Crime Facts

Bamako airport closed as gunmen attack police base in Mali

Gunmen attacked a military police base early Tuesday in the Malian capital Bamako where gunfire and explosions were heard and the airport was closed, sources, witnesses and an AFP correspondent said. “This morning armed men attacked at least one military police base in Bamako. They have not been formally identified,” a police source told AFP on condition of anonymity. Volleys of gunfire interspersed with explosions began at around 5:00 am and black smoke could be seen rising from an area near the airport. “Bamako airport is temporarily closed due to events,” an airport official said without saying how long the closure would last. A witness said he and other worshippers were stuck in a mosque near the area during early morning prayers. The French high school Liberte announced it would remain closed “due to external events” and staff at the United Nations mission in Mali received a message urging them to “limit (their) movements until further notice”. Mali has been ruled by a military junta since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021. A number of armed rebel groups are active in the West African country — including separatists and jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group — but until now the capital has been spared. After the Malian coup, military juntas also seized power in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. Under junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita, Mali broke a long-standing alliance with European partners and former colonial power France, turning instead to Russia and its Wagner mercenary group for support. The military leaders have pledged to regain control of the entire country. Their offensive against rebels in the north has given rise to numerous allegations that the army and its Russian allies have committed abuses against civilians since 2022, charges they deny. AFP.

Kaduna Maulud Accident Death Toll Rises To 40

The Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani has expressed shock and a deep sense of loss, over the death of 40 people mostly children in a motor accident which occurred along Saminaka Road in Lere Local Government Area of the State last Sunday. The children were travelling for the Eid-el Maulud celebration when a J5 bus they were travelling in, lost control and colluded with an articulated vehicle due to overspeeding and overloading. The sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Kabiru Nadabo had earlier told Channels Television that 25 people died due to complications from the accident, while 48 others sustained varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to various hospitals in Kaduna, Jos and Kano for urgent medical attention. However, the number of deaths rose to 40 as more victims of the accident died in the hospital where they were being treated. Following the unfortunate incident, Governor Sani has directed the state commissioner of health, to ensure that the remaining surviving children who sustained injuries from the road accident are given adequate medical attention. The governor in a statement expressed his pain by the tragedy and assured to reach out to the families of the deceased to offer some assistance. Meanwhile, the remains of the victims have been buried in the Lere local government according to Islamic burial tradition

World Bank says floods displaced 404 million from Nigerian schools, others

No fewer than 404 million students globally have been affected by climate-related school closures between January 2022 and June 2024, according to a report by the World Bank. The report, titled “Choosing Our Future: Education for Climate Action,” attributes this figure to at least 81 countries temporarily shutting down schools due to floods, storms, and heatwaves. The report highlights that climate change, including floods, is causing significant school closures and notes that these disruptions remain largely invisible because they are not being tracked by relevant authorities. The severe impact of flooding has been a persistent issue in recent years. Last week, floods caused by the overflow of the Alau Dam in Borno State, Nigeria displaced nearly two million people in Maiduguri and surrounding areas. The National Bureau of Statistics recently reported that students in some parts of Nigeria missed 53 school days due to flooding. The report, titled “Nigeria Flood Impact Recovery Mitigation Assessment Report 2022-2023,” indicated that approximately 1.3 million Nigerians were affected by flooding between July and October 2022. The report listed severely affected states as Bayelsa, Delta, Anambra, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Jigawa, among others. The report stated, “Education can propel climate action but at the same time, climate change is impeding education. “Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as cyclones, floods, droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires, as well as the probability of co-occurring events. These extreme weather events are increasingly disrupting schooling and precipitating learning losses and dropouts. “Climate change is causing massive school closures. These disruptions remain invisible because they are not being tracked. There is no official data on the frequency and severity of school closures due to extreme climate events. Consequently, this crisis is going largely unnoticed. “Novel analysis for this report shows that over the past 20 years, schools were closed in at least 75 percent of the climate-related extreme weather events impacting five million people or more. “Most worryingly, the frequency and severity of school closures continue to grow due to climate change. “Between January 2022 and June 2024, an estimated 404 million students faced school closures due to extreme weather events. “This was the result of at least 81 countries shutting down schools temporarily due to floods, storms, and heatwaves.” The report also mentioned that for less than $20 per student, schools can adapt and minimize learning losses. “Climate-related school closures mean students are losing days of learning. Even when schools are open, students are losing learning due to rising temperatures. “Governments can take steps to harness education and learning for climate action by, for example, improving foundational and STEM skills, mainstreaming climate education, and building teacher capacity. Governments can also prioritize green skills and innovation in tertiary education to help accelerate the shift to more sustainable practices. “Despite their prevalence, climate-related school closures remain invisible because no one is tracking them. “Education systems can empower, equip, and skill young people for climate mitigation and adaptation. At the same time, climate change-induced heat and extreme weather events are significantly disrupting learning, with low-income countries being disproportionately affected. Governments must act now to adapt education systems for climate change. “Education is a key asset for climate action. Education reshapes behaviors, develops skills, and spurs innovation—everything needed to combat the greatest crisis facing humanity. “Better educated people are more resilient and adaptable, better equipped to create and work in green jobs, and critical to driving solutions. “Yet, education is massively overlooked in the climate agenda. Almost no climate finance goes to education. Channeling more climate funding to education could significantly boost climate change mitigation and adaptation. “At the same time, climate change is a huge threat to education. Millions of young people face lost days of learning because of climate-related events. In low-income countries, the situation is worse. Unless made up, this lost learning will negatively impact future earnings and productivity. It will also lead to greater inequality both within and across countries. “The economic losses and human cost of climate change are enormous. Despite this, climate action remains slow due to information gaps, skills gaps, and knowledge gaps. Education is the key to addressing these gaps and driving climate action around the world. Indeed, education is the greatest predictor of climate-friendly behavior. Better educated people are more resilient and critical to spurring innovation and climate solutions,” the report said. The report also emphasized the importance of education for climate awareness, noting that an additional year of education increases climate awareness by 8.6 percent. “Education can empower young people with green skills for new jobs, but also augment skills for existing jobs. Education is massively overlooked in climate financing, and climate change is threatening education outcomes. The report added that the green skills needed by policymakers and students are broad, including technical, STEM, and sector-specific skills, as well as non-technical, socio-emotional, and cross-sectoral skills. Any job and any sector can become greener with the right set of skills. These skills are not just for ‘new’ jobs but also for the augmentation of existing jobs. The demand for these skills can be unpredictable and inequitable,” the report stated.

DAILIES TOP STORIES: Petrol crisis threatens Edo gov election as APC, PDP set for showdown

Tuesday 17 September 2024 N950/litre Dangote petrol may justify more importation — Marketers NLC, Abure-led NWC dismiss new LP faction Underage candidates: JAMB to limit physical interactions with applicants Afreximbank earmarks $310m for small businesses in Africa Nigeria, UK battle over Air Peace landing right in Heathrow NNPC releases another estimated petrol price breakdown Edo people, not Wike, will decide next gov — Ighodalo Kaduna Maulud Accident Death Toll Rises To 40 18 Passengers Burnt To Death In Accident On Ijebu-Ode/Ore Expressway ‘Only A Matter Of Time’, Bandit Leader Bello Turji Will Be Killed Very Soon — Zamfara Gov Edo Poll: We’ll Sign Peace Accord Once All Our Conditions Are Met – Ighodalo Okonjo-Iweala To Seek Second Term As WTO DG 110m Nigerians Have Enrolled For NIN, Says NIMC Nigeria’s Inflation Rate Slowed To 32.15% In August — NBS It Doesn’t Make Sense For NNPCL To Sell Dangote Petrol Higher Than Imported Ones — IPMAN Tinubu Announces Creation Of Disaster Relief Fund For Flood Victims Kaduna Road Accident Death Toll Rises To 25 – FRSC Meta Bans Russian State Media Outlets For ‘Interference’ Dangote petrol: Nigerians to pay N950 per litre Kukah: Tinubu didn’t sign peace accord in 2023… we can’t compel Edo PDP Despite N40bn Ecological Fund, Flood Ravages States Concerns As NIPOST Reform Initiative Hits Rock Maiduguri Flood: Some Residents Still Trapped – Ndume Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

FactCheck: Buhari, Tinubu did not meet in London recently

Claim An X user shared an image of President Bola Tinubu and former Nigeria leader Muhammadu Buhari, and claimed the two had an important meeting in London recently. Verdict This claim is MISLEADING. This photo of Bola Tinubu and Muhammadu Buhari first appeared online in August 2021 when the later visited the former in London. Full Text An X user, Aina Dipo shared an image of President Bola Tinubu and the ex Nigeria leader, Muhammadu Buhari and claimed the duo had a meeting recently in London, UK. Bola Tinubu is currently the president of Nigeria. He took over from Muhammadu Buhari who ruled the country for eight years (2015-2023). This post has generated over 80k views and more than 85 reposts on X. A few days ago, FACTWATCH ran a Fact Check on a claim made Aina and findings show that the claim was Misleading. Verification First, this Fact Checker subjected the image to Google image revers and results showed that image of Bola Tinubu, and Muhammadu Buhari together, first appeared online in August 2021. Results from Google lens led this Fact Checker to news publications that reported that Mr Buhari had visited Mr Tinubu on Friday shortly before departing London for Nigeria, after spending 19 days in the United Kingdom. The ex Nigeria president had attended a global education summit in the UK and used the remaining days for his medical check-up. Mr Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, has been in the UK for about one month, as speculations continue to mount over his health status. See other news publications this similar story Here and Here. Checks by this Fact Checker indicated that there’s no credible news organization in Nigeria that reported Mr Buhari and president Tinubu had meeting in London recently. Conclusion Simple findings show that the image was first taken in 2021.

BREAKING: Three dead, 30 kidnapped in bandit attack on Kaduna churches

Bandits attacked a church service in the Bakinpah-Maro community of the Kajuru local government area in Kaduna state on Sunday, leaving three people feared dead and 30 others reported kidnapped. Although the Police authorities were yet to comment, the former chairman of Kajuru LGA, Cafra Caino, confirmed the incident, noting that the assailants, who arrived in large numbers around 10:00 am, targeted both an ECWA church and a Catholic church. Among those abducted is Bernard Gajera, a pastor from one of the churches. The police have yet to release a statement on the attack The Nation recalled that last month, the Maro community had raised funds to build a security post for law enforcement as part of their efforts to attract more security personnel, following repeated attacks that have kept farmers from their fields.

Man kills neighbor and her son over sanitation dispute

A resident of Lagos State, Vincent Upkai, has been arrested by the police for allegedly killing one of his neighbors, Gloria, and her son over sanitation dispute. It was gathered that Gloria and Upkai were neighbors before the incident, and her son was living with her in the Elemoro area of the state. According to reports, the suspect was arrested by detectives from the Elemoro Police Station. The dispute reportedly began over a sanitation issue in the house, escalating into a serious fight between Gloria and Upkai. Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed both the incident and the suspect’s arrest. The Lagos State Police spokesperson also stated that the corpses of the deceased woman and that of his son had been deposited at the Epe General Hospital.The Lagos police image maker said ” On 15/09/24 at about 22:50 , an information was received at the Elemoro division that one Vincent Upkai killed one Gloria ,his neighbours and her son over an argument on cleaning .He went further to put their dead bodies on a big bag ” the spokesperson addedHe continued that ” Immediately ,detectives of the division rushed to the scene ,arrested the suspect and recovered the corpses .The corpses have been deposited at the Epe General Hospital mortuary for preservation .”

15 Children Die In Kaduna Car Accident

No fewer than 15 people have perished in a road accident that occurred in Saminaka Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The accident which occurred around 1pm on Sunday involved mostly children who were travelling to cerebrate Eld El Maulud, a Muslim festival to mark the birth of Prophet Muhammad. Confirming the incident to Channels Television, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kaduna State, Corps Commander Kabiru Nadabo, said the driver of the J5 bus carrying the children lost control due to over speeding and then colluded with an oncoming articulated vehicle which resulted in the crash. He said that 15 children out of the 63 on board the J5 bus died instantly, while 48 others sustained varying degrees of injuries. The Sector Commander further disclosed that the injured victims were conveyed by a team of FRSC, Police and the Kaduna State Traffic Laws Enforcement Authority (KASTLEA) officials to the Comprehensive Hospital in Saminaka, while the dead bodies were deposited at Dabo Lere Memorial Hospital also in Saminaka.

Mpox: No plan to impose travel restrictions on Africans, says US

The United States has revealed that there are no plans to impose travel restrictions on individuals arriving from African countries due to the rising cases of monkeypox. The US Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy, John Nkengasong, stated this while addressing the issue during an online press briefing on Monday. “The US currently does not plan to put in place travel restrictions for people travelling from Africa. “So that is really a rumour. So we do not at this point think that is going to happen,” Nkengasong stated, categorically dismissing the claims. The ambassador’s remarks were made to quell concerns that the U.S. might reinstate travel policies similar to those introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, including mandatory vaccinations for travellers. Nkengasong emphasised that the rumours were unfounded and that the U.S. government was not considering such actions. The coordinator further noted that the U.S. will continue to work with the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation to ensure the spread of lethal outbreaks of mpox in Africa does not develop into a pandemic. He also promised an additional $35m in support to fight mpox. “The US is mobilising additional resources. The USAID just announced $35m, and again, we will stay committed until we bring this outbreak to – control it in collaboration, of course, with others: the WHO and Africa CDC,” he noted. The WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern twice, the first time in May 2022 and the second time in August 2024. The ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control in August reported that Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Ghana were the hardest-hit countries in ECOWAS. The PUNCH reported that the African continent, however, has continued to face significant challenges in controlling the spread of Mpox, with a marked increase in cases and fatalities since the beginning of 2024. With 37,583 cases and 1,451 deaths reported this year, the continent is facing a massive public health emergency. The Democratic Republic of Congo is bearing the brunt of this crisis, shockingly accounting for 96.3 per cent of all cases and 97 per cent of deaths continent-wide in 2024 alone. The first half of 2024 saw an explosive rise in infections across Africa—14,250 Mpox cases and 456 deaths—representing a 160 per cent increase in cases and a 19 per cent jump in fatalities compared to the same period last year. Over the last year, in 2023, the US allocated more than 2.65 billion – 2.65 billion – in bilateral health funding to countries in Central and East Africa. Secondly, in March this year, the USAID and CDC together have already provided over 20 million to support mpox response efforts for Central and East African countries.

REPORT: Despite Easing Inflation Rate, Rent, Health and Transport Costs on Upward Trend

The inflation rate in Nigeria eased for the second consecutive month to 32.15% in August, but the cost of rent, medical services and transportation remain on an upward trend This was disclosed in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) Inflation Report published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. According to the report, “All items less farm produce and energy” inflation, which covered the cost of rent, medical services, transport and more, stood at 27.58% in August. This was a notable increase from the 27.47% recorded in July. A significant spike in the cost of rent, transport (especially buses and motorcycles), and medical services like consultations and X-rays, were highlighted as major contributors to the surge in core inflation recorded in Nigeria. “Core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce and energy, stood at 27.58% in August 2024 on a year-on-year basis; up by 6.43% when compared to the 21.15% recorded in August 2023,” the NBS report read in part. The report further noted that the highest price increases were seen in “rents (actual and imputed rentals for housing class), bus journey intercity, journey by motorcycle, etc. (under passenger transport by road class), and accommodation service, laboratory service, X-ray photography, consultation fee of a medical doctor, etc. (under medical services class)”. In July, Nigeria recorded a slight ease in the fluctuation of transport fares, according to the Transport Fare Watch published by the NBS. However, the reality in August, with the increase in core inflation and rising transport costs, paints a grimmer picture. Relative to August 2023, which was barely three months into President Bola Tinubu’s administration, core inflation has surged by about 6 points, from 19.18%. States like Bauchi, Kebbi and Jigawa were the most affected, recording the highest increases in core inflation in August due to rising costs in essential services. Meanwhile, on the food inflation front, Nigeria fared somewhat better. The country recorded a 37.52% food inflation rate in August, representing a 0.10% decrease compared to July. The report attributed this slight decline to specific food items. “The fall can be attributed to the decline in the rate of increase in the average prices of tobacco, tea, cocoa, coffee, groundnut oil, milk, yam, Irish potatoes, water yam, cassava tuber, palm oil and vegetables,” the NBS report read. However, reduced food inflation may not necessarily guarantee a reduction in the cost of making a healthy diet, as evidenced in July. For instance, Nigeria’s food inflation rate fell to 39.53% in July, down from 40.87% in June. Despite the fall, the cost of healthy diet still increased by 2% in the same month, according to the NBS.