Category: News

Former Uruguayan President José Mujica, known as “Pepe”, has d!ed at the age of 89.

The humble leader lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment.

“With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide, and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguay’s sitting president, Yamandu Orsi, posted on X.

The ex-guerrilla who governed Uruguay from 2010 to 2015 was known as the world’s “poorest president” because of his modest lifestyle.

Leftist leaders from across Latin America and Europe paid tribute to the politician described by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum as an “example for Latin America and the entire world.”

Gustavo Petro of Colombia paid tribute to “a great revolutionary.”

Former Bolivian president Evo Morales hailed Mujica’s “experience and wisdom,” while Brazil’s government bid farewell to “one of the most important humanists of our time.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Mujica had lived for “a better world,” while Guatemala’s Bernardo Arevalo held him up as “an example of humility and greatness.”

The cardigan-wearing Mujica earned the moniker “world’s poorest president” during his 2010-2015 presidency for giving away much of his salary to charity and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and three-legged dog.

Mujica himself had rejected the title in a 2012 AFP interview.

“I do not live in poverty, I live in austerity… I need little to live,” he said.

He was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus in May last year, and it spread to his liver.

As a young man, Mujica was a member of the National Party, one of Uruguay’s traditional political forces, which later became the centre-right opposition to his government.

In the 1960s, he helped set up the Tupamaros National Liberation Movement (MLN-T), a leftist urban guerrilla group that carried out assaults, kidnappings, and executions, although he always maintained that he did not commit any murd£r.

Influenced by the Cuban revolution and international socialism, the MLN-T launched a campaign of clandestine resistance against the Uruguayan government, which at the time was constitutional and democratic, although the left accused it of being increasingly authoritarian.

During this period, Mujica was captured four times. On one of those occasions, in 1970, he was shot six times and nearly d!ed. He escaped from prison twice, on one occasion through a tunnel with 105 other MLN-T prisoners, in one of the largest escapes in Uruguayan prison history.

When the Uruguayan military staged a coup in 1973, they included him in a group of “nine hostages” whom they threatened to kill if the guerrillas continued their attacks.

During the more than 14 years he spent in prison during the 1970s and 1980s, he was tortured and spent most of that time in harsh conditions and isolation, until he was freed in 1985 when Uruguay returned to democracy.

He used to say that during his time in prison, he experienced madness firsthand, suffering from delusions and even talking to ants.

The day he was freed was his happiest memory, he says: “Becoming president was insignificant compared to that.”

A few years after his release, he served as a lawmaker, both in the Chamber of Representatives and in the Senate, the country’s lower and upper houses, respectively.

In 2005, he became a minister in the first government of the Frente Amplio, the Uruguayan leftist coalition, before becoming Uruguay’s president in 2010. He was 74 years old at the time.

His election marked an important moment for the Latin American left, which was already strong on the continent at that time. Mujica became leader alongside other left-wing presidents such as Luis Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil and Hugo Chávez in Venezuela.

However, Mujica governed in his own way, demonstrating pragmatism and audacity on several occasions, political commentators say.
While in office, Mujica rejected moving into the presidential residence (a mansion), as heads of state around the world usually do. Instead, he remained with his wife, politician and former guerrilla Lucía Topolansky, in their modest home on the outskirts of Montevideo, with no domestic help and little security.

The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, on Wednesday, broke into tears as he apologised for the errors in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

“I apologise for the trauma caused the candidates,” Oloyede said tearfully during a press conference in Abuja.

“What should have been a moment of joy has changed due to one or two errors,” Oloyede said.

The UTME is a critical prerequisite for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria. It tests candidates in four subjects, including the compulsory Use of English, with the other three drawn from their proposed field of study.

Of the 1.9 million candidates who sat the UTME, over 1.5 million reportedly scored below 200 out of the maximum 400 marks, raising concerns across the education sector.

According to the examination body, a total of 1,955,069 results were processed, out of which only 4,756 candidates (0.24 per cent) scored 320 and above, considered top-tier performance, while 7,658 candidates (0.39 per cent) scored between 300 and 319, bringing the total for those who scored 300 and above to 12,414 candidates (0.63 per cent).

Also, 73,441 candidates (3.76 per cent) scored between 250 and 299 while 334,560 candidates (17.11 per cent) scored between 200 and 249.

A total of 983,187 candidates (50.29 per cent) scored between 160 and 199, which is widely regarded as the minimum threshold for admissions in many institutions.

In the same vein, 488,197 candidates (24.97 per cent) scored between 140 and 159, 57,419 candidates (2.94 per cent) scored between 120 and 139, 3,820 candidates (0.20 per cent) scored between 100 and 119, and 2,031 candidates (0.10 per cent) scored below 100.

Over 75 per cent of all candidates (1.5 million) scored below 200, average score seeing as the examination is graded over 400.

Some affected candidates threatened to initiate a lawsuit against JAMB.

Details later…

 

Several houses has been destroyed as residents fled from their homes following a communal clash between communities in Gwer East and Konshisha GAs of Benue State.

DAILY POST gathered that the incident occurred over the weekend between the two communities that has engaged in reccuring communal conflicts in the past three months over age long differences.

A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the latest incident occurred when the Mbaiase community in Masev of Gwer East LGA, launched a surprise attack on the Gbinde community in Mbagusa, Mbatser, ShangevTiev of Konshisha LGA.

He said the fresh attack on Gbinde community by Mbaiase community was a reprisal attack.

The renewed clashes between the two warring communities was confirmed by the media aide to the Executive Chairman of Konshisha LGA, Terhide Fave.

He admitted that the fresh attack occurred on Saturday evening and resulted in the destruction of yet to be ascertained number of houses and properties .

Fave said there was no loss of lives during the attack but it led to destruction of properties and dislocation of families of which many have fled to neighboring communities for safety.

“Residents have fled the area. Many houses were burnt but I can’t ascertain the numbers now,” he said.

The Chairman of Konshisha LGA, Terfa Moses Chikyaa, who visited the area, condemned the attack and urged the communities to remain calm and not react violently.

“The chairman advised the affected people not to take the law into their own hands as the state government would take steps to bring the perpetrators to justice,” Chikyaa said.

Efforts to get the comments of the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, CSP Catherine Anene, were not successful as calls to her mobile telephone was not returned.

 

Grammy-nominated singer Davido has argued that Lagos has the best nightlife in the world.

According to the Afrobeats star, the city offers an unparalleled experience with amazing nightlife, great restaurants and plenty of exciting spots to explore.

Speaking on the Culture Knock Out podcast, he said: “There so many interesting things to do in Lagos. We have amazing nightlife. I feel like we have the best nightlife in the world, we have good restaurants. Everything is there in Lagos.”

Netizens have expressed mixed reactions to Davido’s claim.

While some people appreciate his efforts to promote the city, others are skeptical and critical.

@ThePhysicsOfgod suggested that Davido’s statement might be a form of damage control after facing backlash for demarketing Nigeria in a previous interview.

“This must be damage control after being bashed for demarketing Nigeria in his other interview. Lagos has the best nightlife in the world ke,” he wrote.

@Onuohajude8, raised concerns about safety, warning that visitors might lose their phones or even their lives if they’re not careful.

“If u are not careful after the night life u lose ur phone or ur life,” he wrote.

But @Chief_Big360 commended Davido for consistently promoting Lagos in his interviews.

“Sentiments aside, Davido impresses me with the way he promotes Lagos on any chance he has in interviews,” he wrote.

@Here4buz questioned the purpose of Davido’s recent interviews, given the poor performance of his last album on the global charts.

“But wait o, what is really the objective of these interviews; I am asking out of genuine curiosity because his last album performed very poorly on the global charts after countless interviews,” he wrote.

 

A 32-year-old man, Kehinde Amodu, has been remanded in the Ilesa Correctional Centre for allegedly breaking into the Osun State High Court and stealing electrical appliances belonging to the state judiciary.

The alleged offence occurred on May 3, 2025 at around 3:00 pm, within the premises of the High Court in Osogbo, Osun State.

The suspect was said to have unlawfully gained access to the court premises during working hours.

According to the police, Amodu carted away an air conditioner and a ceiling fan from offices within the court premises.

The stolen items were valued at a total of seven hundred thousand naira (N700,000).

Police prosecutor, Inspector Adeoye Kayode, presented the charges before the Osogbo Magistrates’ Court.

Count one read: “That you Kehinde Amodu on 3rd day of May, 2025 at about 3:00 p.m. at High Court, Osogbo in the Osogbo Magisterial District did enter the premises of the Court and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 412 of the Criminal Code CAP 34 Vol. II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.”

Count two read: “On the same date, time and place, Kehinde Amodu did steal one air conditioner, one ceiling fan valued at N700,000, properties of Osun State High Court, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 383 and punishable under section 390(9) of the Criminal Code CAP 34 Vol. II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.”

Amodu pleaded guilty to the first count of unlawful entry into the court premises.

However, he pleaded not guilty to the second count, which involved the alleged theft of the items.

Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara presided over the matter and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ilesa Correctional Centre pending further hearing on the charges.

The court adjourned the case until May 22, 2025 for continuation of hearing and determination of the theft charge.

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Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Paul Enenche, has revealed that he married his wife, Becky Enenche, not because of her looks or fashion sense, but because he was led by faith.

In a video that went viral on Tuesday, the clergyman recounted how Becky, then a medical student, paid little attention to her appearance when they met.

He noted that she often wore simple outfits, including loose-fitting skirts and dresses with “jump-up” sleeves, and usually kept her hair in braids.

Despite her modest and unpolished look, Enenche said he was convinced she was the one, guided not by outward appearances but by divine direction.

He said: “If sight was leading me, I wouldn’t marry my wife. I told my children the other day and they were all laughing. And she told them herself. Why? Because at that time, she never cared for nothing. She just was anyhow. That is, medical student: didn’t care for anything. The hair was plaited mat permanently. She wore any dress available: shapeless.”

Becky Enenche, who was seated in the congregation, laughed in confirmation as her husband shared the story.

Paul Enenche contrasted her modest appearance at the time with other women who were both flashy and spiritually active, noting that despite their outward appeal, he felt divinely led to choose differently.

“There were flashy people around—very flashy. They were also spiritual and flashy. But God led otherwise,” he said.

He went on to advise the congregation not to judge based on appearances alone, warning that what looks attractive in the moment may not hold long-term value. “Not everything that looks good in the moment has a future,” he said.

 

Former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has called on President Bola Tinubu to settle the ₦45 billion debt owed to the late Chief MKO Abiola by the Nigerian government.

Lamido made this appeal during the public presentation of his book, “Being True To Myself,” held in Abuja on Tuesday.

While delivering his vote of thanks, Lamido emphasized the importance of resolving the financial debt owed to Abiola, who won the June 12, 1993, Presidential Election but was denied the presidency.

He said, “I would like to appeal to President Tinubu to close the chapter of June 12. In his book, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida revealed that Abiola won the election.”

Lamido added, “When I went to him (IBB), he said Abiola is being owed ₦45 billion. Abiola is double punished. One, he was not given the presidency, and two, he is being owed.”

Addressing the Minister of Information who represented the President at the event, Lamido urged him to deliver the message to Tinubu, saying, “Please tell him to pay Abiola’s family the ₦45 billion. When this money is paid, the chapter of June 12 will be closed. It is very important.”

Lamido also used the occasion to express his deep appreciation to Allah, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and others who contributed to the success of the event.

“All manner of gratitude goes to Allah SWT for His endless bounties and blessings for sparing our lives to see this momentous day,” Lamido remarked.

He also paid glowing tribute to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, describing him as his “Boss, Guide, Leader, and Inspiration,” adding that Obasanjo’s inspiring foreword in the book and his physical presence at the launch were marks of trust and confidence.

“Baba, I sincerely and profoundly thank you. May God Almighty endow and bless you with abundant health, wisdom, joy, and well-being,” Lamido said.

Lamido also expressed gratitude to General Abdulsalami Abubakar for his “professional truthfulness and service to our nation,” noting that General Abubakar had always supported him in his endeavors.

He praised the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, for his remarkable efforts in promoting religious harmony and attending the event despite his busy schedule.

Lamido acknowledged Dr. Iyorchia Ayu for his role in reviewing the book, describing him as a “MunChi comrade” and longtime friend. He commended the Editorial Team for their patience and resilience, and the Organising Committee for their tireless work in ensuring the event’s success.

He also lauded the Media Subcommittee for creating a nationwide buzz that generated widespread interest in his book, “Being True To Myself.”

 

 

 

Nineteen-year-old Opesusi Faith Timilehin on Monday took ‘Push Out’ rodent poison after scoring 190 in the just-released results of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), organised by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Timilehin, from Abeokuta, lived at Odogunyan in Ikorodu, Lagos State, with her elder sibling.

According to Guardian newspaper, neighbors and residents mourned Timilehin, whom they described as “gentle and humble.”

A family source said the deceased, who applied for microbiology, also sat for the same examination last year.

“She said her last year’s result was better than this year’s,” one of her close allies (name withheld) told our newsmen on the phone.

According to information, Timilehin scored higher than her current 190 in the previous JAMB result in 2024.

Ironically, JAMB gave her provisional admission just about 30 minutes after she was confirmed dead at Kolak Hospital in Odogunyan.

“The shocking revelation is that she was given an admission message via her Gmail yesterday, immediately after she was confirmed dead at Kolak Hospital, Odogunyan, Ikorodu, Lagos,” the source stated.

Meanwhile, Timilehin’s parents, on hearing the sad news, arrived in Ikorodu, allegedly to pick up her remains back to Abeokuta for burial, leaving the residents to rain curses on JAMB for the general mass failure recorded in the examination.

The newly arrived people are from the ethnic minority of Afrikaners, the group of whites who ruled South Africa during apartheid.

American officials welcomed a group of 59 white South Africans at Washington Dulles International Airport on Monday afternoon, in a ceremony greeting them as refugees under the argument that they are fleeing discrimination and racially based violence in their home country.

The newly arrived people are from the ethnic minority of Afrikaners, the group of whites who ruled South Africa during apartheid. The dozens that came Monday, including families with young children, arrived via a flight chartered by the State Department. Their resettlement in the U.S. comes as the Trump administration has shut down refugee admissions from almost all other countries, including Afghanistan, Sudan, the Republic of Congo and Myanmar.

The Afrikaners were met on arrival by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar.

Landau said that Trump’s pause of the U.S. refugee program was from the very beginning subject to exceptions when it was determined to be in the interest of the United States. He cited the example of when the refugees “could be assimilated easily into our country.”

“They tell quite harrowing stories of the violence that they faced in South Africa that was not redressed by the authorities by the unjust application of the law,” Landau said. “The United States, as we were proud to say, has stood for equal justice under law and the fair and impartial application of the law.”

In an executive order issued on Feb. 7, Trump said the United States would help with resettling “Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation.” He condemned what he called the country’s “shocking disregard of its citizens’ rights,” specifically stating the government had seized the agriculture property of white Afrikaners without compensating them.

The executive order also said the United States would no longer provide aid or assistance to South Africa. It came after a new South African land law went into effect and seems to reflect the views of Elon Musk, the head of the Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency who was born and raised in South Africa.

The law has been depicted by some whites in South Africa, and some on the right in the U.S., as specifically targeting white farmers to take away their land. The South African
government and experts dispute this, noting that the law allows for expropriation in cases when the land is not being used or there is a public interest in its redistribution, similar to eminent domain laws in the U.S.

In February, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pushed back on claims that it was a land grab. “The recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a confiscation instrument, but a constitutionally mandated legal process that ensures public access to land in an equitable and just manner as guided by the constitution,” he wrote on X days before Trump issued his executive order.

Discussion around the law has fit into a larger narrative on the American right about white South African farmers supposedly being killed in large numbers, something Trump talked about in his first term and which Musk has referred to as “genocide,” even though there is not data to support this.

The New York Times reported that 101 out of the 225 people killed on farms in South Africa between April 2020 and March 2024 were Black current or former workers living on farms. Of that number, 53 were farmers, who are usually white.

The president on Monday said the carve out for South African refugees wasn’t race-related.

“Farmers are being killed,” Trump told reporters. “They happen to be white. Whether they are white or Black makes no difference to me. White farmers are being brutally killed and the land is being confiscated in South Africa.”

White House deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser Stephen Miller defended the admission of white refugees on Friday.

“What’s happening in South Africa fits the textbook definition of why the refugee program was created,” Miller said. “This is race-based persecution. The refugee program is not intended as a solution for global poverty, and historically, it has been used that way.”

Officials in South Africa have disputed that claim.

“It is most regrettable that it appears that the resettlement of South Africans to the United States under the guise of being ‘refugees’ is entirely politically motivated and designed to question South Africa’s constitutional democracy; a country which has in fact suffered true persecution under Apartheid rule and has worked tirelessly to prevent such levels of discrimination from ever occurring again,” Chrispin Phiri, a spokesperson for South Africa’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, said in a statement Friday.

Landau, the deputy secretary of state, reiterated the Trump administration’s stance on Monday. “It is not surprising, unfortunately, that a country from which refugees come does not concede that they are refugees, and unfortunately, you know, the South African government has not done what we feel is appropriate to guarantee the rights of these citizens to live in peace with their fellow South Africans, which is why, under our domestic law, they were given refugee status,” he said.

The Episcopal Church said on Monday that it would not work to resettle the Afrikaners after the federal government asked it to do so under the terms of a refugee resettlement grant to the church.

Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe wrote in an open letter that the church has decided to end refugee work with the federal government by the end of the fiscal year, “in light of our church’s steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.”

“It has been painful to watch one group of refugees, selected in a highly unusual manner, receive preferential treatment over many others who have been waiting in refugee camps or dangerous conditions for years,” Rowe wrote. “I am saddened and ashamed that many of the refugees who are being denied entrance to the United States are brave people who worked alongside our military in Iraq and Afghanistan and now face danger at home because of their service to our country.”

Thula Simpson, an associate professor of history at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, said that Trump’s rhetoric and the admission of Afrikaner refugees in the U.S. has created tensions in South Africa.

“By using the term ‘genocide,’ Trump has gone beyond the reality here,” Simpson said. “It creates a very uncertain situation, very intense situation, with aggravated race relations in the country — and the outcome is unpredictable.”

 

A young Nigerian lady has gone viral after sharing how she diligently saved her NYSC allowance and personal salary to fund a U.S. Master’s degree application, only to be denied a visa in the end.

Gbemisola Taiwo revealed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that during her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year, she did not spend any part of her monthly allowance. Instead, she topped it up with ₦200 from her salary to make ₦20,000 monthly.

According to her, the money was specifically saved to cover the cost of applying for a U.S. postgraduate program. This included application fees, transcript processing, and other related charges.

Despite her disciplined savings and financial sacrifice, her US visa application was ultimately rejected, making the entire investment futile.

“Every single dime wasted. I cried ehn,” Gbemisola confessed, expressing the deep pain of seeing her hard-earned effort end in disappointment.

She wrote, “I didn’t touch my NYSC allowance at all. At the time, I was working with a company, and I would take out ₦200 from my salary, then add it to the allowance to make it ₦20,000.

“I used that money to start processing my U.S. master’s application ; paying for the application fee, sending transcripts, and other related costs.

“In the end, my US visa was denied.
Every single dime wasted.
I cried ehn.(sic)”

The post was a response to a tweet by financial expert Oluwatosin Olaseinde, who had asked followers to share the most extreme money-saving hacks they’ve ever practiced.

Gbemisola’s story has since struck a chord with many online users, garnering thousands of reactions and sparking conversations about sacrifice, rejection, and financial risks young Nigerians face in pursuit of international opportunities.