​Youth Ministry opens supplementary application for business grant

The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has reopened application for young entrepreneurs through a partnership with Tiimafrica which would provide a $5,000 grant to 100 businesses.

In November 2020, Tiimafrica in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development called for applications from Nigerian youth business owners to apply for a one time grant worth $5,000. The grant, aptly named Project Grow 100 is aimed at empowering 100 Nigerian youth-owned businesses.

Over the past few weeks, the foundation had screened the pool of applications to compile a list of 100 applicants eligible for the advertised grant.

According to a statement by the Minister’s Media office, “After careful examination of all applications submitted, applicants who met the stated criteria were less than 50, as opposed to the intended 100. As a result, a supplementary application process will be opened for more applicants to access.

“Additionally, the list of screened, eligible applicants will be published and funds disbursed appropriately.

“When re- opened, the application portal will accept supplementary applications from business owners who are still interested but could not meet up with the last application deadline, but possess the necessary requirements.

“The eligibility criteria says applicants must be Nigerians between ages 25-35; must be running a business within Nigeria and have a minimum six months financial record.”

​Two Christians publicly flogged in Indonesia for drinking, gambling

Two Christian men were publicly flogged Monday in Indonesia’s ultra-conservative Aceh province for drinking alcohol and gambling, in a rare instance of non-Muslims facing a punishment frequently condemned by rights groups.

The caning comes less than two weeks after a male couple were flogged nearly 80 times each for having gay sex, which is outlawed under local Islamic law.

On Monday, the two accused received 40 lashes each from a masked sharia officer who beat their backs with a stick.

One of them, identified only as JF, said he chose flogging to avoid a criminal prosecution that could have seen him jailed up to six months.

“The Sharia police gave us options and we consciously decided to comply with the Islamic criminal code. No one forced me to choose it,” he told AFP.

Aceh is the only province in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country that imposes Islamic law.

Non-Muslims who have committed an offence that violates both national and religious laws can choose to be prosecuted under either system.

Flogging of non-Muslims is rare, however, with only a handful subjected to the punishment in recent years for crimes including gambling and selling alcohol.

The two Christians were among seven people publicly flogged in the province on Monday.

The five others were Muslims who were whipped for adultery and drinking alcohol — both violations of religious law.

Human rights groups have slammed public caning as cruel, and Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has called for it to end.

[AFP]

​Man, 53, in court over alleged assault in Ogun

A 53-year-old man, Gbolahan Segun, on Monday appeared in an Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun for allegedly assaulting a man with a broken bottle.

Segun, whose address was not provided, is facing a charge of assault.

The prosecutor, Insp. E.O.Adaraloye told the court that the defendant committed the offence on Jan.31 at about 5.10 p.m.at No.3, Ajenifeja Igbata in Ota.

Adaraloye alleged that the defendant assaulted the complainant, Akinyele Olagbaji, with a sharp object, suspected to be a broken bottle.

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He said that the offence contravened Section 351 of the Criminal Code, Law of Ogun, 2006.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The magistrate, Mrs A.O. Adeyemi, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N50,000 with a surety in like sum.

Adeyemi ordered that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and be gainfully employed with an evidence of tax payment to Ogun Government.

She adjourned the case until Feb.17 for further hearing.