Fire
Nigeria’s president under fire over surging violence
With his country ensnared in mounting jihadist violence, bandit attacks and kidnappings, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is under fire from allies and enemies alike for appearing incapable of tackling the security crisis. April saw an almost daily toll of bloody assaults and abductions in Africa’s most populous nation. In the past week alone, at least 240 people have been killed and more than four dozen kidnapped, according to tallies by local media. The fatalities included 19 Fulani herders gunned down in southeastern Anambra state; five students in the northwest who were shot to death days after gunmen snatched them from their campus; 31 troops, slain in a jihadist ambush in the Lake Chad region; and nine police killed by cattle thieves in northwestern Kebbi state. Senators, local go...
#EndSARS: Ondo panel recommends N755 million compensations for victims
A judicial panel of police brutality and other related matters has recommended about N755 million as compensations for petitioners. The Chairman of the panel, Salisu Sidiq, revealed this while submitting the committee’s reports and recommendations to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. The panel inaugurated on October 20, 2020, sought to address issues that led to #EndSARS protests in the state. Mr Sidiq said it received and heard 77 petitions, out of which 14 were criminal, and 63 were civil matters. He added, “Mr Governor sir, the panel, after careful consideration of its limitations in line with extant Supreme Court judgments on the powers of panels of inquiry to entertain res-judicata cases I suggest that it is high time a review is carried out on Section 84 of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Ac...
Ebonyi commissioner escapes gunmen attack
The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Infrastructure Development, Engr. Fidelis Nweze, narrowly escaped gun attack on Tuesday as he abandoned his car and ran into the bush leaving his SUV at the mercy of gunmen who shot sporadically in all directions. The incident happened at the site of a proposed international airport in the State. The gunmen were feared to have targeted the State Governor, Dave Umahi who was scheduled for an inspection visit to the airport. Newsmen gathered that the gunmen stormed the airport site at about 3:30 p.m. but missed their target as the Governor failed to turn up. A highly placed source at the Ebonyi State Government House told newsmen that the heavily armed men came on seven motorcycles and two vehicles. “On getting to the site, they opened fire, but God averted ...
British premier denies saying ‘let the bodies pile high’
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday denied a newspaper report that he had said he would rather bodies piled “high in their thousands” than order a third COVID-19 lockdown. Johnson is facing a stream of allegations in newspapers – all of them denied – about everything from his muddled initial handling of the COVID-19 crisis to questions over who financed the redecoration of his official apartment. The Daily Mail newspaper cited unidentified sources as saying that, in October, shortly after agreeing to a second lockdown, Johnson told a meeting in Downing Street: “No more fucking lockdowns – let the bodies pile high in their thousands.” Asked whether he had made the remark, Johnson told broadcasters: “No, but again, I think the important thing, I think, that people want us to get o...
Isa Pantami: PDP lambasts APC for ‘supporting terrorism through silence’
The Peoples Democratic Party has accused the All Progressives Congress and its leaders of a “conspiratorial silence in the face of the worrisome revelation in which a member of the Federal Executive Council and Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has been accused of affiliation with terrorist groups.” Pantami has been under fire of late over sermons he delivered in the past that allegedly had him sympathising with terrorist organisations – Al-Qaeda and the Taliban – a thing he says he has repented of. He has, however, received the backing of the Presidency which declared that calls for his resignation or sacking are tantamount to cancel culture. The ruling All Progressives Congress is yet to issue a statement on the comments made by the Minister concerning the terr...
Ramadan: Israel, Palestinians clash on Gaza border as Jerusalem violence continues
Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired dozens of rockets into Israel on Saturday drawing retaliatory air strikes, the Israeli military said, after nightly Ramadan clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police had resumed in Jerusalem. The pre-dawn exchange of fire broke months of relative quiet on the Israel-Gaza frontier, though it did not appear to signal a wider escalation after the military said it was not imposing any safety restrictions on Israelis living near the border. In Jerusalem, Israeli-Palestinian tension has been higher than usual during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Protests turned violent on Thursday with scores of arrests and injuries. The unrest resumed on Friday night, when Palestinian youths gathered outside the walled Old City and scuffled with hundreds o...
Tammy Abraham to ‘make Chelsea transfer request’
Tammy Abraham is leaning towards seeking a move from Chelsea this summer. Abraham has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, with Aston Villa among the clubs to be credited with an interest in his services. The striker had a prolific loan spell at Villa in the 2018/19 season, scoring 26 goals to help fire Smith’s side to promotion from the Championship, and remains well thought of in the Midlands. The Guardian says Abraham has left out of the squad altogether as Chelsea beat Manchester City at Wembley in Saturday’s FA Cup semifinal and the forward is now ‘considering seeking a fresh opportunity. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back powe...
Cape Town fire ‘contained’ as firefighters battle windy conditions
A blaze advanced along South Africa’s iconic Table Mountain toward central Cape Town on Monday after ravaging university buildings, while firefighters battled strong winds in their efforts to control it and officials evacuated residential areas. The fire broke out Sunday morning in the foothills of the mountain and spread to the University of Cape Town (UCT), destroying buildings and part of a library housing a unique collection of African archives, while causing students to flee. The blaze had been largely contained on Monday, but firefighters were still battling to control it. Cape Town mayor Dan Plato said efforts were currently focused on the mountain above the Vredehoek suburb, with residents being evacuated “as a precautionary measure”. “Strong winds are placing pressure on firefight...
Gunmen kill six, injure many in Plateau village
Fresh attack on Thursday night claimed six lives as gunmen opened fire on some villagers at Wereng village, Riyom local government area of Plateau State, killing six and injuring three villagers. The attack occurred at the time villagers returned from their day’s businesses and were preparing to retire for the night when sporadic gunshots jolted them Before the incident, there were rumours being circulated that the villagers may be attacked any moment but it was unclear if security agencies acted on the information. Wereng has consistently been under attack in over a decade now and all appeals for the dastardly act to end have been rebuffed by the attackers. Although Operation Safe Haven on peace mission in the State did not confirm the incident at the time of this report because the spoke...
Everton blow late lead against Crystal Palace
Everton’s hopes of a top-four finish in the Premier League were dented by Michy Batshuayi’s 86th minute equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw for Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on Monday. The Toffees were made to rue a string of missed chances either side of James Rodriguez’s opener as they only narrowly closed the gap on fourth-placed Chelsea to four points. Rodriguez’s return from injury for the first time since Everton ended a two-decade wait to beat Liverpool away in the Merseyside derby in February sparked a far more enterprising performance from Carlo Ancelotti’s men. Vicente Guaita was forced into fine saves from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison in a dominant first-half display from the home side. Rodriguez finally broke the deadlock 11 minutes into the second-half when he fired hom...
US Supreme Court dismisses case on Donald Trump blocking Twitter critics
The U.S. Supreme Court set aside a federal appeals court ruling that former President Donald Trump violated the First Amendment when he blocked critics from following his Twitter account. The case had already lost its practical impact given Trump’s election defeat and Twitter’s Jan. 8 decision to permanently ban his @realDonaldTrump account for glorifying violence. But the two sides in the case continued to spar over the fate of the appeals court decision. Before Trump left office, the Justice Department asked the justices to wipe away the precedent, while those suing him sought to keep it intact. The appeals court said a social media account run by government officials can become a constitutionally protected “public forum” if used to conduct official business. The Supreme Court has said t...
Sheikh Gumi: Nigerians’ll regret it if Isa Pantami is removed
Renowned Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, says Nigerians will regret it if embattled Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, is removed from office. Gumi, who recently met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and recommended special courts to try bandits and kidnappers, also said the country needed more people like Pantami in government. The controversial cleric spoke on Monday in an interview with Roots TV monitored by newsmen. He said, “All his (Pantami’s) actions, one hundred percent, shows he is not a terrorist. Those who are terrorists are after his life. The minister should continue. His presence there is fighting the terrorist ideology. “Show me one person he has killed. He has not killed anybody. He has not ordered the killing of anybody. The man is stabi...