Nigeria
Lagos governor: Twitter should have an office in Nigeria to resolve issues
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu said if Twitter had an office in Nigeria, resolving the current Twitter ban initiated by the Buhari government would have been easier. The governor made the suggestion in an interview with Arise TV on Monday. Mr Sanwo-Olu noted that he cannot categorically say if the federal government’s action against Twitter is wrong or right because he does not have the same prognosis as the President and Commander in Chief. “I cannot sit down here with all of the responsibilities that I have and fly (sic) the commander in chief of the armed forces. Even had (sic) a prognosis and security information that I do not have. I cannot begin to say that was it done is right or wrong” he asserted. He alluded that the government had only suspended Twitter operations in Nig...
UN: 64% of married Nigerian women lack sexual, reproductive rights
The United Nations Fund for Population Affairs (UNFPA) has said that an estimated 64 per cent of married women in Nigeria are unable to enforce their sexual and reproductive health rights. It said that only about 46 per cent of married women in Nigeria between the age of 15 and 49 years are in a position to make personal decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health rights. UNFPA said that whereas 56 per cent of the married women have decisions about their healthcare made mainly by their husbands, 33 per cent make such decisions jointly with their husbands. The world body, which issued a report on the state of bodily autonomy for women across the world, said only 56 per cent of married women in Nigeria can say no to their husbands if they do not want to have sexual intercourse. ...
EFCC unveils Abdulrasheed Bawa’s authentic Facebook account
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Sunday finally revealed the Facebook account of its chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa. EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed Mr Bawa’s only Facebook account as, @AbdulRasheedBawa. The commission had since Mr Bawa’s appointment late February pointed out fake accounts being operated on Facebook and Twitter in his name, and warned members of the public against having any dealing with them. On different occasions, the commission vowed to unearth those behind the fake accounts and make them to face the wrath of the law for their act of “identity theft.” Sunday’s announcement of Mr Bawa’s authentic Facebook account by the EFCC appeared to have stemmed from the commission’s frustrations in stopping the proliferation of more fake social me...
Imo commissioner confirms attack on his country home
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Imo, Mr Declan Emelumba, has confirmed the attack on his country home in Ubulu, Oru West Local Government Area. Emelumba narrated to newsmen in Owerri how the incident happened in the early hours of Sunday morning. According to him, the attackers on arrival at the area, shot sporadically into the air, causing panic before setting his two buildings in his family compound ablaze. The commissioner expressed joy that no life was lost during the attack. He said: “In the early hours of Sunday, between 1am and 2am, some people called me from the village that heavily armed gunmen stormed my compound, broke the gate and set the buildings ablaze. “My gateman, who was the only person around when they came, managed to escape unhurt. “The bandits had eas...
Troops foil another attack on Imo police command, neutralise five assailants
The Nigerian Army (NA) says its troops operating in Owerri, Imo State capital, on Sunday, foiled an early morning attack on the Imo State Police Command, killing six assailants. The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Yerima, disclosed in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Yerima said that the troops, assisted by the Police Special Forces eliminated a top IPOB/ESN operational commander, Joseph Nnachi, alias King of Dragons. He said that Dragon had been orchestrating attacks against security agencies and government establishments in the South Eastern States. According to him, Dragon has been at the centre of several heinous attacks since the death of Ikonso, who gave up the ghost, during an encounter with security forces on April 24, at Awomama Village of Orlu East Local Gover...
ISWAP confirms Boko Haram leader’s death
TIME The Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) militant group said in an audio recording heard by Reuters on Sunday that Abubakar Shekau, leader of rival Nigerian militant Islamist group Boko Haram, was dead. Shekau died around May 18 after detonating an explosive device when he was pursued by ISWAP fighters following a battle, a person purporting to be ISWAP leader Abu Musab al-Barnawi said on the audio recording. “Abubakar Shekau, God has judged him by sending him to heaven,” he can be heard saying. Two people familiar with al-Barnawi told Reuters the voice on the recording was that of the ISWAP leader. A Nigerian intelligence report shared by a government official and Boko Haram researchers have also said Shekau is dead. Last month, Nigeria’s military said it was investigating She...
Cross River government warns arsonists to steer clear of state university
The Cross River State Government has warned arsonists against attempting to do damage to the University of Cross River (UNICROSS). The warning, the government says, followed intelligence reports that arsonists were set to burn down the institution. The crisis in the institution began when a graduating student, Nkasi Moses, was stabbed to death by phone thieves when he attempted to recover a stolen phone. His death led to a crisis in the institution, which resulted in the shutting down of the school by the state government The government, through Alfred Mboto, Permanent Secretary, Special Services, had threatened to deal with those behind the conspiracy,. Mboto alleged the planners were non-indigenes, but that they would face the consequences of their actions. Mboto in a statement said, “Th...
Student dies as school hostel collapses in Adamawa
A male student, Harka Yinasimna was killed when a hostel building at the Government Secondary school, Numan in Adamawa State collapsed on him on Friday, June 4, 2021 According to reports gathered, the building collapsed when it started to rain. The deceased was said to have been asleep when the building collapsed on him. “The incident happened this afternoon between 1:00pm and 2:00pm when it just started to rain. The problem is that the structure is dilapidated, it is a pitiable situation. You need to see the structures. Students are taking lessons in a classroom that has no roof, it is really bad.” an eyewitness said. 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 y...
HURIWA calls on DSS to arrest Bauchi senator for ‘threatening’ Igbos
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has called on the Department of State Services, DSS, to immediately arrest Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa who is currently representing the Bauchi North Senatorial District at the National Assembly and one Isa Tafida Mafindi for openly threatening to attack the people of South-eastern Nigeria. Newsmen had reported that the senator who backed President Muhammadu Buhari’s ‘civil war’ threat, said the Federal Government would have no choice but to clamp down on the Igbos. Bulkachuwa described members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, as terrorists attacking security operatives and destroying government property in the region. Reacting, the Human Right Writers condemned the DSS’ failure to arrest the Senator despite the open t...
Twitter pushes back on ban by Nigerian government
Micro blogging social platform, Twitter, has pushed back on ban by the Federal Government. It described it as brazen affront on citizens fundamental human rights and advised its users and other social media platforms in the country to download virtual private networks (VPNs) to enable them continue to use the platforms for their economic survival and social and political engagements while the “push back on this draconian order by the Nigerian government.” In a statement, Twitter said: “Today, the 4th of June 2021, the Federal Government of Nigeria announced its suspension of Twitter operations, that the application can be used as a platform for activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence. “Many Nigerians read the announcement of the ban on Twitter as a reflection of the...
Nigerian attorney-general orders prosecution of Twitter ban offenders
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has directed the immediate prosecution of offenders of the Federal Government’s ban on Twitter operations in Nigeria. This was announced in a statement issued by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on Saturday. Spokesperson of the Ministry, Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, said the AGF directed the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) to swing into immediate action and commence prosecution of the violators of the ban. The statement said: “Malami directed the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) at the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, to swing into action and commence in earnest the process of prosecution of ...
Soldiers ‘kill’ DSS operative inside hotel in Ekiti
File Photo Tragedy struck in Ado Ekiti on Friday evening as soldiers numbering three allegedly killed an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS) inside a hotel. The incident occurred at about 7.30pm at a hotel located along NTA road in Ado Ekiti where one of the soldiers was alleged to have stabbed the DSS operative. The dead victim was said to have been stabbed on the neck and bled profusely, leading to his death. It was gathered that the incident happened as a result of a hot argument between the soldiers and the DSS staff, after they arrested a man suspected to be an ICT fraudster inside the hostel. The source said: “As the soldiers who were inside the hotel had stopped the young man they suspected to be a ‘yahoo boy’ and interrogating him, the young man saw the DSS operativ...
