The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has reacted to the circulation of pictures and videos of new N2,000 and N5,000 banknotes in the country.
There were rumors over the weekend that some persons were in possession of such banknotes
However, the apex bank on its official Twitter page, said such videos and pictures of N2000 banknotes was fake and false.
The post read: “Videos and pictures of purported circulation of N2,000:00 and N5,000:00 banknotes are false and fake.”
CBN directed the public to report anyone found in possession of such banknotes to law enforcement agencies.
“Members of the public are advised to disregard such falsehood and to report anyone found in possession of such banknotes to the law enforcement agencies,” it added.
Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, has reacted to the rape and murder of a University of Benin student, Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, in one of the branches of his church.
Omozuwa’s attackers reportedly smashed her head with a fire extinguisher and left her unconscious around the Ikpoba Hill area of Benin City, the state capital, about four days ago.
Despite being rushed to the intensive care unit of a hospital, Omozuwa couldn’t make it as she succumbed to the injuries sustained during the savage attack.
Friends and all those who knew her closely have been paying tribute and calling for the perpetrators of the crime to be brought to justice.
Adeboye, in a terse statement on his official Instagram page, condemned the tragedy.
He wrote, “All I can do at this time is to pray for the family of Omozuwa and do everything possible, working with relevant authorities to bring the perpetrators to book.
“I and members of my family condemn this act strongly and urge everyone to stay calm, as we are already looking into the matter and cooperating with the police to establish the facts of the shocking situation.”
Following the outcome of tests conducted on close family members of a late member of the Abia State Executive Council and member of the inter-ministerial committee on COVID-19, the Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has directed all those who might have recently come in contact with the late commissioner, Solomon Ogunji, to immediately undergo COVID-19 tests and isolate themselves.
According to the state Commissioner for Information, Chief John Kalu, Ikpeazu, who is still in mourning, will also subject himself to all other necessary protocols as he has directed his exco members, including the deputy, to do.
The Edo State Police Command said it had commenced investigation into the death of a 100-level student of the University of Benin, Uwaila Omozuwa.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Uwaila, who went to read in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Miracle Sanctuary Mega Parish, Edo Province 10, Ikpoba Hill area of Benin City on May 27, 2020, was allegedly raped and assaulted by assailants.
It was gathered that the men forced their way into the church, where they raped and struck Uwaila in the head with a fire extinguisher.
Our correspondent learnt that the church security guard, who had just resumed duty, wanted to collect the key to the church when he discovered that someone was already inside.
The guard, who found Uwaila in a pool of blood, reportedly called for help and the victim was rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the victim did not recover from her state of unconsciousness until she died on Saturday.
Our correspondent learnt that the incident was reported at the Oregbeni Police Station.
The victim’s mother, in a video posted by @town_crierng on Twitter, lamented that Uwaila died despite buying all the drugs they were asked to purchase.
She said, “I saw a friend, who came to visit me, off and before I came back, someone had called my telephone thrice. When I got back, my children told me that a church member, Mummy Osunla, had called me and when I called her back, she asked where I was and told me that I should come and that she did not know what had happened to my daughter.
“I ran to the place but before I got there, they already took her to a private hospital and when I saw my daughter, I cried. They raped her; the dress she was wearing that morning was white, but it had turned to red; all her body was full of blood. Her mouth and eyes were tied; the hoodlums used a fire extinguisher to hit her head, which left a deep cut.
“We were asked to take her for an X-ray on her head; I did not have money but my church members tried and money was raised and we bought all the drugs that we were asked to buy, but Uwa could not make it. She was unable to say anything till she died; it was just tears that were coming out from her eyes.”
The victim’s father, in the same video, stated that he was unable to celebrate the victim’s admission into the university before she died after seeking admission for five years.
“It was not a mistake; it was not a fault; it was not stubbornness for her to go to the church to study. She had been going there for several years. She struggled for five years before she gained admission into UNIBEN. I was waiting to celebrate her admission before she died.”
Also reacting to the incident, the elder sister of the victim, Mrs Sandra Ogeamie, called for justice on behalf of the family.
She stated, “I called one of my younger sisters on the day of the incident, because it had been long since I heard from her, but she did not pick her call at first and when she picked it, she told me that she was in the hospital because our younger sister was raped.
“I was shocked but I kept thinking that the situation could be managed, but she called me yesterday (Saturday) that Uwaila was dead and when I asked her what happened, I was told that she went to read inside the church and some guys came in and raped her and used a fire extinguisher to smash her head.
“Please we need justice, because the new pastor in charge of the parish is saying the incident did not happen inside the church. Please fight for me.”
Nigerian actress, Adesua Etomi-Wellington, while calling for justice for Uwaila, tweeted, “I can’t post the pictures I’ve seen of Uwa. She went to church to study. She was 22. She was brutally raped and beaten. The culprits are on the run. Uwa could have been any of us. #JusticeForUwa.”
A former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dr Joe Abah, called on the police to bring the culprits to justice.
“This is utterly condemnable. The @PoliceNG must ensure that there is #JusticeForUwa,” he wrote.
A Twitter account that creates content for women, @fabWomanOnline tweeted, “She thought she was in the safest place on Earth (a church) and yet not only was she raped, she was also killed in the most brutalizing way ever. The culprits must face the law #JusticeForUwa.”
The Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Chidi Nwabuzor, who said the command would investigate the incident, stated that the deceased’s father reported a case of assault to the police.
Nwabuzor said, “The command got to know about the incident today (Sunday); according to the DPO of the Oregbeni Police Station, CSP Lawrence, the father of the deceased reported a case of assault occasioning harm against some hoodlums, who attacked the daughter, while she was in church, and got her injured.
“According to the DPO, he immediately mobilised his detectives to the scene, where they took the deceased alive to hospital and after some days, she passed away. Unfortunately, they were unable to get a statement from her, because she was in a state of unconsciousness and there was no eyewitness to say what happened.
“The command will take up the investigation; we will first look at what the father reported to the police and see if it will lead us to something else.”
The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, on his Twitter handle, @GovernorObaseki, urged the police to investigate the incident and ensure that the culprits were brought to justice.
He tweeted, “I have ordered the Nigeria Police Force (@PoliceNG) to thoroughly investigate the circumstances that led to the death of Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, a 100-level student of the University of Benin (UNIBEN).
“The @PoliceNG has been mandated to identify, arrest and prosecute anyone found culpable in her death. The Violence Against Persons (VAP) Law is in effect in our state. #JusticeForUwa.
“Using this law, we would ensure to investigate what exactly transpired and deal decisively with those found complicit in the dastardly act, whoever they might be. #JusticeForUwa.”
Reacting to the incident, the management of UNIBEN also condemned the action of the assailants.
The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Lilian Salami, in a statement by the Public Relations Officer, Benedicta Ehanire, stated that the assailants’ action must not be condoned by the society.
The statement read, “The management of the University of Benin has received with great shock the news of the rape and subsequent murder of one of its students, Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, 100-level, Microbiology Department.
“Reacting on behalf of management, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Lilian Salami, said the actions are condemnable and should not be condoned by any society. She said the current pandemic was already hard on everyone and that compounding it with inflicting additional pain on any family is a wicked act.
“While commiserating with the bereaved family on the loss of their dear daughter, Prof. Salami prayed to God to grant her soul peaceful rest. The vice-chancellor then used the opportunity to call on students of the institution and indeed all young people to be wary of the company they keep and the places they visit. Meanwhile, a delegation has been sent by the university’s management to commiserate with the bereaved family.”
Meanwhile, the RCCG has condoled the family of the victim and urged the police to get to the root of the matter and bring the killers to justice.
The Head, Media and Public Relations, RCCG, Pastor Olaitan Olubiyi, told PUNCH Metro that the victim was a chorister in the parish.
Olubiyi said, “The church wishes to commiserate with the family, because it is a great loss; somebody has lost a daughter and a promising member of the family. We are saddened by the occurrence.
“The lady was a member of the choir in one of our parishes and from the report we have, the lady had been going to collect the key to the church to read her books, which she had been using for her private study.
“On May 27, 2020, she did the same thing and it was not until the night guard was to resume that the incident was discovered. Nobody knew what happened. When the guard resumed, he found the lady in a pool of her blood half-naked. The parents were called in, the police were informed and everybody was notified.
“Eventually, she was taken from one hospital to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. And we learnt that she gave up last night (Saturday). It is really sad for us, because we have lost a great member and we pray that the Lord will help the family at this time.”
Protesters have clashed with police in cities across the US over the killing of an unarmed African-American man at the hands of officers in Minneapolis.
Minnesota’s governor said the tragedy of the death of George Floyd in police custody had morphed into “something much different – wanton destruction”.
New York, Atlanta, Portland and other cities have seen violence, while the White House was briefly locked down.
An ex-Minneapolis policeman has been charged with murder over the death.
In pictures: Unrest spreads across US
Why has a US city gone up in flames?
Derek Chauvin, who is white, was shown in footage kneeling on 46-year-old Mr Floyd’s neck on Monday. He and three other officers have since been sacked.
Mr Chauvin, 44, is due to appear in court in Minneapolis for the first time on Monday.
A protester throws a fire extinguisher into a burning building overnight in Minneapolis
President Donald Trump has described the incident as “a terrible, terrible thing” and said he had spoken with Mr Floyd’s family, whom he described as “terrific people”.
The Floyd case has reignited US anger over police killings of black Americans, and reopened deep wounds over racial inequality across the nation.
It follows the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and others, which have all occurred since the Black Lives Matter movement was sparked by the acquittal of neighbourhood watchman George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in 2012.
What’s the latest on the protests?
Minnesota remains the most volatile region, with curfews ordered for the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-Saint Paul from 20:00 to 06:00 on Friday and Saturday evening.
Protesters defied the curfew on Friday. Fires, many from burning cars, were visible in a number of areas with fire officials unable to reach some sites.
Television pictures also showed looting in Minneapolis, with police officers thin on the ground.
Prosecutor details charges of murder and manslaughter
Only at about midnight (05:00 GMT) did police and National Guard troops move in in any numbers, the Star Tribune reports.
State Governor Tim Walz, in an early morning press briefing, described the situation as “chaotic, dangerous and unprecedented”.
He said he took responsibility for “underestimating the wanton destruction and the sheer size of this crowd” when questioned about the lack of police on the streets.
He said the Guard deployment was the largest in state history but admitted “there’s simply more of them than us”. He said those on the streets “don’t give one damn” about the stay-at-home order.
The Pentagon has put the military on alert for possible deployment in Minneapolis.
Twitter hides Trump tweet for ‘glorifying violence’
On Friday evening, crowds gathered near the White House in Washington waving photographs of Mr Floyd and chanting “I can’t breathe” – invoking his last words and those of Eric Garner, a black man who died after being held in a police chokehold in New York in 2014.
The White House was then temporarily placed on lockdown, with the US Secret Service closing entrances and exits.
In Atlanta, a state of emergency was declared for some areas to protect people and property. Buildings were vandalised and a police vehicle was set alight as protesters gathered near the offices of news broadcaster CNN.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued a passionate plea, saying: “This is not a protest. This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. You are disgracing our city. You are disgracing the life of George Floyd.”
A police car burns as protesters gather near the CNN offices in Atlanta, Georgia
In New York’s Brooklyn district, protesters clashed with police, throwing projectiles, starting fires and destroying police vehicles. A number of officers were injured and many arrests made.
Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted: “We don’t ever want to see another night like this.”
The mayor of Portland, Oregon, has declared a state of emergency amid looting, fires and an attack on a police precinct. An immediate curfew until 06:00 local time (13:00 GMT) was imposed and it will restart at 20:00.
Protesters use milk to treat the sting of tear gas in New York City
In Detroit, police are investigating after a 19-year-old man was killed when a vehicle pulled up to protesters and shots were fired into the crowd.
In Dallas, officers launched tear gas canisters after they were pelted with stones, with tear gas also fired in Phoenix, Indianapolis and Denver.
Protesters blocked roads in Los Angeles and also in Oakland, where windows were smashed and “Kill Cops” graffiti sprayed.
What are the legal moves so far?
Mr Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter over his role in Mr Floyd’s death.
Mr Floyd’s family and their lawyer, Benjamin Crump, said that this was “welcome but overdue”.
The family said they wanted a more serious, first-degree murder charge as well as the arrest of the three other officers involved.
Derek Chauvin is due to appear in court in Minneapolis on Monday
Hennepin County Prosecutor Mike Freeman said he “anticipates charges” for the other officers but would not offer more details.
Mr Freeman said his office “charged this case as quickly as evidence has been presented to us”.
“This is by far the fastest that we’ve ever charged a police officer,” he noted.
According to the criminal complaint, Mr Chauvin acted with “a depraved mind, without regard for human life”.
Meanwhile, Mr Chauvin’s wife has filed for divorce, her lawyers say.
How did George Floyd die?
The full report by the county medical examiner has not been released, but the complaint states that the post-mortem examination did not find evidence of “traumatic asphyxia or strangulation”.
The medical examiner noted Mr Floyd had underlying heart conditions and the combination of these, “potential intoxicants in his system” and being restrained by the officers “likely contributed to his death”.
Demonstrations and protests have continued since Mr Floyd’s death in police custody on Monday
The report says Mr Chauvin had his knee on Mr Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds – almost three minutes of which was after Mr Floyd became non-responsive.
Nearly two minutes before he removed his knee the other officers checked Mr Floyd’s right wrist for a pulse and were unable to find one. He was taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center in an ambulance and pronounced dead around an hour later.
The Minnesota police handbook states that officers trained on how to compress a detainee’s neck without applying direct pressure to the airway can use a knee under its use-of-force policy. This is regarded as a non-deadly-force option.
What has the president said?
At the White House on Friday, Mr Trump said he had asked the justice department to expedite an investigation it announced on Friday into whether any civil rights laws were violated in Mr Floyd’s death.
The president also said “looters should not be allowed to drown out the voices of so many peaceful protesters”.
Protests continued outside the White House overnight
Earlier, he described the rioters as “thugs” who were dishonouring Mr Floyd’s memory.
Social media network Twitter accused Mr Trump of glorifying violence in a post that said: “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
What happened in the arrest?
Officers suspected Mr Floyd had used a counterfeit $20 note and were attempting to put him in a police vehicle when he dropped to the ground, telling them he was claustrophobic.
According to police, he physically resisted officers and was handcuffed.
Minnesota governor on George Floyd death: ‘Thank God a young person had a camera to video it’
Video of the incident does not show how the confrontation started, but a white officer can be seen with his knee on Mr Floyd’s neck, pinning him down.
Mr Floyd can be heard saying “please, I can’t breathe” and “don’t kill me”.
A former local nightclub owner has said Mr Chauvin and Mr Floyd both worked as bouncers at her venue in south Minneapolis up until last year, though it is unclear if they knew one another.
The former Minneapolis police officer seen in a video with his knee on George Floyd’s neck has been arrested and faces charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.
The officer, Derek Chauvin, was taken into custody Friday by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety John Harrington said in a news conference.
“The investigation is ongoing,” Freeman said, adding that he anticipated charges against the other three officers involved in the incident.
“We entrust our police officers to use certain amounts of force to do their job to protect us. They commit a criminal act if they use this force unreasonably,” he said.
The former Minneapolis police officer seen in a video with his knee on George Floyd’s neck before the unarmed black man died this week was taken into custody Friday by state authorities, according to John Harrington, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
The officer, Derek Chauvin, was taken into custody by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension as fires continued to burn from violent protests overnight as demonstrators demanded justice for Floyd.
“At this point we do not have any further information on charging decisions,” Harrington said at a news conference. “That will be coming from the county attorney, but we did want to let you know that he is in custody.”
CNN has reached out to Chauvin’s attorney and the Minneapolis Police Union for comment.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz pleaded for order.
“What the world has witnessed since the killing of George Floyd on Monday has been a visceral pain, a community trying to understand who we are and where we go from here,” the governor said at a news conference.
Acknowledging protesters’ pain, Walz said disorder in the streets distracts officials and the community from addressing the issues at hand.
“As we put a presence on the street to restore order, it is to open that space, to seek justice and heal what happened,” he said. “I will not in any way not acknowledge that there is going to be that pain, but my first and foremost responsibility to the state of Minnesota is the safety and security of all citizens. We cannot have the looting and recklessness that went on.”
Floyd was arrested Monday after he allegedly used a counterfeit bill at a convenience store, police have said. Outrage grew after a video surfaced showing a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck. The 46-year-old, who was unarmed and handcuffed, cried out that he couldn’t breathe.
Walz’s comments came as fires continued to burn Friday across the Twin Cities, he said, spewing ash “symbolic of decades and generations of pain, of anguish.”
Among the buildings set ablaze overnight was the Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct, where protesters chanted Floyd’s name and “I can’t breathe.” Some tossed fireworks toward the precinct, which is the one closest to where the incident was captured on video.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has honoured 10 health workers for their dedication and commitment towards the coronavirus pandemic, The PUNCH learnt.
The 10 health workers received the plaques at a simple ceremony held at the State House in Marina as part of the low-key events marking the administration’s first anniversary.
The honoured few, according to a statement by the government are; Sunday Adesola, a principal medical officer; Basirat Adeoye, a senior nurse; a pharmacist, Folarin Amosun; a virologist, Sunday Omilabu; and a medical waste cleaner, Olufemi Akinade.
Others are a public health expert, Bisola Adebayo; a laboratory scientist, Olanrewaju Aladetuyi; a hospital administrator, Abiola Adeloju; an ambulance driver, Alaba Anago; and a gateman, Tajudeen Bankole.
The governor presented them with plaques of honour in appreciation of their resolve in the battle against the pandemic.
He said, “As demonstration of our commitment to winning the battle, we felt the least we can do on the occasion of our first anniversary is to select representatives of the frontline health workers for appreciation.
In a bid to curb the high rate of unemployment in the country, the Federal Government has rolled out a scheme which will see unemployed youths in rural areas earning N20,000 per month, The PUNCH reports.
The youths will be engaged in the clearing of drainages, sweeping markets, road maintenance, traffic control, and cleaning of public infrastructures like health centres and schools.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), said this at a news conference on Thursday.
Keyamo said the scheme targeted 1,000 youths each from the 774 local governments across the country.
The minister said the programme is one of the biggest social intervention schemes to be carried out within a short period of time by any government in the history of Nigeria.
The PUNCH reports that the scheme, known as the Special Public Works Programme in the Rural Areas, is domiciled in the National Directorate of Employment for implementation and is expected to take off in October.
The minister’s speech read in part, “The pilot programme earlier approved by Mr. President was designed to mitigate lack of job opportunities in the rural areas through a short-term engagement of 1,000 unemployed persons per local government area for a period of three months.
“It is a dry season/off-season transient job programme and was originally designed for the rehabilitation/maintenance of public and social infrastructure. Participants were to be paid an allowance of N20,000 monthly and were to be recruited largely from the pool of unskilled persons resident in those rural areas.
Jenner, now 22, was named last year by Forbes as “The Youngest Self-Made Billionaire Ever.” Jenner had made millions from her company, Kylie Cosmetics, which she later sold a 51% stake to the beauty company Coty in a deal that valued her company at $1.2 billion.
But, Forbes’ Chase Peterson-Withorn and Madeline Berg reported this week that Jenner and her mother, Kris Jenner, inflated their wealth in documents they provided to the publication about Kylie’s personal wealth and her company’s revenue.
“It’s clear that Kylie’s camp has been lying,” Forbes reported.
Her wealth is likely closer to just under $900 million, according to Forbes’ estimate.
Business Insider has reached out to a representative for Kylie for comment on the report, but the Jenners declined to comment to Forbes about the matter. Coty did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Among a list of discrepancies, Forbes said the Jenners had previously told them Kylie’s cosmetics company had $360 million in sales in 2018, but a Coty presentation showed revenues were actually closer to $125 million that year.
In addition to the adjusted estimates for Kylie Cosmetics’ revenues, Forbes accounted for the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on cosmetics companies, as Kylie still owns part of the company.
Kylie and Forbes had drawn scrutiny after she was named a “self-made” billionaire, as critics said she was born into wealth.
Fashion entrepreneur, Toyin Lawani celebrated reaching a million followers on Instagram by sharing her naked photo online.
In the photo, the mother of two was pictured completely naked as she enjoyed a bath in a tub. She wrote her caption: ‘Ok let’s celebrate The one million followers.’
