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Go girl! Tinubu gushes, as Akindele’s blockbuster move grosses record N1billion

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“The creative industry is one of the high-employment sectors, providing jobs for our able and talented youths. It is an industry that is crucial to my administration. I salute Nigerians for their enduring support and patronage of home-grown creative efforts. We will provide the conducive environment for the industry to thrive further,” were the words with which President Bola Tinubu on Friday, gushed at the news of the huge success just recorded by ace Nigerian artist, Funke Akindele, with her movie: A Tribe Called Judah.

Two weeks after its debut, the movie, said to have been produced and co-directed by Akindele, herself an A-list Nollywood actress with many awards to her name, reportedly grossed over N1 billion, after it was released to Nigerian cinemas, mid-December, becoming the highest-earning Nigerian movie ever.

Tinubu, who conveyed his excitement through Ajuri Ngelale, his spokesman, celebrating  the ingenuity, creativity, and immense artistic talents of Nigeria’s thriving entertainment industry, congratulated not only for the record-setting film, but commended her contributions to the growth of the industry, as a whole.

He extolled the excellence of the Nigerian creative industry, acknowledging its pivotal place as a medium, not only for artistic expression but also a source of enormous soft power and viable export.

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The Nollywood diva, had broken the news herself through her Instagram page, on Friday, enthusing on the movie, which hit cinemas on December 15, 2023, first breaking the record of grossing over N133m in its opening weekend, stating: “Thank You LORD!!!, Thank NIGERIA!!, Thank you GHANA!!”

The movie, which became the highest-grossing Nollywood film for the year 2023 after grossing over N613m within the first 14 days of its release, had also made history on January 2, as it emerged as the highest-grossing Nollywood film ever with a reported N854million at the box office within 18 days in cinemas, surpassing previous attempts, such as Battle on Buka Street (N668.4million), and Omo Ghetto (N636.1m) which currently sit as the second and third highest-grossing films at the Nigerian box office respectively.

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BREAKING: Youths move into Lagos streets to enforce no-protest declaration

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In an apparent move to push-back against the 10-day nationwide protest, planned by some interests groups in Nigeria to commence on August 1, to call attention of the Nigerian government to the biting hunger in the land, scores of youths poured into the streets of Lagos, on Monday, declaring that the state would not be part of the event.

The Nation reports that the said youths who came from different locations converged on the Lagos Island area of the state to express their support for the Tinubu-led administration, while calling on other youths to “shun violent protest.”

Alluding to the 2020 #EndSARS protest that led to the destruction of property and loss of lives in the state, the youths frowned on its recurrence and would stop it from happening again.

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TRAGEDY: Hoodlums release kidnapped judge, kill son, demand N150million ransom for two children

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For the family of Janet Gimba, judge of the Upper Customary Court in Kaduna State, it is a bitter-sweet story on Wednesday, as it was served with half-plate by kidnappers who invaded their home on June 24, taking away four of its members.

Not only was the jurist was released without her three children, spirited away from their  home in the Mahuta area of Chikun Local Government Area in the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis, police have confirmed the killing of their first son by the bandits, who are asking for N150million to secure the release of the rest.

Musa Gimba, the husband of the judge, who confirmed the release of his wife judge, attached to the Upper Customary Court, Sabon Tasha Division in Kaduna State, without her three children, disclosed that the bandits are demanding N150 million ransom within three days, threatening to kill the captives if the money was not given to them.

Mansir Hassan, spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, who confirmed the latest development, said the assailants killed the woman’s 14-year-old eldest son Victor Gimba, adding that operatives found his corpse at the Sabon Tasha Division, Ungwan Bayero of Dutse village near the toll gate, along the Kaduna- Abuja highway on Tuesday, July 2nd, adding that the anti-kidnapping squad of the command, in collaboration with other sister security agencies was working tirelessly to rescue the victims and also apprehend the bandits.

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Channels Television, quotes Gloria Ballason, human rights activist and the Chief Executive Officer of the House of Justice as describing the abduction as contrary to Article 7 of the United Nations Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary and Sections 33 and 14(2)b of the 1999 Constitution that guarantees the safety of judges.

Bemoaning the murder of woman’s the 14-year-old son as “grisly and blood-curdling,” the activist, who also regretted the rising insecurity in Nigeria, especially in the state, therefore called on the security agencies to ensure the speedy rescue of the remaining hostages.

 

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BREAKING: Court begins trial of Hadi Sirika, Buhari’s ex-Minister

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Hadi Sirika, former Minister of Aviation in the government of Muhammadu Buhari, will on Thursday begin to face his accusers – the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over the allegation of fraud regarding a contract award of N2.7billion while in office.

The former Minister, who is being arraigned alongside his daughter, Fatimah, and two other suspects, one Jalal Hamma, and Al-Duraq Investment Ltd, on charges of abusing their positions to launder over N2.7 billion, is expected to appear before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The Minister, said to be undergoing investigations over an N8,069,176,864.00 money laundering allegation, involving Engirios Nigeria Limited, reportedly, owned by his younger sibling, Abubakar Sirika was arrested by operatives of the anti-graft agency was brought into its Abuja office on Tuesday, April 23 and where he was detained.

It is not known whether the two cases are related, but The PUNCH quoted a source as saying: “The N8,069,176,864.00 aviation ministry contract fraud was carried out in connivance with his younger brother, Abubakar Sirika, through the latter’s company.”

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The report, which said that Sirika was particularly being investigating for conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds, and contract inflation, as well as criminal breaches of trust and money laundering amounting to N8,069,176,864.00 during his tenure in office.

Abubakar Sirika, was said to have been arrested and detained by the commission in connection with N3,212,258,930.18 paid to his company, Engirios Nigerian Limited’s, bank account by the former minister without a trace of work done on any of the contract items to date.

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