Poverty Fueling Insecurity In Northern Nigeria, Says Uba Sani

In a statement from Kaduna State governor Uba Sani, the governor of Kaduna State, Sani claims that the region’s insecurity is caused by poverty and economic exclusion. He warns that the area will continue to experience unrest unless they are addressed holistically.

The governor stated, “I came from the trenches,” during a speech on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics program. During the military era, I have previously fought against successive governments. I frequently campaigned for equality and justice while in detention.

Sani said his administration was founded on a data-driven approach to poverty and underdevelopment, drawing on his previous leadership roles as the Senate Committee on Banking.

“When I first became governor, what I did was examine the state’s poverty index as well as the entire North. The Committee on Banking was led by me. I had the SDG-related data and statistics from the Central Bank’s Development Department. The poverty index as of 2023, he explained, is alarming, and I can tell you that sitting here, it is alarming.

When he took office, he claimed that more than 60% to 65% of people in the northern region, especially those in the North-West, were financially excluded. He claimed that this made many young people more vulnerable to armed group recruitment.

I can tell you that poverty and unemployment are primarily an economic issue, which makes up this insecurity problem. He claimed that because of this, these bandits are able to recruit our people.

CLICK HERE to read Governor Yusuf’s inflammatory comment.

Out-of-School Students

Sani also disclosed that over 350, 000 children in Kaduna State were absent when he took over.

“We are addressing the issue gradually today,” he said. I had a conversation with the World Bank’s Vice President two months ago. The statistics from UNICEF caught our attention. The North accounts for about 70% of the 18.2 million out-of-school children today, according to what I can tell you.

The figure is different, and we are working on the issue more slowly, he said.

However, the governor cautioned against long-term commitment and achievable goals when resolving the crisis. Sani acknowledged that the region had failed to address the crisis earlier and thanked the region for years of policy neglect.

Nobody can tell you that we can solve this issue even in the next ten years, but I’ll explain why. “Things are getting better. Because I’m a very realistic person.

“This issue didn’t start two years ago,” he said. Because of our docile nature, it began many years ago. We didn’t take the whole picture of the situation. In the past, we were given the chance to push, but we didn’t, he said.

Face the Realität ‘.

Governors and traditional rulers think that addressing issues in the area must be done quickly. Photo: X/ubasanius

The governor urged leaders in the Northern region to work together to combat poverty and unemployment.

If we want to restore the splendor of our region, “the North needs to take a seat and face this reality.” However, I’m pleased that everyone is on the same page for the first time, from the ministers to the senators to the members of the House of Representatives to the governors.

We can’t win insecurity by using kinetic methods or by administering palliatives to people. We must examine the causes and symptoms. He emphasized that we must close the gender gap between rural and urban populations in terms of economic prosperity.

Additionally, the governor cited regional poverty as a major cause of the region’s infrastructural, educational, and healthcare deficits.

You’d be surprised to find that there is a lot of poverty in some of the North-West’s neighborhoods. According to Sani, “we have a lot of deficits in terms of infrastructure, education, healthcare, and many other fundamental issues.”

Sani cited Kaduna’s recent reduction in violence as a result of the issue of local security.

“We used to have farmer-herder and religious crises, but most of them were.” We haven’t had any experience in the last two years. He claimed that it has greatly reduced but not been eradicated.

Troops Arrest Suspected Oil Thieves, Recover Stolen Products In Niger Delta

Working with other security agencies, the 6 Division Nigerian Army has deactivated 28 illegal refining sites, deactivated 28 illegal refining sites, and recovered more than 700, 000 litres of petroleum products.

Between May 12 and May 18, 2025, the operations took place in various states in the Niger Delta.

Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Danjuma, the acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, gave these details in a statement.

According to him, “the operations resulted in the destruction of several locally produced boats engaged in illegal bunkering activities.”

Further, the statement made it clear that troops had scoured the rivers for their targeted operations in the Ozochi Forests, Okolomade, Orashi, and Ozochi Forests, where a wellhead with an illegal connection was discovered. Over 200 sacks of illegally refined Automotive Gasoline Oil (AGO), 300 000 litres of stolen crude in cooking ovens, and 300, 000 litres of stolen AGO were discovered during follow-up searches.

“Six cooking ovens with 100, 000 litres of capacity, four reservoirs, six receivers, six pumping machines, and generators were seized. In connection with these crimes, he added, “Three suspects have been taken into custody.”

According to reliable information, a truck loaded with more than 45 000 litres of stolen AGO was intercepted at Alode Junction in the Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State. Five suspected oil thieves who operate a new illegal bunkering site were apprehended in addition to the addition of additional raids at Obiafor Forest, along with the seizure of a reservoir containing more than 25, 000 litres of stolen crude oil.

Also read: Ondo’s Navy Rejects 90, 000 Litres Of Stolen Crude Oil.

A wooden boat carrying more than 10,000 litres of crude oil that had been hidden in the Olughighi area was also demobilized by the troops.

In addition to the seizure of 31 drum pots, 10 drum receivers, 38 sacks, and more than 7, 000 litres of stolen products, operations along the Imo River resulted in the deactivation of seven illegal refining sites. Over 50 sacks of illegally refined crude oil, estimated to be 2,500 litres, were recovered during a sting operation at Amahausa Community in Ahoada East LGA.

The Army deactivated the illegal refining facilities in Biseni, Yenagoa LGA, and Isonogbene Creek, Southern Ijaw LGA of Rivers State, resulting in the recovery of more than 3,500 litres of stolen products overall.

A truck driver was detained at Wellhead 3 Olomoro Flow Station in Isoko South LGA and three artisanal refineries were intercepted by Delta State troops in Ughoton Creeks, Warri South LGA, and arrested.

A minibus loaded with 1, 170 litres of illegally refined AGO was intercepted in Akwa Ibom State along the Abak–Ikot Abasi road. The driver has been detained and is assisting investigations.

Major General Emmanuel Emekah, the general officer commanding the 6th division, applauded the soldiers’ operational accomplishments and advised them to “strategically increase the momentum as the operations progress.”

Gwyneth Paltrow reveals real reason behind selling shock ‘vagina’ candle

Gwyneth Paltrow, the guru of wellness and acting, has now revealed more about her infamous “vagina” candle, which initially sparked controversy when she first made it public.

Gwyneth Paltrow reveals real reason behind selling shock ‘vagina’ candle(Image: Corbis via Getty Images)

Gwyneth Paltrow opened up about the controversy surrounding the release of her controversial “This Smells Like My Vagina” candle, which was first viewed online. Fans could purchase the now-discontinued candle for $75 on the Goop website, but it actually had geranium, citrusy bergamot, cedar absolutes, Damask rose, and ambrette seed scented it.

She was questioned about the candle at the Mindvalley Manifesting Summit 2025, which saw the Goop founder collaborate with Heretic Parfum founder Douglas Little to create it. During a Q&amp, A session, she said, “That product is so fascinating because we were messing around with different scents one day.

“And I smelled something and said, “Oh, that smells like… You know. I joked a lot. And then, [Douglas] said, “Oh, we should make that a candle and put it on the site. “

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Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth revealed why they released the viral candle(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

The Marvel actress at the time assumed Douglas was making fun of the joke and agreed by saying that it “sounded like a winner.”

She continued, “It suddenly appeared figuratively on the website. Then the Internet was completely destroyed. Then it took us a long time to recover that one.

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However, I kept it because, in my opinion, there is a sexual aspect to women who are socialized who feel a lot of shame. And I a little bit adored the punk rock concept. We are amazing, gorgeous, and awesome, and we should be proud of ourselves.

Meanwhile, Gwyneth recently revealed she turned to alcohol during the Los Angeles wildfires but quickly realised it made her menopause symptoms worse.

'This smells like my vagina' candle from Goop
On her website, the candle is no longer accessible.

The Talented Mr Ripley actress, 52, admitted she was drinking “every night” after the devastating fires spread through LA earlier this year. The blaze that ripped through California burned through everything in its wake, including the homes of Leighton Meester, Anna Faris and many more high-profile names.

She revealed on her Goop podcast that she is “absolutely in the thick of it right now,” which means she is “almost everywhere.” But I noticed that my symptoms are generally unaffected, unless, you know, I used alcohol to fuel the fires in Los Angeles in January.

The Iron Man actress was drinking “every night” when the fires started. She recalled, “I think I drank every night.” I was taking medication. I normally don’t drink a lot right now.

My symptoms were completely out of control, and I may need to drink one a week. For the first time in my opinion, “causes that way,”

Before she menopause, the actress continued to discuss her insomnia issues, which were unavoidable. The actress continued, “I’ve always been a real sleeper… [But] after menopause, I had a particularly bad time with it.”

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READ MORE: Shoppers race to snag £25 BBQ that’s ‘perfect for small spaces’ for under £10

Five teams, three spots – which way will race for Champions League go?

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On the final day of the season, five Premier League clubs will compete for three Champions League spots, with Eddie Howe, Newcastle manager, saying he “had the feeling it would come to an end.”

With a 1-0 victory over the Magpies on Sunday, Arsenal moved into the Champions League after defeating Liverpool.

However, with Manchester City and Nottingham Forest tied for third place with 66 points, Chelsea and Aston Villa, and Newcastle as one of three other teams.

Five English Premier League clubs will advance to the Champions League, up from the usual four, with an additional place being secured as a result of positive results from European Premier League clubs this year.

At home to Bournemouth on Tuesday, sixth-placed Manchester City will have a game in hand, which means, unlike Villa, they have their fate in their own hands.

City, the final leg of the FA Cup, will travel to Fulham on day one.

Meanwhile, Newcastle is aware that a home victory over Everton on Sunday (16:00 BST) would be enough to complete the task.

A win would be sufficient, Chelsea is also aware of. However, they travel to Forest, where they lost to West Ham 2-1 on Sunday to maintain their best hopes.

Forest must defeat the Blues, and they must hope that at least one of the team’s competitors fails.

Villa will likely need to take advantage of other teams to win at Manchester United.

Still following?

There will be a sixth English team in the competition, so the winners of Wednesday’s Europa League match between Manchester United and Tottenham will also qualify for the Champions League, but any league changes will be affected by that.

Whoever loses to Bilbao will have no kind of European football of any kind next season because Spurs and United are in the bottom five of the Premier League.

How the European conflict appears

Premier League table (positions 3-11)

What are the managers’ statements?

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Two of the remaining Champions League managers had games on Sunday.

If Newcastle had defeated Arsenal, Howe’s side could have finished second and almost secured their position.

After winning the Carabao Cup, they are guaranteed at least a place in the Conference League, but they also want more, so beating Everton is the goal.

“We weren’t in a great position until the season ended.” We made a lot of effort to get here. It’s a very tight race. We still have a chance to use what we need, Howe said.

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If Forest had lost to West Ham, their chances of winning the Champions League would have been over. They will now fancy playing Chelsea at home.

Being at the City Ground is another big boost for us, it’s going to be bouncing, according to manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

We will fight; it will be our final game, and we will also fight for something special.

What are the opinions of experts?

Because of that game, statisticians Opta give Manchester City 85.9% of the possible Champions League spots.

Chelsea are expected to finish there in 56.8% of their predictions, while Newcastle are not far behind with an 83.5% chance.

Villa are given a 44.4% hope, with Forest down on 29.3%.

Les Ferdinand, the ex-Northampton striker, said on Sky Sports, “I believe you would expect Newcastle to defeat Everton because Everton have nothing to play for in their final home game of the season.”

“Manchester City will do it, in my opinion. They are capable of producing when they choose. Although I am aware that they haven’t had a great season, they can still show up when they need.

Jamie Redknapp, an ex-Liverpool midfielder, continued, “I still believe City will do it, but it’s not going to be easy by any means.” Aston Villa has the easiest fixture because they host Manchester United away.

These are not teams with strong records.

What remaining fixtures are pertinent?

Everton (H) at Newcastle

Nottingham Forest (A) at Chelsea

Manchester United (A): Aston Villa

Fulham (A), Bournemouth (H), and Manchester City (H)

Who else will qualify for Europe?

The FA Cup victory over Manchester City in the final of Saturday ensured Crystal Palace, who are 12th in the league, would earn them a spot in the Europa League.

The sixth-placed team will also be eligible for the Europa League.

As the Carabao Cup winners, Newcastle United have at least a spot in the Conference League for the upcoming season.

In the event that Newcastle finishes in the top six, the Conference League will instead be based on their position in the Premier League.

Due to a 10-point drop to eighth, the teams that finish sixth and seventh will be the two teams that will miss out on the Champions League next weekend.

Now, there is a chance that the eighth-place team will advance to the Conference League.

If Chelsea places seventh in the league, according to Opta, and wins the Conference League championship game against Real Betis on May 28th, that will happen.

Chelsea would then advance to the Europa League if they won the Wroclaw final.

You might be better off just trusting us, but that’s for a lot of complicated reasons, which you can read about here.

On goal difference, Brentford is currently eighth, ahead of Brighton. After defeating the Bees, Fulham is one point behind that pair, while Bournemouth is another.

However, both Brighton and Bournemouth will face City on Tuesday when they travel to Liverpool at home on Monday.

What remaining fixtures are pertinent?

Wolves (A) in Brentford

Tottenham (A), Liverpool (H), and Brighton (H)

Manchester City (H) vs. Fulham (H)

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Joe Biden Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer

Former US president Joe Biden has been diagnosed with “aggressive” prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, according to a statement from his office on Sunday. Biden is currently considering treatment options.

The 82-year-old Democrat was diagnosed with the cancer on Friday after showing more signs of increased urinary symptoms and a new prostate nodule scan, according to the statement.

“The cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which makes for effective management, despite being more aggressive than the disease,” said Dr. McKnight. The President and his family are talking with his doctors about possible treatments, it continued.

Men of Biden’s age typically have cancer cells in their prostates, but they typically grow more slowly. Although hormone therapy is a common treatment, it does not work as a cure for cancer.

Biden’s cancer was identified with a “Grade Group 5” Gleason score, according to the statement.

The highest rating, Grade 5, is given to prostate cancer that appears to be “very abnormal,” according to the American Cancer Society. The Gleason Score frequently indicates the total grades received by the prostate’s two cancer-related areas, but it can also be calculated in other ways.

Biden, the longest-serving US president in history, resigned in January of this year and spent the majority of his presidency wrestling with questions about his health and age.

He had long been questioned, including from Democratic voters, about whether or not he was too old and deficient in mental clarity or physical strength to attempt a presidency.

His quick, “Watch me,” he said to those who were skeptical.

Also Read: Pope recalls “Martyred Ukraine” after meeting with Zelenskyy.

On January 15, 2025, Vice President Kamala Harris and US President Joe Biden greeted the nation with a farewell address from the White House’s Oval Office in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mandel NGAN/POOL/AFP)

After a disastrous debate against Republican Donald Trump, in which concerns about his decline and cognitive abilities rose to the fore, he was forced to drop his reelection bid in July of last year.

Kamala Harris, Trump’s vice president, subsequently lost.

Although Biden claims he could have won the election, questions have long surrounded staff’s and key Democratic officials’ apparent indicators of his decline.

With the release of “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” which was scheduled for this Tuesday, Axios’ Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson have sparked outrage.

A new recording of Biden addressing key dates and events that had just been released last week sparked new debate over his mental prowess while he was in office.

Biden’s personal tragedy has impacted his life. His wife and his 2-year-old daughter were killed in a car crash in 1972, just days after he was elected to the US Senate at the age of 29.

In 1988, Biden had two brain aneurysm surgeries. He had a basal cell carcinoma skin lesion removed from his chest in 2023. Prior to this, he had skin cancers removed that weren’t related to melanoma.

Beau Biden, the son of Biden, passed away from brain cancer in 2015.

Coronation Street’s Lisa George ‘petrified’ after having surgery without anaesthetic

Lisa George, a star of Coronation Street, has lost weight, changed her hairstyle, and undergone surgery, making her unrecognizable from her days as Beth Tinker.

Beth Tinker star Lisa George has undergone a major transformation(Image: ITV)

Coronation Street icon Lisa George has candidly opened up about going under the knife to change her appearance. The 54-year-old star is best known for playing Beth Tinker in the long-running ITV soap from 2011 to 2024.

She was even a contestant on Dancing on Ice in 2020 when she and Tom Naylor were paired with and placed fifth overall. She has also appeared on other highly coveted shows, including Emmerdale and Casualty. Lisa acknowledges that she has struggled with her self-assurance away from the TV screen.

Lisa explained that she became self-conscious about her appearance after her star power rose after she joined the cast of Coronation Street. She even stopped smiling in photographs as she battled low self-esteem.

Lisa had a hard time with how her eyes appeared because of the heavy makeup she put on as Beth on the ITV soap. The makeup’s method of applying makeup made the actress’s eyelids appear to be “sagging” particularly distracting.

Lisa George underwent surgery without anaesthetic
Lisa has been showing off her new look online(Image: Instagram)

READ MORE: Nutritionist says special coffee ‘elevates energy’ and ‘manages stress’ without crash

She claimed to the Daily Mail, “They applied all this eyeshadow to my eyes, and it sort of sat there between all the wrinkles, and it looked like it had been dragged across my eyelid.” I was so unsatisfied, but I had no idea what to do.

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No one ever addressed me with a comment; instead, it was me being critical of myself. I was just really bothered by it. My eyes were always on as I put on my makeup. Because of how my eyes looked, I never liked smiling in pictures.

Lisa shared photos of herself in front of a blepharoplasty procedure that she underwent, making a year-long decision to go ahead with the procedure while weighing the benefits and drawbacks. The soap actress also had a brow lift and essentially had excess skin “burned” off her eyelids as a result.

A year after Lisa was diagnosed with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a genetic eye condition that causes a decrease in blood flow and oxygen to the optic nerves, which can lead to vision loss, the operations were performed in January.

Because Lisa has diabetes, doctors told her they would have to have the operation performed without general anesthesia on the day of her surgery. I was completely terrified, she told the publication. I just assumed that I would wake up and the entire experience would be over after receiving a general anaesthetic.

Lisa explained that she could only receive local anaesthetic because of her diabetes and worries about her blood sugar levels. She couldn’t have anticipated this. She recalled asking, “What am I doing? ” throughout the course of action.

Lisa praised the medical staff, revealing she didn’t feel anything during the procedure, and the team also had music playing to help her with her anxiety.

Lisa explained as she chatted incessantly that she had turned down some work so she could have surgery and recover from it, but that she now hopes to return to television soon. Since leaving the ITV soap, she added that she has lost weight and changed her hair, and she hopes to work on a show like Rivals, which is available on Disney+.

Since undergoing surgery, Lisa has certainly been feeling more confident and has been showing off her new look online. Taking to Instagram recently, she shared two snaps of herself posing in a white dress.

Sharing the images on her main feed, she added a caption stating: “Thank you all so much for the love recently, means the world” along with a white heart emojis. She added hashtags writing: #newme #feelingthelove.

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