Connect with us

BIG STORY

I Would Have Been In Titan Submarine That Exploded — Senator Ned Nwoko

Published

on

Senator Ned Nwoko, the representative of Delta North Senatorial District, has revealed that his friend, Hermish Harding, who is a pilot from the United Kingdom, invited him to join him for a ride on the ill-fated Titan submarine that exploded on June 18, 2023.

The submarine trip, for which each passenger paid $200,000, was heading down the ocean to see the debris of Titanic.

There were five persons on the submarine, including Harding, when it exploded.

Paying tribute to the British pilot with whom he has embarked on an expedition to Antarctica, Nwoko said Harding invited him to the adventure in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The explosion was said to have occurred about one hour 45 minutes into the two hours trip.

Nwoko, husband of actress Regina Daniels, who paid tributes to Harding on his Instagram page on Friday, said he missed the trip because of national assignment.

He wrote: “I have lost a very dear friend and business partner. Captain Hermish Harding.

“We both went on a very dangerous expedition to the Southpole Antarctica few years back.

“He was a gulf stream pilot who flew across the world in a record-breaking expedition by Guinness world record for circumnavigation of the earth some years ago.

“He descended into the Mariana.

“He also invited me on his space shuttle last year and this very Titan ill-fated adventure but I was tied down with national duties.

“Above all, he was a partner on the various researches into eradication of malaria in Africa project.

“He was very enthusiastic about it and always gave his support at every given opportunity.

“His last message to me was this last Sunday when he told me they were ready to dive to the Titanic if the weather permits.

“He loved adventure and challenges.

“My heart bleeds for his dear wife and kids who have become family friends over the years.

“We will surely miss his wealth of experience.”

Others on the submarine, which was operated by a United States of America-based company, OceanGate Expeditions, were the company’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Stockton Rush, who was piloting the Titan; 58-year-old Harding, a British billionaire and explorer; Pakistani-born businessman, Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman, who are both British citizens; and French oceanographer and renowned Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, who had visited the Titanic wreck dozens of times.

BIG STORY

Usyk Defeats Fury, Becomes Undisputed Heavyweight Champion

Published

on

Oleksandr Usyk emerged as the world’s undisputed heavyweight boxing champion adter defeating Tyson Fury.

On Saturday night, Fury and Usyk engaged in combat at the Kingdom Arena located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Usyk defeated the British fighter 115-112, 113-114, and 114-113 on the scorecards to win the fight by split decision.

In the first several rounds of the battle, Fury came out swinging, but Usyk was able to withstand the British fighter’s assault.

As the battle went on, the Ukrainian gained momentum because of his excellent movement and technical proficiency, which allowed him to block Fury’s strong attacks and land accurate shots of his own.

The highly anticipated battle took a turn for the better when the Ukrainian stopped Fury in the ninth round.

Despite Fury’s valiant effort to recover in the final rounds, Usyk’s dominance had already sealed the victory.

The 37-year-old Ukrainian is the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the world since Lennox Lewis 25 years ago. He has now unified the WBA, WBO, IBF, and WBC titles.

For Fury, it is the first loss in his 16-year professional career, but he will have a chance at a rematch before the end of the year.

In his post-fight interview, the British boxer accused the judges of giving the victory to Usyk because of the war in Ukraine.

“His country is at war, so people are siding with the country at war,” he said.

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

Nigeria’s Boniface Scores As Leverkusen Make History With Unbeaten Bundesliga Season

Published

on

In the final game of the 2023–24 German Bundesliga season, Bayer Leverkusen defeated Augsburg 2-1 in the BayArena on Saturday thanks to an early goal by Victor Boniface.

In lieu of this victory, Leverkusen, who had already won the Bundesliga, would end the season unbeaten in the league.

In the 34-match league, the unbeaten streak that led to the league title consists of 28 wins and 6 draws.

It made history and cemented the names of Boniface and his colleagues in the Bundesliga as the first team to finish the season undefeated.

Boniface, who won the Bundesliga Rookie of the Year award earlier in the week, started the party atmosphere when he slotted home an Amaine Chadli pass inside the area in the 12th minute before Robert Andrich doubled the lead before the half-hour mark.

Mert Komur’s goal on 62 minutes proved only a consolation for Augsburg as Leverkusen sealed victory in front of their passionate fans.

The Levekusen side is led by Xabi Alonso, who is only into his second year but first full season as coach of a senior team.

The team remains unbeaten in all competitions, with the win over Augsburg extending the run to 51 matches.

They have the chance to finish the season unbeaten in all competitions with victories over Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League final on Wednesday and Kaiserslautern three days later.

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

FBI Lauds EFCC, Promises Support As Agency Hands Over Recovered $22k From Convicted Fraudster

Published

on

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has handed over $22,000 recovered from Hakeem Olanrewaju, a convicted internet scammer, to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

The EFCC, in a statement on Saturday,said the money was handed over to the FBI in Lagos, as the victim, who was defrauded, lives in the US.

Nicholas Oweibo, the judge of the federal high court in Ikoyi, sentenced Olanrewaju to two years imprisonment for identity theft and impersonation in August 2023.

The judge also ordered that the money recovered from him be restituted to his victim.

Speaking during the handover ceremony in Lagos on Friday, Michael Wetkas, acting director of the Lagos zonal command of the EFCC, said the commission remains dedicated to combating crimes and restoring sanity to the nation.

“We are delighted to be handing over this proceeds of crime today,” Wetkas said, adding that “the EFCC is willing and always ready to do more”.

Charles Smith, FBI legal attaché in Nigeria, thanked the EFCC for facilitating the recovery of the money.

“This type of crime cripples businesses in the US, and for them to recover the money within one to two years gives hope to the affected companies and brings some level of justice, even if not all subjects have been identified,” Smith said.

“We hope our relationship continues and fosters a more cohesive partnership between the two agencies.”

Smith added that the FBI is willing to support the investigation in any way possible.

Continue Reading

Most Popular