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Two armed bandits killed as troops raid hideout in Nasarawa State

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Troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE and 177 Battalion, have in the early hours of 9 December 2020, killed two notorious bandits after conducting a daring dawn raid on a major armed bandits’/kidnappers’ hideout at Angwan Mada close to Tunga in Nasarawa LGA of Nasarawa State.

According to the Coordinator Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, the raid which was conducted sequel to actionable technical and human intelligence on the location of the camp in the general area, also resulted in the recovery of 20 locally made rifles and other ammunition.

“Adopting an aggressive posture, the gallant troops tactfully assaulted the hideout, taking the bandits by surprise.” He said.

“The gallant troops overwhelmed the bandits with effective fire and neutralized 2 of the criminals responsible for kidnappings and other crimes in the general area while others fled in disarray with fatal gunshot wounds.

“A follow-up exploitation of the camp and environs further resulted in the recovery of a total of 20 locally made rifles, 40 empty cases of 7.62mm special ammunition and 5 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.

“Troops thereafter destroyed the camp. The gallant troops are presently dominating the area with aggressive patrols and are equally on the trail of the fleeing bandits in order to locate and neutralize them.” He added.

General Enenche called on members of the general public  to continue to provide credible information to the troops operating within their localities.

Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine documents hacked

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Toby
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Documents relating to the regulatory submission for Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate were “unlawfully accessed” during a cyberattack on the European Medicines Agency (EMA), Pfizer said Wednesday.

“It is important to note that no BioNTech or Pfizer systems have been breached in connection with this incident and we are unaware of any personal data being accessed,” a statement said.

“We await further information about EMA’s investigation and will respond appropriately and in accordance with EU law.

“Given the critical public health considerations and the importance of transparency, we continue to provide clarity around all aspects of the vaccine development and regulatory processes.”

The Amsterdam-based EMA has said the incident was being investigated, but did not specify when it took place or whether its work on Covid-19 was targeted.

The Dutch national police high-tech crime team was involved in the probe into the cyberattack, but police gave no more information, the Dutch news agency ANP reported.

The EMA’s role as the drugs regulator for the 27-nation EU means it has access to data on the safety and quality of medicines from clinical trials and lab tests from companies that apply for authorization.

The agency has said it will give a decision on conditional approval for Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine at a meeting that will be held by December 29 at the latest, while a ruling on Moderna’s version should follow by January 12.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, BNT162b2, has received emergency approval in Great Britain and Canada.

The US Food and Drug Administration is holding a meeting on approval Thursday, with the green light expected in the days that follow.

(AFP)

 

 

Why we have not suspended strike — ASUU

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Toby
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The Academic Staff Union of Universities has disputed a claim by the Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige that the union agreed to end its nine-month strike before December 9.

ASUU National President Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi said in a statement on Tuesday that the government’s claim was false.

The union’s head said, “ASUU leadership did not reach any understanding with government to suspend the strike on December 9, 2020, and there is nothing in the government offer of November 27, 2020 to suggest that conclusion as allegedly claimed by the Minister of Labour and Employment.

“At our last meeting in the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment on November 27, 2020, the ASUU leadership promised to faithfully present the latest government offer to its members through the established tradition.

“The latest offer by government makes proposals on nearly all items of demand by the union with timelines. Among others, the document which was signed by the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, contains proposals on inauguration of the reconstituted FGN-ASUU Renegotiation Committee (1st December, 2020); release of details about Visitation Panels (1st December, 2020); working on the actualisation of the release of the withheld salaries of ASUU members (Wednesday, December 9, 2020).

“Clause 9 on the document reads, ‘Based on these conclusions reached on items 1-8, ASUU’s leadership will consult its organs with a view to suspending the ongoing strike.’”

He explained that the principal officers and trustees who constituted the core of representatives of ASUU at negotiation meetings with government were not constitutionally empowered to suspend any strike action.

The union urged the government to fulfil its end of the deal.

Read also: No payment of withheld salaries, no resumption — ASUU

Benue State Worker Sets Self Ablaze Over Unpaid Salary Arrears

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A local government worker in Benue State, Aondona Yaga, has burnt himself to death over unpaid allowances of three years and his inability to pay his enormous debts.

Yaga was until his death, a casual staff member at the Gwer Local Government secretariat in Aliade. According to his grandmother, the young man had been facing problems because he was not paid his allowance for almost three years and couldn’t perform his financial obligation for the upkeep of his family.

He eventually fell sick and could not find money to treat himself. Frustrated, he decided to end his life on Wednesday morning, by setting himself on fire in his thatched room.

Buratai receives new OSMA President Maikano, pledges support for sports development

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The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai said the Nigerian Army will do its best to support the development of sports in the country.

COAS, LT GEN TY BURATAI

General Buratai was speaking Wednesday while receiving the newly elected president of the Organization of Military Sports in Africa (OSMA), and Vice President of the International Military Sports Council (CISM), Brigadier General Abdullahi Maikano at the Nigerian Army Resource Cenre, Abuja.

While congratulating Maikano for the victory, General Buratai noted that it is a victory for not just the Nigerian Army, but for the entire country.

COAS, LT GEN TY BURATAI DECORATING OSMA PRESIDENT, BRIG GEN ABDULLAHI MAIKANO

He further charged the president to use his office to improve military ties with neighboring countries in a bid to improve regional security.

In his remarks, the Brigadier General Abdullahi Maikano while thanking the Chief of Army Staff for the support which led to his emergence as President pledged to institute sporting programmes that will provide opportunities for regional militaries and service chiefs to engage so as not just to improve sports but multilateral military cooperation.

General Abdullahi was elected by 51 African member countries at a General Assembly held on 7th October via virtual and zooming conference in compliance with the COVID-19 protocol.

Brigadier General Maikano was elected OSMA President and thus CISM Vice President in a keenly contested election in which he emerged victorious against three other contestants from Algeria, Kenya and Guinea-Conakry.

Ghana elections 2020: Nana Akufo-Addo re-elected for second term

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Toby
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Ghana President, Nana Addo Akufo-Addo, has been declared winner of the country’s presidential election and will now govern for a second term from January 7, 2021 to January 6, 2025.

The nation’s electoral body, Electoral Commission (EC) made the declaration on Wednesday.

Nana Akufo-Addo who contested the election on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won with 6,730,413 votes which represents 51.595 per cent of the total valid votes cast.

His closest competitor, John Dramani Mahama from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) got 6,214,889 votes representing 47.366 per cent.

The total valid votes cast was 13, 434,574 representing 79 per cent of the total registered voters.

Declaring the results Wednesday evening, 48 hours after the polls closed, the Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Jean Mensa described the elections as “incident-free” and “peaceful.”

She said the technology deployed on Election Day worked efficiently and effectively.

She said the usual hustle and long queues at polling stations in past elections were all absent.

Read also: I won’t reopen borders now -Buhari to Ghanaian President

DHQ tackles Amnesty International over falsehood in recent report

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Amnesty International has again gotten in the negative spotlight for nefarious activities aimed at undermining the sovereignty of Nigeria and the successes of the military over insurgency following a recent report released by the organization.

In a statement, the Coordinator Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche berated the Amnesty International over the report which he described as falling short of ‘universal academic or global best practice criteria, of having the justifiable percentage of sample in the population.’

Amnesty International had in the recent report accused the military of illegally detaining civilians while prosecuting the war against insurgency, an allegation the military had debunked as baseless and lacking credibility.

Full text of the statement reads below…

RE – “MY HEART IS IN PAIN”

The attention of the Nigerian Military has been drawn to the recent report released by Amnesty International (AI) in its chapter 3 as “Nigerian Military Crimes”. In as much as the Nigerian Military do not wish to join issues, it is imperative to clarify the air. In the first place, the so-called research does not meet the universal academic or global best practice criteria, of having the justifiable percentage of sample in the population, claimed to have been investigated and thus may not be credible. For the entire so called research, the question is, to whom is the loyalty of the respondents selected by AI; Boko Haram or peace loving Borno citizens? However, it is desirable in the interest of the general public to bring out some contradictions in the report that tends to criminalize the Nigerian Military which is not true.

On page 34 of the report it stated;“AI interviewed only a few older people who had fled Boko Haram areas during 2020, so was unable to determine if there had been changes in the military’s behavior over the last year”. Note; the inability of AI to determine the military’s behavior. Additionally, in the said report, the AI claimed that soldiers killed older people, among others who were trying to flee from their homes. This accusation is also baseless as the military is guided by extant regulations and Rules of Engagement.

AI also admits on page 36 of their report that “during previous Amnesty International research, some former detainees, including children, admitted openly that they had been in the armed group – sometimes through recruitment and other times through abduction. AI cannot rule out that older people interviewed for this report at times supported Boko Haram”.This is to buttress the fact that the military will and cannot detain civilians unlawfully.

Additionally, AI stated that “In recent years, soldiers and CJTF members involved in ‘screening” have sent fewer older people, among other groups to detention. This report also states that “Conditions have improved in recent years, especially as the Red Cross received more access to some military detention facilities, including GIWA”. Furthermore, the report stated that, “ In recent years, soldiers have increasingly refrained from detaining older people fleeing Boko Haram controlled areas”. These among several others in the report are obvious contradictions to the portrayal of the Nigerian Military by AI. As such, it is a deliberate attempt to discredit the Nigerian Military in the fight against insurgency and terrorism in the North East which should be resisted.

Nigerians should be assured that the Armed Forces of Nigeria will not be deterred in the fight to rid the country of terrorists and criminals in the country despite the allegations. The report is clear desperation targeted at blackmailing the Nigerian military. Thus, the report should be discountenanced.

SPECTACLES: ISSUES WITH APC’S NEC RESOLUTIONS

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National Assembly lacks power to invite Buhari over insecurity — Malami

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Toby
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The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, says the National assembly has no constitutional powers to summon the President, Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Malami stated that the president cannot be summoned to give an account of operational use of the armed forces.

In his words; “National Assembly has no constitutional power to envisage or contemplate a situation where the president would be summoned by the national assembly on the operational use of the armed forces”.

The AGF’s comments are coming amidst the President’s scheduled appearance before the House of Assembly to give an account of the nation’s efforts towards combating the rising spate of Insecurity and economic challenges.

Nigeria to engage US on removal from religious freedom blacklist, FG says

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Toby
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has disclosed that the Federal Government will engage the U.S. government to remove its name from its blacklist of countries over concern on religious freedom.

Spokesperson for the ministry, Ferdinand Nwonye, gave the stand of the FG in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, following the announcement of the U.S. adding Nigeria among countries of concerns against its Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

The Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on Tuesday, designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom, the rare inclusion of a fellow democracy in the US effort to shame nations into action.

“Today the U.S. designates Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, the DPRK, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as countries of concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for engaging systematic, ongoing, egregious religious freedom violations.” He wrote on Twitter

In their reaction, the foreign affairs ministry said the Nigerian government is committed to ensuring respect and protection of all citizens’ right to religious freedom and promotion of religious tolerance and harmony.

“The attention of the ministry has been drawn to an announcement made by the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, stating that the government of the United States of America has designated Nigeria as a ‘country of concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998’.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria received the news with surprise, that a secular country under a democratic government will be so designated. “Although the Nigerian state is multi-religious and multi-ethnic, the Nigerian constitution expressly states that the government shall not adopt any religion as the state religion.

“Furthermore, section 38 of the constitution guarantees that every Nigerian citizen is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion including freedom to change his/her religion or belief. “And freedom to manifest and propagate his/her religion or belief. Religious liberty in Nigeria has never been in question, therefore any claim contrary to that is completely false and untrue.

“The ministry wishes to assure that the Nigerian government will engage the U.S government to express its displeasure and request that Nigeria is removed from the list,” it said.

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