Former president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Issa Hayatou, has passed away at the age of 77.

The football administrator, who was a key figure in African football for decades, died in Paris on Thursday, August 8, 2024, a day before his 78th birthday.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino described the late Hayatou as a ‘passionate sports fan” in a post on Instagram on Thursday evening.

He wrote: “Saddened to hear of the passing of former Caf president, former Fifa president ad interim, Fifa vice president, and Fifa council member, Issa Hayatou.”

“A passionate sports fan, he dedicated his life to sports administration.

“On behalf of Fifa, condolences go to his family, friends, former colleagues and all who knew him. Rest in peace.”

Hayatou was in charge of African football from 1988 to 2017 and served as interim FIFA President from 2015 to 2016 when Joseph Sepp Blatter was suspended amidst a corruption scandal.

It was also under his tenure that South Africa hosted the World Cup in 2010, becoming the first-ever African nation to host the tournament.

A former Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) Director, Jibrin Ibrahim, on Wednesday, said Nigerians are angry because they are being deceived by the President Bola Tinubu government.

Ibrahim made this claim during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today.

He said governance was collapsing in Nigeria because the government had failed in its promises.

Ibrahim said, “When they removed the fuel subsidy, they said in weeks we will have CNG buses and the price of transportation will crash. They said this 13 months ago. Nigerians have not seen those buses. It is called waiting for Godot in literature. When you are told continuously that you will see them and you wait for weeks, months and a year and nothing is coming. You know that what you are told is just a narrative not based on reality.

“That is why Nigerians are very upset. They are very angry. They are being deceived regularly and systematically by a government that feels that it can tell stories and we survive. We refuse to do what we need to do but we survive because we tell stories that will cover up. And Nigerians said no you can’t tell stories.”

He further stated that patients were dying on a daily basis because they did not have money to buy medicine.

According to him, Nigerians are starving because of the economic situation in the country, but the government wants them to starve in silence.

The hunger protest spear-headed by some groups under the hashtag #EndBadGovernance crept into most Northern cities like a bad dream. As the protesters began to hit the streets, they did not give anyone the impression that they would hurt a fly. They began by singing different protest songs and chorusing the need for the government to provide good governance and take steps to end ravaging hardship and poverty across the country. This was the case on the first day of the protest Wednesday, August 1, 2024.

But things began to get out of control on the second day of the protests as mayhem almost took over what was meant to be a peaceful protest to draw the attention of the government to the plight of Nigerians.

In Kano State, for instance, everyone was happy to see the protesters peacefully marching to the Aminu Kano House and presenting several demands to the governor of the state and they were expected to retreat peacefully as they went. But that was not to be because right there at the Government House, some protesters attempted to invade the place but were resisted by security men.

Apparently upset that they were denied access into the Government House by the security men, the rioters went wild. They first made bonfire right in front of the imposing government building and started pelting the security agents with stones and whatever object they could lay their hands on. Faced with such a challenge, the security men fought back, firing gunshots and shooting teargas to disperse the intruders.

But infuriated by this, the protesters decided to visit their anger and frustration on any government facility on sight. The first such facility that came under attack was the Industrial Digital Park, a business hub built by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, at the centre of the ancient city of Kano. It was desecrated and looted bare by the angry mobs. They descended on the multi-million Naira facility with the fury of a hurricane and left it naked like a forlorn grave.

They also ransacked a Kano State High Court premises and carted away vital court documents and exhibits that cannot be reproduced to aid the cases related to those documents.
The irate mob carted away computers, air condition units, solar panels and batteries, internet facilities, chairs and other vital tools they found at the NCC office while exhibits such as guns, documents, among others, were taken away from the Kano court.

The hoodlums also vandalised the oldest printing press in the Northern region of Nigeria, the Kano Printing Press and other private properties. In many places, the army of protesters looted food items and carted away properties in others, leaving nothing valuable behind. They operated more like locusts and cankerworms, leaving behind a tale of woes for owners of the properties they looted and torched.

Strangely, the demonstrators changed tactics and came out on day four and day five with flags consisting of white, blue and red, which many claim to be that of Russia. The flags emerged shortly after the nationwide televised address by President Bola Tinubu on Sunday, August 4. The angry youths claimed that the address fell short of their expectations as it did not address any of their demands but merely reaffirmed the government’s position for imposing hardship on them.

The protesters made up of mostly youths, concentrated their protest around Bakin Zuwo and Koki in Dala Local Government Area, Sharada in Kano Municipal and Gadon Kaya in Gwale Local Government Area.

They were seen displaying the Russian flag and chanting spontaneously in Hausa: “Koya gyara sai ya sauka”, literally meaning: “Whether he (Tinubu) adjusts or not; he must go”.

One of the leaders of the protests, Umar Ibrahim Koki said: “We are staging the protest because of bad governance related to fuel subsidy removal, poverty, insecurity and hardship, among others.

We listened to the President’s broadcast but his speech failed to address the demands of Nigerians.
“We carried the Russian flag because we saw how Niger with the support of Russia achieved the change of government and so we felt we should seek the support of Russian President, Vladimir Putin to come to our aid”.

On the fifth day, the protest spread to Kano – Zaria road, Zoo Road and Hadejia Road, among others. But the Kano State Government quickly distanced itself from the protesters carrying the Russian flag.

The Spokesperson to Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, Sanusi Bature, said the government has no link with the protesters displaying Russian flags, saying that genuine protesters had earlier submitted their grievances to Governor Abba Yusuf and that he is working hard towards onward submission to President Bola Tinubu.

The unbecoming behaviour of the protesters promptly forced the government of Kano to slam a 24-hour curfew on the town and later reduced it to 12 hours a day so as to calm down frayed nerves and reduce the level of tension in the town.

As at the time of filing this report, the number of casualties could not be ascertained, but the state government said over 600 hoodlums were arrested and arraigned in court, while about 60 per cent of the looted properties have been recovered.

The police also said it has arrested seven suspects made up of six Spaniards and one Nigerien and a Nigerian tailor who made the Russian flags for sale to the protesters.

Kaduna

Like in Kano, while the demonstration initially began rather innocuously in Kaduna, it later snowballed into a frightening dimension. Trouble broke out at the Government House Kaduna when other protesters, who were mostly children, joined from the Tudun Wada end. There was pandemonium when security operatives tried to block the protesters from occupying or assembling in front of the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House by spraying them with water. That immediately forced the protesters to run in different directions and caused them to sustain some injuries in the process, something that obviously provoked them into anger. They claimed some of them died in the process.

But while retreating, the angry protesters attacked two offices of the Kaduna State Government and gave a hot chase after the policeman they alleged shot at them, and assaulted him. The damage caused was beyond imagination as hoodlums vandalised government properties, attacked another house belonging to a lady and stole motorcycles kept in the KASTLEA premises.

Despite the attacks, the Kaduna government still pleaded with the protesters to be peaceful and declined to take them on for the destruction they caused. The peaceful disposition of the governor notwithstanding, the attackers still went berserk and unleashed more onslaught on whatever they came across.

According to Governor Uba Sani: “We deliberated and told the people that we were not stopping them from embarking on the protest, we were just calling on the people to ensure that the protest was done peacefully. That’s the reason why even when the people came out, we told the security operatives to tread with caution and make sure the protest was done peacefully to devoid of any rancour.

“But unfortunately, during the protest some people bent on fomenting trouble, or thieves, came out and attacked two offices and the house of a lady where they stole. They also tried to fight with the police operatives. What they did, to me, was very unfortunate because when people come out to protest so that things could be rectified, it would not be proper for those who had strived to get things for themselves, to fall victim of vandals.”

However, things became worse after the national broadcast by the President, as the protesters regrouped in their hundreds and walked through the streets, many amongst them hoisting the Russian flag and calling on the military to intervene.

The protest took a turn for the worse as miscreants swooped on the Tudun Wada axis, attacked banks in the area and vandalised government and private properties. As the attacks escalated, the irate youths continued to dare the police operatives; so soldiers were deployed and sanity was restored. The Kaduna State Governor who attributed the hoisting of Russian flags by the protesters to external influences, had to call for a security meeting where it was decided that a 24-hour curfew be imposed on Kaduna and Zaria metropolis.

Justifying the development, Samuel Aruwan who held forte as the Overseeing Commissioner for Home Affairs and Internal Security, said there was sufficient evidence to clearly indicate that the protest was hijacked by criminal elements who resorted to looting of shops and destruction of private and public property.

How the protest affected innocent citizens

In Zaria for example, Ismail Mohammed, a 19-year-old boy, was reportedly shot to death by a soldier, while firing warning shots to disperse the mob, who had taken over the place in the course of the protest. Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director Army Public Relations, said the hoodlums brazenly attempted attacking troops in Samaru, prompting the soldiers to fire a warning shot to scare the hoodlums away, which unfortunately led to the death of the young boy.

“The soldier involved has since been arrested and undergoing interrogation as at the time of this report. Saddened by the unfortunate incident, the Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, has sent a high-powered delegation led by the General Officer Commanding 1 Division Maj Gen Lander Saraso to visit and condole with the family of the deceased.

The deceased was buried according to Islamic rites with senior military officers of the Nigerian Army in attendance,” he said. However, the father of late Ismail Mohammed killed in Samaru Zaria on Tuesday, alleged that his son was killed by soldiers who followed his son to their house and shot him.

“My son, about 19 years old, was outside the house when the soldiers started shooting. He ran inside and locked the door but the soldiers followed him and shot through the door.”

I was at Hayin Dogo when Abubakar called to tell me what happened. But it was after an hour that I could be able to reach home after Ismail was killed,” he said.

At the Hayin Danmani community in Kaduna, a stray bullet found its way into the house of a non-protester and injured him. The man is receiving treatment in a medical facility near the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House Kaduna.

Why Protest in Borno, Yobe turned violent

Thousands of protesters against bad government on the first day started peacefully as early as 7am along Bulumkutu road of Maiduguri metropolis, Borno State, with aggrieved people mostly youths expressing their grievances, chanting for justice and end to hunger. It later escalated to some densely populated areas of Gwange, Maduganari and other areas, leading to shooting and teargas by security operatives as youths chanted anti-Tinubu songs.

The rampaging mob promptly blocked the Maiduguri -Damaturu -Kano Road to ensure that the strike had a maximum impact while road users were subjected to long waits and assaults as the protesters took over everywhere. But to forestall the breakdown of law and order, the security agencies deployed some jets and helicopters to monitor the protest from the sky.

Similarly, in Yobe State, the protest started early in the morning in Potiskum, Nguru and Gashua local government areas peacefully.

The protests later went violent when some hoodlums started to loot and destroy public and private properties. They also set ablaze a police vehicle stationed in the frontage of the Borno Police Command Headquarters in Maiduguri.

At the same time, four persons were killed at Kime filling station, Bolori Junction along Baga road of the metropolis, thereby fueling violent protests. The Chairman of the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Borno State branch, Alhaji Mohammed Kuluwu, confirmed the killing of four persons at Kime filling station.

It was against this backdrop that the Borno State Police Command in consultation with other security agencies and the Borno State Government and its Yobe counterpart, imposed 24-hour curfew with immediate effect.

Taraba: Gov. Kefas calms protesters, distributes rice

The protesters, including women, expressed their frustration over the current hardship, which they said has affected their ability to feed and provide for their basic needs.

As the protesters moved through the Jalingo metropolis and its environs, they chanted slogans expressing dissatisfaction with the government’s programmes and policies.

The procession was orderly and peaceful, with no incidents of violence. Security operatives were also deployed across the state capital to prevent any breakdown of law and order. The procession concluded at the gate of the Government House, where Taraba State governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, addressed the protesters. He acknowledged their frustration and assured them that the government was already addressing the root causes of their grievances.

He emphasized that his administration is people-oriented and committed to ensuring that everyone benefits from his leadership. Governor Kefas further announced the creation of an education trust fund to support indigent students in tertiary institutions. He also ordered the release of rice to the protesters, who were then grouped according to their local government areas for distribution.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s inner circle for not being truthful about the dire state of governance in Nigeria.

The PDP chieftain accused President Tinubu’s appointees of misleading Nigerians about the country’s economic condition.

In an interview with Arise TV on Thursday, Momodu alleged that Tinubu’s aides publicly defend the administration while expressing dissatisfaction privately.

Momodu said, “To ask a question ‘is there bad governance in Nigeria?’ I don’t think that is in doubt. Every Nigerian agrees on that. And I say it including the aides of Mr. President who cannot say it in his presence but they grumble behind him. I say it everywhere. He is my friend, he is my big brother and if anybody will deceive him, I will remain the only one who will continue to tell him that you’re surrounded by liars.”

The veteran journalist, who backed the #EndBadGovernance movement, lamented the current state of Nigeria, saying, “Nigeria has never had it this bad.”

He offered suggestions on how President Tinubu could address these issues, emphasizing the need for substantial reform rather than superficial gestures.

“What I would expect president Tinubu to do and for him to be able to assure the nation that he means well for the nation. It’s not about throwing money around. I expect Tinubu to say ‘Today, I am merging some of these ministries’ as long as you meet the constitutionally required number of ministries, cut off the rest.

“Number two, all these excesses. Everyday, they are awarding appointments like popcorn. You can’t run Nigeria the way you ran Lagos state. In Lagos, it’s just a state and because it’s a state and a very wealthy one at that, you can afford that. But nationally, the level of poverty in Nigeria does not allow that. Then, all this living large, outlandish lifestyle, you want to buy a presidential jet, you want to build multi-billion naira homes, stop it now,” he asserted.

The embattled Miss South Africa contestant, Chidimma Adetshina, who became the subject of an investigation into her nationality, has withdrawn from the pageant.

Chidimma, the model of Nigerian heritage, was recently subject to controversies over her eligibility to contest for this year’s Miss South Africa.

The 23-year-old was born in Soweto, South Africa. She is believed to be of Nigerian (dad) and Mozambican (mum) heritage.

On Wednesday, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) for South Africa alleged that preliminary evidence suggests Adetshina’s mother may have committed fraud and identity theft.

The Home Affairs, however, said Chidimma, a minor at the time of the alleged actions in 2001, was not involved in the fraudulent activities.

In a statement via her Instagram page on Thursday, Chidimma said she was pulling out from the competition for the “safety of my family and I”.

“I would like to start off by thanking everyone beside me right from the start of my Miss South Africa journey. I’m really grateful for all the love and support I’ve been shown,” she wrote.

“Being part of the Miss South Africa 2024 competition has been an amazing journey, however after much careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw myself from the competition for the safety and wellbeing of my family and I.

“With the support of the Miss South Africa organisation, I leave with a heart full of gratitude for this amazing experience.

“I would like to take this opportunity to wish my fellow finalists all the best for the remainder of the competition. Whoever represents us wears the crown for all.”

Chidimma was among the 10 women expected to participate in the Miss South Africa grand finale on August 10, 2024, in Pretoria. The winner will represent South Africa at this year’s Miss Universe pageant in Mexico.

The Police Command in Nasarawa State has announced the release of 10 minors detained during the nationwide protest in the state.

DSP Ramhan Nansel, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Lafia.

NAN reports that the police had arrested 50 protesters in four different Local Government Areas on August 1, the first day of the protest, for allegedly attacking their personnel and looting.

It also reports that of those detained, 25 were arrested in Lafia, 16 in Karu, six in Keffi, and three in Mararaba Udege of Nasarawa Local Government Area.

How We Spent 24 Years In Prison For A Murder We Didn’t Commit - Ex-inmates0:00 / 1:01

Nansel stated that “10 minors out of the 50 protesters were released to their parents and guardians.”

He, however, mentioned that “the remaining 40 have been charged in court.”

#EndBadGovernance protest: DSS detains seven Polish nationals in Kano
The police spokesperson urged members of the public to go about their lawful activities without fear of intimidation.

PUNCH Online reports that a major protest erupted on Thursday, August 1, across Nigeria, driven by public dissatisfaction with current economic and social conditions.

Demonstrators voiced their frustrations nationwide, calling for reforms and greater accountability.

Earlier, President Bola Tinubu appealed for patience with his policies and urged citizens not to allow hoodlums to exploit the unrest.

The protest underscored the nation’s desire for change while highlighting the need for peaceful and constructive dialogue.

(NAN)

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has suspended an Assistant Superintendent of Immigration II (ASI II) for allegedly soliciting financial gratification from a traveller.

NIS’s Comptroller General, Kemi Nandap, made this known in a statement issued by the Service Public Relations Officer, Mr Kenneth Udo, on Thursday in Abuja.

According to Nandap, the officer’s conduct, captured in a video circulating on social media, does not reflect the values and ethics of professionalism upheld by the NIS.

She condemned the alleged misconduct in the strongest terms, saying that it undermined the ongoing reforms aimed at enhancing service standards.

She, however, assured that the officer had been indefinitely suspended pending the outcome of disciplinary procedures, in accordance with the law and Public Service Rules.

She said NIS received a video currently circulating on social media titled “This is how immigration officers treat tourists in Nigeria,” showing one of its officers soliciting financial gratification from a traveller.

“This disgraceful act is not a representation of our commitment to hospitality, reception, and courtesy.

“As a result, the officer in question has been indefinitely suspended pending the outcome of disciplinary procedures,” she said.

The NIS boss reiterated the NIS’s commitment to identifying and removing corrupt elements within its ranks, in line with its zero-tolerance for corruption policy. 

The comptroller general also assured that the NIS would continue to strive for excellence in service delivery, in alignment with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of the Federal Government.

Nandap added that electronic gates (e-gates) were being installed at all international airports to facilitate smoother travel for passengers and prevent incidents like the one involving the suspended officer.

She urged the public to report any form of misconduct or corruption by its officers to the appropriate authorities. (NAN)

The Department of States Service (DSS) has denied allegations suggesting that its personnel conducted a raid on the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) headquarters in Abuja.

Naija News reports that this statement follows claims made by the NLC on Wednesday, which asserted that secret police operatives had invaded their office and whisked away certain documents.

The union reported that the operatives arrived at the Labour House at approximately 8:30 PM.

“The security operatives, some from the Nigeria Police Force, some wearing black tee-shirts presumably from the Department of State Services (DSS), and others on outright mufti swooped on the 10th Floor of the NLC and arrested the security operative on duty and then commandeered him to the second floor where he was asked to produce the keys to the offices.

“When he told them that he had no such keys on him, they broke into the floor and ransacked the bookshop on the 2nd floor, carting away hundreds of books and other publications. The invading troop claimed that they were looking for seditious materials used for the#EndBadGoveranance Protests.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress condemns in its entirety this new low in security operations in Nigeria. The armed security operatives showed no legal document permitting them to invade the premises of the Nigeria Labour Congress in the ungodly hours of the night.

“Even in the dark days of military rule, NLC secretariats were never invaded and ransacked by security agents. Today is indeed a very sad day for our democracy,” said a statement by the NLC’s head of Media and Public Relations, Benson Upah.

The NLC indicated that it could not quickly determine the full extent of items removed from its offices.

Nevertheless, in a statement issued on Thursday, the DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, clarified that its personnel were not involved in the disruption of the labour union’s office.

“Good morning dear friends. Pls kindly note that the Service (DSS) did not carry out any operation at the NLC office in Abuja,” Afunanya said in a terse statement on the agency’s X handle.