As Buhari Was Praying While Celebrating Eid-Al-Fitr, See What People Notice that Got them Taking

As Buhari Was Praying While Celebrating Eid-Al-Fitr, See What People Notice that Got them Taking

The Photos of President Buhari celebrating Eid-Al-Fitr has Left many people in the state of devastation as they faulted him doing things that are probably not right to behold.

Buhari gather almost half of his family members and they were seen celebrating, what people noticed about president Buhari, was that While others were praying kneeling down on a mat, president Buhari was seen sitting on a chair.

This got People talking, saying why would Buhari not kneel on the mat to pray like others, meaning something must be wrong with him, probably he is not medically sound.

What can you say to this?

WAHALA! MTN And Airtel Are In Trouble, As World Richest "Man Elon Musk" Plans To Bring His Own Network Company In Nigeria (Details+Photos)

The Nigerian Communications Commission meets with Starlink Elon Musk company to set up in Nigeria

Starlink is the SpaceX company, the space company, which offers broadband

- The company will compete with network providers such as MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom and 9mobile

Tesla founder Elon Musk will set up his company Starlink in Nigeria to fight network providers such as MTN Nigeria, Globacom, Airtel and 9mobile.

Starlink is operated by SpaceX, the American aerospace manufacturer which also belongs to Musk' s. The billionaire plans to launch satellite broadband in Nigeria and his SpaceX team has met with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Attending the meeting was Umar Danbata, Executive Vice President of NCC, represented by Ubale Maska, Executive Commissioner of NCC. The two sides meet to discuss Starlink' s plans for a market in Africa' s largest economy, and the company is seeking the necessary licenses to set up a base in Nigeria.

The statement from the NCC states:

" SpaceX is in the process of launching a constellation of low orbit satellites (LOE) to deliver high bandwidth low latency Internet worldwide and identify Nigeria as a critical market.

" SpaceX has been in talks with the NCC over the past few months to start tracking down the licenses needed to bring Starlink, its satellite broadband service, to Nigeria. "

MTN Nigeria, Founder of SpaceX, Elon Musk, and Airtel. Photo: @ MTNNG / Twitter (Right), Liesa Johannssen- Koppitz / Bloomberg / Getty Images (Center), Indranil Aditya / Nur / Getty Images (Left)

Currently, the largest Internet service provider is operated by GSM on behalf of MTN Nigeria, Globacom, Airtel Nigeria and 9mobile. Analysis reveals a potential collision with Starlink' s financial strength through SpaceX.

The establishment of Starlink in Nigeria is expected to reduce data costs and improve services. Telecom subscribers always complain about both.

Legit. ng previously reported that the Lagos government wanted to build its own rice mill to produce a rice lake after a year- long absence.

See What FG Want To Do With Those Sponsoring Boko Haram Terrorists

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed, has stated unequivocally that 400 suspects arrested for supporting Boko Haram terrorists will be prosecuted.

Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, said this at a press conference in Lagos.

One of the deadly sects ravaging this country is Boko Haram Insurgent (particularly the North Eastern part of the country). For more than a decade, Nigeria has been fighting the Boko Haram insurgency. According to estimates, over 40, 000 people have been killed and tens of thousands have been displaced as a result of Boko Haram' s criminal activities

While speaking with the press, Lai Mohammed warned Nigerians against targeting security personnel. He claimed that this was not only an assault on the security personnel, but also on the nation.

The Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has also spoken out in support of this. The Federal Government, he said, is now prepared to prosecute 400 alleged Boko Haram sponsors.

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South Constituency) believes that these alleged Boko Haram sponsors should face a public trial.

Boko Haram, which means " Western Education is a Sin, " was established in Maiduguri in 2002 as a small Islamic group (the Capital of Borno State). It is clear from the name that their primary goal was to combat Western Education.

However, the nature of the attacks conducted by this unscrupulous sect in the past and more recently leaves one perplexed as to what they still stand for. They have carried out a series of attacks in churches, mosques, barracks, markets, diplomatic offices, and roadside locations, to name a few.

Many Nigerians believe they have strayed from their original aim of combating Western education.

The sect came to international arena in 2011 when it declared that it was responsible for the bomb attacks against the United Nations headquarters- a heavily fortified diplomatic zone in Nigeria' s Federal Capital Territory (Abuja).

Since then it has continued its attacks which has called for serious concern from both the local and international community

Buhari’s Dementia Worsens, Fumbles For Words, Goes Off-Key During Security Chiefs, EU Delegation Meetings

Buhari’s Dementia Worsens, Fumbles For Words, Goes Off-Key During Security Chiefs, EU Delegation Meetings | #IgbereTV

President Muhammadu Buhari’s worsening dementia and other undisclosed health challenges are taking their toll on his ability to effectively coordinate meetings, IgbereTV has learned.

For instance, the President faltered during a meeting with the security chiefs on Tuesday.

 

Top sources in the Presidency told SaharaReporters that Buhari was not only incoherent but spoke for only a short time.

It was learnt that he spoke in the same manner when he recently had a meeting with the Head of the European Union delegation to Nigeria and to the Economic Community of West African States, Mr Ketil Karlsen, along with his team.

“The President’s health condition is worsening by the day and affecting his handling of national matters, especially on insecurity. At the EU delegation virtual meeting, he was responding off-key.

“At the meeting with the security chiefs, he was also off-key and spoke little. He was supposed to be at the graduation ceremony at the Nigeria Police College in Kano but the event had to be postponed because the President was not ready,” the source revealed.

 

 

Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language and thinking abilities – a condition which may be caused by the President’s old age or an undisclosed medical condition.

 

Israel rejects Hamas cease-fire as Palestinian casualties climb Israel rejects Hamas cease-fire as Palestinian casualties climb

TEL AVIV — Civilians in Israel and the Gaza Strip endured a third day of deadly rocket attacks and airstrikes on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying his government planned to further escalate its military campaign against the militant Hamas group.

Amid the worst violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in years, the Israeli cabinet convened to discuss expanding the Gaza operation. Mr. Netanyahu said Israel had rejected requests from Hamas to negotiate a cease-fire and estimated that the Gaza operation would last at least another week.

The fighting has already killed 67 Gazans, including 16 children, according to Palestinian health officials. Seven Israelis, including one teenage girl, have also died, Israeli emergency response officials say.

The tensions have also spurred the most serious outburst in two decades of mass protests by Arab citizens of Israel, who have taken to the streets of towns around Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza and Jerusalem. That unrest has increasingly led to violent confrontations between Arab Israelis on one side and Israeli police and right-wing Jews on the other.

On Wednesday evening, Jewish and Arab protesters clashed in the central Israeli city of Lod, leading to at least 20 arrests. Similar scenes were repeated in Acre, Tiberias, Jaffa, and several other Israeli cities.

U.S. President Biden said Wednesday he was hopeful a cycle of violence between Israelis and Palestinians would end soon, after a phone call he had with Mr. Netanyahu.

“My expectation and hope is this will be closing down sooner than later, but Israel has a right to defend itself,” Mr. Biden told reporters at the White House.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a phone call Wednesday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, condemned “the rocket attacks and emphasized the need to de-escalate tensions and bring the current violence to an end,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

A Palestinian source said truce efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United Nations had made no progress to end the violence.

Israel’s Home Front Command ordered the closing of schools and many businesses in Tel Aviv, Netanya, Beersheba, and dozens of other Israeli cities as Hamas continued to fire rockets, and officials barred the gathering of more than 10 people in open areas and of 100 people in closed spaces. The government also suspended or reduced train and bus service through towns in southern and central Israel that were hit by rockets the previous night.

Rockets also struck near Ben Gurion International Airport, which was temporarily closed and planes rerouted. On Wednesday, U.S. airlines United, Delta, and American said they had canceled flights into and out of the airport because of security concerns.

Israeli war planes, meanwhile, have bombed at least three multistory buildings in Gaza, destroying two of them, including a downtown Gaza City tower that housed Hamas’ satellite television channel. On Tuesday evening, Israeli airstrikes brought down a 13-story building in Gaza that the Israeli military said housed Hamas military intelligence offices and a rocket research and development unit.

“Gaza residents, you are experiencing this military operation because the terror organizations have again chosen to place you in the line of fire,” the Israeli military said in a Facebook post. “Stay away from them. Stay away from the places where they operate. Protect yourselves and your families.”

In response Hamas lobbed more than 1,000 rockets and mortar shells toward Tel Aviv and its surroundings and at dozens of communities in southern Israel. One rocket directly hit a bus in the central city of Holon, injuring four people, including a 5-year-old.

In recent years rockets and other projectiles fired from Gaza have landed close to Tel Aviv, mostly in unoccupied fields and forests. By filling the skies above Tel Aviv with its biggest salvos since the 2014 Gaza war, Hamas was seeking to strike fear into a population unaccustomed to being on the front lines, analysts said.

“Militarily it’s not that significant, but psychologically it is,” said Amos Yadlin, a former air force general and military intelligence chief.

The surge in violence was triggered after clashes this month in Jerusalem among Palestinians, Israeli police, and right-wing Jews. Tensions have been running high, in part because of efforts by Israeli settlers to evict several Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem.

Running skirmishes between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli police in and around al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as clashes elsewhere in Jerusalem, injured hundreds of Palestinians.

Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said Israel has hit at least 350 military targets in Gaza and killed at least 25 combatants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The Israeli military said it, in cooperation with the Shin Bet domestic security agency, carried out a “complex and first of its kind” operation in Gaza City and Khan Younis that killed at least 10 senior Hamas commanders considered close to the organization’s military leader, Mohammed Deif.

Hamas signaled defiance, with its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, saying: “The confrontation with the enemy is open-ended.”

In the central city of Bat Yam on Wednesday, video footage showed what Israeli media called an “attempted lynch in prime time.” It showed a group of Jewish nationalists dragging a man they believed to be Arab out of his car and brutally beating him. A doctor at a Tel Aviv hospital said the man was admitted with serious injuries, per the Associated Press.

“We’re on the brink of a civil war,” tweeted Esawi Frej, an Arab parliamentarian with the left-wing Meretz party. “Hamas missiles are the least of our problems for a country in which Jewish and Arab rioters take to the street to lynch civilians.”

Eid-el-Fitr: Jigawa Govt declares Friday public holiday

Jigawa State Government has declared Friday, 14 May, 2021 as public holiday to mark this year’s Eid-el-Fitr celebration.

This was contained in a statement signed by the state’s Head of the Civil Service, Alhaji Hussaini Ali Kila and forwarded to DAILY POST.

The Head of Service while making the declaration on behalf of Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, congratulated Muslim faithful on the occasion.

Alhaji Hussaini Ali Kila, therefore, called on the Civil Servants and the general public to use the period of this year’s Eid-el-Fitr celebration to pray for peace, stability and economic transformation in the State.

“During the occasion, it is expected that all Public Servants and the entire People of the State will pray to Almighty Allah for continued protection and guidance to our leaders, peace, economic prosperity of the State and Nigeria, and be Law abiding”.

The statement also urged the People of the State to reflect and live their lives based on the teachings of Islam and Practice of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

DAILY POST reported that the Federal Government had declared Wednesday and Thursday as public holiday for Eid-el Fitr celebration.

Lekki shootings: #EndSARS coordinator produces fresh videos of ‘dead, injured protesters’

One of the coordinators of the #EndSARS protests Serah Ibrahim has presented fresh videos and pictures appearing to show people allegedly shot dead or injured by the Nigerian Army at the Lekki Tollgate on October 20, 2020.

Ibrahim’s evidence was played before the Lagos State Judicial Panel probing police brutality and the tollgate incident in continuation of her testimony about the army’s role in ending the protests.

The witness, a freelance auditor, first appeared before the panel on April 18, when she alleged that at least 10 people were shot dead by the soldiers.

She also tendered flash drives containing the videos and pictures, some of which she said she shot personally with her iPhone.

The army, which appeared thrice before the panel, denied the allegations, saying it fired blank bullets in the air to disperse the crowd.

It has, however, shunned repeated summons by the panel requiring it to respond to petitioners’ further questions and evidence debunking its claims.

There are no fewer than 14 petitions relating to the shooting incident, out of the 235 petitions received by the panel between October and December 2020.

Ibrahim resumed her testimony while being led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mr Olumide-Fusika.

The videos, played before the panel, showed the soldiers present at the toll gate, shooting into the air. It also seemed that they also fired at the protesters.

It showed what appeared to be bodies – about at least five – with several other protesters injured.

One after the other, Ibrahim played the videos, explaining in the process that the soldiers not only shot at harmless protesters, they even took away some of the dead bodies.

The witness said the videos and pictures were evidence that the army lied about firing only blanks.

In one of the videos, the witness showed the entrance of one of the hospitals that victims were taken to, saying the hospital was overwhelmed.

“That is the entrance of a hospital, there were people all over. They were attending to people at the car park,” Ms Ibrahim said.

According to her, soldiers took away the bodies of several protesters that they shot.

She specifically mentioned that the soldiers took away one of the shooting victims, Lekan Sanusi. Sanusi, an active protester, was thought to be dead.

It was later found out he was taken to MRS Hospital at Bonny Camp where an unidentified nurse helped him to escape.

“They took the bodies to the Military Hospital. We got to know because one of the people in the van that was not yet dead said he counted 11 bodies. It was one of the nurses there that saw that he was still alive that helped him,” she said.

Last October 30, the panel paid an unscheduled visit to the Military Hospital as part of its investigation into the Lekki shooting incident but did not find any corpse at the morgue as the hospital was undergoing renovation.

But the witness insisted that the bodies taken from the scene by the soldiers were taken to the Military Hospital.

“Some people didn’t let the army carry some of the dead bodies of people that they know. They were hiding them and dragged them to the shanties,” she added.

Serah also played videos of some persons who suffered gunshot wounds from bullets allegedly shot by the military with protesters surrounding them and trying to tend to their wounds.

When asked if she could authenticate the videos as to the time they were taken and the location, she mentioned that anyone could do this using Google Drive and she proceeded to demonstrate how it could be done.

The videos of two mothers who claimed to have lost their sons at the protest ground were also played.

One of the mothers, Mrs Ndifreke Sunday, testified in Efik, which was interpreted to the panel.

“My child bears Victor Sunday Ikana. Their father died and left them, and I took care of them. He went to Lagos and has been staying for long. He sends help (money) to me and his siblings, one boy and three girls.

“On 20th of October, someone called me and said I should call Npoi-Ikana. When I called, his phone rang but he did not respond. Then I called his friend, who is also in Lagos.”

The bereaved mother said her son’s friend told her that Ikana was shot and killed, but she had not seen his corpse.

Another mother, whose video interview was played at the panel, said she picked up the corpse of her son at the shanty near the Lekki tollgate, among other corpses.

“They said people were not killed, but we saw many corpses. We identified my son with the cloth he was wearing,” she said.

Judge emeritus Doris Okuwobi, who chairs the panel, adjourned further hearing till May 15.

Many burnt to death as bus catches fire on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Tragedy struck on Thursday night, as an unconfirmed number of passengers were reportedly burnt to death in a road accident.

The accident happened around 10:20pm at the Long Bridge axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Exxpressway, Obafemi/Owode Local Government area of Ogun state .

The accident involved a silver Toyota RAV 4, with registration number, LND 13 GS, a silver Toyota Camry marked, GGE 369 GJ and a burnt Mazda bus with an unidentified number plate.

Our correspondent gathered that the burnt commercial bus was involved in a wrongful overtaking before it hit a stationary faulty vehicle, the Toyota Rav 4, that was parked in the middle of the road.

The Spokesperson for the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, Babatunde Akinbiyi disclosed this in a statement early Friday morning.

Akinbiyi disclosed that many occupants of the bus were burnt beyond recognition, saying three of them sustained burn injuries.

He said TRACE operatives and other security agencies on the ground rescued two victims to the Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre and one other to the General Hospital at Gbagada.

He said, “Preliminary investigation showed that the burnt commercial bus was involved in wrongful overtaking before it hit a broken down stationary vehicle (Toyota Rave 4) in the middle of the road.

“In the process, it lost control and summersaulted several times before it burst into flames.

“As of the time of filing this report, it can’t be ascertained if the Mazda bus was fully loaded, but the carcass of burnt bodies beyond recognition was noticed at the accident scene.

“Two of the three persons who sustained injuries were taken to the Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre while one was taken to the General Hospital, Gbagada for treatment, by the combined efforts of TRACE, FRSC, and the police.

“Buhari’s Only Qualification Is His Height, God Has Rejected Him Like Saul”—Panam Percy Paul Releases Prophecies On President, APC

Famous gospel singer, Panam Percy Paul, has compared President Muhammadu Buhari to the first Israel King, Saul. Saul was the first King of Israel whom God later rejected and replaced with the younger David. During a prophetic ministration, the Jos-born singer said God told him that Buhari was imposed on him by the church in Nigeria in 2015, just the way the Israelite of old imposed Saul on him as their king.

The video of the prophecy was shared on Twitter by Reno Omokri, a former aide on social media to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

It is not clear when or where the event took place, but in the video, Panam Percy Paul revealed that he got the prophecy beginning from 2015 when Buhari became President, up till 2020.

He said in the video: “God asked me to bring you this word of comfort. It is a word of prophecy that this King Saul was not his choice. That king Saul was imposed upon him. He was not his choice. And it was the church that imposed King Saul on God. And so, the Lord God warned that this is what this king is going to do. He will take your daughters and make them into his confectionaries. He will take your sons to run ahead of his chariots. He will make them servants.

“The one that caught my attention was that he would take your choice land and give it to his relatives. And that is precisely what is playing out in our nation.

“I took time to plead before the Lord. And I cried, actually, for months, I kept crying. It went into years. The error started in 2014 when we said that this man is the most righteous, the only righteous man. How can you carry the title of the Lord Jesus and give to a man – the righteous one. Do you know that is what Christ is?

“He said on that day, you will cry unto me, and I will not hear you. So, from 2015, we started crying after realising our errors. Unfortunately, those who stood up aloud to say this is the man have still not said in public that we are sorry.

“So, I said to the Lord that if I am the David of the last days, I’m here pleading before you. Then I said, Lord, I have been calling upon you 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and this is 2020, and I got upset on my knees and I said to the Lord out of anger, ‘does it take you this long to forgive?’

“And I thought God was going to tell me, ‘I change my mind’. He told me David is coming. Then I said to the Lord, what happens to Saul? And he said to me, haven’t you read it? And I had to go back to read it. God was asking Samuel, why do you mourn for Saul, seeing that I have rejected him from ruling over my people. God said, fill your horn with oil cause I have found me a King after my own heart.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if we fail to hear from God, then that is our biggest sin. And the Lord said whatever happens in the time of Saul is exactly what is happening now. And God said, what qualification does Saul have to become king? He said Saul was not intelligent. He could not even tell the footprints of donkeys that got lost from his father’s house. He couldn’t read the footprints! He went in the opposite direction.

“And the Lord said to me that the only qualification that Saul had was height. This one has no primary school certificate, no secondary. None! Everybody has checked everywhere for his certificate; it does not exist, only height. And I asked the Lord, what will happen to him, he said I would take them out.

“The Lord said to me, For the next 40 years, these people will struggle, they will try everything to come back, and they will not succeed. I calculated 40 years from now; I will be 110. After 40 years, there will not be a remembrance of them anymore, forever.

 

BREAKING: Jubilation in Enugu over Mbaka’s return

There was jubilation in Enugu State on Wednesday when the Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu, Ejike Mbaka, resurfaced after his whereabouts had caused confusion in the state.

When Mbaka returned in a vehicle a few minutes past 2 pm, his supporters were seen shouting ‘Father Mbaka, Oh! you are home!.”

The reverend father later came out of the vehicle to rejoice with his supporters.

Earlier, the supporters struggled to confirm that Mbaka was in the vehicle as they took turns to catch a glimpse of him.

“He is the one. I saw Father Mbaka,” one of the supporters jubilated on sighting the cleric.

“He is back! Is it a crime to speak the truth? Nothing must happen to him,” another supporter said.

The PUNCH had reported that there was a protest in Enugu over the whereabouts of Mbaka.

Mbaka was scheduled to attend his usual Wednesday morning prayer programme, but did not show up, a situation that fuelled speculation that he might have been arrested.

The confusion deepened when a group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, claimed that the whereabouts of Mbaka is unknown.

“We are giving the Federal Government 48 hours to produce the priest, else they should be ready to face Igbo youths. They were dining and wining with him all along and now that he told the truth, they are no longer comfortable with him.

“Let nothing happen to Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka. It will not be in anybody’s interest,” the group said in a statement by its president, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike.

When officials of the Diocese of Enugu, to which Fr. Mbaka belongs, were contacted, some of them said he was not missing while others said they cannot confirm his whereabouts. Reno Omokri, a former media aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, tweeted, “Reverend Father Mbaka has very strong honesty issues that he has to resolve with His Maker.

“However, I am against any arrest or attempt to infringe on his freedom by the @MBuhari

regime. Reports of his arrest by unknown gunmen, if true, are condemned. #FreeMbakaNow!!!”

Bitcoin is coming to hundreds of U.S. banks this year, says crypto custody firm NYDIG

• For the first time, customers of some U.S. banks will soon be able to buy, hold and sell bitcoin through their existing accounts, according to crypto custody firm NYDIG.
• Banks are asking for bitcoin because they can see their customers sending dollars to Coinbase and other crypto exchanges, according to Yan Zhao, president of NYDIG.
• After rolling out the initial bitcoin product, NYDIG plans on other services, including debit card rewards paid in bitcoin and a new type of bank account that is FDIC insured, but pays interest in bitcoin, he said.
  
  Bitcoin virtual crypto currency price is displayed on a phone screen in this photo.
• STR | NurPhoto | Getty Images
• Bitcoin may be taking another step toward mainstream adoption, CNBC has learned.

For the first time, customers of some U.S. banks will soon be able to buy, hold and sell bitcoin through their existing accounts, according to crypto custody firm NYDIG.

The company, a subsidiary of $10 billion New York-based asset manager Stone Ridge, has partnered with fintech giant Fidelity National Information Services to enable U.S. banks to offer bitcoin in coming months, according to the two firms.

Hundreds of banks are already enrolled in the program, according to Patrick Sells, head of bank solutions at NYDIG. While the firm is in discussions with some of the biggest U.S. banks, many of the lenders that have agreed to participate are smaller institutions like Suncrest, a California-based community bank with seven branches.

"What we're doing is making it simple for everyday Americans and corporations to be able to buy bitcoin through their existing bank relationships," Sells said. "If I'm using my mobile application to do all of my banking, now I have the ability to buy, sell and hold bitcoin."

Until now, bitcoin adopters have relied on apps from a new generation of fintech players like free trading brokerage Robinhood, payments giants PayPal and Square, or crypto-centric firms like Coinbase. Banks, on the other hand, have steered clear of bitcoin for retail customers, only recently announcing plans to allow rich wealth management clients to be able to wager on the cryptocurrency.

But banks are now asking for bitcoin because they can see their customers sending dollars to Coinbase, Kraken and other crypto exchanges, according to Yan Zhao, president of NYDIG.

"This is not just the banks thinking that their clients want bitcoin, they're saying `We need to do this, because we see the data,'" Zhao said. "They're seeing deposits going to the Coinbases and Galaxies and Krakens of the world."

Peer pressure

As hundreds of smaller banks sign on, giants like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America could face pressure to offer crypto to their retail banking customers, according to Rob Lee, head of digital banking at Fidelity National Information.

In March, Morgan Stanley was first among banks to offer bitcoin funds to its clients, CNBC reported last month. Goldman Sachs quickly followed with an announcement of its own, and JPMorgan is reportedly looking at its own product in conjunction with NYDIG.

But in those cases, banks have relegated bitcoin to ultra-high net worth individuals and family offices with tens of millions of dollars.

"Most people can't invest in things that institutional investors get to invest in," Zhao said. "With bitcoin available through your bank to be purchased with as little as $1, now you have an attractive asset that's available to be owned by anyone in any amount. We think that's huge for economic empowerment."

Yan Zhao of crypto custody firm NYDIG

Source: NYDIG

While Fidelity National Information, which is a vendor to banks with nearly 300 million checking accounts, will handle the link to lenders, NYDIG will take care of bitcoin custody and trade execution. Disclosures will make it clear that it is NYDIG, and not the banks, that handles the bitcoin, and the cryptocurrency won't be FDIC-insured, according to Zhao.

Fidelity National Information, based in Jacksonville, Florida, caters to banks, providing access to services like chatbots or Apple Pay. It's also a heavyweight in the payments industry, and two years ago bought processor Worldpay for $35 billion in the sector's biggest acquisition to date.

Banks will determine how much to charge their customers for bitcoin trades and will retain most of that fee revenue, according to Sells. After rolling out the initial bitcoin product, NYDIG plans on other services, including debit card rewards paid in bitcoin, and a new type of bank account that is FDIC insured, but pays interest in bitcoin, he said.

More people would own bitcoin if they could do so through their existing banks, according to a survey commissioned by NYDIG. That allows them a single view of their financial assets and avoids the need to sign up with another institution and fund the account with a money transfer that typically takes three to five business days.

BREAKING: Nigerian military states position on call to take over power from Buhari

The Defence Headquarters has responded to the advice to President Muhammadu Buhari to hand over power to the Nigerian military.

Robert Clarke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) demanded that the military should control the government temporarily and restructure Nigeria.

A statement by Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Defence Information, said the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain fully committed to the present administration and all associated democratic institutions.

The spokesman noted that the military shall continue to remain apolitical, subordinate to the civil authority, firmly loyal to the Commander-in-Chief, President Buhari and the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Nwachukwu added that the military will continue to discharge its responsibilities professionally, protect the country’s democracy, defend the territorial integrity of the country and protect of lives and properties of citizens.

The statement warned politicians who nurse the inordinate ambition to rule this country outside the ballot box to banish such thoughts, assuring that the military under the current leadership remain resolute in the defence of Nigeria’s democracy and its growth.

“We also wish to remind all military personnel that it is treasonable to even contemplate this illegality. The full wrath of the law will be brought to bear on any personnel found to collude with people having such agenda.

“The current security challenges are not insurmountable. The Armed Forces of Nigeria in partnership with other other security Agencies are working assiduously to ameliorate the challenge. Nigeria will know peace again”, it read.

BREAKING: Gunmen kill Yahaya Bello’s top commissioner along Kogi highway

Unknown gunmen suspected to be bandits have killed Kogi State Commissioner for Pensions, Solomon Adebayo, along Kabba – Ilorin highway in the state.

It was gathered that the incident occurred on Saturday night while travelling to the  Kabba area from Ilorin.

Newsflash Nigeria gathered that the gunmen opened fire on Solomon Adebayo, Governor Yahaya Bello’s pension’s commissioner vehicle, along the road, killing him on the spot while severely wounding his driver.

Though, our reporter was unclear whether the attackers made away with any of the victims’ belongings.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State police Command confirmed the incident.

Kogi police spokesman, William Ayah, said the assailants opened fire on Mr Adebayo’s vehicle along the road, killing him on the spot while severely wounding his driver.

“The police said an investigation would be carried out to track and arrest those behind the deadly assault. It was unclear whether the attackers made away with any of the victims’ belongings.

“The driver, whose name was not immediately disclosed, was taken to ECWA Hospital Egbe alongside others injured in the attack. The slain commissioner’s remains were also deposited here”.

READ ALSO: Ondo community caught Fulani men undergoing military training in Army barracks

The killing of Mr Adebayo, Akeweje of Eri Land in Kogi, was being mourned across the state as the news trickled out overnight.

It came as pressure was being mounted on President Muhammadu Buhari to address a growing security crisis that has complicated economic activities and left vast swathes of ungoverned areas in the hands of bandits, kidnappers and insurgents.

A meeting of Mr Buhari and his national security chiefs ended in a stalemate on Friday night after some of the chiefs failed to prepare sufficient rundown over the crisis to the president, NSA Babagana Monguno said in a statement.

May Day: Labour to begin strike over minimum wage

… Buhari backs workers over pay

…Sanwo-Olu promises 395,000 jobs

By Our Reporters

Organised Labour yesterday, directed workers in the states where governors were yet to implement the new minimum wage to immediately begin an indefinite strike.

This came as the Federal Government said state governors had no choice but to pay the N30,000 national minimum wage, warning that any governor not paying was breaching the nation’s law.

The unions also sought for general upward salary review for workers, even as it lamented the seemly intractable socio-economic and political predicaments that had enveloped the nation.

International Workers’ Day, also known as May Day, is a celebration of labourers and the working classes that is promoted by the international labour movement and occurs every year on May 1.

This year’s event is coming at a time when labour is facing enormous challenges due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a joint address to Nigerian workers to mark this year’s celebration, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, at the Eagle Square, Abuja, directed workers in the state where governors were not paying the minimum wage to immediately down tools and immediately, begin an indefinite strike.

In their May Day address titled: ‘COVID-19, Social and Economic Crises: Challenges for Decent Work, Social Protection and Peoples Welfare’, jointly read by the President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, and his TUC counterpart, Quadiri Olaleye, they said: “We demand an upward review of salary of core civil servants to narrow the gap between their emoluments and those of employees in other segments of the public service. We implore the federal government to once more direct the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to set up a committee to undertake this review.

Strike action

On N30,000 national minimum wage, the labour leaders added, “For Nigerian workers, it has been a catalogue of workplace and trade union rights violations. First is the criminal refusal by some state governors to pay the new national minimum wage and consequential increase in salaries thus violating workers’ rights. We have already directed all our state councils to declare strike actions if any governor remains adamant about paying the new national minimum wage.”

Unlawful

Reacting, President Mohammadu Buhari said the 36 governors of the Federation were bound by law to pay the N30, 000 minimum wage.

According to him, any governor not paying the new wage was breaching the new National Minimum Wage Act, signed into law by him, in April 2019.

The President, represented by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, assured workers of better packages to cushion the economic effects of COVID-19 on their resources, stressing that his administration has put in place some socio-economic policies to alleviate poverty.

Sanwo-Olu promises N55,000 minimum wage

Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, in his own message, expressed the commitment of his administration to create at least 395,000 jobs in the next few months, with an average monthly wage of N55,000 above the N30,000 national minimum wage.

He said: “Our goal is to create at least 395,000 jobs in the next few months, with an average monthly wage of N55,000, in the sectors and industries that have a high demand for labour, like agriculture, construction and services.”

Oyetola challenges workers on IGR

Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State challenged the workforce to repay government investment by ensuring efficient service delivery to improve the state’s internal revenue generation.

“As a people, we express our profound gratitude to you for your hard work, resilience, and sacrifice, even in the face of daunting challenges. We all know that Nigeria is passing through the valley of economic challenges and because Osun is part of the country, our state is not spared of the challenges”, he said in his May Day address.

Addressing the state’s workers, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom reiterated his commitment to the payment of a backlog of gratuities and pensions to next of kin of retired primary school teachers in the state.

Bayelsa workers hail Diri

WORKERS under the umbrella of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have lauded the worker-friendly disposition of Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri.

Delivering a joint address of both unions at the Peace Park in Yenagoa, venue of this year’s Workers Day celebration, State NLC Chairman, Comrade Bipre Ndiomu, praised the governor for prompt payment of salaries and gratuity since his emergence as governor in February 2020.

Enugu workers hail Ugwuanyi

Similarly, jubilant workers of Enugu State, on the platform of the organized labour, have commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his administration’s laudable projects and programmes aimed at improving their living standard and that of the entire people of the state.

The workers who spoke, through the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Virginus Nwobodo and his Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) counterpart, Comrade Benneth Asogwa, during the occasion of this year’s May Day celebration, held at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, appreciated Gov. Ugwuanyi, who was present at the annual event, for his unequalled resilience in the approval and payment of the new N30,000 minimum wage and its consequential adjustment to the state workers.

Implement minimum wage, Kogi workers beg Bello

Meanwhile, the organized labour in Kogi State appealed to Governor Yahaya Bello to implement the N30,000 new minimum wage.

The union which comprises the Nigerian Labour Congress, (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress, (TUC), made the appeal on Saturday in Lokoja during the commemoration of this year’s workers day.

AbdulRazaq pleads for understanding

Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State reassured workers of his administration’s commitment to improving their well-being despite the dwindling revenue amid the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the consequential adjustment component of the minimum wage, the governor sought patience and understanding of the union particularly in the light of the current economic realities.

Govt, Labour disagree over minimum wage in Nasarawa

Nasarawa State chapter of NLC rejected the state government proposal to implement the minimum wage for workers on grade levels one to six only in the state.

Chairman, NLC, Nasarawa state council, Comrade Yusuf Sarki Iya, said Labour rejected the offer on the ground that the idea behind the minimum wage was for every category of worker to enjoy the benefit hence the need to consider the consequential adjustment of other Grade levels.

Lalong assures of improved welfare

Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong appreciated the state workforce for their support despite the challenges they face and assured them of his administration’s commitment to improving their welfare.

Lalong, who addressed the workers at the Rwang Pam Township Stadium, Jos, disclosed he had officially concluded negotiations with labour on the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage and consequential adjustments and directed the Head of Service to convene the Joint Negotiating Council next week for the official signing of the final agreement.

We need secured state to drive our economy – Makinde

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State emphasized the need for a secured state to have an economy to drive.

According to him, all residents of the state must remain committed to investing in the state’s security sector to continue to grow its economy.

Workers’ welfare my topmost priority – Akeredolu

Also, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu said his administration would continue to make workers welfare its topmost priority.

Obaseki hails Edo workers

On his part, the Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki commended workers in the state for their contribution to the peace and development of the state, reassuring that his government would sustain reforms and policies to guarantee better living standards for citizens.

Your welfare, my priority – Uzodimma

Addressing the workers in Owerri, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma assured them that their welfare would always be the priority of the government.

Uzodimma not only lauded the workers in Imo for their patience, cooperation, patriotism and understanding in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic that threatened their welfare but assured them that he will not shirk his responsibility as their governor.

Abiodun to renovate offices

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, promised that his administration will clear all outstanding deductions from workers salaries quarterly.

The governor equally restated his commitment to ensuring that a minimum of N500m is set aside to clear the backlog of gratuities amongst the various cadres of pensioners under the state and local government services.

Delta: Okowa restates commitment to workers welfare

DELTA State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, restated the commitment of his administration to the welfare of workers in the state, reiterating the resolve of the State Government to continue to meet the obligation of workers in the state as at when due.

Okowa said, despite the financial constraints in the system, his administration would always prioritize the welfare of workers in the State.

The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr Chiedu Ebie, insisted that since pre-independence days workers have been a vital part of the dynamics of Nigeria’s social-political and economic trajectory.

Noting that workers had continuously kept the nation on its feet despite the hardships that arose from time to time, he urged them to remain resilient, hopeful and focused.

Herdsmen: Angry Youths Shut Down Benue, Blast Buhari

Some youths on Friday shut down the city of Makurdi, in protest against incessant killings of innocent citizens by Fulani herdsmen.

The protesters comprise youths who are mostly students, tricyclists, motorcyclists and farmers.

Some of the protesters were seen with placards bearing various inscriptions such as “on ranching we insist,” “Buhari where is your conscience,” “Benue will not be silenced,” “Buhari, Nigeria is not a Federal Republic of Fulani and others.”

The protesters declared support for the Governor Samuel Ortom government, saying he cannot be intimidated.

Photos from the protest below: