Hello and welcome! In today’s trending news stories;
1. Prominent Nigerian political figures, including President Bola Tinubu, Ebonyi State Governor Ogbonna Nwifuru, and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, mourned the passing of Ogbonnaya Onu, the first civilian governor of Abia State and former Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation. Onu’s death was confirmed on Thursday at the age of 72. Tinubu praised Onu as an accomplished scholar and advocate for Nigerian unity, while Nwifuru and Uzodimma expressed their condolences, highlighting Onu’s contributions to the nation.
2. In a crackdown on corruption, a Vietnamese court has sentenced Truong My Lan, a 67-year-old real estate tycoon, to death for mass-scale embezzlement. Additionally, she received 20-year sentences for bribery and violating lending regulations, along with a hefty compensatory payment of nearly $27 million.
3. O.J. Simpson, the former football champion and actor famously accused of murdering his ex-wife, has passed away at the age of 76 after battling cancer. Despite being acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, Simpson faced civil suits and later served prison time for unrelated charges. His life and legal battles have been extensively covered in films, docuseries, and media.
4. The value of the Nigerian naira strengthened at the parallel market, selling at around N1,150 to the dollar compared to N1,200 earlier in the week. This appreciation is attributed to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) policies, including disbursing dollars to Bureau de Change (BDC) operators at lower rates and reduced demand for the greenback during the recent public holiday. CBN’s measures have aimed at managing inflation and stabilizing the naira, including increasing benchmark interest rates and implementing forex market reforms. Analysts express optimism that these reforms will bring stability to the forex market.
5. OPAY, a microfinance bank, faced backlash from dissatisfied customers, including bricklayer Okunola Akinropo, who aired grievances over unresolved transaction disputes. Akinropo’s visit escalated into a gathering of irate customers, with similar complaints. Despite acknowledging delays in resolution, OPAY assured customers of commitment to resolve all outstanding matters. The issue gained traction on social media, accusing OPAY of fraudulent practices. OPAY management attributed delays to industry-wide challenges and expressed commitment to expedite resolution.
6. Korra Obidi, a popular Nigerian singer and dancer, revealed that she was attacked with a knife and acid while live-streaming in the United Kingdom. She shared the incident on her Instagram page, stating that her attacker was a five-foot-tall black woman. Obidi urged anyone with information about the attacker to contact her management via email.
7. Atalanta delivered a stunning blow to Liverpool in the Europa League quarter-final first leg, securing a commanding 3-0 victory at Anfield. Gianluca Scamacca scored twice for Atalanta, with Mario Pasalic adding a late third goal. Liverpool’s defense struggled throughout the match, and manager Jurgen Klopp admitted his team’s poor performance. The Reds now face an uphill battle in the second leg, with their hopes of reaching the Europa League final in serious jeopardy.
