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JUST IN: Daily Trust Admits To Samoa Agreement Misinformation, Apologizes To FG

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DailyTrust has acknowledged allegations of spreading false information about the Samoa Agreement signed by the Nigerian Federal Government on June 28, 2024, at the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) secretariat in Brussels, Belgium. On July 4, 2024,

DailyTrust published an article titled “LGBT: Knocks as Nigeria signs $150 Billion Samoa deal,” which sparked widespread criticism and backlash from the Federal Government.

In response, the Federal Government has threatened to take legal action against Daily Trust for allegedly disseminating misinformation and fake news in its report on the Samoa agreement.

This was announced by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Saturday, July 6, at the National Press Centre in Abuja.

Daily Trust, on Monday, posted an article titled, “Samoa Agreement: The Daily Trust Story Got It Wrong”

In this article the media outfit admitted to “sloppy reporting”, “misleading headline”, “non-factual claims” among others.

It However clarified the controversy the story caused wasn’t intentional and  errors were on the side of duty, not of malicious intent.

The article reads partly: “On the specific issue of the Samoa Agreement, however, it is the media that got it wrong. After some research, my reading of the whole situation is that: a) the Daily Trust story of July 4, 2024 titled “LGBT: Knocks As Nigeria Signs $150 Billion Samoa Deal” is a piece of sloppy reporting; b) there is no provision mandating member states to adopt LGBT rights in the Samoa Agreement; and c) yes, the European Union (EU) actually tried, but ultimately failed, to have those provisions included in the agreement.

“The most important problem with the story in question is that it did not cite the contentious clauses in the agreement on which the entire reporting—and the ensuing controversy—is based. News is a factual claim,… Unfortunately, the story failed this fundamental test of reporting.”

BIG STORY

Democracy Day: President Tinubu To Address Nigerians At 7am Tomorrow

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To commemorate the 2025 Democracy Day, President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to deliver a nationwide broadcast on Thursday at 7am.

This was disclosed in a statement released on Wednesday by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Democracy Day.

Abdulhakeem Adeoye, who signed the statement on behalf of the committee’s Director, Information & Public Relations, stated that following the address, the president will participate in a joint session of the National Assembly at noon.

The session is expected to include speeches about the State of the Nation, reflections on Nigeria’s democratic evolution, and calls for greater unity and reform across the country.

Later in the evening, a public lecture titled “Consolidating on the Gains of Nigeria’s Democracy: Necessity of Enduring Reforms” is set to take place at 4pm at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.

In contrast to previous celebrations, there will be no Democracy Day parade this year.

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BIG STORY

19-Year-Old Nigerian Artiste Destiny Beaten To Death In Ghana

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A “19-year-old upcoming Nigerian artiste” identified simply as Destiny has been “beaten to death” in the “Volta Region area of Ghana.”

It was gathered that the incident happened on “May 28.”

It was gathered that a “yet-to-be-identified Nigerian” based in Ghana accused him of “failing to remit funds related to a business venture” they introduced him to.

The “male adult,” who was also said to be among those who “facilitated his trip to the country,” stormed his apartment alongside two others to “question him about the funds.”

However, Destiny’s failure to provide answers led to a “severe assault” meted out to him.

A source under anonymity said that the “Edo State-born artistkke” thereafter “succumbed to the injuries sustained from the assault.”

“Destiny went to Ghana to further his education, and the travel was facilitated by someone he called his street brother. These are the same people who provided an apartment for him over there. Those who broke the news to us from there said the men introduced him to a business, which they later accused him of diverting some funds meant for the business. This angered them, and they went to his apartment and beat him up. The beating was so intense that he felt weak and gave up the ghost in the process,” the source narrated.

It was further learned that the suspects “left the deceased’s body in the room” after they discovered that he was “motionless.”

Another source who spoke to our correspondent said the “police later discovered the corpse a few days after the incident.”

“The powere alerted to the incident, and some officers were deployed to the apartment where Destiny’s remains were found. We were told that no suspects had been arrested since his death. We hope the Ghanaian authorities find his killers and bring them to justice.”

In a video obtained by PUNCH Metro, Destiny was seen speaking about himself and what his plans were.

He said, “I am Destiny and I am a streamer from Nigeria. I want to apply to Streamers University, and this will be a great joy for me, my mother, and everybody. I am also an artiste and a earlier in April that a “77-year-old Nigerian Uber driver,” Olatunji Bolaji, was “killed in a shooting” outside a “hookah lounge in Philadelphia, United States.”

Bolaji, who lived in Norristown, Pennsylvania, was on duty around “2 a.m. on Wednesday” when he picked up a passenger, a “22-year-old man,” outside the Byblos Hookah Bar near Rittenhouse Square in Centre City, CBS reports on Friday.

Police said shortly after Bolaji picked up the young man, another vehicle pulled up behind his SUV, and two men got out.

One of them “opened fire,” shooting both “Bolaji and the passenger.”

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Indian, Dangote Workers Arraigned For Diverting N4bn Diesel

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The operatives of the Police Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday, arraigned an “Indian citizen,” Tukur Shamsudden, and “12 individuals” for alleged “conspiracy” and “unlawful diversion of Automotive Gas Oil,” commonly known as diesel, valued at over “N4 bn,” property of Dangote Industries Limited.

The defendants were brought before Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, alongside the Indian national.

Other defendants who were arraigned are Ikechukwu Obi, Chigozie Osukwu, Ukaegbu Chukwuma, Umeh Ugochukwu, Emmanuella Akamadu (female), Zango Umar, Emmanuel Oku, Shaibu Michael, Lucky Otoide, Mmaduabuchi Okezuonu, Ephraim Kanakapudi, and Omojowo Emmanuel.

They are facing “16 counts” bordering on “conspiracy,” “unlawful diversion of AGO,” and “receiving proceeds of fraudulently diverted products.”

Prosecuting counsel, Mr. M. Y. Bello, told the court that the defendants comprised “staff members of Dangote Industries Limited” and “officials of transport companies” contracted to move diesel from Dangote depots to its Ibese and Obajana plants.

Specifically listed among the Dangote Petroleum Industries Limited staff in charge are Akamadu Emmanuella, Emmanuel Oku, Zango Umar, Lucky Otoide, and Ephraim Kanakapudi.

Others were said to be employed by Arigen Integrated Limited, Obat Limited, Amaiden Energy Limited, Regal Gate Limited, Alkham Limited, Prestige Limited, and Opetrus Global Limited.

Bello told the court that the offences were committed between “January 2022 and December 2023.”

The prosecutor alleged that Tukur Shamsudden, while representing Regal Gate Ltd, Alkham Limited, and Prestige Limited companies contracted by Dangote Industries Limited, “diverted 1,530,893 liters of AGO,” valued at “N1,530,893bn.”

He also told the court that Omojowo, acting as the Managing Director and representative of Opetrus Global Ltd, a company contracted to transload AGO from depots to the Dangote tank farm, “fraudulently diverted 2,455,229 litres of AGO,” valued at “N2,455,229bn,” on or before “December 20, 2023.”

According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened “Sections 21(a) and 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” and are punishable under “Section 18(3) of the same Act,” and “Sections 383(2)(a) and 10 of the Criminal Code Act,” and is punishable under “Sections 390 and 516.”

All 13 defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charges preferred against them by the police.

Meanwhile, Bello informed the court that some of the defendants had “earlier been granted bail” under different conditions when they were first arraigned.

Earlier, at the resuming hearing of the matter on Tuesday, the prosecutor informed the court of “another amended charge” against the defendants, which was filed following the “arrest of the Indian national” and the “duo of Ephraim and Omojowo.”

Consequently, all defendants were “re-arraigned on the amended charge.”

Justice Dipeolu adjourned the trial to “July 22 and 23, 2025,” for the “commencement of the trial.”

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