Group tackles Natasha over call for drug test on senators
Some indigenes of Kogi West Senatorial District on Sunday, rose in defence of their senator, Sunday Karimi over the verbal tirade between him and Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the embattled Senator of Kogi Central who is currently on suspension from the national assembly, noting that her call for periodic drug tests was apt and self-indicting.
The indigenes said the embattled senator’s advice was in order, considering the fact that her conduct since she refused to obey a simple sitting arrangement rule at the Senate, had truly called for a drug test to ascertain if she was free from the influence of substance.
The constituents were responding to a statement by the embattled Senator, where she called for periodic drug tests for senators, in response to a statement by Karimi.
Their reaction came through a statement signed by the Chairman, Kogi West Patriotic Assembly, Ayodele Joshua, PhD; and Secretary, Kareem Adigun.
Senator Karimi had said former Governor Yahaya Bello had been vindicated by the embarassment Akpoti-Uduaghan had brought on the Senate and Nigeria as a whole.
The Kogi West Indigenes, who swiftly rose in his defence after Akpoti-Uduaghan’s response, told him not to engage in a war of words with her, stating that they were well positioned to give the embattled Senator the right response.
“Our attention has been drawn to a rejoinder by the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly, Mrs. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, to Senator Sunday Karimi’s comments on her conduct at the National Assembly, which recommended drug tests for serving senators.
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TikTok removes 2.4 million videos by Nigerian users in Q4 2024
Bytedance’s short video platform, TikTok, said it removed 2.4 million videos posted by Nigerian users in the fourth quarter of 2024 for violating its content policy.
According to the platform, Nigeria was among the top 50 countries where videos violating its policies emanated from in Q4.
However, the highest number of violations were recorded in the United States, which has the largest number of videos removed at 8.5 million.
ikTok disclosed this in its latest Community Guidelines Enforcement report, which indicated that a total of 153 million videos were removed globally in the period under review.
The company said the top 50 markets in terms of policy violations accounted for approximately 90% of all content removals for the quarter.
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The removed content was said to have violated one or more of TikTok’s policies, which center around Integrity and Authenticity, Privacy and Security, Mental and Behavioural Health, Safety, and Civility, among others.
In the period under review, TikTok said it removed a total of 211.5 million accounts discovered to be either fake or owned by people suspected to be under 13 years of age.
“We remain vigilant in our efforts to detect external threats and safeguard the platform from fake accounts and engagement.
“These threats persistently probe and attack our systems, leading to occasional fluctuations in the reported metrics within these areas.
“In Q4 2024, we also updated the way we classify fake likes and followers removed over time, which contributed to some of the overall increases observed in these categories.
“This update better reflects the scale of our existing work to promptly identify and remove any accounts, content, or activities that seek to artificially boost popularity on our platform,” the company stated in the report.
Two children killed, 20 injured in Gombe stampede – Police
The Police Force Gombe State Command has confirmed the death of two children following a stampede at the Gombe main Eid Ground.
The Command’s spokesperson, Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Gombe.
According to Abdullahi, the incident occurred at about 10:45 a.m. at the exit gate of the Eid Ground, immediately after the conclusion of Eid prayers.
“The stampede was caused by inadequate exit access, as a large crowd, primarily women and children, rushed to leave the venue.
“The situation, worsened by intense heat, led to the unfortunate incident,” he said.
He said that 22 individuals were affected and were immediately taken to hospitals for medical attention.
“Regrettably, two of the victims, a four-year-old boy, and six months old baby girl, were pronounced dead by doctors while receiving treatment,” Abdullahi added.
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He extended the command’s condolences to the bereaved families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
“The police urge Eid Ground managers to ensure that all entrance and exit gates remain open to facilitate smooth movement, especially after prayers,” he advised.
In a related development, Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has condoled with the families of the deceased and those affected by the tragedy.
In a statement issued by his media aide on Sunday, the governor directed a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the stampede, with the aim of preventing future occurrences.
“The safety and well-being of our citizens remain a top priority. The state government is committed to learning from this incident and implementing corrective measures,” Yahaya said.
He also directed that all medical expenses for the injured victims be fully covered by the state government to ensure their recovery and well-being.
(NAN)
Wike’s achievements will translate into electoral success for APC in 2027, says Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has praised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for his outstanding performance, expressing confidence that his achievements could translate into electoral success for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 FCT elections—despite Wike still being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Tinubu made the remarks at the State House, Abuja, on Sunday during a traditional Sallah homage by a delegation of prominent FCT residents to mark Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.
The President commended Wike’s leadership, noting that several infrastructure projects initiated under his administration, have significantly improved the lives of Abuja residents.
“I must thank the Honorable Minister of FCT. It’s worth it. It is nothing other than a privilege to be the landlord of every one of us in Abuja,” Tinubu said.
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He recalled a conversation where Wike requested exemption from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to enable greater financial flexibility for FCT projects.
Tinubu humorously recounted his response:”I asked him, ‘Would that give me an opportunity for my party (APC) to win the election in FCT?’ If this thing goes too much in your favour, you will lose your job!’”
“Today, we are living in peace, and security is improving. The hunger is coming down. Food prices are lowering. Our people are looking for results, and Wike has delivered,” Tinubu added.
Tinubu noted that despite being from the South-South, Wike is successfully driving progress in the Northern-dominated FCT.
“Surprisingly, Nyesom Wike is not from the North. He’s not a Hausa man. Yet his ability to work in the centre of the North is yielding fruits. That is a great reflection of our diversity that we must use for prosperity.”
The President urged Nigerians to embrace unity, stating that, regardless of ethnic and religious differences, progress is only possible through collaboration and shared purpose.
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