Author: Chukwu Ikenna

The Donald Trump administration is reportedly considering sweeping travel restrictions for citizens of 43 countries as part of a new ban, continuing an immigration crackdown that the US President initiated at the start of his second term in January.

The New York Times reported that an internal memo divides these countries into three separate categories.

The first group (called ‘red list’) includes 11 countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. Their citizens are proposed to be ‘flatly barred’ from travelling to the United States.

The second group (‘orange list’) comprises 10 nations, for which travel would be restricted but not cut off. In their case, affluent business travellers could be allowed to enter the US, but not those on immigrant or tourist visas. This group includes Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Turkmenistan.

The third category (yellow list), is the largest of the three with 22 countries, and would have 60 days to clear up perceived deficiencies, with the threat of being moved onto one of the other groups if they did not comply.

It includes Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe.

A US official who spoke on the condition of anonymity cautioned there could be changes on the list, and it was yet to be approved by the Trump administration, including Marco Rubio, the secretary of state.

Two young men lost their lives in a tragic incident when a stray cow ran out of the bush and struck them along the Ile-Oluji-Ondo Itanla road in Ondo State.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 13, 2025, when the victims were travelling on a motorcycle, popularly known as a “Lady’s Bike,” while transporting a bag of cocoa from Ile-Oluji to Ondo City.

An eyewitness who spoke to Ondo State Government-owned publication, Hope Newspaper, said that the cow suddenly bolted out of the bush, colliding with the motorcycle, k!lling the men on the spot.

According to the source, the herder, said to be a Fulani man, fled into the bush alongside his cattle immediately after the tragic event.

It was gathered that passersby hesitated to intervene, fearing possible implications from authorities.

The identities of the deceased victims had yet to be confirmed.

 

The Federal Polytechnic Nekede in Owerri, Imo State, has suspended Mr. Okoroafor Ifeanyichukwu, a facilitator at the institution, following a disturbing incident captured in a viral video.

The video, which surfaced on social media, shows Mr. Ifeanyichukwu physically assaulting a male student.

In a formal notice dated March 14, 2025, and referenced FPN/TEDC/80/1, the Polytechnic’s administration announced the suspension of the facilitator.

The letter revealed that Mr. Ifeanyichukwu’s suspension will remain in effect pending the results of an ongoing investigation into the event, which occurred on March 13, 2025, during an entrepreneurship training session at the Technical and Entrepreneurship Development Centre (TEDC).

The suspension notice was signed by Dr. Okoye P.C., Director of TEDC, and was distributed to key members of the institution’s leadership, including the Rector, the Dean of Student Affairs, and the Student Union Government.

The letter stated: “You are hereby suspended from duty as a facilitator in the Technical and Entrepreneurship Development Centre pending the outcome of investigation into the incident that occurred yesterday 13th March, 2025 at the site of your entrepreneurship training.”

A video which went viral late Thursday captured the now-suspended facilitator slapping a male student, Chidera, and then kicking him, causing him to fall heavily on a cemented walkway, before he (the lecturer) then walked away.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria has expressed serious concerns over a growing wave of misinformation and misleading reports about alleged targeted killings of Christians in the country.

These claims, according to the Ministry, are being used to pressure foreign governments, particularly the United States, to classify Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) due to violence against Christians.

While acknowledging the ongoing security challenges within the country, the Federal Government emphasized that these violent acts are not motivated by religious animosity or directed at any specific religious group.

The Ministry stressed that most incidents involving insurgency and banditry, particularly in northern Nigeria, a region predominantly Muslim, are not religiously targeted.

Any suggestion that these incidents are rooted in religious persecution, the Ministry clarified, is misleading and incorrect.

The Federal Government’s clarification was contained in a statement by the Acting Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, on Friday, March 14.

The statement reads in part: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to express strong concern over the recent wave of misinformation and misleading reports regarding the supposed targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria. The unfortunate development is intended to influence foreign governments, especially the United States Government, to designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), due to the violence against Christians.

“While the Federal Government acknowledges the security challenges confronting the nation, it is imperative to clarify that these negative activities are not driven by religious bias, nor targeted against any particular religious group. It should be noted that the majority of incidents relating to insurgency and banditry that occur in the predominantly Muslim northern part of Nigeria are not targeted at followers of a particular faith or religion. Any narrative that seeks to give such incidents a coloration of religious persecution is erroneous and misleading.

“Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation and the government remains committed to protecting the lives and properties of all citizens, irrespective of faith, ethnicity, or gender. The security issues in Nigeria are complex and multifaceted and manifest as criminality, terrorism and communal clashes – including farmer/herder confrontation, that do not have any religious connotation.

“The government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has taken significant steps to address these security concerns, including the deployment of security forces, intelligence gathering and community engagement initiatives. Indeed, the military has recorded substantial gains in curtailing the activities of bandits and insurgents. To bring an end to such security challenges, both the Federal and State authorities have embarked on kinetic and non-kinetic methods and expedited the implementation of the national livestock plan.

“To this end, a Ministry of Livestock Development has been established while a Special Adviser and Coordinator of Livestock Reforms, has been appointed to find sustainable solutions to pastoral farming, with a view to end contestations over land, between farmers and pastoral herders.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, therefore, urges the international community to exercise caution and verify information before drawing conclusions or making statements that could exacerbate tensions within Nigeria.”

For more stories: http://thenationonlineng.net

The highly anticipated MultiChoice Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) is set to return for its 11th edition on May 10, 2025 with nominations officially announced on Sunday, March 23.

This year’s edition introduces an exciting new category, Best Music Score, reflecting the awards’ ongoing efforts to celebrate every facet of filmmaking.

At a briefing on Thursday at MultiChoice Studios in Ilupeju, Lagos, the organisers unveiled significant details about the upcoming event, confirming that there will be a total of 28 award categories this year.

Busola Tejumola, the Executive Head of Content and Channels for West Africa at MultiChoice, spoke passionately about the AMVCA’s commitment to shining a global spotlight on African storytelling.

She reaffirmed that the awards continue to provide a platform to celebrate the diverse and growing talent within the African entertainment industry.

For more stories: http://thenationonlineng.net

Controversial activist, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has reacted to a court order calling for his arrest as regards alleged defamation of gospel singer, Mercy Chinwo.

According to the social media critic, the judiciary is attempting to silence him.

VeryDarkMan, stated that his arrest shouldn’t have been ordered by the court considering the fact that he is not in Nigeria and has a pending case in the same court, which he has never missed.

He questions the legitimacy of the arrest order and accuses the judiciary of trying to shut him down.

He also disclosed that another court in Nyanyan, Abuja, had also issued an injunction restricting him from discussing Mercy Chinwo and Eezee Tee, which he believes is an attempt to silence him.

He said all these in a video he shared via his X handle on Friday, March 14.

He partly said: “So in respect to this news that went viral yesterday, that the courts have ordered for my arrest. First things first, the judiciary cannot shut me down. A lot of you don’t know, but there is a plot for the judiciary to shut me down, but I will resist it instead, I will expose all those people paying money for it. I will expose all of you, all those people forum-shopping judges and all those their illegal orders. I will expose all of you because Tell me something. How can a man have six cases in front of one magistrate in one day, one lawyer have six cases in front of one magistrate in one day, and on that same day, the judge ordered for my arrest.

“On that same day, after they told him, because my lawyer told him that this guy is not in Nigeria, my lawyer also told them that I have a case in that same court, and I have never missed a day. The lawyer told him that. As a matter of fact, I was even in China when they filed for that case. So I’m not around, and you’re ordering for my own arrest and I’m not even around, not just that on that same day when they ordered from arrest, that was yesterday, another court in Nyanya is also issuing an injunction that I should not talk about Mercy Chinwo and is Eezee Tee matter again.

“Meanwhile, this other magistrate that ordered my arrest has also issued an injunction that should not talk about this case. Now, the one in Nyanya that issued that injunction was also a magistrate. He was recently made judge. Was also a magistrate. Was recently made a judge. Now again, if you go through that their case, the affidavit is very scanty. No reasonable person will give an order based on that affidavit, based on that case. Wey, they file and they look the case, and I’m like, What’s what’s going on here? Not just that, this expertise that you people pass, this expert I thought the NJC, I’ve stopped that. I put a stop on that, and I’ve warned all judges to not do that experte thing anymore. So why is this judge in Nyanya, Why is he doing it? So the agency, is it that you don’t have the law does not stand. I mean, you put a stop to this. Why are they trying to do it?

“I know wetin ona dey look for, they want the news. Oh, Verydarkman came to Nigeria because their plan will be if I come, Nigeria make them handcuff me. They handcuff me. People go say, Yes, oh, mercy, don win and all that see, the truth is that even if I come to Nigeria now, hm, and they handcuff me, listen, it still does not change the truth that there was abuse of power and influence.”

The Nigerian Police in Lagos State have confirmed the de@th of a yet-to-be-identified woman who jumped off the Third Mainland Bridge on Thursday, March 13.

It was gathered that the woman jumped into the waters near the University of Lagos (UNILAG) waterfront in Lagos State, resulting in her death despite efforts to rescue her.

Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesperson for the Lagos Police Command said the incident occurred at about 4 pm as marine police office on ground immediately swung into action to rescue the woman.

Hundeyin said the efforts to rescue the woman was futile as she was pronounced dead on arrival by medical personnel from the University of Lagos.

He said, “Today, March 13, 2025, at about 1600 hours, an unidentified woman reportedly jumped from the Third Mainland Bridge into the water near the UNILAG waterfront at approximately 1500 hours.

“She was recovered at the University of Lagos shore slipway by a team of marine police officers stationed in the area. Despite their efforts, she was confirmed d@ad by a team of UNILAG medical doctors in the presence of officers from the Sabo Police Division.”

“Her body has been evacuated to the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) Mortuary in Yaba, Lagos, for preservation,” Hundeyin noted.