Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, has acknowledged that he has been the target of death threats due to his remarks on banditry linked to illicit mining in Nigeria. During a Monday visit to the explosion scene in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, he verified this. Last Tuesday, an explosion occurred on Adeyi Avenue in Bodija, Ibadan. 58 houses were damaged, 77 people were injured in varied degrees, and five people were confirmed deceased. Alake said that he has been getting threats to his life ever since he made remarks before the National Assembly on the involvement of influential and well-placed Nigerians in illicit mining.

Alake Dele Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development Written by Ademola Adegbite Please tell this story: Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, has acknowledged that he has been the target of death threats due to his remarks on banditry linked to illicit mining in Nigeria. During a Monday visit to the explosion scene in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, he verified this. Last Tuesday, an explosion occurred on Adeyi Avenue in Bodija, Ibadan. 58 houses were damaged, 77 people were injured in varied degrees, and five people were confirmed deceased. Alake said that he has been getting threats to his life ever since he made remarks before the National Assembly on the involvement of influential and well-placed Nigerians in illicit mining.

 The minister declared, "I did say categorically to the whole world that powerful Nigerians are behind the banditry associated with illegal miners in this country if you follow my budget defense at the House of Representatives or Senate." Threats were made when I publicly stated it, but we won't back down because it's necessary to speak these things out, and most people already understood what I was saying.  I just officially validated what many others had been claiming based on intelligence reports. Thus, there is a great deal of collusion between the upper, middle, and lower classes in society.

It's not a place reserved just for tall huts. It cuts through all social classes. This is a social issue, therefore, and I did mention that we were combining all of them using both kinetic and non-kinetic plans and tactics during that discussion at the budgetary defense. I am unable to provide the specifics to the public at this time as doing so would be counterproductive. However, he asserted that to stop the illegal miners' operations, the federal government was coordinating with all relevant state, municipal, and host community partners.  According to Alake, the host communities' engagement became essential since, in the end, any security plan developed by the committee will incorporate both them and the locals who are on the ground and have in-depth knowledge of the area.

One of the things that many people are unaware of that is happening even in the bush right now is that the bandits that the powerful Nigerians are supporting have heavy weapons and financial resources at their disposal. In an attempt to topple them, they even planted explosives on the ground to hinder our ground forces as they advanced through the forest. For this reason, he continued, "We need the military's presence, commitment, and engagement. "It would be presumptuous and precipitate for the government to make any solid pronouncement or definite pronouncement on the incident for now, until we have examined all the forensic analyses reports, all the investigations from all the security agencies, the mines inspectorate division of the ministry of solid minerals, and other relevant information," stated Alake, who denounced the Ibadan explosion. "For the time being, it would be premature and presumptuous for the government to make any firm or definitive statements regarding the incident until we have reviewed all of the reports from forensic analyses, all of the investigations from all security agencies, the ministry of solid minerals' mines inspectorate division, and the intelligence arms of the various agencies before making any statements."

"They are all working nonstop to make sure the government receives a legitimate and very effective forensic report. Anything before then will be assuming, hasty, and ultimately deceptive; only after this will the government be in a position to make a well-informed decision and a definitive statement.”

The late Abba Kyari and former presidential spokesperson Femi Adesina had a tense relationship from the day he was named the first Chief of Staff (CoS) to former President Muhammadu Buhari, according to Adesina's disclosure of the behind-the-scenes machinations. Even though Kyari was only following Buhari's instructions after becoming his spokesperson, Adesina said in his latest book, "Working with Buhari: reflections of a Special Adviser, Media, and Publicity (2015–2023)," that Kyari objected to his direct contact with the president.

                                                                                               Abba Kyari

In the book, he stated that Kyari, the presidential villa's main administrative officer, refused to give the media office the operational money that was required under earlier administrations and that this denial continued for five years until his death. He further disclosed that, in spite of the president's consent, Kyari had obstructed his attempts to hire staff for the media section. "But for some reason, me and him did not quite hit it off," the ex-aide to the president wrote. I made an effort to treat him with respect and establish a cordial working relationship, but he was a fairly distant individual.

Femi Adesina: "Why Abba Kyari fought me till death" January 23, 2024 Five minutes for reading peruse An Femi Adesina, a former presidential spokesperson The late Abba Kyari and former presidential spokesperson Femi Adesina had a tense relationship from the day he was named the first Chief of Staff (CoS) to former President Muhammadu Buhari, according to Adesina's disclosure of the behind-the-scenes machinations. Even though Kyari was only following Buhari's instructions after becoming his spokesperson, Adesina said in his latest book, "Working with Buhari: reflections of a Special Adviser, Media, and Publicity (2015–2023)," that Kyari objected to his direct contact with the president.

In the book, he stated that Kyari, the presidential villa's main administrative officer, refused to give the media office the operational money that were required under earlier administrations, and that this denial continued for five years until his death. He further disclosed that, in spite of the president's consent, Kyari had obstructed his attempts to hire staff for the media section. "But for some reason, me and him did not quite hit it off," the ex-aide to the president wrote. He was a bit of an aloof guy, so I made an effort to treat him with respect and establish a cordial working relationship. We merely worked at a distance since he was uncommunicative and I also tended to be distant, especially when there was warmth from the other person.

"Many things were said about him and his approach to governance, but one thing that cannot be disputed about Malam Abba, as he was commonly called, is his fervent devotion to the President."Anyone who loved Buhari would forgive all of his transgressions in my eyes. They would be as white as snow if they were as crimson. And they will resemble wool if they are as scarlet as crimson. Though I pray for Malam Kyari's soul, there are three things he did that deepened our rift.I had sent a document to the President in June 2015 suggesting that a few individuals be hired as Media Department employees.

They had gone through the campaign and struggles with us and pedestaled themselves as dyed-in-the-wool Buharists. They were from different parts of the country. “I explained that much to Mr. President the day I took the memo to him. He thanked me and said he would pass it to the SGF when he appointed one, so it would be on record. Fair enough.

The President sent the memo to the COS upon the appointment of an SGF and COS. Likewise in sequence. But for the following year, Malam Kyari did nothing but sit on it. He remained silent about it. "In the end, Garba Shehu, one of my coworkers, visited him. And he admitted to Shehu that I had brought the document straight to the President, which is why he rejected it. However, it was obvious that it was June. At that time, he wasn't even appointed.

 The second concerned the Media Department's financing. There was no designated budget line; instead, money was often given as needed by the NSA office. Dr. Reuben Abati and Ima Niboro, two of my predecessors, had briefed me before I made my consultations. In the world, media and PR are not cheap, yet you would be amazed at how much we managed to do without spending a single penny during a five-year period. I went to meet with the newly appointed NSA and briefed him on how PR was often sponsored from his office. It was a Friday, and he vowed to do whatever it took to help the guy we had come to serve and me succeed.

The NSA entered my office with both hands up exactly one week after the Jumat service. I enquired as to what was wrong. He informed me that he had obtained a note from the President specifying that his office was to be used for funding nothing at all, with the exception of security. Given that, I could no longer hold him to the commitment he had given me.

"I replied I would see the President and thanked him. I also did. There in the home, that very night. I recall that the only people waiting to meet him were General Dambazau and me. My elder buddy and I discussed the reason for my visit with him.That after more than three months, funding for media and PR had not yet been provided startled him.When he inquired about our method, I said that Shehu and I were employing goodwill. "The President acknowledged that he issued the directive and provided an explanation when I met with him and told him about my experience with the NSA." The previous president is quoted in the book as saying:

"A lot of work was done through the NSA office, and no records were kept." That is not what I desire. We'll start an investigation into the office's operations (which was finally completed), and you'll witness what transpired there. I want the media to stop receiving funding from that source. Let the Chief of Staff decide how we would finance the media when you meet with him.

He added that after thanking Buhari, he was going to leave. Adesina continues her story by saying, "I went to visit the COS at the office the next day. He began to repeat, "No, no, no," angrily, as soon as I opened my mouth to speak. Nothing in the media is financed here. This does not fund the media. He refused to even give me an opportunity to speak. And I left his office, never to return to the President, lest I seem like someone who was only looking for funds for what I would gain. Before the SGF, Boss Mustapha, learned about it and created a budget line from his office, the media received nothing for the first five years.

"Although it fell short of the requirements, it was still better than nothing."Third meeting. The President had been requested to visit by a highly esteemed retired general in the nation. He frequently applied through the COS office, which is the appropriate route. He never heard back. He called me, explaining that the matter he wished to address was very important, and urged me to step in. I went to the President and explained to him why the General should come visit him.The President just said: ‘Tell SCOP to schedule him for 8:00 pm tomorrow in the house.’

After spreading the news, I headed to my workplace. My intercom rang after five minutes of not sitting down. The COS was the one who requested that I visit his office.As soon as I walked in, he began to shout, asking, "Why did you get an appointment for Gen.." For what reason did you? You constantly trail after me when speaking with the President. You must put an end to it. "Recall what the President told me the day I started working again: "Do not allow anyone to prevent you from seeing me." Come see me whenever you need to.

Throughout the eight years, I never misused that rain check and only visited the President when absolutely required. Additionally, he was always kind to me.However, it seems that it created a problem with Malam Abba, so although we weren't exactly friendly, we weren't adversaries either.Malam Abba was tragically among the many deserving people who perished during the deadly coronavirus outbreak that struck in 2019 and lasted for the majority of the next two years. It had a profound effect on me.

The So-Safe Corps, an Ogun State community safety group, has detained Biola Adebesin, a well-known robbery suspect who frequently targets houses of worship, in a decisive effort to reduce crime. The arrest in Ogun State's Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area represents a major win in the fight against burglary and theft. Goal: Houses of Worship Adebesin has been connected to several church robberies, including those from Baba Ode, Cherubim and Seraphim, Onibuku, Redeemed Christian Church of God, and Stronghold Ministry.

The stolen items, which include phones, a mixer engine, a decoder, two Yamaha keyboards, and other accessories, build a picture of a suspect who has a particular method of operation and targets houses of worship. Taking Place and Engaging in Debate Following a scuffle with So-Safe Corps officials, the suspect was taken into custody.

Adebesin attempted to flee quickly by dropping the stolen goods he was carrying during the incident. But thanks to his distinguishable characteristics, he was later recognized and taken into custody at a hotel. Awaiting more research and legal action Adebesin is being held at the Onipaanu Divisional Police Headquarters after admitting to the thefts. His detention pending more inquiry and possible legal action is a major milestone in the effort to end church thievery in Ogun State.

Authorities claim there has been the death of a prosecutor looking into last week's attack on a TV station in Ecuador. According to the attorney general, César Suárez was shot and died on Wednesday in the port city of Guayaquil, Guayas province. It's unclear if Mr. Suarez's murder has anything to do with his probe into the attack on the TV station. Last week's dramatic event saw masked individuals breaking into the studio of public TV station TC during a live broadcast and threatening the hosts with guns.

While station employees were made to sit or lie on the studio floor, journalist Jose Luis Calderon was seen appealing to the gunmen in images that were shown live on television. The attack caused a fractured arm for one cameraman and a gunshot wound to another, according to TC's deputy director of news. According to the local media, Mr. Suárez was shot as he was driving close to his office. Another car on social media with gunshot holes in the glass is shown in unverified footage.

                                                                                                   Mr. Suárez

One day before he passed away, Mr. Suárez stated he had not received police protection even though he had questioned the 13 persons detained after the attack on the TV station in an interview with the publication El Universo. His murder is the most recent in a string of violent events that have rocked Ecuador, including the explosions in many towns, the escape of two gang leaders from jail, and the kidnapping of hundreds of prison guards. President Daniel Noboa responded by ordering the military to "neutralize" 22 armed groups, which he reclassified as terrorist groups, and imposing a 60-day state of emergency.

Attorney General Diana Salazar responded to Mr. Suarez's passing by saying, "With the fight against organized crime, it is impossible not to be broken by the death of a colleague." In his honor, we shall not waver—for justice, the nation, and him."César, I am grateful for your efforts. Peace be with you, "said the woman on X, the previous Twitter platform.

AFCON 2024 Top Scorers 22nd January 2024

1.       Emilio Nsue                                        EquatorialGuinea  5 goals

          Lopez.

3.       Baghdad                                             Algeria.                 3goals

          Bounedjah.

3.       Lamine Camara                                 Senegal                2 goals

3.       Bertrand Traore                                  Burkina Faso.      2goals

3.       M.Kudus                                            Ghana                   2goals

3.       Mostafa M.                                         Egypt.                   2goals

3.       Themba Zwane                                   South Africa          2goals

3.       Lassine Sinayoko                                Mali                      2goals

3.       Gelson Dala                                                 Angola                   2goals

Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka Demands an Investigation Into Corruption in the APC of Nigeria In a recent televised interview, Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka expressed worries about corruption inside the All Progressives Congress (APC), the leading party in Nigeria. The celebrated author and political critic, who will soon turn ninety, demanded that certain leaders be held accountable for their acts while they were in government.

Soyinka called for an investigation by anti-graft organizations like as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into allegations of corruption made against APC members. Even though he acknowledged President Bola Tinubu as a "doughty fighter" in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) era, Soyinka emphasized that no one should be shielded from criticism or examination in the present for their previous actions.

                                                                                                                               Pep Guardiola

After a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in the championship match, Manchester City raised their first Champions League trophy in May. However, in front of their September opening against Red Star Belgrade, Pep Guardiola downplayed their accomplishment. "It will be simpler. The first one is the toughest to win," he remarked. Winning the Champions League once is not a huge thing. "While it is amazing for our team to win the Champions League, consider how many teams have ever won one? A great deal.

With just one, we haven't accomplished anything particularly noteworthy, but we are proud."

Ron DeSantis was the target of months of derision and scorn from Donald Trump, but on Sunday night, the Florida governor stopped his campaign for president and praised the outgoing leader, marking DeSantis as his newest ally. It has become a routine for Trump to accept support from those who have challenged him. But, it was noteworthy that Trump praised DeSantis at Sunday's event in New Hampshire without referring to him as "DeSantimonious" or "DeSanctus," ending what may have been the most acrimonious battle amongst Republicans running for president in 2024.

                                                                                                                          RON DESANTIS

 Trump began his speech by saying, "I just want to thank Ron and congratulate him on doing a very good job." He was so kind and gave me his blessing. Thank you for that, and I'm excited to collaborate with Ron. DeSantis was called "a terrific person" by Trump. DeSantis said via video earlier in the day that he would be suspending his candidacy two days before the nation's first-ever GOP primary in New Hampshire. Despite Trump's excitement on Sunday night, the endorsement wasn't very warm. "It's evident to me that the majority of Republican primary voters wish to offer Donald Trump another opportunity," DeSantis stated, delivering a detached appraisal while wearing a forced grin and excluding any compliments for the candidate.

He went on, "I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee, and I will honor that pledge," before making fun of Nikki Haley, the last competitor. The former governor of South Carolina and U.N. ambassador, according to DeSantis, is a stand-in for "the old Republican guard of yesteryear, a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism." Trump gave off the impression that he was unaffected by DeSantis' strategy and that they were fellow political fighters. In Rochester on Sunday night, Trump remarked, "I will tell you it's not easy."

They believe that performing these things is simple, don't they? It's not simple. Then, without further ado, Trump launched into his standard rally address, hurling barbs at President Joe Biden, the political establishment, Washington's "warmongers" and "the deep state," as well as the criminal justice system, which has four times indicted him and has 91 felony charges pending in various trial stages. He spent a greater amount of time attacking Haley than praising DeSantis, portraying her as an instrument of the political establishment that he has disregarded. He pledged to reverse inflation and put an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, but he did not provide any specific ideas. Instead, he offered broad pledges of peace and prosperity. And he kept telling falsehoods about how fraud caused him to lose to Biden in 2020.

Throughout, a raucous audience in Rochester's old opera theater yelled, sang, and laughed. In response, Trump said, "The great silent majority is rising like never before." DeSantis has endorsed the former president along with other unsuccessful GOP candidates, including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas, and Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, both suspended their campaigns and refused to support Trump; on Saturday, Hutchinson backed Haley.

On Sunday night, 64-year-old Brenda Moneypenny of Alton waited two hours in the cold to see Trump. Moneypenny said she had given Haley some thought, particularly because of the opportunity to elect the first female president, and she quickly produced her driver's license to verify her last name. But the independent with a Republican-leaning says she never gave DeSantis a thought. Of the governor, Moneypenny said, "Too flim-flamsy." "He needs more capable campaign staff. There isn't anybody giving him any favors at the moment. She finally decided on Trump, calling him "tried and true."

Throughout the campaign, the former president appeared to take great pleasure in making fun of DeSantis, frequently expressing that he had a personal grievance because he saw the governor's choice to run as a betrayal of his trust. DeSantis, a congressman at the time, received Trump's support in the fierce 2018 GOP primary for governor of Florida. In the end, DeSantis prevailed in both the primary and general elections. However, DeSantis was preparing for his own White House candidacy by the time he easily won reelection four years later. In November of last year, Trump visited Florida and spoke to an animated group of people at a state GOP gathering while holding a placard that said, "Florida is Trump Country."

 Trump did not bring up DeSantis during his address that evening until over thirty minutes into it. Even then, it was only to boast about his advantages over the governor according to surveys. Trump said that DeSantis had pleaded with him for his support, saying, "I endorsed him, and he became a rocket ship in 24 hours." He now resembles an injured bird that is plummeting from the sky. Trump refrained from debating DeSantis or any other opponent in 2024. Until someone demonstrates that they pose a danger to his candidacy, he has stated he won't. In recent months, DeSantis has focused his campaign mostly in Iowa, where he placed second in last week's caucuses, trailing Trump by 30 percentage points and just ahead of Haley.

Haley, meanwhile, has long prioritized New Hampshire as a potential springboard ahead of her home-state South Carolina primary next month. In Iowa, APVoteCast surveys of caucusgoers suggested DeSantis's supporters were much more likely than Haley's to consider themselves conservatives who would back Trump no matter what if he wins the nomination and faces President Joe Biden in November. If that trend holds in New Hampshire, then Trump could expect at least some boost from DeSantis dropping out, and whatever he gets could stretch out his margin and frustrate Haley's ability to claim any momentum.

Trump's advisors have stated that they anticipate a significant movement in DeSantis' national support toward Trump. On Sunday, Trump said that he had won the 2016 primary in New Hampshire by almost 20 points. In general elections, he was defeated twice in the battleground state. Trump will be balancing the pressures of running for another term with his legal issues in the final hours of the New Hampshire campaign. Trump will be in New York on Monday for a civil defamation trial related to a columnist's allegations that he molested her.

After that, he has an evening rally in Laconia slated when he returns to New Hampshire. He remarked, "I don't have to be there," about the judicial procedures. "I'd appreciate your prayers. But see, things are as they are. His first criminal trial is set to start on March 5, the day before the Super Tuesday primary slate, on allegations that he is accountable for his followers' attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. It's a shame, according to Trump.

Leading NATO officials said on Thursday that the organization would begin its largest military exercises in decades next week. Approximately 90,000 soldiers will participate in months of training meant to demonstrate the alliance's ability to defend all of its territory up to its border with Russia. The drills take place as Russia's conflict with Ukraine drags on.

NATO does not directly participate in the war; its role is limited to providing non-lethal assistance to Kyiv. However, many member nations have sent arms and ammunition, either individually or in bulk, as well as military expertise. NATO started bolstering security on its eastern border with Russia and Ukraine in the months before President Vladimir Putin's decision for Russian forces to enter Ukraine in February 2022. This is the largest alliance build-up since the end of the Cold War. The goal of the war exercises is to dissuade Russia from attacking one of the member nations.

Cristiano Ronaldo has identified two other teams who are vying for Europe's top trophy in the Champions League, but he feels that Manchester City has a "good chance" of winning it again this year. The 38-year-old, a five-time Champions League champion with Real Madrid, revealed the information while giving a speech at the 2023 Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai.

Here he listed Real Madrid and Bayern Munich as the other favorites after saying that Manchester City had a "good chance" to win the Champions League once more.

Although it was virtually a given that Ronaldo would mention Los Blancos, he gave Manchester City, managed by Pep Guardiola, more credit than that team—a group with which he was strongly associated in 2021. "I firmly believe that Manchester City will emerge victorious in the Champions League this year," he went on. "I hope not, but I believe they have a chance [to win]."

                                                                                                                               Pep Guardiola