The International Organisation for Migration has successfully brought back 108 stranded Nigerians from Niger Republic. 

This was disclosed in a post on the official X handle of the National Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday, October 24.

According to NEMA, the returnees consisted of 29 adult females, 32 adult males, 44 children, and three infants.

They were transported on a chartered flight with registration number TZ-SMA, provided by Sky Mali, and arrived at the Cargo Wing of Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Ikeja.

Agencies present to receive the returnees at the airport include the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters, the Refugee Commission, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, NEMA, and the Police.

A Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw, was on Tuesday at the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence court to witness the judgment of the medical director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Doctor Olufemi Olaleye, accused of defiling his wife’s niece.

Olaleye was arraigned on two counts bordering on defilement and sexual assault by penetration of his wife’s niece, preferred against him by the Lagos State Government.

The defendant was arraigned on November 30, 2022, and he pleaded not guilty to the offences.

The offence took place at No 17, Layi Ogunbambi Close, Maryland, Lagos State.Doctor Olaleye was accused of unlawfully having sexual intercourse with his wife’s 15-year-old niece.

He was also accused of sexually assaulting the teenager by penetrating her mouth with his manhood.

According to the prosecution, the offences committed contravened Sections 137 and 261, of the criminal law of Lagos State 2015.

Following his plea of not guilty, Justice Oshodi granted him bail in the sum of N50m with two sureties in like sum who must have landed property in Lagos State.

The judge ordered that both sureties must also provide evidence of tax payments to the Lagos State Government in the last three years.

Justice Oshodi further ordered that Olaleye must deposit his international passport, including his British passport and original documents of landed property to the registrar of the court.

After the conclusion of the trial, the court fixed October 24, 2023, (Today) for judgment.

Acourt in the United Kingdom has ruled in favour of Nigeria and overturned an $11 billion damages bill involving the controversial Process & Industrial Developments (P&ID) deal.

Reuters reports that the court agreed with Nigeria’s argument that the deal was for a collapsed gas processing contract, which was said to have been fraudulently procured through bribery.

In 2010, the P&ID was awarded a 20-year contract to construct and operate a gas processing plant in Southern Nigeria to exploit the country’s abundant gas reserves.

When the deal failed, the British Virgin Islands-based company dragged Nigeria to court in London in 2017 and was awarded $6.6 billion for profits losses.

Due to interest, the damages bill has increased to over $11 billion, which, according to the news outlet, represented around a third of Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves.

Counsel for Nigeria, however, insisted the country was a victim of “a campaign of bribery and deception” by P&ID, adding that the company paid bribes to Nigerian officials to win the contract and corrupted the country’s lawyers to obtain confidential documents during the arbitration.

The company denied the allegation of bribery and corruption against them and blamed the failure of the gas deal and the country’s arbitration defeat on institutional incompetence.

“I have not accepted all of Nigeria’s allegations,” Judge Robin Knowles said in the ruling on Monday, adding that the arbitration awards “were obtained by fraud and the awards were, and the way in which they were procured was, contrary to public policy.”

Manchester United are expected to pay further tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League match at Old Trafford.

The United Trinity statue outside the ground was awash with tributes to Charlton on Sunday as supporters laid flowers and scarves, with many leaving deeply personal thoughts for one of the club’s most famous sons following his death at 86.

A book of condolence was opened at the international suite inside the stadium. Current boss Erik Ten Hag and members of the United squad added their messages at Carrington.

United confirmed discussions were continuing with Charlton’s family and UEFA for further commemorative plans ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League Group A match against Copenhagen.

Players are expected to wear black armbands, with wreaths to be laid on the Old Trafford pitch and a minute’s silence observed before kick-off.

A key member of England’s victorious 1966 World Cup team, Charlton, also enjoyed great success at club level with United, who became the first English club to win the European Cup in 1968.

Charlton debuted for United in 1956 and went on to play 758 matches, scoring 249 goals.

Having won three league titles and one FA Cup at Old Trafford, Charlton left United in 1973 and went on to manage Preston before returning to the Red Devils 11 years later as a club director.

David Moyes took over from Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in the summer of 2013, but the former Everton boss left the club after just 10 months, with the team seventh on the Premier League table.

Now in charge at West Ham, Moyes reflected on the support shown by Charlton during what was one of the most testing spells of his managerial career.

“I’m deeply saddened, and I send my condolences to all his family. The biggest thing everyone remembers, more than anything, is how great a man he was. He was such a good man,” Moyes said, as quoted on West Ham’s club website.

Born in Ashington on October 11, 1937, Charlton played in the World Cup final alongside his brother Jack, who died aged 85 in 2020 and won 106 caps for England, scoring 49 goals.

Spanish police said Monday they have seized centuries-old gold artefacts worth over 60 million euros ($64 million) that were stolen and taken out of Ukraine illegally.

The 11 pieces, including necklaces, bracelets and earrings, were displayed at a Kyiv museum between 2009 and 2013, and were smuggled out of Ukraine before 2016, police said in a statement.

“The seized pieces – gold jewellery of great historic and economic value – had been stolen and exported illegally from Ukraine and were going to be sold in Madrid,” the statement added, noting items dated from between the 8th and 4th centuries BC.

Three Spanish and two Ukrainian nationals – one of them an Orthodox Church priest – were arrested as part of the operation, which was carried out with the help of the authorities in Ukraine as well as Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus and North Macedonia.

Police said the artefacts had forged documents in English, Ukrainian and Spanish to make it look as if they belonged to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

“These are pieces that cannot be sold through the usual legal channels, such as auction houses,” said police spokeswoman Ana Ramon.

Police began their investigation in 2021 after one of the pieces — a gold belt with rams’ heads – was sold to a businessman in a private sale in Madrid.

This led investigators to the other 10 artefacts that police seized last month from the suspects.

The pieces are being studied by Spain’s National Archaeological Museum and the country’s Cultural Heritage Institute.

Google Doodle celebrates the late Nigerian footballer, Rashidi Yekini, who was remembered for being the top goal scorer of the nation.

Yekini, born on 23 October 1963 led Nigeria’s national team, the Super Eagles, to qualify for the 1994 World Cup.

Google said, “Not only did he score the first goal of the game, but also the first World Cup goal for Nigeria.

Overcome with excitement and pride, he ran into the net and clutched it with both arms while cheering and crying tears of joy.

Many consider it one of the most iconic goal celebrations in football history and it served as inspiration for today’s Doodle artwork.”

The doodle’s colour resembles the Nigerian flag. In the doodle, a goalpost can be seen and Rashidi Yekini in action. The late striker was named the 1993 African Player of the Year and was the top scorer with eight goals.

He made Nigeria qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 1994, when he scored Nigeria’s first-ever goal in a World Cup, in a 3–0 win against Bulgaria in the United States.

The legendary Yekini died on May 4, 2012, at the age of 48 and remains Nigeria’s all-time record goal poacher, scoring 37 goals in 58 international appearances for Nigeria between 1994 and 1998.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kwara Command, on Monday, said 3,000 international passports were awaiting collection by applicants in its office.

Alhaji Baba Aliyu, the outgoing Comptroller of Passports in the command, disclosed this in Ilorin on the sidelines of a retirement party in his honour.

Aliyu urged the federal government to initiate sanctions on such individuals, adding that a number of the applicants could not be contacted on phone numbers provided on their applications.

“We usually send SMS through the contact address and phone numbers provided by the applicants but some messages didn’t go through due to the fact that the numbers are fake.

“Some applicants may have died, while others may refuse to collect it because they could not meet up with what they wanted to use it for.

“Whatever the reasons may be, passports should not be abandoned, as they serve a lot of functions besides being travelling documents,” he said.

The Comptroller of Passports, however, said that the abandoned passports were not only for people of Kwara but for applicants from different parts of Nigeria.

Aliyu, therefore, urged applicants to visit the immigration office to collect their passports.

He also urged Nigerians seeking to acquire an international passport to visit the website of the service at immigration.gov.ng to apply.

According to him, it takes just two weeks to acquire a passport as well as renew an expired one.

A 39 year-old Irish woman has been killed in a shooting at a house in New York.Denise Morgan, who was originally from Tullyallen in County Louth, was found dead in the early hours of Saturday.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) said a man and a woman were found with gunshot wounds to their heads in the borough of Queens in the city.

A spokesperson said officers were called at 02:44 local time (07:44 BST) on Saturday.The man and woman were pronounced dead at the scene.

The NYPD said “a firearm was recovered in the vicinity of the deceased male”.Ms Morgan’s family posted tributes to her online, saying they were “heartbroken”.

Prayers were also said for her during mass in the Church of the Assumption in Tullyallen.

Parish priest Fr Seán Dooley offered prayers of comfort for Ms Morgan’s family and friends “as they go through the most horrible time in their lives”.

The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has said it is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance.

Chinese authorities are investigating after a viral video appeared to show a worker from Tsingtao urinating into a tank, believed to contain ingredients for its popular beer.

The clip has received tens of millions of views on social media.

The company said it alerted police immediately after the video came to its attention, adding that the batch of ingredients had been sealed.

Tsingtao is one of China’s top beer producers and its biggest exporter.

In the clip which appeared online on Thursday, a worker, dressed in uniform with a helmet on, can be seen climbing over a high wall and into the container before urinating inside it.

The location tag of the clip reads “Tsingtao beer No.3 factory”, local news outlet The Paper reported on Friday.

Business outlet “National Business Daily” later cited an internal source as saying both the person who took the video and the person appearing in it were not direct employees of the company.

In a statement published on Friday, the bureau of market supervision and administration of Pingdu City, where the factory is located, said they immediately set up a team and conducted an on-site investigation after spotting the video, and sealed the whole batch of ingredients that appeared in the clip.

It also added that the bureau would deal with the matter seriously once details are confirmed.

Tsingtao said on Friday that it “attached great importance” to the online video, and the police had started an investigation.

The BBC has reached out to the company for comments.

Chinese social media has been shocked by the clip, as the brand is hugely well-known both at home and abroad.

“A piss that will ruin a lot of money, this worker has done some real damage here,” a top-liked comment on X-like platform Weibo reads.

“Good thing I don’t drink beer – but it’s unimaginable if this brand is finished because of this,” one user said.

“Is this the first time though?” another comment reads.Shares in Tsingtao Brewery fell sharply when the Shanghai Stock Exchange opened on Monday morning but were trading broadly flat by the afternoon.

The Hong Kong market, where Tsingtao shares are also listed, was closed on Monday for the Chung Yeung Festival holiday.

The UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, says more aid arrived in Gaza on Sunday aboard 14 trucks that passed through the Rafah crossing with Egypt.

In a statement published on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Griffiths described the supplies provided by the Egyptian Red Cross and the UN as “another glimmer of hope for the millions of people in dire need of humanitarian aid,” adding, “but they need more, much more.”

No details were provided about what was on the trucks.

On Saturday, an initial convoy entered Gaza, where more than two million people have been cut off from water, food, medicine, fuel and other essentials in the wake of the current hostilities.

The 20 trucks brought in desperately needed items such as medical supplies, tins of tuna and tomato paste, wheat flour, and enough drinking water for 22,000 people for a day.

Hundreds more trucks are on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing awaiting entry.

The UN has been appealing for a continuous flow of aid to Gaza and for Hamas to release dozens of hostages seized during its deadly incursion into southern Israel on October 7, igniting the crisis.

Israel responded with continuous air strikes, a complete siege of Gaza, and orders for people to evacuate the northern part of the enclave.

Humanitarians report that more than one million people are displaced in Gaza, water systems are at five per cent of normal capacity, and hospitals are overstretched and on the verge of collapse.

Gaza was already in a dire humanitarian state due to years of blockade after Hamas took control in 2006, and UN agencies have described the situation now as “catastrophic.”

Some 406,000 people are sheltering in facilities belonging to UNRWA, the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, which said on Sunday that its fuel supply will be gone in three days. Safe humanitarian access to people across Gaza is also critical.

Mr Griffiths praised the aid workers on the Palestinian side of the border who immediately sprang to action to offload the goods from the trucks despite the risks.

He said that these “true heroes” also needed protection.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Bauchi command said it arrested a 500-level Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) student for stabbing a 17-year-old student to death.

NSCDC commandant Ilelaboye Oyejide said this on Sunday while briefing journalists in Bauchi on the incident.

Mr Oyejide said the suspect was arrested in Misau local council.

He said the command received information that the deceased, Umar Usman, a secondary school student from Misau, was found wrapped in a white cloth and dumped at Misau bypass.

“This is a case of culpable homicide,” he said, adding that the incident happened on October 24. “He was quickly taken to the General Hospital, Misau, where he was certified dead and handed over to the family for burial,” Mr Oyejide said.

He added, “When we received the report, we raised high-power intelligence officers to go to Misau and investigate to bring the perpetrators to book.”

The NSCDC commandant added that after a series of investigations by the operatives, “a suspect, Abdullahi Ibrahim, a 500-level student of Veterinary Medicine, ABU, Zaria, was arrested.”

Mr Oyejide stated, “We came to realise that there was a communication chat between the suspect and the deceased. In the communication, we saw where the suspect enticed the deceased with homosexual love and showed him his naked picture.

“When the deceased went to meet him, somehow he was stabbed in the stomach and wrapped in a white cloth and dumped where he was found.”

According to Mr Oyejide, the suspect confessed to the crime during the investigation. He said the suspect would be charged to court.

“The suspect said that the deceased approached him with a knife and, in self-defence, there was a struggle that resulted in his stabbing the deceased to death.

“He also said that he was really afraid because it was something he had never encountered in his life,” the NSCDC boss said.

He further said the suspect claimed that because he was afraid, he decided to wrap the body in a cloth and dump it along the bypass.

The Transportation University, Daura, has received official approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC) to start academic activities.

Transport minister Said Alkali disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

Mr Alkali said the approval, granted on October 18, was a significant development for the university and paved the way for its immediate launch.

He also said the NUC approval letter, with reference number NUC/AP/T’6ONOL.II 02 marked a crucial milestone for the university as it authorised the beginning of academic programmes.

The minister said the university would offer 14 diverse programmes catering to the transportation industry and related fields.

The university’s approved programmes include B.Eng. Civil Engineering, B.Eng. Electrical Electronics Engineering, B.Eng. Mechanical Engineering, B.Eng. Mechatronics Engineering, B.Eng. Highway Engineering, B.Eng. Railway Engineering, B.Sc. Aviation Management and B.Sc. Transport Management.

Others are B.Sc. Logistics and Supply Chain Management, B.Sc. Maritime Safety and Environmental Administration, B.Sc. Railway Transport Management, B.Sc. Sea Port and Dry Port Management, B.Sc. Inland Waterways Safety and Environmental Administration, and B.Sc. Maritime Economics.

“The issuance of the approval letter by the NUC underscores the rigorous assessment and recognition of the transportation university’s commitment to academic excellence and industry relevance. It highlights the collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Transportation, led by me and the NUC, in advancing Nigeria’s educational landscape.

“Transportation University, Daura’s approval from the NUC, as evidenced by the official letter, sets the stage for the university to become a centre of excellence in transportation studies,” Mr Alkali said.

According to him, as the university prepares to welcome its first batch of students, it is anticipated that the transportation university will positively impact Nigeria’s transportation sector.

Mr Alkali noted that the diverse programmes would equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to contribute to the development and advancement of the transportation industry in the country.

Nigerian music sensations Rema, Davido and Burna-Boy have won big at the 2023 Trace Awards in Kigali, Rwanda.

The event, emceed by Nigerian music icon Dapo Oyebanji, popularly known as D’Banj, and co-hosted by Angolan supermodel Maria Borges, featured over 100 nominated artists.

It showcased the rich diversity and excellence of Afro-centric music spanning genres like Afrobeats, Dancehall, Hip Hop, Afro-pop, R&B, Amapiano, and more.

The star-studded lineup of performers included Davido, Yemi Alade, Black Sherif, Kizz Daniel, and many others.

Rema stole the spotlight at the award show, outshining Burna Boy and Davido by clinching the prestigious ‘Song of the Year’ award for his global sensation, ‘Calm Down’.

He didn’t stop there; Rema also secured the ‘Best Global African Artist’ award.

Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ continued with its remix featuring Selena Gomez, earning accolades and reaching an impressive No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Davido wasn’t left behind, scoring victories in the categories of ‘Best Male’ and ‘Best Collaboration’ for his chart-topper ‘Unavailable’, featuring Musa Keys.

Burna Boy, known for his artistic prowess, claimed the highly-coveted ‘Album of the Year’ award for ‘Love Damini.’

Meanwhile, Yemi Alade secured the ‘Video of the Year’ award, and Kel P was crowned ‘Best Producer of the Year.’

Legendary TuFace was honoured with the prestigious Life Achievement Award.

Ifedayo Adetifa, the director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease and Prevention Control (NCDC), has called for increased budgetary allocation to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats in the country.

Mr Adetifa made the call in an interview in Abuja on Sunday on his second anniversary in office.

The director-general said dedicated funding for implementing health security will increase capacities in responding to public health threats.

The NCDC boss also noted the need to strengthen subnational support, considering the federated structure of the country.

“We must establish a robust relationship with different states and invest in subnational work to enhance health security in the country. We need to prioritise health. Health goes beyond capital projects – buildings and facilities. You need the human capital, equipment, training, and quality systems.

“Once we get the political leadership to properly prioritise health, then health will receive more funding. I believe that some state governments are committing quite a bit of their own budget to health. What we need to see is to make that a groundswell, that even more states are doing that, and that the national government is doing that,” Mr Adetifa explained.

The NCDC boss added, “Lagos, Kano, and Gombe states have dedicated budgets for emergency preparedness and response, while others face resource constraints.”

He also called for continuous surveillance and monitoring to identify and respond to diseases like Lassa fever as the country moves towards its season in November.

“Addressing healthcare challenges requires a collective effort from both the government and the people. It is not solely the responsibility of the NCDC but requires collaboration across various sectors and active participation from the public,” he said.

The much-anticipated 2023 Kaduna International Polo Tournament is already on us as record title holders, EL-Amin polo leads over 40 teams from across the country bracing for another titanic quest for laurels as the prestigious festival celebrates another epoch with a loaded five teams Georgan Cup meltdown at the foremost Murtala Square, Kaduna.

The Georgian Cup at the 2023 Kaduna International Polo Tournament will feature strong teams like Abuja Rubicon, Kaduna Fifth Chukkers, Katsina Max Air, and Jos Malcomines.

This year’s tournament will be held over two weeks, from October 31, 2023, at the historic Murtala Muhammed Square Polo Grounds in Kaduna.

It’s an exciting event that celebrates the Georgian Trophy, the world’s oldest and most prestigious polo cup.

The Kaduna polo carnival is set to be an exhilarating event with multiple prestigious cups up for grabs.

The Georgian Cup, with its rich 105-year history, and the EL-Amin Cup, which awards cash prizes to the Most Valuable Player, will be contested in the first stage.

In the second week, the Emir of Katsina Cup and Imani Cup will take centre stage, offering exciting incentives and social activities.

Teams from Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, and over 15 teams from Kaduna will participate, with over 40 teams, 150 players, and 600 thoroughbred horses from Argentina, Europe and South Africa competing.

Sir Bobby Charlton, the Manchester United legend who was a key figure in England’s 1966 World Cup victory, has died at the age of 86.

During a 17-year first-team career with United he won three league titles, a European Cup and an FA Cup.

Charlton’s family said he “passed peacefully in the early hours of Saturday morning”.

He died surrounded by his family, who said in a statement they wished to “pass on their thanks to everyone who has contributed to his care and for the many people who have loved and supported him”.

“We would request that the family’s privacy be respected at this time,” their statement added.United paid a fond tribute to Charlton, describing him as “one of the greatest and most beloved players in the history of our club”.

“Sir Bobby was a hero to millions, not just in Manchester, or the United Kingdom, but wherever football is played around the world,” the club said.

“He was admired as much for his sportsmanship and integrity as he was for his outstanding qualities as a footballer; Sir Bobby will always be remembered as a giant of the game.”

Charlton was one of the few players to win the World Cup, a European Cup and the Ballon d’Or.

He was the last surviving member of those involved in the Munich Air disaster in 1958.

He captained United to their first European cup against Benfica, the first English team to win the competition. He was a World Cup winner for England in 1966, scoring 49 goals in 106 appearances.

Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have attacked a customs house in Geidam town, Geidam LGA, killing one officer, identified as Usman Gombe.

Daily Trust gathered that the insurgents stormed the customs house along Maine Soroa road in a Volkswagen Golf and a Land Rover around 10pm on Saturday and started shooting.

“They struck when they were sure the customs officers had retired home. Panicked by the rain of bullets, the officers scampered for safety, some escaped through the gate, while others scaled the fence.

“Unfortunately, one of the officers, Usman Gombe, was shot dead while attempting to climb the fence,” a security source told our correspondent.

He said the assailants also burnt down the customs patrol van, a generator, and part of the customs house building.

“This is the second time that the Boko Haram insurgents are killing the customs officers. Last month, an officer Babalola, and his junior officer, were abducted and later killed by the insurgents,” he said.

Residents of the town told our correspondent that the activities of Boko Haram insurgents on the outskirts of Geidam had increased in recent days.

“They collect taxes from farmers and herdsmen a few kilometers from the town and nobody is doing anything.

“Instead, the security operatives have relocated over 17 checkpoints into the town where they also taxed traders that brought goods through the same route. We are in difficult condition in this town,” one of the traders alleged.

Police in London say nearly 100,000 people marched in the British capital in an event organised by pro-Palestinian groups, one of several such protests across Europe.

Demonstrators held signs reading “Freedom for Palestine”, “Stop Bombing Gaza” and “End Israeli Apartheid”. Many waved Palestinian flags and some chanted “5, 6, 7, 8, Israel is a terrorist state” and “Free Palestine”.

Since the shock Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, which left 1,400 dead, Israel has launched devastating air and ground bombardments of Gaza. The Hamas authorities say 4,385 people have died.

The London march brought traffic at the Marble Arch landmark to a standstill, and police said on X (formerly Twitter) that almost 100,000 had attended. It broke up peacefully close to Downing Street.

“We came to show our support because we can’t stay silent, watch the news, and then do nothing,” Mariam Abdul-Ghani, an 18-year-old student whose family is from the Palestinian territories, told AFP.

David Rosenberg, a member of the Jewish Socialists Group, said he was there “to give solidarity and to disrupt that narrative that says it’s Muslims versus Jews, Palestinians versus Israelis.

“I’m 65 but there are people here in their 20s and 30s, who have grown up in mainstream Jewish households, who cannot stand what is supposedly done in their name,” he added.

Protests in Europe

“I do have cousins, family and friends (there)”, said Nivert Tamraz, a 38-year-old marketing consultant, who came with her children so they “understand that sometimes everyone has to stand for humanity and not just shy away.”

“I have a friend whose family is in Gaza, they can’t even get in touch with them, it’s horrible for them, they don’t know if they are dead, if they are alive,” she added.

Other demonstrations took place in Birmingham, central England, Cardiff in Wales and the Scottish city of Glasgow.There were also protests in other European countries.

Pro-Palestinian rallies took place in several French cities. In the southern city of Lyon, more than a thousand people turned out for one demonstration, which was authorised at the last minute.

There were also demonstrations in the southern Mediterranean city of Marseille, in Rennes, in the northwest, and in the northeastern city of Metz.

Earlier this week, France’s top administrative court, the Council of State, overturned a number of bans on such demonstrations imposed by regional authorities. They had issued the bans after Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin ordered them to do so on public order grounds.

Thousands also marched in cities across Spain including the capital of Spain, Barcelona, Zaragoza and San Sebastien.

And in Italy, thousands marched in support of Palestinians in the northern city of Milan.

The first aid trucks arrived in the war-torn Gaza Strip from Egypt on Saturday, bringing humanitarian relief to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave.

Hours later, Israel announced it was stepping up its bombardment of the Hamas-controlled territory.

Israel has massed tens of thousands of troops and hundreds of tanks along the Gaza border for a widely anticipated ground invasion.

The Police Command in Ogun State says three police inspectors have been caught on camera “flagrantly extorting money from commercial motorcyclists” otherwise known as okada riders.

The command identified the officers as Inspector Ikhanorba Lucky, Inspector Paul Sunday, and Inspector Edwin Ekeogu.

The Police Spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, on Sunday, said the inspectors, on October 19, involved in “an incident of professional misconduct while on visibility policing duty at Maawu Bus stop in the Agbado area of the state.”

Odutola explained that, “These officers were caught on camera flagrantly extorting money from commercial motorcyclists in contravention of the Police Act and Regulations.”

She added that the “inappropriate actions of the three policemen were subsequently shared on social media.”

Odutola quoted the state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, to have strongly condemned the “unprofessional act” of the three men.

“To address this misconduct, the Command has activated appropriate disciplinary measures against the erring personnel to ensure that they are held accountable for their misconduct and to serve as a deterrent to others who might be tempted to toe this ignoble path,” Odutola said.

She also quoted the CP to have emphasised his commitment to upholding professional standards within the Force to sustain quality service delivery to the citizens and sustain public trust and confidence in the Nigeria Police Force.

The police in Benue State, on Saturday confirmed that the Otukpo Divisional Police Officer, CSP John Adikwu and three other operatives were killed during the armed robbery on commercial banks in Otukpo town of the state.

Residents had said that the armed robbers on Friday afternoon caused a stir in the heart of Otukpo town when they attacked some banks in the area.

The police public relations officer in the state, SP Catherine Anene, in a statement, also confirmed that five banks were robbed simultaneously.

Anene added that in a hot pursuit of the suspected robbers, security operatives gunned down two of the armed robbers while still on the trail of others, who abandoned their vehicle and ran into the bush along the Otukpo-Taraku axis.

“On October 20, 2023, about 1615hrs, armed robbers invaded Access Bank, First Bank, Zenith Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Stanbic IBTC simultaneously. The Otukpo Divisional Police Officer, CSP John Adikwu and other police teams in the area engaged them in a gun battle but were unable to prevent their attack on the banks.

“More police teams, in collaboration with other security agents, have been deployed to Otukpo to assist in stabilising the area and prevent these robbers from escaping.

“The robbers, who were intercepted along the Otukpo-Taraku road, engaged officers in a gun battle and two of the robbers died in the process. Other gang members abandoned their vehicles and escaped into the forest and are being chased by the police.

“The DPO, who sustained a gunshot injury on his stomach, and three other police officers, have been confirmed dead at the hospital. Other persons who sustained injuries in the bank have been moved to the hospital for treatment,” the police spokesman noted.

She said investigation into the matter had commenced but was, however, silent on the number of civilians killed during the robbery incident.

Meanwhile, one of the military personnel who was part of the team that engaged the armed robbers but did not want to be named, revealed that security operatives couldn’t do much in engaging the daredevils while the operation went on because of the crowd of innocent people at the scene.