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Ex-agitators Write Buhari, Issue Ultimatum, Threaten To Shut Down Oil Facilities If…

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The leadership of the Niger Delta United Ex-Agitators of the Presidential Amnesty Programme ,( PAP) Phase 3, has notified the Coordinator of PAP, Colonel Milland Dikio (retd) and the Federal Government that it would shut down critical oil infrastructures in the Niger Delta region if what they called their legitimate demands are not looked into on or before August 10.

The ex-agitators said this in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari , which they copied PAP Office, FCT Abuja, Director General, DSS, Inspector- General of Police, IGP, South South governors, Director, DSS Delta State Command and Commander of Joint Task Force, JTF Delta State.

The letter was signed by “General” Joseph Akpos Jericho as chairman, “General” Timibra Gabriel, vice-chairman, “General” Ivwromon Ebi Ogaga, secretary, and 10 others.

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According to the letter, “We the aggrieved and shortchanged members of Presidential Amnesty Phase 3 and our camp boys who voluntarily disarmed and submitted our arms to willingly embrace the presidential amnesty program (PAP) as proclaimed by President Musa Yar’Adua , because of the promises of a better life for us, hereby issue a protest notice to shut down critical oil locations in the Niger Delta region on or before August 10th if our demands are not properly addressed between now and August 10.

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“We laid down our weapons and allowed the Niger Delta region’s oil to flow freely but none of the promises made by the Presidential Amnesty Programme PAP had been fulfilled. Rather, they chose to play politics with our destiny.

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“The PAP officials under the leadership of Colonel Milland Dikio and Fred Kemepado have frustrated all efforts toward getting us enlisted as bonafide ex-agitators despite having our JTF clearance certificates issued to us in 2011.

“When series of our correspondences were not responded to, we approached a Warri Federal High Court for redress.

“From the above narration, we have come to the conclusion that the PAP officials, will never consider our case. Hence, we have fixed 0600 hours Nigerian time on August 10, 2022 as the date to commence the shutting down of all oil facilities in the Niger Delta region. We will barricade Ologbo and Patani bridge in Delta State. The same thing would be done in Mbaima, Rivers State. It would be done simultaneously.

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“We shall remain there until all our entitlements and benefits as contained in the amnesty proclamation of 2011 are given to us. We are not criminal elements as PAP officials may want to brand us before you. We are genuine sons of the Niger Delta region, who wholeheartedly embraced the amnesty program with JTF clearance certificates in 2011.

“We want President Buhari to declare a state of emergency in the amnesty program .

”Mr President should order Dikio and his cohorts to explain the reason for the continuous denial of third phase ex-agitators of their entitlements and benefits

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“The PAP should be ordered to give reasons why persons trained since 2014 are yet to get their starter packs

“Who are the owners of PAP training/empowerment contracts?

“We stress with emphasis that our boys who disarmed with us are now threatening our lives because of the failure of the PAP office to recognize, document and train them as originally contained in the amnesty guideline.

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“The leaders of Amnesty Phase 3 should be given leadership training, empowerment , scholarship slots and camp allowances .

“If nothing is done to these germane requests, we are going to shut down all oil facilities in the Niger Delta region.

READ ALSO: ASUU: Labour Unions Kick-off Fresh Mega Rally In Abuja Over Varsities Strike

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“We will shut down Otorogu Gas plant

“We are going to shut down all airports in the Niger Delta region.

“We are going to stop the movement of t trains at the train station located in Ujevwu.

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” We demand that the recovered missing slots should be given to us, the leaders of Phase 3 to pacify our boys who are already agitated.

“While we plead with Nigerians, to kindly understand the little pain our actions may cause them, we also plead with men of the Nigerian military and men of the Nigeria police force, who will be sent to monitor the situation, to put themselves in our shoes.

“Failure to meet our legitimate demands on or before August 10, 2022, whatever happens thereafter, the PAP office should be held responsible.”

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VIDEO: Why I’ve Never Tried Convincing My Christian Wife To Convert To Islam — Tinubu

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has explained why he has never attempted to convince his wife, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, to convert to Islam, stressing his belief in love, religious freedom, and mutual respect among people of different faiths.

Speaking on Saturday at the funeral service of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, mother of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwada, Tinubu said his marriage to a Christian pastor has never created any conflict in their home.

The president, who arrived in Jos, Plateau State around 2 p.m. for the ceremony at the COCIN headquarters church, said he inherited Islam from his family and has always upheld the principle of freedom of religion.

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He noted that both he and the First Lady serve the same God and would ultimately be answerable to Him, adding that what matters most are people’s deeds, character, and love for others.

Tinubu urged Nigerians to embrace tolerance and peaceful coexistence, emphasising that hate should never have a place in the country.

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He also prayed for the repose of the soul of the late Lydia Yilwada and asked God to grant comfort and blessings to those she left behind.

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He said, “Hate is not an option for us. Love is what you preach, that we should love one another.

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“Nobody, nobody determines what God has ordained. God’s ordained action and his promises are what matter. I inherited Islam from my family. I didn’t change. But my wife is a pastor. She prays for me.

“No conflict. And I never did at any single time try to convince her or convert her. I believe in the freedom of religion.

“We are praying to the same God. We are answerable to the same almighty God. We will answer to him. We will account to him. Our deeds, our character, our love for our fellow beings are what are important.

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“May the almighty accept the soul of Lydia and give all that she left behind blessings and glory, so we say, may her soul rest in peace.”

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UK Police Quiz Six After Fatal Synagogue Attack

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Six people arrested on suspicion of “terrorism”-linked offences after a fatal car-ramming and knife attack on a UK synagogue remained in police custody on Saturday, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged people not to take part in pro-Palestinian protests.

Two people were killed and three others seriously wounded in Thursday’s attack in northwestern Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

Police shot dead the assailant, Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old UK citizen of Syrian descent, within minutes of the alarm being raised.

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Three men and three women are in custody.

The attack has heightened fear among Britain’s Jewish community.

Police said they were patrolling places of worship across the city “with a particular focus on providing a high-visibility presence within our Jewish communities”.

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The attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in north Manchester was one of the worst antisemitic incidents in Europe since the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel led by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

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Israel’s retaliatory offensive on the Gaza Strip has killed at least 66,288 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures in the occupied territory that the United Nations considers reliable.

The Gaza conflict has inflamed passions in Britain, with frequent pro-Palestinian rallies in cities that some critics allege have stoked antisemitism.

A “global movement for Gaza UK” protest went ahead in London late on Thursday, with police making 40 arrests.

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London’s Metropolitan Police asked organisers delay another planned demonstration backing the banned Palestine Action group later on Saturday.

However, organisers Defend Our Juries rejected the calls.

READ ALSO:US Faces ‘War From Within’, Trump Tells Generals

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A spokesman said the group “stood in solidarity” with the Jewish community over the attack.

– Accidental shooting –

Starmer urged protesters not to join the pro-Palestinian rally.

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“I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews. This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain,” he said on X.

During the attack, Shamie was seen “with a big knife, banging his knife into the glass, trying to get through”, synagogue chairman of trustees Alan Levy, who helped barricade the doors, told ITV News.

“The heroes of the congregation who saw what was happening then came to the doors because he was trying to break the doors down to get in,” he added.

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A UK police watchdog, meanwhile, said it would look at the police shooting of Shamie.

The probe would also look at the shooting of a second victim who suffered a fatal gunshot and a third person who was shot but survived.

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The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said there was no evidence anyone other than police used firearms at the scene.

“Our independent investigation will look at the circumstances surrounding the fatal police shooting of Jihad Al-Shamie,” it said in a statement.

“A post mortem has today (Friday) concluded another man who died at the scene suffered a fatal gunshot wound.”

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IOPC investigations are standard practice in situations where the use of force by police may have resulted in the death of a member of the public.

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Edo Inaugurates Committee On Drug Abuse, Healthy Living

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L-R: ACGN, NDLEA, Fidelis Cocodia, Deputy Governor of Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa and Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Edo State, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani during the Inauguration

Edo State Government has inaugurated Drug Control Committee for the state and local governments, aimed at curbing the menace of drug abuse in the state.

Inaugurating the committee, Governor Monday Okpehbolo said the committee was not only saddled with the responsibility of curbing the menace of illicit substances, but to promote healthier living across communities in the state.

Represented by his deputy, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, Okpebholo described the initiative as “a vital step in our unwavering commitment to stopping the menace of drug trafficking and substance use among youths.”

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The governor, who bemoaned the rising tide of drug dependency and its impact on society, pointed out that the committee’s creation aligns with the national drug master plan and represents a bold stride toward protecting Edo future generations.

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On his part, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, represented by ACGN, Fidelis Cocodia, Zonal Commander, Zone 13, emphasised grassroots interventions, awareness campaigns, and support systems as the backbone of the fight against drug abuse.

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Edo State commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju disclosed that while national drug use prevalence stands at 14.4 percent, Edo state surpasses the average at 15 percent.

He noted that the state is one of the hardest-hit states in the country, warning that the trend has fueled crime and heightened youth vulnerability.

READ ALSO:Idahosa Lauds Edo Specialist Hospital Facilities

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The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole pledged to make Edo a model in drug control through rehabilitation, youth enlightenment, and second-chance opportunities for recovering addicts.

Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Edo State, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani, described drug abuse as a pandemic, noting that “you hardly see a crime without drugs being involved.”

She added that women’s empathy and influence must be harnessed in the campaign against drug abuse.

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