Missions
Minister: Why Twitter, other platforms must register to operate in Nigeria
The Federal Government says its directive that Over the Top (OTT) and social media platforms operating in the country must register and obtain license to operate is in conformity with global trend. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this on Friday when he featured on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) programme “Good Morning Nigeria’’ monitored by newsmen. NAN reports that the Federal Government recently suspended operations of Twitter and directed that all OTT and social media platforms operating in the country must register with Corporate Affairs Commission. The Federal Government said they must also apply for licensing with the National Broadcasting Commission ( NBC). NAN reports that OTT media service is a media service offered directly to viewers via t...
Nigerian Army reshuffles senior officers in major shakeup
The Nigerian Army has redeployed some of its senior officers in a major shakeup. Outgoing Army spokesperson, Mohammed Yerima, a brigadier general, made this known in a statement on Thursday. Notable amongst the new appointments was that of C.G. Musa, a major general, who was named the new Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, the counter insurgency operation in the North-east region. Also, Onyema Nwachukwu, a brigadier general, has now been appointed as the army spokesperson. Another brigadier general, A.M. Umar, was named the chief of staff to the COAS. The reshuffle, considered normal when there is a new leadership in the force, was expected when the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Faruk Yahaya, a major general, was appointed on May 27. He replaced the late COAS, Ibrahim Attahiru, who di...
Nigeria orders broadcasters not to use Twitter to gather information
Nigerian television and radio stations should not use Twitter to gather information and have to de-activate their accounts, the broadcast authority said following the move to suspend the US social media giant in Africa’s most populous country. Nigeria’s government on Friday said it had suspended Twitter’s activities, two days after the platform removed a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari that threatened to punish secessionists. Nigerian telecoms firms have since blocked access to Twitter. International diplomats responded with a joint statement in support of “free expression and access to information as a pillar of democracy in Nigeria”. Buhari, who was Nigeria’s military ruler in the 1980s, has previously been accused of cracking down on freedom of expression, though his government has ...
Minister charges diplomats to change the narratives about Nigeria
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, yesterday, charged officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to change the narratives about the country. Onyeama stated this during the opening of a three-day induction programme for over 350 officers posted to Nigerian missions abroad in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Onyeama told the officers that it had been a rocky and bumpy road to get to the point in which they were set to depart the country, adding that he was however glad that the day had arrived. “I am here to rejoice and to express my love for you all and to say that we have to keep hope alive, we have to maintain solidarity. We are in this thing together and by God’s grace, we will all be an asset for our country, Nigeria. That is what it is really all about, about Nigeria,...
Lagos to demolish shanties, takeover abandoned buildings
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday said that the government would continue to demolish shanties across the state. Sanwo-Olu said this during the Security Stakeholders Town Hall Meeting at Ikeja, adding that the state government would also confiscate abandoned buildings. He said that the shanties, abandoned buildings and vehicles were hideouts for criminals, hence, should be tackled. Sanwo-Olu said the government had demolished several hundreds of shanties and illegal structures around the state since November 2020. ”These shanties, by serving as hideouts for criminals, have exacerbated the insecurity situation in Lagos State. ”This clean up exercise will continue, even as we strive to ensure the creation of jobs and economic opportunities that will take people off the s...
Kaduna: Bandits kill 323, kidnap 949 in three months
No fewer than 323 persons were killed and 949 kidnapped by bandits in the last three months across Kaduna State. This was even as the military troops neutralised 64 bandits and arrested several gunrunners during the period under review. This was disclosed on Friday by the State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, while giving security situation in the State for the first quarter of 2021. According to Aruwan, “The report covers banditry, kidnapping, cattle-rustling, attacks, and reprisal attacks. “The report also includes the aerial missions conducted over identified bandit hideouts and locations across the State, during which multiple scores of bandits were engaged and neutralised, with their camps destroyed. “Deaths linked to banditry, violent attacks, comm...
SpaceX launches its third astronaut crew, the first on a used Crew Dragon capsule
SpaceX launched its third crew of astronauts to the International Space Station early Friday morning, reusing a Crew Dragon space capsule to fly humans for the first time. The mission, dubbed Crew-2, is the latest flight under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, and will add four more astronauts to the orbital space station. A used Falcon 9 rocket, last flown for SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission last year, lifted off at 5:49AM ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida carrying Endeavor, the same Crew Dragon capsule that first launched SpaceX’s debut astronaut mission nearly one year ago. For this flight, the Endeavor capsule carried four astronauts from three different countries — SpaceX’s most diverse NASA-managed crew yet. “Off the Earth, for the Earth, Endeavor is ready to go,” NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough,...
Nigerian government receives stolen Ile-Ife artefact from Mexico
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Geoffrey Onyeama, on Thursday in Abuja received a stolen Ile-Ife artefact recovered from Mexico. Receiving the artefact, he called for a more secured border to prevent future occurrence of theft. Onyeama collected the artefact from Dr Yakubu Dadu, Charge d’Affaires of the Nigerian Mission in Mexico. The minister hailed the Embassy’s efforts in recovering the artefact. He said that the interventions of Nigerian Envoys in recovering stolen possessions of the country shows the important works they were doing as against negative reports of Nigerian missions on social media. Onyeama also appreciated the government of Mexico for its cooperation in ensuring that the artefact was duly returned to Nigeria. He however stressed the need for sensitising Customs o...
Investigations set to begin in DR Congo following the death of Italian envoy
Congolese investigators arrived in Goma on Thursday to try to clarify the circumstances in which the Italian ambassador, his guard – a carabinieri – and a driver working for the World Food Program were killed earlier this week. The authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo also sent a delegation to the region to meet with members of the United Nations and other NGOs acting in the east of the country where the attack against the UN convoy took place. “The purpose of today’s meeting with the humanitarian workers based in Goma was to plan what to do next,” Christian Bushiri, Senior Advisor of the DRC presidency, told journalists. “It’s necessary to have a close collaboration between humanitarians and officials, between the State and NGOs,” he said, According to Bushiri, the government h...
Nigerian Airforce jets kill more bandits in Kaduna forests
Several armed bandits were neutralized as air platforms carried out armed reconnaissance missions over locations in Kaduna state. The Air Force jets hit at bandits in Rahama, Tami, Sabon Birni, Galadimawa, Ungwan Farinbatu, Sabuwa, Kutemeshi, Gajere, Sabon Kuyello, Dogon Dawa, Ngade Allah, Kidandan, and adjoining settlements in Birnin Gwari and Giwa local government areas. Samuel Aruwan, Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State, said on Wednesday, that operational feedback to the Kaduna State Government revealed that although thorough scans were conducted over the general area, no suspicious activities were observed. The forest west of Gajere was nonetheless strafed with probing shots. The crew conducted further missions over Sabon Madada, Babban Doka, Gwa...
President Buhari writes Senate, seeks confirmation of service chiefs
President Muhammadu Buhari has written formally to the Senate for the confirmation of the appointment of the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and service chiefs. He has also sought the consent of the upper legislative chamber for the appointment of the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel Olonisakin (rtd) and erstwhile service chiefs as non-career Ambassadors. The two separate confirmation request letters were read on Tuesday at the resumption of Senate plenary after the Christmas break by the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan. The first letter dated January 27, 2021 read in part: “In compliance with the provisions of Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act. Cap A20 Laws the Federation of Nigeria 2004, I hereby forward for confirmation by the Senate, the app...
- 1
- 2
Taiwan reports largest incursion yet by Chinese air force
Twenty-eight Chinese air force aircraft, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday, the island’s government said, the largest reported incursion to date. While there was no immediate comment from Beijing, the news comes after the Group of Seven leaders issued a joint statement on Sunday scolding China for a series of issues and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, comments China condemned as “slander”. Chinese-claimed Taiwan has complained over the last few months of repeated missions by China’s air force near the self-ruled island, concentrated in the southwestern part of its air defence zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands. The latest Chinese mission involved 14 J-16 ...