Violence
Melinda Gates tasks policymakers on protection of women, girls in fight against coronavirus
In a paper titled “The Pandemic’s Toll on Women and Girls,” Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda Gates, has tasked global leaders and policymakers on the protection of women and girls in the fight against the coronavirus. Gates said that to recover fully from this pandemic, leaders must respond to the ways that it is affecting men and women differently. In the paper, she puts forward a set of specific, practical policy recommendations that governments should consider in their pandemic response—to improve health systems for women and girls, design more inclusive economic policies, gather better data, and prioritize women’s leadership. Writing in the paper, Gates described how previous disease outbreaks, including AIDS and Ebola, tend to exploit existing forces of ine...
Police nab eight suspects for rape, sodomy in Kebbi
The Police Command in Kebbi has arrested seven suspected rapists and one for sodomy in the state. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Agunbiade Oluyemi-Lasore, made this known while briefing newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday. Oluyemi-Lasore, said that the arrests were made from May to June, adding that the period under review was challenging and eventful for the command. The police Commissioner said that in spite of the daunting challenges, the command was able to crack most of criminal syndicates terrorising the state and made quite a number of arrests. Oluyemi-Lasore said on May 10 and 30, one Musa Abubakar of Argungu LGA, 27 and Kabiru Hassan of Dandi LGA, 28, forcefully had carnal knowledge of girls aged 10 and 8, respectively. Also on June 3 and 4, one Mu’awuya Mohammed, 30, of ...
Police warn cult group over planned disruption of public peace
The Ogun state police command says it has gathered an intelligence report which reveals that members of a notorious cult group are planning to unleash terror and violence on Tuesday 7th of July 2020 across the state in order to mark what they call the 7/7 day. In a statement by the police public relations officer in the state DSP, Abimbola Oyetemi, the intelligence report further revealed that members of the group are also planning to use the said date to initiate new members into their fold after which they will engage their rival cult group in a supremacy battle which may lead to loss of life and wanton destruction of property. The public relations officer said in view of this, those having such devilish plans have been warned to have a rethink and retrace their steps as such a move will...
Saudi coalition shoots down Houthi ballistic missiles and drones
The Saudi-led military coalition said on Tuesday it intercepted and destroyed drones and missiles launched against the kingdom by Houthi rebels in Yemen, including one fired towards the capital Riyadh. The Iran-aligned Houthis said they would announce details of a “major attack” on Saudi Arabia on their Al Masirah TV, amid ongoing fighting in Yemen where the rebels took control of the northern province of Al-Jawf earlier this year. “The joint coalition forces managed … to intercept and destroy a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia from Sanaa towards Riyadh in a deliberate hostile operation,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said on state media. The Saudi military said it also brought down “eight booby-trapped unmanned aircraft to target civilian objects and civili...
Roadside bomb kills seven in Afghanistan
Seven civilians were killed by a roadside bomb linked to the Taliban in northern Afghanistan, officials said Tuesday, even as authorities pressed for peace talks with the militants. The blast struck a small truck carrying a group of labourers late Monday in the volatile district of Khan Abad, in the province of Kunduz. No group claimed responsibility, but Kunduz provincial spokesman Esmatullah Muradi pointed the finger at the Taliban. “The Taliban usually plant roadside bombs to target security forces, but their bombs usually kill civilians,” he told AFP. Two of six others wounded in the blast were in critical condition, said district chief Hayatullah Amiri. Earlier this year, a United Nations report said more than 10,000 people were killed or wounded in the war in 2019 alone. Overall viol...
NHRC: Most govt officials are ignorant of human rights
The Ebonyi state coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr. Christopher Onyekachi, says most government officials are ignorant of human rights. Onyekachi who spoke with newsmen on Monday, in Abakaliki, called on government to make provision for human rights education our various academic institutions. “Most of the government officials are ignorant of human rights. There is need to help us through the program which UNICEF is ready to partner too. “Human rights education should be inserted in the curriculum of the schools so that children from the primary, secondary and Tertiary school levels will be ready to know what their rights are because these are the major people that will form members of the society. “So, when they learn their rights as the basic thing they will ...
Thirteen killed in Katsina bandit attacks
Thirteen people died on Friday when villagers fought back against armed cattle thieves in Katsina State where rustling has been on the increase. The spokesperson of the police in the state, Gambo Isah, confirmed this to Channels Television on Saturday. Also speaking to AFP, the PPRO noted that residents of four villages, organised in local militias, took on the livestock rustlers. “Thirteen people were killed and others injured in the process,” Isah said. “We keep telling people who are only armed with muskets and machetes to avoid confrontation with bandits who came with Kalashnikov rifles”. Northwestern Nigeria has been wracked by years of violence between rival communities over land, attacks by heavily-armed criminal gangs and reprisal killings by vigilante groups. Cattle rustling and k...
FIFA, WHO, EU launch campaign to help domestic violence victims amid coronavirus lockdown
FIFA, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Commission have announced the #SafeHome campaign designed to support women and children at risk of domestic violence during the coronavirus pandemic. With many families all over the world quarantined during the pandemic, there have been spikes in recent reports of domestic violence as at-risk women and children are forced into dangerous situations at home. The three organisations have launched a five-part video campaign designed to raise awareness, with several past and present footballing stars taking part. Among the players featured are Alvaro Arbeloa, Rosana Augusto, Vítor Baia, Khalilou Fadiga, Matthias Ginter, David James, Annike Krahn, Marco Materazzi, Milagros Menendez, Noemi Pascotto, Graham Potter, Mikael Silvestre, Kelly ...
PDP warns against plot to foist emergency rule in Rivers
File Photo The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned against the exposed plots by certain unpatriotic and disgruntled individuals, allegedly working for the All Progressives Congress (APC), to orchestrate a security situation and push for imposition of a state of emergency in Rivers State. The party said it has been informed of plots by such power hungry politicians to sponsor their misguided youth to unleash violence and unrest in certain parts of the state to create an impression of security breakdown so as to validate their plot for imposition of emergency rule in the state. The PDP said such anti-people elements include some individuals who were rejected by the people of Rivers state in the 2019 governorship election, as well as their godfathers, who believe they have the backing o...
Adamawa imposes curfew on crisis-ridden Lamurde communities
The Adamawa State Government has imposed a 24-hour curfew on warring communities in Lamurde Local Government Area. A statement to this effect said the curfew is government’s response to “the violence that erupted on Thursday, May 14th 2020 and the attendant tension.” The statement, signed by Humwashi Wonosikou, the Press Secretary to Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, said, “Sequel to breach of peace in Tigno Dutse Tito, Sabon Layi and Bagashi communities, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has approved the imposition of a 24-hour curfew from 6:00pm to 6:00am with immediate effect.” The statement added that Governor Fintiri views the disturbances as unacceptable, warning that security agencies have been directed to enforce the curfew, and urging residents of Lamurde Local Government Area to shun rumor-mo...
UN: Somalia faces dire threats from conflict, natural disasters, coronavirus
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees is appealing for strong International support to help millions of Somalis facing a growing number of catastrophic threats from conflict, natural disasters and the potential spread of COVID-19. More than 220,000 Somalis have fled their homes this year because of drought, heavy flooding and increased violence and atrocities by al-Shabab militants. This brings the total number of those forced from their homes in the country to 2.6 million. The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR says the conflict and natural and climate-related disasters are crippling the country’s economy and threatening the safety and welfare of the displaced Somalis. It warns impending desert locust swarms, which have been creating havoc across parts of East Africa, could destroy much of the n...
