A Women group under the aegis of “SECURE YOUR LIVE” in Bauchi State has protested the spate of killings and kidnapping of parents and their children in the country.
The women, in their separate remarks, during the peaceful dialogue for women organised by the Empowerment Initiative for Global Change and Attah Sisters Helping Hands Foundations (ASHHF) funded by “Secure your live” weekend in Bauchi.
Advertisement
Mrs. Esther Patrick, from the state Ministry of Women and Children Development, said the protest was to demand for the government and security agencies to take more action and stop the spate of killings and kidnappings in the country.
She urged the government to fish out the perpetrators of the ‘inhuman act’ and bring them to justice.
Patrick also urged the security agencies to institute a dedicated team towards investigation of killings and kidnaps.
Advertisement
“The team should regularly update the public on the status of protecting women, children and holding criminals accountable in the country,”she said.
Our correspondent reported that the protesting women, most of whom were dressed in black condemned the killings and wanton destruction of properties in the country.
On her part, Mrs. Grace Maikudi pointed out that it was the failure of the state and the Federal Governments to stop the killings.
She lamented that their houses were no longer safe as the deadly act continued to unleash mayhem on their husbands and children without being apprehended by security agencies.
Advertisement
According to her, “Our communities are under siege by herdsmen and our government is not doing anything to protect us.
“Our husbands, children and relatives are being slaughtered like rams on a daily basis, and the government is just watching, without taking necessary actions.
“Children are being raped, women are being raped, people are being killed, governments at all levels need to step up their responsibilities and protect lives and properties.
“For how long is this going to continue? Enough is enough, we are tired of killings and it must end for God’s sake,” Maikudi said.
Also speaking, Mrs. Dinatu Stephen, a rights activist, urged the security forces, as well as government at all levels to rise up to their responsibilities of protecting lives and properties.
“In this country today, people cannot sleep with their eyes closed, this barbaric and carlous act must stop, enough of this terrific situation.
“Therefore, we are calling the attention of the government to do the needful.
Advertisement
“We are also calling on all Nigerians to speak up against these deadly acts, and advocate for rigorous security presence in the communities,”she stressed.
Stephen urged the government to implement policies that would enhance business activities to eschew insecurity challenges in the country.
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.
Advertisement
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”.
Advertisement
“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.
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.
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.
Advertisement
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.