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Taliban Blames U.S For Airport Chaos

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The Taliban on Sunday blamed the United States for the chaotic evacuation of tens of thousands of Afghans and foreigners from the capital, one week after the hardline Islamist group returned to power in a rapid victory that stunned the world.

The United States has warned of security threats and the European Union admitted it was “impossible” to evacuate everyone at risk from the Taliban, who have vowed a softer version of their brutal rule from 1996-2001.

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But terrified Afghans continue to try to flee, deepening a tragedy at Kabul airport where the United States and its allies have been unable to cope with the huge numbers of people trying to get on evacuation flights.

“America, with all its power and facilities… has failed to bring order to the airport. There is peace and calm all over the country, but there is chaos only at Kabul airport,” Taliban official Amir Khan Mutaqi said.

READ ALSO:Taliban Co-founder Baradar In Kabul For Talks To Set Up Government

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Britain’s defence ministry said Sunday seven people had died in the crowds, without giving further details.

A journalist, who was among a group of other media workers and academics lucky enough to get to the airport on Sunday for a flight, described desperate scenes of people surrounding their bus on the way in.

“They were showing us their passports and shouting ‘take us with you… please take us with you’,” the journalist told AFP.

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“ The Taliban fighter in the truck ahead of us had to shoot in the air to make them go away.”

Britain’s Sky News on Saturday aired footage of at least three bodies covered in white tarpaulin outside the airport. It was not clear how they had died.

Reporter Stuart Ramsay, who was at the airport, called the deaths “inevitable” and said people were being “crushed”, while others were “dehydrated and terrified”.

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The footage was the latest imagery of utter despair, after video of a baby being lifted over a wall at the airport and horror scenes of people hanging onto departing planes.

– ‘Impossible’ deadline -The United States, which has thousands of troops trying to secure the airport, has set a deadline to complete the evacuations by August 31.

But there are up to 15,000 Americans and 50,000 to 60,000 Afghan allies who need to be evacuated, according to the Biden administration.

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READ ALSO: Taliban: Osama Bin Laden, Al Qaeda Are Gone, U.S, Allies Have No Interest In Afghanistan – Biden

Countless others fear repression under the Taliban and are also trying to flee.

US President Joe Biden has described the evacuation operations as “one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history”.

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The situation was further complicated on Saturday when the US government warned its citizens to stay away from the airport because of “security threats”.

No specific reason was given, but a White House official later said Biden had been briefed on security threats, including from the Islamic State jihadist group.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell gave a bleak assessment of whether the airlift would succeed.

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“They want to evacuate 60,000 people between now and the end of this month. It’s mathematically impossible,” he told AFP.

Borrell added that “we have complained” to the Americans that their airport security was overly strict and hampering attempts by Afghans who worked for the Europeans to enter.

On Saturday, the Pentagon said 17,000 people had been taken out since the operation began on August 14, including 2,500 Americans.

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Thousands more have left on other foreign military flights.

– Taliban government -The Taliban have been publicly content with the US military overseeing the airlift, while focusing on forming a government.

The group’s co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar flew into Kabul and planned to meet jihadi leaders, elders and politicians in the coming days, an official told AFP.

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Among them are leaders of the Haqqani network, a US-designated terrorist organisation with million-dollar bounties on its leadership.

The Taliban stunned the world when they swept into Kabul last week, ending two decades of war, facing virtually no opposition from government forces that had been trained and equipped by the US-led alliance.

However, there have been since been flickers of resistance with some ex-government troops gathering in the Panjshir Valley, north of Kabul, long known as an anti-Taliban bastion.

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READ ALSO: U.S Struggles To Speed Kabul Airlift Despite Taliban, Chaos

One of the leaders of the movement, named the National Resistance Front, is the son of famed anti-Taliban commander Ahmad Shah Massoud.

The NRF is prepared for a “long-term conflict” but is also still seeking to negotiate with the Taliban about an inclusive government, its spokesman Ali Maisam Nazary told AFP in an interview.

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“The conditions for a peace deal with the Taliban is decentralisation, a system that ensures social justice, equality, rights, and freedom for all.”

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“May May The South Of Former President Bola…,” Uzodinma Trends After Public Gaffe 

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The Governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodinma is currently trending on Social Media over a gaffe he made while eulogizing late Ex-President, Muhammadu Buhari.

It was learned that Uzodinma, while speaking at the Constitution Review Zonal Public Hearings in Owerri Center for Imo and Abia State on Saturday, made the error during a prayer for late Buhari.

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READ ALSO:Nigeria’s Economy Grew By 3.13% In Q1 2025 — NBS

The Governor said;” May the Soul of Former President Bola (pauses)…..Former President Muhammadu Buhari  and the souls of all the departed through the mercy of God, Rest in Peace”

Watch the Video Below:

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Ex-Lagos Governor Fashola Gets International Appointment

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Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Resolve to Save Lives Nigeria (RTSL Nigeria), an international public health organization.

The appointment was announced on Friday by RTSL Nigeria, a health-focused body working to prevent cardiovascular diseases and epidemics.

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The group, which opened an office in Abuja in 2022, partners with governments and communities to tackle some of the world’s deadliest health threats.

READ ALSO:FG Arraigns Man Who Accused Fashola Of Writing Presidential Tribunal Judgment

Reacting to the appointment, Dr. Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Fashola to the RTSL Nigeria Board of Directors. He has demonstrated a commitment to improving lives and livelihoods in Nigeria through more than two decades of public service.”

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Fashola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), previously served as Minister of Power, Works and Housing under President Muhammadu Buhari. He was also the Chief of Staff in Lagos State before becoming governor from 2007 to 2015.

During his tenure, Fashola was instrumental in managing Nigeria’s response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, earning him international recognition, including the Stephen J. Solarz Award from the International Crisis Group.

READ ALSO:Lagos LG Poll: Fashola Absent At Polling Unit

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In his acceptance remarks, Fashola said he was honoured to join the board and pledged to support the organization’s mission.

I look forward to helping continue the progress in stopping preventable deaths from cardiovascular diseases and infectious disease outbreaks,” he said.

Ibrahim Abubakar, a fellow board member and Dean at the University College London Faculty of Population Health Sciences, described Fashola’s inclusion as a valuable asset, citing his governance experience and leadership during health crises.

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ICRC Warns Of Rising Malnutrition As North-East Faces Food Shortages

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As food insecurity deepens across North-East Nigeria, farmers in conflict-affected areas are battling hunger, displacement, and limited access to land—all while striving to feed their families and communities.

This is according to a press statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which was obtained on Monday.
The ICRC also said more than 3.7 million people in the region are currently facing food insecurity. Many of them are farmers who have lost access to their farmlands due to persistent violence and displacement.

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Speaking, according to the statement, Modu Umar, a community leader in Dikwa, said, “Right now, we face severe food shortages. Some families are forced to walk long distances every day to collect firewood just to sell and buy food. Farming is the only solution to hunger.”

Also, a 70-year-old farmer, Churi Ibrahim from Gajibo, noted that insecurity has drastically limited movement in rural areas, with many farmers trekking for hours to access their fields under the threat of attack.

READ ALSO:PSC Promotes 12 AIGs, 226 Other Senior Police Officers

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Some people trek three hours to reach their farms. By the time you reach your farm, you’re already exhausted, and when you return home, it’s late. For a large family like mine, sometimes, we don’t even get one meal a day,” Gajibo said.

Despite the danger and fatigue, many continue farming out of sheer necessity. “Even when you’re afraid, you have to go. If you don’t farm during the rainy season, you’ll have nothing to eat,” said Bintu Konto, a mother of five.

As the lean season begins—a time when food stocks run low and prices rise—households are under growing pressure. “This is when households must start purchasing food, but many conflict-affected families can’t afford much. They’re forced to drastically limit their intake,” Head of the ICRC Office in Maiduguri, Diana Japaridze, said.

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The statement also said, ”The food crisis is also fuelling rising levels of malnutrition, particularly among children under five and pregnant or breastfeeding women. In response, the ICRC is supporting malnutrition stabilisation centres and conducting community education to help families care for vulnerable children.

READ ALSO:27-year-old Delta Man Nabbed For Lover’s Death

To build resilience and support long-term recovery, the ICRC has launched an agricultural assistance programme targeting both rainy and dry seasons. This year alone, over 21,000 farming households have received seeds tailored to local conditions, along with planting tools designed to reduce labour and increase efficiency.

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”The support includes staple crops like rice and maize as well as vegetables such as tomato and okra, helping to improve dietary diversity and nutrition. Farmers are also receiving training in sustainable agricultural practices to help them maintain production beyond the lifespan of ICRC’s support.

”At the national level, the ICRC has partnered with the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) to complete repairs on a vital water source. This facility now ensures uninterrupted water supply for NASC’s seed testing and greenhouse operations, a move aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s broader agricultural system.

“Still, the lean season remains a painful period for many farmers who simply cannot grow enough to meet their families’ needs.

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“For many of us, it’s not just about farming—it’s about survival,” said Churi Ibrahim. “When you can’t feed your children, every day becomes a struggle.”

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