Tag Archives: Hits

Taraba Killings: Death Toll Hits 42

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The death toll in weekend’s Tiv farmers’ killings in Taraba State has risen to 42, it was learnt yesterday.
The hacking to death of the farmers by suspected Fulani militia in Gassol Local Government Area has spilled to many Tiv villages, in spite of police and military presence in the area.
The meeting by Commissioner of Police Yunas Babas, State President of Tiv Cultural and Social Association (TCSA) Goodman Dahida, President of Fulani’s Miyati-Alla, the Lamdo Gassol and security agencies to broker peace was fruitless
Police, soldiers, Dahida and the Senior Special Assistant to Taraba State Governor, Hon. Jerry Tyolanga, confirmed the rise in death toll.
Tiv homes were set ablaze, with smokes still billowing when The Nation visited the troubled area yesterday afternoon.
Six persons were gunned down in Sabon Gari; 16 were slain in other villages. Among them were three women, eye-witnesses said.
Four trucks conveyed bodies, which were killed. The bodies recovered from the “bush villages”. They were being taken to neighbouring Benue State.
There was mass exodus of Tiv from Dan-Anacha –fleeing Taraba to Benue State where a bulk of their ethnic group resides.
The displaced persons looked frustrated, most of them carrying heavy loads, children and domesticated animals but without transportation fares. Some were loudly crying and wailing over the loss of their loved ones.
The renewed attack and killings of Tiv farmers began on Saturday in Dan-Anacha, whose name was recently changed to Kwararafa, as the state was busy at a “Peace Concert” in a stadium in Jalingo –the state capital – organised by Governor Darius Ishaku.
Police spokesman David Mishal, who confirmed the killings, was still being expected to brief the press on the details yesterday.
He described the incident as “undercover attacks where you invade someone’s home and attack him when there is no war going on”.
Governor Darius Ishaku is seen by the Tiv in Taraba as a peace maker. They held a meeting in Jalingo yesterday on the killings, which are raising national concerns.
The Tiv community alleged that yesterday’s killings followed a meeting between the Lamdo Gassol and the Fulani militias. “The meeting started by midnight and lasted till 4:00am when the militias began to invade Tiv homes,” one of the displaced farmers, who is injured, said.

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Taraba killings death toll hits 42

NAF Fighter Jet Hits Boko Haram Location In Northern Borno

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The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets have attacked a number of Boko Haram Terrorist (BHT) locations in Northern Borno, killing several insurgents.

This was contained in a statement signed by the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa on Tuesday in Abuja.

Famuyiwa said On 16 November 2016, an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft reported a gathering of BHTs under a tree at Kadari adding that an An Alpha Jet on armed reconnaissance was called in to strafe the location thus killing a number of the insurgents and causing survivors to flee in different directions.

He said on 18 November 2016, NAF fighter jets again carried out a series of coordinated air strikes against BHT locations at Ngoshe. The strike, carried out by a 3-ship formation of Alpha Jets  against 5 carefully selected BHT targets, was part of OPERATION RESCUE FINALE by the Nigerian Army.

“A similar air strike was conducted on another BHT location near Kangarwa on 19 November 2016. Based on ISR aircraft request, an Alpha Jet was scrambled for air interdiction at a location close to Kangarwa.

“The NAF, same day, provided ISR cover for own ground forces advancing from Ngoshe to Pulka. Please find enclosed the declassified video of the latest air strikes for your use” the statement added.

Credit: leadership

TSA Hits N4.3trn

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Nigeria’s financial crisis yesterday showed a hint of recovery after the cash flow into government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA) rose to a whooping N4.36 trillion.

The accountant-general of the federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, revealed this at a workshop in Lagos with the theme: ‘‘Operation, Implementation and Challenges of Treasury Single Accounts” organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

He described the TSA as a cash planning and management tool that has helped the country to reduce inflation rate and the theft of public funds.

Idris also disclosed that the country lost a whooping sum of N70 billion to failed banks in 2011 when the country was not operating a TSA system.

Idris recalled that, in the past, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) operated more than 10,000 accounts that were mostly dormant with balances of taxpayers’ money not utilized for the development of the country.

Idris, who was represented at the event by the deputy director, TSA Collection Funds Department, Mr Sylva Okolieaboh, explained that  TSA was not just about revenue collection but rather a cash planning tool for the government.

He said, “Even if we detached accountability, transparency and anti- corruption from TSA, it is still very important. That is not the reason why government started TSA. It is an anti-corruption tool, no doubt, but it is more than that.

“We are doing TSA because, sometime in 2011 and 2012, before that time, the government of Nigeria, working with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s first tenure, carried out a broad financial reform looking at the country’s financial system and one of the things they asked us to do was to do a census of bank accounts.

“Even though restricted to mainline government ministries, we found out that among the ministries that were based in Abuja then, there were more than 10,000 bank accounts for about 30 ministries.

“It was not only the number that was the problem; the practice was that when new heads of ministries or agencies came on board, they would go and open new bank accounts based on personal interest, forgetting the previous accounts. When they open these new accounts and change signatories, whatever balances in the previous accounts remain there.

“Even the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was coming to us to draw our attention to the accounts, telling us to come and close them.”

Another gain recorded with the TSA policy, Idris noted, is that the huge sums of money paid as interest on money borrowed from banks had since been stopped.

In his address, the president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Deacon Titus Soetan, described the TSA, which is an initiative of the federal government, as a bold and highly commendable move directed at quelling corruption in the public service.

Soetan said: “The implementation of the scheme would enable all government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to remit all their revenue collections into a single account through commercial banks acting as agents. At the close of the day’s transactions, the banks are required to remit all the money collected to TSA at the CBN.

“This is a departure from the past where government revenues were collected through several segmented channels, given rise to leakages in the revenue collection chain.”

Credit: leadership

Prince Harry Hits Out At Media Intrusion Over His New American Girlfriend

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Britain’s Prince Harry issued a rare statement on Tuesday to criticize the media for intruding into the private life of his new American girlfriend, actress Meghan Markle, saying the press had subjected her to “a wave of abuse and harassment”.

British newspapers have been running daily stories about Markle since news emerged that the 35-year-old actress was dating the prince, 32, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth.

In the unusually forthright statement issued by Harry’s office which confirmed the relationship for the first time, the prince’s Communications Secretary said they had fought nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories from appearing in papers.

“He has rarely taken formal action on the very regular publication of fictional stories that are written about him and he has worked hard to develop a professional relationship with the media,” the statement said.

“But the past week has seen a line crossed. His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment.

“Some of this has been very public – the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments.”

Harry has spoken out before about his dislike of the press and the statement said that while he appreciated he lived a privileged life, he felt he had to speak out.

“It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm,” the statement said.

“He knows commentators will say this is ‘the price she has to pay’ and that ‘this is all part of the game’. He strongly disagrees. This is not a game – it is her life and his.”

Credit: reuters

Leadership Crisis Hits Nigerian Community In Ghana

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The All Nigerian Community in Ghana has suspended its President, Mr Moses Owharo, for alleged manipulation of the bank account of the association.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer, Mr Barry Ndu, made available to newsmen in Owerri on Thursday said that the suspension was to allow full investigations into the matter.

According to Ndu, the suspension is the decision of congress of ANC which held at its secretariat on Sept. 28 ratified by the board of trustee, members and delegates from other regions of Ghana.

Ndu added that already the matter had been reported to Ghana Police, saying the members want the investigation to follow due process of the law so as to unravel circumstance that led to tampering of ANC United Bank of Africa account.

Ndu stated that ANC account was frozen since 2013 due to court action against the body, but it was recently uncovered that fake resolution purported to have come from the executive council of the association was used to make withdrawal from the account.

It was further revealed that two of the said new signatories were Daniel Obiora and Godwin Onowu, who were neither members of the congress nor executives of the association.

“The congress perceived the action as gross violation of all known rules binding members of ANC.

“For the sake of transparency, due process and in line with the anti-corruption agenda of Nigeria government which all Nigerians must be part of as ambassadors of the country, the executives have decided to immediately suspend Owharo as its president,’’ he said.

He noted that Owharo had equally been summoned by the body to explain his role in the change of signatories and withdrawals made from the ANC Ghana UBA Account.

But in a swift reaction Owharo told NAN that the allegation was false.

Owharo told NAN in a telephone interview that there was no leadership crisis in ANC in Ghana.

“As I speak with you, I am still the president of ANC, Ghana, and the Nigeria High Commission in Ghana still work with me and so those carrying fake report that I am no longer the president are merely spreading falsehood,’’ Owharo said.

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http://guardian.ng/news/leadership-crisis-hits-nigerian-community-in-ghana/

Death Toll In Cameroon Train Crash Hits 79

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The death toll in last week’s train crash in Cameroon has climbed to 79, state radio said Monday, as the authorities continued to comb through the wreckage.

On Sunday, 11 more bodies were pulled from the debris of the packed passenger train that derailed on Friday between Cameroon’s two main cities, CRTV reported.

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http://guardian.ng/news/death-toll-in-cameroon-train-crash-hits-79/

Godogodo Death Toll Hits 40, As Mob Hacks 14 Herdsmen Dead

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The death toll from the invasion of Godogodo in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, between last Saturday and Sunday, has risen from 20 to 40, according to sources from Southern Kaduna Peoples Unions, SOKAPU, the umbrella body of the 67 tribal groupings of Southern Kaduna.

However, Kaduna State Police spokesman, ASP Usman Aliyu, said that he had not been informed of any figure higher than the Sunday figure of 20, but agreed that the casualty figure could be higher.

Meanwhile, a mob attack on herdsmen in Kaduna left no fewer than 14 persons “hacked and burnt” to death. A commercial bus driver, Adamu Aliyu, told newsmen yesterday: “I was returning from Plateau State with eight passengers, all of them Fulani herders. My bus broke down in Kaduna State, so I left it to go search for a mechanic.

“While I was away, a mob surrounded the vehicle and forcibly brought out the eight passengers. They hacked them to death, dumped them in the vehicle and set it ablaze.

“Another vehicle was also attacked, when it stopped to refuel and all the six people were burnt to death along with the car.”

Aliyu said a riot broke out in the streets, with soldiers and policemen finally intervening to contain the carnage.

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http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/godogodo-death-toll-hits-40-mob-hacks-14-herdsmen-dead/

Oil Prices Slump 1% as OPEC’s Output Hits Eight-month High

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Oil prices fell about one per cent Wednesday after the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reported its September oil output at eight-year highs in its monthly Oil Market Report (OMR), thus eroding optimism over the carte’s pledge to bring a global crude oil glut under control.

This is coming as energy ministers from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Venezuela and Russia yesterday began informal closed-door talks with the Secretary General of OPEC, Mr. Mohammed Barkindo, in Istanbul, Turkey, as part of the coordinated efforts to rebalance the oil market.

Also, concerns that the American Petroleum Institute (API) could report the first built in United States crude oil stocks in six weeks in preliminary inventory numbers have fueled possibility of worsening the glut in the market as Reuters reported that analysts expected the US government to report that crude oil stockpiles rose 300,000 barrels last week.

Global benchmark crude oil Brent crude fell 52 cents, or one per cent, to $51.89 a barrel while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude slipped 68 cents, or 1.3 per cent, to $50.11.

However, despite the drop, Brent is still up nearly 13 per cent since OPEC announced on September 27 that the group and other major crude oil producers would agree on a sizeable output cut or freeze to reduce a global glut by November 30 when OPEC meets in Vienna.

OPEC’s latest monthly report, issued yesterday, showed an increase in its oil production in September to the highest in at least eight years and a rise in the forecast for 2017 non-OPEC supply growth.

In its monthly market report, OPEC said expected total world oil demand for 2016 was revised upward from its previous report by 10,000 bpd to 1.24 million bpd.
Next year, world oil demand is expected to increase by 1.15 million bpd, a level unchanged from OPEC’s previous report.

The group produced 33.39 million barrels per day (bpd) last month, up 220,000 bpd from August, and as much as 890,000 bpd above the new supply target.

Read More: thisdaylive

Bomb Blast Hits Maiduguri, Many Feared Dead

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Many traders and travellers were feared killed on Wednesday as an improvised explosive suspected to have been planted by Boko Haram insurgents went off outside a car park in Maiduguri, Borno state.

The explosion went off at a park popularly called Mun Garage at about 9a.m. in the capital city of the north-east Nigerian state.

A witness who said he was lucky to survive the incident said he saw about a dozen bodies covered with blood littering the scene.

“I thank God for sparing my life,,” said Usman Kachalla, a local trader. “I don’t know if it is a suicide bomber, we just heard the blast and I saw my self covered with dust.”

An official of the Civilian-JTF, Alhaji Khalil, confirmed the incident.

“Yes there was a blast early this morning outside Muna Garage along Mafa road. We have sent our operatives down there; but we have not confirmed the casualty,” said the Civilian-JTF official.

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http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/212568-breaking-bomb-blast-hits-maiduguri-many-feared-dead.html

Second Tremor Hits Kaduna In 24 Hours, Leaves Many Displaced

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Many residents of Sambang Dagi in Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State have been displaced as a result of another earth tremor witnessed in the area in the early hours of monday.

The incident occurred barely 24 hours after the first tremor was reported at Nok village about 20 kilometres away from Sambang.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the second vibration occurred around 4a.m yesterday, leaving shocked residents scampering for safety.

It was not immediately clear whether there were casualties.

Earlier, the state government had in a statement urged residents of the affected communities to remain calm.

The government last Sunday appealed for calm, and sympathised with the residents of Kwoi in Jaba Local Government Area, following the first tremor.

The government said in a statement signed by Samuel Aruwan, the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the State Governor Nasir el-Rufai, that it had made a formal report to the appropriate authorities to investigate the development.

Read More: thisdaylive

Power Generation Hits 3,810 Megawatts

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The Transmission Company of Nigeria has transmitted about 3,810 megawatts of electricity generated on September 8 by the generation companies to the 11 distribution companies.

The Nigerian Electricity System Operator announced this on its website on Thursday.

According to its operational report for Sept. 8, the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry indicates that the power sector hit a peak generation of 3,810.5 megawatts and lowest peak generation of 2,834.40 megawatts.

NESI said the power sector recorded highest system frequency of 51.55Hz; lowest system frequency of 48.78 Hz, highest voltage recorded was 372KV, while lowest voltage recorded on the same day was 300KV.

It will be recalled that the TCN on Aug. 31 sent 2,766 megawatts to the distribution companies.

The lowest energy generation on the day under review was 2,520 megawatts while highest generation was 3,502 megawatts.

The nation’s electricity generation has been stable in the last two months, while generation has increased above 3,000 megawatts.

The downturn in power supply was exacerbated in May by the several attacks on oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta.

This made the generation plunged to a new low of 1,400 megawatts on May 17, according to the TCN.

The nation’s power grid recorded 21 collapses in the first half of the year; 16 total and five partial collapses.

The latest system partial collapse was recorded on July 10, according to data from the National Control Centre.

More than half of the nation’s power plants are currently facing gas shortage, with unutilised electricity generation capacity due to gas constraints put at 3,988.3MW as at August.

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http://punchng.com/power-generation-hits-3810-megawatts/

Naira Hits N420/$ At Parallel Market As CBN’s Interventions Eat Up Reserves

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The value of the naira at the parallel market continued to decline hitting N420 to the dollar, as dollar sales by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) boosted liquidity at the interbank market where the naira closed at N306 to the dollar.

At the parallel market, the naira had weakened from N407 which it closed on Friday last week, indicating a 3.2 per cent decline within three days. Traders said dollar sales by the apex bank to some banks supported the currency at the official market.

The currency closed at  N306 to the dollar, reversing losses in early traded which saw it quoted at 317.09 to the dollar, but fell compared to the 305.50 naira closed the previous day. Bureaux de change operators however raised hope of a gradual appreciation of the local currency in the near term as the central bank licensed 11 new international money transfer operators to address the dollar supply side.

According to the president of the Association of Bureau de Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) Aminu Gwadabe, “Depending on the effective implementation of the central bank’s policy, the appointment of new international money transfer operators will ensure that banks will have more dollar to sell to bureaux de change and provide the needed liquidity in the market.”

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http://leadership.ng/news/548741/naira-hits-n420-at-parallel-market-as-cbns-interventions-eat-up-reserves

Nigerians Urged Not To Panic As Annular Eclipse Hits September 1

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National Space Research and Development Agency (NSRDA) has urged the public not to panic over the Annular Eclipse which will be experienced between the hours of 7:15am and 10:03am on Thursday, September 1 with slight variations in actual timing across the country.

In a press statement by the Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr Felix Ale, the Agency appealed to the general public not to panic or adduce any mystical interpretations to this event, urging them not to observe the eclipse with naked eyes, as this can cause damage.

According to the statement, in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, there will be a partial eclipse, with an obscurity of 60 per cent, and the first contact at about 7:17am, with maximum eclipse at 8:32am and end at 10:00am.

Also, Lagos will experience its first contact with the eclipse at 7:15am, with a maximum eclipse occurring at 8:32am and ending at about 10:00am.

The Agency has arranged a viewing centre tomorrow  to enable members of the public, pupils and students from various schools to view the eclipse using specially designed viewing instruments provided by the space Agency.

The viewing centre which has been set up by the Agency will be open to the public on Thursday 1st September, 2016 from 6:45am for school pupils and students to observe the annular eclipse as part of its continuous programmes to expose Nigerians and students to matters concerning astronomical environment.

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http://leadership.ng/news/548586/annular-eclipse-hits-nigeria-september-1

Cement Price Rises By 44 Per Cent, Hits N2,300 Per Bag

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Dreams of lower construction costs by prospective homeowners might have become a nightmare, going by fresh increase in the price of cement products by manufacturers.

The development has already triggered a ripple effect in the open market, with prices going up by about 44 per cent in few days.

Investigations revealed that operators under the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (CMAN) have raised prices of brands by N600 per bag in factories, including additional N100 cost for haulage. This has increased retail prices from N1,600 to N2,300 depending on location. In some areas, prices have shot up to N21,350 or higher.Members of the CMAN include Dangote Cement Plc, which is emerging as a market leader and has factories in Gboko, Benue State; Obajana, Kogi State; and Ibeshe, Ogun State.

Other are: Lafarge Cement WAPCO Plc; Cement Company of Northern Nigeria Plc; Ashakacem Plc and Cross-River based United Cement Company.

Vice President, Nigerian Institute of Building, Kunle Awobodu, said: “This is going to create crisis in the construction sector and bad blood between clients and contractors, as developers will make claims for fluctuations.

“Invariably, it will lead to upward reviews of contract sums. New and on-going projects will be delayed until there is agreement on the contract variations. It can also expedite construction activities because of the anticipation of further increase.”

According to an official in one of the cement manufacturing companies, the hike is not unconnected to difficult operating environment.

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http://guardian.ng/news/cement-price-rises-by-44-per-cent-hits-n2300-per-bag/

Death Toll In Adamawa Herdsmen Attacks Hits 30

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The Adamawa State Police Commissioner, Mohammed Ghazzali has been criticized over his comment and handling of the Fulani herdsmen attacks on Kodomun, following the discovery of eight more corpses.

Youths from Kodomun who brought out the corpses of the slain members of the community from the bush said, the recovery of the additional bodies had raised the death toll from the attacks which started on Friday to 30.

The incident, came on the day the Adamawa State Governor, Mohammed Jibrilla, visited the paramount ruler of the area, the Hama Bata, HRH Alhamdu Teneke, and held a security meeting with him at his palace with other service chiefs in the state in attendance.

Ghazzali, who visited the area on Monday shortly after the attacks by herdsmen, had reportedly claimed no life was lost.

Ghazzali’s denial of any casualty resulting from the attacks, while addressing journalists, after the security meeting, elicited anger from those present at the palace.

Ghazzali explained that his refusal to deploy policemen to Kodomun, which had come under attacks, from Fulani herdsmen, earlier on Friday and Saturday, before that of Monday was done so as not to make him look like “taking sides”

He said, “My men were on the ground. We would not risk our men to be there just to give security to one side so that the other side will not think we have taken side with one side.

“There are two different people involved in these clashes: the herdsmen and the farmers. And we have to be very careful in handling such type of communal clashes.”

It was, however, the police commissioner’s insistence that no life was lost in the Monday attacks which sparked the uproar.

The angry youths who threatened to unleash mayhem in the aftermath of his comment were dissuaded from their action by the elders in the palace.

The monarch, who said his people had been killed in the attacks, challenged the security chiefs to visit Kodomun, to find out for themselves if indeed there were “no deaths”.

Credit: Punch

BringBackOurGirls Group Hits Back At Presidency

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BringBackOurGirls group said yesterday that the statement by the presidency a few days ago, in response to its assessment of the federal government’s effort to rescue the kidnapped 218 Chibok girls — since its engagement with the President in July 2015, was a misrepresentation of the group.

The advocacy group in a statement signed by Aisha Yesufu and Oby Ezekwesili last night, said that contrary to the presidency’s insinuation, the movement could not be insensitive to the loss of lives and livelihoods of other Nigerians, as well as the plight of those facing the humanitarian tragedy, saying its members absolutely reject the ‘’false labelling’.

Presenting its monthly monitoring report for July 2016, BringBackOurGirls said that July 15 was 27 months to the sad day in April 2014, when the Chibok girls were abducted from their dormitories in Government Secondary School, Chibok, adding that 822 days later, 218 girls remain in captivity.

‘’We present this as part of our monthly monitoring of the efforts to rescue our girls and bring an end to the Boko Haram Insurgency’’, the group added.

‘’In a continuation of recent trends, the last month marked the liberation of thousands of our citizens and the opening up of more access routes. We also recorded a declining number of insurgent attacks within our shores and witnessed peaceful Eid celebrations in the capitals of the North East for the first time in over five years.

‘’We continue to commend our security forces for these successes which have inspired renewed hope and conviction in the capacity of our troops to #BringBackOurGirls and ensure an end to the insurgency. Sadly however, the period brought to light the scale of humanitarian crisis in the North East occasioned by acute malnutrition among children and adults, and the real threat to survival of an entire generation of our people.’’

The advocacy group added that nothing reinforced its repeated call for urgency and a more visible, deliberate and result-based humanitarian response to the insurgency than the submission from a July 8 statement by the UN Secretary-General and Regional Humanitarian Coordinator, Toby Lanzer, who said, “A failure to act now will result in deeper and broader suffering, unlike any seen to date in Nigeria’s North East and a steeper bill for all concerned to alleviate suffering and stabilize the situation.”

The group added: ‘’We shudder at the possibility of more suffering for our fellow citizens in the North East, especially knowing what they have been through in the last few years”.

‘’Since the abduction of our girls we have led several initiatives, often times in advance of government. We crowd sourced the Citizens Solution to end terrorism early on and highlighted the need for improved military welfare and a comprehensive de-radicalisation program, among others.

‘’We anticipated the need for a system of handling the movement of affected communities and designed both the Verification, Authentication and Reunification System (VARS) and modalities for a Missing Persons’ Register.’’

The group said it had also mobilised relief materials and campaigned on behalf of the Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees in neighbouring countries, going on to warn of an impending humanitarian tragedy for many months before any action began.

Credit: Thisday

Lassa Fever Hits Kaduna, Kills Pregnant Woman, Doctor, 1 Other

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A pregnant woman and two health workers have been confirmed dead following the outbreak  of Lassa fever in Kaduna.

The three people including a medical doctor who was undergoing his national youth service year as a corp and a community health nurse died at the Saint Louis Hospital in Zonkwa, area of Zango Kataf local government of the state.

The doctor and the nurse it would be recalled contacted the lassa fever disease after conducting an operation on a pregnant woman who later died of the same disease two weeks ago.

Confirming the outbreak, the state commissioner for health, Professor Jonathan Andrew Nok told journalists, that two weeks ago, there was a pregnant woman that visited the Saint Louis Hospital after she was referred from a clinic in Kamuru.

‘‘She was pregnant and an operation was conducted on her by the doctor and nurse. She subsequently died.”

He added: “The two individuals that died were the people that actually attended to the pregnant woman. She died about two weeks ago. No one thought they would die like that after the woman. The woman died of lassa disease. She was buried properly. And it was after her death that symptoms of lassa started to show on the medical doctor and the community nurse.

“The doctor and the nurse died after they had high temperature consistently for four days,” said the commissioner.

He said that the doctor and nurse showed signs of lassa fever shortly  after operating a  pregnant woman who was brought in from another hospital in from a primary health care centre in Kamuru in the same local government.

‘‘The woman later died few days after they were tested positive to lassa.’’

Credit: Leadership

Bird Flu Hits Ebonyi

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Ebonyi State’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Orji Uchenna, has confirmed the detection of the first case of Avian Influenza (bird flu) infection in the state.

Disclosing this in Abakaliki, Uchenna said the virus was detected in a poultry farm at Ugwuachara area of the state capital, adding that the attention of his ministry was drawn to the development following death of birds.

He stated that officials of the state veterinary services took a sample to a research institute in Jos, where it was confirmed that the birds died from the H5NI strains of the Avian Influenza.

Mr. Uchenna directed the veterinary department of the ministry to isolate the farm and take inventory of all poultry and ancillary farms in the state, while sustaining enlightenment on the influenza.

Credit: Vanguard

Contributory Pension Fund Hits N5 Trillion- DG PenCom

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Mrs Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, Director-General (DG), National Pension Commission (PenCom), on Monday said that the Contributory Pension Fund (CPF) had risen to over N5 trillion in its 10 years of operation.

Anohu-Amazu disclosed this while speaking at the second edition of the World Pension Summit, Africa Special, held in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the summit had the theme: “Building Sustainable Pension Systems in Africa.”

She said that the summit was designed to bring up practical and enduring strategies for pension fund regulation in the continent.

The director general said that sustainable pension systems in Africa were reflective of the emerging consensus of the continent on the need to institutionalise a robust pension system.

Anohu-Amazu said that the aim of the summit was to evolve measures to tackle the plethora of development challenges that plagued Africa in the 21st Century.

She said the summit was also in line with the multilateral paradigm shift of promoting sustainable development goals within the institutional framework of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.

Read More: nannewsnigeria

Boko Haram Scare Hits Ondo Communities

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Residents of four local government areas in Akoko, Ondo State, are living in fear, following what has been described as the influx of suspected Boko Haram insurgents. Akoko is the gateway to the northern part of the country.

It was learnt that a commercial driver alerted the military about the strange movement of some passengers at Oke-Agbe-Akoko in Akoko Northwest Local Government Area.

The passengers, who were suspected to be insurgents from Chad, were arrested by soldiers.

Following the development, residents and others have organised a one-day interactive session with representatives of security agencies.

Read More: thenationonlineng

Fresh Crisis Hits PDP

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A fresh crisis has hit the people’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, despite the congresses conducted by the party last week in the state that produced a new chairman in Prince Ken Emeakayi.

The Chief Ejike Oguebego faction came up with a subsisting court order Friday, given by the federal High court in Portharcourt in 2013, declaring that status quo antebellum be maintained pending the hearing and determination of the substantive matter.

Also, the faction presented a copy of the letter written by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), signed by one Musa Adamu (the secretary to the commission, to (PDP) national chairman, dated 23rd October, 2014 recognising Oguebego and his group as a result of letters of court orders, rulings and consent judgments in which INEC was not a party.

The letter by INEC was entitled “RE: current status of the leadership of the people’s Democratic Party in Anambra state” which was made available to reporters yesterday in Awka.

The federal High case was between Ejike Oguebego, chief Gilbert Okoye as PDP chairman and secretary respectively and Hon Chuks Okoye, as legal adviser as plaintiffs, against PDP, Anambra state chapter, INEC, Ogonna .O. Ogonna and Osy Nsugbe (youth leader) as defendants.

It was in suit no: FHC/PH/CS/213/2013 before Justice I. L Ojukwu, declivered on 31st day of May 2013 and Justice S A Aliyu delivered his own on 22nd day of August, 2013.

The plaintiffs had prayed the court for interlocutory injunction restraining the 1stdefendant whether by itself, privies, agents, servants assigns or whatever name they may be called from holding out, recognizing, announcing the name of, dealing with or doing anything whatsoever through Ken Emeakayi as he was expelled from the party as the chairman of PDP, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive originating summons.

Read More: thenationonlineng

Killer Gin: Rivers Death Toll Hits 66

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The Rivers State Government said on Wednesday that 28 more deaths had been recorded, following the continued consumption of the killer local gin by unsuspecting consumers, thus increasing the figure from 38 to 66.

The Director of Public Health in the State Ministry of Health, Dr. Nnana Onyekwere, disclosed this in Port Harcourt shortly after dealers in local gin, popularly known as Ogogoro or Kai–kai, met with the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Somieari Harry, on the burning issue in the state.

Onyekwere told newsmen that apart from the 38 deaths announced last week, health workers on the field discovered that more people had died after consuming local gin.

He pointed out that apart from the deaths recorded in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, more persons, who drank the poisonous product in Bonny, Port Harcourt, Gokana and Ahoada West, had also died.

He expressed worry that despite the enlightenment campaigns and warning for people to stay away from local gin, many were still consuming the product.

Explaining that the ban on sale and consumption of Ogogoro by the state government still stands, Onyekwere added that only total abstinence from the product could stop the increase in deaths as a result of the killer gin.

Onyekwere advised that those who were addicted to local gin should go for branded hot drinks, saying, “There are affordable hot drinks that are branded and sealed. Those who cannot do without drinking gin can go for them.”

He explained that places that were most affected were riverine areas, describing such places as high alcohol consuming areas.

Credit: sunnewsonline

Another Earthquake Hits Nepal

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Magnitude 7.3 earthquake strikes two weeks after massive quake killed thousands in Himalayan nation.  A magnitude 7.3 earthquake has struck Nepal, two weeks after a devastating quake killed more than 8,000 people in the Himalayan nation, the USGS has reported.

USGS had earlier reported the magnitude at 7.1 but later upgraded it to 7.3. The quake, which struck 18km southeast of Kodari, near the base camp for Mt Everest, was measured at a shallow depth of about 18km.

Al Jazeera’s Annette Ekin, reporting from the capital, Kathmandu, said that there was “utter panic” in the capital. “The earth just started rolling. Everyone ran out onto the streets and all of the shops are now shuttered,” she said, adding that the quake seemed to last about 30 seconds.

A woman who works for a finance company in Thamel, in Kathmandu, told Al Jazeera that she had clung on to a pillar inside her building when the quake struck. “I was screaming. It felt like the house was falling,” she said.

Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons, also reporting from Kathmandu, said the quake was so powerful that it made the building he was in “feel like jelly”.

Read More: aljazeera