News
Akande Alleges Senate Bias Against Natasha, Nwaebonyi Defends Lawmakers
A photo combo of Senator Godswill Akpabio and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
Former presidential spokesman, Laolu Akande, on Thursday, raised concern over what he claims are attempts to silence the lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Akpoti-Uduaghan recently accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of sexually harassing her, a claim the latter has vehemently denied.
Weighing in on the issue during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Akande urged the Senate to stop what he described as gang up against the lawmaker.
“They need to stop all these images, meetings, and ganging up against this woman. That has to stop. The leadership of the Senate needs to show us that there is going to be a dispassionate consideration of her allegations,” he said.
“Once that is sorted, if you think that there is a need to punish her for violating the rules, it is the better way to handle it. This idea of all of the men coming out and brandishing the rules is not looking pretty at all.
“This woman has said to the whole world that she has been sexually harassed. We have to be careful, the Nigerian Senate has to be careful not to create an impression that we are trying to silence her.
“What we have been seen so far is a lot of men holding meetings, speaking out, coming to the media to run this woman down. It is a poor reflection on the Nigerian Senate.”
Senator Defends Red Chamber

But Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi has defended the Red Chamber and claimed that her colleague Natasha was pursuing a personal interest.
“Senator Natasha is claiming sexual harassment because she lost the chairmanship of local content and not that she was harassed by Senator Akpabio or any other senator,” the lawmaker who represents Ebonyi North said on the same show.
He said, “Senator Natasha was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content which she felt she was comfortable with. But in the Senate, from time to time, committee leadership is changed; reshuffled and her committee was affected like every other chairmen.
“She was shifted to the Senate Committee on Diaspora which didn’t go down well with Senator Natasha.”
Amid the sexual harassment claims, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions on Wednesday dismissed Senator Natasha’s sexual harassment and abuse of office petition against Akpabio.
It declared the claims “dead on arrival,” and cited procedural violations and legal constraints.
International News
Transfer: Real Madrid , Cucurella Reach Verbal Agreement
Chelsea reliable defender, Marc Cucurella may join Spanish giant, Real Madrid before the end of the current transfer window.if information from transfer journalist, Fabrizio Romano are anything to go by.
Romano In a latest transfer update, said Real Madrid has reached verbal agreement to sign Marc Cucurella from Chelsea.
“Verbal agreement in place between all parties, player too — he’s the left back wanted by Mourinho” the update read.
News
Hakimi, Vinicius Barred From Speaking Spanish At World Cup
FIFA has come under scrutiny after several high-profile players, including Achraf Hakimi and Vinicius Junior, were discouraged from speaking Spanish during media engagements at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States.
The issue first surfaced ahead of Morocco’s Group C clash with Brazil when a Spanish-speaking journalist attempted to question Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi in Spanish.
Despite Hakimi, who grew up in Madrid and speaks the language fluently, indicating he was comfortable answering in Spanish, event officials reportedly insisted that questions be asked in English.
Hakimi attempted to reassure organizers that language would not be a barrier, but officials maintained that no Spanish translator was available for the session. A compromise was eventually reached, with the reporter asking the question in Spanish while Hakimi responded in English.
The controversy intensified during Brazil’s media session when Vinicius Junior was also interrupted while responding to a question in Spanish.
The Real Madrid forward, who is more comfortable speaking Portuguese or Spanish than English, was reportedly asked by organizers to switch languages.
Rather than continue in Spanish, Vinicius opted to answer in Portuguese before turning his attention back to Brazil’s World Cup preparations.
The incidents sparked widespread debate among journalists and fans, many of whom questioned why Spanish—a language spoken by millions across North America—was effectively restricted at a tournament being hosted largely in the United States.
According to Spanish media outlet El País, FIFA only provides Spanish-language translation services at World Cup press conferences involving Spanish-speaking nations such as Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, and Paraguay.
For all other teams, questions and answers are expected to be conducted either in English or the official language of the participating country.
The policy has generated criticism online, with many supporters arguing that multilingual communication should be encouraged at a global event like the World Cup.
The backlash was particularly strong in Vinicius’ case, as the Brazilian forward appeared visibly uncomfortable being asked to communicate in English.
The controversy overshadowed what was otherwise a highly anticipated encounter between Brazil and Morocco, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
With the issue now drawing international attention, FIFA may face increasing calls to review its media language guidelines as the tournament progresses.
News
It’s Illegal’…Falana’s Bombshell Indicts Govs, FG.
Human rights advocate, Femi Falana, has warned federal and state governments against negotiating with and rewarding terrorists.
According to Falana, the practice is illegal.
He stated this while delivering the keynote address at the Amnesty International Second Annual General Meeting in Abuja on June 13, 2026.
Falana claimed it is public knowledge officials of the Federal Government and some State Governments have been holding meetings and negotiating with terrorists and bandits, which has led to thousands of ‘repentant’ criminals being forgiven and given cash gifts of undisclosed sums of money.
Asserting that the “satanic Boko Haram sect and similar bodies have been proscribed” under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, Falana insisted that “their members and allies shall be prosecuted and not pampered and forgiven by the Nigerian State.”
Highlighting the legal consequences, he quoted Section 22 of the Act, stating: “A person who knowingly—(a) arranges, manages, assists in arranging or managing, participates in a meeting or an activity, which in his knowledge is concerned or connected with an act of terrorism or terrorist group, (b) collects, or provides logistics, equipment, information, articles or facilities for a meeting or an activity, which in his knowledge is concerned or connected with an act of terrorism or terrorist group, or (c) attends a meeting, which in his knowledge is to support a proscribed entity or to further the objectives of a proscribed entity, commits an offence, and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of at least 20 years.”
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