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Insecurity: Forum Expresses Concern, Recommends Way Out

Published

3 years ago

July 30, 2021

The Executive Director of a Non-Governmental Organization (Caring Heart Initiative), Mrs. Grace Obakina has expressed worry over the alarming rate of crimes and criminality in Nigeria.

The civil rights activist made the remark at an experience sharing discussion on the rising cases of insecurity in the country hash tagged “Secureourlives”.

While observing that women and children bear the major brunt arising from wars and conflict and are oftentime the worst hit, Mrs. Obakina called on government to take action to end insecurity and bloodshed.

“In its Mass Atrocities Report 2020, Global Rights Nigeria estimated that 4,556 Nigerians were killed in 2020, especially in the restive northeastern part of the country.

“In the first quarter of 2021, over 220 kidnapping incidents were recorded with at least 2,114 victims. In the same first quarter of 2021, over 600 schools closed across six states in the North.

A cross section of participants at the experience sharing.

“Violence is raging in Abia, Benue, Imo, Kebbi, Niger, Ondo and Oyo due to non-state actor violence, insurrection, the proliferation of weapons, farmer-header conflict and state security operations.

“Hundreds of thousands are displaced from their homes and means of livelihood, while women and children are being captured for rape and amp; indoctrinated into a life of violence,” she said.

Mrs. Obakina further observed that Nigeria’s security forces are stretched, dogged with allegations of corruption and abuse, while the country is awash with small arms and light weapons in the middle of an economic recession, high unemployment and food insecurity.

Sharing her experience, a partipant, Mrs Ufoma Akpobi disclosed that she escaped being hit by bullets on several occasions, as a result of activities of cultists where she lived before relocating to Sapele road area of Benin City.

While noting that there were situations when such bullets had hit other persons close to her and they fell down dead instantly, Mrs. Akpobi added that similar cases of insecurity happened where she currently resides.

Another participant, Mrs. Julie Osunde disclosed that people find it difficult to go to farm in her locality (ovia south-west area of Edo State) as a result of kidnapping, killings and rape by armed herders and other criminals.

Others who shared their experiences on how they have been affected by insecurity in the country, particularly in Edo State, observed that the development had led to increase in the prices of foodstuffs, while they find it difficult to travel from one place to another in order not to be kidnapped or maimed.

The forum at the end of discussion called for reformation of community policing to allow for more engagement of states and communities in security matter.

It also advocated setting up of early response mechanism to attacks, to avoid a situation where attackers spend hours maiming and killing citizens; as well as building on women’s indigenous knowledge to involve them in community peace architecture as mediators and negotiators.

Other recommendations of the #secureourlives campaign include daily security briefing, transparency and accountability on security spending, among others.

The #secureourlives is a campaign by a coalition of women and civil society organization. It places women at the forefront of a national call for increased accountability on the war on terror and the security of lives and property in Nigeria.

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Man, 38 Escapes Assassination Attempt In Benin

Published

9 months ago

July 22, 2023

Editor

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.

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.

Business

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

Published

11 months ago

May 18, 2023

Editor

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.

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

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.

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

Published

2 years ago

March 16, 2022

Editor

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.

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.

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.

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