Tragedy As Two Children Die In Niger Boat Mishap

Two children have been confirmed dead while two others sustained various degrees of injuries in a boat mishap that occurred in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger. The Overseeing Director-General of Niger Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) /, Alhaji Salihu Garba, disclosed this in Minna on Saturday. He said the incident occurred on Friday at about 6pm when the boat engine caught fire due to a mechanical failure and inflamed a gallon of petrol stored inside the boat. He said that 145 passengers were in the boat, adding that they were from Danbo community in Kogi. Garba disclosed that the passengers were on their way back from Katcha Market when the incident occurred. He said that the body of one of the deceased children had been recovered while the search for that of the second missing child was still ongoing.

Gunmen Kill 10 Persons, Injure One In Plateau

Tragedy struck the peaceful community of Kulben in the Gindiri District of Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau, as a group of gunmen unleashed a horrifying attack. The assailants, in a senseless act of violence, claimed the lives of ten innocent individuals while leaving one person critically injured. The harrowing incident unfolded on a fateful Sunday night, forever altering the lives of the community’s residents. Mr. Jerry Datim, a distressed member of the community, recounted the terrifying events that transpired. “Last night, at about 8:40 p.m., some gunmen attacked Kulben community, killed 10 persons and injured one,” he painfully shared. The attackers descended upon the village, their bullets tearing through the tranquility of the night as they fired indiscriminately. Panic swept through the community as people scrambled for safety, but tragically, some were unable to escape the hail of bullets, their lifeless bodies discovered later. In the midst of the chaos, the community did what they could to alert the security forces to the unfolding tragedy. “We alerted the security personnel, but before they got there, the attackers had moved from the community,” Mr. Datim revealed. The swift and ruthless nature of the assault left little time for intervention. Despite the urgency of the situation, attempts to reach out to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Alfred Alabo, for an official statement were met with unavailability. However, an unnamed senior police officer confirmed that the law enforcement agencies had launched a comprehensive manhunt to track down and bring the attackers to justice. Axccording to him, the full force of the law would be employed to ensure that those responsible for this heinous act faced the consequences of their actions.

Vandals attack Jigawa water plant, steal items worth N20m

Suspected vandals have attacked the Birninkudu Water Treatment Plant in Birninkudu Local Government Area of Jigawa, beat up workers and stole items worth over N20 million. The Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Ibrahim Garba, made this known when he inspected the facility on Friday. Garba, who expressed worry over the incident, said government will take drastic measures against those sabotaging its efforts to provide potable water to residents of the state. “This is very sad and unfortunate indeed. Items worth over N20 million were stolen by the vandals. “This is the first time this is happening since the creation of this water facility in Birninkudu in the last 50 years. “This is happening across the state as it happened in Kazaure where about 20 boreholes were destroyed, cables dug out and carted away, it also happened in Babura, Gumel and Dutse. So, it rampantly happening,” Garba lamented. He added that the rampant theft and destruction of water facilities across the state is causing hardship to the citizens in terms of access to potable water and causing set to government efforts to provide water for all. The commissioner therefore, advised the general public to take full ownership of all facilities and other critical infrastructure provided by government facilities in their respective communities and report any suspicious movement around such facilities to the security agencies for prompt action. Also speaking, the Zonal Manager of the Jigawa Water Board, in charge of Birninkudu, Buji and Gwaram, Malam Yunusa Shuaibu, who was among those attacked by the suspected vandals, told newsman that the hoodlums attacked the facility at about midnight on Tuesday. “It was on Tuesday around midnight that a gang of people numbering about 10 carrying dangerous weapons attacked the facility where I the manager and two other staff were attacked. “They tied me up and hit me and other staff with stick, while one staff managed to escape. “They cut off cables and stole items worth over N20 million, in they ransacked the facility,” the official alleged. Shuaibu listed the items stolen by the suspected vandals as high lift cable (150mm×4core), DB cable (100mm×4core), two high lift rotor (75kv), three Kickstarters (100kv), four solar batteries (300arm) and computers. Others are stock cable (6mm flexible, 150mm×4core, 100mm×4core and 16mm×4core), two batteries (150arm 12vol), pump (30kv), seven impellers, overload spear parts, iron slab and five mobile phones. Also, commenting the Chairman of the Council, Alhaji Magaji Yusif, pointed out that the substantial number of residents of the area depend on the facility for their daily water need. Yusif said two third of the 200,000 residents of the local government could not get access to water due to the vandalism. He added that the facility, built in 1972, treats 400 cubic litre of water per hour. The chairman promised that the council will take proactive measures to forestall future occurence of the incidents. According to him, the council will also take immediate action to ensure that water supply continues, pending the general repair of the facility by the state government.

FIFA suspends Spanish football chief, Rubiales over Hermoso kiss

The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) on Saturday suspended Spanish federation chief, Luis Rubiales from all football related activities for three months over allegations of an unwanted kiss on the lips of player Jenni Hermoso after Spain’s women won the World Cup. Rubiales` suspension from national and international activities takes immediate effect, FIFA said in a statement about the action taken by its disciplinary committee chief Jorge Ivan Palacio. FIFA had opened disciplinary measures against Rubiales on Thursday over his actions last Sunday in Sydney. He said he would defend himself to prove his “complete innocence”. Rubiales, 46, has been defiant over the kiss which has been condemned as unwanted by Hermoso, her team mates and the Spanish government – arguing it was consensual. Earlier on Saturday the Spanish federation he heads had said it would stick by him. After the FIFA statement, a spokesperson for the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said: “We respect all the pronouncements of FIFA.” In a statement hours before FIFA’s announcement on Saturday, the Spanish federation said it would show there had been lies told about what happened by Hermoso or people speaking for her. The statement, issued on the RFEF website, said it would take appropriate legal action to defend Rubiales’ honour, but did not say what the action would consist of. In a statement through the federation, Rubiales said: “Luis Rubiales has stated that he will legally defend himself in the competent bodies.” 

Park Ownership Dispute: Unknown gunmen trigger pandemonium in Anambra

An unsettling situation unfolded on Wednesday in Nkpor, situated within the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. The cause of the upheaval was the contentious matter of park ownership, which escalated to the point of armed masked individuals purportedly assuming control of the parks. In the midst of this dispute, chaos ensued, leading to the reported injury of at least five individuals due to the commotion caused by gunshots fired by the armed intruders. Emmanuel Idemili, the Chairman of the Amafor Nkpor community, addressed the media regarding the unfolding situation. According to him, his team was duly authorized by the state government to manage and generate revenue from the parks. He revealed that he was away on official business in Awka when he received a distressing call from his staff at the parks. They reported that a group of masked and armed individuals had forcefully entered the scene under the fly-over bridge, immediately resorting to gunfire and driving his team away. Idemili expressed his concern for the wellbeing of his staff, mentioning that he was uncertain whether any of his members were among the injured. The intensity of the shooting triggered a stampede, causing traders at the Nkpor New Auto Spare Parks and Nkpor Relief Markets to hastily close their shops and seek safety. In an attempt to verify the unfolding events, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, was contacted. However, he stated that he had no knowledge of the incident, leaving the situation shrouded in uncertainty. This alarming incident in Nkpor, Anambra, underscores the potentially volatile nature of disputes over public spaces and their management. The clash over park ownership not only led to injuries but also disrupted the local commercial activities, highlighting the need for swift and effective resolution to maintain order and safety in the community.

Group slams military for burning vessels with stolen crude

*Says action destroys the ecosystem The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has decried the burning and destruction of vessels laden with stolen crude oil, describing it as a worrisome and environmentally unfriendly way of curbing oil theft. ERA/FoEN’s Executive Director, Barr. Chima Williams, in a statement signed by Communication Officer, Elvira Jordan, recently stated that the burning of crude oil-laden vessels disposes a high level of chemical content into the water bodies that destroys eco lives and aquatic organisms that humans need to survive.  “Destroying such vessels with their crude contents produces high-level chemical debris that follows tidal movement to other parts of the country. This kind of devastation destroys the aquatic organisms needed to satisfy man’s nutritional and survival needs. “What is discharged includes chemical contents from the crude and the vessels that are harmful to human health. The health implications of such activities may not have immediate effects but will be transferred to the people who inhabit these areas, as the primary occupation of the Riverine people is fishing and farming, which is dependent on the surrounding waters,” he said. He added that the destruction of crude oil laden vessels will also deprive the people of their sources of livelihood, when the chemical waste from the burnt vessels and crude oil comes in contact with the environment, killing aquatic life and poisoning the surrounding soil. The Executive Director stated that destroying and wasting stolen crude, is a disfavor to Nigeria’s economy noting that the product will generate funds that will build infrastructures and better the lives of the people. He said, “Destroying badges of crude that runs into millions is equivalent to denying the nation and its people of the revenue that can be derived from such large amounts of crude. This is a country in dire need of resources to rebuild the economy, to build infrastructures and to better the lives of the people. The country is in heavy dept, yet we are destroying sources of enhancing our economy. The burnt vessels can be transformed into other uses like enhancing the work of seafarers in the country.” On the legal implications, Williams explained that destroying the evidence would not make for the proper prosecution of the case. He stressed that such actions wipe away the key principles of the rule of law, as the chances of conviction or proper acquittal are no longer visible. According to him, this is a denial of justice to the nation, the individuals involved, and the victims of their negative operational conduct and activities. He called on military and security operatives to put an end to the burning of crude oil-laden vessels, as it goes against every tenet of environmental protection and environmental health.