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An unspecified number of female students have been abducted by gunmen from a Nigerian university in north-west Zamfara state. The students of the Federal University Gusau were abducted from three hostels in Sabon Gida community, in the early hours of Friday. Local journalists told the BBC that the gunmen began shooting indiscriminately before attacking the […]
The post Gunmen abduct female students in north-west Nigeria first appeared on Gajreport.
The post Gunmen abduct female students in north-west Nigeria appeared first on Gajreport.
Nationwide protests have taken place since October 7 despite the disbanding of the controversial Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) police unit.
The demonstrators have been accused of attacking police stations and personnel.
The rallies which are mostly attended by young people have become avenues to vent against corruption and unemployment.
Rights groups say at least 15 people have been killed the demonstrations began in early October.
14 Nigerian soldiers were killed in an attack on a military base in the northeast of the country.
Nigerian military authorities say the jihadists from the Islamic State in West Africa (Iswap) group attacked the Jakana military base on Friday with machine guns and grenade launchers, an offensive followed by intense fighting.
The IS-affiliated group has recently intensified attacks on military and civilian targets in the region.
This is where Skrill Money Transfer comes in. With Skrill, users have access to money...
The post Nigerians sent £2.8 billion back home appeared first on Voice Online.
Anti-Police Brutality Protest Sees Police Brutality
National armed forces opened fire on Nigerian youth in Lagos at an anti-police brutality demonstration on Tuesday — injuring around 50 people and shooting at least 20 dead, as per unconfirmed reports
Amnesty International which has already condemned the use of excessive force by the Nigerian police to subdue protesters, stated there was ``\"credible but disturbing evidence'' of the incident.
\"While we continue to investigate the killings, Amnesty International wishes to remind the authorities that under international law, security forces may only resort to the use of lethal force when strictly unavoidable to protect against the imminent threat of death or serious injury,\" Amnesty tweeted.
#EndSARS, #EndSWAT and Police Reform.
The escalation in violence comes two weeks after the #EndSarsNow movement took to the streets across Nigeria, following the circulation of video showing a man being beaten, apparently by police officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, known as SARS.
The government proclaimed the dissolution of the police unit which has been accused of human rights crimes including abuse, torture and killings but has since created the Special Weapons and Tactics team (SWAT) in its stead further inciting the youth to seek complete police reform.
[allAfrica] Bolgatanga, Ghana -- The COVID-19 pandemic is setting back important progress on women's health across Africa. There are many reasons for this, including lockdown restrictions which are keeping women at home, concerns about catching the virus, and the closure of women's health services. These problems are not simple ones, but they to be acknowledged and addressed.
[Vanguard] The Presidential Panel on Reform of SARS has recommended 37 police officers for dismissal and 24 for prosecution following 113 complaints on alleged human rights violations from across the country received by the Panel.
[allAfrica] The fast-growing San Francisco-based payment processing company Stripe is buying Nigeria's Paystack, a leading African fintech firm, in an acquisition that signals growing interest in Africa's tech startups.
[This Day] Maiduguri -- The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a combined military formation of West and Central African countries, at the weekend, approached the Cameroonian forces for assistance, especially in terms of reinforcement, to enable them turn the tide against the Boko Haram terrorist group in the troubled Chad Basin. The request followed a spate of attacks by the insurgents lately, which involved several military fatalities.
By Olayiwola Balogun - Nigerians in the United Kingdom turned out in their multitudes on Wednesday 21 October 2020 at the Nigeria High Commission London, Parliament Square and areas close to Downing Street residence of Prime Minister Boris Johnson to protest in solidarity with their citizens who were brutally killed by Nigerian soldiers following a […]
The post UK calls for an end to violence in Nigeria appeared first on African Voice Newspaper.
Amnesty International said late Tuesday there was “credible but disturbing evidence” that security forces in the megacity of Lagos had fatally shot protesters who were demonstrating against police brutality despite a new curfew going into effect.
The Lagos state commissioner for information, Gbenga Omotoso, said in a statement Tuesday night only that “there have been reports of shooting at the Lekki Toll Plaza following the 24-hour curfew imposed on Lagos.”
“The state government has ordered an investigation into the incident,” he said.
Video shown on Nigeria’s Channels Television appeared to capture audio of live rounds being fired at the scene.
“While we continue to investigate the killings, Amnesty International wishes to remind the authorities that under international law, security forces may only resort to the use of lethal force when strictly unavoidable to protect against imminent threat of death or serious injury,” Amnesty tweeted.
The development came just hours after Lagos state Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu warned on Twitter that the growing protests against police brutality in Nigeria had “degenerated into a monster that is threatening the well-being of our society.”
A police statement also had warned that security forces would now “exercise the full powers of the law to prevent any further attempt on lives and property of citizens.”
The reports of fatal shootings in Lekki come after two chaotic weeks of mounting protests leading to more widespread social unrest. On Tuesday, authorities said nearly 2,000 inmates had broken out of jail after crowds attacked two correctional facilities a day earlier.
The Inspector-General of Police said it was deploying anti-riot police across Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populous nation, and ordered forces to strengthen security around correctional facilities.
The governor of Lagos state said the new curfew would cover the entire city of some 14 million people and surrounding areas. The announcement came after a police station was burned down in the city and two people were shot dead by police.
“Lives and limbs have been lost as criminals and miscreants are now hiding under the umbrella of these protests to unleash mayhem on our state,” the governor said.
Lagos has been the epicenter of the protests, with demonstrators at times blocking access to the airport and barricading roads leading to the country’s main ports.
A curfew also went into effect in Benin City after a pair of attacks on correctional facilities that left 1,993 inmates missing. Interior Ministry spokesman Mohammed Manga said large, armed crowds had attacked the two prisons, subduing the guards on duty. It was unclear what the prisons’ exact populations had been before the attack.
“Most of the inmates held at the centers are convicted criminals serving terms for various criminal offenses, awaiting execution or standing trial for violent crimes,” he said in a statement.
The protests began two weeks ago after a video circulated showing a man being beaten, apparently by police officers of
Nigerians protesting against police brutality stayed on the streets in Lagos on Wednesday, breaking the government curfew following a night of chaotic violence in which demonstrators were fired upon, sparking global outrage.
Shots were fired Wednesday as young demonstrators set up barricades by the Lekki toll plaza in Lagos, where protesters had been fired upon Tuesday night, causing numerous injuries although officials said no deaths.
One protester told The Associated Press that his brother was shot and killed in the previous day's demonstrations and that he himself had been hurt in the leg.
Gunfire could be heard across Lagos, Nigeria's largest city of 14 million, including on the highway to the airport, at a major bus station, outside the offices of a television station and at the Lekki tollgates. Smoke could be seen billowing from several points in central Lagos.
Demonstrations and gunfire were also reported in several other Nigerian cities, including the capital city, Abuja.
The nationwide #EndSARS protests against police brutality have rocked Nigeria for more than two weeks. They started after a video circulated of a man being beaten, apparently by officers of the police Special Anti-Robbery Squad, known as SARS.
In response to the protests, the government announced it would disband the SARS unit, which Amnesty International says has been responsible for many cases of torture and killings.
The demonstrators' demands have widened to include calls for accountable government, respect for human rights and an end to corruption in Africa's most populous nation of 196 million.
Despite massive oil wealth and one of Africa's largest economies, the bulk of Nigeria's 200 million people have high levels of poverty and lack of basic services, as a result of rampant corruption, charge rights groups.
Guinea's 82-year-old incumbent leader Alpha Conde is running for a third term in Sunday's tense presidential election.
His bid was made possible after he pushed through a new constitution in March, which he said was to modernise the country but it also allowed him to run for another term.
The move sparked protests and subsequent crackdowns, which killed dozens.
What de we know about Conde?
After decades as an opposition activist, Conde became Guinea's first democratically-elected president in 2010.
He was reelected in 2015.
In both votes, he beat his main opposition rival Cellou Dalien Diallo, who he is facing again this year.
Conde has promised to boost the economy tackle corruption and increase Guinea's electricity access. And make Guinea Africa's second economic powerhouse after Nigeria.
Despite the promises, the mineral-rich country is one of the poorest in the world.
Conde calls for free election
As he cast his ballot on Sunday, Conde said he hoped the vote would be \" free, democratic and transparent\".
\"We are going to make sure that the polling stations are safe.
\"Guinea cannot develop without peace, security and unity. So we call on all candidates to avoid any act of violence. If some want to cause unrest, national and international awareness will be duly raised,\" he said.
What do Guineans say about him?
\"In 10 years, Alpha Conde has done nothing,\" said Aminata Barry, a 36-year-old opposition supporter, adding that he had made \"only promises\".
But Conde retains a bedrock of supporters who hail his efforts at economic revival. He drew huge crowds on the campaign trail, where he dismissed his many critics.
\"Despite his age, we want him for the future of our youth,\" said lawyer Sekou Diakate, 47, who was among thousands attending a Conde rally Friday.
[This Day] The Minister for Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amechi, has revealed that US$10 billion is lost annually to illegal fishing, stating that dumping of toxic waste and indiscriminate use of plastics is hindering the growth of Nigeria's maritime economy.
Portman Ridge Finance Company (Nasdaq: PTMN) (the “Firm” or “PTMN”) and Garrison Capital Inc. (Nasdaq: GARS) (“GARS”) introduced right this moment that every firm has obtained stockholder approval for the…
By SAM OLUKOYA Associated Press LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian protests against police brutality continued Friday for the ninth day, with demonstrators fending off attacks from gangs suspected to be backed by the police, warnings from the Nigerian military, and a government order to stop because of COVID-19. In Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, protesters blocked the road to the international airport and the main highway into the city. The Lagos-Ibadan highway, one of Nigeria's busiest, is the main road linking the port city to the rest of Nigeria. Protesters in the capital, Abuja, dedicated the day to Nigerians they charge […]
The post Nigeria's anti-police brutality protests block major roads appeared first on Black News Channel.
Guinea's main opposition candidate Cellou Dalein Diallo arrived in the capital Conakry on Thursday ahead of this weekend's election, greeted by hordes of animated supporters.
The city had earlier resounded to the sound of car horns as supporters of President Alpha Conde, who is seeking a controversial third term on Sunday, whisked through the city in a motorcade.
After about a week of combative campaigning, the 82-year-old president himself returned to the capital on Wednesday amid heightened political tension in the West African state.
Conde's re-election bid comes after he pushed through a constitutional referendum in March, which he argued would modernise the country, but which allowed him to bypass a two-term limit for presidents.
Opposition to this triggered mass protests from last October, sparking a massive crackdown by security forces and claiming dozens of lives.
Rights groups are increasingly critical of Conde, whom they say is veering towards authoritarianism.
Diallo's motorcade proceeded through streets thronged with supporters wearing the green and white colours of his party Thursday, while a swarm of motorbike riders driving ahead of the opposition leader slalomed between the supporters.
\"We're tired, we want change,\" said unemployed mechanic Balde Mamadou Oury, 35.
Twelve candidates are contesting Sunday's election in total. However most think only Conde and Diallo are serious contenders.
After decades as an opposition activist, Conde became Guinea's first democratically-elected president in 2010 and won re-election in 2015.
Diallo, 68, now Guinea's leading opposition politician, was formerly a prime minister under authoritarian leader Lansana Conte.
After months of tension between the pair, Guineans interviewed by AFP expressed fears of potential violence on election day and the period that follows.
Clashes between Conde and Diallo supporters have wounded several people in different parts of the country in recent days.
'Hate speech'
Kabinet Fofana, a Guinean political scientist, warned there was a danger one of the candidates would not accept the outcome of the election.
\"A major difficulty is the question of recognition, acceptance of the results of the ballot boxes,\" he said.
The outcome of Guinea's poll is likely to resonate further afield too, kicking off a string of elections this year across West Africa.
Activists are concerned that a win for Conde would bode ill for democratic norms in the region.
Aside from the third presidential term, Guinea's election campaign has been marked by fears of increased ethnic tensions in the diverse country.
For example, Conde - who normally speaks French when addressing the nation - last month told voters in the Malinke language that backing an opposition Malinke candidate amounted to voting for Diallo.
Politics in Guinea are mostly drawn along ethnic lines. President Conde's party is largely backed by Malinke people, and Diallo's UFDG by Fulani people, although both insist that they are pluralist.
Against a back
By Victor Omondi On Thursday, an 18-year-old was charged for assaulting a 7-year-old girl, during an incident that was witnessed while online learning was going on in West Chesterfield on the South Side. Chicago police said that Catrell Walls is facing charges of a felony count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim below […]
Photo caption: Speakers for Black Britain and beyond. Top: Neo Tapela, Des Amey, Emeli Sande,...
The post Black Britain and Beyond: Inaugural event appeared first on Voice Online.
Smoke was billowing from a Lagos prison and gunshots were heard on Thursday as fresh unrest rocks Nigeria's biggest city after the shooting of protesters.
Police close to the scene told AFP that assailants had attacked the detention facility in the upscale Ikoyi neighbourhood.
A curfew is underway in Lagos after security forces shot at protesters on Tuesday. Amnesty International said at least 12 people were killed in the unrest.
The international community, including the African Union, has condemned the violence.
Nigeria's army said the shootings were \"fake news\".
Police Minister Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi told the BBC that troops were not ordered to open fire on protesters.
\"I cannot say who is involved in the shooting... definitely not the police. Soldiers have already spoken about this, they are denying their involvement,\" he said.
President Buhari has yet to comment publically while Nigeria's vice-president has promised justice for victims.
Yemi Osinbajo said his \"heart goes out\" to the victims of the shooting as well as policemen and others who have lost their lives in several days of turmoil in Africa's most populous country.
The protests started two weeks ago over brutality by the police's Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The protests quickly spiralled into broader demands for change as promises of reform failed to stem the anger and violence flared.
At least 56 people have died across the country since the demonstrations began, with about 38 killed nationwide on Tuesday alone, according to Amnesty.
