Police Service Commission has approved the appointments of Assistant Inspectors General of Police, Frank Mba and Bala Ciroma, as Deputy Inspectors General of Police.

This was contained in a statement by the spokesperson for the PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, on Friday.

Ani said that DIG Ciroma would replace DIG Ali Janga who retired from service and had represented the Northeast geopolitical zone in the Police Management Team, while DIG Mba would represent the Southeast zone and replace retired DIG John Amadi who before his retirement represented the zone.

“DIG Ciroma, the most senior officer from the zone will henceforth represent the zone. DIG Mba will represent the Southeast zone and replace retired DIG John Amadi who before his retirement represented the zone,” the statement read in part.

The commission also approved the promotion of 14 Commissioners of Police to the next rank of Assistant Inspectors General of Police and 22 Deputy Commissioners of Police to the substantive rank of commissioners.

The PSC said the decisions were high points of the 21st plenary of the commission presided over by its Chairman and former Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase, and was attended by all the members of the commission, including the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the commission, Dr Ifeoma Anyanwutaku.

The new AIGs are former CPs Abubakar Lawal, Alhassan Aminu, Abdul Umar, Shettima Zannah, Ebong Eyibio Ebong, Adepoju Ilori, and Okon Effiong.

Others are former CPs Echeng Echeng, Susan Horsfall, Bankole Lanre Sikiru, Oladimeji Olarewaju, Sani Gwarzo, and Odama Ojeka.

The 22 former Deputy Commissioners of Police promoted to the rank of CPs are Abibo Reuben, Thomas Nabhoni, Wakil Salamai, Enyinnaya Inonachi, Ronke Okunade, and Adekunle Olusokan.

They also include CPs Hassan Yabnet, Festus Oko, Aminu Raji, Omolara Oluntola, Akoh Gabriel, Alamutu Mustapha, Bafda Jahun, Ahmadu Abdullahi, and Mohammed Mu’azu.

Others are former DCPs Bretet Simon, Ihebom Chukuma, Shettima Qurtu, Olatokunbo Olabisi, Yusuf Lawal, Monica Leo, and Abaniwonda Olufemi.

The commission also approved the promotion of 24 Assistant Commissioners of Police to the next rank of DCPs.

They include former ACPs Ezekiel Ibrahim, Project Monitoring Unit, Force Headquarters, Abuja; Mohammed Shamsudeen, Assistant Director, OPS, Kaduna (NCCSALW); Khan Usman, Networking Admin ICT FHQ, Abuja; Wan Chongs, Commander PMF 19 Portharcourt; and Baba Audu, Area Commander, Exeter Akwa-Ibom State Command.

Punch

A federal capital territory  (FCT) high court sitting in Maitama has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to allow Godwin Emefiele, suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to have access to his lawyers and family.

Hamza Muazu, presiding judge, gave the order on Friday after an application by Joseph Daudu, counsel to Emefiele.

On June 9, President Bola Tinubu suspended Emefiele and asked him to transfer his responsibilities to Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, deputy governor, operations directorate.

On Saturday, the DSS announced that Emefiele was in its custody for “some investigative reasons”.

Responding, I. Awo, counsel to the DSS, said the service was not in the habit of rejecting such requests, adding that it was inappropriate.

Awo gave assurance that the DSS would comply with the order of the court and allow the listed lawyers and family members to visit the suspended CBN governor.

The judge said allowing Emefiele access to his lawyers and family is within his fundamental rights.

Meanwhile, both the counsels to the DSS and the office of the attorney-general of the federation requested an extension of time to file their responses to the originating motion.

The court granted the request and adjourned the hearing of the substantive suit to June 19.

The Cable

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Zelenskyy urges African leaders to press Putin on release of political prisoners

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to a group of African leaders to ask his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to free political prisoners from Crimea and beyond — saying it could be an important part of their trip to Russia on Saturday.

Seven African leaders — presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypt’s prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda — visited Ukraine on Friday as part of a self-styled “peace mission” to both Ukraine and Russia to try to help end their nearly 16-month-old war.

The African leaders were traveling to meet with Putin on Saturday in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.

The mission to Ukraine, the first of its kind by African leaders, comes in the wake of other peace initiatives such as one by China, and it carried extra importance for the African countries: They rely on food and fertilizer deliveries from Russia and Ukraine, whose war has impeded exports from one of the world’s most important breadbaskets.

“This conflict is affecting Africa negatively,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a news conference alongside Zelenskyy and the four other African heads of state or government, after the leaders met for closed-door talks Friday afternoon.

Ramaphosa and others acknowledged the intensity of the fight and the animosity between Russia and Ukraine, but insisted all wars must come to an end — and that the delegation wants to help expedite that.

“I do believe that Ukrainians feel that they must fight and not give up. The road to peace is very hard,” he said, adding that “there is a need to bring this conflict to an end sooner rather than later.”

The delegation, including Senegal’s President Macky Sall and Presidents Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, represents a cross-section of African views about the war.

South Africa, Senegal and Uganda have avoided censuring Moscow for the conflict, while Egypt, Zambia and Comoros voted against Russia last year in a U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning Moscow’s invasion. Many African nations have long had close ties with Moscow, dating back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union supported their anti-colonial struggles.

The tenor of the press conference soured when Comoros President Azali Assoumani floated the idea of a “road map” to peace, prompting questions from Zelenskyy who sought a clarification and insisted he didn’t want “any surprises” from their visit with Putin.

Zelenskyy then urged them to help free political prisoners from Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

“Would you please ask Russia to liberate the political prisoners?” Zelenskyy said. “Maybe this will be an important result of your mission, of your ‘road map’.”

Zelenskyy expressed thinly veiled frustration about their trip, saying they would have “conversations with the terrorists” on Saturday.

International human rights organizations claim Russia has targeted the Crimean Tatar ethnic group with arbitrary detentions and unjustified prosecutions since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Many have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

“The Russian Federation misuses its legislation for political purposes, in particular to suppress the nonviolent struggle of the Crimean Tatars and their protest against the occupation of Crimea,” the Crimean Tatar Resource Center said in a statement last year.

Ramaphosa, who laid out 10 priorities to help pave the way to ending the war, said he planned to have a bilateral meeting with Putin in part to discuss the Russian leader’s possible attendance at a planned August summit, hosted by South Africa, of the so-called “BRICS” countries, which also include Brazil, China and India.

The International Criminal Court in March issued an international arrest warrant against Putin over Russian abductions of Ukrainian children, which could complicate any trip by Putin to South Africa. Ramaphosa said he alone would decide whether to invite the Russian leader, saying it was still “under consideration.”

Before meeting with Zelenskyy, the African leaders went to Bucha, a Kyiv suburb where bodies of civilians lay scattered in the streets last year after Russian troops abandoned a campaign to seize the capital and withdrew from the area.

The delegation’s stop in Bucha was symbolically significant, because the town has come to stand for the brutality of Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Russian occupation of Bucha left hundreds of civilians dead, with some showing signs of torture.

While in Bucha, the visitors placed commemorative candles at a small memorial outside a church near where a mass grave was unearthed.

On their way back to the capital, air raid sirens went off in Kyiv — prompting them to briefly return to their hotel as a “precautionary measure,” Ramaphosa spokesman Vincent Magwenya said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted: “Russian missiles are a message to Africa: Russia wants more war, not peace.”

The Ukrainian air force said it shot down six Russian Kalibr cruise missiles, six Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles and two reconnaissance drones. It gave no details on where they were shot down.

Germany will deliver another 64 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Friday, to help shield it against Russia’s relentless aerial attacks.

Officials who helped organize the delegation’s talks said the African leaders not only aimed to initiate a peace process but also to assess how Russia, which is under heavy international sanctions, can be paid for fertilizer exports that Africa desperately needs.

They are also set to discuss the related issue of ensuring more grain shipments out of Ukraine, and the possibility of more prisoner swaps.

“Life is universal, and we must protect lives – Ukrainian lives, Russian lives, global lives,” Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema told The Associated Press. “Instability anywhere is instability everywhere.”

The African peace overture comes as Ukraine launches a counteroffensive to dislodge the Kremlin’s forces from occupied areas, using Western-supplied advanced weapons in attacks along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line. Western analysts and military officials have cautioned that the campaign could last a long time.

China presented its own peace proposal at the end of February. Ukraine and its allies largely dismissed the plan, and the warring sides look no closer to a cease-fire.

Ukrainian troops have recorded successes along three stretches of the front line in the south and east, Andriy Kovalev, a spokesman for the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said in a statement Friday.

According to Kovalev, Ukrainian forces moved forward south of the town of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia province, in the direction of the village of Robotyne, as well as around Levadne and Staromaiorske, on the boundary between Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk province further east.

Kovalev said Ukraine’s troops also advanced in some areas around Vuhledar, a mining town in Donetsk that was the site of a key tank battle.

It wasn’t possible to independently verify the claims.

Russian shelling on Thursday and overnight killed two civilians and wounded two others in southern Ukraine’s flood-hit Kherson region, where a major dam was destroyed last week, according to the region’s governor, Oleksandr Prokudin.

Russian forces over the previous day launched 54 strikes across the province, using mortars, artillery, multiple rocket launchers, drones, missiles and aircraft, Prokudin said.

Floodwaters in the Kherson region have continued to recede, with the average level in flood-hit areas standing at 1.67 meters (about 5 feet) — down from 5 meters (16 feet) last Tuesday, the Ukrainian presidential office said.

** 'From Ukraine with love:' The elite night-time drone units bombing Russian military

The small screen on the soldier's remote control, the only light source allowed, illuminates his piercing stare while his drone, miles away, is moments away from dropping a 35-pound (16kg) explosive on a Russian position.

"This moment we call 'from Ukraine with love,'" his senior officer says.

This secretive night-time strike is being carried out by an elite unit comprising elements from the Security Service of Ukraine -- commonly known as SBU -- and the country's Patrol Police.

The operation was green-lit after the Ukrainian military reported the presence of a launch site from where Russian forces were firing Kornet rockets, missiles intended for use against tanks, towards their troops.

"We know this target relatively recently, it was discovered literally today," an SBU senior officer, who goes by the call sign Bankir, explains.

During the day, the drone unit spent hours scoping out possible night-time launch sites for their mission, as well as figuring out the exact coordinates of their target.

The comprehensive preparation involves flying different surveillance drones toward Russian positions, but also relying on additional intelligence from other Ukrainian units until they have a complete picture of the target.

"Reconnaissance has revealed the enemy's firing position, which is used to destroy the equipment of the defense forces of Ukraine," Bankir explains. "It will be destroyed today," he adds.

Before the launch they drive in complete darkness, turning off their headlights and using night-vision goggles to see the road, and reach a designated launch site.

"We try, we strive," Bankir says. "This has to happen under all of these conditions."

They hide their vehicles and proceed a few hundreds of meters on foot, while Ukrainian and Russian forces trade artillery salvos. Relying only on red light — which they say, is harder for Russian drones to spot from afar, especially when they're not looking — they illuminate the way.

"Go, go, go," one soldier says. The others make a dash for cover.

It's all carefully choreographed to hide their tracks and guarantee their position remains concealed from Russian surveillance and artillery, while they carry out their strike.

On site they prepare the drone -- a large, Ukrainian-made quadcopter — and the explosive they are dropping on the Russian position. The device can carry a payload of up to 45 pounds, but this evening they're making an improvised explosive -- using a shell left behind by Russian forces when they pulled out of Kherson.

"We 3D-printed these fins, and this [pipe] is from a hardware store," a senior officer with the call sign Marat, from the Patrol Police, explains as his men glue the whole thing together. "Now we finish our preparation, the bomb is ready, and we are ready to go."

An offensive in the dark

Night-time missions similar to this one have so far been a defining feature of the initial stages of Ukraine's counter-offensive, especially in the southern part of the country. Ukrainian strikes can shake buildings as far as the city of Zaporizhzhia and explosions light up the skies, despite the city being around 30 miles (48 km) from the frontline.

Ukraine has remained coy about the counter-offensive and is even more reserved when it comes to the tactical details of its probing and pushing operations along the frontlines. But on the Russian side, there is a clear belief Ukraine has a distinct advantage in this area.

"Why is the war happening at night? It's as clear as day," Russian military blogger Vladimir Sladkov wrote on his Telegram channel. "(Western) equipment has excellent night optics."

The Russian-installed head of Zaporizhzhia civil-military administration, Vladimir Rogov, shares a similar view.

"There are several reasons (why Ukraine is attacking at night)," he posted on his Telegram. "The first is to reduce the efficiency of our aviation; the second is to avoid losses from accurate hits by the shock company of kamikaze drones of our 42nd division; and the third is to make the most of the advantages of using Western-supplied equipment and instruments."

The United States has been supplying Ukrainian forces with night-vision technology since at least 2018, which is not usually available to most regular Russian soldiers.

Recently donated armored vehicles -- such as Leopard 2 tanks and M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles -- also have advanced night-vision capabilities, in most cases better than those available on older Soviet equipment still employed by Russian forces.

A successful hit

As the Ukrainian drone approaches its Russian target, the mission enters its most critical phase. The device is loud and once it closes in on Moscow's soldiers, they'll be able to hear it, even if they may be unable to see it.

Moments later, text messages intercepted by Ukraine's SBU reveals Moscow's soldiers have caught on. "Enemy bird spotted," one soldier texts. "Understood!" another responds.

Knowing a drone is in the air means Russian soldiers will try to bring it down. "They're firing at it," Marat says. "They cannot see the drone, but they're shooting towards the sound."

T he unit also expects Russian forces to try and take them out, launching flares into the air to illuminate the entire surrounding area.

"They try to see any anomalies and our presence here, now, is an anomaly. If they have a clear picture of that area, they will see that something has changed. Cars appeared, there was some movement," Marat explains. "If they see us, they will try to get us."

Luckily, on this occasion, the unit was not spotted, but there have been times where they have come under intense Russian artillery fire.

"It happens very often," Marat says. "Therefore, we try to change the place of launch, time, frequency of the radio signal every time."

Thorough planning means they have only lost four drones since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion last year -- far fewer than other units, which in some cases burn through several devices a day -- and they have yet to lose a single team member.

"Team safety comes first," Marat adds. "Then, the safety of the drone."

Immediately after the target is hit, the focus shifts to getting the drone back to base, using a previously mapped out route, hoping to avoid air defenses.

"It's coming back now," the pilot says. "It's traveling at 14 meters per second."

Minutes later it's finally out of danger. "I want a smoke," the pilot says as he sighs in relief.

As soon as it lands, the unit quickly packs everything up and moves out, leaving no trace of its presence. Drone footage recorded the following day reveals a destroyed target, another successful mission.

Still, the men say, their job is not done just yet, not while Russian forces continue to occupy Ukraine. "We really want to take revenge for all the evil they have done to us," Bankir says.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Putin predicts fate of F-16 in Ukraine

Any F-16 fighters the West sends to Kiev will be destroyed just like the tanks they have already delivered, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday. In case they are based outside of Ukraine, that may lead to open war with NATO, he added.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Putin described how the much-heralded Ukrainian offensive, using Western heavy equipment delivered for the purpose, was actually going.

“Tanks are burning. Among them are the Leopards. They burn. So will the F-16s. There is no doubt,” the Russian president said.

Kiev has repeatedly demanded F-16s from the US and its allies. Ukrainian pilots are already being trained on the fourth-generation jets, though none have yet been delivered. The US-made fighter requires very specific airfield conditions, however, which Ukraine may not be able to provide. 

In case Kiev gets some F-16s and stations them at bases outside Ukraine, “we will need to look at how and where we can hit those assets used in combat operations against us,” Putin said at SPIEF. “This is a serious danger of further dragging NATO into this armed conflict.”

Moscow has repeatedly warned NATO that sending weapons to Kiev only prolongs the conflict and risks open confrontation. The US and its allies insist they are not a party to the hostilities, but only supplying Ukraine with money, weapons, ammunition, equipment, intelligence and advice in order to “defeat Russia.”

Though the F-16s do not pose a serious challenge to the Russian air force, Moscow has raised concerns with the UN Security Council over their possible deployment because the planes are capable of carrying tactical nuclear bombs. Earlier this month, one influential US think-tank advocated giving such weapons to Ukraine. 

** Russia always retaliates after Ukrainian strikes — Putin

Russia always responds militarily to Ukrainian strikes, but it seldom presents its retaliation as breaking news, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on Friday.

"We hit military targets with high-accuracy long-range and high-yield weapons and succeed in this respect. It's enough to see arms depots, warehouses and barracks housing personnel, including foreign mercenaries destroyed. There always follows a retaliation. We just avoid presenting it as breaking news very often, but this retaliation is sensitive and the enemy knows this," Putin said.

Kiev must understand that in case of continued attacks on Russian territory, Moscow will consider creating a "sanitary cordon" in Ukraine, he warned.

"If these attacks on our adjacent territories continue, we will consider creating a 'sanitary cordon' on Ukrainian territory. They just have to realize where they are heading for," he said.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), the largest annual economic and business event in Russia, is running on June 14-17. The theme of this year's forum is "Sovereign Development as a Basis for a Just World: Joining Forces for Future Generations". The event is organized by the Roscongress Foundation.

** Conflict to remain permanent while Ukraine aspires to join NATO — Medvedev

Russia’s conflict with "Nazi Ukraine" will be permanent and if regime change occurs in Kiev, new authorities will not ask to join NATO, Deputy Russian Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said.

On his Telegram channel he reiterated remarks by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg who ruled out Ukraine joining the alliance during the conflict but stressed that doors would remain open for Kiev. "What does this mean from a practical point of view? We don’t need Ukraine in NATO. In any case, until any remnant of this country remains in its present state," he wrote.

"Therefore, for Nazi Ukraine the conflict will be permanent. And a new political regime in Kiev (if there is one) will definitely not ask for NATO membership," Medvedev asserted.

AP/CNN/RT/Tass

United Nations, United States ring alarm on West Darfur violence

The United States and United Nations have said the situation in Sudan's region of West Darfur could herald a repeat of past mass atrocities there as fighting in Sudan reached its third month.

The war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces broke out on April 15 but quickly spread westward, hitting cities in the Kordofan and Darfur regions.

Activists said El Geneina, on the border with Chad, has been particularly badly hit. Fighting has killed 1,100 people and sent more 270,000 refugees across the border to Chad. Homes and hospitals have been destroyed.

The United States blamed the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias fo the violence. But army aircraft and drone attacks had impeded humanitarian efforts, it said.

The situation there was "an ominous reminder of the horrific events that led the United States to determine in 2004 that genocide had been committed in Darfur," the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

In the early 2000s, Sudan's army relied on Arab militias to put down a rebellion by armed Darfuri groups. Those militias, known as the Janjaweed, formed the origin of the Rapid Support Forces, which evolved into a force that was legalized in 2017.

Then-president Omar al-Bashir and aides are wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide and crimes against humanity after 300,000 people were killed and millions displaced.

"Darfur is rapidly spiraling into a humanitarian calamity. The world cannot allow this to happen. Not again," U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths said in a statement on Thursday.

A letter from several U.S. and Sudanese activist and civil society groups called on RSF commanders to be held accountable for failing to rein in their soldiers and for the army to be held accountable for not protecting civilians.

The U.S. statement said army aircraft and drone attacks had impeded humanitarian efforts.

The U.N. refugee agency said it had heard reports of "shocking incidents of sexual violence," including by fighters entering civilian homes and stopping them at checkpoints as they tried to flee conflict zones.

Human trafficking, particularly in East Sudan, was on the rise, it said.

Reuters

• There are lots of English language words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. 
• A baseball bat and the nocturnal animal bat are good examples of a "homonym."
• An airy wind and "to wind down" are homographs, too.

It's no secret that the English language can be tricky. For anyone learning the language, it's difficult to grasp all the drastic differences a single word can have. 

People most get tripped up on words that are too similar. When words are spelled the same and sound the same but have different meanings, then they are called homonyms. When they are just spelled the same but sound different and have different meanings, then they are homographs. 

Here are some of the most popular homonyms and homographs in the English language. 

Bat

When used as a noun, a bat could be a winged, nocturnal animal or a piece of sporting equipment used in baseball. It can also be used as a verb when a player goes up to bat during a baseball game. 

Compact

When used as an adjective, "compact" means small, but when used as a verb, it means to make something smaller. It can also be used as a noun when talking about a small case for makeup.

Desert

As a noun, "desert" is a dry, barren area of land where little rain occurs. When used as a verb, the word means to abandon a person or cause. 

Fair

The word "fair" has a few meanings when used as different parts of speech. When used as an adjective, it can describe someone as agreeable, but it can also describe someone who has light skin or hair. As a noun, a "fair" is typically a local event that celebrates a certain person, place, or historical moment. 

Lie

"Lie" could mean to lay down and to tell something untruthful when used as an adjective. If used as a noun, it is a false statement. 

Lead

The word "lead" could be the verb that means to guide someone or something, while the noun version of the word pertains to the metal. 

Minute

The word "minute" can be a measure of time or a measurement of how small something is. 

Refuse

To decline or accept something is the verb form of "refuse," while garbage is the noun form. 

Project

The word "project" has several meanings as a verb. It could mean to plan, to throw, or to cast an image on a surface. As a noun, it is a task or piece of work. 

Second

Like the word "minute," "second" is another measurement of time, while it can also denote the placement of something after the first. 

Fine

The word "fine" has several meanings, including two different adjectives. First, it can be used to describe something as high quality and second, it can describe something especially thin. As a noun, "fine" means a payment for a violation. 

Entrance

When pronounced slightly differently, the word "entrance" has multiple meanings. As a noun, an entrance is a point of access and entry. It could also be used to describe a dramatic arrival, like a bride at her wedding. However, as a verb, to entrance means to bewitch and delight. 

Clip

The verb form of "clip" can actually get quite confusing. The word can actually mean to cut something apart or to attach together. The word even has a noun form, which is an object that helps attach two things. 

Overlook

To overlook means to fail to notice something, but when the word is used as a noun, it is a place where you can look down and see from a higher vantage point. 

Consult

"Consult" is another one of those tricky words that have two different meanings and they are opposites of each other. "To consult" can mean to seek advice or to give professional advice.

Row

As a noun, a "row" means a fight or disagreement. It could also refer to how something is organized into a line. As a verb, "to row" means to propel a boat forward. 

Discount

As a noun, "discount" is a reduction in price and can also be used as a synonym to "on sale." But when used as a verb, the word means to underestimate someone or something and give them no value.  

Wind

"Wind" can be a gush of air.

A subtle difference in pronunciation completely changes the word "wind." It can refer to a flow of air or it can mean to turn. 

Contract

When used as a noun, "contract" is a written or verbal agreement, but when used as a verb, it means to acquire or to get. 

Object

As a noun, an "object" is anything that you can see or touch. It could also be a synonym to a "goal." When used as a verb, it means to express your disapproval — typically used in courtrooms. 

Business Insider

Beneath your feet in the depths of our planet, there’s an unbelievably vast ecosystem teeming with life. In recent years, a massive international team of scientists revealed how billions upon billions of microorganisms live miles beneath Earth’s subsurface.

Presenting their work at the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting in 2018, the researchers calculated the size of this mysterious treasure trove of life for the first time – and it was way bigger than they expected.

They reported that approximately 70 percent of the total number of microbes on the planet live underground. In total, these microbes represent around 15 to 23 billion tonnes of carbon – hundreds of times greater than the carbon mass of all humans on the surface.

Scientists have barely scratched the surface when it comes to describing these microorganisms. However, first glances suggest that the genetic diversity of life below the surface might be comparable to, or perhaps even exceed, life above the surface. This is why nicknamed the ecosystem the "subterranean Galapagos.”

However, don’t expect any giant tortoises down there. Bacteria and their evolutionary cousins – archaea – seem to dominate beneath the surface, although the researchers also noted a fair number of eukarya down there too. For example, researchers described an unidentified nematode over 1.4 kilometers (0.8 miles) deep in a South African gold mine. 

"Ten years ago, we had sampled only a few sites – the kinds of places we'd expect to find life," Karen Lloyd, study author and Associate Professor of microbiology at the University of Tennessee, said in a statement in 2018.

“Now, thanks to ultra-deep sampling, we know we can find them pretty much everywhere, albeit the sampling has obviously reached only an infinitesimally tiny part of the deep biosphere," added Professor Lloyd.

To reach the findings, the team brought together dozens of studies that looked at samples brought up from drilling between 2.5 and 5 kilometers (1.55 to 3.1 miles) into the Earth’s crust, both in the seafloor and the inland continents. Also, to their surprise, they discovered that the subsurface deep biosphere is almost twice the volume of all oceans.

Subjected to intense heat, crushing pressures, no light, and scarcely any nutrients, this is hardly where you would expect to find a diverse bank of life. Nevertheless, the researchers said that this ecosystem could answer many questions about the limits of life on Earth – and beyond.

"Our studies of deep biosphere microbes have produced much new knowledge, but also a realization and far greater appreciation of how much we have yet to learn about subsurface life," added Rick Colwell, microbial ecologist at Oregon State University.

"For example, scientists do not yet know all the ways in which deep subsurface life affects surface life and vice versa. And, for now, we can only marvel at the nature of the metabolisms that allow life to survive under the extremely impoverished and forbidding conditions for life in deep Earth."

IFL Science

A bronze sword more than 3,000 years old, which is so well-preserved that it “almost still shines”, has been unearthed in southern Germany, officials say.

The Bavarian state office for the preservation of historical monuments (BLfD) said the sword, which is believed to date back to the end of the 14th century BC — the middle of the bronze age — was found during excavations last week in Nördlingen, between Nuremberg and Stuttgart.

The sword has an octagonal hilt and comes from a grave in which three people – a man, a woman and a boy – were buried in quick succession with bronze objects, the BLfD said this week. It was not yet clear whether the three were related to each other and, if so, how.

Mathias Pfeil, the head of the BLfD, said: “The sword and the burial still need to be examined so that our archeologists can categorise this find more precisely. But we can already say that the state of preservation is extraordinary. A find like this is very rare.”

It is unusual to find swords from the period, but they have emerged from burial mounds that were opened in the 19th century or as individual finds, the BLfD said.

The Nigerian naira traded as high as 790 to the dollar at the investors and exporters (I&E) window on Thursday — about 24 hours after the float of the local currency.

However, the naira appreciated after hitting a record low at the FMDQ trading platform to close at 702 to the dollar.

On Wednesday, the Central Bank of Nigeria announced the unification of all exchange rate markets in the country, stating that every rate quoted will be decided by the forces of demand and supply.

Following the instruction of the bank, the naira depreciated to 755 per dollar but later appreciated to close at 664 to the greenback.

The market rate is expected to maintain a “willing buyer, willing seller” arrangement forthwith.

In a circular stating that the I&E foreign exchange (FX) window is now the country’s official exchange rate window, the CBN said the “operational hours of trades shall be from 9am to 4pm, Nigeria time.”

“Re-introduction of the “Willing Buyer, Willing Seller” model at the I&E Window. Operations in this window shall be guided by the extant circular on the establishment of the window, dated 21 April 2017 and referenced FM/DIR/CIR/GEN/08/007. All eligible transactions are permitted to access foreign exchange at this window,” the bank added.

“The operational rate for all government-related transactions shall be the weighted average rate of the preceding day’s executed transactions at the I&E window, calculated to two (2) decimal places.

“Proscription of trading limits on oversold FX positions with permission to hedge short positions with OTC futures. Limits on overbought positions shall be zero.”

The Cable

The consumer price index (CPI), which measures the rate of change in prices of goods and services, rose to 22.41 percent in May 2023, up from 22.22 percent in the previous month.

The country’s May inflation data is contained in the latest CPI report released on Thursday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The latest figure is the fifth consecutive rise in the country’s inflation rate this year, as Nigerians adjust to the effects of the recent petrol subsidy removal.

According to the NBS report, “in May 2023, the headline inflation rate increased to 22.41 percent relative to April 2023 headline
inflation rate which was 22.22 percent”.

“Looking at the movement, the May 2023 inflation rate showed an increase of 0.19 percentage points when compared to April 2023 headline inflation rate,” NBS said.

“Similarly, on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 4.70 percentage points higher compared to the rate recorded in May 2022, which was (17.71 percent).

“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in the month of May 2023 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., May 2022).

“Likewise, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in May 2023 was 1.94 percent, which was 0.03 percent higher than the rate recorded in April 2023 (1.91 percent).”

The bureau said in May 2023, the average general price level was 0.03 percent higher relative to April 2023.

ONDO, RIVERS PAID MORE FOR FOOD AS INFLATION SURGES TO 24.82%

According to NBS, the food inflation rate in May 2023 was 24.82 percent on a year-on-year basis. This is 5.33 percent points higher compared to what was recorded in May 2022 (19.50 percent).

The statistics body said the rise in food inflation was caused by increases in prices of oil and fat, yam and other tubers, bread and cereals, fish, potatoes, fruits, meat, vegetable, spirit.

“On a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in May 2023, was 2.19 percent, this was 0.06 percent higher compared to the rate recorded in April 2023 (2.13 perecent),” the report said.

“The average annual rate of food inflation for the twelve-months ending May 2023 over the previous twelve-month average was 23.65 percent, which was 4.97 percent points increase from the average annual rate of change recorded in May 2022 (18.68 percent).

“On a year-on-year basis food inflation was highest in Ondo (25.84 percent), Kogi (25.70 percent), Rivers (25.02 percent); while Taraba (19.55 percent), Sokoto (19.56 percent), and Plateau (19.89 percent) recorded the slowest rise in headline inflation.”

The Cable

President Bola Tinubu yesterday inaugurated the National Economic Council (NEC) headed by Vice President, Kashim Shettima.

The inauguration came a week after he directed NEC to meet to come up with interventions to mitigate the effects of the petroleum subsidy.

He charged the council to support his administration in transforming the economic Fortunes of the country.

He said the task of growing the nation’s economy is quite enomous adding that no excuse for failure.

According to him, Nigerians want reforms and they want it quickly, adding, “we even begged and danced for the job.”

Tinubu restated his administration’s commitment to delivering on its promises to Nigerians as contained in his inaugural speech on May 29.

“It is worthy of note that the monthly meeting of NEC, chaired by the Vice President has remained the official economic platform for robust dialogue among the federal government, the 36 state governors, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and other key stakeholders.

“In my inaugural speech of May 29, year 2003, I expressed this administration’s commitment to improving the lives of Nigerians in a manner that’s not just our humanity, encourages compassion towards one another, and duly reward  our collective effort to resolve the social ills that seek to divide us.

“I also listed the principles that will guide our administrations and it is as follows: To be impartial, to govern according to the Constitution, and the rule of law;

“To defend the nation from terror and all forms of criminality;

“To promote economic growth and development, through job creation, food security, and an end to poverty;

“To prominently feature women and youth in all our activities, and to take proactive steps such as championing a credit culture to discourage corruption, while strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of various anti-corruption agencies.

“I also highlighted eight priority areas to which this administration would focus, security, economy,  jobs, agriculture and infrastructure.

“We have already taken significant steps by ending the fuel subsidy and unifying the foreign exchange rate. This government will continue to transform our nation’s fortunes and bring about unprecedented development through good governance.

“We are committed to sustainable initiatives and programmes that will stimulate the rejuvenation of the economy without causing inflation. The plans and ideas we have presented underscore our confidence in our ability to meet the challenges of the day and pave the way for a better future.

“The NEC meetings have over the years, been very constructive and productive and key outcomes, resolutions and recommendation are translated into brilliant government policies.

“It is also evident that the task of growing our economy is quite enormous, but you and I asked for it, we campaigned for it, we even dance for it, we begged for it. So, we have no reason to complain.

“We must harness the growth potential of Nigeria and bring about serious development to bring us from a potential nation  to pragmatic economic development in a rapid manner.

“Their expectation is on NEC as a veritable source of articulating policies and programmes that are people oriented. I cannot over emphasize that.

“It is also reassuring to note that the populace, members of this country are behind us, they want reforms and they want it quick to have a meaningful impact on their lives.

“We have enormous challenges facing us, it is you and I, we have all the 36 governors and stakeholders and you have the flexibility of using the local government to rapidly develop the infrastructure within the local government areas.

“Collaboration is not a crime. Please let us do so.”

NEC meets monthly and has the mandate to “advise the President concerning the economic affairs of the Federation, and in particular on measures necessary for the coordination of the economic planning efforts or economic programmes of the various Governments of the Federation.”

Membership of the NEC comprises of the 36 state Governors, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and other co-opted Government officials.

Those in attendance as at the time the meeting commenced were Kwara, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Osun, Ademola Adeleke, Kogi, Yahaya Bello, Ekiti, Biodun Oyebanji, Nasarawa, Abdullahi Sule, Akwa Ibom, Umo Eno and Enugu, Peter Mbah Cross River, Bassey Otu, Plateau, Caleb Muftwang, Kebbi, Nasir Idris, Katsina, Aliyu Radda and Benue Hycinth Alia.

Others are Zamfara, Dauda Lawal, Ogun, Dapo Abiodun, Anambra Charles Soludo, Yobe, Mai Mala Buni, Taraba, Agbu Kefas, Gombe, Delta, Sheriff Oborevwori, Rivers, Siminalayi Fubara, Niger Mohammed Bago and Sokoto, Ahmad Aliyu.

Others are Ebonyi, Francis Nwifuru, Kaduna, Uba Sani, Edo, Godwin Obaseki, Abia, Alex Otti, Bayelsa, Douye Diri, Kano, Abba Yusuf, Bauchi, Bala Mohammed, Oyo, Seyi Makinde and Borno State Deputy Governor, Umar Kadafur and Deputy Governor of Ondo, Lucky Ayedatiwa

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, Acting Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, Acting Governor of Central Bank, Folashodun Shonubi, Permanent Secretaries Budget and National Planning, Federal Capital Territory Administration, and State House.

Sun