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Facebook plans to change its name as part of company rebrand – report

Social media giant Facebook is planning to rebrand the company with a new name next week, the Verge reported on Tuesday, citing a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Facebook chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg plans to talk about the name change at the company’s annual Connect conference on 28 October, but it could be unveiled sooner, the Verge report said.

Similar to how Google rebranded under the Alphabet umbrella, the rebrand would likely position Facebook’s social media app as one of many products under a parent company, which will also oversee groups like Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus and more, the report added.

A spokesperson for Facebook told the Guardian the company “doesn’t comment on rumour or speculation”.

It has come at a time Facebook faces significant pressure following revelations from whistleblower France Haugen, who told US Congress the company had put “astronomical profits before people” and that it harms children and is destabilising democracies. Haugen has been behind the leak of a number of documents to the Wall Street Journal, including showing internal research revealing 30% of teenage girls felt Instagram made dissatisfaction with their body worse.

Earlier this month Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram also went out for five hours after routine maintenance went wrong, disrupting all of Facebook’s services including its own internal communications and physical security services.

“For more than five hours Facebook wasn’t used to deepen divides, destabilise democracies and make young girls and women feel bad about their bodies,” Haugen told Congress.

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Court denies Yayaha Bello bail

Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has dismissed the bail application filed by the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, who is being tried for an alleged N110 billion fraud.

In her ruling, the judge held that Bello’s bail application was premature and incompetent as he filed it when he had not yet surrendered himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The however, admitted Bello’s alleged co-accomplice Umar Oricha, to bail in the sum of N300million with two sureties in the like sum.

In her ruling on Bello’s application, the judge said the former Kogi governor was only making an attempt to invoke the jurisdiction of the court too early.

She said, “Consequently, the instant application, having been filed prematurely, is hereby refused.”

The 16-count charge preferred against Bello has to do with conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and possession of unlawfully obtained property.

He is alleged have used state funds to illegally acquire properties, at No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja , No. 1160 Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II District, Abuja and No. 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja, among many others.

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Man arraigned for unlawful possession of human skull

A 52-year-old man, Akeem Rasheed, has appeared before an Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan, for alleged unlawful possession of a human skull.

The defendant who resides at Jegede area, Ibadan, was charged with two counts of improper interference with dead body and unlawful possession of human skull.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him by the police.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Cpl. David Adepoju, told the court that on Oct. 11, at 1.00 a.m., at Jegede Estate, Odeyale area, Ibadan, Rasheed improperly interfered with a dead human body.

He said that the defendant allegedly exhumed a corpse from its grave, removed the skull and burnt it.

The prosecutor alleged that the defendant burnt the human skull into ashes for spiritual purposes.

He said the offences contravened Section 242 (1) (b) and 352(A) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Olabisi Ogunkanmi, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N250, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

Ogunkanmi said one of the sureties must be a blood relative of the defendant.

She , thereafter, adjourned the case until May 5, 2025 for hearing.

NAN

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EFCC Arrests 22 Suspected Internet Fraudsters in Abia State

Operatives of the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission EFCC, have arrested twenty-two suspected (22) internet fraudsters.

They were arrested on Friday, December 6, 2024 at Umuagu and Olokoro in Abia state in a sting operation.

Items recovered from them include six exotic cars, eight laptops and 36 mobile phones.

They will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.