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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...
Morocco says Madrid seeks to ‘Europeanise’ its crisis with Rabat
Morocco’s foreign minister on Wednesday accused Spain of trying to turn a political crisis between the two countries into an EU problem by focusing on migration and ignoring the root causes. The row blew up in April after Spain admitted the leader of the Western Sahara independence movement, Brahim Ghali, for medical treatment without informing Rabat, which regards the disputed territory as its own. Morocco then appeared to relax border controls with Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta on May 17, leading to an influx of at least 8,000 migrants. Since then Spain and Morocco have traded accusations of violating good neighbourliness, with Spain saying Morocco used the migrants while Rabat says Spain acted in connivance with “adversaries” of its territorial integrity. “Spain tries to Europe...
Israel lawmakers to vote Sunday on anti-Netanyahu government
After weeks of political wrangling, the Israeli parliament is set to vote Sunday on whether to install a “change” coalition and end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s record 12 consecutive years in power. Announcing the date for the confidence vote, speaker Yariv Levin, a Netanyahu ally, said on Tuesday “a special session of parliament” would debate and vote on the fragile eight-party alliance, after the country’s fourth inconclusive election in two years back in March. Later in the day, the prime minister’s office announced that a march by Jewish nationalists through Jerusalem would go ahead in a week’s time, potentially de-escalating tensions with Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group which went to war with the Jewish state for 11 days last month. Israeli right-wing groups had the day b...
Iran says nuclear talks policy won’t change after presidential vote
Iran’s policy in talks with world powers to revive the 2015 nuclear accord will remain unchanged after a June 18 presidential election because the issue is decided by its highest leadership, a government spokesman said on Tuesday. A host of barriers to the revival of the nuclear deal remain firmly in place ahead of talks due to resume this week, suggesting a return to compliance with the accord is still a way off, diplomats, Iranian officials and analysts said. “We have shown that we adhere to our international obligations under all circumstances, and this was a national decision,” cabinet spokesman Ali Rabiei told a weekly news conference. Rabiei said Iran’s nuclear policy, set by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is not linked to internal developments and that the new government wou...
Sultan: What Nigeria needs now is excellent leadership
The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, says what the country needs at this time is excellent and purposeful leadership. Abubakar said this during the inauguration of an ultramodern camp for Muslim and Christians pilgrims in Bauchi state. He called on leaders to strive to ensure that they fulfill the purpose for which they were elected to their various positions. “Leaders should always strive to do what the people want, because it is the main reason they were voted into power by the people. “What the country needs now is excellent and purposeful leadership. Leadership has been bestowed on us by Allah. We should know that one day, we will all give account of our stewardship in the hereafter. “It is incumbent on us as leaders to discharge our responsibilities to the best of our ability. The fo...
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...
Marcus Rashford penalty gives England win over Romania in Euro warm-up
Marcus Rashford’s penalty earned England an unconvincing 1-0 win over Romania in their final warm-up friendly ahead of Euro 2020 in Middlesbrough on Sunday. However, victory for Gareth Southgate’s men was again overshadowed by booing from supporters as the players took the knee before kick-off. Southgate’s selection will also be questioned as he named an experimental line-up with five players who are not part of his final squad making an appearance at some point in the game. There is still one place up for grabs in Southgate’s 26-man squad, though, due to an injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold. James Ward-Prowse, Ben Godfrey and Ben White were all given the chance to further their case from the start, while Jesse Lingard and Ollie Watkins came off the bench in the second-half. An inexperience...
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...
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...
NAF chief: Armed forces committed to end insecurity
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, yesterday declared that the Armed Forces remained committed to ending the crisis of insecurity ravaging the nation. He said the expected delivery of six A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets by the United States in July and two drones from China, would be a “game changer” in the war against insurgency. The position of the air force chief is coming on a day the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, sought the assistance of the Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Farouk Yahaya, to provide security for train stations and railway construction sites across the country. Speaking at the graduation ceremony of 1,031 recruits of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Basic Military Training Course 41/2020, Amao affirmed that “the NAF in consonance w...
IMF, World Bank urge G7 to release surplus vaccines
The heads of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank on Thursday urged the Group of Seven advanced economies to release any excess COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries as soon as possible, and called on manufacturers to ramp up production. In a joint statement to the G7, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank President David Malpass also called on governments, pharmaceutical companies and groups involved in vaccine procurement to boost transparency about contracting, financing and deliveries. “Distributing vaccines more widely is both an urgent economic necessity and a moral imperative,” they said. “The coronavirus pandemic will not end until everyone has access to vaccines, including people in developing countries.” Malpass and Georgieva will meet in person ...
Kano: Teenager nabbed for ‘stabbing’ brother’s pregnant wife
The police in Kano State have confirmed that the arrest of a 15-year-old boy, who allegedly stabbed his brother’s 25-year-old wife with a knife. This is contained in a statement issued by DSP Abdullahi Haruna, the Command Spokesman in Kano. He said that the ofence, took place on Tuesday in Maidille Quarters in Kano. ”At about 11 p.m, a complaint was received that the suspect allegedly stabbed Mrs Habiba Isah, who was eight months pregnant, with knife. ” Upon receiving the report, the police visited the scene and the victim was evacuated to the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital where she was admitted and the unborn child was later confirmed dead by a medical doctor,” he said. Haruna said that the minor had visited his brother’s house, demanding to see his sister-in-law. “She got scare and picked...
