Author: Alade Adisa

Airtel Africa, a telecommunications and mobile money services provider, says it has appointed Dinesh Balsingh as the new Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria .Airtel Africa, Chief Executive Officer, Sunil Taldar in a statement on Tuesday said the appointment was effective on Nov. 1, 2024.He noted that with the appointment, Balsingh had also become a member of the Executive Council for the Airtel Africa Group.Taldar said Balsingh was taking over from Carl Cruz, who returned to his home country, the Philippines, at the end of October.According to him, Balsingh has extensive experience across the telecommunications industry and comes back to…

Two Nigerians, Anthony Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, were on Monday sentenced to a combined 30 years in prison by a United States federal court for defrauding American citizens of $3.5 million. In a statement published on the US Department of Justice website, the duo was said to have orchestrated a romance scam, luring victims with false claims of inheriting substantial fortunes that required upfront payments to access. The statement explained that law enforcement conducted an undercover investigation that exposed the fraud schemes. It read, “An undercover law enforcement investigation has resulted in federal prison sentences for two Nigerian nationals residing…

The Port Harcourt Refinery in Rivers State has officially resumed crude oil processing, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s energy sector. According to Femi Soneye, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the refinery is set to operate at 60 percent capacity, processing 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day (bpd).This development is part of ongoing efforts to boost domestic refining capacity and reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported petroleum products.Details later.

The Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, has criticized Nigeria’s leadership history, describing President Bola Tinubu, former President Muhammadu Buhari, and many past leaders as products of an “accidental leadership cycle.” Speaking in Abuja during the commissioning of the new Start-Rite School building and the 4th Amaka Ndoma-Egba Memorial Lecture, Kukah argued that several Nigerian leaders assumed power without adequate preparation, especially in a world with increasingly complex governance demands. The Presidency, however, countered Kukah’s remarks, asserting that President Tinubu should not be categorized as an accidental leader. It emphasized that Tinubu was well-prepared for the presidency and…

Manchester United had to settle for a point at Ipswich in Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge despite striker Marcus Rashford providing the perfect start with his 81-second opener. Omari Hutchinson levelled for Ipswich before the break, with United keeper Andre Onana twice denying Liam Delap with stunning saves. It was a disappointing outcome for Amorim as his side struggled to contain Ipswich at times and found the home defence in defiant mood when it did seem an opportunity would come. Skipper Bruno Fernandes flashed a late free-kick wide but Ipswich fully deserved their point and without Onana would have…

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has said that the country has saved $20bn by abolishing the petrol subsidy and adopting market-based foreign exchange pricing. Edun said this at an event in Abuja marking the first 100 days in office of Esther Walso-Jack, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. President Bola Tinubu had in May last year announced the removal of fuel subsidy effective June. This led to an increase in petrol prices across states in the country. Speaking on the development, Edun said that subsidies were costing the country about five…

Ojochenemi Onje, a BusinessDay newspaper’s defence correspondent was on Friday abducted. She was abducted by kidnappers commonly called “one chance operators” on her way from office in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Meanwhile, she has regained her freedom from the kidnappers. The female journalist’s freedom was confirmed on Saturday morning by some of her colleagues. Though, it is not clear whether any ransom was paid to secure her release. No statement on the development from authorities as at the time of filing this report.

… Dismantles drug syndicate run by Chinese man The head of a cocaine distribution cartel, Ndive Maxwell Obinna, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA. The 42-year-old was arrested with five of his associates at Ago Palace Way in Okota, Isolo, Lagos. A total of 2.412 kilograms of cocaine were recovered from them. Other members of the drug trafficking organization arrested along Obinna include: Okeke Gloria Ifeoma who is the syndicate’s stash keeper; Ikechebelu Emmanuel Chibuzor; Okorie Onyedikachi; Okonkwo Nnabugo Prince; and Okafor Blessing Anita. Chinese man’s cartel dismantled In a related development, another…

IA good news has come the way of Nigerians as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery announced on Sunday that it has reduced the price of its Premium Motor Spirit from N990 per litre to N970/litre. According to a Punch report, this is the amount marketers would buy the product from the refinery. The Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer of the Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, in a statement released on Sunday, said the reduction was to appreciate Nigerians as the year ends. The statement read, “As the year comes to an end, this is our way of appreciating the good people…

The founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has alerted Nigerian security operatives about an impending attack on traditional rulers in the country. In a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele revealed that the terrorists are planning to kidnap Emirs and attack palaces across the country between December and February 2025. He added that there would also be a high influx of attacks on farmers. “There will be attacks against Emirs, farmers, and palaces across the country. They are planning to kidnap Emirs and farmers between December and February next year,” the cleric stated.…