General News
Emirates A380 Service to Start 1st September

Emirates, a global connector of people and place has announced that Frankfurt, the financial epicentre of Germany, will be the next destination slated for its flagship A380 aircraft. The daily A380 service will start on 1st September.
Thierry Antinori, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Emirates said: “Frankfurt was one of the first European destinations for Emirates and as the financial capital of Germany it continues to be strategically important.
“Deploying larger capacity aircraft, such as the A380, is central to helping us meet growing passenger demand between one of the Europe’s busiest economic regions and the emerging economies of Asia, Middle East and Africa, through seamless, swift connections via our Dubai hub. The local economy will also derive substantial benefits from tourism growth with the increased number of visitors from the GCC region.
“We are proud to fly our flagship A380 aircraft to Frankfurt from 1st September and offer our passengers the Emirates on-board Shower Spa experience, our world-renowned on-board Lounge, and an unparalleled 1,700 channels of inflight entertainment across all cabins.”
Volker Bouffier, Prime Minister of German State of Hesse commented: “Emirates’ A380 service represents a clear commitment to Frankfurt Airport and its surrounding region facilitating the flow of international tourism and trade. Emirates has connected two strong business regions, the UAE and Hesse, for 27 years. The airline’s triple daily services demonstrate its continued commitment to Frankfurt Airport, the region’s largest employer.”
Frankfurt is currently served with a triple daily Boeing 777 operation. From 1st September, EK 45 becomes an A380 flight, leaving Dubai at 0825hrs and arriving in Frankfurt at 1315hrs. The return double-decker flight, EK46, departs Frankfurt at 1520hrs and lands in Dubai at 2335hrs.
Also, Peter Feldmann, Lord Mayor of Frankfurt said: “Frankfurt welcomes the Emirates A380, an aircraft that is partly produced in Germany and that acts as a worldwide ambassador for European top-class engineering. Emirates’ decision to deploy the A380 further strengthens Frankfurt Airport’s position as one of the leading hubs of international aviation”.
Dr. Stefan Schulte, chairman of the Executive Board of Fraport AG commented thus, “Frankfurt was amongst the very first airports ever to be ready for the Airbus A380. The operation of the latest generation of wide-bodied aircraft at our airport further strengthens our role as international air traffic hub. We thank Emirates for the long-standing partnership and look forward to regularly welcome the airline’s flagship at Frankfurt.”
With 48 A380s in its fleet, Emirates is the largest operator globally of the Airbus superjumbo, which has carried over 25 million passengers since its launch in 2008.
Emirates is also the largest A380 purchaser with 92 pending delivery, a share of the A380 programme which alone is estimated to support approximately 12,000 direct German jobs.
German aeronautical businesses contribute to the production of the aircraft’s engines, wings, ice entertainment system, lighting and On-board Shower features, and over €200 million is spent each year by Emirates for the operation and maintenance of these components, according to a study by the Institute of Air Transport and Airport Research (DLR).
Emirates also depends on small and medium sized German suppliers of aircraft products and services for parts like galleys, aircraft upholstery, paints and ground handling equipment worth hundreds of millions of Euros each year.
The A380 is known for its environmental credentials. Its Engine Alliance GP7200 engines are extraordinarily quiet and readily meet strict ICAO Stage Four noise level standards.
In fact, the A380 offers the best noise footprint for very large aircraft, and is more than six decibels quieter on departure than the Boeing 747-400. In addition, larger aircraft mean fewer take-offs and landings – in many cases the equivalent of flying up to seven smaller aircraft types, for certain versions of the Emirates A380.
General News
Court Orders Lawyer to Produce “Bail-Jumping” Client in MTN Cyber Fraud Case

Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered Mr Nnamdi Kalu, a legal practitioner, to appear before the court on July 9, 2025, to provide explanations regarding the whereabouts of Richard Ironbar Edemadem, his client, who is accused of cyber-related fraud and has allegedly jumped bail.
The judge issued the directive during the ongoing trial of Edemadem and four others, namely: Samuel Okpapi, Nelson Ojovbo, Bamigbade Olushola, and ISD Technology Limited, who are standing trial on charges of tampering with the critical mobile telecommunications infrastructure of MTN Nigeria and illegally profiting from unsolicited messages sent to subscribers.
The prosecution, led by Mr Nnemeka Omewa of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), informed the court that Edemadem, the first defendant, had jumped bail and ceased communication with both his counsel and the court.
He further revealed that Mr Kalu, who represented the defendant at the early stage of the trial, had stopped appearing in court and was unreachable.
During the trial proceedings, Justice Alagoa queried the continued absence of the first defendant, especially as his name had come up repeatedly during the testimony of the EFCC’s witness.
Upon receiving the explanation from the prosecutor, the judge expressed concern that no attempt had been made to bring the sureties to account, as required when a defendant absconds.
Responding to the judge’s query, Omewa said the prosecution had made efforts to trace the sureties and review the bail bond documents.
However, they discovered that no valid documentation about the sureties or their contact addresses could be found in the court file.
Disturbed by the absence of such critical records, Justice Alagoa directed the absentee defendant’s counsel, Mr Kalu, to appear before the court on the next adjourned date to provide clarity on his client’s disappearance and explain his failure to participate further in the trial.
In the meantime, the trial resumed with the testimony of Mr Olamide Sadiq, the fourth prosecution witness and an investigating officer with the EFCC.
Sadiq detailed how the defendants fraudulently manipulated MTN’s telecom systems to send unsolicited messages to thousands of unsuspecting subscribers.
According to his testimony, the defendants, who were employed as IT professionals for various telecom value-added service providers, compromised MTN’s Critical Mobile Telecommunications Network System between 2017 and 2018, adding that by exploiting the system’s vulnerabilities, they deployed mass unsolicited messages that led to unauthorised deductions from subscribers’ airtime balances.
Sadiq explained that these illegal deductions were routed into multiple accounts linked to the defendants and their affiliated entities, notably ISD Technology Limited.
The stolen proceeds, totalling N36,837,438.20, were subsequently distributed among the conspirators, he said.
Following the witness’s testimony, the court adjourned the matter to July 9, 2025, for the continuation of the trial and to enable Mr Kalu to appear and address the court on the issue of his absconding client.
The EFCC had filed a three-count charge against the defendants, detailing their alleged roles in the multimillion-naira fraud.
On count one of the charges, the defendants, Richard Ironbar Edemadem, Samuel Okpapi, Nelson Ojovbo, Bamigbade Olushola, ISD Technology Limited, and a fugitive known only as “Sola”, were accused of conspiring to tamper with a critical mobile telecommunications network system.
This, the EFCC said, is contrary to Sections 27(6)(b) and 10 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, and punishable under the same law.
The second charge stated that the defendants were charged with unauthorised tampering with MTN’s network infrastructure, an offence also contrary to Section 10 of the Cybercrimes Act, punishable under the same provision.
Counts three of the charges posited that the defendants allegedly took possession of N36,837,438.20, which they reasonably ought to have known were proceeds of an unlawful act, namely, stealing, contrary to Sections 15(2)(d) and (6) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), and punishable under the same.
Source: Tribune
General News
Airtel Concludes Nationwide Environment Week with Market Clean-Up by Employees

Telecommunications provider, Airtel Nigeria, has wrapped up its 2025 World Environment Week campaign, themed ‘Ending Plastic Pollution’, with an employee-driven market clean-up exercise at Elegushi Model Market, Jakande, Lekki, Lagos.
The activity was supported by the Ecobarter Company, a social enterprise focused on the promotion of a circular economy. Branded #UnPlasticAfrica, the events spanned six states and mobilised Airtel employees, community leaders, government partners, and market communities in a united effort to combat plastic pollution.
With the Lagos Market Cleanup, Airtel staff and community members joined forces to remove plastic waste and sensitize the locals on individual contributions towards a plastic-free environment.
To support sustainability and align with Lagos State’s ban on single-use plastic, large bins for refuse sorting as well as parasols, and reusable tote with #UnPlasticAfrica messaging were distributed to traders and their customers in the market to encourage behavioural change.
Speaking on behalf of Airtel Nigeria CEO Dinesh Balsingh at the clean-up exercise, Director, Corporate Communications & CSR, Airtel Nigeria, Femi Adeniran, highlighted the critical importance of community participation in safeguarding the environment and commended the market leadership for their openness and commitment to such impactful initiatives.
“True environmental care starts with action: keeping our gutters and surroundings clean and ensuring that plastic waste never finds its way into our canals and waterways.
The Elegushi market community has shown remarkable leadership by welcoming this initiative, and we are proud to have partnered with them to make a tangible difference as we commemorate World Environment Day 2025. We believe that this effort will spark a ripple effect, inspiring communities across the nation to take bold steps towards a cleaner, healthier Nigeria,” he said.
In her response on behalf of the President of the Elegushi Model Market traders’ association Iyaloja Simbiat Ronke Lawal, the Secretary of the trade association Elizabeth Afolabi, conveyed the group’s appreciation to the volunteers and Airtel Nigeria as an organisation. She commended the company for the clean-up initiative which she noted would leave a positive impact on the market.
“We want to thank Airtel Nigeria and all the volunteers for coming to our market to help clean and support us. This has really helped us and made our market a better place. We are incredibly happy and promise to sustain what you have started here today,” she said.
Recall that the Airtel Nigeria World Environment Week campaign began on June 4 with an employee seminar led by Mr Balsingh, followed by market clean-up exercises at Bodija Market, Oyo State; Oba Market, Benin City, Edo State; Wuse Market, Abuja; Artisan Market, Enugu State; Yankaba Market, Kano State; and finally, Elegushi Model Market, Jakande, Lagos.
General News
Verraki to Host Groundbreaking Webinar on Scaling AI for African Enterprises

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) redefines competitive advantage across industries, African businesses are being challenged to evolve from passive observers to active implementers. Verraki, a leading African business and technology solutions firm and member of Andersen Consulting, is answering this call with a virtual event aimed at demystifying the AI journey for African enterprises.
Verraki will host a free webinar titled “From Idea to Action: How African Businesses Can Start and Scale AI Initiatives.” On Thursday, June 19, 2025, at 3:30 PM WAT, the session is designed to give business leaders a clear, executable path for embedding AI into their strategy and operations.
“We’ve moved past the point where AI is a buzzword; it is now a boardroom priority,” said Niyi Yusuf, Managing Partner at Verraki. “This webinar brings together African and global experts to provide actionable insight for businesses seeking to make that transition deliberately and profitably.”
Elevating Africa’s AI Readiness
Despite growing interest in AI, many African organizations struggle with where to begin, lacking both the technical know-how and the internal strategy to move forward. This webinar bridges that gap with both global case studies and local context, tailored to Africa’s unique business realities.
Featured Speakers include, keynote address by Randy McGraw, Chief Commercial Officer at Sertis, a Bangkok-based AI consultancy also a member of Andersen Consulting. Randy will unveil a playbook for implementing Private LLMs.
Fireside Chat with Kehinde Banasko, CEO of Skilladder AI, on how AI is revolutionizing workforce transformation and skills verification across Africa. The conversation will be moderated by Verraki’s Maanging Partner, Niyi Yusuf.
This event is ideal for CEOs, founders, product managers, innovation leads, and C-suite executives looking to implement AI tools that align with their business goals and drive sustainable results.
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