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Post Date : August 16, 2021

Afghan military plane crashes in Uzbekistan

An Afghan military plane has crashed in Uzbekistan, the Central Asian country’s defence ministry said on Monday, confirming earlier reports. “The military plane illegally crossed the border of Uzbekistan. An investigation is under way,” ministry spokesman Bakhrom Zulfikarov told AFP, confirming Uzbek media reports of a crash taking place late Sunday in Uzbekistan’s southern province of Surkhondaryo, which borders Afghanistan. Zulfikarov said the ministry would prepare a statement on the crash. Bekpulat Okboyev, a doctor in Surkhondaryo province, told AFP his hospital had taken in two patients who were wearing Afghan military uniforms on Sunday evening. The doctor described one of the patients as having come in “with a parachute” and noted that the man had suffered fractures. Central Asia has watched with alarm as Afghanistan’s government has collapsed. Three former Soviet countries — Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — border the country. On Sunday, Uzbekistan said 84 Afghan soldiers had been detained crossing the border, adding that it was negotiating with the Afghans over the soldiers’ return. (AFP)

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Post Date : August 16, 2021

IPOB considers recommencing every Monday sit-at-home order

Barely 72 hours after it called off its sit-at-home order, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said it is considering recommencing the every Monday order it had earlier made, to push for the release of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, from detention. The group had last weekend while speaking through its publicity secretary, Mr Emma Powerful, called off the sit-at-home order, saying that the exercise would henceforth hold only on days its leader, Kanu would appear in court. But despite the suspension of the exercise, Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi and other major towns in Anambra State on Monday observed the sit-at-home order, making the group reconsider its stand. Emma Powerful, who spoke to some journalists, in reaction to the observance of the order, despite the suspension, said that IPOB was no longer forcing anyone to stay at home, but added that people voluntarily decided to observe it to show how they feel about the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu. He said the exercise was not entirely banned but was only suspended, and that since the people were fine with it, the group might reintroduce it. He, however, said that would be after due consultation. “Yes, we observed that people decided to sit at home today. We did not tell them to do so, and we did not force anybody,” Powerful said. “They are doing it to show how they feel about the detention of Kanu. “We suspended the sit-at-home for this Monday, but after consultation, we can decide to order that people should sit at home again by next Monday. As for this Monday, the people are just expressing their feelings. We are still consulting, and we will let people know later,” he noted.

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Post Date : August 16, 2021

Nigerian Court Awards N4million Compensation To Businessman Detained, Tortured After Catching Policeman With His Wife In His Matrimonial Home

A Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP Celestine Umeh, the Nigeria Police Force and the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police have been ordered by the Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo to pay the sum of N4 million as compensation to a businessman, Clement Asuquo Etim. SaharaReporters had reported how Etim, was arrested, detained and tortured for three days after he caught Umeh in the night in his matrimonial home at Aba Ukpo Estate in Uyo. In a 46-page court document filed in May 2020, Etim stated that Umeh, who is now the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Itu Division in Akwa Ibom State, violated his fundamental right to private and family life guaranteed by Section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution when he intruded into his matrimonial home in his absence at Aba Ukpo Estate in Uyo to be with his wife, Mrs Laurentia Asuquo Etim. A Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, who represented Mr Etim filed the lawsuit with Suit No: HU/FHR.72/2020 at the High Court of Akwa Ibom State, and asked the court to enforce the fundamental rights of his client to dignity of the human person, personal liberty, private and family lives and freedom of movement. In a judgement delivered on Monday, August 16, 2021, the presiding judge, Justice Charles Ikpe, found that the police violated the fundamental right of the Applicant to personal liberty by detaining him for three days without justification. The judge also found that Mr Etim was tortured by the Police, which amounts to a violation of his right to dignity of the human person. Also, the court found CSP Umeh liable of violation of the fundamental right of the Applicant to private and family life by intruding into the matrimonial home of Mr Etim without his consent. The court restrained the police from arresting the Applicant except by the order of a court. In his reaction to the judgment given in his client’s favour, the Applicant’s counsel, Effiong said the judgement is a reminder that the court remains the solace of the oppressed. Effiong commended the judge for his industry and the lucidity expressed in the judgment.

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Post Date : August 16, 2021

HURIWA to FG: Declare bandits as terrorists, leave IPOB, Yoruba Nation

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, has asked the Federal Government to declare as terrorists, bandits downing Nigerian Air Force jets, killing and maiming citizens all over the country. The group also urged the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to leave separatists alone and ensure the prosecution of suspected bandits and Boko Haram members in the custody of security agencies. National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the group’s Media Affairs Director, Zainab Yusuf, made this known in a statement on Sunday, titled, ‘HURIWA Cautions AGF On Yoruba Nation/IPOB’. The group was reacting to a statement by the AGF Office that the government might proscribe Yoruba Nation group just like it outlawed the Indigenous People of Biafra in 2017. Sunday PUNCH had reported that Malami’s Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Umar Gwandu, said the Federal Government would explore all options within the context of the law — including proscription — to ensure a peaceful and united Nigeria. Reacting, HURIWA said it was unjust that the government proscribed IPOB and might outlaw Yoruba Nation separatist group but failed to declare bandits ravaging parts of the country as terrorists. The group accused the government of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) of “being so sectional” and “carpeted the Federal Government for failing to declare as terrorists, the armed militia in the forests of Zamfara State who shot down a military jet belonging to the Nigerian Air Force.”

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Post Date : August 16, 2021

Five killed at Kabul airport as Taliban proclaims peace

Five people were killed in chaos at Kabul airport on Monday as U.S. troops guarded the evacuation of embassy staff. This came a day after the Taliban seized the Afghan capital and declared that the war was over and peace had prevailed. Witnesses said it was not immediately clear how the victims died. A U.S. official said troops had fired in the air to deter people trying to force their way onto a military flight set to take U.S. diplomats and embassy staff out of the fallen city. One witness, waiting for a flight out of the city for more than 20 hours, said it was unclear if the five had been shot or killed in a stampede. U.S. officials at the airport were not immediately available for comment. In a video posted on social media, three bodies could be seen on the ground near what appeared to be an airport side entrance. In a video posted on social media, three bodies could be seen on the ground near what appeared to be an airport side entrance. Reuters could not verify the footage, but another witness said he had also seen five bodies. The chaos came as Taliban officials declared the war over and issued statements aimed at calming the panic that has been building in Kabul as the militants, who ruled from 1996 to 2001, routed the U.S.-backed government’s forces. President Ashraf Ghani fled from the country on Sunday as the Islamists entered Kabul virtually unopposed, saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed. Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen said in a message on Twitter that their fighters were under strict orders not to harm anyone. “Life, property, and honour of none shall be harmed but must be protected by the mujahideen,” he said. Earlier, Mohammad Naeem, the spokesman for the Taliban’s political office, told Al Jazeera TV that the Afghan people and the Taliban had witnessed the fruits of their efforts and sacrifices over 20 years. “Thanks to God, the war is over,” he said. It took the Taliban just over a week to seize control of the country after a lightning sweep that ended in Kabul as government forces, trained for years and equipped by the U.S. and others at the cost of billions of dollars, melted away. Al Jazeera broadcast footage of what it said were Taliban commanders in the presidential palace with dozens of armed fighters. Mr Naeem said the new regime in Afghanistan would be made clear soon, and the Taliban did not want to live in isolation, calling for peaceful international relations. The militants sought to project a more moderate face, promising to respect women’s rights and protect foreigners and Afghans. Many Afghans fear the Taliban will return to past harsh practices in their imposition of Sharia religious law. (Reuters/NAN)

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Post Date : August 16, 2021

BBNaija S6: Biggy introduces new rule, declares Mondays as cleaning day

Big Brother has introduced a new rule for the season six housemates, declaring every Monday as cleaning day. This information was contained in a brief by Big Brother and was read out by the Head of House, Pere, to all housemates on Monday, day 23 of the show. According to the brief, housemates are to take Mondays as their cleaning day till the end of the season. Pere read, “From now till the end of the season, Mondays in Big Brother house will now be cleaning day for all housemates using the Hypo bleach and Hypo toilet cleaner. “The Head of House must divide the house into small groups and ensure that the following parts of the house are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected: the living room, the bedroom, the jacuzzi, the dining area, the kitchen floors and surfaces, the toilet floors and bowls, including tiled areas and the salon. “Hypo products and other items you’ll be needing for this cleaning activity had been provided in the store room. “You may proceed to collect them and begin in disinfecting the house immediately. The head of house must supervise the entire process and ensure this is carries out orderly.” Following the brief, the HoH grouped the housemates into groups and the cleaning process commenced.

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Post Date : August 16, 2021

Buhari signs Petroleum Industry Bill into law

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) 2021 into law. In statement issued by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, Buhari assented to the bill on Monday in his determination to fulfill his constitutional duty. The passage of the PIB has proved to be a real nightmare for successive administrations since the need for the bill was first mooted by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo administration. In 2018, after the national assembly passed a harmonised version of the bill — the petroleum industry governance bill (PIGB), President Muhammadu Buhari refused assent due to “legal and constitutional reasons”. The PIB contains 5 chapters, including governance and institutions, administration, host communities development, petroleum industry fiscal framework and miscellaneous provisions in 319 clauses and 8 schedules. Adesina also noted that Buhari is working from home in line with the five days’ quarantine as required by the presidential steering committee on COVID-19 after returning from London on August 13. ”The ceremonial part of the new legislation will be done on Wednesday, after the days of mandatory isolation would have been fulfilled,” the statement reads. The Petroleum Industry Act provides legal, governance, regulatory and fiscal framework for the Nigerian petroleum industry, the development of host communities, and related matters. The senate had passed the bill on July 15, 2021, while the house of representatives did the same on July 16, thus ending a long wait since early 2000s. On July 1, the senate and the house of representatives had recommended 3% and 5% percent respectively to host communities. This, however, generated reactions from stakeholders in the oil industry and leaders in the Niger-Delta region. Several stakeholders including Seriake Dickson, senator representing Bayelsa west; Douye Diri, governor of Bayelsa state; Edwin Clark, an Ijaw national leader, have argued that three percent is unacceptable At the public hearing on the bill, representatives of the host communities had demanded that they be allocated 10 percent on the grounds that three percentage is not enough to improve the standard of living of their people.

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Post Date : August 16, 2021

Panic-Stricken Afghans Mob Airplane In Desperate Attempt At Escape

Frantic Afghans trying to flee the Taliban takeover clung to an American plane as it prepared to take off from Kabul airport, as thousands of people desperately searched for a flight out of the country on Monday. US troops fired shots into the air and all commercial flights were cancelled as chaos broke out on the tarmac. Dramatic footage posted on social media shows hundreds of men running alongside a US Air Force plane as it rolls down the runway, with some clinging to the side of it. In other videos, civilians frantically clamber up an already overcrowded and buckling set of airstairs. Crowds watched on, as those who successfully climbed the stairs helped others up, while some hung from the stair railings by their hands. Panicked families with frightened children in tow and laden with luggage were trying to escape the incoming Taliban regime, two decades after the group’s harsh rule was toppled by a US-led invasion. “I feel very scared here. They are firing lots of shots into the air,” the witness said, asking not to be named in case it jeopardised his chances of leaving. The US State Department said American troops had secured the perimeter of the airport as they evacuate embassy employees and thousands of Afghans who worked for Washington’s interests since they toppled the Taliban in the wake of the September 11 attacks. The scenes at the airport were reminiscent of the chaos that enveloped Washington’s earlier bungled escape from Vietnam in 1975, even as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken rejected the comparison. ‘We are afraid’ Afghans crowd at the tarmac of the Kabul airport on August 16, 2021, to flee the country as the Taliban were in control of Afghanistan after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and conceded the insurgents had won the 20-year war. AFP The US embassy in Kabul tweeted to tell American nationals and Afghans to “not travel to the airport”. But thousands more Afghans — even some with no links to the US-led coalition — showed up in the hope of getting out, without tickets or visas for foreign destinations. The bedlam at the airport came just hours after Taliban leaders ordered their fighters into Kabul to maintain order as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. “We are afraid to live in this city and we are trying to flee Kabul,” said a 25-year old man who also asked to be identified only as Ahmed. Many of the arrivals were fuelled by rumours spread on social media. “I read on Facebook that Canada is accepting asylum from Afghanistan,” said Ahmed. “Since I served in the army… there is danger. The Taliban would definitely target me.” The US said it had evacuated its entire embassy staff to the airport, but they were being kept separate from those without permission to travel. Other videos posted on social media also showed desperate scenes overnight of people fighting to cram into the back of a cargo plane. Outside of the airport, an uneasy calm held over Kabul as armed Taliban insurgents patrolled the streets and set up checkpoints. In a message posted to social media, Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar called on his fighters to remain disciplined after taking control of the city. “Now it’s time to test and prove, now we have to show that we can serve our nation and ensure security and comfort of life,” he said. The scenes at the airport were reminiscent of the chaos that enveloped Washington’s earlier bungled escape from Vietnam in 1975, even as Washington swatted away the comparison. “This is not Saigon,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a broadcaster on Sunday. -AFP

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Post Date : August 16, 2021

Highways, Railways And Jobs Will Defeat Terrorism Not Swords – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said the construction of highways, railways and the creation of jobs – not military force – is the key to ending terrorism in Africa. The President made the comment in an opinion piece published in the UK’s Financial Times on Sunday. The piece, titled ‘Africa needs more than US military aid to defeat terror’, reflected on the state of global terrorism in light of the withdrawal of US troops in Afghanistan. According to President Buhari, the threat of terrorism now “burns fiercely” in Africa. To combat terrorism, the President said what Africa needs most from the US “is a comprehensive partnership to close the disparity between our economic and demographic growth.” “Ultimately, Africans need not swords but ploughshares to defeat terror,” the President added. “Yes, we require the technological and intelligence support that our armies do not possess. “Yet the boots we need on the ground are those of constructors, not the military. Africa’s fight against terror is the world’s fight. “We will defeat them one highway, one rail link — and one job — at a time.”

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