- Civil servants get Feb 17 deadline for IPPIS verification
- Falana sues Meta for $5m over alleged privacy invasion
- Saudi Arabia limits visas for travellers from Nigeria, 13 other countries
We have highlighted the five most important developments in the news today, Monday, February 10, and present them below.
5 issues in the news that should matter to you today
1. Civil servants get Feb 17 deadline for IPPIS verification: The Federal Government has fixed February 17 as the deadline for civil servants to validate their identity on the integrated payroll and personnel information system, IPPIS.
The deadline is contained in a memo issued by the office of the accountant-general of the federation.
2. Falana sues Meta for $5m over alleged privacy invasion: Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, over an alleged invasion of his privacy.
Falana claims that Meta wrongfully used his name, image, and voice in a false advertisement for a health product on its platform, portraying him as suffering from prostatitis—a condition he insists he has never had.
3. 2025 Budget: ‘Snakes, termites, monkeys must not swallow $1.07bn earmarked for health’, ex-VP Atiku warns: Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned that claims of animals such as snakes, termites, gorillas, and monkeys ‘swallowing’ public funds must never be the fate of the funds budgeted for the critical sector of health in the proposed 2025 Budget presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku gave the warning a press statement personally and posted it on his verified social media handles on Sunday, February 9.
4. Saudi Arabia limits visas for travellers from Nigeria, 13 other countries: Saudi Arabia has announced a new visa policy restricting visitors from Nigeria and 13 other countries to single-entry visas.
The change, which has already come into effect this month, is directed at curbing unauthorised Hajj pilgrimages and ensuring the safety of those attending the religious event.
According to TravelBiz, Saudi Arabia has suspended the one-year multiple entry visa for travellers from Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen.
5. India-based Nigerian arrested for defrauding company $13,361: The Cyber Cell of Delhi Police, India, has arrested a Nigerian national, Patrick Ngomere, for allegedly hacking the email account of Family Care Pvt. Limited, a pharmaceutical company, and fraudulently syphoning off Rs 11.73 lakh.
The suspect, also accused of residing in India without a valid visa, is believed to be part of a larger syndicate engaged in various cyber frauds across the country.