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Gunshots as youths protest at Rivers LG secretariat

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Youths storm Rivers LG secretariats, protest chairmen’s tenure extension

As the crisis over the tenure of the outgoing local government chairmen in Rivers State continues, there were sporadic gunshots at the Port Harcourt City Council on Tuesday morning.

It was gathered that policemen fired severely into the air to scare away scores of Ijaw youths who came to demonstrate at the Council’s Secretariat against the tenure elongation.

One of the protesters, who refused to mention his name for fear of being identified, said they were at the Secretariat to carry out a peaceful demonstration against the immediate past local government council chairmen, Allwell Ihunda, who they claimed had vowed not to vacate office despite the expiration of his tenure on June 17.

He, however, alleged that policemen started shooting in their direction as soon as they sighted the youths.

He said, “We are Ijaw youths and are here on a peaceful demonstration against those whose tenure has expired but refused to vacate their office.

“We are not here to make trouble. We were just on a peaceful demonstration, but surprisingly the police started shooting at us. ”

Speaking, one of the leaders of Port Harcourt City youths, identified as Ichemanti, alleged that one of the protesting youths was shot at by the police.

The situation had heightened tension in the metropolis as the gunshots could be heard far away.

The Port Harcourt City Council is located near the State Police Command and the State House of Assembly complex, which was bombed by suspected arsonists in the heat of the political crisis in the state last year.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she was informed of reports of gunshots in the area but said it was not from the police.

Iringe-Koko said, “It is not the police that are shooting. Our men have been deployed already to identify and apprehend those disturbing the peace.

“As I speak to you now, the Commissioner of Police and the Deputy Commissioner of Police are on patrol. Policemen that have been deployed there and they are visible.

“We will ensure nobody takes the laws into their hands under our watch. The CP on Monday said the police is ready to do its job, and that is what we are doing.”

Kola not fit to be president, can’t manage father’s empire—MKO Abiola’s son

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Kola not fit to be president, can't manage father's empire—MKO Abiola's son

Abdulmumuni Abiola, a brother to Kola Abiola and son of the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the late MKO Abiola, has criticised the poor handling of his father’s legacies.

He expressed his disappointment in the podcast MIC ON with Seun Okinbaloye, released Saturday night.

He also blamed Kola, Abiola’s eldest son, who he said was in a position to hoist his father’s legacy but failed to do so.

This is as he alleged that Kola, who could have carried on with his father’s struggle, was in a relationship with former Head of State General Ibrahim Babangida’s daughter while his father was in prison.

Babangida’s regime annulled the 1993 presidential election, which was adjudged to be the most free and fair election in the country.

Abiola’s insistence, among other struggles, led to his incarceration in 1994 until his death in 1998.

Abdulmumuni also emphasised that the efforts and sacrifices of his father have not been adequately preserved or honoured.

Recall that former President Muhammadu Buhari honoured Abiola with the highest national honours during his tenure.

Abdulmumuni called for a more concerted effort to recognise MKO Abiola’s contributions to Nigeria’s democracy, urging both the family and the nation to take more significant steps in preserving his legacy.

When asked if he was in a good relationship with his brother, Kola, he answered negatively and laid out more of his grievances.

He declared that he wasn’t in the country upon his father’s death and that he told Kola when he arrived to lay claim to MKO’s investment abroad, but those within Nigeria are for all.

He said, “Well, I don’t think we really are. The last time I saw him, he said, and I quote, “Do I want to do fire for fire?”

“I asked him, ‘taba se fire for fire se ama jeun?’ (Would we eat if it’s done that way?) when the whole of Nigeria is on fire. So if the idea is that I’m already on fire, let’s do it.

“As long as there are proceeds that will come out, I will be able to take care of my family and people who need help in general.

“So yes, we’re not on good terms, and it’s sad for me to say that. You know I don’t want to have an issue with my older brother. He’s my older brother. I love him, you know, and I hope he loves me, but I have no ill-will.”

Abdulmumuni stated that maintaining his father’s legacy was not a one-man business.

“I’m just saying that this is our collective responsibility, and if you’re not doing your part, then you should just step aside. It’s very simple,” he added.

Meanwhile, Okinbaloye also asked if he blames Kola for the manner in which things have gone and if he thinks that the legacy of the late MKO Abiola would have been properly sustained better than it is presently.

Abdulmumuni insisted Kola could have been a strong voice and that Nigerians and himself are unhappy with the way the struggle went post-MKO’s demise.

He responded, “I definitely do because he was in a pivotal position, especially after the whole crisis. He (Kola) could have he could have been a voice.

“He could have been a strong voice of true democratic values. He could have.

“He chose not to—apparently, at the time my father was still in jail—he was having a relationship with Babangida’s daughter. I don’t want to go down there. You know—it’s just sad, you know.

“I’m actually a little bit displeased that my brother didn’t get to come out and see what the people’s response to his first turnout will be (to test his acceptability and popularity and ride on Abiola’s legacies).

“Therefore, I am unhappy with him, and I think Nigerian people are unhappy.”

Abdulmumin mocked the idea that people who are unable to manage smaller capacities shouldn’t even have the chance to oversee bigger ones.

Firing his shot at Kola’s presidential election bid, he asserted, “How will Nigerians vote for someone who can’t manage the late MKO Abiola’s empire and businesses?”

Recall that Kola ran for the presidential seat in the 2024 general election under the People’s Redemption Party, where he garnered 2,097 votes across the nation.

He continued, “You saw how many people voted for him when he said he wanted to be president. I wonder how he thought he could be president.

“You cannot manage Abiola’s empire. How do you want to manage Nigeria? How does that work?

“This is the problem in Nigeria. People who are not showing capacity in their own little spaces of work want to now get a higher position. You don’t deserve a higher position.”

Asked if he voted for his brother (Kola), he added, “I told him—I said, ‘You’re not going to use my money to do a campaign. Give me my money first and go and campaign’.”

And when the host asked if and why he thought Kola owed him anything, Abdulmumin declared, “He owes me a lot.

“Well, first of all, if he just listens to what my father said in the will and does what he’s rightfully supposed to do like every other person has done, he’s not the first to be the first son. Look at the Folawiyos as an example.

“We have lost so much. There’s so much property that my father had in this country that we can never get back because people have sat on it and they’re using it to take care of their families, but the issue here is: who is to lose? It was our money that was used to buy these things.

“Those properties—you cannot build them today with the kind of money you’re going to spend. I’m talking about the silo in Lafiagi, Kwara State—20,000 metric tonnes of silo on 10,000 hectares of land. How much do you want to pay for that land now?

“You know it’s sad that you know your father has reached a certain level and you cannot continue from where he stopped.”

Likewise, Abdulmumuni blamed Kola for the misfortunes that beset some of Abiola’s children, who, as a result of penury, cannot fend for their needs due to the former’s imprudence.

“I would like him to explain to me exactly where he has gone in this direction. It’s like you’re going down a dead-end road and you see the signs, but you still keep going. I don’t understand this, and this is 30 years down the line, so it’s not like I waited a year after my father died and I’m making these accusations.

“I’m saying people have died in these 30 years. I’m talking about Abiola children who could not buy medicine or who could not just take care of themselves.

“This is sad, and I’m sure my father will not be pleased about it. So, I am not pleased, and it’s not because, like I said, it’s not because I want it. It’s like I wake up in the morning and my phone is inundated with text messages from people saying I need help! I need help!

“How many people can I help, and if I want to help somebody, I have to first be able to help myself? It’s important that we do things the right way, and that’s, I think, just my issue on this,” he lamented.

Going forward, Okinbaloye asked if he had been able to speak to Kola about some of these grievances.

The host added that many people believe that MKO Abiola’s wealth would have been generational wealth because he had so much wealth and spread across the country that there are those who believe that no Abiola’s blood should ever be poor based on what Abiola had.

Abdulmumuni responded positively and indicated that the late MKO Abiola’s wealth was beyond people’s imagination and far greater than what they see in Nigeria.

“You’re right, and you have to understand that what I’m talking about are just the properties in Nigeria.

“This is not where Abiola had his real wealth. Abiola had those companies in Nigeria just to help Nigerian people. They were losing money. They were bleeding money, but he did this because he understood the Nigerian people needed something to do.

“Give somebody nothing to do, and they’ll pick up a gun. You need something to do. So, he understood that,” he added.

Efforts by According Online to reach out to the PRP candidate and MKO Abiola’s eldest son (Kola) were futile, as calls made on Monday and Tuesday to his line all rang out and text messages sent to him have yet to be responded to.

Meanwhile, in a 2021 interview, Abdulmumuni responded to claims by  former military dictator, Babangida, that his annulment of the historic poll prevented a bloody coup.

The deceased’s son, in the interview, surprisingly noted that Babangida was even his godfather at birth in December 1984.

According Online reports that Abdulmumuni is a son of the late MKO Abiola and Kudirat Abiola, while Kola is Simbiat’s son.

13 killed as heavy rains pound Central America

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13 killed as heavy rains pound Central America

Thirteen people have died in flooding and landslides in El Salvador and Guatemala as heavy rains pound Central America, authorities from the two countries said.

In El Salvador, the hardest hit country so far, five people died Monday in a landslide in the western district of Tacuba, in the department of Ahuachapan, Civil Defence chief Luis Amaya said.

Those deaths follow two fatalities recorded on Sunday after a tree and a pole fell on a car that was travelling on a highway in the capital.

Another four people were killed in flooding and landslides between Friday and Sunday, Amaya added.

On Sunday, Congress approved a state of emergency to facilitate the mobilisation of resources.

President Nayib Bukele said on X that he had asked Congress to make Tuesday a federal holiday to avoid commutes and “reduce the risk of tragedies.”

Rains have been slamming both countries since Saturday.

In Guatemala, a 59-year-old woman and a 68-year-old man died on Sunday in the village of Chacaya, in the western municipality of Sacapulas, when they were buried by a collapsed wall, authorities said.

Dozens to hundreds die each year in Central America as the rainy season leaves extensive damage to countries’ infrastructure.

Additionally, the death toll from a landslide in Ecuador rose from six to seven people, with 22 others injured, authorities said Monday.

The landslide was triggered by heavy rains in the tourist Tungurahua province in southern Ecuador.

AFP

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Alleged Nigerian drug dealer attacks police officer in South Africa

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Alleged Nigerian drug dealer attacks police officer in South Africa

The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department reported that a Nigerian suspect, allegedly involved in drug dealing, attacked one of its officers during an operation in Randburg, north of South Africa’s biggest city.

JMPD said its officers were following a lead on the Nigerian suspect on Sunday afternoon and when they arrived at the scene, the suspect called for reinforcement, alleging he was being robbed.

According to a statement on Facebook on Monday, JMPD officers were on Sunday afternoon following a lead on the suspect when he (suspect) called for backup, claiming he was being robbed.

The city police in a statement said, “This led to a violent attack on one of the officers.”

“During the ensuing events, two suspects were shot, one was critically injured and taken to Olivedale Hospital, and the other sustained a hand wound. He was treated at the scene by paramedics and subsequently arrested.

“Backup was requested and officers from the JMPD, SAPS and Gauteng traffic police responded to the scene.

“A third suspect, who transported the critically injured suspect to the hospital, was identified by the officers and apprehended.

“The officer’s firearm was recovered by Douglasdale SAPS. A police vehicle was damaged in the course of the incident.”

Lesiba Thobakgale, spokesperson for the South African Policing Union (SAPU), condemned the attack, stating that assaults on police officers are equivalent to attacks on the state itself.

Thobakgale advocated for such crimes to be deemed treasonous, emphasizing the government’s responsibility to protect its law enforcement representatives.

Thobakgale said, “Police killings or attacks should be declared treason as it is a crime against the state and the state has a responsibility to protect police officers who are representing the state and not themselves.

“This action will show that the government is taking such barbaric acts seriously.”

The JMPD said it has opened a case of attempted murder and public violence for further investigation.

Pressure on cholera vaccine stocks ‘decreasing’- Gavi alliance

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Pressure on cholera vaccine stocks 'decreasing'- Gavi alliance

A resurgence of cholera across Africa has driven an urgent need for more vaccine doses, but stock shortages have hampered the fight against the increasing outbreaks of the deadly disease.

But pressure on the supply of doses is now decreasing, said Aurelia Nguyen, Chief Programme Pfficer of the Gavi Vaccine Alliance that raises funds to supply vaccines to developing countries.

Ahead of a summit in Paris on Thursday aimed at ramping up vaccine production in Africa, Nguyen told AFP about the current state of play.

 

– How many doses are there? –

Nguyen: “Cholera outbreaks are becoming more and more frequent, more and more widespread, and are occurring more often in countries that had previously been spared.

“For years, demand for cholera vaccines had been relatively low. From two million in 2013, the supply of doses exploded to 38 million in 2023. Given the current context, the response to these outbreaks follows the World Health Organization’s recommendation to administer a single dose, instead of the usual two.

“Due to the number of currently ongoing cholera outbreaks, our supply of vaccines was under pressure at the start of the year. But the pressure is now decreasing and we are once again in a position to immediately respond to new requests.

“The South Korean biopharmaceutical company EuBiologics, the only supplier of oral cholera vaccines, will increase its production by 30 percent this year and next. This increase was made possible in particular by Gavi’s purchases over several years.

“Gavi therefore expects to receive 50 million doses in 2024 and around 65 million in 2025.

“Because it is important to diversify suppliers and increase volumes, we are working with a second producer, the Indian company Bharat. The firm will be able to supply more doses in 2025, as will producers in Africa in the future.

“Cholera is part of the 10-year, $1 billion initiative aimed at supporting vaccine production in Africa.”

 

– What is driving new outbreaks? –

“Climate change is a factor that is embedded in our new strategy. This is the first time that global warming has been a criteria for investment in future vaccinations — for example, against dengue fever.

“As well as diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, Gavi also monitors those related to populations that have been displaced by drought.

“Wherever there is conflict or a displaced population, there is a significant risk of outbreaks which rises the longer the fighting goes on. Whether it is for cholera, yellow fever, meningitis, measles — we have vaccine reserves ready.

“Gavi works closely with the WHO to keep an eye on new pathogens that may emerge, and we take climate shocks into account in our projections for future vaccine needs.

“We have the money available ($500 million set aside) to finance a rapid response on the day an epidemic or pandemic is declared.”

 

– What about manufacturers? –

“Thanks to our funding, Gavi vaccinates around 60 percent of the children born on Earth every year. We do not ask manufacturers to give us charity, but to sell to us at a reasonable price. The model has to be viable from the view of pharmaceutical firms so they invest in the requested volume.

“That said, given the poor countries we represent and the resources provided by our donors, we do ask for the price to be the lowest available.

“We are not a discount store — we give the same products to children in Burkina Faso that are available to children in Switzerland. This is essential to retain confidence in the model. We will never give out an expired dose.”

AFP

Thailand approves same-sex marriage

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Thailand approves same-sex marriage

Thailand on Tuesday became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, in a historic parliamentary vote hailed as a “victory” by campaigners.

The Senate upper house gave final approval — by 130 votes to four, with 18 abstentions — to changes to the marriage law allowing same-sex couples to tie the knot.

The new legislation will now go to King Maha Vajiralongkorn for royal assent and come into force 120 days after publication in the official Royal Gazette.

Thailand will become only the third place in Asia where same-sex couples can get hitched, after Taiwan and Nepal, and activists are hoping the first weddings could be celebrated as early as October.

“We are very proud of everyone involved in this historic moment. You have helped to bring about a massive change,” Plaifah Kyoka Shodladd, an LGBTQ activist and member of the committee that scrutinised the law, told senators after the vote.

“Today love wins over prejudice.”

Ahead of the vote, Tunyawaj Kamolwongwat, an MP with the progressive Move Forward Party, said the change in the law was “a victory for the people”.

The new legislation changes references to “men”, “women”, “husbands” and “wives” in marriage laws to gender-neutral terms.

It also gives same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual ones when it comes to adoption and inheritance.

“My partner has one boy and I want to have legal rights to formally adopt him as my child and to have a say about his well-being. This bill will allow it,” Kevin Pehthai Thanomkhet, 30, told AFP.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who has been vocal in his support for the LGBTQ community and the bill, will open his official residence to activists and supporters for celebrations later.

Activists also plan an evening rally featuring a drag show in central Bangkok, where giant shopping malls have been flying the rainbow flag in a show of support since the start of Pride Month in June.

Thailand has long enjoyed a reputation for tolerance of the LGBTQ community, and opinion polls reported in local media show overwhelming public support for equal marriage.

More than 30 countries around the world have legalised marriage for all since the Netherlands became the first to celebrate same-sex unions in 2001.

But in Asia, only Taiwan and Nepal recognise marriage equality. India came close in October, but the Supreme Court referred the decision back to parliament.

“I am so happy to see how far we have come,” said Chotika Hlengpeng, a participant in the Pride march that drew thousands of enthusiasts in Bangkok early in June.

Tuesday’s vote is the culmination of years of campaigning and thwarted attempts to pass equal marriage laws.

While the move enjoys popular support, much of Buddhist-majority Thailand still retains traditional and conservative values.

LGBTQ people, while highly visible, say they still face barriers and discrimination in everyday life.

Some activists have criticised the new laws for failing to recognise transgender and non-binary people, who will still not be allowed to change their gender on official identity documents.

AFP

Global civilian deaths in conflicts rise 72% in 2023

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Global civilian deaths in conflicts rise 72% in 2023

Civilian deaths due to armed conflicts around the world soared 72 per cent last year, the UN rights chief, Volker Turk, said Tuesday.

This significant rise highlights a worsening situation in terms of civilian safety and the impact of armed conflicts on non-combatant populations globally.

Turk told the opening of a United Nations Human Rights Council session about the alarming increase in the proportion of women and children killed.

“In 2023, data gathered by my Office shows the number of civilian deaths in armed conflict soared by 72 per cent.

“The proportion of women killed in 2023 doubled and that of children tripled,” he said.

Details later…

AFP

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OPINION: Edu, Sadiya, Halima, Bello, et al

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HE ruling elites have us by the balls. Our collective capacity for short memory is like none anywhere else in the world. So it’s usually easy for our rulers to make egregious appointments into critical public positions or to proclaim vexatious policy and then sit back. We, Nigerians, will huff and puff and threaten fire and brimstone if the appointment or policy was not reviewed or reversed. Our rulers will conveniently keep quiet knowing that ‘nothing mega’ or nothing will happen. After a few days, maximum one week, we will move on and the hitherto concerning appointment and/or policy will disappear from the news media headlines.
Almost every federal administration since 1999 has used this strategy to wear out the people and overcome citizens’ inconveniences. But the extant regime of the All Progressives Congress (APC) political party has elevated this practice to an art form. Whenever it backpedals from chosen options it was usually to create the impression that it was a listening government. No, it’s not. It has never been since 2015 when its candidate and the affliction of Nigeria, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, assumed office as president. That utter failure who approximated what a ruler should not be in a country desperate for rescue from political and economic morass and paralysis regarded the presidency as a trophy and not a call to service. When Buhari failed in his three consecutive quests to be elected Nigeria’s president, he publicly bemoaned his fate but later claimed that Nigeria and Nigerians would be the ultimate losers. He had told us that he was offering himself for the presidency because he was the Messiah Nigeria was waiting for. Some shallow Nigerians including pseudo intellectuals believed him and his coterie of choristers that if given a chance at the topmost office he would turn the country around. Buhari got the chance in 2015 and actually succeeded in turning the country around – for the worse. Through incompetence and ‘non-governance’ he took Nigeria back by 30 years or one generation.
Everything that could go wrong went wrong under Buhari. Politics was bastardised. Merit was whimsically discarded in appointments to sensitive and non -sensitive offices. His tribesmen seized virtually every level of governance. Religion became a vital consideration for recruitment so much so that for almost eight years of his ruinous reign, national security meetings could conveniently be conducted in Hausa language and the attendees would be at home. Buhari reserved the greater carnage for the economy. He so borrowed funds from offshore financial institutions that an impression was created that borrowing was fast going out of fashion and that international funds were about to dry up. Buhari’s Nigeria scrambled for foreign loans in a manner that resembled European powers’ scramble and partition of Africa in Germany in 1885. Yet that regime was not satisfied with the quantum of the foreign loans it saddled Nigeria with. It turned inward and started borrowing from the domestic money market through the issuing of treasury bills and other debt instruments. It was still not satisfied. Then it resorted to printing Naira that was backed by nothing until it accumulated a staggering N30 trillion through the Ways and Means of the central bank. You will be grossly mistaken if you think it ended there. No. That calamity called Buhari then proceeded to auction millions of barrels of Nigeria’s crude oil whilst they were yet to be extracted from under the ground. He collected the payments upfront and squandered them. As these were happening the national leader of the APC and now Buhari’s successor, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu cheered him on, saying Buhari was the next best thing to happen to Nigeria after sliced bread.
Buhari introduced or at least aggravated rulers not feeling obligated to explain anything to Nigerians. As president he once spent 103 days abroad on medical tourism without telling Nigerians what he suffered from nor how much was taken from the treasury to offset his medical bills. It has to be acknowledged that the impunity started with Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, our sick president who eventually died in office in 2010.
READ ALSO:OPINION: Slush funds for dubious petrol subsidy payments
Here in this column last week we said that Tinubu is contemptuous of Nigerians. He is not alone. Agencies of the government under Tinubu are fast learning how not to take Nigerians seriously. They are learning that an issue, no matter how serious, can go away if you just ignore it long enough. And there are quite a handful of such matters that are being forced to fade from our memories. One of such serious issues of alleged sleaze is the case of Betta Chimaobim Edu, the suspended minister of humanitarian affairs. When Minister Edu was suspended from office last January, a presidential spokesman said it was in line with Tinubu’s commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the commonwealth of Nigerians. Of course, Nigerians knew that the Presidency was lying. All the same she was referred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Edu reported to the anti-graft agency which quizzed her and released her on bail before the sunset same day. The bail terms were not disclosed then. They have still not been published. The EFCC is still investigating her alleged sleaze the least of which had to do with paying government money running into hundreds of millions of Naira into a private individual’s personal bank account contrary to regulations. It’s now six months and counting and the Edu saga is receding from our memories.
Ms Halima Shehu is the national coordinator and chief executive officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, a parastatal of the corruption -prone humanitarian affairs ministry. Ms Shehu whose agency oversees the government’s conditional cash transfer programme had a few days earlier had herself suspended by Minister Edu on allegation of tampering with billions of Naira of public funds. The last that was heard of Ms Shehu’s case was six months ago when the EFCC said it was still investigating her alleged sleaze. Edu and Shehu are walking freely and probably travelling in and out of Nigeria. So much for the zero tolerance for corruption by the Tinubu regime. Still ‘nothing mega’.
But before Edu there was Sadiya Umar-Farouk, also a humanitarian affairs minister under Buhari. Indeed the pioneer minister of that slush money ministry. She’s being probed by this regime over allegations that N37.1 billion was laundered through her ministry. The status of the case is, like everything else, uncertain. By the way, it will be recalled that it was the same notorious ministry that allegedly expended N500,000,000 million to feed school pupils who were locked down at home in 2020 during COVID -19.
Finally, there’s the N82billion fraud allegation against Alhaji Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi state for eight years until last January. It has been a ding dong affair. He was once cornered like a rat when the EFCC operatives laid siege to his house in Abuja. But his successor allegedly used the cover of his immunity to spring him out of the trap. Bello has remained underground since then from where he has been negotiating the terms of his appearance in court to answer to the allegations levelled against him. That’s the state of our country where suspects dictate the terms and place for their interrogation and arraignment in court. The same EFCC that is begging and appeasing Bello will readily invade students hostels and bachelors’ eve parties to arrest youngsters for alleged Internet fraud while their military and police counterparts smash doors and windows to arrest harmless journalists and traumatize their families. The crime of the journalists is that they are doing the work of holding government accountable to the people. State security agents are increasingly becoming freelance tormentors of hapless and helpless Nigerians. This fumbling and failing regime has effectively resurrected the Draconian Decree 4 of the Buhari military era with its implementation of the Cyber Security Act. Fortunately, history has it that in Nigeria tyranny has a short lifespan.
The post OPINION: Edu, Sadiya, Halima, Bello, et al appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.

Lagos police rescue Lebanese Fouani brothers kidnapped on Lagos waters regain freedom

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The three Lebanese Founi brothers, Abbas Fouani, Youssef Fouani, and Amtal Fouani, who were abducted by gunmen last Friday in Lagos, have been rescued by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command.
The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the rescue of the Lebanese businessmen in a statement on Tuesday, without giving further details.
TVN had on Friday, reported the abduction of the three brothers who are behind Fouani Nigeria Ltd, an electronics business giant and the sole distributor of LG, Hisense, and Maxi products in Nigeria.
READ ALSO:Gunmen on Lagos waters abduct three foreigners, MD of Fouani, firm representing LG, Hisense
The three brothers were reportedly coming from their factory when they were kidnapped around Falomo Bridge while traveling from Apapa to Victoria Island by boat.
“In a brazen act that has sent shockwaves through Lagos, armed gunmen have abducted four people traveling by boat,” the Ripples report had stated.
Hundeyin had, on Saturday, confirmed the abduction of the Fouani brothers in a statement.
“Yes, it is true. We got the report and we are looking into it. Please, I’m not obliged to state more than that,” he had said.
The post Lagos police rescue Lebanese Fouani brothers kidnapped on Lagos waters regain freedom appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.

Nigerians not only ones facing poverty, says Tinubu

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Democracy Day: Nigeria's unity can't be traded - Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has said that Nigerians are not the only ones facing poverty in the world.

While admitting that there are poverty and suffering in the land, Tinubu said the challenges must be tackled.

One of the ways of tackling them, he explained, is to eliminate banditry and terrorism so that farmers cab return to the farm.

According to a statement on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Ajuri Ngelale, the President said this in Lagos on Monday when he received a delegation from the National Assembly who came to felicitate with him on the occasion of Eid-el-Kabir.

The delegation was led by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, alongside the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, among others.

According to him, it is imperative for Nigerians to have a change of value system for the nation to make progress.

“Yes, there is poverty; there is suffering in the land. We are not the only people facing such, but we must face our challenges.

“We must find a way to eliminate banditry and terrorism so that farmers can bring out food from the farmland.

“If you do not have good roads to bring the food to the population, even if you grow the food and you are losing 60-70 per cent to damages, you will pay the price,” the President said.

He challenged citizens to have a change of mindset about Nigeria if the nation is to overcome its current challenges.

“The need (for some citizens) to change the rent-seeking mindset and become more productive to the economy is a challenge. The need to stop smuggling and all economic sabotage.

“Why should we have people removing rail tracks and all that, stealing electric cables and sabotaging the economy?

“We must embrace the campaign to change our value system. We must tell our people that the challenge we face is for all of us to change our mindset about our country,” Tinubu stressed.

The President also commended the leadership of the National Assembly for the support extended to his administration, which he said had resulted in some of the important developments recorded by his administration.

“It is great pride for me to have the best of partners in the National Assembly. We have to drill down and be all-inclusive in our bid to satisfy our people.

“It is daunting, but we cannot run away from the fact that this country must survive the hardship,” he stated.

The President acknowledged the challenges and the task ahead, assuring the nation of his unwavering determination to turn things around.”

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