Efforts to find missing persons in the Titan submersible have intensified as officials warn that the oxygen supply could run out in less than two hours. On Sunday morning, a submersible carrying five people began a two-hour descent to see the wreckage of the Titanic at the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean, nearly 13,000 feet below land, southeast of Newfoundland, Canada. About an hour and 45 minutes into its descent, the vessel called Titan lost contact with the Polar Prince, the mothership. A Canadian P-3 aircraft, part of the rescue team, detected banging sounds underwater in the search area on Wednesday but efforts to trace the source has been unsuccessful. So far, three vessels have arrived to join the search for the missing Titan including a vessel which has technology that can detect and map out objects on the seafloor. A US coast guard spokesperson said the oxygen supply is expected to run out by 1pm UK time on Thursday. The estimate is based on the number of hours of oxygen the craft had for the five people on board (96) and the time it submerged (1pm UK time on Sunday). The US coast guard said the Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic, a remote operated vehicle, has “reached the sea floor” and has begun searching for the missing submersible. Agencies including the Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society and former employees of OceanGate, the tour company responsible for the Titanic submersible, had expressed concerns in the past about Titan’s safety. Fears about the vessel’s ability to withstand the pressure of such underwater depth and its structure to withstand certain defects in the sea had been raised, but were shut down by OceanGate through a lawsuit.   Aaron Newman, an investor in OceanGate, said Titan is built to be automatically released back to the surface after being held down over 24 hours without active control. Passengers aboard Titan include a British adventurer, a French diver, a Pakistani father and son, and the founder of the tour company.

  Not less than 201 people have been reported killed within five months in 27 attacks in seven local government areas in Plateau State, Daily Trust reports. The killings occurred between January 19 and June 20. The local governments are Riyom, Bokkos, Jos South, Jos East, Barkin Ladi, Bassa and Mangu. The figure is based on data sourced from reported killings in the state, therefore, the casualty figure may be higher. Residents and pundits have expressed worry over the recent killings in the state, recalling similar incidents first recorded in 2001 which dragged on for over a decade and claimed hundreds of lives and property worth billions of naira. They noted that while insecurity climaxed during the administrations of former Governors Joshua Dariye and Jonah Jang, there was a reprieve from 2015 when Simon Bako Lalong took over until around the twilight of his administration when the dark old days of killings resurfaced. Those who spoke to Daily Trust called on both the federal and Plateau State governments to act fast and save lives. Latest killings Daily Trust reports that 20 people were killed in fresh attacks on communities in Mangu, the LGA of the new governor and in Riyom LGA on Tuesday night. The spokesperson for the state Police Command, DSP Alabo Alfred, did not respond to the inquiry on the incident by our correspondent. However, the spokesperson of the 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, Rukuba Barrack, Jos, Ishaku Sabastine Takwa, confirmed the incident. He said, “It was a diversionary attack because the information we got earlier was that the criminals were going to attack Tashek and Wereng to rustle cows (in Riyom). Six lives were lost in Riyom and four in Mangu.” But the member representing Mangu South Constituency in the state assembly, Bala Fwangje, said 14 people were killed when gunmen attacked Chisu and Bwai communities of Mangu around 11pm. “We heard that about 14 people were killed, houses destroyed and properties burnt. I am yet to get the full details of the incident.” Also confirming the attack in Riyom, the Publicity Secretary of Berom Youth Movement (BYM), Rwang Tengwong, told Daily Trust that six persons were killed in the Sambak community. “All the six victims were vigilantes who were on patrol in their community due to the recent security challenges in Riyom. The corpses of the vigilantes were recovered by the personnel of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) who have been there to maintain peace in the area,” Tengwong said. The latest killings came a day after the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 4, Musa Haladu, visited the state to inspect the security situation and to condole with the government over the loss of lives in the crisis areas. Daily Trust had reported how gunmen Sunday night killed 20 persons and injured several others in the villages of Barikin Ladi LGA. Two persons had earlier been killed Sunday evening in Mangu as confirmed by the police authorities in the state. Not less than 13 persons had earlier been killed in the Rawuru community of Barikin Ladi between Friday and Saturday. Endless tit-for-tat Baba Ali, a resident of Mangu said he was distraught by recent killings in parts of the state. “For now, the three senatorial zones in the state are no longer safe. I have a feeling that the authorities are not looking at the implication of this. “Years back, you had skirmishes in the northern and southern part of the state, but, sadly, the central part is also affected now; in fact it is the theatre of killings and this has wider implications,” he said. Situation in affected areas According to data compiled by Daily Trust, Mangu has recorded the highest casualty with 109 people killed in six separate attacks. The figure includes the 14 people killed Tuesday night. The local government also recorded the single heaviest casualty on May 16 in the Kubwat and Fungzai villages where 87 were killed in one fell swoop. Riyom LG has witnessed the highest number of incidents with 11 attacks recorded and 47 persons killed, including the six killed on Tuesday. The local government also recorded the joint second single highest casualty figure with 20 people killed on June 11 in attacks on Rim, Jol and Kwi communities. It shares the worst case with Barkin Ladi where 20 people were killed in the Sunday attack and 35 were killed overall. The record revealed that five persons have been killed in Bokkos with two killed each in Jos South and Bassa LGAs. Jos East witnessed one killing recorded on January 19 in Shere District. External forces behind killings – Gov Reacting to the spate of killings in the state yesterday, Governor Caleb Mutfwang promised to find a lasting solution to the problem, calling on the people to remain calm. The governor who briefed journalists yesterday at the Government House appealed to the security agencies to arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act. He said, “I didn’t come to Plateau to be burying corpses. We are looking for lasting solutions. I, therefore, use this opportunity again to appeal to the people of Plateau State to remain calm and that all hands are on deck to be able to deal with the problem and arrest this ugly situation. By the grace of God, Plateau will remain peaceful.” The governor stated that the attacks in recent times were certainly not carried out by people living in the state. “And the question became…who called them into Plateau? Who sponsored them into Plateau? Who gave them direction into Plateau? We appeal to security agencies to fish out and arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act because we can’t continue to fight unknown gunmen while they are physically seen. We, therefore, want to appeal to the police led by the police to intensify their intelligence network to fish out these merchants of crisis so that we actually make them face the full wrath of the law.” The governor had in

  Some gunmen have reportedly invaded Ejule town in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, killing residents in the process. Our correspondent learnt that the attack started around 3.am on Thursday. A commercial motorcyclist popularly known as okada rider, and the wife of a youth leader in the community were reportedly killed in the attack. The okada rider was said to have been hit by a stray bullet while the woman was said to be looking for her husband when she was hit and died on the spot. Also, a family house in the town was reported to have been set ablaze by the hoodlums.   “I cannot tell you the number of the dead now. Two have been identified, an okada rider and a wife of a known youth in the town have been confirmed dead as a result of the early morning attack. “The situation is still tense, but more dead bodies are sighted on the streets. No one can go out now,” a resident told our correspondent on the telephone. Commamder Jerry Omadara (retd), the Security Adviser to the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, confirmed the incident in an interview with Daily Trust, but said he had yet to get the details. “Someone just drew my attention to the incident. I am yet to get the details. I will get back to you shortly,” he said. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP William Aya, did not pick up his calls when contacted. Meanwhile, the report from the area as at 9.30am indicated that some people were indoors while others had fled the town.

  The Labour Party presidential candidate during the February 25 presidential election, Peter Obi, has said Nigeria stands to benefit from the rising exodus of Nigerians to other countries. The PUNCH reports that there has been a rise in the number of Nigerians leaving the country in droves in search of greener pastures. The phenomenon is popularly known as ‘Japa,’ a Yoruba slang that simply means to flee from a problem or trouble. The PUNCH had on June 15 reported that the House of Representatives unanimously voted against a motion seeking to make the Federal Government address the issues causing Nigerian professionals to migrate to other countries en masse. But corroborating Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist, Bill Gates, on Thursday, the former Anambra State governor said the japa syndrome is healthy for Nigeria. Gates had on Wednesday during an interactive session with innovators on ‘Advancing Africa: Unleashing the Power of Youth in Science and Innovation’ in Lagos State, said the japa syndrome was good and healthy for Nigeria. “In a sense, people leaving is a good thing; if you up the amount of training you’re doing. So you say, Okay, some of our doctors can go get a very high salary in the UK, the US; some of them will pay to their families broadly; and some of them will return. “So having a big diaspora that includes people coming back into business, into government—that’s a very healthy thing. There are some cases, like medical education, that were subsidised by the government, you almost wish that a little bit of that resource you get overseas would help the government increase training; because otherwise and we see today a significant shortage in some of those skills,’’ Gates said. He added, “But I’m not someone who believes that no one should go away or that blocking that completely is a healthy thing.’’ say Nigeria is third on this list, this idea that people go away and do great work but then they come back, if you get that balance and figure out the education funding piece of that, that is a super healthy thing in computer science, in health, in business and other areas.’’ Obi, who shared Gates’ optimism, said “our brain drain today will be our brain gain tomorrow”. In a series of tweets on his Twitter handle on Thursday, Obi wrote, “I read and agree with Bill Gates’s recent comment on the “japa” syndrome, where, according to reports, he stated that the recent surge of Nigerian professionals leaving the country for greener pastures is good and healthy for our country. “I have always preached and maintained this same position on the “japa wave”. For years now, and throughout my campaign in the last Presidential election, especially during my tours from Canada, the USA, Germany, the UK, and other countries, I maintained that “Our brain drain today will be our brain gain tomorrow.” “Nigerians leaving the country may look like a loss today, but when we start doing the right things and taking the governance of our nation more seriously, the knowledge and resources from them will be critical in the building of the New Nigeria, as it happened in China, India, Ireland and other developing countries. “Today, India prides itself as one of the countries with the biggest tech talents in the world, having produced some of the world’s top engineers and computer scientists. Many top global tech companies are headed by CEOs of Indian origin. “So India’s success in the tech industry can partly be attributed to its ability to harness the knowledge and resources of Indians in the diaspora for their national growth. “Nigeria will grow and develop on all fronts when we build the New Nigeria that prioritises investment in education, health, and support for small businesses, guarantees respect for the rule of law, security of lives and properties, and unity of the nation. “Then our diasporan Nigerians around the world will return home with their global training, skills and resources, to immeasurably contribute to building a New and better Nigeria. We will not give up on our dreams for the New Nigeria.”

  The Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2023 Global Liveability report has ranked Lagos as the fourth worst city to live in the world. The report surveyed 173 cities and used 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. Lagos was ranked above Algiers, the capital of Algeria; Tripoli, Libya’s capital; and Damascus, the capital of war-torn Syria. EIU said Lagos moved up the ranks after seeing improvements in healthcare and education but added that corruption is still a problem. In 2022, Lagos was the second worst liveable city after holding the position for two consecutive years and was only behind Damascus which has been held down on the list by social unrest, terrorism, and conflict. “Even at the bottom of our rankings, cities such as Lagos (Nigeria) and Algiers (Algeria) have gained ground, with some improvements in their healthcare and education systems. Both are in countries that are energy exporters and have to some extent benefited from higher global oil and gas prices,” the report reads. “Although corruption continues to be an issue, some additional public funding has been made available for infrastructure and public services, which have also benefited from the decline in covid cases.” Vienna, the Austrian capital, and Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, retained their positions as first and second most liveable cities in the world owing to their “unsurpassed combination of stability, good infrastructure, strong education, and healthcare services, and plenty of culture and entertainment”. Melbourne and Sydney, cities in Australia, and Vancouver in Canada came in at third, fourth, and fifth places respectively on top of the ranks.

  Thursday 22 June 2023 Tribunal: Tinubu, INEC kick as Peter Obi tenders total PVCs in 32 states FG okays re-opening of Seme border for vehicle importation Businesses responding positively to Tinubu —British High Commissioner Tinubu, Shettima, govs, judges, others to get 114% salary increase — RMAFC Protest rocks Ondo varsity over mass sack Medical leave: Ondo dep gov moves against Akeredolu Ministerial slots: Tinubu may dump ex-govs, prefers technocrats — Source Boards dissolution: 2,000 vacancies open for APC faithful, Tinubu’s allies Labour fumes as RMFAC hikes politicians’ salaries DSS combs Bawa’s Abuja home, extends probe to associates Lagos rice value chain created 2,620 jobs – Sanwo-Olu Pregnant mom shot dead by two-year-old son in US Visa Restriction On Foreign Students’ Family Not Targeted At Nigerians, Says UK Envoy Retired Naval Chief Gambo To Hand Over On Friday, Says Navy Asset Forfeiture: Court To Hear Alison-Madueke’s Suit Against EFCC Oct 23 Your Appointment Will Do Nigeria A Lot Of Good, Tompolo Tells Ribadu Govs, Lawmakers Still Go About With Endless Convoys Despite Subsidy Removal — TUC Unauthorised Use Of Our Brand Illegal, EFCC Warns Skit, Movie Makers World Leaders Eager To Meet Tinubu At Global Financial Pact Summit – Alake Nigeria needs state police to tackle insecurity, says ex-agric minister, Ogbeh 23 persons die in fresh Plateau violence Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  No fewer than 23 persons have been burnt beyond recognition in Chisu Village, Mangu Local Council of Plateau State, by suspected Fulani militia in a fresh orgy of violence. According to a witness, who preferred anonymity, the attack took place about 11.00p.m. when majority of the villagers had already gone to bed. While 15 people were killed in Chisu, eight were massacred in Bwai community of the same Mangu. Many people, including government officials from the area, described the incident as very unfortunate, considering the 24-hour curfew imposed on Mangu to stem attacks. The witness added that the Church of Christ In Nation (COCIN) in Bwai along Mangu/Bokkos road was burnt alongside many other houses, while vehicles and tricycles were vandalised. The Guardian gathered that when Chisu was witnessing a barrage of gunshots from the invaders, residents ran to their community leader for safety, but met the compound on fire. Consequently, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, ordered security personnel to go after the perpetrators and fish them out for prosecution. Mutfwang sympathised with families of victims, praying God to rest the souls of the victims. A government official from the area told The Guardian that “there is no end in sight to the hostilities in the area” by the mercenaries. Unspecified number of residents of Ajing community in Panyam District of Mangu was also killed on night of Sunday, June 4, 2023. Meanwhile, the quest for control of resources has been identified as the major cause of incessant upheavals between herders and farmers in Taraba State. Abubakar Tonko, representing Takum 1 in the House of Assembly, made the observations, yesterday while fielding questions from newsmen in Wukari Local Council of the state. The lawmaker, who said Takum was leaving no stone unturned to halt further breach of peace, disclosed that the council was presently engaging various communities in the areas to complement the efforts of Governor Agbu Kefas. He said: “With the way the governor is going, we are expecting meaningful progress in the discussion around peace when it comes to allocation of resources, especially land.”

  The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned content creators, movie and skit producers against unauthorised use of its branded Jackets, symbols, insignia and other accoutrements. In a statement by its Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, on Wednesday, the Commission noted that the use of the EFCC brand in movies without authorisation is illegal. Uwujaren said the Commission appreciates the desire of producers to create content with plot around the EFCC, it is important that they get authorisation from the Commission including vetting of scenes. “While the Commission appreciate the desire by some operators in the creative sector to produce movies/skits with plots around economic and financial crimes, it is incumbent on such operators to seek the Commission’s authorisation, including vetting of scenes which purport to depict the operations of the Commission, to ensure that false or misleading messages are not passed to the public. “The Public Affairs Department of the Commission is adequately equipped to work with motion picture practitioners desirous of partnering with the Commission in using films and skits to educate the public, especially the youth on the dangers of economic and financial crimes,” the statement read. The Commission also warned that anyone found acting contrary to its advisory shall henceforth be treated as an impersonator and dealt with accordingly.