January 9, 2022

[GIST] Six Months After Abduction, 30 Yauri Students, One Teacher Regain Freedom

[GIST] Six Months After Abduction, 30 Yauri Students, One Teacher Regain Freedom

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Another batch of 30 students and a teacher of Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State, have been released after 207 days in captivity.
The freed teacher and students arrived in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State capital, on Saturday night with the state government saying that they would undergo medical screening and support before being reunited with their families.


At least 30 of the 102 abducted students of the school were freed in October 2021 and taken to Birnin Kebbi where they reunited with their families.
There were reports that one of the students died while in captivity.
Yahaya Sarki, spokesperson for Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, confirmed this in a statement on Saturday.
He affirmed that the victims  would undergo medical screening and support while being re-united with their families.
“We thank all security agencies and those who have helped in securing the release, while congratulating Mr President, Muhammadu Buhari for the success,” the statement said.
Governor Bagudu thanked all security agencies and others, who helped in one way or the other to secure the release of the students. 

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[GIST] Navy Hands Over Seized Vessel, 20 Suspected Oil Thieves To Anti-graft Agency, EFCC

[GIST] Navy Hands Over Seized Vessel, 20 Suspected Oil Thieves To Anti-graft Agency, EFCC

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The Nigerian Navy has handed over impounded vessel – MTT4 and 20 suspected crude oil thieves -- to officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Bayelsa.

The vessel and her crew members were arrested on December 6 2021 by Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS Soroh), Central Naval Command, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, within Akassa River in Brass Local Government Area.

File photo used to illustrate story.

The vessel as of the time of arrest was loaded with 700 liters of illegally sourced crude oil worth about N148,281,000.

Commodore Patrick Effah, the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship Soroh, handed over the vessel to the EFCC on Saturday.

He said the handing over to the commission was in compliance with the naval headquarters’ directives, adding that the vessel and crew were complicit in the crime that borders on economic sabotage.

He said, “The Nigerian Navy has been given the mandate to apprehend any ship suspected to be carrying out illegalities in the Nigerian maritime domain, however, by law, we are not allowed to carry out prosecution of offenders.

“We are directed to handover seized vessels to the EFCC for further investigations and possible prosecution.’’ 

Anthony Mark, an official of the EFCC team, Port Harcourt Zonal Office, who received the vessel, reitrated the readiness of the commission to carry out thorough investigation into the matter.

“We will carry out thorough investigation with a view to determining the level of involvement, content of the vessel and prosecution of those involved,” he said.

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[GIST] Man Beats Wife To Death Over Argument In Nasarawa

[GIST] Man Beats Wife To Death Over Argument In Nasarawa

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A man identified as Ovye Yakubu has been arrested by Nasarawa State Police Command for allegedly beating his wife, Esther Aya, to death over a quarrel in their residence at Sabonpegi-Shabu community in Lafia, the state capital.

A family source alleged that the suspect, who was arrested on Friday, killed his wife when a heated argument ensued between him and her.

The people of the community at the house where Ovye Yakubu beat his wife to death PM News

"A heated argument ensued between the couple when the suspect tried to stop a carpenter engaged by the wife to fix a net to their window.

"The suspect had beaten up the wife when she insisted that the carpenter should continue with the work.

“The deceased engaged the service of a carpenter to fix net in their windows to prevent mosquitoes, but the husband stopped the carpenter, which the wife resisted, eventually the husband started beating her in the process,” he alleged.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the carpenter, who pleaded anonymity, alleged that the suspect chased him away when he was engaged by the deceased to fix the net.

Confirming the incident, police spokesperson in the state, Ramhan Nansel, noted that the suspect was arrested after the police received a report of the incident.

Nansel explained that investigation was ongoing at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Lafia, to unravel the mystery behind the incident, adding that the corpse of the woman had been deposited at the morgue for post-mortem examination.

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[GIST] Ekweremadu Visits Nnamdi Kanu, Says Political Solution Over IPOB Leader's Release Still Possible

[GIST] Ekweremadu Visits Nnamdi Kanu, Says Political Solution Over IPOB Leader's Release Still Possible

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Former Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has said that he visited leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, in the custody of the Department of State Services. 

Though he did not specify the date and time of his visit to Kanu, he said his visit was in line of seeking political solution for the release of the IPOB leader.

File photo used to illustrate story.

Ekweremadu said he went in company with some Igbo leaders like Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Enyinnaya Abaribe; Secretary-General, Okey Emuchay; and Archbishop of Methodist Church of Nigeria and Co-Chair Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace, Bishop Sunday Onuoha.

He also reacted to President Muhammadu Buhari’s remarks on Channels Television interview on Wednesday where he said Kanu should defend himself in court. 

Speaking via his verified Facebook page on Saturday, Ekweremadu said, "Political solution in the Nnamdi Kanu's matter is still very feasible. I also watched the Channels Television interview and I don't think Mr President ruled out a political solution.

"In fact, I would have been surprised if he said he would just release Nnamdi Kanu because there is independence of every arm of government, including the judiciary. There are procedures.

"I recall that it was exactly Mr President's response when I led a delegation of the South-East Caucus of the Senate to see him on the Nnamdi Kanu issue in November 2016. 

"But ultimately we kept reaching out and dialoguing until we had a political solution, which resulted in the judiciary granting Mazi Nnamdi Kanu a bail because ultimately, everything will come to the judiciary because every arm of government is independent.

"So, we will keep working on a political solution, nevertheless. We will keep engaging the government, just as we will continue to appeal to our youth and people to ensure the stability and prosperity of our region.

"I did lead a delegation to interface with the Kanu and the authorities. We had useful conversations. We have equally made some requests and we are waiting for a feedback from the government to make progress.

"As usual, I deliberately didn't want to make it public because it is a quiet service we are rendering to Ndigbo and the nation. But the DSS eventually made it public in one of their statements."

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January 8, 2022

[GIST] Ethiopia Frees High-profile Political Prisoners

[GIST] Ethiopia Frees High-profile Political Prisoners

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The Ethiopian Government on Friday announced that it would pardon and release some of the country’s most high-profile political detainees in a bid to promote national dialogue.

The political prisoners whose freedom was announced on Friday include opposition figure Jawar Mohammed, senior Tigray party officials and several prominent members of the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front.

Others listed are opposition leaders from the Oromo ethnic group, the largest in Ethiopia, and the Amhara.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a Nobel Peace laureate, who reportedly went to the battlefront in November to lead his troops, also called for “national reconciliation” and “unity” in a statement issued as Ethiopia celebrated Orthodox Christmas.

According to AFP, the move came amid a lull in the brutal 14-month conflict in Northern Ethiopia after a dramatic shift in battlefield fortunes at the end of last year saw government forces retake a string of towns and the TPLF retreat to its stronghold in Tigray.

“The key to lasting unity is dialogue. Ethiopia will make any sacrifices to this end,” the government communications service said in a statement announcing the amnesty.

“Its purpose is to pave the way for a lasting solution to Ethiopia’s problems in a peaceful, non-violent way… especially with the aim of making the all-inclusive national dialogue a success," it added.

It was not immediately clear how many of those granted amnesty had yet been freed.

However, Ethiopia’s state broadcaster, EBC, named both Jawar and Eskinder Nega, who were detained in July 2020 following deadly unrest over the killing of popular ethnic Oromo artist, Hachalu Hundessa, as those granted amnesty.

Eskinder, leader of the Balderas party, left a detention centre on Friday evening.

According to the report, Tuli Bayis, a lawyer for Jawar of the Oromo Federalist Congress party and others, told The Associated Press news agency that they refused to leave the prison facility as the order for their release came late in the day.

“They have security risks, so they preferred to exit the correction facility in daytime,” Tuli said, adding he was not sure why the order for their release came now. 

“We heard it is an amnesty, that’s what we know for now.”

Ethiopia’s Ministry of Justice said the amnesty for Jawar and Nega was granted “to make the upcoming national dialogue successful and inclusive”.

Ethiopian lawmakers on December 29 approved a bill to establish a commission for national dialogue amid international pressure for negotiations to end the war.

In 2018, Ethiopia released opposition leaders, journalists and protesters from its notorious prisons. 

Many also had the charges against them dropped and were calling for the release of those still in jail.

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