IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

The European Union and Britain have pledged over $750 million in additional aid to Sudan, ahead of a London conference marking two years of war that has displaced millions and killed thousands.

The EU committed €522 million ($592m), while the UK announced £120 million ($158m) to support humanitarian efforts.

The conference, co-hosted by the EU, UK, AU, France, and Germany, aims to coordinate international response, despite criticism from Sudan’s government over its exclusion and the presence of countries like the UAE, which it accuses of backing rebel forces.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged “patient diplomacy” and called for greater protection of civilians and humanitarian access. 

Thousands of Nigerians have been left devastated following the alleged collapse of CBEX, a digital investment platform accused of defrauding users of over N1.3 trillion in a suspected Ponzi scheme.

Investors, mostly women, were seen in viral videos weeping after discovering their accounts had been wiped clean, with many unable to access the platform.

CBEX reportedly promised a 100% return on dollar investments within a month before crashing without warning.

The Central Bank of Nigeria had previously warned against unregulated schemes, but CBEX still attracted a massive following.

Efforts to reach platform representatives have been unsuccessful as calls grow for financial literacy and stricter regulatory oversight. 

Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Etteh Ibas (rtd), has demanded a refund of ₦300 million from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) following the relocation of its 2025 Annual General Conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu.

The NBA had cited the state of emergency and collapse of democratic structures in Rivers as reasons for the move. In response, Ibas criticized the association for failing to return the funds paid for hosting rights, urging the NBA to uphold its claimed principles by issuing a prompt refund. 

Dr. Emana Duke Ambrose-Amawhe, the 2023 Deputy Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Her defection was confirmed on Sunday when she was formally received by Governor Bassey Otu, his wife, and key APC officials, including State Chairman Barr. Alphonsus Ogar Eba and the Governor’s Chief of Staff.

Earlier, Emana announced her move on X (formerly Twitter) and later described her visit to the Governor as a mark of respect. She said a formal declaration with her supporters and prominent figures will be held soon.

Emana had officially resigned from the PDP in a letter dated March 28, citing her continued commitment to the development of Cross River and Nigeria. She previously contested for the House of Representatives seat for Bakassi/Akpabuyo/Calabar South under the PDP. 

Power generation companies (GenCos) have warned of an imminent shutdown of power plants nationwide due to an outstanding ₦4 trillion debt owed by the Federal Government.

In a statement released on Monday by Col. Sani Bello (Rtd), Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), the GenCos revealed they are owed ₦2 trillion for electricity supplied in 2024 and ₦1.9 trillion in legacy debts.

They lamented receiving less than 30% of their monthly invoices, citing severe cash flow constraints, regulatory hurdles, and inadequate government budgetary allocation for the sector.

The companies warned that failure to urgently address the liquidity crisis could lead to national grid collapse and security challenges, urging immediate action and a clear debt repayment plan. 

Telecom users in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed frustration over poor network quality despite recent tariff increases by mobile network operators.

In separate interviews with NAN on Monday in Abuja, subscribers lamented erratic internet services and call disruptions, despite having active data subscriptions.

Mr. Ogah Paul criticized operators for poor service delivery, stating, “They only know how to drain data. I’ve been getting server errors all day and can’t even watch a simple video.”

Similarly, Mr. Victor James complained about delays in data activation and slow internet speeds, urging providers to urgently address the issues.

While most users voiced dissatisfaction, Ms. Josephine Tanko said she enjoyed fast and reliable service from her provider, but urged other operators to improve performance to meet customer expectations.

This comes as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reiterates its commitment to holding service providers accountable for quality service delivery.