Department of State Services operatives have killed one and arrested another of the kidnappers of Hajiya Hauwa’u Adamu, mother of popular Kano-based Hausa singer, Dauda Rarara. Gunmen had broken into the residence of Rara’s mother in Kahutu village in Danja Local Government Area of Kano State and abducted her on Friday, June 28, 2024. She, however, regained freedom after spending 20 days in captivity. A highly placed source in the secret service told Daily Trust that N26.5 million was also recovered in a covert operation. The source said the Kano command’s tactical team, based on reliable intelligence, busted a gang of five bandits in Makarfi bush where they were sharing the ransom. “One Hamisu Tukur, is currently in custody with gunshot injuries, while Bature was killed,” the source said.

  Eleven people are dead and more than 30 remain missing after a bridge in northern China collapsed amid torrential rains, state broadcaster CCTV reported Saturday. The bridge over a river in Shaanxi province’s Shangluo collapsed at around 8:40 pm Friday (1240 GMT) “due to a sudden downpour and flash floods”, official news agency Xinhua said, citing the provincial public relations department. “Nearly 20 vehicles and more than 30 people” remained missing after the highway bridge collapsed into the river below, CCTV said. All 11 confirmed victims were found inside five vehicles that had so far been recovered from the water, the broadcaster said. Images on state TV showed a partially submerged section of the bridge with the river rushing over it. Large portions of northern and central China have been battered since Tuesday by rains that have caused flooding and significant damage. On Friday, state media reported at least five people dead and eight missing after the rains sparked flooding and mudslides in Shaanxi’s Baoji city. State television broadcast images of neighborhoods completely flooded by muddy water, with excavators and residents attempting to clear the damage. – Extreme weather – The semi-desert province of Gansu, which neighbours Shaanxi, and Henan in central China were also hit by heavy rains this week. In the Henan city of Nanyang, the equivalent of a year’s worth of rain fell at the start of the week, according to CCTV. China is enduring a summer of extreme weather, with heavy rains across the east and south coming as much of the north has sweltered in successive heat waves. Climate change, which scientists say is exacerbated by greenhouse gas emissions, is making these types of extreme weather phenomena more frequent and more intense. In May, a highway in southern China collapsed after days of rain, leaving 48 dead. Earlier this month, a tornado passed through a town in eastern China killing one, injuring 79 and causing significant damage.   AFP

  Saturday 20 July 2024 FG to spend N3tn on new minimum wage, pensions, gratuities 307 suspected robbers, 296 kidnappers in police net – FHQ Police under pressure over medical report of Lagos teenager defiled by cop Obaseki Barred Me Entry Into Edo, Shaibu Alleges 11 Dead, Over 30 Missing After China Bridge Collapse TCN Threatens To Disconnect AEDC From Grid Over Alleged Non-Compliance Court Stops INEC From Releasing Voters Register For Rivers LG Polls Edo Govt Blames Shaibu For Attack On Okpebholo’s Convoy Govs Will Abuse State Police Like Electoral Commissions – Dogara Flights Resume After Global IT Outage Ndume Breaks Silence On His Removal As Chief Whip, Defends His Utterances 263 Boko Haram Terrorists Surrender At Nigeria-Cameroon Border — Army ‘Senate Becoming Tinubu’s Puppet’, Atiku Faults Ndume’s Removal As Chief Whip FG Should Outsource Terror Fight, Military Not Achieving Results – Dogara CBN directs banks to deposit unclaimed balances, funds in dormant accounts Crime rate declining, says Egbetokun after security heads’ meeting with Tinubu CBN sells $106.5m to 29 FX dealers in two days FCCPC imposes $220m fine on Meta for data privacy violations Tinubu heads to Ghana for AU meeting, to present report on state of ECOWAS Renaissance Capital: Proposed windfall tax could generate N1.35trn revenue for FG Nigerians to Tinubu: Palliatives not solution to food shortage Nigeria will hit $1trn economy by 2030 — Cardoso Benue will pay N70,000 minimum wage — Gov Alia How 7 Students Died By Suicide In 6 Months States in dilemma over N70,000 minimum wage Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission on Friday imposed a $220 million fine on Meta platforms for violating data privacy laws. The FCCPC said in a statement obtained by The PUNCH that Meta’s data-sharing practices on its Facebook and WhatsApp platforms breached local consumer and data protection regulations. The commission found that Meta had denied Nigerian users control over their data, shared data without consent and abused its market dominance. Details later…

  Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court Abuja has stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voters register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to conduct the forthcoming local government elections in the state. Justice Lifu issued an order of interim injunction against INEC while delivering a ruling in a motion ex-parte brought before him by the All Progressives Congress. The motion ex-parte was filed on behalf of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by a team of senior lawyers and brought under Section 13 of the Federal High Court Act, Order 26 Rules 1 and 3, order 28 Rules 1 and 2, and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court as enshrined in Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution. The judge also ordered the Rivers Electoral Commission and Rivers Attorney-General from receiving from INEC or using part of the National Voters Register relating to Rivers State to conduct local government elections in the state. Similarly, Justice Lifu restrained the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Service (DSS) from participating or providing security protection for the Rivers State Electoral Commission to conduct local government elections in the state. Also, the judge issued another order barring INEC, Rivers State Electoral Commission, AG Rivers State, IGP and DSS from maintaining the status quo ante bellum, and not to act or take any further steps in furtherance of the conduct of local government elections in Rivers State. The interim orders are to remain in force pending the determination of the substantive suit in which the APC is challenging the propriety of the conduct of elections in Rivers local governments. In granting the interim restraining orders, Justice Lifu directed the APC to undertake to pay damages to the five defendants in case its suit was found to be frivolous and that the restraining orders ought not to have been granted in the first instance. Justice Lifu also granted substituted service of the orders and other court processes on the five defendants through publications in two major national dailies before the adjourned date to attract the attention of the defendants. Meanwhile, the Judge fixed August 2, for all the defendants to appear before him to hear the substantive matter. In a 13-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Tony Okocha, the acting Chairman of Rivers APC, he averred that originating summons were taken out against the defendants due to failure of INEC to comply strictly with the provisions of the Electoral Act in respect of the management of the register of voters which it intends to release to Rivers electoral body for local government elections in breach and violation of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act. The deponent averred that it is only the voter register compiled, maintained, updated and kept in the custody of INEC that Rivers Electoral Commission can obtain and use to conduct local government polls as Rivers SIEC is not entitled to compile, maintain, update and keep in its custody any separate voters register. The APC acting Chairman further stated that its originating summons and motion on notice are pending before the court for hearing and that it has become necessary to take proactive steps to preserve the substance of the case by restraining the defendants from tampering with or dissipating the main case pending the hearing and determination of the motion. He also averred that APC in Rivers State brought the instant application in the interest of justice for the maintenance of status quo ante bellum and preservation of the main matter. Besides, the deponent undertook to pay damages as may be directed by the court in case the application for the interim restraining order turns out to be unwarranted and frivolous. The five defendants have been directed to appear in court on August 2 to present their respective responses

  Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, says working with Donald Trump will be difficult. Zelensky however added that he is willing to work with anyone who wins the US presidential election. Trump, a former US president, is the candidate of the Republican Party for the November poll. Zelensky spoke in an interview with the BBC in London. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Trump described President Vladimir Putin’s moves as “genius” and “savvy”. Trump’s 2016 campaign and alleged Russian interference in that year’s election were the subject of an investigation which the ex-president repeatedly called a “witch hunt”. Trump has also repeatedly faulted US aid — worth billions of dollars — to Ukraine as the east European nation engages in a prolonged war with Russia.   Delivering a speech at the Republican national convention, Trump said he would end the Russia-Ukraine war but did not specify how. Asked if he had fears about Trump winning the election, Zelensky said: “It will be hard work, but we are hard workers, we are not afraid of hard work”. Earlier this week, Trump announced JD Vance, Ohio senator, as his running mate. Like Trump, the 39-year-old has in the past expressed indifference about the Russia-Ukraine war, saying “he doesn’t care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other”.   “Maybe he really doesn’t understand what goes on in Ukraine, so we have to work with the United States,” Zelensky said of Vance’s remarks. Ukraine mostly relies on aid from its allies in Europe and other Western nations to bolster its defences against Russia. Zelensky has remained optimistic about defeating Russia. The Ukrainian president said he would consider stepping down when the war is over.

  The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has released more names and pictures of inmates who bolted from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger state. On April 24, rainfall destroyed the walls of the Suleja prison and led to the escape of 118 inmates. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of interior, had said the collapsed walls of the detention facility were old. Tunji-Ojo said the federal government would prevent a recurrence.   On June 6, Abubakar Umar, NCoS spokesperson, announced that 23 of the fleeing inmates had been recaptured. On June 15, NCoS published the names of the 18 inmates on its website. The names of the 18 fleeing inmates are: Ogbonna Kingsley, Auwal Mohammed, Mustapha Ibrahim, Suleiman Sani, Raphael Kelly, Abdullahi Babangida, Idris Bashir, Umar Mustapha, Ayuba Obedience, and Lamido Gambo. Others are Garba Fidelis, Mohammed Jibrin, Sylvester Allison, Albert Israel, Edoga Okwudili, Olaiya Stephen, Ibrahim Aminu, and Audu Usman. THE NEW BATCH In a statement issued on Thursday, Abubakar Umar, NCoS spokesperson, released 13 new names and pictures of the escapees. In the public notice, names and pictures of 31 persons were published, including those of the 18 inmates published on June 15.   Names of the new batch are Tasiu Mohammed, Philip Ola, Mohammed Lawal, Buba Bello, Biyo Flamingo, Onyedikachi Emeka, Augustine Uden, Gambo Lamido, Sani Muhajid, Abubakar Hashiru, Haruna Salisu, Solomon Gkwangurum, and Aliyu Ismaila. The NCoS spokesperson said the service has deployed “overt and covert” strategies to ensure that the escapees return to the correctional centre. “The information of the fugitives are hereby published for sister security agencies as well as the general public to look out for them in an attempt to recapture them and bring them back to the facility,” the statement reads. “If any of the escapees is sighted, the public can report to the nearest security agent or agency or may call the following numbers: 07087086005, 09060004598, or 08075050006. “The public can also contact us through our email on: info@corrections.gov.ng or complaintsresponsedesk@corrections.gov.ng.”