As you sleep, please put my family in your prayers. My mother is displaced and still hiding. Pray for her comfort and safety. Pray for my hometown 'Nko' yakurr area of cross river state. This is a lot for me to handle.

Dear Nigerians, They’re still shooting sporadically in my village (Nko, Yakurr area of cross river state.) It's enough that they burnt our house with my father in it and my poor mother is still in tye Bush hiding for her life. We can't even travel which makes more horrible.

The youths killed a soldier, so you burn the entire town to the ground? My 70 year old father refused to leave his home to run cos where he wan run go, and the military burned down his house with him in it. @HQNigerianArmy Omo una do this one ooo �

Fallen R&B superstar R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday for using his fame to subject young fans — some just children — to systematic sexual abuse.

Through tears and anger, several of Kelly’s accusers told a court, and him, that he had preyed on them and misled his fans.

“You made me do things that broke my spirit. I literally wished I would die because of how low you made me feel,” said one unnamed survivor, directly addressing a Kelly who kept his hands folded and his eyes downcast.

“Do you remember that?” she added.

Kelly, 55, didn’t speak at his sentencing, where he also was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine. The Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling singer and songwriter was convicted last year of racketeering and sex trafficking at a trial that gave voice to accusers who had previously wondered if their stories were being ignored because they were Black women.

“Although sex was certainly a weapon that you used, this is not a case about sex. It’s a case about violence, cruelty and control,” U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly told him.

The sentence caps a slow-motion fall for Kelly, who was adored by legions of fans and sold millions of albums even after allegations about his abuse of young girls began circulating publicly in the 1990s.

Kelly’s lawyers had argued he should get no more than 10 years in prison because he had a traumatic childhood “involving severe, prolonged childhood sexual abuse, poverty, and violence.”

As an adult with “literacy deficiencies,” the star was “repeatedly defrauded and financially abused, often by the people he paid to protect him,” his lawyers said.

The hitmaker is known for work including the 1996 hit “I Believe I Can Fly” and the cult classic “Trapped in the Closet,” a multi-part tale of sexual betrayal and intrigue.

Allegations that Kelly abused young girls began circulating publicly in the 1990s. He was sued in 1997 by a woman who alleged sexual battery and sexual harassment while she was a minor, and he later faced criminal child pornography charges related to a different girl in Chicago. A jury there acquitted him in 2008, and he settled the lawsuit.

All the while, Kelly continued to sell millions of albums.

The Brooklyn federal court jury convicted him after hearing that he used his entourage of managers and aides to meet girls and keep them obedient, an operation that prosecutors said amounted to a criminal enterprise.

Kelly, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, used his “fame, money and popularity” to systematically “prey upon children and young women for his own sexual gratification,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing earlier this month.

Several accusers testified that Kelly subjected them to perverse and sadistic whims when they were underage.

The accusers alleged they were ordered to sign nondisclosure forms and were subjected to threats and punishments such as violent spankings if they broke what one referred to as “Rob’s rules.”

Some said they believed the videotapes he shot of them having sex would be used against them if they exposed what was happening.

According to testimony, Kelly gave several accusers herpes without disclosing he had an STD, coerced a teenage boy to join him for sex with a naked girl who emerged from underneath a boxing ring in his garage, and shot a shaming video that showed one victim smearing feces on her face as punishment for breaking his rules.

Kelly has denied any wrongdoing. He didn’t testify at his trial, but his then-lawyers portrayed his accusers as girlfriends and groupies who weren’t forced to do anything against their will and stayed with him because they enjoyed the perks of his lifestyle.

Evidence also was presented about a fraudulent marriage scheme hatched to protect Kelly after he feared he had impregnated R&B phenom Aaliyah in 1994 when she was just 15. Witnesses said they were married in matching jogging suits using a license falsely listing her age as 18; he was 27 at the time.

Aaliyah worked with Kelly, who wrote and produced her 1994 debut album, “Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number.” She died in a plane crash in 2001 at age 22.

An earlier defense memo suggested prosecutors’ arguments for a higher sentence overreached by falsely claiming Kelly participated in the paying of a bribe to a government official in order to facilitate the illegal marriage.

The Associated Press does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted or abused, unless they come forward publicly. The women who spoke at Kelly’s sentencing were identified only by first names or pseudonyms.

Kelly has been jailed without bail since in 2019. He’s still facing child pornography and obstruction of justice charges in Chicago, where a trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 15.

States in Nigeria with largest internet subscribers as of March 2022
Research Team by Research Team June 28, 2022 in Tech News

Lagos, Ogun, and Kano State led the list of states in Nigeria with the highest number of internet subscribers as of March 2022, jointly accounting for 23.8% of the total internet subscriber base in the country.

This is according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Internet subscribers in Nigeria increased marginally by 0.62% year-on-year to 145.85 million as of March 2022 compared to 144.95 million subscribers recorded as of the corresponding period of 2021. MTN Nigeria, Glo, and Airtel led the list of telcos with the highest internet customer base with 60.7 million, 39.57 million, and 39.4 million subscribers respectively.

In terms of porting activities, Airtel recorded the highest number of customer departures in the first quarter of the year, with MTN receiving the most in the review quarter.
Notably, a total of 6,393 airtel subscribers ported out in Q1 2022, while 1,452 new subscribers ported to MTN.
A further check reveals that Abuja recorded the highest number of internet subscriber increase on a year-on-year basis, with 487,197 additional subscribers to stand at 7.7 million, followed by Anambra, and Lagos State with 286,143 and 248,314 additional subscribers respectively.

Breakdown of top states by internet subscribers in ascending order.

5. Abuja – 7.11 million
The country’s capital accounted for 4.9% of the total internet subscribers in the country as of March 2022 at 7.11 million subscribers. Its internet subscribers increased by 487,197 year-on-year from 6.62 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2021.

4. Oyo State – 7.52 million
Oyo State, housing the largest city in West Africa and neighboring states to Lagos and Ogun State recorded total internet subscribers of 7.52 million as of the end of the first quarter of the year, representing 5.2% of the total internet subscribers in the country.

However, the number of internet subscribers in the state reduced by 213,612 from 7.74 million recorded in Q1 2021 to 7.52 million in the review period.

3. Kano State – 8.36 million
In the highly populated state, Kano recorded a total internet subscriber base of 8.36 million as of March 2022, accounting for 5.7% of the total internet subscribers as of the same period. The state recorded 35,336 new subscribers on a year-on-year from 8.33 million recorded as of March 2021.

2. Ogun State – 8.54 million
Ogun State, which is a neighboring state to Lagos and a center for many industries in the country recorded a total internet subscriber base of 8.54 million as of March 2022, which accounts for 5.9% of the total subscribers recorded in the period under review.

However, its subscriber base was reduced on a year-on-year basis, dropping by 155,951 from 8.69 million subscribers recorded as of March 2021 to 8.54 million in Q1 2022.

1. Lagos State – 17.84 million
Lagos State, the economic hub of the nation recorded the highest number of internet subscribers in the review quarter at 17.84 million, representing 12.2% of the total internet subscribers in the country.

The number of internet subscribers in the state increased by 248,314 year-on-year from 17.59 million subscribers recorded as of the same period of 2021 to 17.84 million.

Other States
Kaduna – 6.78 million
Rivers – 5.21 million
Delta – 5.13 million
Edo – 5.08 million
Niger – 4.65 million

Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma is clear of sexual assault allegations.

Bissouma and a man in his 40s were arrested in the early hours of October 6 last year when police were called to a seafront nightclub in Brighton.

The Mali international had to amend bail conditions to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations and investigations are still ongoing.

Bissouma, however, is in the clear following the most recent stage of proceedings, released with no further action.

A spokesman for Sussex Police told Sportsmail: 'A man in his 40s from Brighton who was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault has had his conditional bail extended until July 4, 2022.

'A man in his 20s, also from Brighton, who was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault has been released with no further action to be taken.

'The investigation is ongoing and no additional information is available at this time.'


Bissouma, aged 25, spent four years at Brighton before his £25million move to Tottenham last month.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adamu Abdullahi has withdrawn from a suit filed against the Independent National Electoral Commission over the exclusion of former Senate Minority leader, Godswill Akpabio as the party’s candidate in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.

SaharaReporters learnt that Akpabio had filed a case at a Federal High Court, Abuja, against INEC for excluding his name from the list of candidates for the 2023 general elections.

Adamu who was said to be a party in the case withdrew on Monday after he realised documents allegedly presented by the former Minister were forged.

"Trouble started when words got to Senator Adamu Abdullahi that the documents filed in court were forged and that the Chairman was in for an embarrassment of monumental proportion that will expose both the National Chairman and the party to ridicule.

"The moment the APC National Chairman was drawn to the fact that Akpabio has once more approached the court with forged documents in his so-called Enforcement Suit, the party had to withdraw from the suit file on Friday last week.
“I can tell you authoritatively that Akpabio is on his own with the suit. He has caused more than enough damage to the APC in Akwa Ibom State and we can't aid him to wreak more havoc than he has already done,” a source in the party alleged.

Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Mike Igini earlier said the commission would not recognise Akpabio as the party’s candidate for the senatorial district.

Speaking on "The Morning Show", an Arise TV news and current affairs breakfast programme on Monday, Igini said it is the height of irresponsibility for the former Minister to fraudulently claim he emerged through a rerun election “conducted by himself for himself in which he won.”

According to him, it is shameful that Akpabio can parade himself as a Senatorial candidate in an election that was successfully conducted and concluded on May 27, 2022, where one Udom Ekpoudom emerged.

Igini accused the former Senate Minority Leader of taking his impunity a step further by tagging his illegality a rerun.

"Look, we are election managers, we know the meaning of rerun. A rerun election presupposes a previous election. And in a rerun election, the Supreme Court is very clear, it can only take place among those who were a part of the first exercise and Akpabio was never part of the exercise but at all material time a presidential aspirant,” he stated

He also clarified that in spite of Akpabio's boasting that he has INEC in Abuja in his pockets and can therefore unilaterally substitute candidates as he pleases, the commission recognises only candidates who emerged from primaries it monitored.

On the crisis engulfing the state chapter of the APC which has resulted in the emergence of two factions, Igini said that based on the outcome of the APC State Congress held on October 16, 2021, INEC recognises Austin Ekanem as the authentic Chairman of the party who won with 1,278 votes while the candidate backed by the former Minister scored 006.

He alleged that Akpabio forged the original result and altered the result so that the candidate who scored 006 later scored 1,006 while that of Ekanem was falsified to read 278 instead of 1,278, and with the forged document, the criminality was taken to court where they fraudulently got a judgement that Ntukekpo won the election.

The INEC boss noted that though the process of conducting the primary or congress of political parties is the exclusive right of the parties, its duty is only to monitor and write a report, but that the report of the commission has consequences if due process was not followed.

"Our report can be very decisive. It cannot be ignored," he warned.

The INEC REC noted with dismay that despite that a Court of Appeal ordered a stay of execution, the APC National Chairman went ahead to swear in Ntukekpo as State Chairman in flagrant disregard of the court order.

He declared that as far as INEC is concerned, the APC did not conduct any governorship primary in Akwa Ibom and to date, neither Akpabio nor his faction has been able to name the Abuja INEC officials who monitored the illegal midnight primary that allegedly produced Akan Okon as Akwa Ibom APC candidate.

Former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, has explained why he believes Nyesom Wike will never support the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

Mr Fayose, in an exclusive telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES, said power must shift to the southern part of Nigeria in 2023 after the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term.
According to the former Ekiti governor, Mr Atiku failed to fulfil his promise to Mr Wike when he settled for the Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate.

“Wike never said he wanted to be VP, but when Atiku visited him, he was the one who said, ‘I want you to be my VP’. He said that to Wike. If that then changes, is Wike not supposed to be told? Is he not supposed to know?
He recalled that Mr Atiku had ignored the recommendation of a committee set up by the opposition party to pick his running mate.

“PDP set up a committee to recommend a running mate for the candidate and the committee voted and picked Wike, but they didn’t comply with the recommendation of the committee.”

“If the party is now a one-man show, we will show them that we can resist it. We are with Wike 100 per cent.
When they need Wike’s money and Wike’s support, they will say, ‘Wike is good enough’. Wike has been injured, but we will remain with him. Whatever he does is what we would do; wherever he asks us to go is where we will go.”

When asked what would happen should Mr Wike ask them to support Mr Atiku, the former governor said: “Wike will never say we should support Atiku.
Wike cannot come out to say he is supporting Atiku. I dare him to say so; because he knows that whatever he says will haunt him forever. If Wike supports Atiku, we will abandon him.”

Atiku responds
Contacted for a response, Paul Ibe, Mr Atiku’s spokesperson, said his principal and the party will continue to appeal to aggrieved persons within their fold to embrace dialogue.
Because the bigger challenge is winning the election, kicking out the APC and stopping them from the many years of impoverishing our people,” said Mr Ibe.
“It is normal for our people to be aggrieved but the PDP has a way of resolving issues like this and that will be done and we all shall be happy.”

‘Power to the south’
On whether the plan is now to technically support the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, or his counterpart in the Labour Party,
Peter Obi, Mr Fayose said: “this is not about Bola Tinubu or Obi, but this is about our belief that power must come to the south and it is a struggle we must actualise.

Mr Fayose further explained that “when the June 12 election was cancelled, the presidency was zoned to the southwest to pacify the southwest region.

“When former President Goodluck Jonathan was over staying, it was believed that he was already using the northern slot. So, he was opposed and a northern candidate was installed through the APC.
This time, it is the turn of the south because Buhari has spent eight years. Why will PDP be insisting that it must again be the turn of the north.”

Mr Fayose also stated that he does not care if his actions are perceived as anti-party activity.

“ What I am saying is, it is the turn of the South, and if they want to expel me, to hell with them. I am not taking money from anyone to belong to this party.

“If they want to rock this boat, we will help them to rock it.”

A deadline of August 1, 2022 has been set by the Ondo State Security Network Agency, often known as “Amotekun Corps,” for some public institutions to install Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) in their facilities.

The ultimatum was issued, according to the corps, as part of its determination to crack down on acts of terrorism and other criminal activities in the state.

The state commander of Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye gave this indication in a press statement issued in Akure, Ondo State capital one Wednesday.

Adeleye insisted that the purpose of installing the CCTV cameras was to aid security forces in tracking criminals who have been terrorizing the state for a while.

He said that by providing real-time videos of criminal activity, the action was in keeping with international best practices in intelligence operations.

Over the weekend, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu signed an executive order requiring the installation of CCTV in all public and private organizations.

“Penalties for non-compliance, failure of any of the concerned operators/owners to comply with this directive will attract sanctions.

“The premises shall be closed down indefinitely and the owners shall be prosecuted.”

According to the Benue State governor, when it comes to mobilisation, reaching out, and galvanizing people, Wike was a very strong factor

“Why can’t Atiku visit Wike personally? I am confused about what’s going on…I have resorted to fasting and prayers for God to direct me on my next move.


“Where were these people when the party was going down? Wike brought the party back to life. No person has contributed more than Wike in positioning the party,” he added.

Ortom said he expected Atiku to reach out to Wike and some members of his campaign committee, including himself, who voted overwhelmingly for Wike, to be his running mate.

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has officially announced a lawyer, Haruna Garba Magashi, as his running mate.

This as he also expressed optimism that his party will defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress and main opposition Peoples Democratic Party during next year’s presidential election.

Sowore, who made the announcement on Thursday in Abuja, said that his running mate has what it takes to deliver Kano, his home state, for the AAC during the 2023 general election.

“We hope to defeat APC over there because the governor has messed up; we know that we will defeat PDP, that’s the party that’s in crisis as we speak.

“We don’t need to talk about the Labour Party in Kano because the party doesn’t exist,” the AAC candidate said.

“We know that we will defeat Alhaji Kwankawso and his party, the NNPP in Kano because we have got someone who is from there.”

The AAC had earlier submitted Magashi’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

BENZEMA
The undisputed best player in the world during the 2021/22 season, Karim Benzema, has had a near-perfect year. Champion and winner of the Pichichi in LaLiga, champion and top scorer in the Champions League, he overtook Di Stefano and equalled Raul as Real Madrid's second highest scorer in history, he won the Nations League with France...

A dream year for Karim, whose goals in Real Madrid's Champions League comebacks will go down in the history of the competition and of the club. Number 1 in MARCA's 100 by a landslide, Karim gets the award and the recognition for a brilliant career.


1
Karim Benzema - Real Madrid

2

Thibaut Courtois - Real Madrid

3
Vinicius Jr. - Real Madrid

4
Mo Salah - Liverpool

5
Kylian Mbappe - PSG

6
Luka Modric - Real Madrid

7
Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City

8
Robert Lewandowski - Bayern Munich

9
Virgil van Dijk - Liverpool


10
Sadio Mane - Liverpool


11
Bernardo Silva - Manchester City


12
Erling Haaland - B. Dortmund

13
Alexander-Arnold - Liverpool

14
Luis Diaz - Porto/Liverpool

15
Rafael Leao - AC Milan

16
Cristopher Nkunku - RB Leipzig

17
Son Heung-Min - Tottenham Hotspur

18
Darwin Nunez - Benfica

19
Joao Cancelo - Manchester City

20
Rodri - Manchester City

21
Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United

22
Thiago Alcantara - Liverpool

23
David Alaba - Real Madrid

24
Fede Valverde - Real Madrid

25
Phil Foden - Manchester City

26
Leo Messi - PSG

27
Dusan Vlahovic - Fiorentina/Juventus

28
Fabinho - Liverpool

29
Theo Hernandez - Milan

30
Antonio Rudiger - Chelsea

31
Pedri - Barcelona

32
Alisson Becker - Liverpool

33
Eder Militao - Real Madrid

34
Harry Kane - Tottenham Hotspur

35
Gavi - Barcelona

36
Aurelien Tchouameni - Monaco

37
Lautaro Martinez - Inter

38
Joshua Kimmich - Bayern Munich

39
Thomas Muller - Bayern Munich

40
Rafael Santos Borre - Eintracht

41
Arnaut Danjuma - Villarreal

42
Mike Maignan - AC Milan

43
Raul Albiol - Villarreal

44
Sebastian Haller - Ajax

45
Nabil Fekir - Real Betis

46
Fikayo Tomori - AC Milan

47
Sandro Tonali - AC Milan

48
Filip Kostic - Eintracht Frankfurt

49
Ivan Perisic - Inter

50
Diogo Jota - Liverpool

51
Andrew Robertson - Liverpool

52
Declan Rice - West Ham

53
Aymeric Laporte - Manchester City

54
Mason Mount - Chelsea

55
Ronald Araujo - Barcelona

56
Reece James - Chelsea

57
Neymar - PSG

58
Ciro Immobile - Lazio

59
Pablo Sarabia - Sporting CP

60
Sergio Canales - Real Betis

61
Tammy Abraham - Roma

62
Marcelo Brozovic - Inter

63
Antony - Ajax

64
Yannick Carrasco - Atletico Madrid

65
Patrik Schick - Bayer Leverkusen

66
Karim Adeyemi - RB Salzburg

67
Achraf Hakimi - Paris Saint-Germain

68
Wissam Ben Yedder - Monaco

69
James Tavernier - Rangers

70
Lorenzo Pellegrini - Roma

71
Iago Aspas - Celta Vigo

72
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic - Lazio

73
Ousmane Dembele - Barcelona

74
Luis Sinisterra - Feyenoord

75
Mikel Merino - Real Sociedad

76
Gleison Bremer - Torino

77
Lucas Paqueta - Lyon

78
Dimitri Payet - Marseille

79
Gerard Deulofeu - Udinese

80
Bono - Sevilla

81
Kalidou Koulibaly - Napoli

82
Iker Muniain - Athletic Club

83
Diego Carlos - Sevilla

84
Nico Schlotterbeck - Freiburg

85
Domenico Berardi - Sassuolo

86
Nahuel Molina - Udinese

87
Fabian Ruiz - Napoli

88
Giovanni Simeone - Hellas Verona

89
Bruno Guimaraes - Newcastle United

90
Jonathan Clauss - Lens

91
Sergio Gomez - Anderlecht

92
Marco Reus - Borussia Dortmund

93
Martin Terrier - Rennes

94
Charles De Ketelaere - Club Brugge

95
Raul de Tomas - Espanyol

96
Taremi - Porto

97
Fabio Vieira - Porto

98
Anthony Modeste - Koln

99
Deniz Undav - Union SG

100
Cody Gakpo - PSV

Indian Hindu tailor beheaded on camera for going online to show support for a politician who made controversial remarks about Prophet Mohammed

An India tailor was beheaded on camera in Rajasthan by two self-proclaimed 'Islamic warriors' after sharing a post in support of a politician who sparked global protests with controversial remarks about Prophet Mohammed.

The two self-proclaimed 'Islamic warriors visited Kanhaiya Lal's small shop in a crowded Udaipur market, pretending to be customers, and engaging him in a discussion before attacking him.

Lal is heard pleading with them to spare him, in a video filmed by the attackers themselves.

One attacker repeatedly strikes the tailor on his neck from behind, even as he collapses to the ground screaming for his life.

The pair then went online, identifying themselves as Mohammed Riyaz Ansari and Ghouse Mohammed, claiming responsibility for the attack.

The victim was reportedly targeted for sharing a social media post in support of recent comments made by a spokeswoman for India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) about the Islamic Prophet Mohammed.

The remarks by Nupur Sharma at a TV debate in late May were deemed 'blasphemous' and sparked protests that turned violent in some parts of India and demonstrations across the Islamic world.

summoning their Indian envoys for an explanation.

The two attackers released another video after the killing in which they brandished knives and issued a chilling warning to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that they would 'douse the fire he had started'.

The two men, Mohammad Riyaz Ansari and Ghouse Mohammed have both now been arrested.

'Both the accused in the killing have been arrested and we will ensure strict punishment and speedy justice,' said Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot.

Gehlot appealed to people to not share the video as it would 'serve the attackers motive of creating discord in society'.

The Union Home Ministry has dispatched a high-level anti-terror investigation team to the spot.