Author: damazah@gmail.com

Last November, Lloyds Bank informed me, in my role as treasurer of my parish church, that the church account was to be closed and that I should open a new business account instead. This can only be done online, but a fault with their system prevented me – and local branch staff – from doing so.At the branch staff’s suggestion, I opened the new account with a different bank in early March. Since then, I’ve been trying in vain to get Lloyds to transfer the balance from the closed account.I’ve been repeatedly told to visit my local branch and repeatedly…

The Enugu State Police Command has disclosed that its operatives attached to the Anti-Cultism Sub-Unit of the Violent Crime Response Unit have rescued three abducted victims and recovered their Lexus RX350, two locally-made firearms, ammunition and other exhibits. It noted that the rescue was achieved with support from the Neighbourhood Watch corps and community members. According to a release on Tuesday by the command’s spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, via his X handle, the command received an intelligence report on carjacking and abduction on August 18, 2026, at midnight. He added that the operatives immediately swung into action. Ndukwe said, “The operation…

The young woman became the face of migrants deported by the United States to Panama. She was locked up in a hotel, detained in a camp in the Darién jungle and stranded in a country where she knew neither the language nor anyone else. Later, she lent her name to a bill in Congress aimed at providing more protection to some migrants seeking asylum in the United States. The woman, Artemis Ghasemzadeh, a 28-year-old Iranian Christian convert, has now found a home — in Canada. In June, the Canadian government granted her asylum, a happy bookend to her nearly two-year…

Kayode Tokede   United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) and Fidelity Bank Plc, yesterday notified market stakeholders of obtaining approval from the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) to extend the deadline for the publication of its audited financial statements (AFS) for the half-year ended June 30, 2026. According to a statement posted on the Exchange, both  UBA are expected to submit H1 2026 audited on or before September 30, 2026.     The Group Company Secretary/Legal Counsel, UBA, Bili Odum in a statement  stated that the board of Directors approved the Bank’s Financial Statements for the H1 2026 at its meeting held on August…

Airbound, an Indian startup building autonomous drones, has raised $37 million in fresh capital as it pushes to make moving goods through the air as cheap as trucking them by road. The Series A round, led by Greenoaks with participation from DoorDash, Lachy Groom, Lightspeed, and Humba Ventures, comes less than a year after Airbound raised an $8.65 million seed round. With this funding, the three-year-old startup has raised nearly $50 million. Airbound, and other startups in this nascent sector, argue that drones can move certain goods faster and cheaper than vehicles on the road. And while there have been…

Key eventsMinister rejects accusation Burnham broke promise on council homes fundingA housing minister has rejected suggestions that Andy Burnham has failed to his keep promises on council housing, as the government unveiled a nearly £10bn plan to boost “genuinely affordable homes”.The prime minister has pledged to carry out the biggest council housebuilding programme since the postwar period, with more than 70,000 homes, 60% allocated for social rent, to be delivered across England.However, Burnham has faced accusation of watering down his ambitions after he previously called for the entire £39bn social and affordable homes programme to be spent on council housing.Asked…

The National Addressing Council (NAC) has ratified the preliminary framework for the actualisation of Nigeria’s vision to build a digitised and modern addressing system for the country. Under the new arrangement, the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation will serve as secretariat for greater efficiency and coordination, while other agencies will synergise efforts to achieve set objectives. The decision was taken on Monday at the meeting of the council chaired by Vice President Kashim Shetima in Abuja, with key members and stakeholders in the public and private sectors in attendance. “Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, our duty is to…

After Aston Villa endured a day to forget on the Premier League’s opening weekend, it only stands to reason that they must sign players, and ideally good ones. Milan wide man Rafael Leão has flirted with a move to England in the past and he could be the answer to Unai Emery’s attacking troubles, if that answer is not named Nicolas Jackson or Jean-Philippe Mateta.And Villa are not just concentrating their efforts on reshaping their forward line. Rangers’ Nicolas Raskin could fit the bill in midfield, where they looked light in the shellacking by Brighton, while Club Brugge centre-back Joel…

It’s life, Jim – but very much not as we know it.In fact, when it comes to the latest episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the life forms in question are less flesh-and-blood and more fabric-and-felt – as the series becomes the latest sci-fi show to embrace the magic of puppetry.Level-Five Transporter Accident follows in a longstanding Trek tradition that sees crew members undergo unfortunate transformations while beaming up to the ship. This time, the crew suffers an even greater indignity: thanks to a spot of boldly sewing from the legendary Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, the Enterprise team are…

By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin A coalition of Kwara youth organisations and the Arewa Youth Assembly on Monday held a solidarity rally in Ilorin in support of President Bola Tinubu’s security interventions in the state. The youths particularly commended the creation of the new 9 Division of the Nigerian Army, with its headquarters in Ilorin and a formation cited in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State. They described the establishment of the division as a major step towards strengthening security in Kwara and neighbouring communities. Speaking at the peaceful rally, President of the Coalition of Kwara Youth Organisations, Ibrahim…