In a dramatic turn of events at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has disengaged his entire defence legal team and opted to handle his case personally. The decision came during Thursday’s court session, shortly before the continuation of his terrorism-related trial. His former lead counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), informed the court that his client had chosen to represent himself. “A number of voices have been defending Nnamdi, and he has decided to conduct his defence by himself,” Agabi stated. “We respect his decision and wish him well.” Following this announcement, the legal representatives formally withdrew from the case and left the courtroom. Ongoing Trial and Medical Evaluation Kanu has been standing trial since 2015 on multiple charges bordering on terrorism and calls for the secession of Nigeria’s South-East region. His ongoing detention and trial have sparked wide national and international attention. The court was set to hear the opening of the defence proceedings when the sudden disengagement occurred. Reports suggest that the move might cause delays as Kanu decides whether to continue representing himself or appoint a new legal team later. Prior to this development, Kanu’s lawyers had applied for his transfer to the National Hospital Abuja, citing medical reasons. However, a panel set up by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) later certified him fit for trial after an independent medical examination. Possible Change in Legal Strategy Kanu had also filed a motion naming several government and security officials as potential witnesses in his defence, indicating that he intends to take an active role in his case. This latest move has raised fresh speculation about internal disagreements and possible changes in legal strategy. As of press time, no official statement has been released by the IPOB leader or his representatives explaining the reason behind the decision.

Deep in the central part of Edo State, within Igueben Local Government Area, lies a vibrant Esan community known as Ewossa — a town proud of its heritage, culture, and collective spirit. Ewossa represents one of the oldest and most united communities in Esanland, with a deep sense of identity that continues to thrive even in modern times.   📍 Location and Political Division Ewossa is officially recognized as Ward 9 under Igueben Local Government Area, Edo Central Senatorial District. It shares boundaries with Ekpon and other smaller surrounding villages within the Esan region. Despite common misconceptions, Ewossa is not historically connected to the Benin Kingdom, but rather forms part of the independent Esan tribe, which developed its own governance and traditions long before colonial contact.   🏘️ Quarters and Community Structure Ewossa is made up of different main quarters, each representing family lineages and traditional roots that define the town’s social structure: Idumu-Ogo Ikokogbe Eguare Ikekiala Idumu-Agbor Idumu-Egha Idumu-Obo Idumu-Oliha Ujielu Each quarter plays a role in community decision-making, festival organization, and youth development. Together, they form the core of Ewossa’s traditional administration.   👑 Traditional Leadership At the head of the community stands the Onogie of Ewossa, who serves as the custodian of the town’s customs, values, and traditional laws. The Onogie’s palace is located in Eguare, which is considered the royal heart of Ewossa. The Onogie is supported by a council of elders and titled chiefs who oversee peace, justice, and development at the local level. Community disputes, land issues, and cultural matters are resolved using traditional Esan systems of mediation that emphasize dialogue, respect, and fairness.   🪶 History and Heritage Ewossa’s history reflects the deep roots of the Esan ethnic nation — a people known for self-governance, communal strength, and respect for ancestral traditions. Unlike some Esan towns that trace origin stories to Benin migrations, Ewossa’s oral history speaks of an indigenous Esan lineage, with its own founding ancestors who established the settlement on fertile lands ideal for farming and living in harmony with nature. Over the centuries, Ewossa has maintained a reputation for hospitality, peaceful coexistence, and resilience in times of change.   🌾 Economy and Occupation Agriculture remains the mainstay of Ewossa’s local economy. The people are predominantly farmers, cultivating crops such as: Yam Cassava Maize Plantain Palm produce Vegetables and cocoyam Market days are lively, with traders from nearby communities coming to exchange goods, produce, and cultural stories. The youth also engage in craftwork, transportation, and small-scale business.   🏫 Education and Youth Development Ewossa values education highly. The community has several primary and secondary schools serving both local pupils and students from neighbouring areas. Over the years, educated sons and daughters of Ewossa — many now living in urban cities and abroad — have contributed to school renovations, scholarships, and youth empowerment programs. Recent initiatives by private individuals and NGOs continue to support education and healthcare access, showing that Ewossa’s progress is driven by its people.   🎭 Festivals and Cultural Identity Ewossa’s cultural life is rich and colorful, with traditional ceremonies marking various stages of life and community events. Among the most important are: Igue Festival – Celebrated annually to mark the end of the year and purification of the land. New Yam Festival – A harvest celebration showing gratitude to the gods for bountiful produce. Age-grade ceremonies – Recognizing transitions from youth to adulthood and community service. Traditional dances, songs, and masquerades add rhythm and colour to Ewossa’s festivals, attracting indigenes from across Nigeria and the diaspora.   💫 Religion and Beliefs While Christianity has become dominant, traditional beliefs still hold symbolic importance. Ancestral worship, moral codes, and respect for elders remain vital in maintaining social harmony. Many families blend traditional rites with modern faith practices.   🌍 Modern Development and Diaspora Involvement Today, Ewossa continues to grow with improved road access, better schools, and new social projects supported by indigenes both at home and abroad. The Ewossa Development Association (EDA), along with local youth and women’s groups, plays a key role in uniting the community and promoting grassroots progress. Ewossa sons and daughters in the diaspora often return during festive periods, bringing not only gifts but also knowledge, resources, and investments aimed at uplifting the town’s living standards.   💬 Ewossa’s Place in Esanland As part of the broader Esan cultural family, Ewossa shares language, traditional values, and ancestral pride with other Esan towns such as Ekpon, Igueben, and Uromi. However, Ewossa maintains its distinct identity, proud dialect, and historical independence — qualities that make it one of the most respected towns in Esanland.   ✍️ About the Writer This detailed historical and cultural account of Ewossa was written by Imhona Michael Odigie, an indigene of Ewossa community, proudly from Idumu-Ogo Quarter. Imhona Michael Odigie is deeply passionate about preserving Esan history, promoting community awareness, and documenting cultural heritage for future generations. His writings focus on storytelling that connects the roots of Esan identity with modern development in Edo State and across Nigeria. Through research, personal experience, and firsthand knowledge, he continues to shed light on the traditions, values, and progress of the Ewossa people — ensuring that the rich history of Ward 9, Igueben LGA, remains alive for indigenes at home and abroad.

Global energy major BP published its latest energy outlook, signalling a significant revision: the company now expects global oil demand to continue increasing until 2030, rather than peaking this year as earlier projected.   Key Takeaways BP’s revised “Current Trajectory” scenario predicts world oil demand reaching about 103.4 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2030, up from previous expectations that demand might peak sooner.  The adjustment reflects slower gains in energy efficiency and delayed widespread adoption of renewables, according to the company. In its “Below 2-Degrees” scenario (aligned with climate goals), demand could peak in 2025 at ~102.2 million bpd and then fall to ~83 million bpd by 2050 — but that path depends on major policy shifts and technology.  BP sees natural gas demand growing ~20% by 2040 in the scenario it deems most likely.   Why It Matters For global business: This signals that major energy players are still banking on fossil fuels for at least the next five years, which affects investment decisions, infrastructure build-out and supply chains. For Nigeria and oil-exporting economies: Continued demand gives room to invest in upstream production, export capacity and partner with oil majors, although much depends on cost, environment and regulation. For investors: The outlook may encourage continued investment in oil & gas assets, but also raises questions about whether capital is being allocated optimally for the transition to clean energy. For GistVibes readers: This story gives a vantage into how the global energy shift affects Africa, Nigeria’s oil sector, local jobs, and long-term government revenue planning.   Risks & Watch-Points Forecasts are only as good as assumptions — the pace of renewables, policy changes, demand destruction (e.g., from EV adoption) could accelerate, invalidating current expectations. If oil demand remains elevated, yet production fails to grow accordingly, prices could spike — good in short term for exporters, but risk for importers and inflation globally. Environmental risk: Countries investing now in oil may face stranded-asset risk if the transition accelerates faster than anticipated. For Nigeria: Focus must be on cost competitiveness, local content, environmental compliance — not just chasing production numbers.   What to Watch How much NPDC, NNPC Nigeria or other national oil companies adjust their long-term plans based on BP’s revised outlook. New deals or infrastructure build-outs by oil majors in Africa or the Middle East in response to extended oil demand. Shifts in investment flows away from renewables toward oil/gas if expectation of demand remains strong. Policy/regulatory responses: Will governments extend incentives for fossil fuel investment or accelerate moves toward transition?   Conclusion BP’s revised outlook — projecting that oil demand will rise until 2030 — underlines the complexity of the energy transition. While clean energy narratives remain dominant, the reality of global supply and demand dynamics suggests fossil fuels still have a major role to play in the near term. For Nigeria and other oil-exporting countries, the window remains open to benefit — but only if reforms, infrastructure and global competitiveness are in place. For GistVibes readers, this is a business story with local implications: jobs, revenue, investments and policy.

The Dr. Ernest Ahamioje Projects Initiative (DEAPI) has launched a major support programme across Esanland, Edo State, targeting vulnerable pupils, students, widows, the elderly and rural communities. The foundation announced that it will donate exercise books, learning materials and also conduct a medical outreach to assist with community health needs.  Background & Mission Dr. Ernest Ahamioje, who spent many years abroad and recently returned to focus on giving back to his home region, stated that his foundation’s goal is to uplift underserved segments of the Esan community. He emphasised three core pillars: education, health, and rural development.  He noted that many families struggle to afford school fees or buy basic materials; as a result, children are forced to drop out or lag behind. The foundation aims to ease that burden.  What the Programme Includes A distribution of notebooks (exercise books) to students in schools across Esanland, in recognition of the cost burdens families face.  A free medical outreach that will examine community members, provide basic drugs, and focus particularly on conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes— ailments the foundation says are rising in the area.  Support for widows and the elderly: the foundation will give targeted care and aid to these groups, who are often overlooked in rural social-support systems.  Rural infrastructure ambitions: Dr. Ahamioje mentioned the need for access roads in rural Esan as part of improving living standards and enabling welfare initiatives to reach more people. Why This Matters Education uplift: By providing learning materials, the foundation helps reduce one of the major barriers to education in rural Nigeria—lack of resources. For children in Esanland, this means better chances of staying in school and performing well. Health intervention: Health challenges like hypertension and diabetes are increasingly prevalent, yet many rural communities lack strong access to preventive care or early treatment. The outreach promises to help bridge that gap. Community-wide impact: Addressing both education and health shows a holistic approach—helping students now, and older generations too. This creates intergenerational effects. Role modelling diaspora giving: Dr. Ahamioje himself points to his decades abroad and the decision to return and invest in his homeland. That may inspire other diaspora Nigerians to channel resources back home. Challenges & What to Monitor Sustainability: Donations are great, but long-term improvement requires sustained investment, school staffing, maintenance of health outreach programmes, and follow-up. Will the foundation or government ensure continuity? Scale and reach: The announced initiatives focus on Esanland for now, but Dr. Ahamioje mentioned plans to cover more of Edo State. The speed and breadth of that scale-up remain to be seen. Measuring outcomes: How will we know this is making a difference? Will there be metrics on improved school attendance, reduced drop-outs, or better health outcomes? Integration with government efforts: While private initiatives help, alignment with state education and health systems boosts impact. Will the foundation coordinate closely with relevant agencies? What to Watch Dates of actual material roll-out: When notebooks reach the schools, which schools, how many students. The free medical outreach: locations, number of people treated, types of drugs provided, follow-up care arrangements. Stories of beneficiaries: Students, widows or elderly persons telling how the initiative changed something in their life. Expansion announcements: Will the foundation declare further commitments elsewhere in Edo State? Government acknowledgement or partnership: How the Edo State government responds, perhaps offering complementary support or featuring the programme in press releases. Conclusion With the Dr. Ernest Ahamioje Projects Initiative’s multi-pronged intervention in Esanland—covering education, health and rural welfare—there is real potential for meaningful change. The challenge now lies in execution, longevity and measurable impact. For readers of GistVibes, this is more than a donation story; it’s a window into how community development is being reignited from within Esanland.

Meta (formerly Facebook) is stepping deeper into the AI world with a bold new tool — AI Avatar Studio. This innovation will allow creators, influencers, and even small business owners to design lifelike digital versions of themselves for Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. 🎨 The Power of Digital Twins With this tool, creators can upload selfies or short videos, and Meta’s AI system will instantly generate realistic 3D avatars that move, talk, and mimic their expressions. These avatars can be used in Reels, stories, video calls, and even automated customer chats. Imagine recording one video and letting your AI clone respond to fans or clients in real time — that’s Meta’s vision for the future of creator content. 💬 Features Designed for Engagement Voice cloning for realistic sound. Custom outfits and backgrounds for branding. Emotional expressions powered by Meta’s LLaMA 3 AI model. Cross-app support — use one avatar across Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. 💼 Business and Creator Benefits This new feature opens endless possibilities for creators. Influencers can scale their presence, businesses can maintain customer engagement 24/7, and advertisers can generate video ads using virtual representatives instead of expensive filming setups. It’s Meta’s way of merging social networking with generative AI — and it could change how people interact online. 🌐 Privacy Concerns and Ethical Talk While the feature excites many, privacy experts warn that avatar misuse (like deepfakes) might become a challenge. Meta says it’s introducing strict verification tools to ensure authenticity. 🚀 The Future of AI Identity Meta aims to make the avatar ecosystem as natural as chatting with a friend. Over time, users could build entire “AI versions” of themselves that live across the metaverse — working, chatting, and entertaining on their behalf.