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Edo Govt Agents Disrupt Peaceful Protest By CSOs

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A nationwide peaceful protest by the coalition of Civil Society Organisations was on Monday disrupted in Benin by agents of the Edo State Government-owned Public Works Volunteers (PUWOV).

The protesters who addressed members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Benin, alleged that they were attacked based on the allegation that the protest was against the administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Spokesman of the group, Osagie Obayuwana, a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Edo State called for the disbandment of the PUWOV.

He said that the protesters had gathered at the New Benin Market area of the City where they intended to march from to the town when men of PUWOV swooped on them.

Obayuwana alledged that a laptop from where they were playing music for the road show was destroyed alongside some of their banners.

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According to him, “We gathered at New Benin Market, where we were to move to this place (NUJ secretariat) when agency of the state government called PUWOV attacked us.

“They destroyed our banners, took out our laptop with which we were playing music and smashed it; they say we were against the government of Obaseki, how can that be?”

Carrying several placards with inscriptions as ‘government secure the people’; ‘security for all is a right’; ‘Nigeria belongs to all of us‘; ‘abolish poverty to have security’; ‘Nigerians fight for your rights’, etc, the CSOs said they were out to register their protest against insecurity and poverty in the country.

Speaking further on reason for the protest, Obayuwana said it was a nationwide mobilisation against insecurity and mass poverty in the country.

“Our coming out today is to say that the Nigerian people can no longer keep quiet, at no time in the history of our country has the insecurity situation ever been as terrible as it is today.

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“You can’t travel from town to town, even within your village, you can’t go from your house to your farm; children in schools have been objects of kidnap.

Protesters in Benin on Monday

“Seventeen governors have called on the president to speak to the nation; even yesterday (Sunday), over 200 students were kidnapped in an Islamic school in Niger State; enough is enough.

“From our own assessment of the situation, we have seen that there is a direct relationship between insecurity and poverty.

“Where there is no justice, there cannot be peace and we are saying that the security of life is a fundamental right that all of us are entitled to, and it is also a duty that the government owned to all of us.

“They should abolish all anti-poor policies; we demand for state police and even city police, we condemn the killing of policemen and destruction of government facilities.”

He also condemned the sack of workers by the Kaduna State government and the planned increase in the price of petroleum products.

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Meanwhile, the coordinator of PUWOV, Mutari Osagie, debunked the claim that the protest was disrupted his men.

He noted that inasmuch as the state government encourages everyone to protest as part of their legitimate right, it must be done in such a way as not to undermine security of the state.

READ ALSO: Three Officers Plead Not Guilty In Man’s Restraint Death

He said that what the POWOV did was simply to request the protesters to go to secretariate of the NUJ and thereafter Government house to register their grievances.

“There was no property of the protesters that was destroyed by my officers today and neither are we preventing anybody from protesting.

“However, if we must protest, let’s do it in such a way as not to put the fragile security in the country and Edo in jeopardy,” he stated.

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Man, 38 Escapes Assassination Attempt In Benin

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Innocent Omoruyi

By Omokha Andrew

A 38-year-old activist, Innocent Omoruyi, narrowly escaped assassination in the early hours of Wednesday, July 19, 2023 as his residence at Obe Community,Sapele Road in Benin city was attacked by yet to be identified gun men.

The attack which eye witnesses say was viciously executed on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 bore the markings of a dreaded cult group terrorizing Benin City, the state capital.

The Obe, Sapale Road incident, it was learnt, happened soon after Omoruyi left the house to attend to matters of interest some few metres away from his home.

The assailants were said to have shot sporadically in their frustration as residents scampered for safety.

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However, Omoruyi escaped unharmed.

One of the eye witnesses who craved anonymity said: “The felons apparently went for the kill, weilding guns and other dangerous weapons. “We are shocked that they didn’t see Innocent Omoruyi who was just some few metres away from home when they arrived”.

“How that happened, only God knows and it was obvious that it wasn’t his time to die yet and just before that not long ago his business place on Lagos Street, Benin City was burnt down in the middle of the night by unknown arsonists.

“This sequence of events is not ordinary. We know it’s politically motivated due to the role he played in the last general elections. He has been advised to go into hiding at the moment for his personal safety”, he concluded.

When contacted, the police Public Relations Officer Chidi Nwabuzor said he was yet to get any information as regards the latest incident. He promised to feed our correspondent with relevant details as soon as they become handy.

Our information source however revealed that the matter has already been incidented at the Love World Police station on Sapele Road, Benin city.

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Nigeria To Earn Over $4bn Revenue As FEC Okays Concession Of Abuja, Kano Airports

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Nigeria will earn over $4 billion in nominal revenue as the Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday okayed the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, to the Corporacion American Airport Consortium, a Luxembourg-based company.

James Odaudu, the Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the Minister of Aviation, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

According to him, the Council also approved that the Federal Ministry of Aviation would be renamed the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace.

READ ALSO: ATMs To Be Upgraded For Loans Services As CBN Gives Banks Ultimatum…

The statement noted that the company would make combined upfront payments of $8.5 million for the concession of NAIA and MAKIA.

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He added that the development would spur evidential growth within the Nigerian aviation industry.

In alignment with the Aviation Roadmap, approved by Mr President on 18th October 2016, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace is delighted to inform all stakeholders, both local and international, and the media, that the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano has been approved by the Federal Executive Council,” the statement said.

READ ALSO: Peter Obi, LP Must Pay N1.5million To Access Documents – INEC

In December 2022 and January 2023, Corporacion American Airport Consortium was announced as the preferred bidder for the airport’s concession after scaling through a series of evaluations of technical and financial bids.

Nominal revenues mean income not adjusted for inflation and decreasing purchasing power.

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Russia Expelled From Council Of Europe Amid War With Ukraine

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The Council of Europe says it has expelled Russia with immediate effect after 26 years of membership because of the Ukraine war.

The Committee of Ministers took the decision in a special session, the rights body announced in the French city of Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Earlier, Russia had already declared its withdrawal from the Council of Europe after it had taken steps to exclude it.

On Tuesday evening, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted unanimously in favour of Russia’s exclusion.

Russia joined the Council of Europe on Feb. 28, 1996.

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Together with the formal notification of the withdrawal, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe also received information from the Russian Federation on Tuesday about its intention to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the leaders of the Council of Europe once again condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

READ ALSO: Ukraine: Horror As Russian Forces Shoot People Queuing For Bread

They expressed their solidarity with the Russian people, who continue to belong to the European family and share its values.

The body said it would continue to stand by Ukraine in the fight against the aggressor.

The Council of Europe monitors the observance of human rights in its 46 member states and is not part of the European Union.

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The body reacted to the Russian invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago by suspending Russia’s membership, this decision was considered historic.

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