UN Chief Guterres Mourns Deadly School Shooting in Rural Canada
Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has expressed deep sorrow following Tuesday’s deadly school shooting in Tumbler Ridge that left at least eight people dead and 25 others injured. Speaking at the UN’s daily press briefing on Wednesday, the Secretary-General’s spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said Guterres was “saddened to learn of the tragic shooting” in the small rural community located in British Columbia. “The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to those affected and his sympathies to the Government and people of Canada,” Dujarric told reporters. Victims Include Students and Teacher According to media reports, the victims include at least three female students, two male students and a teacher at the local secondary school. Two additional individuals were found dead at a nearby residence. Local police have reportedly identified them as the suspect’s mother and stepbrother. Authorities said the suspect, who was born male but was transitioning and identified as female, was discovered inside the school with an apparent self-inflicted fatal wound. Among the 25 injured, two individuals were airlifted to hospital in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. Small Community in Shock Tumbler Ridge is a remote community in the Canadian Rockies, located more than 1,000 kilometres northeast of Vancouver and near the Alberta border. The secondary school serves approximately 175 students from Grades 7 to 12, making the tragedy particularly devastating for the tight-knit town. The shooting has sent shockwaves across Canada, prompting expressions of grief and solidarity from national and international leaders. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack as the community begins mourning the victims and supporting those injured in the tragedy.
Just In: Edo Deputy Gov, Philip Shaibu Declares Governorship Bid
Amid mounting speculations, Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu has formally announced his bid to succeed Governor Godwin Obaseki as the Governor of Edo State in the upcoming 2024 election. In a televised address on Monday, Shaibu expressed his firm resolve, stating, “With great conviction and dedication, I declare my intention to contest for the office of Governor of Edo State under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming 2024 election. Together, with your support, we can steer Edo State to unprecedented progress.” Shaibu outlined a comprehensive vision centered on five key pillars crucial for the advancement and prosperity of Edo State during his campaign. Following his announcement, Shaibu inaugurated his campaign headquarters in Benin City, the state capital, signaling the commencement of his gubernatorial campaign. Last week, the Philip Shaibu Campaign Organisation issued invitations, inviting dignitaries to witness Shaibu’s formal declaration to serve as the Chief Servant (Governor) of Edo State. Shaibu’s candidacy sets the stage for a potential political battle against Governor Obaseki, who is reportedly supporting an alternative candidate for the state’s leadership. Recent months have witnessed escalating tensions between Shaibu and Obaseki, hinting at a fierce electoral contest in the run-up to the 2024 elections.
Kano Guber: Appeal Court Affirms Abba Yusuf’s Sack
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has upheld the judgment of the Kano State Governorship Tribunal that sacked Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as the governor of the state. The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, as the winner of the state’s governorship poll held on March 18. The Independent National Electronic Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced Yusuf as the winner of the March 18, 2023 election, saying he garnered 1,019,602 votes to defeat Gawuna who got 890,705 of the votes cast. Consequently, the APC headed the Tribunal, citing alleged electoral malpractice. The Tribunal in it ruling nullified Yusuf’s election, adding that over 160,000 ballot papers “were not signed or stamped by INEC”. The three-man panel of the Tribunal led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay sacked Yusuf on September 20, 2023, after deducting 165,663 of his votes. Yusuf’s votes were subsequently reduced to 853,939 while Ganuwa’s 890,705 votes were not affected. Not satisfied, Yusuf proceeded to the appeal court which held that it can be seen that the Tribunal acted in the overall interest of justice when it allowed APC’s tendering of documents during trial. The court held that INEC released documents to the APC piecemeal in order to defeat the petition of the petitioner. The judgement further posited the the Petitioner’s insistence that APC ought to have joined its candidate, Ganuwa, as a party at the Tribunal proceedings, was not backed by the 1999 Constitution. It maintained that a candidate is entitled to be represented by his political party during litigation, adding that every political party shall maintain the register of its voters. The court said the appellant to his own detriment did not submit his NNPP membership registrar or even tendered his statement on oath regarding his membership of the party. The court added that the name of Abba is not the NNPP membership registrar. “As rightfully found, Yusuf Abba was not a member of the NNPP at the time he was purportedly sponsored by his party and he was not qualified to contest the March Governorship Election,” the court while affirming the judgment of the Tribunal. “If you claim to be a member of a political party, is it not logical for you to say so by yourself and not by proxy? “Even though membership of a political party is an internal affair, a political party cannot be permitted to circumvent or breach the provisions of the 1999 Constitution. “The Tribunal was wrong not to have disqualified the appellant. “Therefore, the failure of the appellant and the NNPP to comply with the 1999 Constitution is fatal to their election. “All issues in this appeal are dismissed and the judgment of the Tribunal is affirmed,” the court held.
Just In: Our Officials Have Been Abducted In Bayelsa LGA, Says INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday said that some of its officials on election duty were held hostage in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Expressing concern over the situation, INEC stated that the actions of holding officials hostage were detrimental to the credibility of the electoral process. In a statement on its verified X platform, the commission urged security agencies, particularly the police, to take immediate action to rescue the electoral officers and ensure their safety. INEC condemned the action as “detrimental to credible elections” and called on security agencies including the police to swing to action and rescue the electoral officers. “We call on the security agencies to immediately facilitate their release,” the commission said. The incident unfolded amid protests in the oil-rich South-South state over alleged result manipulation as the collation of the November 11, 2023, election results commenced. Protesters, including state commissioners and lawmakers, asserted that elections did not take place in the Nembe area of the state. The tense situation escalated further as Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri, accused Timipre Sylva, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), of orchestrating electoral violence in the Nembe-Bassambiri area. Governor Diri, who is seeking re-election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), expressed concern about the violent tendencies associated with Timipre Sylva’s involvement in elections over the years. The governor linked Sylva to incidents of violence and lawlessness, particularly in Nembe-Bassambiri. Timipre Sylva, a former Bayelsa governor and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources from 2019 to 2023, has been a prominent figure in the state’s political landscape. The unfolding events underscore the challenges facing the electoral process and the need for swift intervention by security agencies to ensure the safety of INEC officials and uphold the integrity of the democratic process.
BREAKING! NLC Protests, Blocks Abuja Airport
Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Thursday initiated a protest in Abuja. The group seized control of entry and exit points at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. This has led to flight disruptions and chaotic scenes around the airport area. The demonstration comes in response to the recent assault on Joe Ajaero, NLC’s president in Imo state. Aviation unions, aligning with NLC, have instructed their workers to halt services for both public and private Owerri flights, intensifying the impact of the protest. More details later…
Police Arrest Prime Suspect Of Murdered FUT Minna Lecturer
The Police Command in Niger says it has arrested Joy Afekafe, the prime suspect in the killing of Dr Funmilola Adefolalu, a lecturer with the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna. This is contained in a statement in Minna by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Wasiu Abiodun. Abiodun stated that two other suspects connected to the crime were at large, adding that effort was ongoing to apprehend them. He recalled that on October 29, 2023 at about 10:00 a.m., some friends and church members of Adefolalu, visited her residence in Gbaiko area of Minna following their inability to get her on telephone. “Unfortunately, on getting to the house, the visitors met her lying in a pool of blood with marks of injury on her body. “Police operatives attached to Bosso Division visited the scene and two knives with blood stains suspected to have been used to stab her by unknown person(s) were recovered from the scene. “She was taken to the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Specialist (IBB) Hospital, Minna where she was confirmed dead,” Abiodun said. He noted that during investigation, the police arrested the deceased’s housemaid, 14-year-old Afekafe of Gbeganu, Minna on September 30 at about 9:00p.m. The PPRO said that during interrogation, the suspect confessed that she served as the deceased’s housemaid for about three weeks, adding that she was laid off due to her misdeed in the house. He stated that after she was laid off, she narrated her ordeal to her classmates called Walex and Smart and they conspired to attack the lecturer at her residence. He explained that they went to the residence on September 28 at about 4:00p.m., with a motorcycle and she surfaced at the gate, while the lecturer opened the gate for her. The PPRO said that Walex and Smart later entered, beat the deceased, hit her head with a stood and stabbed her with a knife brought by Walex while Smart took another knife from the deceased’s kitchen, and stabbed her severally. He said that the suspects also stole the deceased’s phone, laptop and the battery of a car parked in the compound and fled the scene. Abiodun said that the suspect would be transferred to State Crime Investigation Department for further investigation and diligent prosecution, while effort is ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects
Gunmen Kidnap Plateau NUJ Chairman
A former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Plateau state, Kapdaba Gobum, was abducted by suspected kidnappers. He was allegedly kidnapped on Tuesday night. This happened after he left the Press Centre, headed for his house in the Bukuru area of Jos South. Former General Manager of the Plateau Publishing and Printing Company (PPPC), Jonathan Ishaku, and the immediate past chairman of NUJ, Paul Jatau, have confirmed the incident. Ishaku mentioned, “But early this morning (Thursday), the kidnappers called his wife and demanded N35 million.” Jatau expressed surprise at this development and wondered why journalists should be victims of kidnapping. The former NUJ chairman recently retired as a senior editor with the Nigerian Standard, published by the PPPC.
Supreme Court Dismisses Atiku’s Plea To File Fresh Evidence Against Tinubu
The Supreme Court, on Thursday threw out the motion by former Vice President and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, seeking leave of court to file fresh evidence in his appeal against the victory of President Bola Tinubu, in the February 25, presidential election. The Petitioner pleaded the apex court to grant him leave to bring in additional evidence by way of depositions on oath from the Chicago State University for use in his appeal to wit: the certified discovery deposition made by Caleb Westberg on behalf of Chicago State University on October 3, 2023, disclaiming the certificate presented by the 2nd respondent, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the Independent National Electoral Commission. The motion dated 5th October but filed on the 6th, contained a 32-page deposition released to the former Vice President on the orders of Judge Nancy Maldonado of the District Court of Illinois, Eastern Division, Illinois, United States of America. Ruling on the motion, Justice John Inyang Okoro, held that a clinical look at the issues formulated by all the parties, it is clear that the argument is whether this court as presently constituted has the power to grant the motion. According to the panel, out of the 7 issues distilled by Atiku for determination, none related or covered forgery, which the appellant is seeking to bring in. It maintained that the Constitution does not permit that, and this court has no jurisdiction to grant the filing of fresh evidence that was not pleaded at the PEPC. It noted that Atiku did not even deem it fit to file for an amendment of his pleadings and for extension of time, since the 180 days allowed by the Constitution had elapsed since September 17, 2023.
Kidnapped Benue Commissioner Regains Freedom
The Benue Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Mathew Agbo, who was kidnapped in August, has regained his freedom. Agbo, in a statement on Thursday in Makurdi, thanked Governor Hyacinth Alia and the security agencies for ensuring his safe release. “I appreciate all the effort and prayers that have culminated in my release and subsequent reuniting with my family “I pray that my ordeal will lead to renewed efforts toward tacking both internal and external security challenges in the state. “I, therefore, call on all residents of the state to support government efforts and the security agencies toward tacking insecurity in the state,” Abo called. The Commissioner, who thanked his colleagues, family members, friends and staff of his ministry for their fervent prayers, promised to serve the state to the best of his ability. He called on the residents to pray for the success of the current administration in the state, adding that the Alia-led administration means well for the state. Agbo, who spent ten days in captivity, was kidnapped on September 24 at his hometown in Zaki-Biam Local Government Area of the state. Abo was sworn in as a member of the Benue Executive Council on August 29.
Breaking News: Fire Engulfs Supreme Court Complex
In a shocking development, a section of the Supreme Court complex, located in the heart of the Three Arms Zone in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been engulfed in flames. Reports, although unconfirmed at this time, suggest that the offices of the three Justices of the Court have been affected by the fire. The incident has thrown a shroud of uncertainty over the nation, as the perpetrators and the Justices directly impacted by the attack remain unknown. This unfortunate event has occurred at a particularly sensitive juncture, with all eyes fixed on the Supreme Court due to its pivotal role in handling presidential election petitions. The news has left Nigerians deeply concerned. Further details on this developing situation will be provided shortly as the investigation unfolds. More details shortly…