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Fresh Outrage In US Over Killing Of Black Man By Police

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The fatal shooting of an unarmed Black man by police in Columbus, Ohio — the US city’s second such killing this month — sparked a fresh wave of protests on Thursday against racial injustice and police brutality in the country.

Andre Maurice Hill, 47, was in the garage of a house on Monday night when he was shot several times by a police officer who had been called to the scene for a minor incident.

Seconds before the gunfire, bodycam footage shows Hill walking towards the policeman holding a cell phone in his left hand, while his other hand cannot be seen.

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READ ALSO: Just In: Edo Police Arrest Three For Raping, Murdering Woman

Columbus police chief Thomas Quinlan announced Thursday that he was moving to fire the officer, Adam Coy, on allegations of “critical misconduct”.

“We have an officer who violated his oath to comply with the rules and policies of the Columbus Division of Police,” Quinlan said in a statement. “This violation cost an innocent man his life.”

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According to local media reports, Coy had previously received complaints of excessive force.

Coy and his colleague waited several minutes before approaching Hill, who was still alive but died later.

Hill, the second African-American killed by police in Columbus in less than three weeks, was not carrying a weapon.

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READ ALSO: Six Killed, 30 Houses Destroyed As Petrol Tanker Explosion Rocks Kwara

Casey Goodson Jr, 23, was shot several times on December 4 while returning home. His family has said he was holding a sandwich which law enforcement mistook for a gun.

Several dozen protestors gathered Thursday, waving Black Lives Matter signs and calling for justice for people killed in police shootings.

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The killings in Columbus come after a summer in which the US was rocked by historic protests against racial injustice and police brutality, sparked by the May killing of African-American man George Floyd.

Floyd, also unarmed, suffocated beneath the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis. Horrified passers-by filmed his death, with the footage swiftly going viral.

“Once again officers see a Black man and conclude that he’s criminal and dangerous,” said lawyer Ben Crump, who defends several families of police brutality victims including Floyd’s, on Wednesday.

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He denounced a “tragic succession of officer-involved shootings.”

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said he was “outraged” by Hill’s death.

He was “known to the residents of the home where his car was parked on the street,” he said Wednesday at a press conference, describing him as a “guest… not an intruder.”

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READ ALSO: Four Confirmed Dead In A Ghastly Motor Accident In Edo

Ginther said he was “very disturbed” that the two police officers did not give first aid to Hill and called for Coy’s “immediate termination.”

(AFP/PUNCH)

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Tinubu Approves Tenure Extension For Surveyor-General

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President Bola Tinubu has approved a two-year tenure extension for the Surveyor-General of the Federation, Mr. AbuduGaniyu Adebomehin.

The move is aimed at consolidating ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s geospatial data systems and national land administration, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed in a statement released on Wednesday.

The extension will take effect from January 5, 2026, and follows the recent transfer of the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation to the Presidency.

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The transfer places geospatial intelligence and national surveying operations directly under the executive arm.

READ ALSO:Brigadier-General, Other Officers Detained Over Alleged Coup Plot To Overthrow President Tinubu

Adebomehin’s two-year extension will see him serve until January 2028.

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According to Onanuga, “The President expects Mr Adebomehin to consolidate the reforms within the next two years, focusing on national land management and administration, highways and abutting land infrastructure coordination, reclamation and erosion control programmes, and other related matters of strategic national importance.”

Adebomehin was appointed the Surveyor-General of the Federation by the late President Muhammadu Buhari, effective January 5, 2022.

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Okpebholo Announces Plan To Recruit 3,000 Teachers In Edo

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Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has announced plans to employ 3,000 teachers in the state.

This was contained in a statement released by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, on Wednesday.

Okpebholo supervised the handing out of letters of employment to 5,000 teachers in the state last Wednesday.

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The teachers, who for years were on contract with a monthly stipend of ₦65,000 during the administration of Godwin Obaseki, were formally handed appointment letters during a ceremony held at Government House.

The governor emphasised the significance of the occasion and the government’s commitment to valuing its educators.

READ ALSO:Okpebholo’s Eight-year Tenure Non-negotiable, Says Commissioner

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In appreciation of the governor’s kind gesture, the Edo State Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers were at the government house on Tuesday, where it conferred a Lifetime Achievement Award on the governor by Edo in recognition of his exceptional reforms and commitment to repositioning the state’s education sector.

The award was presented by NUT State Chairman, Bernard Ajobiewe, in the company of the Acting Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Edo State chapter, Comrade Bernard Egwahide.

In return, the governor announced plans to recruit an additional 3,000 teachers to strengthen teaching capacity and improve learning outcomes across public schools in the state.

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Okpebholo expressed deep appreciation to Edo teachers for their diligence and patriotism in shaping the future of the State.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to education as the cornerstone of human development.

READ ALSO:Okpebholo Believes In Courage, Capacity Says Edo Poly Rector

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“Teachers remain a top priority in our development agenda and the state has finalised plans to employ 3000 additional teachers.

“We are building and renovating schools across Edo, and as infrastructure improves, so must manpower. Our goal is to ensure that no school lacks qualified teachers and that every child receives quality education in a conducive learning environment,” the governor said.

Okpebholo emphasised that his administration had put an end to the era of overcrowded classrooms and combined classes that once defined Edo’s public schools, noting that the new education reforms have already restored public confidence in the system.

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He also reiterated that his government would not engage in political witch-hunts, but would allow performance and public perception to judge the actions of the previous administration.

“If the last administration had performed well, the Edo people would have felt it. We are focused on rebuilding the system and restoring pride in our schools. My administration is committed to results, not rhetoric,” Okpebholo stated.

READ ALSO:World Habitat Day: Okpebholo Commends Building Control Agency For Developmental Milestones

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The governor further assured continued collaboration with labour unions to sustain industrial harmony and drive collective progress.

He pledged to donate a bus to the NUT to facilitate its statewide operations and monitoring activities across Edo’s 18 local government areas.

“We will continue to maintain a strong working relationship with the NUT and all labour unions. The welfare of teachers remains the heart of our education reforms,” he added.

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In his remarks, Ajobiewe commended the governor for regularising the employment of over 5,000 Edo-Star teachers, who had remained contract staff for more than three years under the previous administration.

“In less than a year, our story as teachers has changed from frustration to fulfilment. Governor Okpebholo has not only restored dignity to the teaching profession but has rekindled hope in public education. His actions demonstrate true leadership and empathy,” Ajobiewe said.

Similarly, Egwahide praised the governor’s people-oriented leadership and promised the union’s continued support for his administration.

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We are grateful to a governor who listens, acts, and delivers. The workers of Edo State will stand by you as you continue to transform our education sector and fulfil your promises,” he affirmed.

 

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Davido Gets New Appointment

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The Osun State Government has announced the appointment of Afrobeats star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, as chairman of the Osun Sports Trust Fund.

The government said the move was aimed at raising funds to transform the state sports sector.

It also reaffirmed its commitment to completing the ongoing renovation and rehabilitation of the Osogbo Township Stadium, assuring that the upgraded facility will meet Olympic standards upon completion.

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As reported by the Guardian Nigeria, confirming the appointment, the state deputy governor, Kola Adewusi, who doubles as the Commissioner for Sports, said the state government under Governor Ademola Adeleke is determined to transform the stadium into a world-class sports arena that will not only host national events but also attract international competitions.

He said, “Ongoing renovation and rehabilitation of the Osogbo Township Stadium to meet Olympic standards — a project that will be completed in the shortest possible time.

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“I am pleased to inform you that plans are in advanced stages towards the establishment of the Osun State Sports Commission, which will serve as a central body for sports administration, development, and policy implementation. Introduction of a Sports Trust Fund to attract support from sports philanthropists within and outside the state, ensuring sustainable sports financing and development.

“Davido has been appointed to chair the Sports Trust Fund, and he did not hesitate in accepting the appointment. His intervention would attract funds that would impact Osun sports positively.”

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