Nigerian tribunal upholds $220 million fine against Meta for violating consumer, data laws

A $220 million fine against Meta Platforms by Nigeria's competition watchdog for violating local consumer, data protection and privacy laws has been upheld following an unsuccessful appeal, Nigeria's Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal said on Friday.
Nigeria's Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) fined Meta last July for discriminatory and exploitative practices against Nigerian consumers, compared with other jurisdictions with similar regulations.

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Hindustan Times

2 days ago

• Hindustan Times

Gurugram police bust cocaine manufacturing factory in Delhi

The Gurugram police crime branch busted a cocaine manufacturing factory running from a four-storey residential building at Ram Colony in Chhatarpur, south Delhi and arrested eight people including seven foreign nationals, police said on Friday. The accused in police custody. (HT Photo) At least 3kg of manufactured cocaine and raw materials procured through the deep web, estimated to be worth more than ₹ 10 crore in the international market, were seized from the factory, they added. 'The factory was operating for the last one-and-a-half years and was supplying narcotics across India and to other countries including Nepal,' said a police officer associated with the case. The accused were identified as Vimal Pahadi, who is from Pokhara in Nepal, Lal Kothari, who is from Aizawl in Mizoram, and Ugochukmv John alias David, Nnajiofor Peter Nmaemeka, Onuchukwu Henry, Ojukwa Ifenya, Friday Tobias Chikwu, and Okolie Romanus, all Nigerian nationals. Only Romanus had a valid business visa as he used to frequently fly abroad while the student or the business visa of the other Nigerian nationals had expired, police said. Romanus was the mastermind of the operation and Pahadi used to visit Gurugram to take the manufactured drugs to Nepal, said Sandeep Kumar, public relations officer of Gurugram police. 'Kothari, a woman, was used by the gang as a delivery agent for supplying drugs to various locations in India,' he said. Investigators said that 42 mobile phones, three electronic weighing machines, eight packing packets, six bundles of tapes, Nigerian passports and ₹ 7,500 were recovered from the accused. Pahadi was the first one to be nabbed with almost 1.17kg of drugs including 116 grams of cocaine from a hotel in Gurugram Sector 39 on Monday by a crime branch team on the basis of an intelligence input. 'He was about to return to Nepal with the consignment. He told police about Kothari after which she was nabbed from Dwarka on Wednesday, said police. John and Obinnina were nabbed from Mangalapur in Palam. On John's disclosure, a raid was carried out at a house in Ram Colony in Chattarpur on Thursday and the factory was busted and the remaining four accused were arrested, said police. Three Nigerian families lived in the building and no outsiders were ever visited due to which locals had no knowledge about the factory. All accused except Pahadi were sent to judicial custody on Friday. Police said John and Henry are named in drug smuggling cases previously registered in Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.

Indian Express

2 days ago

• Indian Express

Nigerian woman smuggling drugs from Delhi to Mumbai arrested with party drugs worth Rs 7 crore

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Thursday arrested a Nigerian woman in Bandra for allegedly smuggling drugs like Amphetamine and Ecstasy worth around Rs 7 crore. She was travelling by bus from Delhi to Mumbai and had concealed the drugs in her bag. The arrested woman has been identified as Blessing Favor Oboh, 23. According to sources, DRI had received specific information about the attempted smuggling, and based on the tip-off, the woman was arrested at the Kalanagar bus stand in Bandra. When the trolley bag she was carrying was searched, 2.563kg of Amphetamine and 584 gram of Ecstasy tablets were found. Amphetamine and Ecstasy are prohibited drugs under the law. During interrogation, the Nigerian woman reportedly confessed to her crime. In her statement to DRI, she claimed that she was going to get a lucrative commission from her handler. But before that, she was arrested. She has been arrested under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Preliminary investigation has revealed that a large international gang is involved in this case, and DRI is looking to get more information on the woman's associates. The central agency is trying to nab the mastermind of the racket. Sources said that Amphetamine and Ecstasy are famous as party drugs. They are in high demand abroad. Currently, the demand for these drugs has increased in India as well.

First Post

2 days ago

• First Post

‘No bra, no exam': How a university rule has triggered outrage in Nigeria

A Nigerian university, Olabisi Onabanjo University, is facing flak after a disturbing video surfaced online, showing female students being physically checked to ensure they were wearing bras before being allowed to sit for an exam. The checks were part of the university's dress code policy, aimed at maintaining a distraction-free environment' read more A viral video shows female staff at Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State physically checking whether female students were wearing bras before entering an exam hall. The move has sparked massive outrage. AI-generated representative image A Nigerian university has come under fire after a disturbing video surfaced online, showing female students being physically checked to ensure they were wearing bras before being allowed to sit for an exam. The footage, reportedly filmed at Olabisi Onabanjo University in Nigeria's southwestern Ogun State, shows female staff touching students' chests as they stood in line outside an examination hall, according to a BBC report. The university has yet to release an official statement, but the video has already sparked a wave of outrage across social media, with many criticising the invasive and humiliating practice. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Here's what we know so far. What is university's 'no bra, no exam' rule The viral video that sparked the storm shows female staff at Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State physically checking whether female students were wearing bras before entering an exam hall. The act, widely circulated on social media, was reportedly done to enforce the university's dress code. Staff are seen touching students' chests in line, supposedly to determine compliance with the rule. Olabisi Onabanjo University OOU allegedly enforces the new 'No bra, No entry' policy as exams start yesterday🙆🏼‍♂️ — Oyindamola🙄 (@dammiedammie35) June 17, 2025 Student union leader Muizz Olanrewaju Olatunji took to X to defend the policy, saying it was 'a dress-code policy aimed at maintaining a respectful and distraction-free environment,' and that it encourages students 'to dress modestly and in line with the institution's values.' He added that the policy was not a new one, and claimed the student union had been in talks with university officials to find alternative ways of addressing what the institution considers 'indecent dressing' – with a focus on respectful engagement between students and staff. While the university isn't affiliated with any religious body, Nigeria as a country remains deeply conservative. With 53.5 per cent of the population identifying as Muslim and nearly 44 per cent as Christian, social expectations around modesty are often strictly upheld, especially in rural areas. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A student, speaking to the BBC on condition of anonymity, said the university strictly enforces a moral code, and their clothes are always being checked. Olatunji shared excerpts from what he said were the university's official guidelines, which define indecent dressing as any outfit that exposes 'sensitive body parts such as breasts, buttocks, nipples and belly-buttons,' or anything 'capable of making the same or opposite sex to lust after the student in an indecent manner.' Student union leader of Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State Muizz Olanrewaju Olatunji defended the 'no bra', no exam' policy, saying it was 'a dress-code policy aimed at maintaining a distraction-free environment'. Image courtesy: X Such rules are not unusual in Nigeria, where many universities impose dress codes. Female students are often banned from wearing miniskirts, while male students may be prohibited from having dreadlocks or wearing earrings. A 'draconian' rule The recent video has sparked an online firestorm, with many branding the practice sexist, outdated, and even criminal. 'This is harassment. People have different reasons for not wearing bras,' wrote a user on X. Another wrote, 'That's human rights violation. Sue them!!!' Haruna Ayagi, a senior official from the Human Rights Network, told the BBC that the method used by the university could land it in legal trouble. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Unwarranted touches on another person's body is a violation and could lead to legal action,' Ayagi said. 'The university is wrong to adopt this method to curb indecent dressing.' Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong echoed those concerns, calling the bra policy 'draconian' and 'arbitrary.' 'Physically examining the bodies of students to determine whether they are wearing a bra or not is not only degrading but also undignifying,' he told CNN. Effiong added that there could be medical reasons why a student might not wear a bra, and pointed out that the blanket enforcement of such a policy 'without exceptions, or without taking peculiarities into consideration is arbitrary,' and could result in lawsuits. With input from agencies