Nigeria
#EndSARS: Stop killing peaceful protesters – Hillary Clinton tells President Buhari
Newscom Former United States presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, has made a public appeal to Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari to end the killing of peaceful protesters. Her public appeal came in light of #EndSARS protesters who were attacked by security operatives during a violent crackdown in Lagos on Tuesday, October 20, 2020. As part of nationwide demonstrations over the past two weeks, hundreds of protesters have shut down the Lekki-Epe toll gate for over one week demanding comprehensive police reform. State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, imposed a 24-hour curfew on Tuesday afternoon after an uptick of violence from thugs who tried to hijack the peaceful protests. Scores of protesters refused to leave the toll gate despite the curfew which was originally set to commence at 4 pm...
#EndSARS: Lagos government to investigate Lekki shootings
The Lagos State government said it would investigate reports of shootings at the Lekki Toll plaza, which followed the 24-hour curfew imposed to stop criminals hiding under the #ENDSARS protests to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens. Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, gave the assurance in series of tweets on Tuesday evening. According to him, the government has ordered investigation into the incident. He added Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has advised security agents not to arrest anyone as a result of the curfew. “Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has advised the security agents not to arrest anyone on account of the curfew, which he urges residents to observe for the peaceful atmosphere we all cherish. “He advises Lagosians to remain calm and not allow criminals, who hav...
#EndSARS: DJ Switch, others help protesters shot at Lekki toll gate
A popular female disc jockey, DJ Switch, has taken to her Instagram Live to show the aftermath of the shoot out at Lekki Toll Gate. It has been reported that the peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate have been shot at by Nigerian law enforcement agents. In the live video, the disc jockey streamed where she and other peaceful protesters tried to remove a bullet from the leg of a victim of the shoot out. They tried to remove the bullet from the man’s leg with what appeared to be a pair of tweezers after they had sterilized it with fire from a lighter and alcohol. To keep the pressure on the man’s injury, they had to tie a Nigerian flag around his leg. Apparently in excruciating pain, the man kept yelling, ‘I am a man’ as they probed into the wound looking for the bullet. Due to bad netw...
Nigeria star leads Club Brugge past FC Zenit St. Petersburg
Club Brugge began their 2020-21 Champions League campaign with a 2-1 triumph over Zenit St. Petersburg. Goals from Nigeria’s Emmanuel Dennis and Charles De Ketelaere scored the goals as Philippe Clement’s men silenced the Russian Premier League title holders at Krestovsky Stadium. The Belgians went into the encounter without goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, Cote d’Ivoire’s Odilon Kossounou and Michael Krmencik, who are in isolation after contracting Covid-19, while Simon Deli was unavailable due to suspension. In a tight first-half that saw Dennis, Mats Rits, Clinton Mata getting cautioned by referee Benoit Bastien, both teams were unable to find the net as they adopted a cautious approach. Club Brugge’s first chance at goal came in the 30th minute when Dennis found his way in the hosts’ goal ar...
#EndSARS: Edo governor holds security meeting, warns against violence
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Tuesday night, held a security meeting to assess the violent trend the EndSARS protest has assumed in the state where he warned that violators of the currently imposed curfew would be penalised. At the meeting which held in the government house behind closed doors were his deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu, Secretary to State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq, a newly deployed Deputy Inspector General of Police, Celestine Okoye, Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Johnson Kokumo, state commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the State Director of the Department of State Services among others. Speaking shortly after the meeting, Obaseki said the meeting became necessary to analyse and access the security development in the state. He sai...
Lagos curfew: #EndSARS protesters agree to stop road blockage
The leaders of the #EndSARS protesters along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have said they will lift the blockage along the expressway for vehicles to be able to move into Lagos by 2pm (today). This followed the announcement by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to impose a 24-hour curfew on the state effective 4 pm. One of the protesters, who spoke to newsmen said, “We will leave the road by 2 pm so that the vehicles can move because of the curfew that has just been announced by Lagos. “We need to let the vehicles move into Lagos.” Long queues of vehicles that were stuck in the standstill traffic were still seen on the road as they were still unable to move. No vehicle was seen moving into the Expressway way from Lagos, showing that most of the vehicles coming into Ogun State could no...
Jail break: Lawyer wants Benin prisons closed
With the dust over the jail break at Oko Prison in Benin City on Monday yet to settle down, a Human rights lawyer Jefferson Uwoghiren, has called for the immediate closure of all the prison houses located inside the ancient city of Benin, Edo state capital. Uwoghiren in a statement made available to newsmen Monday said “it is shocking how the prison inmates who escaped from the cells promptly fused and melted like butter with the crowd, into the City into our homes, and into our surrounding bushes since morning”. According to him, “This record breaking jail break is horrendously made worst, by the ominous silence of the Prison authority, Warders, sorry nothing correctional about them. The overwheming incompetence of the Prison Officers is detonatingly enabling by the official silence of al...
774,000 jobs: Ministry raises federal lawmakers’ slots
There were strong indications on Sunday that the much awaited 774,000 unskilled jobs for Nigerians would take off in October. It was gathered that following a series of negotiations, the Ministry of Labour and Productivity had increased the slots allocated to each member of the National Assembly. It was learnt that each senator would present 1,000 beneficiaries, while a member of the House of Representatives would present 50 beneficiaries from each of the local government areas in their constituency. The lawmakers were said to have rejected the 30 and 25 slots per senator and Rep member respectively, which was initially allocated to them by the ministry in August. A senator confirmed to newsmen on condition of anonymity that he had directed his aides in his constituency office to liaise wi...
Nigeria to begin business sample census October 12
File Photo The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, is to commence National Business Survey after 22 years. The statistician General of the Federation, Dr. Yemi Kale, announced this on Monday while delivering a keynote address at the Training of Trainers for the National Business Sample Census (NBSC) 2020 in Abuja. Kale said the information emanating from the census activity would be primarily useful in understanding the nature and structure of the economy, as well as providing a sound business frame for the conduct of economic surveys in the country. The Business Census also known as an Economic Census is a statistical exercise that involves the enumeration of formal and informal business establishments across the country. During this process, commercial and industrial business operations ...
President Buhari vows to check ‘greed of a callous few’
President Muhammadu Buhari has stressed the need for all arms of government to deploy resources to address the common needs of all citizens rather than the greed of a callous few. The president made the call at the 2nd National Summit on Diminishing Corruption and launch of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in Abuja on Monday. The summit has the theme: “Together Against Corruption”. According to him, the National Ethics and Integrity Policy project the government’s aspiration for the rediscovery of cherished traditional ethical values of honesty, integrity, hard work, truth, justice, unity, faith, and consideration for one another, irrespective of status or background. He reiterated his ear...
ICPC uncovers N5.17 billion fraud in education, agric ministries
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has uncovered diversion of part of the N2.67 billion payments made to some Federal Colleges for school feeding during lockdown. The Chairman of ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, who stated this at the 2nd National Summit on Diminishing Corruption with the theme: “Together Against Corruption and Launch of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy”, said preliminary investigation had indicated that part of the N2.67billion was diverted to private accounts. The event, presided over President Muhammadu Buhari, was held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday. The ICPC boss said: “We observed that transfer to sub-Treasury Single Account was to prevent disbursement from being monitored. ...
CBN: Nigeria far from financial inclusion target
A report by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access has said that Nigeria is far from achieving its financial inclusion target in 2020. The CBN disclosed this in the report titled ‘Assessment of women’s financial inclusion in Nigeria’ for December 2019 period which was released on Monday. Part of the report read, “Not surprisingly, financial exclusion stands at 36 per cent for women and 24 per cent for men. “The relative gender gap related to financial inclusion is ~20-30 per cent, placing Nigeria below its peers. “Since 2012, although women’s exclusion has dropped, the gender gap has grown, revealing that men’s inclusion has improved more rapidly than women’s. “The National Financial Inclusion Strategy was launched in 2012 to reduce financial exclus...
