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Showing posts from October 27, 2020

Nigerian Army Confirms SaharaReporters Story, Reveals Lagos State Government Invited Soldiers To Attack Peaceful Protesters At Lekki Toll Gate

Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai. The Nigerian Army has finally revealed that it was summoned to the scene of protest at Lekki Toll Gate by the Lagos State Government. The army said this after initial denial by both the military and Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, over the involvement of the military in the shooting and killing of protesters. Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai. See Also #EndSARS Men In Military Uniform Were At Scene Of Lekki Shooting, Governor Sanwo-Olu Reveals 0 Comments 1 Day Ago Governor Sanwo-Olu had blamed “forces beyond our control” for the attack, while insisting that he had no authority over military engagements. SaharaReporters had also reported how soldiers involved in the operation confirmed that they were actually drafted in for the mission on the request of the governor. The soldiers, who were deployed from 65 Battalion, Bonny Camp, Victoria Island, Lagos, told some victims’ relatives after dumping so

Nigeria Union Of Journalists Bans Media Coverage Of Police Activities In Delta Over Brutalization Of Member

File Photo The Nigeria Union of Journalists, Delta State chapter, has placed a ban on the coverage of all police activities in the state over the unwarranted attack and brutalisation of Vanguard correspondent, Akpokona Omafuaire. The journalist was brutalised by police officers at Ovwian-Aladja Police Station, Udu Local Government Area, on Friday despite identifying himself as a media practitioner. File Photo “I was driving out of Ighodakpo Street in Ekete when the police attacked me, saying that no one was allowed near that area. I parked to show my identity card but as I made it near them, they descended on me with cutlasses and guns, cutting and whipping me, cutting my car, shattering the lights,” the journalist said as he narrated his encounter with the police. Reacting to the issue, Michael Ikeogwu, NUJ Chairman in the state, Patrick Ochei, Secretary, decried that the police were insensitive to the plight of the journalist. The NUJ said while the brutalisation of journ

COVID-19 Infections Likely To Rise Due To Large Gatherings, NCDC Boss Warns

NCDC Boss Chikwe Ihekweazu The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has warned that the number of cases in the country will increase due to recent events where people have congregated in large numbers. Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of the NCDC, said the next two weeks will determine the next phase of the virus in the country. NCDC Boss Chikwe Ihekweazu He said, “The outbreak is escalating around the world literally. We have held things down because of our proactive measures – the very effective airport screening which was put in place to limit the re-introduction of cases from countries where the outbreak is escalating. “This virus does not know the reason why people are congregating – whether you are congregating for religious purposes, protest, partying, etc. This virus takes the opportunity of people coming together. “We cannot afford to let down our guards irrespective of what our anger is at the moment. “As we move into the next two weeks, it doesn’t take a rock

United States Officials Intercept Ancient Artefacts Smuggled From Cross River State At Miami Airport

Example of an Ikom monolith The United States Customs has announced that they intercepted ancient carved stones known as the Ikom Monoliths smuggled illegally from Cross River State to Cameroon and then to America. Experts believe that the artefacts date back between 200 A.D. and 1000 A.D. Example of an Ikom monolith Printerest According to a statement from officials of the US Customs and Border Protection, the Ikom Monolith with human facial features was intercepted at the Miami International Airport in a cargo shipped to the US using fraudulent documents. UNESCO notes that they “bear a form of writing and a complex system of codified information…each stone, like the human fingerprint, is unique from every other stone in its design and execution”. Without giving precisions on the number of stones seized, the customs officials indicated that the artefacts will be returned to Cameroon, Journal du Cameroun reports. Robert Del Toro, the agency’s Acting Port Director at the M

Lagos Court Throws Out Homosexuality Charge Against James Brown, 46 Other Men

A judge in Lagos has thrown out the homosexuality charge preferred against 47 men including Internet sensation, James Brown, due to lack of diligent prosecution. Nigeria’s laws ban homosexuality and it is punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The men were charged with public displays of affection with members of same-sex. Reuters However, the decision of the court has ended what had widely been seen as a test of the country’s laws banning homosexual relationships. The men were arrested in a police raid on a Lagos hotel in Egbeda in 2018. Police said the men were being initiated into a gay club but the defendants said they were attending a birthday party. Prosecution and defence lawyers in the case had told Reuters that nobody had yet been convicted under the law, which led to the case of the men being widely seen as a test case that could help to establish the burden of proof. Prosecutors failed to attend Tuesday’s hearing at the Federal High Court in Lagos, having pre

International Press Centre Condemns Continued Detention Without Trial Of Journalist Tom Oga

The International Press Centre, Lagos, has condemned the continued detention of Mr Tom Oga, Publisher of Power Steering Magazine, as the organisation asked the police to charge him to a competent court or release him. The IPC decried the arrest without trial of Oga who has been in police detention for 14 days. SaharaReporters had published how the police arrested and detained Oga on the orders of Jeddy Agba, Minister of State for Power, over an allegation of defamation.   Oga was arrested on October 13, 2020 at about 5:00pm by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force led by CSP Ibrahim, detectives Usman, Daniel and Elijah on the instructions of the Minister of State for Power, and he has not been allowed access to his lawyers in the past days. IPC Executive Director, Lanre Arogundade, described the situation of the journalist as a slap on the profession. He stated that anybody not pleased with reports published should seek redress in court rather than intimidate media practi

Police Reform: Nigerian Civil Society Coalition Calls For Transparency In Trial Of Errant Police Officers

A coalition of civil society organisations has called for transparency in the prosecution of police officers indicted in the brutality and extrajudicial killing of Nigerians. The coalition made up of 33 CSOs condemned the use of live bullets on peaceful protesters in the country. They also urged the government to immediately meet the demands of the #ENDSARS protesters. “One of the demands is the transparent prosecution of the officers responsible for the brutality against citizens. “On this note, we applaud the request of the National Human Rights Commission to the Minister of Justice and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, to ensure speedy prosecution of 35 operatives of the defunct SARS. “These officers were accused of human rights violations and abuse of office in a report by the presidential investigation panel,” the coalition said in a joint statement. The coalition said it had begun to document shreds of evidence with a view to tracking and un

#EndSARS: We Need Technology To Regulate Social Media, Nigerian Government Says

Lai Mohammed The Nigerian Government has said that technology was needed to regulate the use of social media in the country. Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, who made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking with the House of Representatives Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values, cited the success of China in using the regulation of the social media as strategy to prevent mass action and dissent as an example Nigeria must follow. Lai Mohammed The Nigerian Government’s position followed the role social media played in helping young citizens to mobilise and embark on nationwide protest against police brutality and state repression. The success of the demonstrations shocked the government, who was forced to yearn to the demands of the people by scrapping the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force. Speaking on Tuesday, the minister said “The biggest challenge facing Nigeria today is fake news and misinformation

Nigerian Government Declares Thursday Public Holiday To Mark Muslim Festival

Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola The Nigerian Government has declared Thursday, October 29, 2020, as a public holiday across the country. The holiday is to mark this year’s Eid-El-Maulud in commemoration of the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola. Daily Post Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made the announcement on Tuesday in a statement by Mohammed Manga, Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry. Aregbesola enjoined Muslim faithful to imbibe the spirit of love, patience and perseverance during the period, calling on Nigerians to reject violence, lawlessness, adding that doing so would guarantee peace and security in the country. Islam News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :  from 24HRSNEWS via 24HRSNEWS from EDUPEDIA247https://ift.tt/3orNx8G via EDUPEDIA

Soldiers Arrest Suspects For Looting NYSC Camp In Abuja

File Photo: Abuja NYSC camp Armed soldiers and policemen have arrested some persons for vandalising and looting some properties of the National Youth Service Corps at Kubwa orientation camp in Abuja. The rampaging youth were arrested shortly after gaining access into the premises of the camp. File Photo: Abuja NYSC camp Some of the items carted away includes mattresses, stationeries, boots and uniforms of potential corps members. Speaking on the development, the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, stressed that the camp was not in possession of any COVID-19 palliatives. He appealed to the youth to stop attacking NYSC camps under the guise of looking for palliatives. SaharaReporters had earlier reported how security operatives fired teargas to disperse thugs, who besieged the orientation camp in search of COVID-19 palliatives. The thugs gathered in front of the camp in attempt to break into the place and loot the food items believed to be stock

Alleged Attack On Law Enforcement Personnel Callous, Unacceptable, Says NHRC Boss, Ojukwu

Tony Ojukwu The National Human Rights Commission has condemned the alleged killing of police officers across the country by thugs, describing the act as callous and unacceptable. The Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, stated this in Abuja while reacting to the alleged attacks on law enforcement agents and wanton destruction of properties at some police stations in some states of the federation. Tony Ojukwu He said such heinous crime had no place in modern history and therefore should be eschewed to allow peace and orderliness to reign in the country. Ojukwu maintained that two wrongs cannot make a right and that any aggrieved persons, who have an opportunity to take their complaints and petitions to the Independent Investigative Panel set up by the commission to hear complaints of allegations of human rights violations by SARS, should do so without further delay. He said the commission is currently receiving such petitions for onward investigations and subsequent recommendat