News
‘My soul belongs to God and my body to my country’
Heavyweight Boxing champion, Oleksandr Usyk and Vasiliy has revealed how he plans to conquer the Russian military alongside his fellow Ukranian citizens after he conquered the world with his fists.
After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Usyk , 35 traveled into Ukraine, took up arms and joined a territorial defense battalion.
Speaking via a video link from a basement in Kyiv, Usyk says that he’s prepared to take a life, if necessary if it means defending his country in the current war.
“If they will want to take my life, or the lives of my close ones, I will have to do it,” he said to CNN.
“But I don’t want that. I don’t want to shoot, I don’t want to kill anybody, but if they will be killing me, I will have no choice.”
Usyk’s manager, Egis Klimas, helped him in the interview as he translated for Usyk, who doesn’t speak English.
Usyk says that he isn’t afraid despite the situation in Ukraine where Russia has started bombing residential areas and using vacuum bombs in Ukrainian citiesñ.
“Maybe, it’ll sound sentimental,” he explained, “but my soul belongs to the Lord and my body and my honor belong to my country, to my family. So there is no fear, absolutely no fear. There’s just bafflement — how could this be in the 21st century?”
Speaking about how the skills of boxing has helped him defend himself and his family at such a crucial moment, he said;
“It has helped me to be calm and mentally prepared,” he said, “And it helps me to help others who are panicking and nervous.”
Oleksandr Usyk was outside of the country when Russia invaded; Usyk had been in London, shooting sequences for an upcoming video game.
He was intending to fly home just hours after the hostilities had commenced, but with the airports closed, he instead flew to Warsaw in Poland and drove almost 500 miles back home and over the border to Kyiv.
Usyk won his heavyweight title belts in a superb display in September 2021 defeating former champion Anthony Joshua to become the IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO world heavyweight champion.
News
Kidnappers kill woman in Kaduna over failure to pay ransom
Kidnappers have killed a woman, Martina John in Kaduna State after her family failed to pay ransom at the specified date.
Acccording to her uncle, Makeri Danjuma Mohammad, the deceased was abducted two weeks ago from Katari village along Kaduna-Abuja highway.
She was brutally murdered by her abductors and her mutilated body dumped around Sabon Gayan Chikun Local Government Area of the state on May 13.
Martina was laid to rest on Saturday, May 14.
“Martina John is a niece to me. She was kidnapped from our community ten days ago and gruesomely murdered by her kidnappers for not paying the ransom at the time specified by them (kidnappers) May her soul rest in peace,” he wrote
“At the grave site of late Martina John today who was kidnapped from my community ten days ago, gruesomely murdered day before yesterday by her heartless kidnappers and her mutilated body dumped around Sabon Gayan near Kaduna. An unprecedented crowd of mourners graced her funeral today. May her soul rest in peace.”
News
Abducted Zamfara journalist regains freedom after six days in captivity
Zamfara-based kidnapped Journalist, Idris Haruna Magami, has regained freedom. He was released Monday evening, May 16, after six days in captivity
Idris Haruna a popular Radio presenter in Zamfara was abducted last wednesday while on his way to his hometown Magami, in Gusau local government area of Zamfara State
He is a staff of Zamfara State Radio and Television Services
Magami/ Dansadau road has been on the news for the wrong reasons following incessant attack on Communities, Commuters and Security operatives
Magami is about fifty kilometers from Dansadau, an area known as one of the hotbed of Banditry.
News
ICPC arraigns professor over $40000 bribe
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned one Professor John Kester Ifeanyichukwu over allegations of bribery and inducement of officers of the Commission.
In a single-count charge brought before Honourable Justice A.O. Otaluka of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), High Court 12, sitting in Apo, Abuja, ICPC is accusing the Professor of issuing a cheque valued at $40,000 to a staff of the Commission.
The cheque was part of the $50,000 and a house in Abuja, promised to the officer to compromise the investigation by retrieving the accused person’s devices, MacBook S/N CIML8BUGDTY3, MacBook S/N W80204J7ATN and iPhone pro11 which were in the custody of ICPC for investigative activities.
John Kester Ifeanyichukwu had earlier been reported to the Commission by the Presidency for alleged acts bordering on corruption, extortion and money laundering.
ICPC, in a Charge No: CR/025/2022, informed the court of how the defendant allegedly induced one of its operatives to smuggle out a particular iPhone and a laptop and to replace them with a dummy that was to be provided by his personal assistant.
The accused person’s action is contrary to Section 18 (b) and punishable under Section 18 (d) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him. He was therefore admitted to bail in the sum of N10 million and two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court and one of them must have a landed property in Abuja.
The trial judge also ordered that the Defendant’s international passport and other valid travel documents must be submitted to the court before the next adjourned date otherwise his bail will be revoked.
The case has been adjourned to the 21st of June 2022 for the commencement of hearing.
