The roof of the National Assembly Complex leaked as it rained heavily on Tuesday. The main lobby which leads to the chambers of the senate and the house of representatives was flooded owing to the downpour. The press centre where reporters sit to monitor plenary sessions was not spared by the flood. Domestic staff of the assembly battled for more than 20 minutes to drain out the pool of water. But the situation did not stop legislators from sitting. In 2019, the national assembly budgeted N42 billion for the renovation of the complex. This sparked off criticism as some Nigerians frowned at the sum earmarked for the renovation.

The Senate, on Tuesday, confirmed the appointment of Major General Faruk Yahaya as the Chief of Army Staff. The confirmation followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the joint committee on Defence and Army led by senators Aliyu Wamakko and Ali Ndume. Chairman of the Joint Committee, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko (APC, Sokoto North), in his presentation said the Committee was satisfied with the comprehensive and robust nature of the engagement and interactions with the nominee during the screening exercise. According to the lawmaker, Faruk’s nomination was in line with section 217 (2abc) of the 1999 Constitution as amended and in accordance with the provision of sections 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20 Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. He disclosed that the Committee did not receive any petitions on the Nominee was cleared by the Department of State Security Service (DSS). Senator Wamakko said that during the screening exercise, “the nominee’s knowledge of the strategic capabilities of the Army was exhaustive and impressive.” “He showed a clear knowledge of the Army with apt for a Chief of Army Staff. Despite the Army being the largest of the Armed Forces, the nominee was clear in his vision to encourage joint operational synergy with other services for success in all theatre of operations”, he said. He added that Faruk underscored the need to ensure peace in the forthcoming elections, stressing that all hands must be on deck to deal with non-kinetic issues such as the settlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Boko Haram’s insurgency. Giving insight into the dynamics of the challenges of the North East, Wamakko said that the Chief of Army Staff disclosed to the Committee that under his command in January 2021, Nigerian troops advanced into enclaves of Shekau-led position in Alagarno forest-Timbuktu triangle axis. Senator Wamakko observed that the Committee during an interaction with the nominee recognized the current security challenges confronting the nation. Senator Ali Ndume said, “due to the nature of the appointment as part of our security apparatus, the Committee decided to do the screening in a closed session after the preliminaries. “And, therefore, I want to appeal to the Senate, to expeditiously approve this confirmation so that the Chief of Army Staff be decorated accordingly to enable him start some of the jobs he cannot do now because he is still in acting capacity.” Buhari had, earlier in the month, asked the Red Chamber to confirm Yahaya, who was appointed after the demise of former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru. Attahiru died in a plane crash near the Kaduna International Airport last month. Before his appointment, Yahaya was the General Officer Commanding Division 1 of the Nigerian Army and Theatre Commander of the Counter Terrorism, Counter Insurgency military outfit in the North East code named Operation HADIN KAI.

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the composition of the Federal Government’s team to engage with Twitter over the recent suspension of its operations in Nigeria. The approval was announced in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who will chair the team. The Federal Government’s team also comprises the Attorney-General of the Federation and Honourable Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN); Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babajide Fashola; Minister of State for Labour and Employment,Chris Ngige; as well as other relevant government agencies. Following the indefinite suspension of its operations in Nigeria, for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence, Twitter wrote to President Buhari seeking to engage with the Federal Government over the suspension, with a view to charting a path forward.

The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is in alliance with a separatist movement in Cameroon in the areas of training for combat operations and arms exchange, Daily Trust learnt from credible security sources. Though the level of the collaboration is yet to manifest, findings show that people from the English-speaking part of Cameroon, the home to the agitators for Ambazonian state, have always had an easy passage into Nigeria because of common heritage with Nigerians from Cross River State. While IPOB, through the Eastern Security Network (ESN), is fighting Nigerian security forces to establish the Biafra republic in the South-East, the Ambazonian War of Liberation (AWL) and Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) are pushing to break away from Cameroon. Our correspondents report that there are concerns over a possible link between the rise in violent agitation for self-determination by IPOB militants and the connection they established in Cameroon. The AWL leadership had on April 10, 2021, announced that they have established a relationship with IPOB towards pursuing a common goal of political and economic liberation. A record of a Zoom meeting posted on social media showed the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu and the leader of AWL, Dr Lucas Cho Ayaba, indicating plans to work together in the struggles for their two regions. Both Kanu and Ayaba are spearheading the insurrections from abroad. “We are in the know of what is happening…We are closely monitoring,” a security source who does not want to be named, said. “There is a link between them because the Ambazonian militants are offering training to IPOB members,” another source said. An analysis by Foreign Policy showed that the two groups agreed to “work to secure their shared border and ensure an open exchange of weapons and personnel.” During the April virtual meeting, both secessionist leaders pledged their determination to forge a close alliance and accelerate international attention to grant them the right to self-determination from their mother countries—Nigeria and Cameroon. They noted that people in the two areas are allegedly subjugated to oppression and underdevelopment, which was worsened by colonialism and neo-colonialism. They said the trend was to keep the entire African continent under subjugation. Kanu said, “Over the years, our grandfathers and grandmothers have stomached this terrorist proclivity, with the hope that somehow, it would go away. But it is clear to us that after so much turning of the other cheek as well as payment in blood, these bullies never ever became reasonable. Instead, it has emboldened them. This is part of the reason Biafrans and Ambazonians are coming together. We are coming together to rediscover our shared biological and cultural heritages. “So far, even though our struggles for freedom have shared different trajectories, Biafrans and Ambazonians have a shared destiny. Our collective destiny is once again to lead the continent of black Africa to achieve the type of civilisation that humanity would marvel at, just like our Bantu ancestors did when they civilised the whole of the known world around them. “In the coming days, we the Biafrans and Ambazonians would be communicating to the world in sequence as the need arises, our blueprint for cooperation, preparatory to the re-emergence of our nations,” he said. Making his speech, Ayaba said the relationship between their people dated back in history, recalling that the people, who were originally part of the Eastern Region, in 1961, moved a motion at the Eastern House of Assembly in Enugu to re-join French-speaking Cameroon with their regional capital in Buea. “As you have said, we are one people, inter-culturally linked. But I also want to remind Ambazonians that I take your concerns seriously. That is why alliance is split into three phases. There is the need to ensure that both people are liberated from the tyranny imposed on them and to establish within them a transitional period method of collaboration and cooperation to dismantle the economic blockade that has impoverished our two nations. “And within this period, there will be massive consultations within Ambazonia to ensure that any treaty that would be binding on the two nations would be approved by the Ambazonian people,” he said. Findings in the South-East and South-South in Nigeria showed that there are many Cameroonians, either living in the regions or refugees fleeing the crisis in their country. However, no activity of the IPOB is seen to be visibly carried out through collaboration between the groups. Cross River State shares borders with south western Cameroon and also shares cultural affinity with the people. However, inquiries showed that no militant group in parts of the state or the South-East has serious or any link with the Ambazonian separatists fighting for an independent state from Cameroon. Activities of IPOB are not heard of or pronounced in Cross River State. It is believed that many old militant groups that were in the state may have been outgunned by the proactive state security outfit called Operation Apakwu. The coordinator of the outfit, Dr Alfred Mboto, who is the security adviser to the governor, expressed doubts that there could be groups in the state extending supports to the Ambazonians. The Ambazonians do move into borderline communities of Cross River State in the northern axis of the state in search of food, drinks, women, hideouts, and the rest. This is easily facilitated by the common affinity shared between residents of border communities in Cross River with their kith and kin in nearby communities of Cameroon. Residents on the two sides share language, culture, intermarriage or festivals, making it often difficult to distinguish between a Nigerian and a Cameroonian. As a result of this commonplace affinity, the Ambazonians or their sponsors had tried to negotiate officially and otherwise with the Nigerian government, as well as different pressure groups for support, without success. In January 2018, some 47 Ambazonian top figures were arrested in Abuja, detained and eventually deported by the Nigerian authorities to Cameroon. They had come to further their call for Nigerian support and help. But the action of

Yoruba Nation agitator Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho has vowed to proceed with the planned Yoruba Nation rally in Lagos. The Nation reports Igboho will storm Lagos on Saturday July 3 alongside other agitators for the Yoruba Nation rally. Hinged on the heels of similar rallies held across southwest States including Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, and Ondo, the pro-Yoruba nation protesters vowed not to back down or get intimated by any threats. Igboho, who spoke through his spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki during a live video chat monitored by The Nation, stated that there is no going back on the Yoruba Nation peaceful rally slated for Ojota Park, Lagos. He said: “We are sending a peaceful message to Governor Sanwo-Olu. We do not mind any other person who is saying we should not come to Lagos. “Sanwo-Olu is the chief security officer of the land and we are coming to Lagos. “July 3rd is the most important date; nobody cannot say we should not come to Lagos. It is a peaceful rally. “We have gone to Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and we had peaceful rallies, so nobody can stop us from not coming to Lagos.” His ardent supporter Ololade Alaba Shomuyiwa aka Baba Confirm, Prophet of El Adonai Cherubim and Seraphim International Bible Ministries, berated those discouraging Yoruba Nation protesters from participating in the planned Lagos rally.

Protesters have blocked the Umaru Yar’Adua Way leading to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The youths, under the aegis of #RevolutionNow, blocked the road on Monday morning. The protesters made bonfires on the ever-busy road leaving motorists stranded. Most hits are workers who live in Lugbe, Kuje, and other areas along the Airport road making their way to the city centre to resume work after the weekend. Details later….