General News
Chibok Parents, Leaders Fight Over FG’s N100m Cash Gift
Parents of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls and the community’s leader are at loggerheads over the sharing of the N100m cash gift allegedly given to the parents of the students by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The money was allegedly given by the President after a meeting in Abuja on July 22.
But Dr. Reuben Abati , special adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, denied the report that money was given to the Chibok delegation.
But the BBC Hausa Service said that the sharing formula for the N100m cash gift sparked a serious disagreement between some of the parents and leaders of the Chibok community in Abuja as the parents complained of being shortchanged in the sharing of the money.
There were reports that the Presidency allegedly released the fund to the leaders of the Chibok community in Abuja, as a palliative measure, for onward distribution to parents of the kidnapped girls after the meeting.
However, trouble started when some of the parents who felt cheated with the sharing of the largesse accused the leadership of the community in Abuja of shortchanging them.
One of the parents told BBC Hausa Service: “I got only N200,000 out of the said N100m allegedly received by our leaders in Abuja. Some of us got N300, 000 and some less than that,” he said.
The aggrieved parent said that he was not happy with the way the money was shared as he felt shortchanged.
“Our leaders in Abuja are using the girls to enrich themselves. In fact, some of the parents were screened out of the entourage by the Chibok leaders in Abuja. Many of them are residents of Abuja, not parents of the kidnapped girls,” he said.
Another parent, who was screened out of the delegation that visited the President, said he got only N7,000 out of the money that was shared.
“I was at the farm when they brought the N7,000 to my house and I collected it. Some of us got even less, N300 and below,” he said. aggrieved parents stressed that they were not selling their daughters and that the money from the President just came to them without their asking or expecting it.
One of the community leaders, Pobu Bitrus, who is also a member of the House of Representatives, was at the meeting with the President.
Bitrus told the BBC that after the meeting with the President, money was distributed to the parents in envelopes.
“After we met with the Presidency, the parents were given money in envelopes and that’s all. All other things they are saying about N100m, I don’t know about that,” he said.
Tsambido Abana, chairman of the community, described as false allegations that the money was shared among the parents and that some were short changed by the leadership of the association.
Abana, in a telephone interview yesterday, said there was no truth in the report that Presidential officials doled out N100m to the parents and the escaped girls that held a parley with the President.
He said: “There is no iota of truth in that report. I don’t even want to talk about it because I don’t know how such a story came about. The money that was shared to the parents was handled by presidency officials who gave out envelopes to the parents, so I was not involved in the sharing and I can’t say anything about it.”
In his reaction, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati denied the report that money was given to the Chibok delegation.
“Nobody distributed any envelope after the meeting. The meeting was held in the Villa, a public place. After the meeting, the President left and the parents as well as the children went into their buses in the presence of the media,” he said.
According to him there was no time for money to be given after the meeting.
“The President is not part of will never do anything to bribe anybody. This issue is not about money. We are talking about human lives here.
“The allegation is completely wild. What they are claiming is unknown to the President. Whoever is claiming it should prove it because no such thing happened.
“The commitment of the President is to get the girls back safely. It is not about bribing anybody. This is a very serious matter and we will like to appeal to those who want to play politics with it, using all kinds of tricks to ridicule the efforts of the administration, to always appeal to their individual conscience and realise that what we are dealing with here is a very serious matter and not a matter of mischief,” he added.
Meanwhile, not fewer than eight persons were said to have been killed and a major bridge in Yobe State destroyed when gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect attacked Katarko village on Monday, residents and a security official said.
According to reports, the gunmen, who came in large numbers, could not be matched by the soldiers at a check point about 300 metres away from the village.
“They came at 7:30pm,” said Lawan Ali, a resident of Katarko who spoke from Buniyadi, the headquarters of Gujba Local Government Area of the Yobe State, where he sought refuge after the attack.
“They stormed our village with some vehicles and many motorcycles, shooting and chanting Allahu Akbar (God is great).
“Some of them could be mistaken for solders because of their dressing which resembled that of the Nigerian soldiers. “The soldiers in Katarko had to flee after seeing the large number of the attackers.
“After attacking the village and killing about eight persons and injuring others who were not so lucky to escape, we later heard a thunderous explosion at the location of the bridge; we all fled into the bush. But in the morning, we found out that the bridge had been destroyed with bombs,” Lawan added.
Residents of the village lamented that with the destruction of the bridge, the village would be cut off from other part of Yobe State as the rain intensified.
The attack on Katarko village was the first on the community despite its proximity to Sambisa forest.
Abbas Gava, a member of the Nigerian vigilante group in Borno State, who also confirmed the incident, said he was communicating with his colleagues in the state on the incident.
The meeting took place after a meeting with the visiting Pakistani teenager, Malala Yusoufai, who champions the cause of girl-child education.
Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, today announced new findings from the Sophos State of Ransomware in Manufacturing and Production 2025 report.
Sophos
The study reveals that manufacturers are stopping more ransomware attacks before data can be encrypted; however, adversaries are increasingly stealing data and using extortion-only tactics to maintain pressure.
As a result, more than half of manufacturing organizations impacted by encryption paid the ransom despite progress in defensive measures. The report is based on an independent survey of 332 manufacturing organizations that were hit by ransomware in the last year.
The Sophos State of Ransomware in Manufacturing and Production report found:
● Encryption rates are falling, but adversaries are shifting tactics: 40% of attacks on manufacturers resulted in data encryption, the lowest level in five years and down from 74% last year. However, extortion only attacks surged to 10% from just 3% in 2024 as attackers increase reliance on data theft for leverage.
● Data theft remains a significant concern: 39% of manufacturers that experienced encryption also had data stolen, one of the highest rates across all surveyed sectors.
● More organizations are stopping attacks before encryption: 50% of manufacturing organizations stopped the attack before data could be encrypted, more than double last year’s 24%.
● Expertise shortfalls and inadequate protection fuel attacks: Lack of expertise was cited by 42.5% of organizations. Unknown security gaps were cited by 41.6%, and a lack of protection by 41%. Respondents identified an average of three internal factors that contributed to the attack.
● More than half of manufacturers with encrypted data paid the ransom: 51% of affected organizations paid the ransom. The median ransom paid was $1 million dollars, compared to a median demand of $1.2 million dollars.
● Recovery costs and timelines are improving: The average cost to recover from a ransomware attack, excluding ransom payment, declined by 24% to $1.3 million dollars. 58% of manufacturers fully recovered within one week, up from 44% last year.
● Ransomware incidents affect IT and security teams: 47% of manufacturers reported increased team stress after experiencing data encryption. 44% said pressure from senior leaders increased, and 27% reported leadership change as a result of the attack.
“Manufacturing depends on interconnected systems where even brief downtime can stop production and ripple across supply chains,” said Alexandra Rose, Director of Threat Research, Sophos Counter Threat Unit. “Attackers exploit this pressure: despite encryption rates falling to 40%, the median ransom paid still reached $1 million. While half of manufacturers stopped attacks before encryption, recovery costs average $1.3 million and leadership stress remains high. Layered defenses, continuous visibility, and well-rehearsed response plans are essential to reduce both operational impact and financial risk.”
What Sophos is Seeing in Manufacturing
Over the past twelve months, Sophos X-Ops has observed ransomware activity across leak sites and found that 99 distinct threat groups targeted manufacturing organizations.
The most prominent groups targeting manufacturing organizations based on leak site observations are GOLD SAHARA (Akira), GOLD FEATHER (Qilin) and GOLD ENCORE (PLAY). Reflecting the trends revealed in the report, in over half of the ransomware incidents that
Sophos Emergency Incident Response was brought in to remediate, attackers both stole and encrypted data, highlighting the use of double extortion tactics where data is held for ransom and threatened with release on a leak site.
Strengthening Defenses for the Long Term
Based on its experience protecting manufacturing organizations worldwide, Sophos recommends the following best practices to help businesses stay ahead of ransomware and other cyberthreats:
● Eliminate Root Causes: Take proactive steps to address common technical and operational weaknesses—such as exploited vulnerabilities—that adversaries frequently target. Solutions like Sophos Managed Risk can help organizations assess their exposure and reduce risk across their environments.
● Defend Every Endpoint: Ensure all endpoints, including servers, are protected with dedicated anti-ransomware defenses to prevent attacks from gaining a foothold.
● Plan and Prepare: Establish and routinely test a comprehensive incident response plan. Maintain reliable backups and practice data restoration regularly to minimize downtime in the event of an attack.
● Monitor Around the Clock: Continuous visibility is essential. Organizations without in-house resources can strengthen their resilience by partnering with a trusted Managed Detection and Response (MDR) provider.
Spotify
This year, Spotify is bringing back the fan-favourite features people already love, while adding new experiences that spotlight how listeners across Africa moved, prayed, worked, partied and rested with audio. Wrapped Party invites fans to dive into their stories with friends and family, and 50 fan destinations worldwide give listeners a place to come together, celebrate their year in music and feel part of something truly global.
From design to in-person experiences and data stories rooted in local listening, this is how the 2025 Wrapped campaign comes to life across Africa.
A modern visual mixtape for Africa
Before streaming, mixtapes and burned CDs were the original playlists: handpicked, decorated and passed between friends, cousins and neighbours as deeply personal gifts. The 2025 Wrapped design builds on that tradition, turning a year of listening into a bold, dynamic visual mixtape for more than 700 million fans around the world – including millions across Africa.
Every gradient and texture reflects that unpredictable mix of emotion and rhythm that makes listening so personal. With a reduced colour palette, bold imagery and a blend of analogue and digital aesthetics, 2025 becomes the most expressive and modern-feeling Wrapped yet. From amapiano dance circles in Johannesburg to late-night studio sessions in Lagos and road-trip singalongs in Nairobi, the look and feel of Wrapped mirrors how African fans actually experience music – loud, layered and full of feeling.
Immersive real-world experiences – and an amagwinya road trip
The Wrapped creative campaign is live in more than 30 markets globally as Spotify moves beyond traditional billboards to create immersive experiences that celebrate the artists who defined 2025. Across Africa, installations and pop-ups bring Wrapped digital storytelling into the real world with artist integrations, interactive photo moments and live performances for top listeners.
In South Africa, Wrapped quite literally hits the road. Inspired by the heartbreak of reaching the front of the line only to hear the gwinyas are finished – and the way Darwin Rev turned that moment into a national mood with Amagwinya Aphelile – the Where Are the Gwinyas? fan destination sends a Wrapped-branded amagwinya kombi on a multi-city road trip.
The truck travels through Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria, serving up gwinya with a Wrapped twist – from fish fillet to bunny-chow-inspired curry fillings and classic snoek, atchar and polony. At each stop, fans turn up their favourite Wrapped anthems, transforming the kombi from simple food truck into rolling street party.
“Wrapped has always been about reflecting fans’ stories back to them, and this year those stories from Sub-Saharan Africa are literally spilling into the streets. From the amagwinya road trip in South Africa to the data stories coming out of Nigeria and Kenya, we’re showing that the numbers behind Wrapped are really about how people here live, move and connect through music,” says Spotify’s Head of Marketing for Africa, Sithabile Kachisa.
How Africa listened in 2025
Wrapped is ultimately about turning listening data into stories fans can see themselves in – and nowhere is that more vivid than in Africa.
In South Africa, early mornings belonged to Ciza’s Isaka, with more than 46,000 fans pressing play at exactly 6:00 a.m., turning sunrise into a shared soundtrack. Mafikizolo’s Uyoncengwa Unyoko passed 14 million plays, proving some songs are built for repeat on both the dancefloor and in the taxi rank.
In Nigeria, Fido’s Joy is Coming found its way onto more than 700 playlists tagged as sad, as listeners reached for hope even when the mood was low. Davido’s With You amassed over 42 million streams, underlining the staying power of one of the country’s most beloved hitmakers.
In Kenya, Extra Pressure was added to fans’ gym playlists, turning workouts into high-stakes training montages, while Njerae’s Aki Sioni crossed 3.2 million streams, transforming vulnerability into a chart-ready strength.
Across the continent, these moments show how Wrapped transforms numbers into narratives. The stats reveal not just what Africa listened to in 2025, but how, when and why it mattered – from perfectly timed play buttons and weekday rituals to songs that travelled through communities as gifts, prayers, jokes and declarations. Wrapped gathers all of that energy and hands it back to fans as a story only they could have written.
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has warned Nigerians against dealing with 15 unregistered entities using company names and registration numbers that are not in the commission’s records.
In a public notice signed by CAC Management, the commission said it had discovered the use of purported company names and RC numbers that are not registered with the CAC, urging the public to disregard them and verify all business information directly from its portal.
“The CAC remains committed to protecting the integrity of the Companies Register, upholding the law, and ensuring a safe and transparent business environment in Nigeria,” the CAC said.
According to the notice, the following are the entities not registered with the CAC:
Famas Services Nigeria Limited (RC: 216312)
Promo Dutch Investment Limited (RC: 396654)
Dialack Concept Nig. Ltd (RC: 297772)
Purpleheart Construction and Real Estate Mgt. Co. Ltd (RC: 1210548)
M/S Loktu Enterprises (BN: 373466)
Loktu Enterprises (BN: 400390)
Badatoyak Ltd (RC: 521322)
Johson Nats Limited (RC: 198492)
Peoples Club Nigeria International (CAC/IT/41191)
Jiba Enterprise (BN: 577523)
Civil Engineering Solutions Nigeria Limited (RC: 33001)
Gabdoff Hotel Ltd (RC: 112409)
Amoka Group (BN: 545221)
BEEC Nigeria Limited (RC: 30143)
- Adetunji (BN: 657466)
Explaining the reason for the commission’s publication, the statement noted that it aligns with its statutory role of maintaining an accurate and reliable companies register, protecting investors, and preventing fraudulent activities in the business environment.
The commission urged Nigerians to always confirm the status of any company or business name through its official portal.
PAPSS Cowry to Benefit Manufacturers, SMEs
Access Bank’s Digital Innovation Earns Top Financial Inclusion Award
NIPR Postpones Maiden PRICE Awards to January 25, 2026
CBN’s New Cash Policy: A Welcome Liberalisation or a Risky Retreat?
Africa Must Build Its Own Cybersecurity Intelligence, Says Tizel CEO At AfriTech 5.0
Kaspersky Introduces Cyber Pathways to Support Career Development in Cybersecurity
Nigeria’s $618m Tech Incubator Debuts
NITDA DG Tasks Youths to Drive Africa’s Digital Transformation
Firm Urges Organizations to Check Protection of their Websites Amid Search Engine Optimisation Attack Schemes
Hackers Breach Phones of Dangote and Otedola, Demand Ransom
Broadcasting3 days agoIt is Official, DStv Confirms Termination of 16 Major Channels
General News2 days agoManufacturers Block More Ransomware, But Data Theft Surges – Sophos Report
Telecom2 days agoMTN Nigeria Launches Y’ello Data Gifting Campaign as Digital Connectivity Shapes Festive Celebrations
E-Financial3 days agoSenate Considers Bill to Empower CBN to Regulate Fintech
Broadcasting3 days agoParamount Africa Shuts Down after 20 Years
Telecom3 days agoAfrica’s $1bn Biometric ID Rollout Raises Concerns Over Privacy and Exclusion
News2 days agoPAPSS Cowry to Benefit Manufacturers, SMEs
News3 days agoAfreximbank Taps Nigeria to Lead Africa’s Digital Trade Revolution