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Female rapper sues ride-hailing company after rider said she couldn’t fit in his car and canceled her trip

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A plus-sized rapper who describes herself as a BBW — aka “big beautiful woman” — is suing Lyft after one of the company’s drivers allegedly told her she was too large to ride in his car.

Dank Demoss, who has previously disclosed that she weighs nearly 489 lbs., claims the rejection unfolded earlier this month in Detroit when the Lyft driver rolled up in his Mercedes-Benz sedan and immediately locked his doors.

“I can fit in this car,” the rapper, who also goes by Dajua Blanding, could be heard saying in a videoshe posted on social media on Jan. 19.

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Binance: Nigerian Govt talks tough over Gambaryan’s allegations against Ribadu, others

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The Federal Government of Nigeria has expressed concerns over what it described as outrageous allegations, misinformation, and defamatory statements being disseminated by Tigran Gambaryan, an American personnel of Binance.

Gambaryan was recently tried in Nigeria for financial crimes.

Recall that Gambaryan and his fellow, Anjarwalla were detained on February 26, 2024, by the Nigerian government.

While Anjarwalla escaped from custody, Gambaryan was kept in detention and was charged for money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

This came after the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, raised the alarm that $26 billion was funneled through Binance without a trace.

But, months after the legal tussle, the Nigerian government dropped charges against Gambaryan and Binance.

 

In October 2024, the court ordered the release of Gambaryan.

On Friday, Ekwutosblog reported that Gambaryan accused Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, of seeking a bribe to fund his political ambition.

The Binance former executive also accused Reps member, Philip Agbese and two other Nigerian lawmakers of demanding a $150 million bribe, which should be paid into their cryptocurrency wallets.

 

However, Agbese, member representing Ado/ Okpokwu/ Ogbadibo Federal Constituency in Benue State, had challenged Mr Gambaryan to provide evidence of him demanding the bribe.

He went further to threaten legal action against Gambaryan if he failed to prove his allegations or apologize within seven days.

Similarly, in a statement signed by the Minister of Information and National, Mohammed Idris, the Nigerian government said it was obliged to set the records straight to stop his falsehoods from gaining grounds.

“The first visit by Mr. Gambaryan and his colleagues to Nigeria was discretionary on their part and Government was not officially involved,” the statement said.

“However, when the attention of the Government was called to an alleged bribery demand during that trip an investigation was immediately opened into it though there was no formal complaint by anyone.

“Mr. Gambaryan’s second visit to Nigeria was part of a wider probe into the criminal manipulation of the Nigerian currency through peer-to-peer platforms like Binance, but investigators were frustrated by the tactics deployed by Gambaryan and his team.

“The government rejected Binance’s offer of a $5 million down payment in exchange for Mr. Gambaryan’s freedom, in favour of a more beneficial settlement with the American government.

“We categorically deny the retaliatory claims made by Mr. Gambaryan against Nigerian officials involved in his case, and we urge the public to disregard these false accusations in their entirety.

“It is essential to note that Mr. Gambaryan’s allegations are not only unsubstantiated but also lack credibility, given his apparent motive to discredit and intimidate those who ensured he faced justice.

“However, we are confident that both the Nigerian and American judicial systems will provide Mr. Gambaryan with a fair opportunity to substantiate his claims in court.

“Until then, we advise the public to exercise caution and not be swayed by Mr. Gambaryan’s unfounded and malicious claims.”

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Energy expert urges Tinubu to end petrol import, prioritise local refining

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Energy expert, Dan Kunle, has warned that the continued importation of petrol and diesel by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited and certain marketers, despite the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s capacity to meet domestic demand, is a disservice to the country.

Recent reports indicate that NNPC, Oil Marketers spent N5.5tn on petrol, diesel importation in four months.

Speaking on a programme on Arise TV on Sunday, Dan Kunle likened the massive importation of petrol and diesel by NNPCL and some marketers over the past four months to the notorious ‘cement Armada’—a scandal from the 1970s, during Nigeria’s oil boom, where hundreds of cement-laden ships flooded the ports, causing years of congestion.

Kunle expressed his disappointment that, despite President Bola Tinubu’s directive and the Federal Executive Council’s decision to allocate local crude oil to domestic refineries, relevant government agencies is blatantly disregarding these directives with no consequences.

He said: “I was expecting a transition following the Federal Executive Council’s decision in October 2024 to allocate local crude to domestic refineries, with Dangote Refinery being the key player due to its technical capacity.

“However, the situation hasn’t changed, and we’re still seeing a massive influx of imported fuel. It’s still a full import Armada, similar to the cement Armada. The level of imports we’re witnessing is unprecedented, raising serious concerns about what’s really going on. Is it an attempt to flood the market, introduce substandard fuel into Nigeria, and possibly frustrate Dangote Refinery?

“The mistake here is that Dangote Refinery is operational, already refining 550,000 bpd and producing high-quality products. This importation is completely unnecessary. It’s time to urge the president to act and end this petrol import racket once and for al.”

Kunle emphasised that it defies logic for certain individuals to continue pushing for imports, especially when countries like the United States are protecting domestic industries to boost their own economies. He added that the Dangote Refinery could ensure energy security, something the regulatory authorities have neglected for years.

He called on President Tinubu to demand a transition timetable from the relevant authorities outlining when Nigeria will shift from being an importer of refined products to a net exporter. Stressing that Dangote Refinery is a strategic national asset, Kunle urged the government to remove obstacles to its smooth operation.

He said: “The Dangote Refinery is a national strategic asset. There’s no need for a court case. The federal government should step in. We don’t need a legal battle; the government should ask the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA for a transition timetable to move us from importing petrol to self-sufficiency. If the president stays aloof, it will harm the country. No new investments will come if you treat an investment like Dangote’s as an enemy. The importers are the true enemies.”

Kunle stressed that with Dangote Refinery’s capacity and the reported revival of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, Nigeria should be transitioning from reliance on oil imports to becoming a net exporter of refined petroleum products.

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Did CBN Unveil ₦5000 Note With Tinubu’s Image? Fact Emerges

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The claim that the CBN has unveiled a new ₦5000 note with the image of President Bola Tinubu has been fact-checked Several social media users claimed that the new note would be released later in 2025 and the first sample was released in January However, fact-checking revealed that the image being shared on social media was generated by Grok, an AI tool embedded in the social media platform X

 

There have been claims on social media that the Central Bank of Nigeria has unveiled the first sample of a single ₦5000 note and the image the new note carries is President Bola Tinubu.

CBN has not released any new ₦5000 note with President Bola Tinubu on it Photo Credit: Express, Asiwaju Bola Hammed Tinubu Source: Twitter

 

The Facebook post reads in part: “The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has unveiled the first sample of the ₦5000 note, which will soon be distributed to banks.

The note features a portrait of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. According to the CBN Governor, this decision honours Tinubu for his commendable contributions during his presidency.”

 

Recall that in 2012, the apex bank announced plans to introduce the ₦5000 note to Nigerians. However, the CBN backtracked these moves in 2022. Over the years, the elites have been calling on the government to introduce the ₦5000 notes.

AI-generated ₦5000 notes on social media The claim about the new ₦5000 has been made on several other Facebook pages but Africa Check has confirmed that the ₦5000 image in circulation was an AI-generated image.

Recall that the CBN initiated the move to redesign Nigeria’s currency in 2022. The development led to a temporary shortage of the new notes over ineffective distribution.

However, the claim that the apex bank plans to create a new ₦5000 notes in 2025 has not been reported by any credible media. Such news would have made the headlines if the report was genuine. Source of fake ₦5000 note online

The social media users who shared the questionable ₦5000 notes tried to crop out the “Grok” watermark on the image.

The watermark was an indication that the ₦5000 note being shared on Facebook was generated by Grok, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) embedded in the microblog, X.

Over time, many people on social media have used AI tools to spread misinformation. Such claims have been fact-checked and debunked by several recognised fact-checking organisations.

Seyi Tinubu receives the president’s appointee Legit.ng earlier reported that APC national youth leader Dayo Israel took his appointment letter as the chairman of the governing board of FMC Abeokuta, Ogun state, to Seyi Tinubu.

The APC youth leader started generating mixed reactions from Nigerians, receiving condemnation and commendation.

President Bola Tinubu appointed Dayo Israel and 43 others as chairs of the board of directors at different government agencies and ministries. Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

 

 

 

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