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Showing posts from May, 2020

SERAP Gives Buhari Seven Days To Account For All Foreign Loans

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President Muhammadu Buhari has been given a seven-day ultimatum by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project to provide details of all loans obtained by his government since May 29, 2015, including details and locations of projects, which the loans were spent on. SERAP said if Buhari failed to comply within seven days, it will take all appropriate legal actions under the Freedom of Information Act to force him to comply. In a letter to President Buhari, SERAP urged him to set up an independent audit of all loans to resolve any allegations of mismanagement and corruption. The letter was also sent to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed  and Director-General of Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha. Buhari had last week sought the National Assembly’s approval for a fresh loan of $5.513bn to fund the 2020 budget deficit, critical projects, and support some sta

Over 30 Dead Bodies Decomposing In Bush After Kajuru Attacks, Southern Kaduna Residents Say

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Southern Kaduna attack President of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, Jonathan Asake, has said that over 30 dead bodies of victims of the attacks by armed bandits in Kajuru under Southern Kaduna were decomposing in the bush. He said security agents had not gone to the affected communities to retrieve the bodies, adding that over 60 people were still missing after the attacks. He disclosed this at the weekend in Rimau village where many displaced victims were taking refuge at a primary school. He faulted claims by the police that the attacks only took place in two communities (Ungwar Rana and Gonarogo) on May 12 and 13. Southern Kaduna attack He revealed that over 15 communities were attacked in the area contrary to the claim by the police. Asake said, “As of now, many of the people that were killed in the attacks, their dead bodies are still there. Four people cannot go there and recover their dead bodies.  "In fact, over 30 people that they said have been killed are sti

Lockdown: 30 Persons Arraigned In Court In Ondo For Flouting Curfew Order

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At least 30 persons in Ondo State have been arraigned before a mobile court sitting in Akure, the state capital, for contravening the dusk-to-dawn curfew order of the state government to reduce the spread of COVID-19.  The violators were arrested by the state’s COVID-19 Special Task Force led by its Chairman, Mr Doyin Odebowale, in different locations of the state mostly in Ogbese area. They were handed over to the police for disciplinary actions before being arraigned before Magistrate Bukola Ojo. Twenty-four persons out of the violators had earlier pleaded guilty to the offence and were later pardoned by the court.  Counsel to the accused persons, Utenwojo Salihu, applied for their bail and prayed the court to always hold such cases behind closed doors.  In her ruling, Magistrate Ojo sentenced the violators to community service for seven days by cutting grass for two hours around Ogbese Market. PUBLIC HEALTH News AddThis :  Original Author :  Saharareporters, New Yor

RRS Arrests 19-year-old YabaTech Student Over Nude Photos Of Nigerian Musician, Salawa Abeni

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Operatives of Rapid Response Squad have arrested a 19-year-old student of Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, for allegedly blackmailing Nigerian musician, Salawa Abeni, with her nude pictures. The suspect, Olufowoke Oladunjoye Emmanuel, a resident of Brentfield Avenue, Peace Estate, Magboro, Ogun State, was arrested on Thursday by the decoy team of the RRS. Oladunjoye in his statement to the police, confessed to having been the mastermind behind the ploy to publish some nude pictures of Abeni in exchange for money, adding that he was alone in the scheme.  He said he found the nude pictures in a memory card which he picked up on the floor in YabaTech sometime in November 2019. He added that after downloading the nude photographs of the musician on his phone, he picked up her mobile number from her Instagram page. He said, “On 1st of April, 2020, I chatted her up and also called her after sending a few of the photos to her online. My intention was to negotiate with her for fe

Policeman Shoots Colleagues Dead In Lagos

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A policeman on Sunday reportedly shot and killed his colleagues at Onikan area of Lagos State. The yet-to-be named policeman attached to the Federal Inland Revenue Service, opened fire on his colleagues following an argument. In a trending video, the officer was seen screaming incoherent words, a development suggestive of a possible mental illness.  It was gathered that immediately after shooting his colleagues, he hijacked their operational vehicle and drove straight to Akoka in Yaba around 5:00am where he attempted to access a compound but couldn’t and started shooting sporadically.  Residents of the area said no fewer than 30 bullet holes were counted in an apartment, corridor and ceiling of the premises. Lagos State Police spokesperson, Bala Elkana, said investigation into the matter had started, adding that a statement would be released soon. Police News AddThis :  Original Author :  Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements :  from All Content https://if

COVID-19: School Owners Reject Nigerian Government's Plan To Turn Hostels Into Isolation Centres

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The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools has said it would not allow any of its facilities to be converted into isolation centres.  President of the association, Yomi Otubela, told PUNCH that schools should be reopened rather than converted into a purpose that will make them inaccessible to students. Otubela was reacting to the comments by Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, that school dormitories could be used to house COVID-19 patients to free up hospital beds for those in need of critical treatment.  He said, “I don’t know how many of the Western countries whose methods we are copying use schools as isolation centres; I have not seen any. We should copy and copy rightly. Schools are meant for children and we should not use them for a purpose that will make them abandon schooling. “Private school owners reject this idea. In fact, private schools should be considered for reopening because it is easy to maintain physical distancing than in public schools b

Bandits Kill Three Persons, Burn Houses, Animals In Fresh Attack On Katsina Village

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File Photo Suspected bandits on Saturday evening killed no fewer than three persons in Matseri Village of Sheme Ward, Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State. SaharaReporters gathered that the bandits also burnt down houses, animals and foodstuffs during the rampage.  A source said the bandits attacked the villages around midnight with guns on motorcycles.  File Photo Qubes Magazine “They came about 7:00pm on Saturday on motorcycles. The bandits laid siege to the village, shooting and destroying anything they sighted,” the source said.  The attack came a day after 13 others were killed in Unguwar Gizo, Maigora, Sabon Layi and Mai Ruwa in the same council. Four other persons including a customs officer, were abducted during the attack.   Insurgency News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :  from All Content https://ift.tt/2zEA9K5

Christo’s Grand Projects

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By Unknown Author from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/3gF8NUt

Aggressive Police Tactics During Protests Are Under Scrutiny

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By BY SHAILA DEWAN AND MIKE BAKER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2MgdWED

Amid Riots and a Pandemic, Church Attendance Resumes in ‘a Very Broken World’

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By BY SHAWN HUBLER AND RICK ROJAS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3djRpCI

Aggressive Police Tactics During Protests Are Under Scrutiny

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By Shaila Dewan and Mike Baker from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2MgdWED

Curtis Cokes, Hall of Fame Welterweight Champion, Dies at 82

By The Associated Press from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2ZUZuKr

As Protests and Violence Spill Over, Trump Shrinks Back

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By Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Xktg9N

Nasa SpaceX launch: What is the Crew Dragon?

A guide to SpaceX's Crew Dragon vehicle, which carried astronauts to the space station. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3gOOGn8

Video Appears to Show a Tanker Truck Driving Into Minneapolis Protesters

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By BY THE NEW YORK TIMES from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2yQEOrH

‘We’re Sick and Tired’: Voices From Minneapolis Protests

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By BY KATIE G. NELSON, MIKE SHUM, SAMEEN AMIN, DMITRIY KHAVIN AND BARBARA MARCOLINI from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2TTYlis

Symbol of N.Y.C. Unrest: A Burning Police Car

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By BY AZI PAYBARAH AND NIKITA STEWART from NYT New York https://ift.tt/3gGd9L9

Destructive Power of Despair

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By BY CHARLES M. BLOW from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/3gzWNDX

What Trump and Toxic Cops Have in Common

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By BY JENNIFER SENIOR from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/36MQrfT

As Protests and Violence Spill Over, Trump Shrinks Back

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By BY PETER BAKER AND MAGGIE HABERMAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Xktg9N

What Is Antifa, the Movement Trump Wants to Declare a Terror Group?

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By BY NICHOLAS BOGEL-BURROUGHS AND SANDRA E. GARCIA from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2XhUCNz

Police Cars Rammed Protesters. What de Blasio’s Response Tells Us.

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By BY DANA RUBINSTEIN AND JEFFERY C. MAYS from NYT New York https://ift.tt/3evWbgC

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert Semitrailer speeds into crowd of protesters on Minneapolis bridge; injuries unclear 05/31/20 4:29 PM

Asia Today: 27 New Cases in South Korea, 2 in China

By The Associated Press from NYT Business Day https://ift.tt/2TWxBO2

A Reporter’s Cry on Live TV: ‘I’m Getting Shot! I’m Getting Shot!’

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By Frances Robles from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2MdZzR9

Goodell: 'Tragic Events' Call for 'Urgent Need for Action'

By The Associated Press from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2XiWfuz

President Buhari Loses Second Nephew In 23 Days

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Ibrahim Dauda, President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew, is dead. This is coming few days after the death of Mutari Dauda, another nephew of the President, who passed away on May 8, 2020. Garba Shehu, presidential spokesperson, in a statement on Saturday, said Dauda died in Daura, Katsina State, after a prolonged illness.   In a condolence message, Buhari said the death had robbed the family and the Daura community of one of its finest gentlemen. He said, “I am deeply touched and devastated by the passing of yet another family member, a man who had demonstrated amazing kindness and honesty in all his dealings.” The deceased is survived by a number of children including Ibrahim, a chief administrative officer in State House, Abuja. News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :  from All Content https://ift.tt/2Xfuenv

Katsina Residents Flee Villages After Deadly Gunmen Attack

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Residents in some villages under Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State have been fleeing their homes after a deadly attack by gunmen on Friday.  The hoodlums attacked Garin Matseri and Unguwar Dankaya under Sheme District in the LGA, leaving scores of dead bodies and abducted girls in the process.  Some residents were said to have engaged the gunmen with local arms during the attack.  Faskari LGA is one of the worst affected places in the state as the threat of bandits continues to make most parts of Katsina State unsafe.  Insurgency News AddThis :  Featured Image :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :  from All Content https://ift.tt/3gDKR3V

Zamfara Discharges Last Five COVID-19 Patients After Recovery

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The Zamfara State Government on Saturday discharged the five remaining Coronavirus patients in the state after recovery. With the latest discharge, the state no longer has any active case of COVID-19. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Friday, Zamfara has recorded a total of 71 recoveries and five deaths.  Before the state discharged its last five patients, it had the 17th highest figure of confirmed cases. Zamfara is the second state after Kebbi to have no active COVID-19 case   PUBLIC HEALTH News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :  from All Content https://ift.tt/2Xmakrf

Fleeing COVID-19 Patient In Abia Surrenders Self, Family To Hospital

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The Abia State Government has confirmed that the fleeing COVID-19 patient in the state had surrendered himself and members of his family to the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Aba, for management of the ailment. Commissioner for Information in the state, Okeiyi Kalu, made the disclosure in a statement on Saturday. The positive case was declared wanted on Thursday by the state government after he disappeared from a holding facility in Aba having heard that he tested positive for Coronavirus.  Kalu said the patient reported at the IDH by 8:05am on Saturday with his wife and other family members and the state rapid response team ambulance had taken them to the State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Center, Amachara, Umuahia, for isolation and management. Kalu further said that the ministry had already arrested two drivers and impounded two vehicles with passengers moving from Aba to Lagos. He said, “It is very correct that some motorists and buses still load and move people in

Biafra At 53: IPOB Has Destroyed The Biafran Spirit, Igbos Must Restore It By Churchill Okonkwo

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In Igbo cosmology, there are many gods e.g. Amadioha (the God of thunder), Ani (the Earth Goddess), Idemili (the lady of the waters), Upkaka Ndam (African oil bean that protects kindred’s of Ndam), Ogwugwu (a female god), etc. It is very common, in Igboland, for someone to be in good stead with one god and not the other. As such, Ogwugwu could kill a person despite an excellent relationship with Udo. The Igbo sociopolitical landscape has produced “god-like-figures” like the gods in Igbo cosmology. Examples include Chief Dr. Nnamzi Azikiwe (The Zik of Africa), Mike Okpara, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu (Ikemba Nnewi), Chief Sam Mbakwe, Chinua Achebe, etc. Akin to the Igbo cosmology too, despite the excellent relationship of Igbos with these godlike-figures that we have come to love and admire, Igbos are witnessing our slow annihilation after we embraced the cancerous ideology of the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB). To say that Igboland is in grave danger is an understatement. We