Headlines
Osinbajo Loses Twitter Account, Blames Hackers
The official Twitter page of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo appeared to have disappeared with its over two million followers on Friday.
Mr Osinbajo has used his “@ProfOsinbajo” screename on the micro-blogging platform to publicise his activities since he was named as the running mate to then-candidate Muhammadu Buhari in late 2014.
He carried on with the handle following his successful campaign with Mr Buhari in the March 2015 presidential election — using it to propagate his administration policies and critical milestones in his marriage to Dolapo.
The account has amassed at least 2.1 million followers as of earlier this week, which made its disappearance easily noticeable amongst a multitude of other newsmakers on Twitter.
As of Saturday morning, “@ProfOsinbajo” could no longer be reached on Twitter. Its history of 2,399 tweets and 488 likes had also become inaccessible on Twitter.
An archive of the handle showed the last activity (a retweet) on it was on August 3.
Mr Osinbajo last tweeted himself on July 28, when he condoled with the families of slain journalist Precious Owolabi following a visit to his family.
It was not immediately clear when the account stopped loading, but there were indications it was around midnight on Friday.
The earliest observation about the account’s disappearance appeared to have come at 9:28 a.m. on Friday.
aWhether Twitter suspended or deleted the account or Mr Osinbajo took it offline by himself remained unclear as of Saturday morning.
A spokesperson for Mr Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, did not return requests seeking clarification from PREMIUM TIMES.
Twitter also did not return an e-mail seeking comments about the vice-president’s handle.
In the meantime, its disappearance has been gradually filtering through the Nigerian social media space, amidst speculations over what may the cause.
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
