WAFFI TV | Feature

Don’t Sleep With Phone Under Your Pillow~ Tech Expert Warns

Akin Ibitoye, Technology Advisor at TMB Tech, has warned Nigerians about the health and safety hazards of keeping mobile devices under pillows or near their beds while sleeping. During an appearance on Morning Brief on Channels Television on Monday, Ibitoye outlined the risks, including disrupted sleep and the danger of explosions from overheating lithium-ion batteries. “Do not sleep with your gadget under your pillow. When you sleep with your devices under your pillow, it actually affects you. You don’t know,” Ibitoye cautioned. According to him, beyond the popular blue light emissions that interfere with the body’s circadian rhythm, an internal biological clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles and other physiological processes over a 24-hour period, influenced by light and other environmental cues, the physical presence of a mobile phone in the bedroom can reduce sleep quality, increase irritability, and in extreme cases, pose safety hazards. “These gadgets disrupt our circadian rhythm. That’s how, when it’s dark, your body gets the signal it needs to sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep, there are quite a number of things that even the medical practitioners have said could result negatively back to your body,” he explained. He also raised concerns about the psychological effects of constant connectivity, warning against “doomscrolling”; a habit where users go online for a quick check but end up spending hours. “We spoke about doomscrolling, where you just want to check Instagram for about five minutes, but you end up spending two hours,” he said. Ibitoye urged Nigerians to return to using alarm clocks instead of relying on their phones to wake up. “Before mobile phones, we had alarm clocks. The alarm clock would only sound when the time is right,” he noted, adding that phones attract unnecessary distractions at night with pop-ups and vibrations. Addressing those who claim they need their phones nearby for work or emergencies, he said, “Unless it’s absolutely tied to your work, you can do without your phone.” Beyond sleep concerns, Ibitoye warned of physical hazards such as overheating and potential fire risks. He cited past incidents involving phone batteries that exploded due to heat buildup, especially when left under pillows or bedcovers. “These batteries, lithium-ion batteries, you notice they don’t allow them on airplanes for good reasons. This tiny marvel of technology can explode anytime. If you keep your phone under your pillow, your phone actually gets heated up,” he said. He referenced a viral video of a woman whose phone exploded while she was making a call. “Sleeping with your phone or your tablet under your pillow is actually a huge risk that you do not want to take.” On the subject of radiation, Ibitoye said that even when a phone appears off, it can still send and receive signals. “These electromagnetic devices being so close, actually affect the electrical signals in our brain,” he explained, urging frequent phone users to opt for wired or wireless earphones and keep phones away from their heads. For those living in tight spaces or unable to switch off their phones, Ibitoye advised using airplane mode at night. “If you cannot afford to switch it off, put it in airplane mode. No call will come in, no SMS, no notification, but your alarm will still go off.” He concluded with a reminder: “As ubiquitous as technology is, it can be harmful to our bodies with extended usage.”

5/5/2025, 3:47:01 PM

All 133 Cardinals voting In Conclave Are Now In Rome~ Vatican

All 133 Catholic cardinals eligible to vote for Pope Francis' successor have arrived in Rome ahead of the conclave, the Vatican announced Monday. Beginning at 4:30 p.m. (1430 GMT) on Wednesday, they will convene in secret within the Sistine Chapel and continue voting until one among them secures a two-thirds majority to become the new leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

5/5/2025, 3:20:54 PM

Over 1.5m Candidates Score Less Than 200 In 2025 UTME

Of the 1,955,069 candidates who took the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), more than 1.5 million scored below 200. According to the statistical breakdown released on Monday by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), only 420,415 candidates scored above 200. Additionally, 4,756 candidates scored above 320, while 7,658 scored between 300 and 319. In the statement accompanying the data, JAMB said “40,247 underage candidates were permitted to demonstrate their exceptional abilities. "However, only 467 of these candidates (1.16%) achieved scores that meet the threshold for exceptional ability as defined for the UTME, with their performance in the subsequent three stages still pending.”

5/5/2025, 12:21:11 PM

Beware Of Scholarship Scams~ NDDC Issues Alert On Fake Offers

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has alerted the public about fraudsters peddling fake postgraduate scholarships to unsuspecting individuals. In a statement issued on Sunday in Port Harcourt, the NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Seledi Thompson-Wakama, cautioned against falling victim to the scam. She revealed that the fraudsters have been requesting money from people under the guise of helping them obtain scholarship slots. “The attention of the NDDC has been drawn to fraudulent emails and messages sent to applicants of the commission’s Postgraduate Foreign Scholarship Programme,” she said. Thompson-Wakama revealed that the fraudulent emails, purportedly sent from nddcregistry@gmail.com and claiming to be from the NDDC’s ‘Board Registry,’ invite recipients to a fictitious document verification and authentication exercise. According to her, the purported exercise is scheduled to take place from May 19 to May 21 at Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. “Members of the public are hereby advised that the NDDC has no affiliation with this fraudulent selection process,” she stressed. She further clarified that all official communication concerning the commission’s scholarship programme is conducted exclusively through the official NDDC portal: www.scholarship.nddc.gov.ng. “Applicants are strongly advised to disregard any unsolicited messages requesting money, invitation, sensitive information, or offering scholarship placements outside of the official NDDC procedures,” she added. Thompson-Wakama urged anyone who receives such fraudulent emails to report them immediately to the appropriate law enforcement authorities for prompt investigation and action. She encouraged Nigerians interested in the NDDC’s programmes to utilise only the official NDDC communication channels. “We also advise former beneficiaries of the commission’s programmes and prospective applicants to verify all information through the NDDC’s official website: www.nddc.gov.ng,” she concluded.

5/5/2025, 8:11:47 AM

75.5 Per Cent Rural Nigerians Living Below Poverty Line~ World Bank

Approximately 75.5% of rural Nigerians now live below the poverty line, highlighting escalating hardship in the country’s interior regions, according to the World Bank. This revelation comes from the Bank’s April 2025 Poverty and Equity Brief on Nigeria, which presents a bleak assessment of deepening economic hardship, growing inequality, and ongoing underdevelopment nationwide. The report emphasized that rural areas are particularly affected, with economic stagnation, rising inflation, and insecurity worsening living conditions—even as poverty remains prevalent in urban areas as well. According to the report, “Based on the most recent official household survey data from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics, 30.9 per cent of Nigerians lived below the international extreme poverty line of $2.15 per person per day in 2018/19 before the COVID-19 pandemic.” The report further highlighted persistent regional inequalities in Nigeria, revealing that as of 2018/19, the poverty rate stood at 46.5% in northern geopolitical zones, compared to just 13.5% in the south. Inequality, measured by the Gini index, was reported at 35.1 during the same period. It also introduced the concept of Nigeria’s “Prosperity Gap” — the multiplier needed to raise individual incomes to a daily standard of $25 — estimated at 10.2, a figure higher than most peer countries. Despite multiple policy efforts, this gap underscores the deep and persistent economic divide nationwide. The demographic breakdown showed that children aged 0–14 had a staggering poverty rate of 72.5%, highlighting the extent of deprivation among Nigeria’s youngest. Education was found to be a major poverty determinant: 79.5% of Nigerians without formal education live in poverty, compared to 61.9% with primary education, 50.0% with secondary, and only 25.4% of those with tertiary education. The report also spotlighted multidimensional poverty indicators: 30.9% of Nigerians live on less than $2.15 per day; 32.6% lack access to basic drinking water; 45.1% are without adequate sanitation; and 39.4% have no access to electricity. Education access remains a major concern, with 17.6% of adults not having completed primary school and 9.0% of households reporting at least one out-of-school child. It observed that progress in reducing extreme poverty had nearly stalled even before the COVID-19 pandemic, with poverty declining by just 0.5 percentage points annually since 2010. The situation remains bleak for the urban poor, whose living conditions show minimal improvement amid a scarcity of poverty-reducing job opportunities. While the World Bank acknowledged recent reform efforts aimed at stabilizing the macroeconomic environment, it warned that high inflation continues to erode household purchasing power, especially in urban areas where incomes lag behind rising prices. The Bank called for immediate policy measures to protect vulnerable populations from inflation shocks and to promote job creation through more productive economic activities.

5/5/2025, 7:58:41 AM

I Will Not Run For Third Term~ Trump

In a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, the 76-year-old dismissed responsibility for the faltering economy and appeared uncertain about whether his deportation plans must align with the Constitution. The interview is part of a broader media push marking his first 100 days in office during his second term. Trump, who had previously floated the idea of another run, acknowledged that he is constitutionally barred from contesting the presidency in 2028. “I’m not looking at that,” Trump said. “I will say this. So many people want me to do it. “But it’s something that, to the best of my knowledge, you’re not allowed to do. I don’t know if that’s constitutional that they’re not allowing you to do it or anything else.” The 22nd Amendment bars a third term in the White House, stating that, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” Trump said he’s “looking to have four great years and turning it over to somebody, ideally a great Republican, a great Republican to carry it forward.”

5/5/2025, 7:53:09 AM

Flight Cancellations: Passengers Entitled To Refund Within 14 Days~ NCAA

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has reaffirmed that passengers are entitled to ticket refunds within 14 days of a flight cancellation, in line with its consumer protection regulations. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise programme on Saturday, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, stressed the agency’s dedication to upholding passenger rights. “For non-cash ticket purchases, airlines have 14 days to issue refunds,” Achimugu noted. “Failure to comply within that period will attract sanctions.” This reminder follows rising public frustration over persistent flight delays and cancellations. While acknowledging the surge in complaints, Achimugu pointed out that not all disruptions are attributable to the airlines. “Air Peace operates more flights than probably all other domestic airlines combined,” he noted. “Naturally, their disruption rate is higher. However, the NCAA has a duty to hold them accountable where they are at fault.” Achimugu added that the NCAA has advised operators to cut down on routes when aircraft availability is limited, rather than overselling tickets for flights they may not be able to honour. “If you are operating five aircraft and two develop faults, then you must reduce the number of flights for that day,” he said. “Do not sell tickets to destinations you might not fly.” He warned that airlines failing to adjust their operations accordingly or repeatedly breaching consumer protection regulations would face stiffer penalties this year.

5/4/2025, 2:56:55 PM

Ban On Firearms In Force~ Police

The Nigeria Police Force has reaffirmed that the suspension on the issuance of firearms licences remains in place, despite increasing public demands for self-defence rights. Amid the escalating security crisis nationwide, many Nigerians have urged the government to permit licensed gun ownership for personal protection. Former Defence Minister, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd), also stressed the importance of self-defence in response to the surge in kidnappings and violent attacks. Speaking at an event in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State, Danjuma noted that the government's failure to ensure citizens' safety has compelled many to seek alternative means of protection. “I know we have a lot of problems, including security. As recently as two or three days ago, we experienced kidnapping,” he said. “The threat will continue until we rise and defend ourselves. It is quite clear the government alone cannot do it,” he said.

5/4/2025, 8:18:16 AM

FG Replies Meta On Shutdown Threat

The Federal Government, through the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), has stated that WhatsApp’s threat to leave Nigeria following the Commission’s recent directive will not absolve the company from the consequences of ongoing judicial proceedings. In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, the Commission emphasized that Meta and its subsidiaries must comply with Nigerian laws. Ijagwu described WhatsApp’s threat as a strategic attempt to provoke negative public sentiment and pressure the FCCPC into reversing its stance. He noted that the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal had upheld the FCCPC’s final order, which mandates that Meta entities cease exploitative practices targeting Nigerian users and align their operations with both local laws and global best practices. It will be recalled that the Tribunal imposed a $220 million administrative penalty on Meta Platforms Inc. and WhatsApp LLC for regulatory violations. Meta had earlier threatened to withdraw Facebook and Instagram services from Nigeria in response to hefty fines levied by various government agencies. The Tribunal also awarded $35,000 to the FCCPC to cover investigation costs. ”The FCCPC investigated Meta Platforms and WhatsApp (jointly referred to as “Meta Parties”) for allegedly violating the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, FCCPA, and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation, NDPR. ”The Commission found that Meta Parties engaged in multiple and repeated infringements of the FCCPA (2018) and the NDPR. ”These infringements include denying Nigerians the right to control their personal data, transferring and sharing Nigerian user data without authorisation. ”Others are discriminating against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions and abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies,” he said. Ijagwu noted that Meta had previously faced similar sanctions, including a $1.5 billion fine in Texas and a recent $1.3 billion penalty for violating the European Union’s data privacy regulations. He further highlighted that Meta had been penalized for comparable offenses in countries such as India, South Korea, France, and Australia. According to him, in none of those instances did Meta resort to threats of exiting the market; instead, the company complied with the respective legal requirements. Ijagwu reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to safeguarding consumer rights and data privacy, emphasizing its resolve to promote a more equitable digital marketplace in Nigeria.

5/4/2025, 8:07:29 AM

Cybercriminals Can Drain Bank Accounts With Just ATM Card Details~ Delta Police Warn

The Delta State Police have issued a strong warning to Nigerians to be extremely vigilant with their ATM cards, as cybercriminals are now able to drain bank accounts using only card details. According to the police, fraudsters are exploiting key card information—such as the card number, expiry date, and CVV—to perform unauthorized transactions. Alarmingly, they can do this without having the physical card or access to the victim’s phone, often initiating rapid and repeated withdrawals. This alert was issued by the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, via a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday. He wrote, ” Please take care and be careful in handling your ATM cards. Only a picture of these details in the hands of scammers, your money is gone. They don’t need to have your pin or your phone “They are not required to have an OTP. All you will see is debit upon debit until your money is completely wiped out. Take care of your cards, and don’t use your cards to send people on errands to help you buy anything. Don’t say the Police did not tell you. Peace ✌️” Authorities are urging Nigerians to refrain from giving their ATM cards to others, avoid posting or sending images of their cards online or via messaging apps, and to frequently review their bank statements for any unusual activity. The caution follows a sharp rise in card-related fraud, with cybercriminals increasingly outsmarting conventional banking security systems.

5/3/2025, 6:23:47 PM

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