IYANDA'SBLOG

08/15/21

Afghanistan’s embattled president, Ashraf Ghani, who fled the country on Sunday, has addressed the people of the Asian nation, stating the reasons why he left.

Ghani had joined his fellow citizens and foreigners in a stampede fleeing the advancing Taliban and signalling the end of a 20-year Western experiment aimed at remaking Afghanistan.

His exit was confirmed by Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council, in an online video on Sunday.

He said, “The former president of Afghanistan left Afghanistan, leaving the country in this difficult situation. God should hold him accountable.”

Associated Press news agency reports that Ghani flew out of the country. However, a report by Al Jazeera indicated that the President might have left for Tajikistan.

But in his statement addressed to the people of Afghanistan, Ghani said, "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

"Dear countrymen! Today, I came across a hard choice; I should stand to face the armed Taliban who wanted to enter the palace or leave the dear country that I dedicated my life to protecting and protecting the past twenty years. If there were still countless countrymen martyred and they would face the destruction and destruction of Kabul city, the result would have been a big human disaster in this six million city. The Taliban have made it to remove me, they are here to attack all Kabul and the people of Kabul. In order to avoid the bleeding flood, I thought it was best to get out.

"Taliban have won the judgement of sword and guns and now they are responsible for protecting the countrymen's honor, wealth and self-esteem. Didn't they win the legitimacy of hearts. Never in history has dry power given legitimacy to anyone and won't give it to them. They are now facing a new historical test; either they will protect the name and honor of Afghanistan or they will prioritize other places and networks.

"Many people and many Aqshar are in fear and are unreliable in the future. It is necessary for Taliban to assure all the people, nations, different sectors, sisters and women of Afghanistan to win the legitimacy and the hearts of the people. Make a clear plan to do and share it with the public. I will always continue to serve my nation with an intellectual moment and a plan to develop. Lots more talk for the future.

"Long live Afghanistan."

The Taliban, who have rampaged across Afghanistan in recent days and earlier on Sunday entered the capital, Kabul, are on the verge of declaring that they have taken control of the country.

It was learnt that the country would now be the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, according to Press Association reports citing a Taliban official.

The declaration is expected to be made from the presidential palace in Kabul following the departure of Afghanistan’s president, Ashraf Ghani, earlier, who apparently fled, initially to Tajikistan. His current location is unconfirmed.

Senior Taliban commanders announced within the last two hours that they had taken control of the palace, according to news wire reports. More details and further confirmation are awaited, the Guardian UK reports.

Civilians fearing that the Taliban could impose a brutal rule had been rushing to leave the country, lining up at cash machines to withdraw their life savings.

The desperately poor – who had left homes in the countryside for the hoped-for safety in the capital – remained in their thousands in parks and open spaces throughout the city.

In a stunning route, the Taliban has captured 26 of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals since August 6, despite the billions of dollars spent by the US and NATO over nearly 20 years to build up Afghan security forces.

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Northern Groups Write US Embassy, Demand Fairness For Disgraced Nigerian Police Chief, Abba Kyari

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has written to the United States Embassy in Nigeria, demanding fairness for Nigeria's disgraced police chief, Abba Kyari, who was indicted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Kyari is being accused of having collected bribes from suspected billionaire fraudster, Abbas Ramon, also known as Hushpuppi.

A four-man panel, headed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), Joseph Egbunike, has launched an investigation into the allegations levelled against the cop.

However, the Northern groups in a letter sent to the American Embassy in Abuja, said it was worried by the trajectory introduced around Kyari’s case, Daily Trust reports.

CNG stated that it did not deny the FBI or any other police organisation has the right to investigate the crimes allegedly committed by the cop, but it appealed that he should be treated fairly.

The petition, signed by the group's spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, maintained that some “fundamental procedural lapses in the conduct of the investigation which tend not only to threaten the sovereign status of Nigeria but also infringe on its citizen’s rights and civil liberties; threaten the rule of law and confront the humanity and civilisation that the people of the United States of America stands for.”

The body said it specifically noted that the FBI might invariably have breached the standard legal and diplomatic practice by neglecting to contact either the Nigerian High Commission in the US or the Nigerian authorities through the FBI liaison offices based in Nigeria before going ahead to file for the indictment of a top Nigerian Security Officer.

“We also note that the FBI might have breached another fundamental criminal justice procedure by not according Mr Kyari the benefit of being heard before going ahead with the purported indictment by an American Court in the US for an offence purportedly committed in Nigeria, triable under Nigerian laws, by Nigerian courts and on Nigerian land.

“A breach of decorum and negligence of procedure might have also occurred when the FBI hurriedly published the purported indictment online without first intimating the Nigerian authorities and hearing the accused’s case,” the petition partly read.

The CNG cited Articles 6 and 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Right, Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights which affirms that everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to the law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.

It reminded the US that its bilateral friendship with Nigeria is guided by the principles of sovereignty, promotion of peace, and the standards that guide legitimate interference.

It warned that their intervention, exclamations, and actions should not be drawn to discountenance the right of the Nigerian state to protect the legal rights of its citizens.

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Is Shell Oil’s $110 Million Payment For Spill A Slap Or Remedy? By Chido Nwangwu

In terms of the impact of oil exploration on the ecology of life in Nigeria’s oil producing areas, the destroyed lands and rivers, creeks and dead fish and fauna, pipelines explosions and burnt beings and charred bodies of several of the citizens of the oil-rich country remain terrible and poignant reminders to the misuse and abuse of the oil and energy resources of the country of nearly 270 million.

Hence, the increasing domestic and international interest in the report three days ago (August 9, 2021) about the Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s Nigerian unit court-ordered agreement to pay the the Ejama-Ebubu community N45.7 billion naira ($110.9 million). It is in compensation to put an end to a legal case that began in 1991, championed by the community’s lawyer, the relentless Lucius Nwosu

According to William Clowes of Bloomberg who broke the news, that payment seeks to resolve a long-running dispute over an oil spill that occurred more than 50 years ago. It “is for full and final satisfaction” of a court judgment issued against the company 11 years ago.

For all it’s worth, first, I consider this Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s Nigerian unit court case a commendable step forward on what I still consider to be the underpaid/under-compensated costs of the consequences of oil spills and environmental destruction and hazards faced by millions of Nigerians.

Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa and in the dynamic top-10 of the world’s largest oil producers.

Second, the consequence of oil spills and environmental damages are reflected in the wreckage and mangled landscape and tortured lives and serated psyches in most of the oil-and-gas-producing communities across the Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa, Imo, Ondo and Anambra States of Nigeria.

Third, crude oil which was first explored in commercial quantity in 1958 by Shell BP (British Petroleum), in the tropical, serene environment of Owaza, the Igbo-speaking area of the riverine part of south eastern Nigeria, left gulleys of degradation, dangerously exposed pipelines, forced abandoning of farmlands.

I toured Owaza on a news documentary assignment in the early 1980s as a staff of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA. The Niger Delta and other riverine communities have fared worse.

Fourth, the decimation of the natives’ economic and social ecological infrastructure in the forced the accelerated corrosion of their collective values and interests of Nigerians. All those, and more, have combined with wonderful announcements of billion dollar contracts and deals with the multinational corporations and their Nigerian collectors and agents to raise and dash, every passing year, the tortured hopes of the same poor, dispirited folks on whose lands the oil and gas sit. Is there any wonder why they, like me sometime wonder whether oil is Nigeria's liquid gold or just a petro-dollar curse?

Fifth, Nigeria’s petroleum industry lays the golden eggs and has brought some development into many areas. It dulled Nigeria into the single lane economy. Yet, that same sector sticks out like a sore thumb, the fertile ground for mega-corruption and abuse of Nigeria's resources by a few.

Sixth, the battle over who controls the oil money is the key to understanding Nigeria's business, politics and future. Hence, I must state the nepotism, favoritism appointments and ethnic jostlings primarily seek the primitive seizure and control of State power (at the NNPC, the country’s national oil powerhouse). It is about control of the NNPC rather than a focus for responsibility and performance.

Oil accentuated and, in fact, set the theme for ethnic competition, economic and religious warfare between the more powerful segments of the country (with less economic resources) and the relatively less powerful or at best more docile sections of the country (location for the vast oil resources and minerals). Hence, this avoidable problem of crippling scarcity of fuel and even basic kerosene/gasoline led many to pursue other means to reach some of the product, unfortunately, illegally, must be be put in its past, present and future policy context.

I recall the events at Jesse, the village of Apawor and other adjoining communities which occurred on Saturday October 17, 1998 and he inferno which raged Sunday October 18, 1998. remains a sad metaphor and reminder of the sad state of affairs in Nigeria's oil and gas business and the lot of Nigeria's poor. The fire left decimated farmland, burnt livestock made bonfire of human beings, men, women and children, in the most macabre mix of crude oil and fire.

Seventh, it is necessary, against the background of these difficult events and deaths, to look a little deeper, beyond the staggering, running numbers of the dead and the dying. First, crude oil which was first explored in commercial quantity in 1958 by Shell BP, in the tropical, serene environment of Owaza, the Igbo-speaking area of the riverine part of south eastern Nigeria, has left gulleys of degradation, dangerously exposed pipelines, abandoned farmlands, worse, it accelerated the corrosion of the collective values and interests Nigerians. I toured Owaza on a news documentary assignment in the early 1980s as a young staff of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA. The Ogoni and other riverine communities have fared almost worse.

Eight, although Nigeria is the world's sixth-largest oil producer, its petroleum industry lays the golden egg as well as sticks out like a sore thumb, the fertile ground for mega-corruption and abuse of the resources of all Nigerians by a few. The battle over who controls the oil money is the key to understanding Nigeria's business, politics and future. Hence, I must state the dueling and ethnic jostlings seek the privatization (not capitalism, in this context, but raw control and abuse) of State power and control rather than a competition for responsibility and performance. The consequences are partly reflected in the underlying reason(s) for the wreckage and mangled landscape and tortured lives and serrated psyches in Jesse, the village of Apawor and others across and beyond the Niger Delta.

Indeed, the explosions and the circumstance of the death of many of these folks animated for the clear-headed the fact that the issue of Nigeria's future should address the issues of poverty, real empowerment and blinding deprivation faced by many Nigerians. Otherwise, it will be turn out to be a like another candle in Nigeria's whirlwind- gharish images and sordid twists, punctuated by terrible turns from one debilitating situation into worse, self-inflicted wounds.

Ninth, political stability in Nigeria must address the issue of an equitable political economy, a fairer sharing of the resources and riches of a very fertile country. Nigerians must address, urgently, the location and quality of economic rights rather than drown the entire country on religio-ethnic fixations. Nigerians are an interesting lot. They will be consumed (and have been) since they achieved political independence in 1960 from Britain) with perennial, self-preening huffing and puffing about where the next president should come from.

In this 2021, it’s getting louder, more complicated especially over who will follow and lead Nigeria and after Gen. Buhari’s 8 years of brutal incompetence and nepotism!

———

*Dr. Chido Nwangwu, the author of the forthcoming 2021 book, MLK, Mandela & Achebe: Power, Leadership and Identity, serves as Founder & Publisher of the first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper on the internet, USAfricaonline.com, and established USAfrica in 1992 in Houston. He is recipient of several public policy and journalism excellence honors, civic engagement and community empowerment awards and has appeared as an analyst on CNN and SKYnews. He served as an adviser on Africa business to Houston’s former Mayor Lee Brown. @Chido247

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IPOB Threatens South-East Governors, Monarchs, Politicians For Keeping Silent Over Police Killings In Region

File photo used to illustrate story.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has reacted to the death of three suspected members of its militia arm, Eastern Security Network (ESN), said to have been killed by Imo State Police Command on Saturday.

The group alleged that the police in the state, led by Commissioner of Police Abutu Yaro, has turned the killing of youths in the state into a monthly affair.

File photo used to illustrate story.

It accused the police of tagging innocent youths as members of IPOB and ESN to continue with its alleged genocide agenda in the South-East.

IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful revealed this in a statement made available to SaharaReporters on Sunday, as his reaction to the gun duel that allegedly claimed three volunteers of ESN on Saturday.

Police in Imo killed three suspected members of ESN and lost two police officers, when the ESN men allegedly attacked Izombe Police Station in the Oguta Local Government Area of the state.

IPOB has denied that the assailants were ESN members.

“On 13/8/2021, at about 02:45 hours, armed bandits suspected to be members of the proscribed IPOB/ ESN terror group, came in their numbers to attack Izombe Police Station but could not gain access to the station due to the swift response of the ever-alert Imo Command’s Tactical teams and Personnel of Operation Restore Peace of the command who intercepted and repelled the bandits.

“The bandits who on sighting the police engaged them in a gun duel were subdued, due to the superior firepower of the police. They fled into the bush and in the process three of the bandits were neutralised and their arms,” Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, Michael Abattam, told journalists in Owerri, on Saturday.

Reacting on Sunday, IPOB said, “We the global family of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the command and leadership of our great leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, strongly condemn the incessant unprovoked killings and attacks on innocent citizens of Imo State by the Nigeria security agencies supervised by the Commissioner of Police Imo State CP Abutu Yaro.

“The victims of this secret genocide are tagged Eastern Security Network, ESN operatives and IPOB members by the wicked security agencies to give them wrong identity and justify their extra-judicial killing. For sure, every Igbo man and woman is IPOB but not ESN. ESN is a child of necessity and not for everybody. It's for a special group for a definite assignment which is mandated to defend our ancestral land our mothers, wives and sisters against the Fulani invaders.”

Powerful described the killing of people in Imo state and the entire South-East as wickedness, adding that governors, politicians and monarchs would reap evil for keeping quiet.

“It is sheer wickedness for the Fulani-controlled Police and sister security agencies to be killing Imo youths like fowls after parading them as ESN and IPOB members. Our governors, politicians and traditional rulers are keeping mute but we promise you people that it will surely come to you in dangerous ways soon.

“We will no longer allow these double-faced fellows who cannot confront Fulani bandits to be randomly killing our people and label them IPOB and ESN operatives.

“The International community should not believe Nigeria and their lies against IPOB and ESN. The security agencies had tried hard to penetrate ESN but it was not easy for them, then they decided to use propaganda and false information against IPOB and ESN.

“The Supreme Court Administrator assigned to Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, in his desperation to demonise ESN and create confusion in Imo State allowed them to implicate innocent members of IPOB and has been encouraging them to kill his own people but he will one day regret all his actions.

“Any criminal or armed robber caught in Imo State now is branded ESN operative by Fulani Police Commissioner in Owerri. The pictures of those in the story published as arrested ESN operatives are suspects of other offences as well as innocent Biafrans.

“The Nigeria Police have taken it as a norm every month to attack youths and to implicate IPOB and ESN,” IPOB added.

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Unknown Gunmen Abduct Three Herdsmen, Injure One In Nigeria's Capital City

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Some kidnappers on Sunday invaded a Fulani settlement in Dogon-Ruwa community, Kwali Area Council, Abuja and abducted three herders leaving one injured.

A resident of the community, Danladi, said the incident happened around 1:23 am on Sunday, when the kidnappers arrived in their large number, wielding AK-47 rifles, Daily Trust reports.

File photo used to illustrate story. Guardian Nigeria

According to him, the kidnappers invaded two Fulani settlements in the community and while one of the herders attempted to escape, he was inflicted with injuries with a machete by one of the gunmen.

“It was when one of the herders was attempting to escape that he was attacked with a machete by one of the kidnappers,” he said.

Ardo of Fulani, the spokesman for Gwomani chiefdom, Malam Haruna Gambo, confirmed the incident. He said the kidnappers initially whisked away four herders but later allowed the injured one to go.

“It was when they [kidnappers] were leading them [herders] into the bush and discovered that blood was rushing too much in which they abandoned him and went away with the remaining victims,” he said.

He said the injured herder had been taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.

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US Evacuates Diplomats As Deadly Taliban Fighters Move To Seize Afghanistan Capital, Kabul

The United States has started evacuating diplomats from its Kabul embassy, as the Taliban took control of the key eastern city of Jalalabad.

Two officials of the US Embassy disclosed this to Reuters on Sunday.

“We have a small batch of people leaving now as we speak, a majority of the staff are ready to leave ... the embassy continues to function,” one of the US was quoted as saying.

Hours after the fall of Jalalabad, helicopters could be seen repeatedly arriving and departing the US embassy in Kabul, as diplomatic armoured SUVs also left the site.

Also, the Associated Press reports that wisps of smoke seen near the embassy’s roof were a result of diplomats urgently destroying sensitive documents.

On Saturday, Kabul was plunged into darkness and communication networks appeared to be down, hampering desperate efforts by its residents to escape the bloodshed many fear could lie ahead.

It was reported that citizens are gripped with fear of street fighting or a takeover by a vengeful Taliban. Panicked residents formed long lines outside banks, hoping to withdraw their savings, and some branches appeared to have already run out of cash.

Early on Sunday, the Taliban took control of the key eastern city of Jalalabad, which means the Taliban have secured major roads connecting the country to Pakistan.

“There are no clashes taking place right now in Jalalabad because the governor has surrendered to the Taliban. Allowing passage to the Taliban was the only way to save civilian lives,” a Jalalabad-based Afghan official told Reuters

A western security official confirmed the fall of the city.

Militants posted photos online early Sunday showing them in the governor’s office in the city, the capital of Nangarhar province.

“We woke up this morning to the Taliban white flags all over the city. They entered without fighting,” said Jalalabad resident Ahmad Wali.

Jalalabad is Afghanistan’s fifth-largest city and lies to the east of the capital. Its seizure follows the fall in the north of Mazar-i-Sharif, the country’s fourth-largest city, on Saturday.

Overnight, secretary of state Antony Blinken tweeted that he had had “productive” calls with the Canadian foreign minister and Afghan officials to reach a diplomatic solution.

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Breaking: Buhari, Others Isolate After UK Trip

President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari and members of his entourage have gone into isolation following their journey to the United Kingdom.

This was confirmed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu in Abuja on Sunday.

President Buhari

Shehu told Vanguard that the decision of Buhari to isolate himself was in accordance with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines for international travel.

Unconfirmed reports have it that upon his arrival at the United Kingdom, the President was seen in close contact with some officials of the Nigeria High Commission in London who have allegedly tested positive for coronavirus.

Responding to The Guardian’s enquiry on the matter, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, explained that the President and members of his delegation would have to go on isolation in line with the guideline for international travels.

“Mr President and all of those on his delegation will isolate in line with NCDC guidelines for international travel. They all tested yesterday (Friday) and will follow up with another test in due course,” the Presidential Spokesman said.

President Buhari returned to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Friday, after a trip to the United Kingdom, during which he saw his doctors.

The President left Nigeria on July 26, and stayed back in the United Kingdom for a medical check-up after he had participated in the Global Education Summit on Financing Global Partnership for Education (GPR) 2021-2025.

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Afghan President, Ghani Flees Country As Taliban Fighters Move To Take Kabul

Afghanistan’s embattled president, Ashraf Ghani has left the country, joining his fellow citizens and foreigners in a stampede fleeing the advancing Taliban and signalling the end of a 20-year Western experiment aimed at remaking Afghanistan.

This was confirmed by Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council, in an online video on Sunday.

He said, “The former president of Afghanistan left Afghanistan, leaving the country in this difficult situation. God should hold him accountable.”

Associated Press news agency reports that Ghani flew out of the country. However, a report by Al Jazeera indicated that the President might have left for Tajikistan.

Abdullah said he wants security forces to continue providing security for Kabul and asked the Taliban to wait for talks before entering the city.

But the Taliban, which for hours had been on the outskirts of Kabul, announced soon after that they would move further into a city gripped by panic throughout the day as helicopters raced overhead to evacuate personnel from the US embassy. Several other Western missions also prepared to pull their people out.

Civilians fearing that the Taliban could impose a brutal rule rushed to leave the country as well, lining up at cash machines to withdraw their life savings.

The desperately poor – who had left homes in the countryside for the hoped-for safety in the capital – remained in their thousands in parks and open spaces throughout the city.

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Afghan President, Ghani Flees Country As Taliban Fighters Move To Take Kabul

This was confirmed by Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council, in an online video on Sunday.

He said, “The former president of Afghanistan left Afghanistan, leaving the country in this difficult situation. God should hold him accountable.”

Associated Press news agency reports that Ghani flew out of the country. However, a report by Al Jazeera indicated that the President might have left for Tajikistan.

Abdullah said he wants security forces to continue providing security for Kabul and asked the Taliban to wait for talks before entering the city.

Civilians fearing that the Taliban could impose a brutal rule rushed to leave the country as well, lining up at cash machines to withdraw their life savings.

The desperately poor – who had left homes in the countryside for the hoped-for safety in the capital – remained in their thousands in parks and open spaces throughout the city.

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BREAKING: Court Orders Nigerian Army To Release Alleged IPOB Sponsor In Rivers

Justice Stephen Pam of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has ordered the Nigerian Army to release Tochukwu Okeke, who has been detained since July 5 over allegations of sponsoring the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

This was after Okeke's lawyer, Chinedum Agwaramgbo filed a fundamental right enforcement suit, Vanguard reports.

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The court directed the service of the order on the Nigerian Army, the Chief of Army Staff, Farouk Yahaha and the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 82 Mechanized Division, Enugu, Taoreed Lagbaja, who were listed as 1st to 3rd Respondents in the suit marked FHC/PH/203/2021.

In a 26-paragraphed affidavit that was deposed to by Anih Nkem, the court was told that the Applicant was on July 5, arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport by military officers.

The deponent alleged that the Applicant had since then, remained in a military cell at Enugu.

“That in spite of the fact that nothing criminal or incriminating was established against him, the Respondents have failed to release him or charge him to court or have him transferred to Nigeria Police Force and have continued to detain him at their cell without good food or water.

“That the men and officers of the Respondents have conducted a search of his abode but all their searches and ransacking of his home did not yield anything insidious or incriminating against him or lend any credence to the vague accusations by the officers of the Respondents that he was suspected of being a sponsor of the proscribed terrorist group, IPOB and its ESN.

“That the physical, mental and emotional health condition of the Applicant is deteriorating daily under the tortuous incarceration by the Respondents.

“That I believe that there is a grave danger of the Applicant dying of health issues or brain complications at the hands of the Respondents except this honourable court intervenes to save his life,” the affidavit further read.

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Top Nigerian University In Plateau Suspends Ongoing Examinations Amid Insecurity

The Management of the University of Jos has suspended the ongoing second-semester examination for the 2019/2020 academic session.

The announcement comes amid the insecurity in the state as gunmen shot at travellers along Rukuba Road in the Jos North local government area of the state, killing 22 persons and injuring others.

The Deputy Registrar, Information and Publications of the university, Abdullahi Abdullahi disclosed in a statement on Sunday, that the examinations, slated for August 16 to August 21, have been suspended till further notice

“Following the unfortunate security breach that occurred in some parts of Jos which has made the government to impose a 24-hour curfew in Jos North, Management of the University of Jos has approved the suspension of the ongoing second-semester examinations for the 2019/2020 Academic Session.

“Consequently, all examinations earlier scheduled to hold between Monday, August 16 and Saturday, August 21, have been suspended until further notice,” the deputy registrar said in the statement.

Abdullahi said management had also advised students living in hostels on campus to avoid unnecessary movements, NAN reports.

“All students of the university residing in the various hostels are hereby strongly advised to remain within their hostels of residence and avoid unnecessary movements.

“Management is working in collaboration with the security agencies and the government, to ensure that the safety of lives and properties of members of the university community, particularly students, is adequately protected.

“Similarly, students that are resident outside the campus, and members of staff, are also advised to remain at home while the 24-hour curfew remains in effect,” he said.

Abdullahi thanked the state government and security agencies for ensuring the safety of students and staff of the university at all times.

Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong had directed the imposition of a 24-hour curfew in Jos North local government area to contain further security threats.

This comes a few hours after announcing a dusk-to-dawn curfew in three local government areas of the state: Jos North, Jos South, and Bassa.

The governor urged citizens to abide by the curfew and remain indoors to allow security agencies to maintain law and order and deal with those bent on causing chaos.

The governor said the 24-hour curfew in Jos North Local Government Area will remain in force until further notice.

“Again, citizens are to note that the 24-hour curfew in Jos North will take effect from 2 pm today 15th August 2021,” he said.

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Group Writes Lagos Airport Police Commissioner Over Extortion Of Students By Officers, Demands N186,400 Refund, Punishment

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The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has written to the Commissioner of Police, Airport Command in Ikeja, Lagos State, seeking the punishment of officers who allegedly extorted students of their money and made them miss their flight.

The open letter signed by the group's Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma on Sunday narrated how two students of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ikwo (FUNAI), Ebonyi State left their homes in Lagos and were heading to the local airport in Ikeja, Lagos to board a flight back to school, only for them to be extorted on their way by the police.

File photo used to illustrate story.

According to RULAAC, N40,000 was taken from the students –Michael Ekene Okonkwo (20) and his friend, Udo Chukwu Maduforo– before they were allowed to go. But they were too late to catch their flight.

On the behalf of the victims' families, the accountability advocacy group, therefore, demanded the sum of N186,000 from the police as a refund for the N40,000 taken from the students and the cost incurred for missing their flight – N146,400.

The group also asked the police commissioner to ensure the officers involved in the "criminal act which contravenes Police professional standards and which brings the image of the police to further disrepute be subjected to appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with the police rules and regulations".

The group narrated that "On Saturday, August 14, 2021, Michael Ekene Okonkwo (20) and his friend Udo Chukwu Maduforo, both students of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ikwo (FUNAI), Ebonyi State left their homes in Lagos and were heading to the Lagos local airport, Ikeja to board a flight back to school.

"The vehicle conveying them was stopped by a team of police officers in front of Golden Tulip Hotel on Airport Road at about 11 am.

"The police officers searched the boys and despite not finding anything incriminating with them, and despite their explanation that they are students heading to the airport to catch a flight back to their school in Ebonyi State, and their plea to not let them miss their flights, the police officers refused to let them go.

"A journalist-friend called to draw my attention to this incident and I asked that he gives my number to any of the boys to call me so I may find out what was happening. Michael Ekene's mother called me minutes later and confirmed that her son and his fellow student going to the airport were held hostage along airport road by some police officers on a stop-and-search operation. She said she was heading to the spot and I asked her to call me as soon as she arrived there for me to hear from the police officers the offence the boys may have committed to warrant their being held hostage.

"Before Mrs Okonkwo could get to the spot where her son and his colleague were held, her son called her again to tell her that the officers had allowed them to go after extorting the sum of N40,000 from the two of them, money meant for their upkeep in school. By the time the boys arrived at the airport, their flight had left. They missed their Air Peace flight scheduled for 11:40 am. They had to return home and travelled this morning at extra cost.

"In their own words 'they harassed us and collected money from us. They delayed us, and one of them pushed me on my face ... They searched our bags and didn't find anything (incriminating) in them but still yet didn't listen to me after I showed my student ID to them'.

"This is shocking for two reasons. That police officers trained and paid to serve and protect citizens could descend to holding students- young people who could be their children- to ransom and ignored their explanations that they are students going back to school and their plea to let them go - since they were not found with anything incriminating- so that they would not miss their flights. They robbed them of their money and made them miss their flight.

"That in spite the current raging issue of police corruption and abuse of power which has again put Nigeria in the spotlight of international opprobrium, these officers could not be deterred or persuaded to minimise their greed for money acquired through extortion.

"We are appalled, to say the least."

In its demands, the group said, the Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, Ikeja should identify "these despicable corrupt officers" and ensure they "refund the total amount of money they extorted from these hapless students as well as refund the total cost of their tickets.

"The total cost is: N33,000 X 2= 66000

They paid an extra N80,400 to reschedule because it was business class

Total N146 400 + 40k N186,400."

"That the CP takes any further actions he deems necessary to remedy the violation of the rights of the students, reassure the victims and the general public that the command does not condone or tolerate corruption and abuse of police powers. These are necessary to redeem the image of the NPF," it added.

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”You Need A Dirty Slap, I've Never Seen You Perform Miracles Like TB Joshua Did"— Odumeje Blasts Pastor Okotie Over Controversial Video

Chukwuemeka Odumeje, the General Overseer of The Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention and Deliverance Ministry, has lambasted the Senior Pastor of the Household of God Church International Ministries, Chris Okotie, over a comment the latter made regarding the late founder of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet TB Joshua.

Okotie, in a recent video, described Joshua as a magician disguised as a minister of God, noting that the Nigerian prophet was never called by God into the gospel ministry.

He said in the video, “What is the truth about TB Joshua? Who was he? Was he a product of Christianity? Or a practitioner of shamanism? Was he a servant of the Lord Jesus? Or some itinerant religious quack?

“Was he a true prophet, who was misunderstood? Or a hypocrite masquerading under the habiliment of the Faith?

“When God begins a work in scripture, particularly from the Old Testament, he begins with patterns, what we call types, shadows.

“You say why because the patterns determine the flow of power and authenticity of that enterprise. He is a magician, a sorcerer, and calls himself a prophet.”

Reacting, Odumeje warned Okotie to stop trolling the late Prophet and allow him to rest in peace, noting that the duo are not on the same level spiritually, indicating that Joshua had a greater power than Okotie.

Odumeje also stated that he had never heard Okotie winning souls or performing miracles like Joshua did.

He said, "I want to correct a stupid person and that is a man that doesn't want the general to rest in peace and allow their family to mourn the general and this man. That man is Chris Okotie," he said.

"Young man, we have respected you enough and I have never seen you do anything in this life. I have never you save any soul or perform any miracle like TB Joshua did yet you came out to say TB Joshua is a devil. You claim because he calls himself Emmanuel, he's a devil...if he answers the name of Christ, is he wrong? We must answer the name of our father but does that we mean we're Christ...

“When I look at you, I see that you're possessed. And listen to me, before you talk against him, you should establish if you're equal. When you cannot do what a man does, you have no right to talk about him because you're not in the same qualification or spiritual balance. You're too carnal for who TB Joshua is to open up your mouth.

"When I see you say you want to rule Nigeria, I see that you're suffering from insanity. You need a dirty slap to collect (sic) your senses. Listen, l don't reply to people with stories, I do that with the deadly spiritual weapon. Some men of God call police but I don't call police or lawyer, I'm a man of power."

The Nigerian televangelist, Joshua died on June 6 after hosting a programme on his church premises at Segun-Irefin Street, Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos, Nigeria.

His body was interred on July 9 on the church premises as ordered by his wife and other members of the family.

However, his burial, which had in attendance eminent people from all walks of life, was boycotted by some top Nigerian pastors.

Their attitude towards the deceased triggered criticisms from some concerned Nigerians who linked their actions to envy.

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