Violence
Governor Bello: Disbandment of SARS dampened police morale
Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has said the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force dampened the spirits of police officers across the country. The governor was reacting to the nationwide violence and looting by hoodlums in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests. Many Nigerians have wondered why rampaging hoodlums are having a field day destroying lives and properties in the country despite the presence of security operatives. There have been reports of hoodlums overpowering police officers to burn down police stations and other infrastructure they guard. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Tuesday which was monitored by newsmen, Bello explained that the pronouncement by the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, affected...
#EndSARS: Ekiti panel receiving petitions ahead of November 2 sitting
The Ekiti State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the Allegations of Human Rights Violations Against the Police, defunct SARS officers and other Persons has commenced its activities with a call on citizens of the State to start submitting petitions ahead of its November 2 inaugural sitting. The State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Olawale Fapohunda, disclosed this in Ado-Ekiti on Monday while giving an update on activities of the Judicial Panel. He said the panel had liberalised the process of filing petitions that will make it convenient for anyone from any part of the state to file their petitions without going through any form of stress. The Attorney-General explained that the partnership with various institutions and individuals was to ensure that everyone whose rights ha...
Hoodlums attack Complete Sports head office
Hoodlums on Sunday attacked the head office of Complete Sports newspapers in Okota, Lagos. This was made known in a statement by the Group Managing Director of the company, Dr Mumini Alao. The hoodlums capitalised on the curfew imposed by the Lagos State Government in the wake of the violence and looting that rocked the state in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests in the country, to carry out the attack. According to Alao, the suspected hoodlums forced their way into the company and ransacked the offices. “The hoodlums came very early on Sunday morning, October 25, 2020. They attacked our office security guards, tied them up, and proceeded to ransack several offices in the building,” Alao said. “Luckily for us, one of the guards escaped to raise the alarm, thus forcing the fleeing hoodl...
Ex-Lagos governor discovers mystery camera at Lekki toll gate
The Minister for Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Sunday, discovered a hidden camera at the Lekki Toll Gate, Admiralty Circle, in Lagos. Fashola, led a Federal Government delegation on the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari to commiserate with the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, over the loss of lives and destruction of properties in the violence that rocked the state last week. Those in the FG’s entourage include: Ministers of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Mines and Industries, Olamilekan Adegbite, Niyi Adebayo, Trade and Investments and Olorunnibe Mamora, Health state. Also, some South West Governors such as: Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, and Lagos States, Kayode Fayemi, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, Seyi Makinde, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, respectively, were on the inspection t...
Nigeria seeks to halt looting amid fury over ‘food warehouses’
Nigerian security forces are struggling to contain increasing cases of looting on government-run warehouses across the country, in the latest incident of unrest following widespread, youth-led protests against police brutality. The storage facilities hold tonnes of relief materials including food meant for distribution during lockdowns previously enforced to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. While the distribution programme had been temporarily halted across several states in the country in recent months, it emerged this week relief items were still stored in some of these facilities, as well as the private homes of politicians. The news angered many in the country with the biggest number of people living in extreme poverty globally. “The food items belong to Nigerians. Why are the...
#EndSARS: Nigerian government sets up N25 billion youth fund – minister
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, on Saturday, said the federal government has created a N25bn youth fund as part of efforts to address the dissatisfaction of #EndSARS protesters and other youth-related restiveness in the country. The minister made this known at a stakeholders’ meeting with the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, in Kaduna on Saturday. According to Ahmed, the meeting was in line with the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari to ministers and governors to dialogue with stakeholders and the youths with a view to addressing their agitations. The minister, who explained that the youth fund would be increased to N75bn within a period of three years, explained that the fund aims to support youths to actualise their entreprene...
#EndSARS: IGP orders clampdown on hoodlums
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the immediate mobilisation of all police operational resources to bring an end to the wanton violence, killings, looting and destruction of public and private property across the country. The IGP said this according to a statement by the Force Public relations Officer, Frank Mba. According to Mr Mba, the directive by the IGP is to reclaim the public space from hoodlums who have operated almost freely in many states. Vandals have attacked public and private property, especially those belonging to politicians, since Tuesday when soldiers shot at unarmed protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos. In many states, warehouses holding food aid meant for residents during the COVID-19 lockdown have been broken into and looted. The IGP, a...
Official: No fire outbreak at CAN national secretariat
File Photo The Christian Association of Nigeria has described as untrue, reports that its National Secretariat and National Ecumenical Centre had been set on fire by hoodlums who have hijacked the #EndSARS protests against police brutality. The General Secretary of CAN, Joseph Daramola, stated this in a chat with newsmen on Saturday night. He said, “Nothing happened. It’s not true, I’m just coming out of the office. The time now is 08:27pm. I’m just in my car driving back to my house. They said it came from AIT.” The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, Cornelius Omonokhua, also clarified that the report was “a false alarm.” “It’s not true, it’s a false alarm. As I speak, the General Secretary of CAN is in the office; there’s nothing like that. It’s a false alarm, th...
#EndSARS: Let those who lost relatives at Lekki toll plaza speak up – Omotola
Veteran Nollywood actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, has asked families who lost their relatives during the Lekki tollgate incident to speak up. The actress disclosed this on Friday as she took to her Twitter account to enjoin Nigerians to desist from sensationalizing the story if there were no deaths. She said: “It is a Crime of Human Rights to shoot someone not pointing a gun at you or running from you.” “Now that the whirlwind is settling, let’s see clearly and sieve the facts from the sensation. “Remember that the Main Reason is to Stop Police Brutality in Nigeria and we still demand to know who ordered the Terror on Peaceful protesters while there’s Still No known arrests of killer MIU. “Who sent the Military and started the VIOLENCE and HOOLIGANISM. “We Demand to know who brought touts...
#EndSARS: Nollywood actress urges Feminist Coalition not to stop accepting donations
Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji, has enjoined the Feminist Coalition not to stop receiving donations supporting the #EndSARS protesters. Recall that the group, which has been providing administrative support and fundraising for the group had said it would no longer accept donations for the campaign, which seeks an end to police brutality and the disbandment of the police’s tactical special units – SARS and SWAT. Their decision followed President Buhari’s Thursday night’s national broadcast which asked protesters to get off the streets as violence and anarchy reigned. However, in her reaction to the development, Genevieve disclosed that it is important that the donation continues so that it could meet with the financial demands of some of the protesters. She also lamented that citizens c...
#EndSARS: Hoodlums razed, looted FRSC offices in Abia, Lagos, five others – official
The Federal Road Safety Corps has lamented that its offices in Abia, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Imo, Lagos, and Enugu were attacked by hoodlums. While some of the offices were burnt, items and properties were stolen in others. The Corps Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal, Bisi Kazeem, made this known in a statement titled, ‘#ENDSARS: FRSC decries incessant attack on personnel, Operational tools’, on Friday. He also decried incessant attacks on its personnel and operational tools during the unrest in the country. Kazeem said, “Upon the escalation of violence upon the country, FRSC formations came under physical attacks resulting in the burning down of offices. “This includes Operational and other vehicles, damaging of sundry structures and massive looting of valuables of FRSC forma...
Police arrest 12 suspects over attack on police stations in Benin
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Mohammed Adamu, on Tuesday said that 12 suspects have been arrested in connection with the attacks and arson on Police Stations in Benin. In a statement in Abuja, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr Frank Mba, disclosed that five AK47 rifles, earlier stolen from vandalised police stations, have also been recovered. Adamu had ordered the deployment of anti-riot police unit, the Police Mobile Force (PMF), to protect lives and property of all Nigerians and secure critical national infrastructure across the country. He had also ordered massive deployment of Police operatives to strengthen security around Correctional facilities nationwide. The IGP said the order followed the increasing attacks and acts of arson and malicious damage to public ...
