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Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo, has issued a stern warning to roadside preachers using loudspeakers in public areas, particularly markets.

The Governor accused them of creating noise pollution and disturbing residents.

Soludo announced that anyone found violating the state’s noise pollution regulations would be subjected to a fine of ₦500,000.

The Governor’s warning was captured in a viral video seen on X, on Saturday, March 08.

In the video, Soludo was seen addressing an unidentified roadside preacher in a market.

He instructed the preacher to cease disturbing traders with his loud preaching.

He further advised the preacher to either conduct services inside a church or rent an open space, emphasising that those interested in listening would seek him out at such venues.

He said: “If you want to preach the word of God, go to your church. You are causing noise pollution here. You cannot come to a marketplace and disturb everyone.

“If you want to preach, go to a church. Those who want to listen will come to you; you cannot force people in the market to hear your message.

“This is a marketplace, not a church. You are violating the law. You cannot take over a public space and turn it into a church. Otherwise, you will be charged for using this space.

“You will pay ₦500,000 because we cannot allow this. We have banned loudspeakers in markets due to noise pollution, which affects people’s eardrums. You cannot force people to listen to your preaching. We are cracking down on fake pastors and prophets in Anambra.”

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho has reassigned the case of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to another judge.

This was disclosed by Kanu’s lead Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor via a statement on Saturday.

Ejimakor disclosed that Kanu is ready to face his trial because he’s convinced of his innocence.

In a statement signed by Ejimakor, he said: “Yesterday, before the legal team conducted our routine visitation to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, we received two separate official letters regarding his case. The letters are momentous and somewhat pyrrhic.

“One letter was from the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, responding to a recent letter we had written to her, seeking her prompt administrative intervention (as the administrative head of Nigerian judiciary) on the matter of a proper and lawful reassignment of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case, following the recusal of the Judge that was conducting it.

“The other letter was from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, informing us that the case has been reassigned to another Judge of the Federal High Court.

“Consequent upon these latest developments, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu instructed the legal team to publicly convey his sincere gratitudes to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for her sound administrative discretions and the despatch with which she responded to our request.

“He also expressed his profound appreciations to members of the general public who publicly expressed their support to our righteous demands that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case be reassigned to another Judge, as the law demands.

“To be sure, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has always been ready to take his trial because he is firmly convinced of his innocence. But the perverse events of the past six months (from September 2024, when the recusal happened) posed portent dangers to his constitutional rights, particularly his right to fair and speedy hearing.

“It was in view of these untoward developments that we were propelled to resort to taking extraordinary measures to ensure that his case is properly reassigned and conducted in accordance with the law.

“So, now that the first steps have been taken by the authorities to do the lawful thing, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his legal team shall take stock and hanker down to the zealous preparation of his defense.”

After 11 years of divorce, a customary Court at Rumuogba in Rivers State has stripped Mrs Kate Ngbor of continuing to bear her former husband’s name with immediate effect.

Vanguard reports that the aggrieved ex-husband, Chief Sam Ngbor, had in suit no: OCC/9/2021, asked the court to grant an order to restrain his former wife, Mrs Kate Mgbor, from continuing to bear his name.

The court granted the orders after the submissions from E. O Erhirhi Esq, counsel of the claimant and R.U Egwenre Esq, counsel for the defendant.

The court ordered that the defendant has no right, except on the express permission of the claimant, to continue to bear or answer the name “Ngbor” or “Sam-Ngbor” (as the case may be).

The court consequently, in the judgment, stripped the defendant of the name “Ngbor” or “Sam-Ngbor”. The court ordered the defendant to revert to her maiden name or any other name of her choice, excepting “Ngbor” or “Sam-Ngbor” as the case may be. The court restrained her from further bearing the name Mrs. Kate Ngbor or Mrs. Kate Sam-Ngbor (as the case may be) or further parading herself or holding herself out in this name howsoever.\

 

Russian strikes overnight had killed at least 12 people in eastern Ukraine as of Saturday morning, the country’s emergency service said, days ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia between US and Ukrainian negotiators aimed at a truce.

A Russian assault hit the centre of Dobropillia in Ukraine’s Donetsk region late Friday, killing 11 people and wounding 30, according to the emergency service.

Separately, one person was killed in a drone attack and seven others wounded early Saturday in the city of Bogodukhiv, said Kharkiv region military head Oleg Synegubov.

The overnight air raids come after US President Donald Trump threatened new sanctions and tariffs on Russia but said it may be “easier” to work with Moscow than Kyiv on efforts to end the three-year war.

After Trump publicly berated Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky during a White House meeting and suspended US aid to Kyiv in a stated bid to encourage diplomacy, the US president told reporters Friday that he trusted Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I’m finding it more difficult frankly to deal with Ukraine and they don’t have the cards,” Trump said. “It may be easier dealing with Russia.”

The remarks followed Trump earlier Friday threatening new sanctions and tariffs on Russia over its bombardments of Ukraine — his warning coming just hours after Moscow launched a “massive” drone and missile attack on Ukrainian energy facilities.

“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late,” he added.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, on the phone Friday.

On the call, Rubio underscored Trump’s goal of ending the three-year war quickly, and emphasized that “all sides must take steps to secure a sustainable peace”, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.

Zelensky is due to land in Saudi Arabia on Monday for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The meeting is a day before Ukrainian officials are expected to hold fresh talks with their US counterparts on Tuesday in the Middle Eastern kingdom.

After meeting with Prince Mohammed, Zelensky said his team “will remain in Saudi Arabia to work with our American partners”.

“Ukraine is most interested in peace,” he added.

Earlier on Friday, he renewed calls for a mutual halt to aerial attacks on critical infrastructure following the recent Russian barrage.

The Ukrainian leader said the first steps to establishing real peace should be stopping both Russian and Ukrainian aerial and naval attacks.

This latest proposal builds on growing rhetoric from Kyiv, Washington and Moscow on halting the war.

The Kremlin has previously ruled out a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine.

Moscow’s defence ministry said Saturday its air defence systems destroyed 31 Ukrainian drones over the past night, with most over the territory of Krasnodar Krai.

A Ukrainian drone attack also targeted Russia’s Kirishi oil refinery, with air defence forces shooting down one drone on approach and another over the territory of the facility, Leningrad governor Aleksandr Drozdenko wrote in a post, adding that the “external structure of one of the reservoirs was damaged by falling debris”.

A civilian was wounded by a drone attack in Belgorod district near the border, Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram.

Russia’s defence ministry confirmed earlier Friday it had carried out “precision” strikes on energy facilities.

The Ukrainian air force said it had deployed French Mirage fighter jets — delivered to Ukraine last month — for the first time to repel the aerial onslaught.

DTEK, the largest private energy supplier in Ukraine, said its facilities in the Black Sea region of Odesa had been targeted for a fourth night.

Its gas facilities in the central Poltava region had “ceased operations” after being struck in the overnight attack, it added.

 

The Federal Government has hinted that the second Operation SAFE CORRIDOR Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) Camp will soon be operational in the North-West region to encourage willing low-risk terrorists and bandits to lay down arms.

The first centre was established at Mallam Sidi in Gombe State.

The National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Major-General Adamu Garba Laka, disclosed this when he received delegation from the Alliance de Sahel from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger who were on a study tour of the centre.

Laka recalled that the deradicalisation of ex-combatants started in the Nigerian Correctional Service in 2015 and has been replicated in other custodial centres in the country due to its success.

The coordinator said: “The programme aims to deradicalise, rehabilitate and reintegrate low-risk members of the terrorist group, with the goal of remoulding them into better citizens of the nation.

“The camp has graduated almost 3,000 clients since inception. It is gladdening to inform you that the second Operation SAFE CORRIDOR DDR Camp will soon be operational in the Northwest region of Nigeria.”

He stressed that cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts was essential, as it allows countries to share information, resources and expertise.

Laka said Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin Republic demonstrated this cooperation both in kinetic and non-kinetic by agreeing to synergise their military efforts under the framework of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and set up the Multinational Joint Task Force.

Meanwhile, Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has vowed that his administration would not negotiate with terrorists.

He, however, said his government would welcome and integrate into society, any terrorist that renounces violence, and chooses to become a law-abiding citizen.

“We will not seek out terrorists in the forest to negotiate. However, if they voluntarily surrender, renounce violence, and choose to become law-abiding citizens, we are open to reintegrating them to society,” Radda clarified.

 

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed a new rule requiring applicants for green cards and visas to disclose their social media handles.

This initiative, aimed at strengthening security screening, has sparked concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of data.

The rule would apply to various immigration forms, including applications for U.S. citizenship, asylum, and adjustments of status from an H-1B visa to a green card, according to TravelBiz

The USCIS has published the proposal in the Federal Register and has invited the public to submit comments during a 60-day period.

The new requirement will extend to several immigration forms, including the N-400 for naturalization, the I-131 for advance parole, the I-485 for green card applications, and the I-589 for asylum.

Applications for refugee status and petitions for conditional residency removal will also be affected.

Reports indicate that this move by the US Immigration to request social media handles of visa applicants is part of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) effort to enhance security vetting through more comprehensive background checks.

However, immigration experts have raised concerns about how social media information will be interpreted and used.

Immigration attorney Jonathan Wasden voiced concerns over how USCIS will interpret social media activity. “It remains unclear how USCIS will interpret posts, how long they will store data, or what guidelines they will use to flag concerns,” he said.

He also warned of the potential for applicants to face denials based on online activity that may be taken out of context.

“There is also a risk that applicants could face denials based on online activity that is taken out of context,” Wasden added.

The USCIS has opened a 60-day public comment period for individuals and organizations to provide feedback on the proposed rule.

This allows the public to express concerns about its necessity, effectiveness, and impact before it is finalized.

Reports indicate that while the USCIS has assured there will be no additional costs for applicants beyond standard filing fees, the requirement for social media disclosure introduces an extra layer of scrutiny.

This could potentially complicate applications, causing delays as social media activity undergoes review.

 

This is the agonising moment a man writhed in pain after a snake bit his p3n!s and refused to let go in troubling scenes from Brazil.

The victim was seen in viral video grimacing on the ground as a friend filmed from a distance.

A third person bravely stepped in to remove the obstinate reptile with a stick, forcing the rod into the snake’s jaws in an effort to break its grip.

However, the snake refused to leave the man’s p3n!s.

Struggling for solutions, the group poured water on the snake but that had no effect.

The video, filmed in Pantanal, Brazil, was shared widely on Instagram and TikTok, with audiences sharing in horrified reaction.

Crocodile Cam, a popular animal conservationist on X, said that the snake was a king cobra, carrying a neurotoxic venom that “attacks the nerves and can cause paralysis”

“They have enough venom to k!ll 20 grown men or one adult elephant and their venom can k!ll you in as little as 15 minutes.”

The man was reportedly taken to hospital for medical treatment after the snake eventually loosened its grip on his member.

There have been no further updates on his current condition.

 

The Senator representing Katsina South, Dandutse Mohammed Muntari, has expressed displeasure over the recommendation of lifting the suspension of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan if she writes a public apology.

Natasha was suspended by the Senate yesterday for six months over alleged misconduct in the chambers.

Her suspension was done unanimously through voice votes by senators, following the adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions during plenary.

However, Committee recommendations approved and adopted by the Senate included: “That for the Senate to consider lifting the suspension, or reducing the tenure of suspension Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan shall submit a written apology to the Senate before the reconsideration by the Senate.”

Reacting to this recommendation, Dandutse said the suspended lawmaker destroyed the names of prominent members of the senate despite appeal by her colleagues.

Dandutse said: “This matter is very important for us to look at it with all sense of responsibility, because this institution is an institution that must be respected and appreciated in terms of making laws and following due process. And if you look at public discuss on this very important issue and if you look at the type of stereotype form of perception and the unfortunate situation this distinguished senator Natasha, after all the appeal made by the prominent Senators from her state, she still continued to go to the court and the public instead of referring to the committee on ethics and privileges.

“I think if we are not enforcing our constitutional responsibilities, I urge this senate to expunge the second recommendation that the Senate will consider lifting the suspension or reducing the tenure of suspension of Senator Natasha if she submit a written apology to the Senate, because she has the liberty to do what is needful as a matured and responsible woman. But despite the appeal by my neighbour, she went and destroyed the names of prominent leaders of this institution.

“So I’m against the lifting or reducing any suspension less than 6 months which was recommended by the committee.”