Kunle Awosika

All over the world, the buzz around Artificial Intelligence keeps accelerating as the end goal is to simplify conversations and processes. Having pioneered the technology in Nigeria and Africa 4 years ago, Pan African financial institution, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has steadily won the hearts of its customers with its artificial intelligence chat bot, LEO.

Muhammadu Buhari has frowned at the reported inhuman and discriminatory treatments of Nigerians and other Africans, denied the right of passage out of Ukraine.

Presidential media Garba Shehu, in a statement on Sunday, 28 February, said all citizens should be treated with dignity irrespective of the colour of their passports or their skin, NAN reports.

“From video evidence, first-hand reports, and from those in contact with their wards and/or Nigerian consular officials there have been unfortunate reports of Ukrainian police and security personnel refusing to allow Nigerians to board buses and trains heading towards the Ukraine-Poland border,” noted the statement.

”In one video widely circulating on social media, a Nigerian mother with her young baby was filmed being physically forced to give up her seat to another person.”

Squid Game, the survival drama series, was among the biggest winners at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards which held on Sunday.

The annual event honours the year’s best television and film performances by actors.

The record-breaking Netflix’s blockbuster original show won three prizes including the ‘Outstanding Action Performance as a Stunt Ensemble’ category.

Lee Jung-Jae, who starred in the project, also took home prize for ‘Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series’ while Jung Ho-Yeon snagged the female category.

The series earlier made history as the first non-English-language series and first Korean series to score a SAG Awards nomination.

Below is the full list of winners:

Television Awards

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

Murray Bartlett, “The White Lotus”

Oscar Isaac, “Scenes From a Marriage”

Michael Keaton, “Dopesick” *WINNER

Ewan McGregor, “Halston”

Evan Peters, “Mare of Easttown”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

Jennifer Coolidge, “The White Lotus”

Cynthia Erivo, “Genius: Aretha”

Margaret Qualley, “Maid”

Jean Smart, “Mare of Easttown”

Kate Winslet, “Mare of Easttown” *WINNER

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

Brian Cox, “Succession”

Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show”

Kieran Culkin, “Succession”

Lee Jung-jae, “Squid Game” *WINNER

Jeremy Strong, “Succession”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show”

Jung Ho-yeon, “Squid Game” *WINNER

Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”

Sarah Snook, “Succession”

Reese Witherspoon, “The Morning Show”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

Michael Douglas, “The Kominsky Method”

Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso”

Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building”

Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”

Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso” *WINNER

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

Elle Fanning, “The Great”

Sandra Oh, “The Chair”

Jean Smart, “Hacks” *WINNER

Juno Temple, “Ted Lasso”

Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso”

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

“The Handmaid’s Tale”

“The Morning Show”

“Squid Game”

“Succession” *WINNER

“Yellowstone”

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

“The Great”

“Hacks”

“The Kominsky Method”

“Only Murders in the Building”

“Ted Lasso” *WINNER

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series

“Cobra Kai”

“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”

“Loki”

“Mare of Easttown”

“Squid Game” *WINNER

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem, “Being the Ricardos”

Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Power of the Dog”

Andrew Garfield, “Tick, Tick… Boom”

Will Smith, “King Richard” *WINNER

Denzel Washington, “The Tragedy of Macbeth”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” *WINNER

Olivia Colman, “The Lost Daughter”

Lady Gaga, “House of Gucci”

Jennifer Hudson, “Respect”

Nicole Kidman, “Being the Ricardos”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Ben Affleck, “The Tender Bar”

Bradley Cooper, “Licorice Pizza”

Troy Kotsur, “CODA” *WINNER

Jared Leto, “House of Gucci”

Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Power of the Dog”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Caitríona Balfe, “Belfast”

Cate Blanchett, “Nightmare Alley”

Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story” *WINNER

Kirsten Dunst, “The Power of the Dog”

Ruth Negga, “Passing”

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

“Belfast”

“CODA” *WINNER

“Don’t Look Up”

“House of Gucci”

“King Richard”

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

“Black Widow”

“Dune”

“The Matrix Resurrections”

“No Time to Die” *WINNER

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”

The management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) says that the states under its franchise will experience prolonged power outage due to low weekly power allocation to its network by Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

This is contained in a statement issued by IBEDC’s Senior Communication Officer, Kikelomo Owoeye, on Sunday in Osogbo.

It said that Ogun, Oyo, Ibadan, Osun, and Kwara region would be affected by the power outage.

According to the statement, the weekly power allocation to IBEDC network by TCN had dropped from 692.5 megawatts to 368.5 megawatts.

“This has led to massive load shedding across our franchise in Ogun, Oyo, Ibadan, Osun, and Kwara region.

“Kindly bear with us, as we work with stakeholders in the electricity value chain on sustainable resolution,” IBEDC said.

The Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) have eliminated scores of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists and impounded large quantities of their logistic supplies in Kirawa on the Nigeria and Cameroon borders.

According to Independent, the Chief of Military Public Information for MNJTF, Col. Muhammad Dole, in a statement on Monday, February 28, 2022, in N’Djamena Chad, said the operation was conducted by the troops of sector 1 Cameroon.

Dole said the troops conducted the operation in Vretet-Zamga-Ngoshe triangle where several Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents were neutralised while many fled with gunshot wounds.

He said that a large number of materials and assorted foodstuff were recovered during the operation.

Items recovered according to him, include one AK47 rifle and Magazine, several ammunitions of the 7.62 MM special variant, 21 bicycles, 01 BHT uniform, 39 bags millet and two bags of beans.

He said that an intelligence analysis indicated that, the items were being smuggled from the borders to Sambisa forest.

“It is believed the terrorists are stockpiling materials for the incoming month of Ramadan.

“Further exploitation of the engagement areas showed traces of blood, evidence of Boko Haram/ISWAP criminals removed corpses of their dead colleagues while two corpses of Boko Haram criminals were discovered,” he said.

Dole said the Force Commander, MNJTF, Maj.-Gen. Abdul-Khalifah Ibrahim, commended the Commander and troops of Sector 1 for the display of courage and gallantry as they continued to conduct special operations to combat the insurgents.

He said the force commander also urged them to remain committed, bold and unpredictable and to continue to dominate the area, to ensure that Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists were cut off from any logistics resupply.

“General Ibrahim assured that HQs MNJTF would make concerted efforts to ensure that all the sectors get the equipment that were allotted to them recently,” he said.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has shifted the 2023 Presidential election from February 18 to February 25, 2023, following the late signing of the Electoral Act by President Muhammadu Buhari.

This was announced by the Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at a news conference in Abuja on Saturday, 26 February, Punch reports.

He said the Presidential and National Assembly elections will now hold on Saturday, February 25, 2023, while governorship and state houses of assembly elections will hold on March 11, 2023.

Yakubu explained that the new date is to allow for conformity with the provisions of the Electoral laws which stipulates that elections notice be published at least 260 days before the elections

The INEC boss also said the electoral guidelines will also be published in due course.

The new Act states that INEC must publish the notice of election at least 360 days before the polls.

Several groups had called on the President to sign the bill before February 22, 2022, in order to ensure that INEC would not need to change the date in conformity with the Act.

The Edo State Police Command on Friday announced the recovery of N34.5 million and four of the vehicles used in the multiple bank robberies that took place in Uromi on Thursday.

This recovery was made possible by Ubiaja youths who blocked Ubiaja road by the rail line, forcing the robbers to abandon their cash ladden vehicles off the rail line and flee in motorcycles.

The vehicles and cash have been recovered and counting still ongoing at the Ubiaja police station.

An arrest has also been made.

In a press release, spokesperson of the Command, Bello Kontongs, stated that motorcycles, bags containing some items and one Union Bank ATM card were also recovered.

The statement said, “Today 25/02/2022 at about 07:30, operatives of the Edo State Police Command in conjunction with local vigilantes accompanied by John Odijie, the Oniha of Ubiaja led by the DPO Ubiaja acting on credible information that some vehicles suspected to have been used by armed Robbers in Uromi Bank Robbery operations on Thursday were seen hidden in Oruen Quarters Bush of Ubiaja in Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State.

“On receipt of the information, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ubiaja mobilised his men who during the bank robbery operations, blocked all the routes from in and out of Uromi town. Together with the team, they immediately went to the location and recovered the following vehicles and other items.

“Recovered are a red Camry car with registration number EZA 105 KJA, an ash Camry Car with registration number KWL 19 DU, ash corolla car with registration number UBJ 734 SZ, a Lexus 330 car with registration number AAA 973 FL, and two motorcycles. Two small bags containing women items, one Union Bank ATM and N34,510,000.00 were also recovered.

“Meanwhile the Edo State Commissioner, Philip Aliyu Ogbadu, while sympathising with the families of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident promised not to relent until all those behind the attack are brought to face the full wrath of the law.”

Leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank has reiterated its commitment to enriching the lives of its customers as it announced the third set of 10 millionaires in its Get Alert in Millions season 5 (GAIM 5) promo.

Abba Kyari, the detained and suspended deputy commissioner of Police, has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to release him from the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on health grounds. The embattled cop had sued the Federal Government before the court challenging his continued detention by the NDLEA.

Sarah Ochekpe, a former Minister of Water Resources, has been sentenced to three months imprisonment by a Federal High Court sitting in Jos over a N450 million money laundering scandal.