The High Command of the Nigerian Army, says a notorious Boko Haram commander, identified as Babakarami Balawan, has surrendered to its troops deployed for counter terrorism operations.
The Army also said that the troops conducted a series of operations that resulted in the rescue of abducted persons, neutralization of a notorious terrorist, interception of illegally refined Automated Gas Oil (AGO), and seizure of arms.
This is contained in a statement by the Nigeria Army, saying that in Kogi State, troops responded swiftly to a distress call along the Obajana Oshokoshoko road, where some civilians were abducted and taken into the forest.
The statement also explained that the troops moved in swiftly to locate the victims, where they had a fierce shoot-out with the kidnappers and successfully extricated the hostages.
The Army added that troops in Imo State acting on credible intelligence intercepted a vehicle transporting 21 sacks of illegally refined diesel (AGO), stressing that it also arrested armed individuals who were hired to escort the illegal product.
The statement said: “In another development in Borno State, a notorious Boko Haram fighter named Babakarami Balawan has surrendered to troops in Bama Local Government Area, following aggressive onslaught on terrorists’ hideouts in the area.
“Items recovered from the terrorist are one AK 49 rifle, a magazine, and a bicycle. The same troops during an encounter neutralized two terrorists and recovered 11 rounds of 7.62 mm NATO ammunition, 23 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, three rounds of 5.56 mm x 45mm NATO ammunition, and three empty magazines.
“Relatedly, the gallant troops also rescued a woman and her two children in a search and operation in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State”.
Troops kill one, as Boko Haram commander surrenders
Troops kill one, as Boko Haram commander surrenders
Trump revives ‘birtherism’ as Harris gains in polls
Donald Trump is facing a fierce backlash for questioning the race of US election rival Kamala Harris, but to those acquainted with the Republican’s long history of inflammatory language and behavior around the issue, the smear was nothing new.
Trump’s political career was forged in the cauldron of the 2010s “birther” conspiracy theory that sought to delegitimize then-president Barack Obama — who had a Kenyan father — by claiming falsely that he was born abroad.
Those who say Trump is racist point to dozens of other controversies the property tycoon has stoked, from being sued in the 1970s for discrimination against Black tenants to his notorious pandering to white supremacist marchers in 2017.
Trump’s worst impulses resurfaced Wednesday with his outlandish claim that Harris — the first female and non-white vice president — recently “became a Black person” for political convenience.
Like an estimated 34 million Americans in the nation’s fastest-growing demographic, Harris is mixed race and has been consistent in celebrating her Black and South Asian identity.
The attack handed Trump back a media spotlight that had evaded him since Harris’s game-changing entry into the White House race but it also honed attention on his extensive record of racial transgressions.
“He did crap the bed… The only question is whether he’s going to roll around in it or get up and change the sheets,” veteran strategist Scott Jennings, a one-time aide to former President George W. Bush, told CNN.
‘Lion’s den’
Trump’s inflammatory comments came amid a barrage of insults and falsehoods as he attacked Harris during a combative interaction with African American journalists in Chicago.
The 78-year-old is desperate to woo Black voters from Harris — who has erased his polling leads since jumping into the race — but the invitation was already controversial, given his well-documented history of denigrating Black female reporters.
Jennings suggested that Trump should move on from the scandal, but the former president has been doubling down, sharing images of Harris celebrating her Indian origins as some kind of ill-conceived “gotcha.”
Riding high after surviving an assassination bid in July, Trump saw his campaign thrown into chaos when the 59-year-old vice president replaced Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket for the November 5 election.
Keith Gaddie, a politics professor at Texas Christian University, said Trump’s motivation for his latest remarks was likely a compulsion to grab back the limelight, as “no one is talking about assassination attempts any more.”
But he also sees significance in the context — a conversation with three African American interviewers in front of an audience of fellow Black journalists — and believes the ex-president was playing “the gladiator in the lion’s den” for his white base.
“He essentially decided to battle his opponent by proxy, by battling with Black female journalists,” Gaddie said.
‘No sense of decency’
Bill Kristol, chief of staff from 1989-93 to then vice president Dan Quayle, said Trump’s goal was likely to revive old characterizations of Harris as inauthentic after her pivot to the political left during her 2020 primary campaign.
“Trump has no sense of decency. It would be nice if this were disqualifying for political success,” Kristol wrote in a newsletter Thursday for center-right publication The Bulwark.
“But decency doesn’t always prevail in this world of ours. Decency needs to be aggressively defended. Indecency needs to be exposed and denounced.”
While some observers see Trump’s racial remarks as part of some clever political strategy rather than the intemperate outbursts of a bigot, analysts are mixed on whether they are helpful.
“Birtherism made him an avatar of populist conservatism in 2011 and his attacks on Mexicans and Muslims played a critical role in his victories in 2016,” said Donald Nieman, a political analyst and professor at Binghamton University in New York state.
“They stoke the passion of the base and that’s important. But they also turn off a lot of the few swing voters who play a critical role in deciding elections these days — as the results in 2018, 2020, and 2022 suggest.”
Political scientist Nicholas Creel, of Georgia College and State University, told AFP the latest controversy lays bare Trump’s lack of self-control and narcissism — “Trump being Trump” — rather than some underlying strategy.
“The best way to view this specific scandal is not as some sort of fifth-dimensional chess strategy whereby he was looking to excite his base via dog whistles,” he said, “but simply as an insensitive comment from a latently racist old man who thinks he can do no wrong.”
AFP
Kwara sets up committee on minimum wage adjustment
Kwara State Government has set up a 21-member tripartite committee to work out the consequential adjustment component for other categories of workers on minimum wage in the state.
The state governor, AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq, approved the constitution of the committee, according to a Government House statement released to the press on Thursday.
The statement noted that the constitution of the committee comes as a new national minimum wage has been pegged at N70,000, triggering a need for consequential adjustments for senior cadres of workers in the state.
The statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, noted that the committee comprises representatives from the state government, the labour centres, and the organised private sector.
It read, “The tripartite committee is chaired by the Head of Service and co-chaired by the Commissioner for Finance, while the Director (Establishment and Pension) is the Secretary.
“Other members are the Commissioners for Budget and Planning, Works and Transports, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Communications; Senior Adviser and Counsellor to the Governor; Permanent Secretaries (Finance, Service Welfare, Justice); and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Labour Matters.
“Apart from the Federal Controller on Labour and Employment, the Labour is represented on the committee by the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Chairman of the Joint Negotiation Council, Chairman of COHESU, and Secretary of the JNC.
“The private sector is represented by the Kwara Chamber of Commerce, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises.”
It’s misleading – Nigerian Army on video of soldiers being poorly fed
The Nigerian Army has described a viral video circulating on social media on soldiers being poorly fed as misleading.
Major Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, Nigeria Army’s spokesperson made this clarification on Thursday.
This comes amid a video that the 159 Battalion in Kanama, Geidam Local Government, is being poorly fed.
However, Nwachukwu said after investigation as ordered by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, it was found that “no personnel in that location was served substandard meal as shown in the video”.
“The Nigerian Army has taken note of a viral video on social media alleging that soldiers of 159 Battalion in Kanama, Geidam Local Government, are being poorly fed.
“Sequel to the viral video, the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja ordered an investigation headed by the Commander Sector 2 Operation HADIN KAI to ascertain the veracity of the claim to address any problem of poor feeding in the unit.
“Following the findings of the investigation, it is crucial to clarify that the video in question was not created by soldiers of the 159 Battalion, but was rather recorded by a police officer stationed with the troops deployed in Geidam.
“Contrary to the claim made in the video, no personnel in that location was served substandard meals as shown in the video.
“Preliminary investigation has also revealed that the police officer who recorded and shared the video did so with an ulterior motive yet to be uncovered by the investigation. It is anticipated to be unraveled during further investigation,” he said.
He added that the Nigerian Army places a premium on the welfare and well-being of troops and their families.
“It is expedient to unambiguously state that the leadership of the Nigerian Army places a premium on the welfare and well-being of troops and their families to ensure that they are adequately rewarded and motivated,” the spokesperson said.
It’s misleading – Nigerian Army on video of soldiers being poorly fed
Protest: Police list Abuja, Kano, eight other states rioters unleashed havoc
The Nigeria Police Force has said the wanton destruction by protesters on the first day of the hunger protest was mind blowing.
This is as the Police said hoodlums were let loose in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Borno, Niger, Yobe, Jigawa, Gombe and Bauchi.
Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun disclosed this on Thursday while addressing journalists.
TVN reports that on Thursday protesters hit the streets in major parts of the country rioting against rising hardship in Nigeria.
However, IGP Kayode said after day-1 of the protest, “the destruction so far has been mind-boggling”.
He said that there were attempts to take over government houses, and looting of government infrastructures.
Egbetokun revealed that several warehouses and shops have so far been looted and, in several instances, destroyed.
“There has been destruction in Kano, Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, FCT Abuja, Niger, Jigawa. Police stations have been destroyed, there have been attempts to take over government houses, looting of government infrastructures, several warehouses and shops have so far been looted and, in several instances, destroyed”, he said.
The Police boss warned against causing anarchy in the country under the guise of exercising rights to protest.
He appealed to citizens to remain calm and cooperate with the police.
“We appeal to all citizens to remain calm and cooperate with the Police and other security agencies during this challenging period”, he said.
Protest: Police list Abuja, Kano, eight other states rioters unleashed havoc
IGP places police units on red alert over destruction, looting in #EndBadGovernance protest
The Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, has placed all police units on red alert following the cases of violence recorded in the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest across the country.
Egbetokun made the announcement at a media briefing on Thursday in Abuja.
He said the events in some major cities in the country on Day-1 of the protest showed that the protest had turned to be mass uprising and looting.
The IGP lamented that the people who promoted the idea of the protest were not around to lead it.
READ ALSO:IGP orders #EndBadGovernance protesters to submit names, contact details to police
He said hoodlums have been let loose on innocent Nigerians and their hard-earned businesses and property looted and destroyed.
Egbetokun noted that the motive of the rioters was to loot and destroy both private and government property.
He said the destruction so far had been mind-boggling, adding that there were destruction in Kano, Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Niger and Jigawa States.
He said police stations had been destroyed with attempts in some states to take over government houses and loot infrastructures.
The IGP expressed regret that several warehouses and shops had so far been looted and in several instances, completely destroyed.
He said: “In the light of the current situation, the Nigeria Police Force has placed all units on red alert.
“Our officers are fully mobilised and prepared to respond swiftly and decisively to any further threats to public safety and order.
“We remain committed and resolute to protecting life and property and ensuring that law and order are maintained across the nation.”
The post IGP places police units on red alert over destruction, looting in #EndBadGovernance protest appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
Wike meets Tinubu, says FG ready for dialogue
As protests kicked off nationwide on Thursday, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, was spotted at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday afternoon.
Our correspondent spotted the former Rivers State governor alighting from a black Toyota Prado Sports Utility Vehicle and was ushered into the President’s Office.
Though the topic of their discussion remained unknown as of the time of filing this report, it was believed to be connected to the hunger protests, which began on Thursday, with the FCT as an epicentre.
The FCT saw massive demonstrations from crowds who thronged the central business district and suburbs as security officials fired tear gas to disperse protesters.
Meanwhile, the FCT minister said the Federal Government was open to having a dialogue with the protesters.
Wike stated this while handing over the Staff of the Office to four newly coronated Chiefs of Karu, Kwali, Pai, and Yaba, in Abuja on Thursday.
He commended protesters who refused to be violent and urged them to continue to remain peaceful, noting that it was better to have a dialogue and iron out issues with the government.
“I want you to continue with that peace process, because he who makes peace will, at the end of the day, enjoy the dividends of peace.
“I want to commend you and urge you to still talk to our people, that we are still ready to talk to them, have a dialogue with them and iron out the grey areas.
“We’ll also brief them on certain things they do not know so that they will be well informed to make informed decisions,” the minister said.
Describing Abuja as the nation’s “centre of unity,” Wike said, “Abuja is for everybody; if we lose Abuja, we have lost Nigeria. That is why we have always said, let us work together. There is nothing we can’t achieve under the current administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“Give him time, and a lot of things will change.”
Speaking to the coronated chiefs, the minister said traditional rulers had a lot of roles to play, adding that they were the closest to the grassroots and interface more with the people.
He said: “You are the one who knows what the people feel at home; you are the one who will tell us whether the government is making any impact or not.
“You will convey to your subjects what the government is doing and what the government is about to do; you are the one to sell government policies and programmes to your people.
“If you convey a wrong message, that is what the people will accept. If you convey the right message, that is what the people will accept. So, you play a very pivotal role,” he said.
Business owners worry protests will affect productivity
Entrepreneurs are concerned that the August 1 protest could affect productivity and inflict an estimated loss of N400bn on the economy.
Industry stakeholders appear apprehensive of the likely fallout of citizen demonstrations on lives and property, particularly their business holdings.
The National Vice President of the Nigerian Association of Small-Scale Industrialists, Segun Kuti-George, said the fear of arson from the EndSARS protest still haunts Nigerian business owners who almost lost their factories.
“Our factories were nearly torched and we would have been without businesses,” Kuti-George told The According, recounting the joint experiences of business owners in the EndSARS protest.
Also referred to as the Hunger Protest, the demonstrations are scheduled for August 1, 2024, and most of the rallying seems to be done on social media platforms, most notably X, formerly known as Twitter.
In addition to the Nigerian political class, which has appealed to the sensibilities of protesters calling for calm and security agencies, which have warned against violence, business stakeholders have stated their desire for peaceful demonstrations.
According to the NASSI Vice President, more Nigerians would restrict their movements on the day of the planned protests, leading to a drop in foot traffic, which means a slower business day.
“People will want to be cautious. They will be reluctant to come out on that day,” Kuti-George remarked, reckoning that some employers may ask their staff to work from home.
Also, a development economist, Rotimi Oyelere, pointed out that there is a loss of output and income when protests force workers to stop working.
Oyelere said protests of a nationwide magnitude could have a multiplier effect on daily wage earners.
“There will be a micro impact in immediate income loss for households, and businesses, then a macro impact that will affect general output and on a national aspect.
“It could get out of control and lead to indirect loss if there is a need to restore any destroyed property, he added.
The economist recommended more transparency between the people and the state, noting that a deterioration of trust helped ignite the brewing social unrest in the country.
An earlier analysis from the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise predicted that the proposed nationwide protests pose “grave dangers for an economy that is already in a very fragile state”.
In a statement, the CPPE claimed that if the protests are not properly managed, they could affect earnings and incur an estimated daily loss of N400bn.
The Chief Executive Officer of CPPE, Dr Muda Yusuf, suggested that the protesters consider that over 90 per cent of employed Nigerians are in the informal sector.
“Employees in this space (informal sector) depend on daily income and any disruption to their economic activities beyond 24 hours could snowball into major social unrest. This underlines the country’s vulnerability to prolonged protests.
He recommended, among other things, that the duration of the protests possibly be a single day, as “experience has shown that the chances of protests degenerating into chaos and anarchy increase with the duration of the protests,” Yusuf declared.
Tinubu will address Nigeria’s challenges, Oyo APC leaders tell youths
A group of prominent leaders in Oyo State has appealed to the youth in the state to reconsider the planned protest against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, scheduled for August 1 to 10.
The leaders, all former federal lawmakers, met with youth leaders of the All Progressives Congress, student leaders, and other critical stakeholders on Wednesday, at the party’s permanent secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
Among the leaders were Kolawole Raji, Muraina Ajibola, Dapo Lam Adesina, Sunday Adepoju, and Segun Odebunmi,
The meeting, according to them, was to sensitise members of the APC on the potential ills of the planned protest and to discuss the state of the nation.
Raji, who briefed journalists after the meeting, stressed the dangers of the planned protest and highlighted the significant achievements of Tinubu’s government.
He listed the Local Government autonomy, enabling the LGs to manage funds independently and improve governance and service delivery at the grassroots level.
Raji also listed the introduction of a comprehensive interest-free student loan scheme by the administration, priority to infrastructural development with major projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road Project, Badagry-Sokoto Expressway, and many other road projects across the country.
He said the extensive national rail network rehabilitation would enhance connectivity, boost economic activities, and create numerous job opportunities for the youth.
“To address the rising cost of living and improve the standard of living for Nigerian workers, the Tinubu administration has increased the national minimum wage to N70,000. This increment aims to enhance the purchasing power of workers and promote a fairer distribution of wealth.
“Initiatives such as the Youth Farm Initiative and the Agricultural Enhancement Programme have empowered young farmers with training, funding, and resources, contributing to the nation’s agricultural transformation and food security, among others,” he said.
Raji said Tinubu met significant challenges upon taking office but was committed to addressing them methodically.
“We are very sympathetic towards the people and we are very aware that things are tough at this time, but we implore our people to give the president more time to put Nigeria back in shape. These things we complain of didn’t happen at once, it was gradual. We are confident Nigeria would be great under President Bola Tinubu,” Raji said.
The leaders urge the youth to recognise the achievements and the genuine efforts of the current administration to improve the lives of all Nigerians.
They encourage any grievances or suggestions to be communicated through appropriate channels while assuring them that their voices will be heard and addressed.
EndBadGovernance: Nigeria police on red alert as Day-One protest turns bloody
Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, Thursday night decried the dimensions of the ongoing EndBadGovernance protest in the country.
TVN reports that Nigerians across many states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, took to the streets as they commenced an earlier announced 10-day protest against hardship in the country.
However, the first day of the protest witnessed widespread violence and lootings across major cities, with many protesters reported dead.
The major flashpoints were in Kano, Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, FCT Abuja, Niger, Jigawa and Nasarawa States.
Some of the states have already imposed curfew in a bid to contain the situation.
Addressing a press conference, the IGP, who knocked the promoters of the protest for being nowhere around to lead it, urged them to end it.
He said the security agencies had been vindicated in their earlier intelligence that the protest would turn violent.
According to him, “It is with a grave sense of responsibility that I address you this evening. You will recall that upon several indications by various groups of their intent to commence a nationwide protest on 1st August, 2024, we rolled out several warnings based on actionable intelligence at our disposal indicating that some groups were mobilizing our youths for violent protests with intent to create anarchy in the country.
“While some groups claiming to be mobilizing for peaceful protests were doing so with violent undertones, refusing to cooperate with the Police on measures to be taken to guarantee peaceful protest.
“On the basis of this intelligence, the Police advised that the protests should be shelved at the instant time. Where the organizers insisted on going on with the protests, they were advised to stage the protest in confined locations.
“This would have enabled the police provide adequate protection for the protesters and isolate the criminals whose intention was to loot and destroy in the name of a protest.
“This we were doing in furtherance of our duty to protect lives and property and maintaining law and order.
“While we affirmed the constitutional rights of citizens to assemble and express their views on issues of national importance, we were wary about the dangers posed by agitation instigated by some individuals who have shown tendencies to be disloyal to the government of the day.
“Despite our suspicions, we showed good faith through professional conduct by providing security at strategic locations all aimed at ensuring peaceful conduct during the protest as the promoters pledged.
“Our men deployed nationwide went out with a clear brief to ensure that no one is unnecessarily harassed or intimidated. In places where there were court orders, we gave instructions for observance of same.
“Regrettably, events in some major cities today showed that what was being instigated was mass uprising and looting, not protest.
“Those who were in the forefront of promoting the idea of the protest were not around to lead it. Hoodlums have been let loose on innocent Nigerians and their hard-earned businesses and property looted and destroyed.
“The motive of the rioters was basically two; loot and destroy both private and government property. The destruction so far has been mind-boggling.
“There has been destruction in Kano, Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, FCT Abuja, Niger, Jigawa. Police stations have been destroyed, there have been attempts to take over government houses, looting of government infrastructures, several warehouses and shops have so far been looted and, in several instances, completely destroyed.”
He decried that “ispite of the refusal of the protesters, for instance in FCT to adhere to a court order requesting that protest in Abuja should be at the National Stadium, they trooped into the streets, and yet the police provided security for them. At no point did we breach their fundamental rights even as they breached court order.
“In places like FCT, Kaduna, Kano and Gombe, among others, we recorded incidents of unprovoked attacks on security personnel, where one policeman has been reported murdered and others seriously injured.
“We alerted earlier on that terror elements may take advantage of the protests to infiltrate the crowd of protesters with suicide bombers. Yesterday in Lagos, our EOD team was informed of a suspected IED on Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja. The team responded swiftly and rendered safe what turned out to be an improvised explosive device (IED).
“Today in Borno State, we recorded one incident of an explosion which occurred in the crowd of protesters killing 4 instantly and severely injuring 34 others, many of whom are presently on danger list.
“We wish to advise law abiding citizens of Nigeria to heed and not dismiss warnings given by the police and other security agencies which were based on credible and actionable security intelligence.
“In the light of the current situation, the Nigeria Police Force has placed all units on red alert. Our officers are fully mobilized and prepared to respond swiftly and decisively to any further threats to public safety and order.
“We remain committed and resolute to protecting lives and property and ensuring that law and order are maintained across the nation.
“Groups who are hiding under the guise of exercise of a right provided in the Constitution to destabilize the country should remember that the same Constitution imposed on them the duty to obey the laws of the land and respect the rights of other citizens.
“The Police are equipped to respond appropriately to the unfolding situation and will get assistance from other security agencies, including the military if the need arises.
“We appeal to all citizens to remain calm and cooperate with the Police and other security agencies during this challenging period.
“Your safety is our top priority, and we will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure continued peace and stability in our country.”
EndBadGovernance: Nigeria police on red alert as Day-One protest turns bloody