’ behavior during their Euro 2020 semi-final victory over Denmark, including allegations a laser was pointed at goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel’s face.

Photos in the British press showed the green light of a laser being pointed at Schmeichel’s face just before Harry Kane’s extra-time penalty.

Some supporters at Wembley also booed during the Denmark national anthem.

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European football’s governing body on Thursday said it had charged England for “use of laser pointer”, “disturbance caused during the national anthem” and “lighting of fireworks” by their fans.

Schmeichel saved Kane’s penalty, but the England captain scored the rebound to give Gareth Southgate’s men a 2-1 victory which sealed England a place in their first major tournament final for 55 years.

They will face Italy in Sunday’s final at Wembley.

EURO 2020: UEFA Charges England For Fans’ Laser Pointing

The Senate on Wednesday passed 2021 Supplementary Budget of N982, 729,695,343.00 representing an increase of N87billion of the request presented to it two weeks ago by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari had proposed N895,842,465,917.00 but the Senate Committee on Appropriation in its report presented by the Chairman, Senator Jibrin Barau, increased it to N982,729,695,343.00.

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The breakdown of the budget showed that N123,332,174,164 is for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure while the sum of N859, 397,521,179 is for contribution to the development fund for capital expenditure.

Buhari had said that the amount is needed to fund the COVID-19 vaccine programme and health related expenditures for treatment of additional 50,000 patients under the Nigeria Comprehensive AIDS Programme in states.

He said part of the money would be used to procure additional equipment captured in this year’s capital expenditure on defence and security to combat security challenges across the country.

BREAKING: Senate passes N982.72bn supplementary budget

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has reacted to the Department of State Services’ (DSS) raid on the house of popular Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo also known as Sunday Igboho.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television Programme, Politics Today, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria described the action of the security agents as a “nocturnal coup,” and stressed that no law allows arrest at the dead of the night.

He lamented that the raid, which was carried out around 1:00 a.m. on Thursday, last week is a dangerous legacy of military dictatorship in Nigeria.

“There is no law in Nigeria that allows you to arrest somebody in the dead of the night when you are not planning a coup and you are not an armed robber."

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“These are very dangerous legacies of military dictatorship in our country."

“There is no provision unless a crime is being committed in the night; you cannot go there and arrest. In this case, you are required by law to bring a search warrant. In this case, there was no search warrant, nobody took an inventory."

“Now, Sunday Adeyemo has said I didn’t have any gun in my house. Yet, the SSS paraded guns and other ammunition. All the controversies would have been unnecessary if the SSS had behaved like a modern, civilised agency,” Falana said.

Falana also reacted to the decision of the Southern governors in Lagos State on Monday that security agencies must notify them as the chief security officer of their states before they carry out any operation within their domain.

According to him, the decision of the governors is late.

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“It is a decision that is coming rather late. Governors are chief security officers of their states in line with the constitution. Each state has a security council and the governor is the chairman,” he said.

“The invasion of the home of Igboho happened in the night."

“You can’t have a situation where nocturnal arrests are made in a state as if you are planning a coup. Take Ibadan for instance, the invasion of the home of Igboho happened at the night and for all-day, everybody was wondering who did it and that seven people were killed."

“People were arrested and abducted at 2:00 a.m, the governor of the state wasn’t aware. So, everybody was trying to find out, calling security agencies, only for the State Security Service to issue a very provocative statement after almost 12 hours to say, ‘We did it, we killed two people, we raided a house."

“Somebody attempted to evade arrest and you killed two people? The governor of the state wasn’t aware?”

Human right lawyer speaks on Sunday Igboho's issue

Igboho: No Law Allows Arrest At Dead Of Night – Falana

The recently passed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) has continued to attract flakes especially among stakeholders in the Niger Delta region.

The Joint chambers of the National Assembly are billed to harmonize the bill.

Both the Senate and House of Representatives passed the bill last week but with some disagreement, especially in the area of percentage that should be allocated to host communities.

But the leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, has described the bill as satanic, unjust,
embarrassing, and has dashed the hope of the people of the Niger Delta.

Clark, who is also the leader of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) condemned the provision and allocation of 30% of profits for further frontier oil exploration in the north and that it was fraudulently added.

Clark, who was represented at a press conference in Abuja by PANDEF’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson, declared that the region has had enough of the colonial oppression and will be resisting it.

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Clark said the passed PIB does not reflect the long clamour by the people of the region for equity, fairness and
justice.

He warned that Niger Delta will take their destinies in their hands and deny International Oil Companies (IOCs)
entry into the region should the National Assembly failed to reverse the passed bill.

He said, “Given the depth of ingratitude expressed and delivered after decades of exploitation and neglect of the
region, the entire people of the Niger Delta region, for and on behalf of the host communities, vehemently reject the following aspects of the bill: the 3% and 5% of Operating Expenditure granted to the Host Communities; the fraudulent and provocative 30% provision for the Frontier Exploration Fund."

“And now demand: the PIB must be reversed, reviewed and amended to ensure that the Oil-Bearing Communities must now receive not less than 10% of Operating Cost."

“If this is not done, the Niger Delta people may be forced to take their destiny into their own hands and all IOCs
may find themselves denied access to their oil activities in such communities.”

leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark,

BREAKING: Passed PIB satanic, embarrassing, says Clark

Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has described as barbaric recent attack of the house of Sunday Ighoho in his country home in Ibadan Oyo state.

The group in a statement issued by the Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, warned that such actions were capable of plunging Nigeria into serious crisis that would consume everybody.

It said its members were solidly behind Sunday Igboho and Odua nation movement, warning security operatives to stop taking the indigenous nations for granted.

The statement read in part, “We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu condemn the recent attack and massacre of peaceful and unarmed citizens of Odua people in the House of Sunday Ighoho in his country home in Ibadan Oyo state."

“Sunday Igboho has not killed anybody. Nigeria government and her security operatives invaded his home and kidnapped his innocent women in the house for the proposed rally in Lagos on Saturday 4th of July 2021."

“Fulani and their collaborators are trying to bring catastrophe in Nigeria. They are trying to plunge Nigeria into serious crisis that will consume everybody. They should stop taking the indigenous nations in Nigeria for granted. Enough of this impunity!"

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“IPOB worldwide is solidly behind Sunday Igboho and Odua nation movement. The attack on Igboho is akin to the attack they unleashed on the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra Mazi Nnamdi on September 14, 2017 when the military Python danced in his country home."

“It’s very appalling that the Nigeria security agencies are aiding and abating Fulani terrorists herdsmen and Boko Haram, ISWAP and other Fulani terror groups to kill innocent citizens in Nigeria, while suppressing those genuinely defending their people."

“Nigeria will soon regret their actions towards the Southern Nigeria and Middle Belt region. The whole southerners in the army, police, DSS and the security outfit in Nigeria must understand that this fight was brought to their homes by Fulani Jihadists."

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“Nobody should think that things are still normal. Very soon all Christians will be forced to convert to Islam. It’s part of their agenda."

“But IPOB is working tirelessly to stop this evil agenda. And we must do it for the betterment of unborn children in this land. Now is the time for the entire Southern Nigeria and middle Belt to unite and defend their ancestral land otherwise we become slaves to the jihadists. But God forbid!”

IPOB speaks on the attack of Sunday Igboho's home

Attack on Ighoho’s home babaric – IPOB

The Federal Government has assured that the embattled leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu will be given a fair hearing.

Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed disclosed this on Thursday at a press conference in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

He said the IPOB leader, who was recently re-arrested and re-arraigned in Abuja, will face the full wrath for the law for challenging Nigeria’s sovereignty and assured that he will not be denied a fair hearing.

“While the investigation continues, we assure you that none of the collaborators, irrespective of their standing in the society, will be spared. They will all face the full wrath of the law for their activities that challenge our nation’s sovereignty and threaten its unity. No one, no matter how highly placed, is bigger than the country.

“It is interesting that many are suddenly calling for a fair trial for Kanu as if he didn’t get one before he decided to jump bail and flee. However, I can assure you that the fair deal that Kanu denied many of the victims of the violence which he wilfully instigated through his broadcasts and tweets will not be denied him,” Mohammed said.

See his full statement at the press briefing below…

TEXT OF PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE, ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED, ON THE RE-ARREST OF IPOB LEADER NNAMDI KANU….IN ABUJA ON THURSDAY, 1 JULY 2021

Good morning gentlemen and welcome to this press conference. As you are aware, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, has been rearrested and repatriated to Nigeria to resume his trial. This was made possible through the collaboration of Nigerian security and intelligence agencies.

Kanu, who is facing an 11-count charge of treason, treasonable felony, terrorism and illegal possession of firearms, among others, jumped bail in 2017 and left the country. On Tuesday, Kanu was re-arraigned in court and ordered to be remanded in the custody of the DSS, while the case was adjourned till July 26-27, 2021

Gentlemen, the Federal Government wishes to commend the Nigerian security and intelligence agencies, who collaborated to re-arrest the proscribed IPOB leader in one of the most classic operations of its type in the world. We commend the professionalism, diligence, patriotism and painstaking efforts of our security and intelligence agencies. We also thank the sister international agencies that collaborated with us to pull off this arrest.

It will interest Nigerians to know that for over two years, our security and intelligence agencies were on the trail of the proscribed IPOB leader as he lived a five-star life across several countries, travelling on chartered private jets, living in luxury apartments and turning out in designing clothes and shoes. Of course, as we all saw, he was wearing an attire made by Fendi, a luxury Italian fashion brand, when he was arrested.

We can tell you that the forensic investigation carried out so far has revealed a treasure trove of information on the proscribed IPOB leader and his collaborators. While the investigation continues, we assure you that none of the collaborators, irrespective of their standing in the society, will be spared. They will all face the full wrath of the law for their activities that challenge our nation’s sovereignty and threaten its unity. No one, no matter how highly placed, is bigger than the country.

It is interesting that many are suddenly calling for a fair trial for Kanu as if he didn’t get one before he decided to jump bail and flee. However, I can assure you that the fair deal that Kanu denied many of the victims of the violence which he willfully instigated through his broadcasts and tweets will not be denied him.

Finally, there have been speculations on how this re-arrest was pulled off and in which country the hitherto fugitive leader of the proscribed IPOB was nabbed. What we can tell you, once again, is that the re-arrest was made possible by the diligent efforts of our security and intelligence agencies, in collaboration with countries with which we have obligations. We continue to respect and honour the obligations.

Gentlemen, we thank you most sincerely for your kind attention.EURO 

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Nnamdi Kanu Will Be Given A Fair Trial, FG Assures

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday questioned the point of meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, claiming his country was effectively run by leaders in Washington and European capitals.

“What’s the use of meeting with Zelensky when he has given full control of his country to outside management?” Putin said during an annual televised phone-in with Russians.

“Key decisions are being made in Washington, and Berlin and Paris to some extent,” he added.

“I’m not refusing to meet with Zelensky, it’s just necessary to understand what there is to talk about”.

Ukraine has been battling pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine since 2014.

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After a lull in fighting last year, the conflict escalated again at the start of 2021.

In April, as Russia amassed more than 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border and in Crimea, Zelensky invited Putin to meet in eastern Ukraine.

Putin shot down that offer, saying instead the Ukrainian leader was welcome in Moscow “any time”.

Russia later announced a troop pullback, but both Washington and Kiev say that the withdrawal has been limited.

Putin on Wednesday described Ukraine’s leadership as “unfriendly,” but said Russians and Ukrainians were close. “We are one,” he said.

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Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelensky’s chief of staff, dismissed Putin’s claims of outside control as a “basic element of Russian propaganda.”

He also said the comments showed the Russian leader was misinformed by his own administration.

“The necessity of direct presidential talks is absolutely clear,” Podolyak said.

Speaking to AFP and other news agencies this month, Zelensky accused Russia of delaying the proposed meeting with Putin.

Kiev’s conflict with separatists in the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions broke out in 2014 when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula.

The fighting has claimed more than 13,000 lives.

Kiev and its Western allies accuse Russia of sending troops and arms to support the separatists, which Moscow has denied.

Putin Says Ukraine Is Controlled By Western Leaders

The virtual Federal Executive Council meeting usually chaired by the President, Muhammadu Buhari has been canceled.

No official reason has been given for the cancellation of the meeting which was meant to hold today, June 30.

JUST IN: Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting Cancelled

Nigerian newspapers,on one page.