A Japanese city will urge all smartphone users to limit screen time to two hours a day outside work or school under a proposed ordinance that includes no penalties.
The limit will be recommended for all residents in central Japan's Toyoake City. However, it will not be binding and there will be no penalties incurred for higher usage, according to the draft ordinance.
The proposal aims "to prevent excessive use of devices causing physical and mental health issues... including sleep problems," mayor Masafumi Koki said in a statement on Friday, August 22.
The draft urges elementary school students to avoid smartphones after 9:00 pm, and junior high students and older are advised not to use them after 10:00 pm.
The move sparked backlash online, with many calling the plan unrealistic. "I understand their intention, but the two-hour limit is impossible," one user wrote on social media platform X.
"In two hours, I cannot even read a book or watch a movie (on my smartphone)," wrote another.
Others said smartphone use should be a decision for families to make themselves.
The angry response prompted the mayor to clarify that the two-hour limit was not mandatory, emphasising that the guidelines "acknowledge smartphones are useful and indipensable in daily life".
The ordinance will be considered next week, and if passed, it will come into effect in October.
In 2020, western Kagawa region issued a first-of-its kind ordinance calling for children to be limited to an hour a day of gaming during the week, and 90 minutes during school holidays.
It also suggested children aged 12 to 15 should not be allowed to use smartphones later than 9:00 pm, with the limit rising to 10:00 pm for children between 15 and 18.
Japanese youth spend slightly over five hours on average a day online on weekdays, according to a survey published in March by the Children and Families Agency.
A Nigerian doctor, Afolarin, has lamented after his house was burglarized while he was on a work trip.
Bemoaning his fate, Afolarin said the thieves made away with household items, including freezer sound system, TV,
According to the doctor, who disclosed this in a post on Tuesday, August 20, the police allegedly said he should pray the thieves get arrested.
“Traveled out of state to hustle, came back home to pick some things only to realize my house has been forcefully broken into. TV, Freezer, fan, curtains, sound system and more gone. I've not even made half of this loss. May Nigeria never happen to you,” he wrote.
“NB: My house is the only one in the compound, fenced with barb wire. Neighbours in surrounding houses said they heard nothing. In fact, they were so surprised. Police said I should pray the thieves get apprehended. I rest my case. Again, may Nigeria never happen to you.”
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized over 10,000 cartons of unregistered tomato paste and cosmetic products at the Lagos Trade Fair Market.
The Director of Investigation and Enforcement in the agency, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, disclosed this to newsmen on Tuesday, August 12. He mentioned that de@ths from substandard medicines, cosmetics and unsafe foods exceed the number of people k!lled by Boko Haram. In his words
“We seized over 10,000 cartons of unregistered tomato paste, as well as cosmetics such as creams, soaps, body sprays, washes, air fresheners and toothpaste. We cannot guarantee the safety of these seized products because they have not undergone any regulatory scrutiny.
One way to safeguard public health is to remove harmful products from markets before they can kill unsuspecting Nigerians.
I can say authoritatively that deaths from substandard medicines, cosmetics and unsafe foods exceed the number of people killed by Boko Haram.
This is why the agency remains committed to ensuring Nigerians use only products that have passed regulatory processes, assuring safety and effectiveness. "he said
The Director said a newly inaugurated multi-agency task force would boost NAFDAC’s surveillance against substandard medicines and unsafe processed foods nationwide. He added that the agency’s partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service to strengthen border control was yielding results.
“We are working hard to prevent falsified and unregistered items from entering the country, hence our Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigeria Customs Service. The Nigeria Customs Service has handed over many seized fake products to us, and we have also transferred some to them,” he added
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, says he has conferred with Ibom Air to withdraw its case against one of its ‘’unruly'' passenger, Comfort Emmanson, paving the way for her release from Kirikiri prison.
In a statement released this morning August 13, Keyamo also disclosed that he has appealed to the Airline Operators of Nigeria AON to rescind its life-ban sanction imposed on Emmanson.
He also mentioned that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will cut the indefinite no-flight ban placed on Fuji star Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as KWAM 1, to one month and that the singer will now be made an ambassador for airport security protocol. According to him, the decision follows consultations with key stakeholders in the aviation sector over recent incidents involving unruly behaviour at airports.
He also added that the NCAA will restore the licenses of pilots involved in the KWAM 1 case after they complete a month-long suspension and mandatory professional reappraisal.
According to Keyamo, Emmanson, who was arrested after an incident aboard an Ibom Air flight on August 10, 2025, showed “great remorse” during police questioning in the presence of her lawyer. He said the withdrawal of Ibom Air’s complaint would allow the police to complete the process for her release from Kirikiri Prison this week.
His statement reads
‘’1. In the last 48 hours, I have been in consultation with critical stakeholders in the Aviation Sector and those involved in the unfortunate incidents regarding the unruly behaviours of certain individuals at our airports of recent.
2. Though regrettable, we think valuable lessons have been learnt by all sides to these incidents and airport security protocol, especially, have been well highlighted for the travelling public. If nothing at all, the episodes have undoubtedly helped to raise public awareness about appropriate conduct within the aviation space.
3. As highlighted in my previous statements on the last two incidents, clear wrongs were committed by both the offending passengers and staff of the airlines involved from all the evidence available to us and those available to the public. It is clear that all the actors involved cannot continue to highlight the injury or injustice done to them without acknowledging their own equal culpability.
5. Therefore, after reviewing the entire incidents, including appeals made by well-meaning individuals and remorse shown by the actors, the following decisions have been reached:
THE CASE OF IBOM AIRLINE AND MS. COMFORT EMMANSON
(a) In the case of the unruly passenger, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, on the Ibom Airline on Sunday, the 10th of August, 2025, I have conferred with Ibom Airline to withdraw the Complaint against her today. When the Police took her Statement in presence of her lawyer, she exhibited great remorse for her conduct.
(b) Subsequent to the withdrawal of the complaint by the Complainant, the CP of Airport Command and the Police Prosecutor will immediately take the remaining steps to facilitate her release from Kirikiri Prisons within this week.
(c) I have also conferred with the leadership of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and have appealed to them to lift the life-time flying ban imposed on her, to which they agreed. The details of the resolution will be made public by the AON subsequently.
THE CASE OF VALUEJET AND WASIU AYINDE MARSHALL (KWAM 1)
(d) In the case of KWAM 1, the NCAA is to reduce his flight ban to a one-month period. FAAN will also work with the music star with a view to engaging him as an ambassador for proper airport security protocol going forward.
(e) Having publicly demonstrated penitence, the NCAA is also to withdraw its criminal complaints against KWAM 1 earlier lodged with the Police.
(f) In the case of Captain Oluranti Ogoyi, and the co-pilot, First Officer Ivan Oloba of VALUEJET, the NCAA is to restore their licenses after the same period of one-month ban after undergoing some mandatory professional re-appraisal. The details will be announced by the NCAA.
AIRLINE OPERATORS, AVIATION AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
6. I have directed all relevant Aviation agencies in collaboration with other complementary agencies outside aviation to IMMEDIATELY begin a retreat NEXT WEEK to properly retrain and prepare our Aviation security personnel on how to deal with errant and disruptive passengers and how to deescalate potentially explosive situations. The retreat will be fully covered by the Press with the opportunity to ask all the relevant questions.
7. The Airlines will also have their own session when the conduct and attitude of their staff towards members of the travelling public will be in full focus.
FINAL COMMENTS
8. These above decisions were taken by Government and the airline operators purely on COMPASSIONATE grounds as Government will never pander to base sentiments, politically-motivated views or warped legal opinions when clear encroachment of our laws are involved.
9. We are also sending a CLEAR MESSAGE that we take safety and security in the aviation sector very seriously and we have decided to draw a line after these clemencies.
The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has warned that hunger and poverty in Nigeria are no longer abstract numbers but a grim reality for millions.
In a post on his X handle, the former Anambra State governor said Nigeria was facing “acute food shortages and multi-dimensional poverty at a scale never before seen.”
“In our country today, hunger and poverty are not just distant statistics; they are the harsh reality that millions of our people face daily,” Obi wrote.
Citing United Nations data, he said about 34 million Nigerians risk acute food insecurity, while 63% of the population — roughly 133 million people — live in multidimensional poverty.
Obi noted that inflation, “even with suppressed statistics,” is near 30%, while unemployment and economic mismanagement have “nearly wiped out our once vibrant middle class.” Families once stable, he said, are “slipping into poverty” due to “incompetent leadership without capacity and compassion.”
Drawing a comparison with Argentina, Obi highlighted how the South American nation reduced poverty from 52% to 38.1% within two years under new leadership by cutting waste, prioritising economic stability, and restoring investor confidence.
“Both Argentina and the current Nigerian leadership assumed office in the same year,” Obi said. “Two years may not be enough to completely transform a nation, but it is enough to kickstart genuine change — if the leadership is honest, focused, and committed to the people.”
Obi urged Nigerian leaders to fight corruption, reduce the cost of governance, and invest in education, healthcare, and poverty reduction.
“Nigeria can work. We can reduce hunger and restore dignity to Nigerians,” he said. “A New Nigeria is POssible.”
A former National Treasurer of the Labour Party (LP), Oluchi Oparah, has dismissed allegations that former Anambra State governor and 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, used party funds to finance his campaign.
Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday night, August 7, Oparah described the claims — made by LP chieftain Abayomi Arabambi as “completely false,” stressing that Obi personally funded his campaign and even made financial contributions to the party.
“There was nothing of such. Mr. Obi never spent any money meant for the party,” Oparah said. “In fact, he lifted the party from zero level to where it is today.”
Oparah recalled that before Obi joined the Labour Party, it was in deep debt and could not pay staff salaries. She said the former governor met all financial obligations required of him and donated from his own resources to strengthen the party.
“Mr. Obi fulfilled every righteousness financially towards the Labour Party. There was never a time he asked for a dime from the party, unlike what happens in other political parties,” she stated.
She also explained that campaign financing for candidates was handled through separate accounts, distinct from the party’s official accounts, and that Obi personally covered the cost of several LP programmes.
“The Labour Party didn’t have a dime. Mr. Obi spent from his own money,” Oparah said.
Turning her attention to governance, Oparah criticised what she described as a lack of accountability under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and urged Nigerians to focus on holding the government to account instead of targeting Obi.
She challenged those making allegations to provide proof.
“Anyone making such claims should show us the particular account where the money was lodged,” she said.
Oparah praised Obi’s philanthropic record, describing it as an enduring part of his character long before his presidential bid.
“Anyone who knows Mr. Obi knows that his act of charity is like the air he breathes,” she added.
Tragedy struck in Pulka town, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State when a grenade explosion claimed the lives of three children identified as Fati Dahiru, Aisha Ibrahim, and Fati Yakubu.
According to a report by Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) member Buba Yaga, the children were playing with a grenade suspected to have been abandoned by Boko Haram insurgents when it exploded around 2:20 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, August 7, 2025.
A combined team of Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD-CBRN), troops of Operation Hadin Kai, CJTF, and local hunters visited the scene, cordoned off the area, and conducted a sweep for other devices. None were found, and the area was declared safe.
Authorities have urged residents to immediately report suspicious objects to security agencies to prevent similar tragedies.
The injured children were rushed to the General Hospital, Gwoza, where doctors confirmed them d3ad.
Their bodies have been released to their families for burial in line with Islamic rites.
The Nigerian Navy says its Special Forces deactivated no fewer than 70 illegal refinery sites and confiscated over 400,000 litres of stolen crude oil across the Niger Delta.
The Director of Naval Information, Commodore Ayiwuyor Adams-Aliu, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, August 7, 2025, in Abuja, stated that three suspected smugglers were arrested in Akwa Ibom State while in a wooden boat laden with 10 drums of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
According to the statement, the intensified operations under the ongoing Operation Delta Sanity were part of its effort to curb crude oil theft and other forms of economic sabotage within Nigeria’s maritime domain.
Adams-Aliu said the crackdown led to the discovery and destruction of 120 dugout pits, illegal storage facilities, and various equipment used in crude oil theft and illegal refining across Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom States.
He said the Navy denied oil thieves access to about 411,400 litres of crude oil, 87,825 litres of illegally-refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), 72,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), and 21,900 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
“Since the relaunch of Operation DELTA SANITY in December 2024, the Nigerian Navy has recorded remarkable successes, reinforcing its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the nation's maritime domain,” the statement read.
The operational successes recorded in July 2025 include the following: On Friday, 4 July 2025, six illegal Refinery Sites were discovered and deactivated around Ogba, Egbema, and Ndoni communities in Rivers State.
The sites comprised 40 dugout pits with approximately 66,000 litres of suspected crude oil, 40 ovens, and 30 reservoirs holding about 40,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
On Saturday, 12 July 2025, one illegal Refinery Site with 5 dugout pits containing about 2,300 litres of stolen crude oil was deactivated at Otegele, Delta State.
On Monday, 14 July 2025, three suspected smugglers were arrested in Akwa Ibom State in a wooden boat laden with 10 drums (approximately 2,500 litres) of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). Investigations revealed the products were intended for smuggling into the Republic of Cameroon. The suspects and products were seized and handed over to relevant authorities.
Also on Monday, 14 July 2025, an underground reservoir with connected pipes, dugout pits, and buckets containing approximately 7,000 litres of crude oil, along with polythene bags, was discovered and deactivated around Obodo Omadino, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.
Also on Monday 14 July 2025, another wooden boat with 10 drums (approximately 2,500 litres) of PMS was seized and three suspected smugglers arrested along Agbani axis, Mbendoro, Effiat I & II, Okposo river entrances in Akwa Ibom State.
On Wednesday, 16 July 2025, an underground reservoir with connected pipes and 12 sacks containing 9,500 litres of suspected stolen Crude Oil, along with buckets and polythene bags were seized in Peres Community, Warri South West Local Government Area.
On Saturday, 19 July 2025, one illegal Refinery Site and 9 dugout pits, containing about 4,200 litres of crude oil were deactivated around Otegele in Obodo Omadino, Warri South West LGA, Delta State.
On Monday, 21 July 2025, many dugout pits, one pumping machine connected to an underground reservoir with 10 sacks containing approximately 10,000 litres of suspected crude oil, and 2 buckets were discovered and seized at Oteghele in Amadino community, Warri South West LGA, Delta State.
On Tuesday, 22 July 2025, two illegal refinery sites were deactivated at Biseni Community, Yenagoa LGA, Bayelsa State. The sites had about 200,000 litres of stolen crude oil, one pumping machine, and about 2,000 litres of illegally refined AGO and DPK, as well as a network of galvanized pipes and hoses used for siphoning and distribution.
On Wednesday, 23 July 2025, a follow-up operation led to the discovery and deactivation of seven metal ovens, six storage pits, and a large pond containing over 250,000 litres of stolen crude oil in Biseni Community Yenagoa LGA, Bayelsa State.
Also on 23 July 2025, an illegal refinery site with 300 litres of crude oil, several drums, 3 dugout pits, and 2 reservoirs were deactivated along Isonogbene and Otuogbene in Akassa general area of Bayelsa State.
On the same day, 2 active illegal refinery sites, 8 dugout pits containing about 2,500 litres of crude oil, and 10 polythene sacks with approximately 3,000 litres of illegally refined AGO were discovered and deactivated in Obodo Omadino, Warri South West LGA, Delta State.
Also on 23 July 2025, an abandoned illegal refinery site comprising one oven and 5 dugout pits with about 13,000 litres of crude oil was discovered and deactivated around Ugbokodo Creek and Christian Village in Warri South LGA, Delta State.
On Friday, 25 July 2025, seven dugout pits, one drum, and five sacks containing approximately 15,000 litres of suspected crude oil were discovered and deactivated at Bennet Island within Bokodo Community, Delta State.
On Sunday, 27 July 2025, two active illegal refinery sites, 17 dugout pits with about 2,650 litres of crude oil, and 16 polythene sacks containing 1,200 litres of illegally refined AGO were discovered and appropriately deactivated at Obodo Omadino, Warri South West LGA, Delta State.
On Monday, 28 July 2025, one active illegal refinery site with tanks, containing about 20,000 litres of crude oil, and an underground reservoir connected with hoses was discovered and deactivated at Oteghele Community in Omadino, Delta State.
In total, over 71 illegal refinery sites with 120 dug out pits were deactivated. Furthermore, oil thieves were denied about 411,400 litres of crude oil, 87,825 litres of illegally-refined AGO, 72,000 litres of DPK and 21,900 litres of PMS.
“These significant successes underscore the resilience of the Nigerian Navy under the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, to completely eradicate crude oil theft and contribute to improving Nigeria’s oil production,” the statement added.
“Notably, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) confirmed recently that Nigeria’s oil production had exceeded 1.8mpd. The Navy remains steadfast in its mission to ensure maritime safety, deter illicit activities, and uphold national security within the nation’s maritime domain. ”
