November 27, 2021

[GIST] APC Party Leader, Tinubu Opens Up, Wants Support For 2023 Presidential Ambition - Northern Statesman, Yakasai

[GIST] APC Party Leader, Tinubu Opens Up, Wants Support For 2023 Presidential Ambition - Northern Statesman, Yakasai

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A founding member of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and elder statesman, Tanko Yakasai, has revealed that the National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, wants to run for the presidential race in the 2023 general election.

He said the APC chieftain was at his Abuja residence on Wednesday to solicit support for his presidential ambition in the coming election.

Bola Tinubu

There have been speculations, reports and veiled indications that Tinubu might be interested in the presidential seat but the former Lagos State governor, with several hanging corruption cases on his neck, is yet to formally declare his intention.

Yakasai said, “He (Tinubu) just came to visit me but actually I have two of them (presidential aspirants) that I have earmarked right from the beginning and I made a vow that anyone of them who came to ask for my support first is the person I would support. Tinubu is the first person.”

Yakassai further said that Tinubu did tell him about the Presidential ambition and as well sought his support during the election.

Furthermore, Yakasai said interested aspirants must first scale the hurdles of primary elections in their various political parties “then we will begin to compare them.”

SaharaReporters had in October reported that Tinubu, amidst his ambition for the 2023 presidential race, spent over four months patronising hospitals in France, United States and the United Kingdom where he underwent several surgeries.

He had been flown out of the country some days to Christmas in 2020 to Paris, France.

The APC leader had returned to Nigeria on January 24, 2021, after a month absence from Nigeria.

He also went for a medical check-up on Thursday, June 10 to France and was conspicuously absent from the one-day working visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Lagos State.

“Tinubu is in Paris, France for a medical checkup. His health is deteriorating due to old age," a top source had told SaharaReporters at that time.

Tinubu, amidst death rumours, was forced to return to the country on Tuesday, June 15.

SaharaReporters also reported that Tinubu was hospitalised in Maryland, the United States in July 2021.

On August 9, the APC leader had another knee surgery at the John Hopkins University Hospital in Maryland, the United States.

The APC chieftain, it was learnt, left the US for the United Kingdom on crutches, a few days after the surgery.

Sources close to Tinubu had told SaharaReporters that he wanted the surgery in Paris, France but changed his plan over rumours of his death.

“Tinubu had his second surgery at John Hopkins University in Maryland recently. He was accompanied by a popular Nigerian doctor in Chicago. He had wanted the surgery in Paris but when rumour was rife about his death, he hurriedly left for Nigeria and went to John Hopkins,” one of the sources had said.

"He left the US for the UK on crutches," another source had revealed.

In August, President Muhammadu Buhari paid a visit to Tinubu in London and the latter was seen with a walking stick during Buhari’s visit, confirming SaharaReporters’ story that he underwent a second surgery in the United States.

His London home also became a mecca of sorts as he was visited by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Governors Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti).

 

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[GIST] US, UK, 10 Countries Impose Travel Ban On South Africa As COVID-19 Deadly Variant, Omicron, Spreads Globally

[GIST] US, UK, 10 Countries Impose Travel Ban On South Africa As COVID-19 Deadly Variant, Omicron, Spreads Globally

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More countries have imposed travel bans on South Africans, following the discovery of a new, highly mutated Covid-19 variant, which has already sneaked into Europe.

The variant – now named Omicron by the World Health Organisation – has already been detected in Belgium, Botswana, Hong Kong and Israel and will rattle the prospects of persons travelling globally.

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The United States is the latest country to announce it will restrict travel for non-U.S. citizens from South Africa and seven other countries starting Monday, according to senior Biden administration officials.

In addition to South Africa, other countries included in the new restrictions are Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi.

The United Kingdom was the first to react, announcing that South African travellers would be denied entry from midday Friday.

Non-UK and Irish residents who have been in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe or Namibia in the previous 10 days will be denied entry.

South Africa has been placed back on the UK’s restrictive red list, which enforces strict quarantine requirements for returning residents. UK and Irish residents arriving from South Africa over the weekend will be required to self-isolate at home for 10 days and take two post-arrival PCR tests.

From 04:00 on Sunday, passengers arriving in the UK will need to quarantine in a state-managed hotel, at their own cost. This is the same red list requirement which decimated South Africa’s tourism sector.

South Africa was relegated to the UK’s red list until October. South Africa’s short-lived delisting held promise for the country’s ailing tourism sector but now, with the summer season approaching, being back on the red list comes at the worst possible time.

France and the Netherlands are the latest European nations to ban South African travellers.

French Health Minister Olivier Véran announced on Friday afternoon that flights from South Africa and neighbouring countries would be suspended for 48 hours, according to France24.

“Although no cases [of B.1.1.529 infection] have been detected on French territory, the principle of maximum caution must apply,” noted a statement from the French Prime Minister’s office.

Air France has not yet issued a statement concerning flight cancellations.

Germany has moved to declare South Africa a virus variant area on Friday, according to Reuters. The travel ban is expected to come into effect on Friday night.

This classification as a virus variant area means that travellers from South Africa will be prohibited from entering Germany. Airlines will only be able to fly Germans to Germany from South Africa. These returning citizens, even if vaccinated, will be required to quarantine for 14 days.

Italy and Austria are examples of countries to which travel for South African passport holders was already prohibited. Residents and nationals returning from South Africa will be allowed to enter Italy and Austria but will be forced to quarantine for 10 days, even if they are considered fully vaccinated.

In Asia, Japan and Singapore have followed suit; meanwhile in the Middle-East, Israel, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates have also imposed bans. 

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[GIST] Jailbreaks: How 371 Suspected Kidnappers Escaped From Nigerian Prisons In Six Months

[GIST] Jailbreaks: How 371 Suspected Kidnappers Escaped From Nigerian Prisons In Six Months

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No fewer than 371 out of the total 1,641 suspected kidnappers in Nigerian correctional centres have escaped within six months.

According to Daily Trust, the 371 kidnappers escaped from two correctional facilities in Imo and Oyo states between March and October this year.

On October 23, 2021, gunmen invaded a correctional centre in Oyo and set free 837 inmates, out of which 104 were suspected kidnappers.

Although the Nigerian Correctional Service said it had recaptured 262, it is not clear whether any of the kidnappers was recaptured.

Also, in an attack on a correctional centre in Imo State on April 5, 2021, 1,884 inmates escaped, 267 were kidnappers awaiting trial.

The Imo correctional centre has the highest number of kidnappers, 267; followed by Delta, 182; Taraba, 179; Katsina, 175; Akwa Ibom, 159; Edo, 126; Oyo, 104; Ogun, 81; Anambra, 66; and Enugu, 49.

Others are Zamfara, 46; Rivers, 40; Gombe, 30; Kano, 26; Bauchi, 24; Sokoto, 24; Osun, 18; Ondo, 15; Benue, 15 and FCT, 15. A list of kidnap suspects, which was compiled on March 18, 2021 revealed.

Also, 95 per cent of the suspected kidnappers, including those on the run, were said to have spent over one year awaiting trial.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, had disclosed that a total of 3,906 prisoners, who had escaped the nation’s custodial centres during various incidences of prison break, were still on the run.

Aregbesola, during a recent ministerial briefing hosted by the Presidential Media Team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, had said a total of 4,369 inmates escaped from the centres from 2020 to date, adding that 984 of the number had so far been recaptured. 

The minister explained that the biometrics of all custodial inmates in the country had been taken, which he said would enable the escapees to be rearrested.

“How long can they continue to run from the state? The state is a patient bird. You can run but you can never hide. We have their biometrics. Whenever and wherever they appear to transact any business, their cover would be blown open,” he said.

However, a senior NCoS official said the rising cases of prison breaks in the country were connected to the keeping of criminals like kidnappers and robbery suspects in prison for a very long time without trial.

The official said, “They (kidnappers) are kept in various correctional centres for years awaiting trial. This always gives them opportunity to establish contacts with their gang members who mostly attack the prisons and set them free.

“Until we get it right, this will continue unabated. So, it’s high time for the government to do something about these criminals, because keeping them without trial is like setting them free, indirectly. We are tired of keeping them here,” he added.

 

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[GIST] Kidnappers Of Three Ondo School Teachers, Principal, Vice-Principal Demand N35m Ransom

[GIST] Kidnappers Of Three Ondo School Teachers, Principal, Vice-Principal Demand N35m Ransom

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The abductors of the principal, vice principal and three N-Power teachers of Auga Community Grammar School in the Akoko Area of Ondo State have demanded N35million ransom for their release.

This was made known by the wife of the principal, Mrs Hellen Adeyemi, who confirmed the ransom in a telephone call, stressing that they had no capacity to raise the ransom.

File photo used to illustrate story.

The school principal and others were reportedly kidnapped along Auga-Ise road in Akoko North East council area of Ondo State.

The gunmen abducted three teachers also of same school identified as Oloyede Bukola, Adagunodo Funmilayo and Blessing Okeke.

One of the victims, Blessing Okeke, was released after the captors discovered that she was pregnant.

Eyewitnesses’ account said that the incident occurred on Thursday afternoon while they were travelling in a Blue Toyota Corolla car belonging to the school Principal along the Auga-Ise road in Akoko North East council area of the state.

The source said that the unsuspecting victims were ambushed and whisked away into the thick forest by the abductors.

Blessing who narrated the incident said they were waylaid while travelling in the Principal’s vehicle from the school back home. She noted that they trekked for hours inside thick forest before she was released after their abductors discovered that she was pregnant.

However, the Divisional Police Officer for Ikare division, Oladutoye Akinwa, said detectives had been deployed to comb the forest in a bid to secure the release of the victims.

Akinwa added that the vehicle in which the victims were travelling before their abduction had been recovered from the spot it was abandoned by the kidnappers.

Residents of Akoko towns have always called on the state government to beef up security in the Northern senatorial district due to the increase in crime rates after the removal of military checkpoints across the state. 

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[GIST] Gunmen Attack Plateau Community, Kill 11 Residents, Burn 30 Houses

[GIST] Gunmen Attack Plateau Community, Kill 11 Residents, Burn 30 Houses

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Residents of Plateau State and the Miyyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria are currently in a war of words after gunmen carried out a midnight raid on Te’egbe community in the Bassa Local Government Area of the state in which no fewer than 11 persons were murdered.

According to Tribune, the incident happened at about 1am when the invaders unleashed terror on the inhabitants, killing and burning houses at random.

File Photo: Gunmen middleeastpress

The police confirmed that 10 persons were killed and 30 houses burnt in the attack.

Reacting to the incident, the Irigwe Development Association described the latest attack as part of a grand plot by herdsmen to push the Irigwe people out of their ancestral land.

He lamented that attacks on the Irigwe people had continued unabated.

But the state chapter of MACBAN said the allegation against its members concerning the latest killings at Te’egbe was a mere expression of hatred towards the herders.

The National President of the Irigwe Development Association, Prince Robert Arshi, said the latest attack on the Irigwe was a surprise, given recent peace and reconciliation meetings between the locals and the Fulani community.

“The motive of these attackers is not far from the fact that they want to push us out and claim our lands for grazing. Our neighbouring villages to Kaduna have been displaced and our people have since relocated.

“Just two weeks ago, they killed two people in Anchan village. While still mourning these people, they invaded Te’egbe community on Friday and killed another eleven, injured four others injured and burned many houses despite the series of reconciliation meeting to make us live in peace,” he said.

He called on security agencies to arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act. However, the state chapter of MACBAN condemned the allegation that herdsmen were behind the Friday attack on Te’egbe.

The association, in a statement by its state chairman, Malam Muhammad Nuru Abdullahi, said the allegation was nothing but mere indication of hatred for herders.

“We are saying that the allegation is false. The Irigwe people should have allowed the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the attack before jumping to conclusions based on perceptions,” it said.

Bassa Local Government Area, especially the Irigwe axis, for some time now, has been experiencing loss of lives and destruction of houses and farmlands as a result due to constant attacks by gunmen.

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