THE Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, yesterday, appealed to media houses and social media platforms to be appropriately guided in reflecting and referring the activities of Auto-Pilot and Biafra Government in Exile, leader, Simon Ekpa, to IPoB, saying that he is not their member. The pro-Biafra group in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretar,y Emma Powerful, expressed displeasure over what it described as deliberate linking and association of Ekpa’s activities by media houses and social media platforms to IPoB, saying he is never a registered member of the pro-Biafra group, just as his activities are not in tandem with that of IPoB. The separatist movement said that it is mindful of the concerted efforts of the Department of State Services, DSS and similar agencies to infiltrate, undermine and divide IPoB with the sole motive of weakening the organisation from within, but noted that Ekpa is being used by the Nigerian secret police to destroy IPoB by linking his violent and other unlawful activities with IPoB when Ekpa has even told the world that IPoB is not part of the group he leads. IPoB’s statement read, “ It has become very imperative that we appeal to media houses, social media outfits and platforms to be appropriately guided in reflecting the reality in their publications concerning linking Simon Ekpa’s violent and other unlawful activities to IPoB when he is not our member and has told the world that the groups he leads are Auto Pilot and Biafra government in exile. “We have observed with dismay the deliberate moves of some media houses and social media platforms to attribute the violent and other activities of Simon Ekpa, to the noble family of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB. “For clarity and emphasis, Simon Ekpa is not in any way registered with any unit of IPOB, neither is he connected to Eastern Security Network, ESN. We want the public to henceforth desist from further linking and associating Ekpa with IPoB and its activities. He is not our member and we have nothing to do with him. His activities are not and will never be in tandem with those of IPoB. “We are mindful of the concerted efforts of DSS and similar agencies to infiltrate, undermine and divide IPoB with the sole motive of weakening the organisation from within, but using Ekpa who is not our member and can never be one is one of such failed move by the DSS.“ associated with efforts to criminalize the social-political space in the South East. Those referring to Ekpa as a factional leader of IPoB are either misguided, ill-informed, or playing the script of DSS who are his main sponsors with the main agenda to destabilize the South East with the use of criminals. “Ekpa is unknown to ESN. The fact that he has been using the ESN name to deceive gullible people through his endless fundraising schemes, does not in any way link him to ESN formed by IPoB. Ekpa said he leads an inconspicuous group called Auto Pilot and Biafra Government in Exile. He can be seen in most of his social media videos alluding to that very fact and certainly not a member or leader of IPoB. “It is therefore worrisome that some media houses have persisted in attributing Simon Ekpa to membership of IPoB irrespective of the obvious. We appeal to ladies and gentlemen of the media to please refrain from associating Ekpa as a member of IPoB. because he is not one of us.”

  Leaders of the coup in Niger Republic have reportedly told a top US diplomat that they would kill ousted President Mohamed Bazoum if neighbouring countries attempted any military intervention. The Associated Press (AP) reports that the junta disclosed this to two western officials, amid the announcement of the deployment of a standby force by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Thursday. According to the AP, representatives of the junta told Victoria Nuland, US under secretary of state, of the threat to Bazoum during her visit to the country this week. The report also said a US official confirmed the account on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information. Aneliese Bernard, a former US state department official who specialised in African affairs, said the threats are capable of escalating tensions on all sides. “Still, this junta has escalated its moves so quickly that it is possible they do something more extreme, as that has been their approach so far,” she was quoted as saying. In a communique issued at the close of Thursday’s meeting in Abuja, ECOWAS arrived at a number of decisions to address the Niger crisis. The bloc condemned Bazoum’s hostage condition and held the military government in Niger responsible for the safety of the detained president, his family and the democratically elected administration. ECOWAS also directed the president of the commission to monitor the implementation of the sanctions on Niger and ordered the “committee of the chief of defence staff to activate the ECOWAS standby force with all its elements immediately”. Bazoum was deposed on July 26 in a bloodless coup. The junta has since formed a cabinet to oversee the nation’s affairs.

  The Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) has called on the United Nations, partner countries, and other institutions to support its efforts to ensure a quick restoration of constitutional order in Niger Republic. It also ordered the deployment of the bloc’s standby force to restore constitutional order in the West African nation. These were some of the resolutions of the West African bloc after an extraordinary summit on the Niger Republic in Abuja, Nigeria on Thursday. The extraordinary summit was a sequel to the one convened on the 30th of July following the ouster and detention of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 by the military. While reading the communiqué, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, said the Commission noted that all diplomatic efforts in resolving the crisis have been defiantly repelled by the military leadership of the Republic of Niger. The Commission reiterated its strong condemnation of the “attempted coup d’état and the continued illegal detention of President Mohammed Bouzum, his family, and members of his government.” It also resolved to uphold all measures and principles agreed upon by the extraordinary summit held in Niger on July 30th, 2023. Even as the ECOWAS Commission underscored its determination to keep all options on the table for the peaceful resolution of the crisis, it directed the Committee of the Chiefs of Defence Staff to activate the ECOWAS standby force with all its elements immediately and ordered the deployment of the ECOWAS standby force to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. While calling on the African Union to endorse all the decisions taken by the ECOWAS authority on the situation in Niger, the West African bloc warned member states whose actions are directly or indirectly hindering the peaceful resolution of the crisis in Niger about the consequences for their action before the community. Also speaking after the summit, Nigeria’s President and Chairman of ECOWAS Authority, said no option is off the table including the use of force as the last resort in resolving the Niger Republic crisis. “You will see from the communiqué of this extraordinary summit that no option is taken off the tables including the use of force as the last resort. If we don’t do it, no one else will do it for us. We remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting Niger towards peaceful and democratic stability in the country,” Tinubu said. The Nigerian leader believes that while there will be challenges ahead, with collective resolve, ECOWAS will navigate all obstacles for lasting peace and prosperity in the Niger Republic and other member countries. He commended leaders for their “unwavering commitment” to the sub-region and welfare of the African continent. “The road ahead will undoubtedly have challenges but I firmly believe that with our collective resolve, we can navigate these obstacles and chart a part towards lasting peace and prosperity for Nigeriens and ECOWAS. “I send my sincere gratitude to all of you for your dedication and valuable contributions during this extraordinary summit. Your unwavering commitment to ECOWAS and the welfare of our continent is highly commendable. “I want to thank you for your positive remarks and recognition given to me and the government and the people of Nigeria. May our collective efforts pave the way for a brighter future for Nigeriens and all Africans,” he added

  A terrifying wildfire that left a historic Hawaiian town in charred ruins has killed at least 55 people, authorities said Thursday, making it one of the deadliest disasters in the US state’s history. Brushfires on the west coast of Hawaii’s Maui island — fueled by high winds from a nearby hurricane — broke out Tuesday and rapidly engulfed the seaside town of Lahaina. The flames moved so quickly that many were caught off-guard, trapped in the streets or jumping into the ocean in a desperate bid to escape. “It really looks like somebody came along and just bombed the whole town. It’s completely devastated,” said Canadian Brandon Wilson, who had traveled to Hawaii with his wife to celebrate their 25th anniversary, but was at the airport trying to get them a flight out. “It was really hard to see,” he said, teary-eyed. “You feel so bad for people. They lost their homes, their lives, their livelihoods.” The fires follow other extreme weather events in North America this summer, with record-breaking wildfires still burning across Canada and a major heat wave baking the US southwest. Europe and parts of Asia have also endured soaring temperatures, with major fires and floods wreaking havoc. “What we’ve seen today has been catastrophic… likely the largest natural disaster in Hawaii state history,” Governor Josh Green said. “In 1960 we had 61 fatalities when a large wave came through Big Island,” he said earlier in the day, referring to a tragedy that struck a year after Hawaii became the 50th US state. “This time, it’s very likely that our death totals will significantly exceed that.” Maui County officials said just after 9:00 pm Thursday (0700 GMT Friday) that fatalities stood at 55, and firefighters were still battling the blaze in the town that served as the Hawaiian kingdom’s capital in the early 19th century. Pictures taken by an AFP photographer who flew over Lahaina showed it had been reduced to blackened, smoking ruins. The burned skeletons of trees still stand, rising above the ashes of the buildings to which they once offered shelter. Green said 80 percent of the town was gone. “Buildings that we’ve all enjoyed and celebrated together for decades, for generations, are completely destroyed,” he said. Thousands have been left homeless and Green said a massive operation was swinging into action to find accommodation. “We are going to need to house thousands of people,” he told a press conference. “That will mean reaching out to all of our hotels and those in the community to ask people to rent extra rooms at their property.” President Joe Biden on Thursday declared the fires a “major disaster” and unblocked federal aid for relief efforts, with rebuilding expected to take years. ‘Bodies In The Water’ US Coast Guard commander Aja Kirksey told CNN around 100 people were believed to have jumped into the water in a desperate effort to flee the fast-moving flames as they tore through Lahaina. Kirksey said helicopter pilots struggled to see because of dense smoke, but that a Coast Guard vessel had been able to rescue more than 50 people from the water. “It was a really rapidly developing scene and pretty harrowing for the victims that had to jump into the water,” she added. For resident Kekoa Lansford, the horror was far from over. “We still get dead bodies in the water floating and on the seawall,” Lansford told CBS. “We have been pulling people out… We’re trying to save people’s lives, and I feel like we are not getting the help we need.” Green said around 1,700 buildings were believed to have been affected by the blaze. “With lives lost and properties decimated, we are grieving with each other during this inconsolable time,” Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said. “In the days ahead, we will be stronger as a… community,” he added, “as we rebuild with resilience and aloha.” Evacuations Thousands of people have already been evacuated from Maui, with 1,400 people waiting at the main airport in Kahului overnight, hoping to get out. Maui County has asked visitors to leave “as soon as possible,” and organized buses to move evacuees from shelters to the airport. The island hosts around a third of all the visitors who holiday in the state, and their dollars are vital for the local economy. At the airport in Kahului, Lorraina Peterson said she had been stuck for days without food or power, and was now looking at a lengthy wait for a flight. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to get a hotel room, or we’ll have to sleep here on the floor,” she said. With a hurricane passing to the south of Hawaii, high winds fueled flames that consumed dry vegetation. Thomas Smith, a professor with the London School of Economics, said that while wildfires are not uncommon in Hawaii, the blazes this year “are burning a greater area than usual, and the fire behavior is extreme, with fast spread rates and large flames.” As global temperatures rise over time, heat waves are projected to become more frequent, with increased dryness due to changing rainfall patterns creating ideal conditions for bush or forest fires. AFP

  The Nigerian Army has said it has no partnership with ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, or his security outfit. The ex-militant leader had in an interview on a Podcast anchored by Channels Television’s Seun Okinbaloye claimed he had a military company engaged by the government to work alongside the military in some states of the federation. Asari-Dokubo had said, “I don’t have an army but I have a private military company that was engaged by the Nigerian government and I have been doing the work for the Nigerian state. Private military companies exist all over the world; we have Black Waters, we have Wagner; we have so many private military companies. “So, I have a private military company that is engaged by the government and we are fighting side by side with the Nigerian military in many places. Like Niger, Plateau, Abia, Imo, and parts of Rivers State. We were in Anambra too. We are doing a good job and we are being commended by the host communities.” However, when contacted by our correspondent to confirm the claim, the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the Army had never conducted an operation in any part of the country in collaboration with Asari-Dokubo’s men. He said, “Going by that interview, Dokubo claims he owns a private military company that was engaged by the government of Nigeria. The veracity of his claim can only be ascertained by the relevant agency, statutorily mandated to license such outfits. “However, it must be clarified that the Nigerian Army is not in any form of partnership or collaborative pact with the ex-militant or whatever private security outfit he claims to own. “It is also expedient to place on record that contrary to his claims, the Nigerian Army has never conducted any operation jointly or side by side with Asari or the organisation he represents, in any of those areas he mentioned or in any theatre of operations.”

  A yet-to-be-identified woman was crushed to death alongside her two-year-old daughter in the Ikotun area of Lagos on Thursday. PUNCH Metro reports that another trader was injured as a bus rammed into some shops along the roadside opposite Toluwalase Hall, Governor’s Road, Ikotun. An eyewitness, who gave his name as Tayo, said the bus driver fled when he was almost lynched by passersby who gathered at the scene of the accident. “It is a Hummer Bus, it probably lost its brake. It rammed into the shops and cleared about five shops. A woman and her daughter were crushed and confirmed dead when rushed to the hospital,” Tayo said. Another source said the woman was killed while trying to save her child. “She was rushing to go and save her daughter but unfortunately, the bus crushed the two of them. The driver ran away when people descended on him,” the source said. Our correspondents who visited the scene saw the bus stuck around a gutter beside the road, crossing the gutter. The Divisional Police Officer at Ikotun, Adagba Johnson, confirmed the incident to PUNCH Metro. “I’m aware, our men are there,” he said. Meanwhile, another source told our correspondent that the police went after the reportedly fleeing driver. “I think the driver is inside the police van,” the source said as a police van sped past the scene. The Lagos Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Babatunde Farinloye, also confirmed the incident, saying, “My men are there, they are aware, I will give more details.” Our correspondents were yet to get further updates as of the time of filing this report.

  Enugu State Police Command has said that it’s operatives on Thursday raided IPOB/ESN camp at Imufu in Igbo-Eze North Local Government and neutralized three criminal elements in a gun duel. The operatives the Command said also recovered forearms, ammunition, and other incriminating exhibits from the camp. It also disclosed that other criminal elements in the camp escaped with severe gunshot wounds and urges citizens to report individuals with gunshot wounds around their vicinities. Giving details of the security operation, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe (DSP), said the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State, Ahmed Ammani, has lauded the Operatives for the successful operation and solicited citizens’ continued support. He said, “A combined team of Police Special Forces and Operatives serving in Igbo-Eze North Police Division of Enugu State Command, in the morning hours of today, 10/08/2023, raided an IPOB/ESN camp, at Imufu in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area (L.G.A.) and were engaged in a gun duel by the subversive criminal elements. However, three (3) of the hoodlums were neutralized in the ensuing gunfight, while many others escaped with varying degrees of severe gunshot wounds. “Four (4) Pump Action guns, one (1) locally fabricated revolver gun and pistol each, sixty-seven (67) live cartridges, military camouflage uniforms, fabrics of IPOB insignia, objects suspected to be amulets and other incriminating exhibits were recovered. “Preliminary investigation reveals that the criminal elements were responsible for the shooting and killing of two Neighbourhood Watch Group security personnel on 21/07/2023 at about 1am, at Umuagama in Enugu-Ezike community of Igbo-Eze North L.G.A., and had also made several attempts to enforce the illegal sit-at-home order in some parts of the L.G.A.” Ndukwe noted that while reaffirming the Police’s unwavering commitment to weed out unrepentant criminals in the State, CP Ammani lauded the Operatives for successfully executing the operation, tasking them and others to remain firm, resilient and maintain the tempo. “The CP further solicits the continued support of citizens of the State, while urging residents of Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area and owners of medical facilities in particular, to promptly report individuals sighted with gunshot wounds to the nearest Police Station. Or by calling the Command’s emergency hotlines on 08032003702, 08075380883, 08086671202 or 08098880172, or send emails to infoenugupolice@gmail.com.”

  The Ohanaeze Ndigbo socio-cultural organisation has expressed dissatisfaction at the five ministerial slots allotted to the South-East region by President Bola Tinubu. The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, said the number was unfair and unjust. In a statement on Thursday, Iwuanyanwu said the South-East was shortchanged with five states while other zones have a minimum of six states. According to Iwuanyanwu, who demanded justice and fairness, the situation had placed the South-East in a very difficult position, politically, economically, and socially. The statement read, “Recall that the states and geopolitical zones were created by the military administrations. All honest Nigerians know that the Igbo did not play much part during this exercise. “As a result, the South-East was shortchanged with five states while other zones have a minimum of six states. This situation has placed the South-East in a very difficult position, politically, economically, and socially. “Our political power has been reduced as we have a few senators and also in the House of Representatives; governors, House of Assembly and local governments. “In federal revenue allocation, the South-East is denied the revenue that comes on the basis of states. In federal board appointments and other resource distributions, we are strategically shortchanged. “We wish to observe that this situation was not caused by the current administration but we however appeal to His Excellency, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to help us remedy the situation and restore justice, equity and fairness in Nigeria

  Friday 11 August 2023 Niger crisis: ECOWAS troops on standby, junta threatens to kill Bazoum Army has no pact with Asari-Dokubo’s security outfit – Spokesman Bus crashes into Lagos shops, kills mother, daughter Police raid IPOB/ESN camp in Enugu, kill three, recover weapons Five ministerial slots to South-East unjust, Ohanaeze tells Tinubu South-East Govs Vow To ‘Decisively’ Fight Insecurity In Region Tribunal Sacks Kano NNPP Rep Over Alleged Certificate Forgery Reckless Exploitation Of Natural Resources, A Principal Cause Of Coups In W/Africa – Falana Job Racketeering: Reps Order Arrest Of Ex-FCC Desk Officer Niger Crisis: No Option Off The Table Including Force, Says Tinubu Police Save Nine Children From Cult Initiation In Lagos Council Of Imams Faults El-Rufai’s Non-Confirmation Over Alleged Security Issues Body Of Man Who Jumped Into Lagos Lagoon Recovered Hawaii Fire Death Toll Hits 55, Expected To Rise ASUU Knocks FG Over Dissolution Of Universities’ Governing Councils How INEC sold Nigerians a dummy during the 2023 elections – PDP Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…