News
Organ Trafficking: Ekweremadu bags 10 years in UK prison
The 21-year-old Lagos street trader was falsely presented as Ekweremadu’s daughter’s cousin in an attempt to persuade doctors to carry out an £80,000 private kidney transplant
Former Deputy Senate President of Nigeria, Ike Ekweremadu, has been sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison by a United Kingdom court for his role in an organ trafficking plot. His wife, Beatrice, was also sentenced to four years and six months, while Dr Obinna Obeta, the medical doctor who acted as a “middleman,” received a 10-year sentence and had his medical license suspended.
According to reports, a 21-year-old Lagos street trader was falsely presented as Ekweremadu’s daughter’s cousin in an attempt to persuade doctors to carry out an £80,000 private kidney transplant at the Royal Free Hospital in London. The young man was offered an illegal reward to become a donor for Ekweremadu’s daughter after kidney disease forced her to drop out of a master’s degree program at Newcastle University.
The prosecutor, Hugh Davies KC, described Ekweremadu’s behavior as showing “entitlement, dishonesty, and hypocrisy,” and accused him and Obeta of treating the man and other potential donors as “disposable assets – spare parts for reward.” Their conviction was the first verdict of its kind under the Modern Slavery Act.
Davies argued that Ekweremadu’s actions were not simply expedient in his daughter’s clinical interests but were exploitative and criminal. “Her clinical needs cannot come at the expense of the exploitation of somebody in poverty,” he said.
News
FG introduces compulsory drug tests for secondary school students
The guideline outlines a comprehensive framework aimed at reducing the growing prevalence of substance abuse among students and creating safer learning environments across schools nationwide.
The federal government is introducing mandatory drug tests for students in secondary schools nationwide.
According to the new policy, all newly enrolled secondary school students will be subject to mandatory drug integrity testing at the moment of entry.
The directive is contained in the National Implementation Guidelines Against Drug and Substance Use in Schools in Nigeria for secondary schools.
The guideline outlines a comprehensive framework aimed at reducing the growing prevalence of substance abuse among students and creating safer learning environments across schools nationwide.
According to the document, the policy is designed to “create a conducive environment for teaching and learning in the institutions by reducing the negative effect substance abuse has on the mental health and academic performance of students/learners.”
The guideline states that “all new students/learners shall be subjected to drug tests and other measures approved by the schools/learning centres at the point of entry,” adding that the process must be carried out “in collaboration with approved federal/state health facilities and procedures.”
News
Instagram drops end-to-end encryption for private messages
With E2EE removed, Instagram will now be able to access the contents of direct messages, including text, images, videos, and voice notes.
Users of Instagram will no longer be able to send ultra-private direct messages, after parent company Meta switched off end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for the platform’s messaging service worldwide.
The move marks a major reversal for Meta, which had previously positioned E2EE as the “gold standard” for user privacy.
E2EE ensures that only the sender and recipient can read messages, but it has long been criticised by child safety campaigners who argue it can make it harder to detect abuse and illegal content.
As a result, the decision has been welcomed by child protection groups but strongly criticised by privacy advocates.
With E2EE removed, Instagram will now be able to access the contents of direct messages, including text, images, videos, and voice notes.
No fewer than 16 people have been confirmed dead after an 18-seater passenger bus plunged off a bridge in a horrific accident along the Okene-Osara-Lokoja Road in Kogi State.
The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Friday in Osara, Adavi Local Government Area.
According to the Kogi State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lawal Fagge, two passengers survived the crash but sustained severe injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.
Fagge, who confirmed the details in a telephone interview with Arise News, attributed the accident to excessive speeding by the driver.
He commended officers from the Zariagi Unit of the FRSC for their swift response, as they promptly rescued the survivors and evacuated the injured to medical facilities.
The bodies of the deceased victims have been recovered and deposited at a morgue in Lokoja.
The latest road tragedy has once again sparked concerns over the rising cases of reckless driving and over-speeding on Nigeria’s major highways.
Road safety authorities are urging motorists to observe speed limits and adhere strictly to traffic regulations to avoid preventable loss of lives.
JUST IN: Suspected Bandits Kill 10 in Zamfara Ambush
Atiku Holds the Key to Obi’s Presidential Ambition, By Emeka Monye
Unctad says GDP is not enough to tell if people are better off
Tech Expert, Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions, Adesanya, Alexander
Organ Trafficking: Ekweremadu bags 10 years in UK prison
SAINT OBI: Between his marriage and his death
-
Entertainment3 days agoDavido to be inducted into Black Music Walk of Fame
-
Politics3 days agoJUST IN: Federal High Court adjourns ADC leadership suit indefinitely
-
Politics3 days agoJonathan challenges suit seeking his disqualification from 2027 race
-
Business3 days agoFor stable electricity, should Nigeria invite China to manage Power Sector for 20 years ?
-
Business3 days agoThe companies making billions from the Iran war – BBC
-
News3 days agoInstagram drops end-to-end encryption for private messages
-
Sports12 hours agoBarcelona crowned La Liga champions
-
News7 hours agoFG introduces compulsory drug tests for secondary school students