The Lebanese national, Hassan Mill, kidnapped at the entrance of Panarama farm Mekun, Oke Alaro in Oyo state on Saturday, December 12, has regained his freedom.
According to the spokesperson of the state police command, Olugbenga Fadeyi, Hassan has been rescued from his captors and reunited with his family. He also stated that the victim was taken to the hospital for medical attention.
He dismissed claims that police officers who were involved in the rescue operation have been kidnapped.
A soldier and a civilian were killed during the rescue operation.
Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the abduction of over 300 students from the Government Science Secondary School in Kankara, Katsina State, last Friday December 11.
HumAngle reports that in a 4 minutes 28 seconds audio released on Monday night December 14, the leader of the deadly terror group, Abubakar Shekau, said contrary to claims made in some quarters, it is yet to make any demands.
“What happened in Katsina was done to promote Islam and discourage un-Islamic practices as Western education is not the type of education permitted by Allah and his Holy Prophet.
They are also not teaching what Allah and his Holy Prophet commanded. They are rather destroying Islam. It may be subtle, but Allah the Lord of the skies and earths knows whatever is hidden. May Allah promote Islam. May we die as Muslims.”
In a nutshell, we are behind what happened in Katsina,” HumAngle quotes him as saying
A top commander of the sect also dismissed claims it has made any demands.
According to commander;
“The only time we spoke with the parents was to warn them to tell the military to desist from making any attempts to forcefully rescue the boys,”
The suspected kidnappers of the 333 boys of the Government Science Secondary school in Kankara, Katsina state, have reportedly reached out to one of the parents of the abducted students and have asked them to prepare a ransdom for their ward’s release.
Media personality, Kadaira Ahmed, quoted Abdu Labaran, the Senior Special Assistant to the state governor on Media and Publicity, as saying this when he appeared on Radionow 95.3fm on Monday night, December 14.
”#AbdulLabaran DG Media for the #Katsina govt just told
@RadioNow953FM gunmen who abducted #KankaraStudents have phoned a parent &told him to begin gathering ransom money + asked him to tell the military to desist from air surveillance of their hiding place or else”
He said the recent “abduction once again of the nation’s children” in “Buhari’s terrain” is “a slap across the face of the Commander-in-Chief”.
Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has lamented the spate of insecurity in the country, noting that President Muhammadu Buhari was not in charge of the government.
He said the recent “abduction once again of the nation’s children” in “Buhari’s terrain” is “a slap across the face of the Commander-in-Chief”.
He spoke on the backdrop of late Friday’s abduction of pupils in an all-boys Government Secondary in Katsina State; hometown of Buhari.
Soyinka condemned the security challenges confronting in the country in a statement on Tuesday titled “INFRADIG–A presidential comeuppance.”
He added that when the National Assembly summoned the President to appear before it amid the rising insecurity in the country, he (Buhari) didn’t initially consider the summon as below the standard of behaviour.
He stated that the President considered the invitation as a polite invitation to preserve the “tattered remains of his ‘Born-Again’ democratic camouflage.”
“That, to come to the present, constituted General Buhari’s response to the National Assembly’s invitation to drop in for a chat. He did not consider it infradig at the beginning. He responded to the polite invitation to rub minds urgently over a people’s security anxieties as one who still struggled to preserve the tattered remains of his ‘Born-Again’ democratic camouflage.
“However, his reversal of consent raised yet again the frightening situation report I have fervently posed: Buhari is not in charge. Whoever is, that segment of the cabalistic control cornered him on the way to the lawmakers’ chambers and urged: Don’t! Their invitation is infradig! He succumbed.
“Beneath the dignity of a Commander-in-Chief! Well. The opportunistic homicidal respondents -Bandits/Boko Haram or whoever – thereupon picked up the gauntlet and provided a response in their language: abduction once again of the nation’s children. They handed him a slap across the face, on his home terrain, taunting: See if that is more suited to your dignity, ” he stated.
He noted that he joined other people in using the word “Infra dignitatem” to any situation indicating assailing his dignity or statement unworthy of response.
He said, “Once, the word featured prominently in the repertory of Nigerian shorthand diction. Indeed, I grew up thinking that it was only one word, not two, and also assumed that it was English, not Latin: infra dignitatem!
“I joined others in applying the shorthand to any situation where I felt that my dignity was assailed, that a chore was beneath my status, an individual beneath notice or a statement unworthy of response. Sometimes, of course, it came useful when one could not think of an adequate response. Then, carrying myself as I had seen others do, I hissed, shook my head in disdain, and walked away as I spat out the ultimate sanction: Infradig!”
According to the playwright, the nation is at war considering the latest abduction of pupils reminiscent of the kidnap of Chibok schoolgirls in Born State on April 14, 2014.
Soyinka said, “If only this latest outrage were a personal contest of slights between insurgency and power – alas, its resonance is felt far beyond! It is merely the latest in the serial stinging slaps across the face of the nation, and it draws blood from every sensing citizen. Over five years since Chibok, we have yet to anticipate and to guard against a repeat. We continue to hand over innocent wards cheaply, en masse, to the agents of darkness and despair.
A government refuses to accept that, as indicated several times over, the nation is at war. At war within itself, and that it requires drastic measures, away from spasmodic responses after the dread deed, if there is any will left over to salvage what is left of nationhood. The appropriate expression here is “thinking outside the box.”
He also condemned what he termed banal responses to genuine calls on government for action against insecurity.
ThePunch quoted him to have said, “When others do, they deserve better than to be rewarded with banalities such as The government will not be stampeded. The presidency will not be blackmailed. Stop politicizing the issue. The President is committed to preserving the integrity of the nation. We will not be bullied into abandoning our commitment to national unity. The sovereignty of the nation is non-negotiable…. and so on and on, ad nauseam.
“Has anyone been detected marching to a contrary tune? Sure, we are assailed with such minority rhetoric from time to time but, is “unity” what is profoundly at stake? Does such predictable rhetoric remotely touch upon the existential anxiety of millions of humanity? Or are we confronted, at its most primary level, with a growing question of the ability of the nation to even feed herself?
“When defenceless farmers are set upon – what does it matter if it is fifty or a hundred? – are butchered in one fell swoop, harvesting their crop, does the sheer suggestion that they met their deaths because they did not seek military cover not speak to the parlous state of a nation, and her need to urgently “think outside the box”? What is tragically demonstrated daily in all departments of citizen survival is the need to overhaul the nation’s structural existence – beginning, obviously, with the imperative of guaranteeing that very existence. The rest is waffle. Vaseline massage on the malignant tumour. National Infradig! Again, the nation laments – and waits.”
The prime minister of Eswatini, Ambrose Dlamini, has died four weeks after testing positive for coronavirus, a government statement confirmed. The 52-year-old leader of the tiny absolute monarchy had been undergoing treatment in neighbouring South Africa since 1 December and passed away late on Sunday.
“Their Majesties have commanded that I inform the nation of the sad and untimely passing away of His Excellency the Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini. His Excellency passed on this afternoon while under medical care in a hospital in South Africa”, Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku said in a statement.
Although the official statement does not mention the exact cause of his death, he tested positive for coronavirus on 16 November and was initially asymptomatic. It was later announced that he would be moved to South Africa to “guide and fast track his recovery.” At that time, it was said that he was stable and was responding well to treatment.
While several world leaders have been infected with coronavirus, including US president Donald Trump, the UK prime minister Boris Johnson, and Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, this is the first time a world leader has died after contracting the virus.
The Lagos state Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi has given an update on the current state of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu who tested positive for Coronavirus few days ago.
Abayomi in tweets shared on his official Twitter account, said the Lagos state Governor is responding well to home-based care and treatment for COVID-19.
He added that Sanwo-Olu is in high spirit and very appreciative of the prayers and well wishes he has received from the people of the state and the country in general. His tweet read;
“The #COVID19Lagos incident Commander and Governor of Lagos @jidesanwoolu is responding well to #COVID19 home based care and treatment.
“He is in high spirit and very appreciative of all your prayers and well wishes.”
Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), is in self-isolation as some members of his household have been confirmed positive for the coronavirus.
The SGF announced the development in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to the statement, Mustapha and his wife tested negative for the virus.
The SGF, who is also the chairman of the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19, added that the persons who tested positive are asymptomatic, but have been moved to a treatment centre.
“I would like to inform the general public that some members of my household tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday evening,” he said.
“Although they are currently asymptomatic, they have been isolated and are receiving care in one of the government treatment centres.
“My wife and I tested negative, but will remain in self-isolation and work from home according to protocols by the health authorities.
“I would like to remind all Nigerians that COVID-19 is real. As the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced last week, we are recording an increase in cases across several states.
“Please stay safe and protect yourself. Adhere to all public health and safety measures so that we do not lose the gains we have made in the fight against COVID-19.
“As a family, we covet your prayers. Please take responsibility for yourself and to protect our country!”
The development comes amid concerns of a second wave of infections, as the number of new cases has recorded a recent increase.
As of December 13, Nigeria had confirmed over 70,000 COVID-19 infections, but more than 65,000 patients have recovered.
The presidency on Sunday countered the Katsina State Governor, Bello Masari, on the number of students abducted by armed bandits from a government college in the state.o
Masari, who met with a Federal Government’s delegation led by the Minister of Defence, Major Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd), had said at least 333 students are still missing.
However, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a chat with the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), said only 10 students are with the bandits.
The bandits had on Friday night attacked the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, and took away an unspecified number of students from the college.
The BBC Hausa bulletin read: “The Government of Nigeria has said its security forces have surrounded the location where gunmen have kept schoolchildren abducted from a secondary school in Katsina State.
“Spokesman for the President, Mallam Garba Shehu, told the BBC only 10 students were remaining in the hands of the gunmen according to their colleagues who escaped from the gunmen.
“The number is below figures released by school authorities at the beginning. Garba Shehu said the school children who escaped said 10 of their friends were still with their abductors.”
Some members of the family of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Boss Mustapha, have tested positive for the virus.
He announced this in a statement that he personally issued in Abuja on Sunday night.
The SGF informed that they tested positive on Saturday and are presently asymptomatic.
According to him, both himself and wife, however, tested negative.
He said in the statement: “I would like to inform the general public that some members of my household tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday evening.
Although they are currently asymptomatic, they have been isolated and are receiving care in one of the government treatment centres.
“My wife and I tested negative but will remain in self-isolation and work from home according to protocols by the health authorities.
“I would like to remind all Nigerians that COVID-19 is real. As the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced last week, we are recording an increase in cases across several states.
Please stay safe and protect yourself. Adhere to all public health and safety measures so that we do not lose the gains we have made in the fight against COVID-19.
“As a family, we covet your prayers. Please take responsibility for yourself and protect our country!”
Sources at the government house,disclosed that Ogidi-Gbegbaje had in 2017, barely two years of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration, raised a memo for the purchase of wireless microphones for the exco chamber of the new government house to the tune of N52,662,330 million even though the wireless microphones procured in 2014 by the Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration were still in perfect condition.
Eddy Ogidi-Gbegbaje, permanent secretary, Delta State Government House and Protocol, has for the umpteenth time been enmeshed in another financial scandal of N52.6 million.
Sources at the government house, disclosed that Ogidi-Gbegbaje had in 2017, barely two years of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration, raised a memo for the purchase of wireless microphones for the exco chamber of the new government house to the tune of N52,662,330 million even though the wireless microphones procured in 2014 by the Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration were still in perfect condition.
In a memo with file no GHA.30/T8/28-31 and tracking No 41341255 originated and signed by Ogidi-Gbegbaje, titled, “Procurement and Installation of Dicentis Wireless (Bosch) Conference Discussion and Public Address System in the Exco Chamber of the New Government House,” he quoted the sum of N52,662,330 million for the purchase of wireless microphones for the Exco chamber.
Ogidi-Gbegbaje, in the memo, informed Governor Ifeanyi Okowa that the conference discussion system in the exco chambers of the new government house was terrible, leading to frequent and embarrassing interruption of meetings and the urgent need to get new ones.
The memo reads, “Inquiry into the status of the system currently in place revealed that the technology had been phased out having attained the end of life. Consequently, a detailed assessment and market survey were conducted to obtain the actual cost of purchasing and installing the equipment by direct purchase/ labour. The survey revealed that the sum of N52,662,330 million only would be required to install the state of the art Dicentis wireless (BOSCH) conference system at the exco chamber.”
Ogidi-Gbegbaje had been involved in a case of financial malfeasance of N43 million for the renovation of the Delta State Government VVIP Guest House in Asaba, the state capital and another N10 million for the purchase of 30 hampers for some prominent Deltans for 2019 Christmas.
Speaking on the purchase, a senior government house staff disclosed that the office of the permanent secretary executed the N52.6 million contract for the wireless (Bosch) conference system.
“As at the time the contract was executed, the wireless microphones in the new government house were still in good condition. Let us assume they were no longer in good condition for use; such a huge amount is too much to procure new ones. The government house is known as a centre for kill and divide as contracts are concerned,” the source said.
“As at that time that the contract was executed in 2017, plus and minus, the sum of N10 million can conveniently deliver the job with some leftover for the permanent secretary to play with but here he uses a whopping sum of N52.6 million.
Ogidi-Gbegbaje declined to comment on the transaction.
President Muhammadu Buhari celebrates the decisive victory of Nigerian-born boxer, Anthony Joshua, over Kubrat Pulev Saturday night.
The President says by retaining his IBF, WBA, and WBO titles, Joshua has given boxing lovers round the world, and particularly in Nigeria, something to cheer.
He recalls his meeting with the heavyweight champion in London earlier in the year, describing Anthony Joshua as a humble, well brought up young man, “who will still go places.”President Buhari wishes Joshua all the best in his dream fight against Tyson Fury, saying he has the prayers and goodwill of Nigerians going with him.
A throng of Trump supporters gathered in Washington, D.C., on Saturday to voice support for President Trump and protest the results of the election after the push to overturn them suffered a major court defeat.
Organizers planned demonstrations in front of the Supreme Court, Capitol and Department of Justice as part of the events Saturday, the second time a major march has been organized to back Trump since Election Day.
Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, whom the president pardoned after Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador, key-noted an event outside the Supreme Court.
“We’re in a spiritual battle for the heart and soul of this country,” Flynn told those gathered. “We will win.”
Trump touted the demonstrations in a tweet, saying “thousands” were gathering in D.C. to march in support of his efforts to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. He also indicated he planned to see supporters.
“Wow! Thousands of people forming in Washington (D.C.) for Stop the Steal. Didn’t know about this, but I’ll be seeing them! #MAGA,” the president tweeted.
Trump’s presidential helicopter, Marine One, flew over the National Mall as Trump departed the White House en route to the Army-Navy football game on Saturday afternoon at West Point.
Supporters gathered a day after the Supreme Court delivered a devastating blow for the president’s ongoing efforts to overturn election results.
The court rejected a lawsuit filed by Texas seeking to overturn election results in four key battleground states – Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia – with justices ruling that the Lone Star State did not have the legal right to litigate over how other states carry out their elections.
Trump has ripped the decision, saying the court “let us down.”
Demonstrators began gathering early Saturday morning in D.C., with vendors setting up stands selling Trump merchandise and flags as supporters filed into Freedom Plaza.
Organizers with Jericho March and Let the Church Roar prayer rallies plan to convene at a stage near the National Mall until 4 p.m. Saturday, local Nexstar affiliate WDVM reported.
According to the group’s webpage, the Jericho March is gathering in support of Trump and “election integrity, transparency, and reform to preserve free and fair elections in America for this generation and generations to come.”
Last month, Trump supporters gathered for the “Million MAGA March” on Freedom Plaza, where the president drove by in his motorcade to greet the thousands who turned out.
That evening, some supporters of the president and counterprotesters clashed in the streets amid the president’s continued refusal to concede the 2020 election.
The Washington Post reported that permits for Saturday estimate crowds up to 15,000 in size, though noted experts think the gathering will be significantly smaller than last month’s pro-Trump rally.
Since major news outlets called the 2020 election in favor of Biden last month, Trump and his allies have promoted unsupported claims of fraudulent activity and filed various lawsuits ultimately rejected in court.
The Electoral College will vote Monday to make Biden’s win official, paving the way for him to take office Jan 20.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday condemned the bandits’ attack on a secondary school in Katsina.
About 54 students are said to have been abducted after gunmen attacked the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina State late Friday.
The attack was carried out as Buhari commenced a one-week private visit to his hometown in Daura, Katsina State.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly bandits’ attack on innocent children at the Science School, Kankara,” the President said, as quoted in a statement released by spokesman Garba Shehu.
“Our prayers are with the families of the students, the school authorities and the injured.”
According to Shehu’s statement, the military has located the bandits’ location and are in the process of retrieving the abducted students.
“In the latest briefing received by the President from Governor Aminu Bello Masari, with whom he has been in touch, and the Army Chief of Staff, General Tukur Buratai, the military, supported by air power has located the bandits’ enclave at Zango/Paula forest in Kankara and there have been exchange of fire in an ongoing operation,” the statement said.
“Police said so far, there has not been reported any student casualty.
“The President has directed the reinforcement of security of all schools in line with the safe schools policy of the administration.”
Meanwhile, the Katsina state government has shut down all boarding schools in the state.
The Kaduna State Government has warned that it will have no option than to shut down public spaces, including schools, markets, offices and places of worship if the current rate of Covid-19 infection persists.
There has been a steady raise in the rate of infection with 117 positive cases recorded on Friday.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday in Kaduna, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Mohammed-Baloni, said: “If the rate of spread retains or exceeds the current pace, then we will have no option than to recommend the temporary closure of public spaces, including schools, markets, offices and places of worship.”
Giving an update on the rising cases of the infection in the state, the commissioner appealed for urgent action by residents to help stop the spread of the disease and save lives.
“In absolute and relative terms, Kaduna State is now recording high infection figures reminiscent of the first wave of Covid-19 spread in April, May and June 2020.
“The lowering of the infection rate following the first wave encouraged the government to approve the recommendation of the state Covid-19 Taskforce for a significant reopening of the state.
However, we are saddened to report that the conditions that compelled the 75-day lockdown of the state are now being replicated,” the commissioner said.
According to her, “On 26th November, 2020, the state recorded 74 positive results from 531 samples.
“The quantum of infections since then suggest both high infection rates and the reality that a new wave of infections is spreading across the state.
“As at yesterday, 11th December, the state recorded 117 positive cases from 518 samples. This translates to almost one in four samples testing positive.”
She said the Ministry of Health expected some increase in infections after the reopening of schools, markets, places of worship and recreational centres, noting however, that the figures easily outstripped the estimated projection.
“While infections cut across age groups, this new wave especially affects those aged between 10 and 35.
“There is now a veritable danger to lives and livelihoods with the renewed Covid-19 infections.
“If the spread continues at the current rate, it may challenge and overwhelm the health system despite our efforts to improve the resilience of that sector.
“We cannot allow this to happen. Kaduna State contained the first wave because, among other measures, most citizens observed and practised the Covid-19 prevention protocols,” Baloni said.
She appealed to residents to recommit themselves to behaviours that protect them and their families from the infection by voluntarily complying with the Covid-19 protocols to avoid the worst case scenarios and limit the spread of the disease.
“We had previously observed the wholesale abandonment of any compliance with protective measures.
We cautioned against this and reminded citizens that the relaxation of lockdown measures did not mean that Covid-19 had been defeated or disappeared.
“The rising infection is a reminder that Covid-19 remains a potent danger to lives and livelihoods. Anyone who remembers the pains and sacrifices of the lockdown period will not want that to be repeated,” she stated.
The commissioner said that as the lead agency for implementing Covid-19 containment, the Ministry of Health will be availing the state Covid-19 Taskforce of all the relevant data to monitor and access the rate of voluntary compliance.
If the rate of spread retains or exceeds the current pace, then we will have no option than to recommend the temporary closure of public spaces, including schools, markets, offices and places of worship. But there is a less costly way out. And that involves citizens living their lives and conducting themselves in ways that do not spread the disease. That way, lives and livelihoods are protected, while public health officers try to contain and manage the disease without causing painful disruptions.
“I urge all citizens, businesses and organisations to appreciate the danger that we face and let us all work together to avoid emergency conditions. We have done it before. Let us do it again,” she said.
Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State on Saturday ordered the immediate closure of all boarding secondary schools in the state.
The directive followed the abduction of an unspecified number of students of the Government Science Secondary School Kankara by bandits on Friday night.
The Governor gave the directive during his visit to the school on Saturday for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.
He was accompanied by his Deputy, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, and other top government officials.
The Governor, during the visit, also met with the school officials, some parents, traditional and religious leaders as well as security officials.
The Governor pleaded with residents to be patient and show restraint and understanding, assuring them that the government will do every necessary thing to ensure the release of all the abducted students. He said security officials comprising the military, the police, and the Department of State Security had swung into action and were on the trail of the abductors.
Governor Masari further assured that both the Federal and the state governments were doing their best to bring an end to banditry and other debilitating crimes in the state.
According to him, the government is very firm in its resolve to be ruthless in any engagement with the bandits.
Adamu disclosed this in Yola, the Adamawa State capital during the official commissioning of completed projects in the college.
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, has decried the continuous fall in the standard of education in the country.
According to The Nation, Adamu disclosed this in Yola, the Adamawa State capital during the official commissioning of completed projects in the college.
The Minister, who was represented by the Director of Tertiary Education in the Federal Ministry of Education, Hajia Rakiya Iliyasu, lamented a situation in which graduates can neither read nor write in a fair manner.
He said the situation was a cause for concern, adding that students and teachers needed to sit up and face their tasks squarely if the case was to be reversed.
“Some graduates of tertiary institutions across the country cannot read or write applications,” the minister noted.
The minister elaborated that students and even graduates were unable to write one full sentence without some correction to be made.
The minister urged all stakeholders in the education sector to sit up to ensure that the decline in the value of education is bridged within the shortest time possible.
Six completed projects, which included a computer Information and Communication Technology Centre, sports centre, a centre for early childhood education, an undergraduate studies complex, among others, were commissioned during the ceremony at the FCE main campus in Yola.
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, says the naira will regain its strength among the league of currencies.
He stated this on Saturday morning during the Church’s annual Holy Ghost Congress held at the RCCG International Headquarters along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The 78-year-old cleric prayed to God to intervene in Nigeria’s financial sector and change the hearts of policymakers who deliberately devalue the naira.
While sharing a testimony on instant financial breakthrough, Adeboye recalled that he had needed N5,000 some decades ago during the Church’s inaugural Convention. According to him, the naira was powerful then and N5,000 was a lot of money.
Adeboye said, “During our first Convention here at the Redemption Camp, I was bold, I asked everybody to come, free feeding. They came, I ran out of money. My wife came to me in the morning, ‘Sir, we need N5,000.’ “Naira was powerful then. It will become powerful again. Those who are deliberately devaluing our naira, before tomorrow morning, God will intervene. “So, my wife said we needed N5,000. I asked her, ‘Do you need it today or later?’ She said today. I didn’t have a kobo. I told her to go. I cried to God that I needed a breakthrough. It wasn’t long after that, one man drove in, he wasn’t a member of the church.
“He asked what’s going on and we said we are having a Convention…and then, he put his hands in his pocket and brought out an envelope with some money.
“I then called on my wife and asked her, ‘How much do you say you need?’”
Naira was exchanged to the dollar at 490/$ in the parallel market this week after it had sold for N500 last week. The Bureau De Change operators had attributed the devaluation the naira is currently experiencing to speculative activities of some operators. The Central Bank of Nigeria, however, retained the official exchange rate at N379/$ on its website.
Iran on Saturday executed Ruhollah Zam, a former opposition figure who had lived in exile in France and was implicated in anti-government protests, days after his sentence was upheld.
State television said the “counter-revolutionary” Zam was hanged in the morning after the supreme court upheld his sentence due to “the severity of the crimes” committed against the Islamic republic.
Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili had on Tuesday said Zam’s sentence was upheld by the supreme court “more than a month ago”.
London-based rights group Amnesty International, in a statement after his verdict was confirmed, described Zam as a “journalist and dissident”.
It said the confirmation marked “a shocking escalation in the use of the death penalty as a weapon of repression.” Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced the arrest of Zam in October 2019, claiming he had been “directed by France’s intelligence service”.
State television said he was “under the protection of several countries’ intelligence services.”
The official IRNA news agency said he was also convicted of espionage for France and an unnamed country in the region, cooperating with the “hostile government of America”, acting against “the country’s security”, insulting the “sanctity of Islam” and instigating violence during the 2017 protests.
At least 25 people were killed during the unrest in December 2017 and January 2018 that was sparked by economic hardship.
Zam, who was granted political asylum in France and reportedly lived in Paris, ran a channel on the Telegram messaging app called Amadnews.
Telegram shut down the channel after Iran demanded it removes the account for inciting an “armed uprising”.
Zam was charged with “corruption on earth” — one of the most serious offences under Iranian law — and sentenced to death in June.
State television aired an “interview” with him in July, in which he appears as saying he believed in reformism until he was detained in 2009 during protests against the disputed re-election of ultra-conservative president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
He also denied having instigated violence through his Telegram channel.
Amnesty has repeatedly called on Iran to stop broadcasting videos of “confessions” by suspects, saying they “violate the defendants’ rights”.
Zam is one of several people to have been put on death row over participation or links to protests that rocked Iran between 2017 and 2019.
Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old wrestler, was executed at a prison in the southern city of Shiraz in September.
The judiciary said he had been found guilty of “voluntary homicide” for stabbing to death a government employee in August 2018.
Shiraz and several other urban centres across Iran had been the scene of anti-government protests and demonstrations at the time over economic and social hardship.
Three young men were also sentenced to death over links to deadly 2019 protests, but Iran’s supreme court said last week that it would retry them over a request by their defence team.
Their sentences were initially upheld by a tribunal over evidence the judiciary said was found on their phones of them setting alight banks, buses and public buildings during the wave of anti-government protests.
Amnesty International said Iran executed at least 251 people last year, the world’s second-highest toll after China.
The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor said Friday she had enough evidence to open a full probe into ongoing violence in Nigeria by both Islamist insurgents and security forces.
Fatou Bensouda’s announcement comes as violence continues to wreak havoc in the northeast, where at least 76 people were slaughtered by Boko Haram jihadists two weeks ago.
“Following a thorough process, I can announce today that the statutory criteria for opening an investigation into the situation in Nigeria have been met,” Bensouda said in a statement, issued at the ICC’s headquarters in The Hague.
ICC prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation into the situation in Nigeria in 2010 but Bensouda now wants permission from judges to proceed to a full-blown formal probe.
Gambian-born Bensouda specifically referred to acts committed by Boko Haram, whose 11-year insurgency in the country have claimed the lives of at least 36,000 people.
The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda.
Around two million others have been displaced, according to UN figures.
Boko Haram and its splinter groups have committed “acts that constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes” including murder, rape, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and cruel treatment, Bensouda said.
But while the “vast majority” of crimes were committed by non-state perpetrators “we also found a reasonable basis to believe that members of the Nigerian Security Forces committed acts constituting crimes against humanity and war crimes”, Bensouda said.
This included murder, rape, torture, and cruel treatment as well as enforced disappearance and forcible transfer of the population and attacks directed at civilians. A full investigation by the ICC, set up in 2002 to try the world’s worst crimes, could eventually lead to charges over the violence in the oil-rich African nation, which has been fuelled by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Bensouda said Nigeria has made some effort to prosecute “mainly low-level captured” Boko Haram fighters, while military authorities told her they have “examined, and dismissed, allegations against their own troops”.
“I have given ample time for these proceedings to progress,” keeping in mind the ICC’s complementarity principle, which means it would only get involved in investigations and prosecutions if a member state was unable or unwilling to do so, she added.
“Our assessment is that none of these proceedings relate, even indirectly, to the forms of conduct or categories of persons that would likely form the focus of my investigations,” Bensouda said.
Boko Haram’s main group claimed responsibility earlier this month for the massacre of some 76 farm workers in an area outside Borno state’s capital Maiduguri, in which dozens of labourers were mowed down by gunmen on motorbikes.
Farm workers were also tied up and had their throats slit in the attack believed to be seeking revenge on villagers for seizing the group’s fighters and handing them over to the authorities.
The massacre provoked widespread international condemnation including by the head of the Catholic Church.
“I want to assure my prayers for Nigeria, where blood has unfortunately been spilled once more in a terrorist attack,” Pope Francis said at the Vatican during a weekly general audience earlier this month.
Meanwhile, state security sources said 10 Nigerian troops were killed on Monday in clashes with IS-linked jihadists in Borno state.
Fighting erupted when a team of soldiers stormed a camp of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Alagarno village in Damboa district.
Alagarno, which lies 150 kilometres (90 miles) from regional capital Maiduguri, is a stronghold of ISWAP, which split from the Boko Haram jihadist group in 2016 and rose to become a dominant force.
ISWAP has increasingly been attacking civilians, killing and abducting people on highways as well as raiding villages for food supplies.
Violence in Nigeria has spread to neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition to fight the militant groups.
READ THE ICC PROSECUTOR’S FULL STATEMENT:
Today, I announce the conclusion of the preliminary examination of the situation in Nigeria.
As I stated last year at the annual Assembly of States Parties, before I end my term as Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or the “Court”), I intend to reach determinations on all files that have been under preliminary examination under my tenure, as far as I am able. In that statement, I also indicated the high likelihood that several preliminary examinations would progress to the investigative stage. Following a thorough process, I can announce today that the statutory criteria for opening an investigation into the situation in Nigeria have been met.
Specifically, my Office has concluded that there is a reasonable basis to believe that members of Boko Haram and its splinter groups have committed the following acts constituting crimes against humanity and war crimes: murder; rape, sexual slavery, including forced pregnancy and forced marriage; enslavement; torture; cruel treatment; outrages upon personal dignity; taking of hostages; intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities; intentionally directing attacks against personnel, installations, material, units or vehicles involved in a humanitarian assistance; intentionally directing attacks against buildings dedicated to education and to places of worship and similar institutions; conscripting and enlisting children under the age of fifteen years into armed groups and using them to participate actively in hostilities; persecution on gender and religious grounds; and other inhumane acts.
While my Office recognises that the vast majority of criminality within the situation is attributable to non-state actors, we have also found a reasonable basis to believe that members of the Nigerian Security Forces (“NSF”) have committed the following acts constituting crimes against humanity and war crimes: murder, rape, torture, and cruel treatment; enforced disappearance; forcible transfer of population; outrages upon personal dignity; intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such and against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities; unlawful imprisonment; conscripting and enlisting children under the age of fifteen years into armed forces and using them to participate actively in hostilities; persecution on gender and political grounds; and other inhumane acts.
These allegations are also sufficiently grave to warrant investigation by my Office, both in quantitative and qualitative terms. My Office will provide further details in our forthcoming annual Report on Preliminary Examination Activities.
The preliminary examination has been lengthy not because of the findings on crimes – indeed, as early as 2013, the Office announced its findings on crimes in Nigeria, which have been updated regularly since. The duration of the preliminary examination, open since 2010, was due to the priority given by my Office in supporting the Nigerian authorities in investigating and prosecuting these crimes domestically.
It has always been my conviction that the goals of the Rome Statute are best served by States executing their own primary responsibility to ensure accountability at the national level. I have repeatedly stressed my aspiration for the ability of the Nigerian judicial system to address these alleged crimes. We have engaged in multiple missions to Nigeria to support national efforts, shared our own assessments, and invited the authorities to act. We have seen some efforts made by the prosecuting authorities in Nigeria to hold members of Boko Haram to account in recent years, primarily against low-level captured fighters for membership in a terrorist organisation. The military authorities have also informed me that they have examined, and dismissed, allegations against their own troops.
I have given ample time for these proceedings to progress, bearing in mind the overarching requirements of partnership and vigilance that must guide our approach to complementarity. However, our assessment is that none of these proceedings relate, even indirectly, to the forms of conduct or categories of persons that would likely form the focus of my investigations. And while this does not foreclose the possibility for the authorities to conduct relevant and genuine proceedings, it does mean that, as things stand, the requirements under the Statute are met for my Office to proceed.
Moving forward, the next step will be to request authorisation from the Judges of the Pre-Trial Chamber of the Court to open investigations. The Office faces a situation where several preliminary examinations have reached or are approaching the same stage, at a time when we remain gripped by operational challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, on the one hand, and by the limitations of our operational capacity due to overextended resources, on the other. This is also occurring in the context of the pressures the pandemic is placing on the global economy. Against this backdrop, in the immediate period ahead, we will need to take several strategic and operational decisions on the prioritisation of the Office’s workload, which also duly take into account the legitimate expectations of victims and affected communities as well as other stakeholders. This is a matter that I will also discuss with the incoming Prosecutor, once elected, as part of the transition discussions I intend to have. In the interim, my Office will continue to take the necessary measures to ensure the integrity of future investigations in relation to the situation in Nigeria.
The predicament we are confronted with due to capacity constraints underscores the clear mismatch between the resources afforded to my Office and the ever growing demands placed upon it. It is a situation that requires not only prioritization on behalf of the Office, to which we remain firmly committed, but also open and frank discussions with the Assembly of States Parties, and other stakeholders of the Rome Statute system, on the real resource needs of my Office in order to effectively execute its statutory mandate.
As we move towards the next steps concerning the situation in Nigeria, I count on the full support of the Nigerian authorities, as well as of the Assembly of States Parties more generally, on whose support the Court ultimately depends. And as we look ahead to future investigations in the independent and impartial exercise of our mandate, I also look forward to a constructive and collaborative exchange with the Government of Nigeria to determine how justice may best be served under the shared framework of complementary domestic and international action.
The Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC conducts independent and impartial preliminary examinations, investigations and prosecutions of the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. Since 2003, the Office has been conducting investigations in multiple situations within the ICC’s jurisdiction, namely in Uganda; the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Darfur, Sudan; the Central African Republic (two distinct situations); Kenya; Libya; Côte d’Ivoire; Mali; Georgia, Burundi Bangladesh/Myanmar and Afghanistan (subject to a pending article 18 deferral request). The Office is also currently conducting preliminary examinations relating to the situations in Bolivia; Colombia; Guinea; the Philippines; Ukraine; and Venezuela (I and II), while the situation in Palestine is pending a judicial ruling.
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum in an interview on Channels Tv , spoke about the Zabarmari Massacre and the rescue of the remaining Chibok Girls.
Zulum stated the following; “As of now, because of the impact made by the people and the Nigerian military, the people of Zabarmari are free to go to their farmlands”. “We are yet to ascertain the total figures of those affected by the massacre. But, as of now, they are about 43. The government will soon come up with modalities to ensure the families are well taken care of”.
“Between 2015 till date, we have started witnessing the gradual return of peace in Borno…but notwithstanding, we have certain challenges in the precinct of the Lake Chad, Sambisa Lake Reserves, and in the Mandara Hills.”
“The difficult situation we are in now is accessibility. Most of the local government headquarters are now accessible. But we want to ensure people have access to their means of livelihood, to go to their farmlands.”
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