Tuesday
Ten killed in inter-communal violence amid protests in eastern Congo
Ten people have been killed and 34 injured in fighting between rival ethnic communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern city of Goma, a spokesman for the provincial government said on Tuesday. The clashes broke out when protests against the U.N.’s MONUSCO peacekeeping mission, which some blame for failing to end to worsening insecurity and militia attacks, descended into violence between the two communities. Attacks by armed militias and inter-communal violence in Congo’s restive eastern region have killed over 300 people since the start of the year as government troops and U.N. peacekeepers struggle to bring stability in the mineral-rich region. The governor of North Kivu province, Carly Nzanzu Kasivita, banned all public protests from Monday and called for calm. “From now o...
Minister: Rail transportation awakening giant to help run government
Nairaland Mr Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, on Tuesday described the rail mode of transportation as the awakening giant that would run government. He made the disclosure at the virtual National African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) Implementation Engagement Series for the Rail sub-sector of Transportation. Amaechi, who was represented by Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, a Deputy Director at the Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMOT), noted that the Federal Government had invested heavily on the rail sub-sector of transportation to help facilitate trade. “The rail sub-sector needs consistent opening for the country to further tap into the agreement that AfCFTA creates. “This is why government has embarked on many projects, developing the narrow gauges and establishing standa...
National Assembly legislative aides protest non-payment of arrears
The National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum on Tuesday in Abuja protested the non-payment of their 20 months’ salary arrears. Zebis Prince, who spoke on behalf of the protesting Aides, said that since the inauguration of the 9th Assembly, their salary arrears were withheld by the management. He said that the matter was referred to the House Services Committee with the mandate to among other things investigate the irregularities in the payment of legislative Aides. He however said that the Clerk of the National Assembly (CNA) insisted on getting directives from the chairman of National Assembly Service Commission before payment of the arrears. “We are disturbed that despite an express legislative resolution mandating the CNA to ensure payment three weeks after, the Chief Accounting Office...
Saudi Arabia announces Ramadan starts Tuesday
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest shrines, announced that the holy fasting month of Ramadan will start on Tuesday, as Muslims worldwide face coronavirus curbs. “Tomorrow, Tuesday… is the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan this year,” the kingdom’s supreme court said in a royal court statement. Other Muslim countries, including Sunni-majority Egypt and Lebanon, have also announced that Tuesday marks the start of Ramadan, while Shiite-majority countries like Iran are expected to start a day later. The daytime fasting month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. Observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, and traditionally gather with family and friends to break their fast in the evening. It is also a time of prayers, during which Muslims typicall...
Missing Nigerian student found dead in UK pond
A Nigerian student at Oxford Brookes University, Richard Okorogheye, has been found dead after two weeks of searching. According to his mum, Evidence Joel, the 19-year-old left home on March 22 and was reported missing two days after. Mrs Joel had repeatedly pleaded for information on her son’s whereabouts. “All he said to me was ‘mummy, I’m going to see my friend’. I trusted him, I had no doubt or no reason to ask him further questions. “It’s my baby, it’s my treasure. He’s my oxygen, he’s my crown. He’s everything to me, he’s the reason I live, the reason I exist. Right now I’m empty, there is nothing to look forward to. He’s taken my breath away from me,” she told Sky News. But on Wednesday, the Metropolitan police, in a statement, confirmed that a corpse found in a pond Monday has been...
Kano NLC suspends planned strike
The organised labour has suspended the three-day warning strike it planned to commence today (Thursday) in Kano over the deduction of workers salary for the month of March by the state government. The NLC Deputy National President, Najeem Yasin, announced the suspension of the strike on Wednesday night at a joint news conference with other labour movement and affiliates in Kano after a meeting with the State government team led by the Head of Civil Service, Hajia Binta Lawan Ahmed. The NLC had last week given a seven-day ultimatum to the state government to refund and stop what it described as “illegal deduction” from civil servant salaries or face industrial action. Similarly, the labour leaders insisted that failure of the government to stop the “unexplained” deduction before the end of ...
CAN seeks support for new acting police chief
File Photo The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State Chapter, has called for support of Nigerians for the newly appointed Acting Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Usman Baba. The Chairman of CAN, Rev. Joseph Hayab, who made the appeal in a statement on Wednesday in Kaduna, also commended the appointment. Newsmen report that President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday approved the appointment of Baba as the new Acting 1-G of police. “l call on Nigerians to cooperate with the new I-G so that, together, we could attain the peace we once enjoyed in the land,” he said. Hayab said the task ahead of the new I-G calls for support of Nigerians, irrespective of any differences to enable him tackle the security challenges in the country. The chairman said that the association can testify...
Nasarawa first lady restates commitment to fight violence against women
Nasarawa State First Lady, Hajiya Silifat Abdullahi Sule, has reaffirmed her resolve to fight all forms of violence against women. Silifat Sule, stated this while playing host to a delegation from Adogi who were in her office on Tuesday, on a thank you visitfor sponsoring the medical treatment of an infant, Ruqayya, who was raped last year. Recal that on May 27, 2020, a three-month-old baby, Ruqayya from Adogi, Lafia local government area of Nasarawa state was brutally raped by a 27 year old serial rapist, Ahmadu Yaro. Yaro had since been nabbed by Personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Nasarawa state command. Wife of the governor, who was overjoyed seeing Ruqayya looking healthy and playful after several surgical procedures at Jos University Teaching Hospital (J...
DPR revokes Addax Petroleum oil mining licences
File Photo The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has revoked four Oil Mining Licences (OML) belonging to Addax Petroleum due to the non-development of the assets by the petroleum company. The affected assets are OML 123, 124, 126 and 137. Speaking during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, the Director/Chief Executive Officer, DPR, Mr. Sarki Auwalu, who disclosed this, said it was discovered that over 50 per cent of the assets had remained underdeveloped, which he said was resulting to loss of revenue to the federal government. According to him, “Addax refused to develop the assets and Addax were therefore not operating the assets.” The DPR boss pointed out that going by the country’s Petroleum Act, “the first reason for a revocation is when you discover that...
Police repel attack on station in Ebonyi
Police in Ebonyi, Tuesday, repelled another attack by gunmen on another police station in the state. One of the assailants was allegedly killed in a shootout with the police. Newsmen reliably gathered that one of the gallant police officers, who repelled the attack, was injured and rushed to a hospital for treatment. The incident happened at Ugbodo Police station in Ebonyi Local Government area of the state. A top security source in the state, who spoke to newsmen, said the gunmen launched the attack around 2am on Tuesday. “But they met stiff resistance from the police men at the station. In the ensuing battle, a Police officer sustained an injury while the gunmen later retreated with some of them being hit by the bullets from the Police. “In the morning, the police went on a search of the...
Kano consumer council confiscates products worth N100 million
The Kano State Consumer Protection Council (KSCPC) says it has confiscated expired and counterfeit drugs and other products worth N100 million in the state. This is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Kano by Mr Musbahu Yakasai, the Public Relations Officer of the council. Yakasai quoted the acting Managing Director of the council, Alhaji Baffa Dan-Agundi, as saying that the products were confiscated following raids on some markets within Nano metropolis. The council’s boss said that officials organised raids on the Sabon Gari market and other markets within Kano metropolis between April 2 and April 5. “The confiscated products include drugs, lemon flavor and other consumables,” he said. Dan-Agundi said that the council would not relent in its effort towards curtailing the import...
Kim Jong Un: North Korea facing its ‘worst-ever situation’
Kim Jong Un says North Korea is facing its “worst-ever situation” and called on “grassroots” members of the ruling Workers’ Party to be more proactive and responsible in carrying out the country’s new five-year economic plan. The comments, reported by state media on Wednesday, came as experts warn Kim is facing perhaps his toughest moment as he approaches a decade in rule, with North Korea’s coronavirus lockdown unleashing further shock on its sanctions-battered economy. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim made the comments during an opening speech at a meeting of the Workers’ Party’s cell secretaries on Tuesday. “Improving the people’s living standards … even in the worst-ever situation in which we have to overcome unprecedentedly numerous challenges depends on the ...