Cristiano Ronaldo was reduced to tears when he saw his mother crying in the stands following his penalty miss against Slovenia.

Ronaldo, 39, blew the chance to put favourites Portugal ahead in extra-time of their Euro 2024 round-of-16 tie which they eventually won via a penalty shoot-out

Watch the video below.. 

Gov. Ahmed Ododo of Kogi has renewed the appointment of Prof. Salisu Usman for second term as Rector, Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Usman was first appointed as Kogi poly rector by former Gov. Alhaji Yahaya Bello in 2021.

Usman’s reappointment was due to his superlative performance as rector of the institution over the last four years.

The rector, while reacting to his reappointment on Monday in Lokoja, thanked Gov. Ododo for acknowledging his modest contributions to the growth of the institution.

“I also appreciate the immediate past Governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for bringing me on board as Acting Rector, after which my appointment was confirmed in 2021.

“I thank the Governing Council, Academic Board, Management, staff and students of the institution, for the invaluable support that assisted in the transformation of the Polytechnic thus far,” Usman said.

He promised to put in much more efforts in his second term, to strengthen the positive visibility of the institution.

Usman said that since he came on board, the institution had transformed with full accreditation of programmes that were stagnated for years.

He added there had been administrative reforms; restoration of discipline; general quality assurance; among others.

The Directorate of Public Relations and Protocol, led by Uredo Omale, congratulated the rector and wished him a more successful second term.

(NAN)

Related

The cross examination of the First Prosecution Witness, PW1, Abdulkadir Abbas, in the ongoing trial of Binance Holdings Limited and its Executive Officer, Tigran Gambaryan, before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, continued on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is prosecuting Gambaryan alongside Binance Holdings Ltd on a five-count charge bordering on alleged tax evasion, currency speculation and money laundering to the tune of $34,400,000 (Thirty-Four Million, Four Hundred Thousand United States Dollars).

At the resumed cross-examination on Tuesday, Mr Abbas told the court that Binance activities did not conform to the Security and Exchange Commission, SEC’s extant law as stipulated.

The witness said activities of any virtual Assets provider or digital assets services not captured by the Security and Exchange Commission’s regulatory Act of 2007 and that any provider that didn’t pay any registration  fee to the regulatory body before starting its operation in the country is not under the regulation of the SEC .

According to Abbas, the SEC makes provisions for any company wanting to engage in digital assets services to register with the body before it can commence operation in the country. Also, he explained that the Commission requires processing, application and registration fees before the application of any entity is considered. Additionally, he confirmed that a similar process applies to both virtual or non-virtual platform entities.

Led in evidence by the first defence counsel, Babatunde Fagbohunlu, SAN, on whether there is a  provision for application, registration and processing fees to Virtual Asset Services providers, Abbas answered in the affirmative  but added  that there was no provision for application or registration fees for any Digital Asset Offering Platforms, DAOP, because it is generic term.

“SEC approved rules on Virtual Asset in 2022, and the rules provides for registration requirements of Digital Asset Offering Platform (DAOP), Digital Assets Exchanges (DAE), and Digital Assets Custodian (DEC).

“Each one has its own registration requirements, for instance, there is a provision for filing a fee for either Digital Assets exchange or Digital Assets Offering Platform”, he said.

When asked if there’s provision for minimum trade capital,  Abbas replied thus: “Yes, there is N500 million, which is provided for minimum trade capital for either Digital Asset Offering Platform (DAOP), or Digital Assets Exchanges (DAE).”

Continuing, the second defence counsel further queried the essence of issuing rules and whether it is to guard the market or to provide clarity.  Abbas explained that the SEC is mandated to make rules and regulations in proportion to the Investment and Security Act, and that the rule is meant to govern the capital market stating that the whole essence is to regulate the capital market.

When probed about his proficiency and expertise in digital assets activities, the PW1 explained that he knew digital asset activities to the best of his understanding.

“I know digital Assets to the best of my understanding and I know the context of what the rules provide for the registration of these entities”, he said. He listed the different functions of Digital Asset Offering Platform (DAOP), or Digital Assets Exchanges (DAE) and Digital Assets Custodian (DAC).

When asked why there is no registration for Virtual Assets Service providers in the rule, Abbas responded that the rule made provision for registration, which is general requirements for Virtual Assets providers but within the Virtual Assets Service providers, there are different functions.

 “You can either come and apply as Digital Asset Offering Platform (DAOP), or seek registration as Digital Assets Exchanges (DAE), or Digital Assets Custodian (DAC),  and that is why in that sense, we provided for registration and filing fees for those specific functions but we did not provide fees for Virtual Assets Service providers because it’s generic,” he said.

Recall that on Monday, the second defence counsel, Mark Mordi, SAN, argued that SEC’s Investment and Security Act of 2007, which is the governing law of SEC, didn’t provide for crypto-currency Assets or Virtual Assets.

But the PW1 explained that under the definition of securities, Section 315, virtual Assets is adequately covered under the item D of that Section, stressing that SEC issued a regulation, and requested all those Digital Assets Service providers or Virtual Assets service providers that are performing any kind of function, which is investment and Security business in Nigeria, should go and register with SEC.

On why SEC is providing for Virtual Assets now, the prosecution witness said because of the dynamism of the market, SEC is trying to provide more details to the existing law, which is the Investment Security Act.

According to him, SEC went further to issue guidelines on what the commission called accelerated regulatory incubation programme adding that in that it was clearly spelt out the type of functions that one is carrying out.

“If you are issuing Digital Asset of Virtual Assets or if you are trading cryptocurrency as security, as defined in our law or in the guideline, you will be regulated by SEC,” he said

Following the consistent air mishaps in the country, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, the Chief of Air Staff, CAS, has called for the implementation of suitable measures to curb the accident chain in the service.

On Monday, a drone belonging to the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, crashed in Kaduna, making it the 19th air mishap recorded by the Air Force since 2015.

A statement on Tuesday by NAF’s spokesperson, AVM Edward Gabkwet, following the 2024 meeting of NAF Safety Review Board, SRB, said: “The Chief of the Air Staff stated that the actions or inactions of all Nigerian Air Force personnel will help to either propel or break the accident chain sometimes experienced in the course of NAF activities or operations.”

Abubakar then called for the emplacement of appropriate actions to break the accident chain and enshrine a good safety culture that transcends all levels in the NAF

He said accidents occur as a result of service activities, noting that the Air Force can’t treat the matter with levity.

While noting that accidents are the results of a sequence of events, beginning with deliberate decisions taken, he also stated that NAF cannot afford to pay lip service to issues relating to safety and called for the determination of all personnel to improve safety in the various areas units

Abubakar also emphasised the need to improve the service’s safety culture following the Federal Government’s decision to acquire modern aircraft for the service.

Earlier, the Chief of Standards and Evaluation, Air Vice Marshal Michael Onyebashi, revealed that NAF has commenced the introduction of safety education at all entry points and training institutions.

He noted that with the reactivation of NAF platforms as well as the induction of additional platforms, the need for SRB, commands and units to work assiduously to ensure that safety standards are maintained in all NAF activities is imperative.

He then reminded the board of its responsibility to propose strategies and ideas that would enable NAF to experience continuous improvement in safety in all its operations.

A MAN convicted of a double murder and recommended for the death penalty has been seen giving the judge a chilling smirk in court.

Wade Wilson was found guilty of killing two women in 2019 in Cape Coral, Florida.

Wilson, 30, went viral online following his court appearance, especially due to his tattoos.

The murderer had a large swastika tattooed on the side of his half-shaved head.

He also had another swastika tattooed below his right eye and scar lines around his mouth.

Wilson was found guilty on June 12 of killing and strangling Kristine Melton the morning after they met at a bar.

He was also convicted of strangling, beating, and running over Diane Ruiz on the same day.

Ten of the 12 jurors voted in favor of handing Wilson the death penalty, on June 25, for Ruiz’s murder and nine voted in favor for Melton’s murder.

Eight jury votes are needed to pass a capital punishment penalty in Florida.

Wilson was shamed by social media users for his unsettling behavior in court as the jurors were told his crimes, according to Fox News.

He was branded as “soulless” for “smirking” during his court session.

“Note the psychopathic smirk on the face of the serial strangler,” one X user said.

Judge Nicholas Thompson will decide Wilson’s death penalty, with the hearing scheduled on July 23.

The Florida Assistant State Attorney, Sara Miller, shared her views on Wilson possibly being handed the death sentence.

“You know, you’re asking someone to take another life, and so it’s always a difficult thing,” she told Fox affiliate KDFW.

“I think in this case it was a justified act given the horrific nature of this case.

“Both murders were especially heinous, atrocious and cruel.

“He inflicted pain, and he showed utter indifference to her [Melton’s] life.”

THE VICTIMS

Kristine Melton, 35, moved to Cape Coral from Illinois and worked as a waitress.

She met Wilson, who was 25 at the time, at a bar on October 7, 2019, with her friend Stephanie Sailors, according to News-Press.com.

The trio went to Melton’s property that night and she was murdered by Wilson after Sailors left the next morning.

Wilson then stole his first victim’s car and asked Diane Ruiz, 43, for directions, when he saw her walking alone on the street.

Ruiz was an engaged mother who worked as a bartender.

Wilson attempted to coax Ruiz into the car but he beat and strangled her when she attempted to get away.

The murderer then pushed her out of the vehicle and ran her over multiple times.

A federal high court in Lagos has criticized the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for declaring Margaret Emefiele, the wife of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, wanted.

Presiding Judge Deinde Dipeolu ruled in favour of Margaret’s fundamental rights suit on Friday, ordering the EFCC to pay her N3 million in damages for infringing on her rights.

In February, the EFCC had declared Margaret wanted for alleged money laundering, publishing her photos and details, along with those of three other individuals—Eric Ocheme Odoh, Anita Joy Omoile, and Jonathan Omoile—on its website and social media pages.

According to a notice signed by Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s head of media and publicity, the four individuals allegedly colluded with the former CBN governor to divert substantial sums from federal government coffers.

Margaret, aggrieved by the EFCC’s actions, sued the agency and its chairman for declaring her wanted and publishing her photograph without a valid court order. She requested that the court order the EFCC to remove her name and photograph from the wanted persons’ list and issue a public apology on two national television stations and in three newspapers for the alleged rights infringement.

In his judgment, Judge Dipeolu concurred that the EFCC’s actions were illegal, as they did not comply with the provisions of Sections 41 and 42 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, and were carried out without any valid charge or court order.

The Judge said; “That the Applicant is entitled to the protection of her fundamental rights to life, personal liberty, right to dignity of her person, freedom of movement and right to security as guaranteed under Sections 33, 34, 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended),” the judge ruled.

“And Articles 4, 5, 6 and 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (CAP A9) VOL.1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2011.

“That the publication of the Applicant’s name and photograph on the website of the Respondent as having been declared “WANTED” without complying with the provisions of Sections 41 and 42 of the ACJA, and without any valid Charge and/or Court Order to that effect, amounts to a violation of the Applicant’s fundamental rights to the dignity of her person, right to personal liberty, freedom of movement and right to security.

“As guaranteed under Sections 34, 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Articles 5, 6 and 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (CAP A9) VOL.1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2011.

“The respondent is directed to immediately withdraw the publication of the applicant’s name and photographs from the list of persons wanted by the respondents on its website.

“The respondents are directed to issue a public apology to the applicant on its website where the name and photographs of the applicant were published among the list of persons wanted.

“The sum of N3 million is awarded against the respondents jointly and severally in favour of the applicant for the violation of her fundamental rights.”

Raped by her husband on her wedding night aged 17, Divya described her repeated suffering — an all-too-common account in India, permitted by a terrifying colonial-era legal loophole.
“I told him I have never had sex, and asked him if we can take it slowly and try to understand it,” 19-year-old Divya said.

“He said: ‘No, the first night is very important for us men’.”

He then slapped her hard, ripped her clothes off and forced himself on her.

What followed her arranged wedding in 2022 was 19 months of sexual and physical abuse.

“If I was hurt, it was invisible to him,” said Divya, whose name has been changed to protect her identity.

“He used to have sex with me ruthlessly”.

Six per cent of married women aged 18-49 report spousal sexual violence, according to the government’s latest National Family Health Survey.

In the world’s most populous country, that implies more than 10 million women have been sexual victims of their husbands.

Nearly 18 per cent of married women feel they cannot say no if their husbands want sex, according to the health survey.

And 11 per cent of women thought a husband was justified in beating his wife if she refused, it found.
‘Victorian mentality’

Under India’s inherited British-era penal code, an exception clause stated that “sexual acts by a man with his wife, the wife not being under fifteen years of age, is not rape”.

India introduced a new penal code on Monday but the exception clause remains — although it does raise the minimum age that a man can rape his wife to 18.

Lawyer Karuna Nundy is challenging that.

Nundy, who has a case for the All India Democratic Women’s Association rights group at the Supreme Court, condemned the clause as “colonialism from a Victorian mentality”.

She holds a “fervent hope” for change, mentioning some of the more than 50 nations who have outlawed it.

Chief Justice D. Y. Chandrachud called it an “important issue” this year.

But the decade-long case has made painfully slow progress.

In May 2022, a two-judge bench in the Delhi High Court issued a split verdict.

One judge, C. Hari Shankar, said that while “one may disapprove” of a husband forcibly having sex with his wife, that “cannot be equated with the act of ravishing by a stranger”.

The other judge, Rajiv Shakdher, disagreed.

Shakdher said it “would be tragic if a married woman’s call for justice is not heard even after 162 years”, referring to the British-era statute.

Monika Tiwary from Shakti Shalini, a rights group which supports sexual violence survivors, said marriage should not shield a crime.

“Getting married does not take away the rights over your body.”
Arranged marriages

“Most of the survivors do not really have this understanding that it is not okay, and it is marital rape,” Tiwary added.

“The moment we label it and attach a law to it, people start recognising it, awareness increases”, Tiway added.

Divya’s marriage was arranged, like many in India.

But her family did not pay the usual hefty cash dowry to the husband — something he used against her.

“He would taunt me by saying ‘It’s not like your parents gave any dowry, I can at least do this’,” Divya said.

“At times he would put a knife on my throat and dare me to say no. (He would say) ‘You are my wife, I have full rights on you’.”

Swati Sharma, a 24-year-old mother of two, said she married a man for love.

The first time her husband assaulted her was after their first daughter was born.

“I used to think: ‘Okay, we are married, so we can do this’,” she said.
Death threats

When he was angry, he would take it out on her. If she refused sex, he accused her of having an affair.

The tipping point came when he stripped her naked in front of their children, waiting until they slept.

“Then he proceeded to have sex with me,” she said. “He didn’t leave me till he had his way.”

She packed her bags, took her children and left.

But despite the abuse, some women return to violent husbands fearing for their children, and under intense social pressure.

Sharma also returned to her husband, after he went to counselling and persuaded her to come back.

While Divya escaped, she still lives in fear.

Her husband messaged her mother threatening that he “will not let her live”.

But she says she is “proud” that she left.

“There are many girls who still endure this, happening to them day and night,” she said.

“Such men should be punished.”

The Taraba State Commissioner for Information and Re-orientation, Mrs Zainab Jalingo, has extended her congratulations to the newly appointed members of the correspondents’ chapel, Mrs Janet Nyajo of Daily Independent, and PUNCH correspondent, Justin Typusuu, as special advisers.

Arewa PUNCH reports that Typusuu is a trained journalist and a communication expert with a special interest in research, peace-building, and development. For the past 12 years, he has worked in the media space from a trainee reporter to a state correspondent.

Armed with Masters of Science in Mass Communication, Typusuu is a doctoral student at the Taraba State University.

The commissioner’s statement noted that Kefas’ decision to include members of the media in his recent appointments reinforces his commitment to inclusive governance, adding, “It recognises the vital contributions of journalists to our society. This forward-thinking approach not only strengthens the relationship between the government and the media but also ensures that the perspectives of the press are represented in the decision-making process.”

While commending Kefas for acknowledging the essential role of the Correspondents’ Chapel in promoting transparency, accountability, and public awareness, Jalingo added, “These appointments are a testament to the governor’s dedication to fostering a diverse and inclusive administration.”

Similarly, the leadership and members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ said it welcomed the appointment of two of its members.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman of the chapel, Gabriel Yough, obtained by Arewa PUNCH stating that the honour bestowed upon its members to serve in the government marks the first time such recognition has been extended to the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ in Taraba State.

“For this reason, we express our heartfelt appreciation to the governor for setting a precedent that his counterparts across the country can emulate.

“We believe the governor’s decision to include practising journalists in his cabinet echoes the high regard he has for the press and the capacity of journalists to ensure the government delivers on its promises to the people.

“We are confident that the two journalists will bring their vast experience to bear on Governor Kefas’ youth-driven administration in the best interests of Tarabans, who voted him into office.

“As journalists and partners to the government, we will continue to discharge our duties professionally as watchdogs, while also projecting the government and its policies to the outside world in a positive light where necessary,” Yough assured.