Protesters in Kano State have reportedly taken to the streets waving Russian flags and calling for intervention from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
They are seeking Putin’s intervention, suggesting their grievances are not being addressed by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The development has been confirmed by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Assistant on Digital Communication, Bashir Ahmad.
Ahmad raised the alarm that protesters in Kano State were waving Russian flags.
In a post on X on Saturday, he said it’s crucial for authorities to closely monitor the situation and take necessary precautions.
According to him, the development may indicate various underlying sentiments or influences that need to be carefully assessed and addressed by the government.
Protesters storm Kano streets with Russian flags, seek Putin’s intervention
Protesters storm Kano streets with Russian flags, seek Putin’s intervention
FCT: Police deny killing protester in Kubwa, warn against fake news
Contrary to reports in circulation, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command has denied shooting a teenage protester in Kubwa.
Video footage making the rounds alleged that operatives of the police command killed a yet-to-be-identified teenager on the third day of the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest.
Reacting, the command, in a statement issued by Police Public Relations Officer SP Josephine Adeh, stated that its operatives were not responsible for the death of the teenager.
She, however, said FCT Commissioner of Police Benneth Igweh, has ordered an immediate investigation to ascertain the remote cause of the death.
According to her, the operatives deployed to the axis were not issued “lethal arms but only anti-riot equipment not capable of causing the death of the teenager.”
The command called on residents to shun misinformation, stating that some mischievous individuals are hiding behind the current situation in the country to peddle fake news.
FCT: Police deny killing protester in Kubwa, warn against fake news
Normalcy returns to Delta community
Normalcy has returned to Ughelli, headquarters of Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State on Saturday, the third day of the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest.
Our correspondent reports that business and commercial activities have fully resumed across the community.
Specifically, the popular Otovwodo Junction, Ughelli, along the East-West Road where protesters had been converged on the first day of the protest, was deserted on Saturday thus giving relief to inter-state travellers on the East-West Road.
It will be recalled that travellers from Benin to Port Harcourt and other parts of the Eastern region of the country got stranded for several hours at the Otovwodo Junction, long the East-West Road where protesters had a field day.
The According gathered that most of the Ughelli protesters shunned the protest on Saturday morning following a warning from the Local Government Chairman, Jaro Egbo and the police.
Most shops and business premises that were closed on Thursday and Friday reopened with traders and customers seen going about their daily activities without molestation.
Also, some residents of the community who initially stayed indoors for fear of violence have came out, going about their daily activities.
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Incessant building collapse worries Anambra government
The Executive Chairman of the Anambra State Physical Planning Board, Chike Maduekwe, has said that the frequent building collapses in the state have become a source of concern and embarrassment for the state government.
Maduekwe remarked that buildings are collapsing in the state in quick succession, giving the impression that there is no regulatory body in place.
He stated this during a press briefing in his office in Amawbia, Anambra State, on Saturday, noting that whenever a building collapses, there is a traceable reason behind it rather than simply blaming the individuals involved.
He said, “Building collapses cannot be completely eradicated because they involve human factors. Human errors cannot be entirely ruled out in anything that involves people. You can sequentially reduce it, but you cannot completely eliminate it.
“For instance, Lagos is also one of the areas where buildings are collapsing. There are reasons for this, and whenever such incidents occur, the first step is to identify the cause so that similar incidents can be prevented.
“I keep saying every day that the most regulated industry in the world is the airline industry, yet we still experience plane crashes. The accident investigation bodies understand what happened and how to prevent future occurrences, but this is not always the case with building collapses.”
He added, “People often do not care to understand what happened. Sometimes, they blame the individuals in charge.
The state government is taking this matter seriously, knowing that no government has enough personnel to ensure continuous monitoring. We will work with consultants, professional bodies, engineers, architects, builders, and others to address the issue.”
Fire breaks out at NNPC oil well
Fire has been reported on Akaso 4 Wellhead operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company 18 Operating Limited in Rivers State.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission confirmed the incident in a statement by its spokesperson, Olaide Shonola, on Saturday.
The incident, which has extended along the adjacent riverbank is reported to have occurred on Friday at about 11:12 pm.
“NNPC 18 Operating Limited has confirmed that a rapid response emergency team has been deployed to secure the well, address the incident and isolate the affected area using spill containment materials to prevent further spread and contamination of the environment. They are also planning to start the oil recovery process immediately,” Shonola said.
She added that the company had deployed a Naval Houseboat within the incident area and established community surveillance to monitor the situation.
While stating that the cause of the incident is not yet known, Shonola disclosed that a joint investigation with relevant stakeholders was being planned to determine the cause and the area of impact.
She noted that the Akaso Well 4 has been out of operation for a significant period.
Meanwhile, the NUPRC spokesperson revealed that the fire at the NNPC’s Alakiri Well 9T, which started on February 23, 2024, is still raging.
“The contractor engaged in dealing with the situation, Kenyon International West Africa Company, is facing some challenges in putting out the fire.
“They are now planning to deploy the total oxygen extraction method instead of the heat extraction method currently being deployed.
“The equipment fabrication is 100 per cent complete and the contractor is awaiting mobilisation from the well owners. Contractor personnel are on-site monitoring the incident,” she stressed.
It was learnt that a meeting with the management of NNPC 18 Operating Limited is planned to review the safety and integrity of its operations.
“We will provide further updates on the incident as soon as they are available,” she submitted.
Nigeria unveils Utapate, new low-sulfur crude grade
Nigeria has added another low-sulphur crude grade called Utapate as the country struggles to ramp up daily oil production.
The Utapate terminal was recently launched in the Niger Delta region, according to data from Bloomberg.
The report stated that the new terminal produced almost 19,000 barrels per day in June, with a production to reach 50,000 by the end of 2024.
Utapate, a subsidiary of state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, and venture partner, Natural Oilfield Services Limited, loaded the first export cargo last month, according to people familiar with the matter.
The light and low-sulphur oil is among the numerous crude grades produced in Nigeria.
According to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg, the Suezmax Front Seoul loaded Utapate on July 24.
The vessel is now headed to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. The Utapate grade is set to be processed in both Europe and Asia.
The first shipment of Utapate is destined for the Spanish refiner Repsol SA.
As of June, Nigeria’s daily production stood at 1.25 million barrels per day, according to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.
Recently, the NUPRC Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe, disclosed that daily oil production has risen to 1.6mbpd in July.
This claim has yet to be confirmed as the data for July has yet to be released.
Similarly, the NNPC has also said it would do everything possible to achieve 2mbpd.
Experts said this is the only way the NNPC could conveniently sell 450,000bpd to Dangote and other local refineries as directed by President Bola Tinubu.
‘Seven people, not 13 died in Nigeria’s protests,’ Police replies Amnesty Int’l
The Nigeria Police has dismissed a claim by Amnesty International on the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest in the country.
The rights watchdog in a statement on Friday said 13 people had been killed in the protest which started across the country on Thursday.
But the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, said only seven persons had been killed in the protest.
He also faulted the Amnesty International claim that security personnel had deliberately employed tactics designed to kill while managing gatherings and used firearms as a tactical tool for protest management.
The spokesman insisted that the seven deaths recorded since the commencement of the protest were not a result of gunshots by security personnel.
Adejobi said: “In Borno, four individuals lost their lives and 34 others were severely injured in a terrorist attack by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP elements that infiltrated the protest and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
READ ALSO: IGP places police units on red alert over destruction, looting in #EndBadGovernance protest
“An incident involving an unregistered Honda Prelude car that ran into protesters, resulting in the deaths of two civilians was also recorded.
“Another incident was reported in Kebbi where a group of individuals mobilised to loot a shop and in the process, a local vigilante man shot and killed one of the looters.
“This brings the total number of deaths recorded since the commencement of the protest to seven and not 13 as claimed by Amnesty International.”
He said no other fatality was recorded since the commencement of the protest apart from the seven cases mentioned.
Adejobi, however, said cases of armed robbery, arson, mischief, looting of public institutions and private businesses, and destruction of both public and private property were recorded during the protest.
He said arrests were made concerning the criminal incidences with some recoveries made from the suspects, while the protest was going on.
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‘Kano protesters have Russian flags’ – Bashir Ahmad urges Nigerian govt to take action
Former President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Assistant on Digital Communication, Bashir Ahmad, has raised an alarm that protesters in Kano State have been found with Russian flags.
Ahmad, in a post on his X handle on Saturday, said it’s crucial for authorities to closely monitor the situation and take necessary precautions.
He said: “Russian flags have been seen among protesters in some parts of the country. It’s crucial for authorities to closely monitor the situation and take necessary precautions. This may indicate various underlying sentiments or influences that need to be carefully assessed and addressed by the government.”
‘Kano protesters have Russian flags’ – Bashir Ahmad urges Nigerian govt to take action
Gov Zulum claims 95% of Borno #EndBadGovernance protesters are underage
The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, lamented on Saturday that 95 percent of the youths that participated in Thursday’s violent protests in the state were children less than 14 years old.
Zulum stated this in a broadcast to the people of Borno where he also lifted the 24-hour curfew imposed on the state.
The governor on Thursday imposed the curfew after the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest in the state turned violent.
He said: “Over 95 percent of those who participated in the so-called Thursday protests were children under 14 years. Most of them do not know why they are protesting.
“A six-year-old child carrying a placard is amazing. He must have been directed by someone. Most of those children are not from Borno.
“While we are not discouraging the Almajiri education, we must however have their teachers or guardians looking after them.”
Zulum also decried a situation where thousands of children were living in Maiduguri in the name of Almajiri without care from anyone.
“In what could have been a major disaster, attempts were made by the hoodlums on several occasions to attack the Maiduguri Emergency Power Gas Plant, however, it was averted by our gallant security forces.
“Violence has no place in our society and I implore citizens to reject any call to arms or act of aggression.
“As we lift the curfew on Saturday, any person that engages in looting and violent activities will be dealt with accordingly.
“We have distributed rounds of food and non-food items palliatives within Maiduguri and other LGAs, scaled up our support to farmers through sales of fertiliser, and provided seeds and farm inputs to enhance food production.
“We want to also invest in irrigation agriculture and livestock development,” he added.
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Nationwide protest: ‘Don’t fall for the trick’ – Sowore warns ahead Tinubu’s Sunday address
Former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore, has urged Nigerians not to be deceived by President Bola Tinubu’s planned national broadcast on Sunday.
His statement comes after it was announced that the President will address the nation as the ongoing nationwide hunger protest entered Day 3.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Ajuri Ngelale disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
However, Sowore urged people to start arriving in Abuja on Sunday for the planned invasion of Eagles Square on Monday.
“We’ve been informed of a plan by the @officialABAT to address the “NATION” tomorrow (Sunday); the “address” is designed to chill what they know would be a massive outing for #EndBadGovernance in Nigeria on Monday, August 5th 2024.
“Don’t fall for this trick. Keep mobilizing for EAGLE SQUARE Abuja at 7 a.m. on Monday.
“People should start arriving in Abuja tomorrow if they decide to close down roads entering Abuja. Satellite towns around Abuja are also being mobilized to engage in ACTION. #NoGoingBack #EndBadGovernace #RevolutionNow,” he posted on X.
Nationwide protest: ‘Don’t fall for the trick’ – Sowore warns ahead Tinubu’s Sunday address