Yahaya Bello Pleads Not Guilty on 16-Count Charge Before FCT High Court.

Former Governor of Kogi state Yahaya Bello has entered a plea of not guilty to a 16 count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial crimes commission when he was arraigned before the FCT High Court in Abuja.

Judiciary correspondent Austin Anyebe reports that the Alleged charges include misappropriation and misuse of public funds including acquiring multiple high value properties in Maitama and Asokoro districts of Abuja, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

The funds allegedly misused amount to billions of naira.

Bello and two others are accused of breaching public trust and engaged in dishonest and financial recklessness during his days in office.

EFCC operatives have been on the trail of the Former Governor since he left office in 2023 before he submitted himself to the Anti-graft agency on Monday.

Frustration as UK bssed Nigerian Woman Shares US Visa Rejection Story on Social Media

Ekwutosblog has gathered that a Nigerian woman based in the UK has shared her frustration after being denied a visa to travel to the United States.

According to her, the US Embassy cited her lack of strong ties to the UK as the reason for the refusal.

In a viral video posted on X (formerly Twitter), the woman detailed her experience immediately after leaving the embassy.

She expressed her disappointment, stating that her visa application was rejected despite providing answers to all the questions asked.

“This is the face of someone who has just been denied a US visa,” she began in the video.

“They told me I don’t have enough ties. They asked me what I was doing in Nigeria, and I told them HR admin. Then they questioned why I left that HR job to come to the UK.”

She further explained, “They asked how long I’ve been here, and then said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t give you a visa now. You’ve not established enough ties in the UK.”

As she narrated her ordeal, the woman revealed additional details about the process and her disappointment with the outcome.

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A massive explosion sent a thick plume of white smoke billowing over Tyre province in southern Lebanon on Tuesday afternoon.

This event followed airstrikes by Israeli warplanes, which hit 20 different sites within a span of two minutes, including areas in central Beirut, shortly after an evacuation alert was issued.

These attacks occurred just hours ahead of a potential ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, with officials from Israel, the US, Lebanon, and the international community expressing optimism about the situation.

Israel’s security cabinet even scheduled a vote to discuss the acceptance of a US-mediated ceasefire with Hezbollah.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that the seven buildings hit in the airstrikes were allegedly associated with Hezbollah, supposedly utilized for financial management and storage.

The strikes resulted in the death of three individuals and injuries to 26 others in central Beirut, where local residents claimed the buildings were residential.

In response, Hezbollah started launching attacks into northern Israel, purportedly to show solidarity with the Palestinians, just a day after Hamas executed its attack on October 7, 2023, which led to the Gaza invasion.

Since then, both sides have been engaged in a continuous exchange of fire.

Situation in Lebanon continues to intensify

In early September, Israel intensified its bombardment campaign and deployed troops into Lebanon, promising to halt Hezbollah’s attacks.

According to Lebanese health officials, over 3,760 individuals, many of whom were civilians, have died from Israeli strikes in Lebanon over the past year.

The ongoing bombardment has displaced 1.2 million people from their residences. Israel claims to have eliminated more than 2,000 members of Hezbollah.

Hezbollah’s actions have forced around 50,000 Israelis to evacuate their homes in the northern regions, with its rockets reaching as far south as Tel Aviv.

At least 75 individuals have lost their lives, with more than half being civilians. Additionally, over 50 Israeli soldiers have died in ground operations in Lebanon.