The governors in the north-east say the poor road network in their geo-political zone is fuelling insecurity.
The north-east is currently having some level of respite from decade-long activities of members of Boko Haram and the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Thousands have lost their lives and many more displaced owing to the conflict instigated by the aforementioned groups.
In a communique issued on Saturday after a meeting in Yola, capital city of Adamawa state, the north-east governors said they are disturbed about the poor infrastructure in the zone.
“More concerned that the federal roads within and between the states in the region have been neglected,” the communique signed by Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno and chair of the north-east governors forum, read.
“We call on the federal ministry of works to follow through with road contracts awarded in the region. The poor road network is fuelling insecurity stalling development and making life more difficult for our people in the region.
“Forum notes that the bad federal roads within and between the states are major setbacks to the infrastructural development of the region.
“Forum notes the poor energy situation in the region.
“To mitigate the situation, Forum resolved to work with Shanghai Electric to construct a 60 MW Coal Power Power Plant in each state of the region.
“Forum decried the lack of modern rail projects in the region and called for repairs on the old gauge rail lines which are no longer useful and sustainable technology.”
The governors called for inclusion of the zone into the Nigerian National Railway Transport plan using the modern gauge rail.
The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) says it arrested Wilfred Bonse, former Cross River governorship candidate, in connection to the security breach and financial fraud suffered by Patricia, a cryptocurrency firm.
He contested the Cross River governorship election in 2023 on the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
Bonse, according to Muyiwa Adejobi, NPF public relations officer (PRO), conspired to launder the sum of N50 million that originated from the fraudulent diversion of N607 million from Patricia.
In a statement on Friday, Adejobi said Bonse received the funds with his bank account through a cryptocurrency wallet.
The fund is part of the N2 billion Patricia lost to a security breach on its crypto processing platform in May 2023.
Adejobi said after painstaking efforts, the police trail led to the arrest of Bonse.
He said the police, through its national cybercrime center (NPF-NCCC) made significant strides in the investigation of the complex financial fraud case reported by Patricia.
“The case involves a criminal conspiracy, unauthorised modification of computer systems, network data, and the unlawful diversion of funds amounting to over Two hundred million naira (N200,000,000:00k) as contained in a petition to the inspector general of Police,” the PRO said.
“Outlining the details of the alleged theft, conversion of cryptocurrency wallets, and unauthorised fund diversion from the company’s Flutterwave account, the petition specifically mentioned some individuals currently at large.
“Having registered his involvement in the complex crime. Wilfred Bonse conspired in laundering the sum of fifty million naira (N50,000,000:00k) originating from the fraudulent diversion of six hundred and seven million naira (N607,000,000:00k) from Patricia Technology company’s account to his bank account through a cryptocurrency wallet.
“While the investigation is ongoing, the Nigeria Police Force wishes to assure the public that all individuals involved in this criminal conspiracy will be brought to justice.”
This is not the first case of Bonse’s involvement in cyber fraud.
In February, the politician was accused of benefitting at least N40 million from a cyber fraud scheme executed by a group of hackers identified as ‘The Syndicate’.
“BONSE WAS USED TO STEAL FROM PATRICIA”
Commenting on Bonse’s arrest, Hanu Agbodje, founder of Patricia, said the politician was used “to steal N607,000,000 from Patricia”.
The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) proudly announces the official launch of the 2024 Mobile Advert Permit, along with the unveiling of a cutting-edge website and a refreshed corporate logo.
This strategic move underscores LASAA’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technology, enhancing user experience, and maintaining relevance in the dynamic landscape of outdoor advertising regulation.
The Mobile Advert Permit, a QR code secured by encryption, is set to revolutionize the registration process for branded vehicles in the state. This unique code, containing brand type, number plate, and permit year, ensures authenticity and compliance. Verification is streamlined through LASAA’s customized QR code scanner, available both online and offline.
To further facilitate ease of doing business, LASAA has decentralized the registration process. Clients can now register their branded vehicles conveniently at any LASAA branch office across the state or online using the SAuto platform, bringing the service closer to their homes and offices.
The launch renders all existing branded vehicle permits obsolete, prompting clients, both prospective and existing, to commence immediate registration and permit renewal for the new year, LASAA emphasizes strict compliance to avoid potential vehicle impoundment, with enforcement teams deployed across Lagos for comprehensive coverage, in tandem with the Mobile Advert Permit, LASAA introduces a technologically advanced website designed to elevate user experience, streamline navigation, and simplify interface interaction.
The optimized site, visible in search results and fortified against security threats, aligns with LASAA’s dedication to technological innovation and enhanced service delivery.
A pivotal aspect of this announcement is the unveiling of LASAA’s revitalized logo, symbolizing a forward-looking approach while maintaining the agency’s core values, the redesigned logo reflects LASAA’s pivotal role in shaping the outdoor advertising landscape and adapting to the evolving dynamics of Lagos State’s business environment.
[TheNation]
Hamas fighters on Saturday released a second group of 13 Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, freeing for the first time one of the people snatched during their bloody assault on a music festival.
The hostage-for-prisoner exchange had been delayed for hours in a heart-stopping development when Hamas accused Israel of breaching its side of the agreement, struck as part of a four-day ceasefire which is already past its mid-point.
But after the intervention of Qatari and Egyptian mediators and reassurances from Israel, Hamas agreed to proceed, releasing 13 Israelis and four Thai hostages in a late-night operation.
Israel in turn freed 39 Palestinian prisoners, officials said.
Red Cross minibuses could be seen ferrying the hostages late at night through Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt ahead of their transfer to Israel, AFP photo and video images showed.
Among the freed Israelis was 21-year-old Maya Regev, kidnapped by Hamas in their deadly October 7 assault on the Supernova desert rave, according to a forum of the hostages’ families.
Maya Regev and her 18-year-old brother Itay, who was also snatched by Hamas during the festival, were later shown tied up in the back of a pick-up truck in a video posted on social media.
“I am so excited and happy that Maya is on her way to us now. Nonetheless, my heart is split because my son Itay is still in Hamas captivity in Gaza,” her mother Mirit said in a statement released by the hostage families’ forum.
The family of freed nine-year-old hostage Emily Hand said they were “overjoyed” to embrace her again.
“We can’t find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days,” they said in a statement via the forum.
Prison authorities in Israel said they in turn released 39 Palestinian detainees including 38-year-old Israa Jaabis, sentenced to 11 years in jail for detonating a gas cylinder at a checkpoint in 2015.
The handover of Hamas hostages came hours later than expected after the militant group said Israel was interfering in the selection of prisoners for release and was not allowing aid to reach civilians in northern Gaza.
– Nine-year-old boy hugs father –
Hamas later said it had “responded positively” to Egyptian and Qatari mediators, after they relayed a promise by Israel to “uphold all the conditions of the accord”.
Israeli officials denied any breach of the terms of the pause.
Saturday’s exchange followed an initial swap on Friday when Hamas released 13 Israelis, all of them women and children.
Ten Thais and one Filipino were also unexpectedly freed by Hamas.
Israel in turn released 39 Palestinian women and children from its prisons under an agreement that mandates exchanges at a ratio of three to one.
Israeli hostages who were let go in the initial swap reunited with their families in touching scenes.
Nine-year-old boy Otah, wearing glasses and carrying a stuffed toy, rounded the corner of a hospital near Tel Aviv and broke into a run, hurling himself into the arms of his father, video images showed.
The boy, his mother and grandmother were among those released in the first exchange Friday.
On the same day in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, fireworks exploded and crowds filled the streets to welcome the first release of Palestinian prisoners.
“I was just waiting for the day I would be released from prison so I could hug my mother like this,” said Rawan Abu Matar, who served eight years for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier.
Hamas is expected to free a total of 50 hostages during the truce in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners, under an agreement brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
– Aid trucks enter Gaza –
Its fighters snatched around 240 people when they broke through Gaza’s militarised border with Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, according to Israeli authorities.
Following the deadliest attack in its history, Israel launched an air, artillery and naval bombardment alongside a ground offensive to destroy Hamas, killing nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians and including thousands of children, according to the Hamas government in Gaza.
The pause in fighting in Gaza opened the way for more aid to Palestinians struggling to survive with shortages of water and other essentials. Israel had placed Gaza under near-total siege.
A total of 61 trucks delivered food, water and humanitarian aid via a “humanitarian passageway” to northern Gaza on Saturday, the United Nations office for humanitarian affairs said.
Another 187 trucks of vital supplies had been sent separately to aid organisations operating in the Gaza Strip, it said.
The UN humanitarian agency OCHA said that in “several reported incidents” on Friday, “Israeli forces opened fire and threw teargas canisters at people heading northwards; at least one person was reportedly killed, and dozens injured.”
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said seven people had been wounded in similar incidents on Saturday.
Egypt said that it had received positive feedback from both sides about the idea of extending the truce for a day or two and releasing more hostages and prisoners.
“It’s only a start, but so far it’s gone well,” US President Joe Biden told reporters Friday, adding “the chances are real” for extending the truce.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for “a permanent ceasefire and a complete end to this aggression”.
But Israeli armed forces chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi insisted Saturday that the war to eliminate Hamas would resume as soon as the pause in fighting ends.
“We will return immediately at the end of the ceasefire to attack Gaza,” Halevi said.
– ‘They destroyed our houses’ –
“We will also do this in order to dismantle Hamas, also to create a great deal of pressure to return as quickly as possible and as many abductees as possible, every last one of them,” he added.
The UN estimates that 1.7 million of Gaza’s 2.4 million people have been displaced by the fighting.
Since the truce, thousands have been returning to what is left of their homes.
“We are civilians,” said Mahmud Masood, standing in front of flattened buildings in Jabalia, northern Gaza. “Why have they destroyed our houses?”
A woman sat on top of a mound of debris with her head in her hands, crying.
In southern Gaza, AFPTV drone images showed people walking or riding in donkey carts along paths cleared through piles of rubble.
President Bola Tinubu has assented to the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) Bill, 2023.
The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria was established on August 1, 1964, by an Act of Parliament and revised as the DICON Act in Chapter 94 of the Laws of the Federation, 2004.
The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Act, 2023, repeals the previous iteration of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Act and empowers the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria to:
(1) Operate, maintain, and control subsidiaries and ordnance factories to manufacture, store, and dispose of ordnance and ancillary stores and material.
(2) Establish the Defence Industry Technology, Research, and Development Institute (DITRDI) to create an elaborate scientific and research-based technological foundation for Nigeria’s defence industry through the leveraging of combined, multi-disciplinary research from multiple military research institutes for application that leads to commercialization and the development of new military technology and capacity in Nigeria.
(3) Provide a comprehensive regulatory framework for the regulation of the manufacturing, distribution, storage, and disposal of defence articles in Nigeria.
(4) Incentivize the development of a nuanced financing architecture that enables private capital to facilitate research, development, and production in the defence sector in a transparent and predictable fashion.
The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Bill, 2023, was sponsored by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson (APC — Ikorodu Federal Constituency)
[ThisNigeria]
The Federal Government is partnering with Portland Gas to construct CNG conversion sites in the country.
At the Portland Gas Green Park’s groundbreaking ceremony earlier this week, Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), announced the federal government’s approval for Portland Gas to commence constructing Compressed Natural Gas conversion sites.
Farouk, who was represented by Lukman Cardoso, emphasized the NMDPRA’s efforts in promoting cleaner fuels like CNG, LPG, and others for domestic and industrial use.
By establishing the facility in Lagos’s Ojota area, which sees a growing population, the aim is to provide cost-effective alternative fuels for households and industries.
Cardoso said:
- “The idea to set up a one-stop shop fusing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and Electric Vehicle Charging services in one facility is a powerful testament to your unwavering commitment to innovation and environmental stewardship.”
Additionally, Olu Verheijen, the Special Adviser on Energy to President Tinubu, who was represented by Eriye Onagoruwa, highlighted the collaboration between the Federal Government’s compressed natural gas initiative and Portland Gas.
This partnership aims to transition towards a more environmentally conscious and economically sustainable energy landscape.
She said:
- “The park will create new jobs, diversify our economy, and enhance our energy independence. This will in turn enable us to reduce our reliance on imported fuels, stabilize energy prices, and boost our economic growth. It will demonstrate to the world that Nigeria is committed to tackling climate change and building a cleaner, more resilient future.”
Meanwhile, the founder of Portland Gas, Folajimi Mohammed, noted the removal of fuel subsidies and the regulation of petroleum product prices, resulting in increased fuel costs.
He stressed the need to explore alternative fuel sources like CNG and EV (Electric Vehicles) for transportation. The projects at Portland Gas include eco-green CNG generators, converting vehicles from petrol or diesel to CNG, and establishing training centres.
Mohammed also highlighted the affordability of CNG compared to traditional fuels, noting significant cost savings, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, less pollution, and enhanced safety, reflecting a positive shift towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly fuel options.
What you should know:
The FG had earlier disclosed that the cost of CNG per litre is N250. Meanwhile, during his Independence Day speech on October 1, President Tinubu said that plans are underway to expedite the procurement process for new CNG conversion kits.
He pledged that the kits would soon become available, facilitating the conversion of existing vehicles to utilize CNG.
He also said that efforts were underway to establish training centres and workshops nationwide. These facilities aim to equip transport operators and budding entrepreneurs with the necessary skills and opportunities in this innovative transportation landscape.
[Nairametrics]
The Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal, led by Justice Yusuf Ado Birnin-Kudu in Lokoja, has granted Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and his legal team to access documents used in the November 11 gubernatorial election.
Following an application by Ajaka’s counsel, S.E. Aruwa SAN, who struggled to obtain the documents from Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices, the Tribunal ordered INEC to comply within 24 hours.
Justice Birnin-Kudu acknowledged the merit of the application under the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Law of 2023.
He ordered INEC to provide certified copies of the election documents within two days to John Adele, SAN, and S.E. Aruwa (SAN) representing Ajaka and the SDP.
The Tribunal also directed INEC to give access to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other electronic materials used in the election within 48 hours, responding to a request by Ajaka.
Naija News recalls that Ajaka contested in the governorship election held in Kogi State on the 11 of November 2023.
Ajaka who came second in the governorship election was defeated by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Usman Ododo.
[NaijaNews]
The Abuja-based Baze University, said to be owned by the running mate of Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed, has been barred by the Council of Legal Education (CLE) from further admitting students into its Law Faculty for next five years.
The decision by the CLE, it was learnt, was informed by the university’s alleged consistent abuse of its admission quota for Law students.
The Acting Secretary and Director of Administration of the Nigerian Law School, Aderonke Osho said, in a statement, that Baze University was banned for consistently violating its admission quota of 50 students per session as approved by the CLE.
The Chairman of the CLE, Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN) also confirmed the development when contacted on Saturday by The Nation .
Osho, in the statement, added that the ban resulted from the findings of the CLE, to the effect that the university’s Law Faculty currently has a backlog of over 347 law students waiting to be admitted into the Nigerian Law School.
She said the university runs a three (3)-year LL.B programme for some UTME candidates without the approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and CLE.
Part of the statement reads: “At its quarterly meeting held on November 23, 2023, the Council of Legal Education (CLE) presided over by its Chairman, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, OFR, considered the report of the Accreditation Panel to the Faculty of Law, Baze University, Abuja.
“It emerged from the findings by the panel, led by the Director-General, Nigerian Law School, Prof Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, that Baze University consistently and most flagrantly had contravened its admission quota of 50 students per session as approved by the Council of Legal Education with the result that the faculty is currently having a backlog of over 347 law students waiting to be admitted into the Nigerian Law School.
“Since 2017 the Council of Legal Education has grappled with the excesses of Baze University by admitting over 750 law students which ordinarily would have taken about 15 years of admission based on the quota allotted to the university.
“Under the NUC Minimum Benchmark Academic Standard (BMAS) for law degree programme in Nigerian universities, Law is a five (5)-year programme for UTME candidates and four (4)-year for Direct Entry students.
“The Council of Legal Education, after thorough consideration of these infractions, resolved as follows:
*The imposition of a moratorium on admission of law students to the Faculty of Law, Baze University, Abuja, with immediate effect;
*The moratorium will last in the first instance for a period of 5 years and may be renewed if no satisfactory action is taken to remedy the situation.
*The Council, in the interest of the innocent students, parents and guardians, will use the 5 year period to find ways to deal with the backlog of law students admitted by Baze University in excess of its admission quota.
*Follow-up visits will be paid to the university to ascertain the extent of the measures it has taken to remedy the anomalies observed during the accreditation visit.
*The National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), parents, guardians, prospective applicants and members of the public are hereby put on notice on the status of Baze University Abuja and its Faculty of Law.”
[TheNation]
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Saturday, congratulated former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on the occasion of his 77th birthday.
In a congratulatory message on his X account, Obi hailed Atiku as a ‘dear Respected Elder Brother and leader’ who has contributed positively to the economic growth of the nation.
His words: Your Excellency, My Very dear Respected Elder Brother and leader, Alhaji Abubakar, Waziri Adamawa, I rejoice with you as you mark your 77th birthday today.
“Along with your family, friends and numerous well wishers, I celebrate your many contributions to the socio-political and economic development of our beloved country and in particular your unique role in deepening our nation’s democracy.
“You have undoubtedly positively impacted the nation’s economic growth through your various business establishments which not only create jobs for our people but add to our overall national productivity.
“You have, also through your educational institutions continued to add to the growth of education and man power development in our country. In this field you have added tremendous value to all tiers of education through your investment in institutions at all levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
“Your many scholarship awards to students have expanded opportunities to the indigent. You have contributed to pulling people out of poverty through your business establishments which not only create jobs for our people but add to ou overall national productivity.
“May God grant you more wisdom to continue to contribute to the progress of our dear nation and to grant you more healthy and fruitful years ahead as you age gracefully.
“Happy birthday Sir.”
The armed wing of Hamas said Saturday it was delaying the handover of a second group of hostages due to be released under a truce deal until Israel “adheres to the terms of the agreement”.
The entry of humanitarian aid to the north of the Gaza Strip and the selection criteria for the liberation of prisoners were the issues in question, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement.
The group of hostages seized in the Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7 was due to be handed over on the second day of a four-day truce agreement between Israel and the Islamist movement, with Palestinian prisoners being released in exchange for a ration of three to one.
A Hamas source had told AFP that the handover of 14 hostages to the Red Cross had begun, then said the transfer process had been halted.
An Israeli official said the hostages had not yet been handed over to the Red Cross.
“Israel has not violated the agreement,” an Israeli source told AFP.
AFP
More...
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Kogi has given INEC 48 hours to issue certified copies of electoral materials for the Nov. 11 off-cycle election in the state to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The court also ordered INEC to allow the SDP’s forensic experts to examine some electoral materials.
The materials include the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and result sheets for Adavi, Okene, Okehi, Ogori-Magongo, Ajaokuta, Lokoja, Kogi, and Bassa Local Government Areas.
The tribunal ruled on Saturday in Lokoja that the SDP requested the materials to prove its case in the petition it filed against the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the election.
Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, gave the order following two ex-parte motions filed on Nov. 19 by the SDP and by its governorship candidate, Alhaji Muritala Yakubu-Ajaka.
Justice Birnin-Kudu said the orders became imperative in view of the time constraints the tribunal had to discharge its mandate.
“The order is in compliance with Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) and with the Electoral Act (2022).
“INEC is hereby ordered to produce all the documents being sought by the plaintiffs within 48 hours to enable proceedings to go smoothly and without hitches,’’ he declared.
SDP and Yakubu-Ajaka earlier filed seven ex-parte motions to support their demand but withdrew five and pursued two.
Lead counsel to the petitioners, Mr John Adele (SAN), had earlier told the court that efforts made to obtain certified copies of materials used in the six local government areas from INEC had been fruitless.
“Time is of the essence in this matter, and that is why we filed the motions with your lordship to help salvage the situation.
“Each time we approached INEC since Nov. 13, its officials failed to provide us with even one of the electoral materials for which we requested.
“We believe that if your lordship grants our application, INEC will do the needful to enable us to prosecute this case within the time limit,’’ he prayed to the tribunal.
Justice Birnin-Kudu adjourned the case to Wednesday, Nov. 29, for the submission of report of compliance by INEC and continuation of the hearing.
The SDP and Yakubu-Ajaka are challenging the victory of the APC and its candidate, Alhaji Usman Ododo, at the election petition tribunal.
INEC declared Ododo the winner of the election with 446,237 votes, while his closest rival, Yakubu-Ajaka, got 259,052 votes.
(NAN)
DEREK Chauvin, US police officer whose murder of George Floyd sparked massive racial justice protests in 2020, was stabbed in prison on Friday, the New York Times reported citing unnamed sources.
Chauvin knelt on the 46-year-old Black man’s neck for more than nine minutes on a Minneapolis street despite the dying man’s pleas.
Floyd’s cries of “I can’t breathe” were a rallying call for demonstrators domestically and abroad who took to the streets in the killing’s aftermath.
The US Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed an assault to AFP without naming the person wounded.
“An incarcerated individual was assaulted at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Tucson,” in the southwestern state of Arizona, it said in a statement.
“Responding employees initiated life-saving measures for one incarcerated individual,” the statement said, adding that the wounded individual was sent to a local hospital “for further treatment and evaluation.”
Chauvin survived the attack, according to a New York Times source.
Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in 2021, and sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison.
The incident was caught on video — providing a drastically different version of events than the initial police news release, which simply stated “officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress.”
A Justice Department probe into the Minneapolis police, the findings of which were published in June 2023, said that officers in the department routinely resorted to violent and racist practices, “including unjustified deadly force.”
The city of Minneapolis, in the midwestern state of Minnesota, also settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Floyd family, agreeing to pay his relatives $27 million.
– 2020 protests –
Chauvin appealed his second-degree murder conviction, which was rejected by the US Supreme Court earlier this month.
“At the end of the day, the whole trial, including sentencing, was a sham,” he said from prison in a recent documentary.
But at his sentencing hearing, he spoke little, “due to some additional legal matters at hand.”
“I do want to give my condolences to the Floyd family,” he added.
Otherwise he remained expressionless, as he did during the trial, even when witnesses gave damning testimony against him.
Chauvin’s lawyer Eric Nelson had said his client “exuded a calm and professional demeanor” in his interactions with Floyd, and sought to convince the jury that the ex-cop only applied a hold that was authorized and consistent with his training.
But the prosecution successfully argued that Chauvin had used excessive force — not only with Floyd, but with others he arrested during his 19-year career on the force.
Prior to the trial the prosecution dug up several examples of his “modus operandi,” including the case of Zoya Code, a young Black woman arrested by Chauvin in 2017.
“Even though the female was not physically resisting in any way, Chauvin kneeled on her body, using his body weight to pin her to the ground,” the prosecution said.
But the Floyd case was from the beginning a bigger story than individual accounts of injustice, helping galvanize huge protests and a reckoning on racism and policing in the United States and internationally.
The reverberations are still playing out in the United States today, with debates over racism still roiling politics and schools.
– Paper trail –
After the murder, colleagues later sketched a portrait of Chauvin as a silent, rigid workaholic who often patrolled the city’s more difficult neighborhoods.
His commitment to the job earned him four medals throughout his career. But he also racked up 22 internal complaints and investigations, according to a public record scrubbed of all details.
Only one of these numerous complaints, filed by a white woman whom he had violently pulled from her car in 2007 for speeding, in front of her crying infant, was followed by a letter of reprimand.
[NaijaTimes]
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori has congratulated Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate in the 2023 general election, on his 77th birthday.
The Governor’s felicitation was featured in a statement issued on Saturday in Asaba by Sir Festus Ahon, his Chief Press Secretary.
He praised Atiku for his political and economic efforts, which had led to the nation’s wealth and unity.
Oborevwori lauded the Wazirin Adamawa’s unwavering devotion to Nigeria’s progress, calling it noble and deserving of commendation.
He described Atiku’s role in defending and expanding democracy in Nigeria, as well as his incisive and relentless advice on national issues, as exceptional and significant.
Oborevwori regarded Atiku as a detribalized Nigerian and a unifier whose goodwill had benefited many people’s lives by spanning socioeconomic class, party lines, gender, ethnicity, and religion.
“On behalf of the government and people of Delta state, I congratulate our great leader and former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, GCON, as he celebrates his 77th birth anniversary.
“You have amply demonstrated what you preach by creating opportunities for people to make a living through your massive investments,” he said.
[DailyPost]
Governors from NorthEast gathered in Yola, Adamawa State capital, for a meeting aimed at addressing the challenges in the the region.
The event, which held on Saturday at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Yola, and was attended by all the six governors in the region.
During the meeting, the chairman of the forum, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno , emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to overcome the daunting challenges in the region.
The governors expressed a renewed commitment to work together to tackle issues such as insecurity, poverty, and underdevelopment in the area.
Zulum also urged the federal government to lend support to the region in addressing key issues such as the poor state of roads, the lack of functional rail lines, and the underutilization of waterways.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his efforts to promote peace in Nigeria and the Northeast region.
The host governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, delivered a welcome address in which he acknowledged the forum’s efforts in charting a new course for the region.
He noted that the forum has been successful in attracting the necessary attention to the NorthEast and has played a key role in the battle against insurgency.
Governor Fintiri highlighted the achievements of the forum, stating that the Northeast states have been able to restore peace and stability to the region through their collective efforts.
He attributed the encouraging results witnessed by the region to the governors’ commitment to ensuring robust development, peace, and tranquility in the Northeast states.
Governor Zulum emphasized the importance of maintaining regional peace and urged his fellow governors to remain committed to creating opportunities for their citizens.
He suggested stimulating small industries and building agricultural value chains as solutions to address the alarming rate of unemployment and poverty in the region.
[DailyTrust]