A teenager appeared in court on Thursday, facing charges for the alleged murder of three girls in a stabbing incident at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party, as violent protests erupted in several English cities.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named due to his age, is charged with three counts of murder and ten counts of attempted murder following the attack on Monday in Southport, northwest England.
The incident has stunned the nation, and misinformation circulating online about the suspect has incited violent clashes led by far-right groups. These groups targeted a mosque and clashed with police in Southport, while protests also erupted in London, Hartlepool, and Manchester on Wednesday night. Over 100 people were arrested outside Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s residence at Downing Street.
In response, Starmer was scheduled to hold an emergency meeting with police chiefs on Thursday to address the unrest.
The suspect appeared briefly at Liverpool magistrate’s court and was remanded in custody. He is set to appear at Liverpool Crown Court later in the day. Dressed in a grey tracksuit and black slippers, the teenager smiled before being seated, according to courtroom observers.
The Crown Court is expected to provide further details on his detention.
Read also: Protesters shout down youth minister at Eagles Square
The teenager is accused of killing Bebe King, six; Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven; and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine. He is also alleged to have injured eight other children and two adults in the attack, which has prompted widespread grief in the usually quiet seaside town of Southport.
Misinformation about the suspect on social media fueled violent clashes on Tuesday night, including an incident where bricks were thrown at a mosque and 53 police officers were injured. The far-right English Defence League, known for its Islamophobic views and ties to football hooliganism, has been implicated.
The unrest continued into Wednesday, with protests reaching Downing Street. Demonstrators threw bottles at police and chanted slogans such as “We want our country back” and “Stop the boats,” a reference to irregular migrants arriving by small boats.
In Hartlepool, northeast England, protesters set fire to police cars and threw objects at officers, resulting in eight arrests. The police reported that officers were pelted with “missiles, glass bottles, and eggs,” with several sustaining minor injuries.
At the emergency meeting, Starmer is expected to commend the bravery of emergency service workers and underscore the need to protect the right to protest while ensuring that those who use it to incite violence are prosecuted. The Labour government has pledged to enhance community policing and address crime and antisocial behavior, with Interior Minister Yvette Cooper promising increased police presence nationwide.
Starmer will urge police leaders to use their powers decisively to halt violence and ensure justice, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office.
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Teenager charged with murdering three girls at UK dance party amid violent protests
Minister reacts as protesters set govt building on fire, loot items in Kano
The Minister of Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani has lamented the turn of events at the ongoing nationwide protests in Kano.
TVN reports that the nationwide hunger protests tagged #EndBadGovernance started today August 1 to August 10 2024
A group of protesters participating in the ongoing protest have destroyed and looted a building in Kano state.
However, reacting to the development in a post on his official X on Thursday, the Minister of Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani stated that it would be a setback to the government’s efforts at encouraging youth employment through technology.
He wrote, ” Sad to learn that our Digital Innovation Park in Kano State slated for launch next week to support our technical talent accelerator (3MTT) has been set ablaze and looted by protesters.
” Alongside #3MTT, this building is set to host our buildathon holiday maker programme for secondary school kids starting next week. A slight setback for our journey to deepen our workforce for technology while creating job opportunities for the youth. Millions of Naira down the drain.”
Minister reacts as protesters set govt building on fire, loot items in Kano
I joined #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria to guard against lawlessness
The Vice Chairman, Alimosho Local Government Area, Mr. Akinpelu Johnson,
on Thursday, said his decision to monitor the “End Hunger Protest” within the Egbeda area, was to guard against lawlessness.
Johnson, who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said his decision was necessary to guard against a repeat of the tragic incidence of the #ENDSARS protest of Oct. 8, 2020.
NAN reports that the council boss was seen with some of his officials at the popular Egbeda Bus-stop.
NAN also reports that the Egbeda and Idimu areas of Lagos State were peaceful as few individuals were seen going about their normal businesses.
However, heavy security presence was observed while few commercial vehicles and commercial motorcycle operators were seen working seamlessly.
“By virtue of my position and as an indigene of this place, I am here to protect my people.
“We don’t want a repeat of what happened during the #ENDSARS protest years ago, when hoodlums took laws into their hands to loot properties of innocent citizens.
”If the protest must be held, it should be a peaceful one. I am a street boy, I relate with my people every time and if there is a protest, I should stay with them to ensure calm.
“We all know that things are not easy, but we also need to be calm about the protest. As a responsible government, the president is already taking steps to ensure things get better, so we should all yield to a peaceful protest,” Johnson said.
Also, the Branch Chairman, Alimosho B zone, Rasheed Owonikoko, said, ”We are not for the protest, but to ensure security is in order.
”We are here to protect the environment. We don’t want the entire process to be hijacked.
”During the #ENDSARS protest, we witnessed hoodlums and street urchins looting people’s shops, people were also raped and all that, we don’t want that here,” he said.
(NAN)
EndBadGovernance: Abeokuta youths throng MKO stadium to protest
A handful of youth on Thursday thronged the Moshood Abiola stadium, Abeokuta, the state capital to express their grievances and concerns on the economic hardship facing the country.
The #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest is scheduled to occur in all 36 states as well as the Federal Capital Territory between August 1 and August 10.
TVN observed that youth who came in few numbers arrived at the stadium at at past 11 am carrying placards with various inscriptions such as “ Hunger is in the land” “ We are after peace and progress “ “ What is right INEC” “ I just want to live, stop suffocating” among others.
The Ogun State High Court on Wednesday had restricted the movement of the protesters to four different locations across the state.
The court also restricted the time frame of the protests to between 8 am and 5 pm.
The four locations chosen for the protest are the MKO Stadium, Abeokuta; Ansar-ud-Deen Comprehensive High School, Ota; Remo Divisional High School, Sagamu; and Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode.
At the venue of the protest, security operatives were deployed to heavily guard the location to forestall a breakdown of law and order.
The State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu while addressing newsmen said the officers were on the ground to protect the protesters and help maintain peace and order.
“ Late yesterday evening a court order was received restricting protesters to certain locations for Abeokuta metropolis, the MKO Abiola stadium Kuto and that’s why you are seeing massive deployments here.
“We have to respect citizens’ rights, our reservation is that we don’t want miscreants to hijack this protest but good enough most of the organizers have seen reasons and voluntarily backed off from being part of the protest. But we are here to provide cover for them and allow them to exercise their constitutional right.
Also speaking, the state commander of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, David Ojelabi, disclosed that the Ibadan garage at Ijebu Ode has about 20 youths who have also begun the peaceful protest.
One of the protesters, Jacob Ochigbo attributed the low turnout of protesters to the alleged threat from the government.
“I came here to protest because today is a day we agreed to lend our voices out against the unending and wrong policies because we are tired of the sufferings.
“The threat from the government prior to today is one of the factors why people are not here today, they kept making references to the ENDSARs protest forgetting that we’ve had other peaceful protests.
“You can’t continue to try to shut the people up by bringing wrong policies,” he added.
He appealed to Nigeria youths to fight for their rights saying that “nothing good comes easily if there are sacrifices to be paid definitely we have to be on the front line to make sure that we make these sacrifices for our children”
EndBadGovernance: Abeokuta youths throng MKO stadium to protest
Actor Ben Affleck seeks divorce from singer Jennifer Lopez after months of split rumours
The pair of Hollywood actor Ben Affleck and singer cum actress Jennifer Lopez are reportedly set to file for divorce thus confirming many months of rumours that they had split.
A report published by the Daily Mail informexd that the couple who both obtained a marriage license in Clark County, NV, in July 2022, are seeking to part ways after moves to reconcile their mounting differences hit a brick wall.
Multiple sources have claimed that the divorce documents of the couple who tied the knot in a surprise Las Vegas wedding at midnight on July 17 ‘are finalized, but not yet turned in’.
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‘They finalized the divorce papers with her a month ago, but are waiting for the right time to drop them,’ one source close to the duo claimed.
’’At that time, they will release a joint statement that will say how they have much love for each other and how they fought to make it work, but couldn’t.
‘’Honestly, in the end, they could not come to a compromise. What they had before is gone and they have both accepted it,” another source claimed.
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Thugs beat lone #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protester in Ondo
There was a mild drama at the popular NEPA Roundabout Akure, the Ondo State capital on Thursday when an unidentified man on protest was attacked by some youths suspected to be thugs.
According to an eyewitness who identified himself as Paul, the man parked his Toyota car by the roadside and put placards at the front and back of the vehicle, before some thugs in the area attacked and flogged him ruthlessly.
Paul said, “The man was sitting in his car, he didn’t move about, he parked the car by the roadside, he placed placards on his Toyota car and sat on the car playing music.
“Suddenly, some boys appeared and asked him the reason for being in the place with placards. I think he didn’t respond to their satisfaction, this led to an argument.
“As the argument was ongoing, the boys brought out canes and started flogging him. He quickly rushed into his car and moved away immediately.”
Nigerians are protesting stifling economic conditions under #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria.
In Abuja, the nations capital, some protesters who converged at the MKO Abiola Stadium said the protests would continue unless President Bola Tinubu meets their demands.
They called on the president to do the needful and the protests would be immediately called off.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Director of Mobilisation, Take It Back Movement, Damilare Adenola, lamented that the oppression under the president’s leadership had lasted too long.
He said, “The various court orders restricting protesters to particular locations are an aberration.
”Our presence here today is an announcement that we have been oppressed for too long.
“Today, we have risen. We saying to the president that unless President Bola Tinubu accede to our demands we will remain on the streets. We want to see the president on the street. During the protest, he was on the street.”
One of the leaders of the Take It Back Movement, Ayoola Babalola, said the show of force around the premises of the Moshood Abiola is an embarrassment to the nation.
He vowed that protesters would not be intimidated.
Mother with baby confronts police after teargas, pepper spray used on protesters
Officers of the Nigeria Police stationed at the Eagles Square in Abuja have dispersed protesters with canisters and pepper spray.
At 10:30 am, police shot canisters after first firing warning non-lethal shots at the ground.
Following the warning shots, an angry protester confronted the police officers, holding up a baby and daring the officers to shoot.
Things quickly escalated as other protesters joined her, confronting the officers and daring them to shoot. In response, the police fired pepper spray, immediately followed by teargas canisters to disperse the protesters.
As of the time of filing this report, it is unclear whether the police have arrested the unidentified lady who confronted the officers with a baby.
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Anti-protesters attack According, Guardian, Sahara correspondents
Anti-protesters on Thursday attacked the According, Guardian, Sahara Asaba correspondents, Matthew Ochei, Monday Osayande, and a Pointer reporter Lucy respectively in Delta State.
The protest was peaceful around 10 am until the anti-protesters arrived at about 11:20 and started chasing the protesters away amidst security agencies.
The According correspondent alongside the other journalists was taking photos and interviewing the protesters when the anti-protesters smashed their gadgets and attacked them.
The policemen on the ground folded their hands and we’re watching them attacking us unchallenged.
It took the efforts of the military personnel to rescue the journalists and recover their phones.
The According reports that Nigerian police fired tear gas to break up several hundred protesters in Kano
The protesters had tried to light bonfires outside the state governor’s office and police responded with tear gas, forcing most of the demonstrators back.
Security forces later also fired tear gas to disperse crowds in Mararaba on the outskirts of the capital and in the centre.
Under the tag #EndbadGovernanceinNigeria, the protest movement won support with an online campaign, but officials warned against the protest degenerating in violence.
Borno imposes 24-hour curfew after bomb attack rocks market
The Borno State Government has announced an immediate 24-hour curfew across the state.
This is in response to the tragic detonation of an improvised explosive device in Kawori Market, Konduga area of Borno State on Wednesday night.
The explosion suspected to be carried out by a Boko Haram suicide bomber resulted in the deaths of 16 individuals and critical injuries to several others.
Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, disclosed this in a Thursday press release obtained by According Online.
Titled, “Imposition of Curfew,”, the statement noted that the bomb explosion prompted Governor Babagana Zulum, to consult with top security officials before implementing this measure.
According to the statement, the curfew aims to restore law and order and ensure public safety.
It read, “In view of the constitutional mandate of the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security and law enforcement agencies toward the preservation of law and order in the state. You are all aware of the incident that took place at Kawori which was the detonation of an improvised explosive devices ordinance device which led to the death of (16) persons while several others were critically injured and on admission across various Government hospitals in the state.
“In line with our constitutional mandate towards the restoration of law and order his Excellency the Executive Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Umar Zulum in consultation with heads of security in the state, finds it’s expedient to declare 24hrs curfew in the state with immediate effect.
The PPRO urged residents to stay calm and adhere to the curfew. Further updates will be provided as the situation develops.
“I, therefore, wish to call upon the good people of Borno State to remain calm and law-abiding. Further developments will be communicated to you accordingly, please,” it concluded.
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Protesters shout down youth minister at Eagles Square
At Abuja’s Eagles Square, protesters shouted down the Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, as he attempted to address them. Despite his efforts to speak, the crowd’s chants of “hunger dey” persisted, making it impossible for him to be heard.
Once he managed to calm the crowd, Olawande clarified his stance, stating that he was not there to end the protest. “I’m not here to fight you, I’m not here to ask you not to protest, it is your right. Like I said, I’ve been to over 100-500 protests,” he said.
Read also: PROTEST: US embassy security alert highlights heightened tensions in Nigeria
The minister also promised to discuss the police’s use of canisters against the protesters.
Protesters, however, remained firm in their decision not to move to the Moshood Abiola National Stadium. They pointed out that a parallel protest held recently had proceeded without police interference.
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