A has alleged that some teachers in Kaduna state were eating the food meant for pupils in the ongong Federal Governments School Feeding Scheme.

The School Feeding Field Monitors of the NGO Connecting Gender for Development (COGEN), on Wednesday made the allegation during a town hall in the state.

Ms Rachael Musa, one of the monitors said during a Town Hall Meeting on the Federal Governments Home grown School Feeding Programme in Kafanchan, Jemaa Local Government, said the ration do not usually go around.

Musa also said although every child was supposed to be given an egg once week, the eggs do not usually go round because of short supply.

Similarly, Mr Monday John, another monitor alleged that some politicians were collecting money from food vendors on the ground that they were not members of the ruling All Progressive Congress.

John also said that some members of the Peoples Democratic Party have equally stopped their children from eating the food, saying it could be poisoned.

He described the development as serious, and urged those involved to stop the act so as not to sabotage the programme.

Mrs Esther Gushe, Assistant Head Teacher, Aduwan III Primary School, confirmed that eggs were always in short supply in her school.

Mr Yakubu Kyari, the Desk Officer of the programme in the local government, said he receives between 300 and 400 crates of egg weekly instead of the 730 crates for the 177 schools in the area.

Kyari said teachers eating up food meant for pupils have been warned to desist from the act or risk sanction.

COGEN Head of Programmes, Mr Ebenezer Omolekun, told the town hall meeting that findings by the NGO revealed that one egg is being shared for between two to four pupils in 46 schools, whiletwo pupils share juice and biscuit in 26 schools.

He explained that the meeting with the theme, Together We Can Build Our LGA and Make it More Prosperous was primarily organised to mobilise communities and stakeholders to monitor the implementation of the school feeding programme.

He explained that COGEN, with support from MacArthur Foundation is tracking the programme in 60 schools, 20 each in Kaura, Jemaa, and Zangon Kataf Local Government Areas.

He said that the goal was to ensure successful implementation of the programme in promoting learning, enrolment, retention and completion of primary schools by pupils.

The official said that similar town hall meetings were organised in Kaura and Zangon Kataf to enlist community support in monitoring the programme.

What we want is to ensure transparency, accountability and responsiveness by all stakeholders involved in the programme, Omolekun said.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Local Council Mr Peter Averik, commended the NGO for supporting the Federal Government initiative and pledged their support because the programme is for the benefit of our children and our community.

Also, Mr Hosea David, District Head of Ambam Kaninkon, commended the NGO for creating the needed awareness on the programme and enlisting their support to ensure success.

The News Agency of Nigerian (NAN) reports that 420 schools in the state are being tracked by five NGOs with support from Macarthur Foundation.

Source: NAN

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday night made the audience at Fela Anikulapo Kutis Afrika Shrine laugh, when he joked that What happens in the shrine remains in the shrine.

He was asked to relive some of his nostalgia of having been a patron of the Shrine when he worked in Nigeria at the French Embassy in 2004.

Some of the memories of his six months stay in Lagos he relived when he met President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, including remembering attending a concert by Femi Kuti, Felas first son,

But he was not ready to go down memory lane on Tuesday night and instead threw the humorous line at the audience.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE SHRINE REMAINS IN THE SHRINE - PRESIDENT MACRON

A post shared by Afrika Shrine (@afrikashrine) on Jul 3, 2018 at 3:43pm PDT

In another video of the night posted by Afrika Shrine on Instagram, President Macron was caught, along with host, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, applauding the afro-ballistic performance by Femi Kuti and his Positive Force band.

Macron challenged Nigerian youths to get involved in politics to change the narrative of the nation.

Macron, while describing politics as important, said only Nigerians could change their image before the comity of nations.

The French President gave the challenge at the event tagged Celebrate African Culture.

He noted that the future of Africa and the task of making it great rested with Africans, saying that the youths have a crucial role to play.

Africa needs a new generation of Africans to share the new narrative about Africa all over the world, he said.

According to him, politics is important because it is a tool to change the society.

Macron described the Afrika Shrine as an iconic place of strength, music, culture and the late Fela as a politician who wanted a change for the society.

PRESIDENT MACRON, GOVERNOR AMBODE AND CO APPRECIATING THE AFRO BALLISTIC PERFORMANCE BY @femiakuti AND THE POSITIVE FORCE

A post shared by Afrika Shrine (@afrikashrine) on Jul 3, 2018 at 4:10pm PDT

I am very happy to be here. Let me remind you that this place shrine is a music place as well as politics which is needed to change the society.

So, I will say to the youths, politics is important, be involved, he said.

Macron also announced the launch of the 2020 African cultures season in France.

He said the event would help create a unique face for African culture in Europe.

Earlier, Gov. Ambode said Macrons visit was expected to signal the dawn of a new collaboration between France and Lagos State in the quest to make the state the culture and entertainment capital of Africa.

Ambode said the event was also about celebrating African culture which was a positive step for France as it sought to rebuild its relationship with Africa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event had in attendance personalities including, Dr Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra, Chief Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun, Prof. Wole Soyinka,, Sen. Ben Bruce among others.

NAN reports that the event presented an opportunity for Macron and Ambode to interact with musicians, artists, fashion designers and film makers.

Source: NAN

French President, Emmanuel Macron, has urged Nigerian youths to get involved with politics to change the narrative of the nation.

Macron, while describing politics as important, said only Nigerians could change their image before the comity of nations.

The French President, who was accompanied by Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, gave the challenge during a visit to the Afrika Shrine in Ikeja, on Tuesday night at an event tagged Celebrate African Culture.

He noted that the future of Africa and the task of making it great rested with Africans, saying that the youths have a crucial role to play.

Africa needs a new generation of Africans to share the new narrative about Africa all over the world, he said.

According to him, politics is important because it is a tool to change the society.

Macron described the Afrika Shrine as an iconic place of strength, music, culture and the late Fela as a politician who wanted a change for the society.

I am very happy to be here. Let me remind you that this place shrine is a music place as well as politics which is needed to change the society.

So, I will say to the youths, politics is important, be involved, he said.

Macron also announced the launch of the 2020 African cultures season in France.

He said the event would help create a unique face for African culture in Europe.

Earlier, Gov. Ambode said the Presidents visit was expected to signal the dawn of a new collaboration between France and Lagos State in the quest to make the state the culture and entertainment capital of Africa.

Ambode said the event was also about celebrating African culture which was a positive step for France as it sought to rebuild its relationship with Africa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event had in attendance personalities including, Dr Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra, Chief Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun, Prof. Wole Soyinka,, Sen. Ben Bruce among others.

NAN reports that the event presented an opportunity for Macron and Ambode to interact with musicians, artists, fashion designers and film makers. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Senate President Bukola Saraki has said the senate plans to amend the 1999 constitution to allow for the creation of state and community police as a major strategy in combating insecurity.

Saraki said on Tuesday: Today, my colleagues and I in the eighth Senate resolved to begin the process of amending the Constitution to allow for the creation of State and Community Police. This is following our debate on solutions to the killings across the country.

He told the Conference of State Assembly Speakers that he and his colleagues in the 8th have resolved to begin the process of amending the Constitution to allow the creation of State and Community Police.

The senate president revealed in a tweet,

Today, my colleagues and I in the 8th Senate resolved to begin the process of amending the Constitution to allow for the creation of State and Community Police. This is following our debate on solutions to the killings across the country.

Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki)

The plan by the Senate comes after years of calls by a section of Nigerians for the creation of state police and debate over the issue.

Recent killings in several states have revived the debate over state police with several governors lamenting, over time, about their helplessness to provide security for residents of the state.

In reaction to the killings, the Senate had previously called for more decisive action with some Senators demanding the removal of the service chiefs.

The decision of the Senate to amend the Constitution in favour of state and community police followed a debate on the killings across the country and in Plateau State after a Point of Order raised by former Plateau Governor, Senator Jonah Jang.

In his comments, the Senate President condemned the killings once again and said it was necessary for the Senate to condemn it and play its role in ensuring the security of lives and property.

We have talked about the fact that whether these killings were initial acts of aggression or reprisal attacks, it is clear that either way, it is totally unacceptable and we must condemn it in all totality, he said.

Secondly, these are acts of criminality and we should not encourage any other colouration to it, be it religious or otherwise. This is criminality. And as such, we have a role to ensure that we must address this criminality to see how we can fight it.

We have spoken on many platforms and made suggestions to the Executive on the fact that there is a need for an urgent review of the security architecture of the nation.

Having made suggestions and listened to security agencies over the killings, Saraki said it was important for the lawmakers to do their own part.

We as the Senate must come up with our own actions. We do not need to flog the issue. We have told the Executive what to do. We have told them privately and we have told them publicly. However, on our own part, we must decide on what we need to do.

The senate condemned the terrorist attacks, mass killings and displacement of the people and occupation of their homes and farmlands;

We MUST all put aside our political, personal, and ideological differences and work together to stop the bloodshed, he tweeted.

UPDATE: Security: Senate Begins Work on Creation of State and Community Police. The Senate President Speaks.

The Senate President (@SPNigeria)

Saraki said: The security and welfare of the people is primary purpose of government. This is what the Constitution we all swore to uphold says. At no time whether in the past or in the present is it okay to lose even one Nigerian life.

Source: NAN

Nigeria and France on Tuesday in Abuja signed three agreements worth US$475 million on social amenities and reforestation.

The agreements cover Urban Mobility Improvement Programme of Lagos State, sustainable water supply in Kano city and reforestation in Ogun.

President Muhammadu Buhari and the visiting French President Emmanuel Macron witnessed the signing of the agreements during their bilateral talks held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Lagos agreement involved a letter of intent for the financing of urban mobility improvement project through a loan of 200 million dollars.

The urban mobility project will involve development of eight priority bus corridors connected to the Lagos mass transit network.

In Ogun, a French firm in conjunction with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority is to mobilise from investors about 200 million dollars for land reclamation to correct the massive degradation of arable land being witnessed in the state.

Gov. Ibikunle Amosun, who spoke on the signed agreement, said the project aimed to reforest 108,000 hectares of depleting forest in Ogun.

Amosun, therefore, hailed the signing of the agreement, describing it as very vital to not only addressing climate change challenges and recreating the forest, but also providing employment to the people of the state, among other benefits.

France, through its foreign development agency, Whence Francaise de Development (AFD), will also extend a credit facility of 75 million dollars towards improving water supply in Kano city.

The concessional loan is expected to help Kano State Government ensure more residents of the city have access to drinking water while improving the financial viability of the state water board to increase its revenues.

Addressing newsmen after the signing of the agreements, Buhari and Macron, who addressed a joint press conference at the forecourt of the presidential villa, expressed the readiness of their countries to continue to promote socio-economic interests for the general good of both countries.

The two presidents pledged to increase the cooperation between Nigeria and France in tackling security challenges occasioned by Boko Haram and ISIS jihadists in Nigeria and the Sahel region of Africa.

Macron said he was more concerned about how African governments organised themselves to effectively tackle the challenges posed by terrorists on the continent.

He said: The main plan is an African plan and France is not the one to solve or fix African situations.

So what we want to do is that we will intervene and maintain our presence in Africa and Sahel to fight against terrorism, especially in Mali and in the region.

What is important to me is how the different African governments organise themselves to fight against terrorism and get rid of these people and especially, jihadism. That is why I do promote the G5/Sahel Initiatives.

As far as we are organised, Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon is also very important, it is Boko Haram. I think first we have to increase the operations and the pressure against these jihadists.

We can fix the situation in the coming months and obviously France will remain present in Africa for as long as they want it.

On his part, Buhari thanked French government for its support and assistance to Nigerias efforts in combating insurgency and violent extremism in the country and the Sahel region.

He said already Nigeria had cultivated the culture of friendship with all its neighbours with a view to ensuring security and political stability in the region.

Source: NAN

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was formally charged Wednesday with corruption linked to a multi-billion dollar financial scandal that contributed to his shock election defeat less than two months ago.

The first ex-premier in Malaysia to appear before a judge, Najib pleaded not guilty to three counts of criminal breach of trust and a separate charge that he abused his position to pocket 42 million ringgit ($10.4 million)

Each charge could see him jailed for up to 20 years.

The unprecedented court appearance came the day after the 64-year-old was arrested at his luxury home by officers probing how billions of dollars of state funds disappeared on his watch.

In court, the former leader appeared tired and hung his head often during proceedings.

Allegations of massive corruption were a major factor behind the electoral earthquake in May that toppled Najibs long-ruling coalition and ushered in a reformist alliance headed by his 92-year-old former mentor Mahathir Mohamad.

Wednesdays court hearing was the latest step in a quick-moving investigation into alleged wrongdoing by Najib, his family and many of his close political and business allies.

Najib is the first (former) prime minister ever to be charged in court in the history of Malaysia, said Tian Chua, vice president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, a key political party in the current ruling coalition.

It signals a new era where no one in public office will be immune from punitive action if they abuse power, he added.

Najib is expected to be freed on bail later Wednesday after the court decided on at one million ringgit bond.

The former premier was also ordered to surrender his two Malaysian passports.
Attorney General Tommy Thomas, who leads a 12-member prosecution team, had requested bail of four million ringgit in cash, but Najibs lawyer Muhammad Shafee insisted his client was not a flight risk.

The court set a tentative date for the trial, beginning in February 2019.

According to an investigation by the Wall Street Journal, $10.6 million originating from SRC International Sdn Bhd, an energy company that was originally a subsidiary of 1MDB, was transferred to Najibs personal bank accounts, a fraction of hundreds of millions of dollars from 1MDB that was allegedly funnelled to him.

Najib and the fund deny any wrongdoing.
*AFP

Source: NAN

Hundreds of angry youths on Tuesday stormed the National Assembly protesting allegation of budget padding by the lawmakers and demanding resignation of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Police quickly locked the gates to prevent the crowd from gaining entrance but the protesters were able to unlock the gates and entered the premises.

The police managed to curtail the situation.

The protesters are also demanding the resignation of Senate President Bukola Saraki to face trial over his implication in the Offa robbery.

They said that the constituency projects injected in national budget by the lawmakers was for self-enrichment.

The protest is facilitated by Citizens Action to Take Back Nigeria (CATBAN)

The Plateau State government has relaxed the curfew it imposed on three local government areas in the state in the wake of the attacks that left at least 100 dead.

The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Rufus Bature, announced the decision in a statement on Monday.

Bature said that the relaxation of the curfew was due to the relative peace and calm that is gradually returning to Jos South, Barkin Ladi and Riyom local government areas.

The Executive Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong has approved the relaxation of the earlier dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed on the areas from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. with effect from today, Monday, July 2, 2018, he said in a statement.

This comes nine days after suspected herdsmen raided villages in Barkin Local Government, killing scores, burning over 50 houses, and causing panic and tension in the state.

A day after the killings, on June 24, the state government imposed a curfew on Barkin Ladi and two neighbouring LGAs Jos-North and Riyom to forestall reprisals and the breakdown of law and order.

The attacks had attracted widespread criticism and led to the deployment of special forces to the state.

President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Nigerian Governors Forum as well as former President Olusegun Obasanjo all paid condolence visits to the state.

Although the state government believes that relative peace and calm have returned to the affected areas, it urged residents to show restraint.

Citizens are advised to exercise restraint as they go about their legitimate activities without fear of any form of molestation and to remain calm and report any suspicious movement to the law enforcement agents, the SSG said.

Source: NAN

Governor Sospeter Ojaamong of Busia County in Kenya and nine of his officials are to face trial over corruption, abuse of office and conspiracy to steal public funds.

Kenyas top prosecutor on Tuesday ordered that the governor face charges in the countrys anti-graft campaign.

Noordin Haji said evidence presented by the national anti-corruption agency was enough to prosecute Ojaamong, the governor of Busia County, and nine other officials accused of helping him to steal millions of Kenyan shillings in public funds.

The prosecutor said in a statement he had instructed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to arrest all of the suspects and have them brought before court.

Ojaamong was not immediately reachable for comment.

As with some other scandals involving alleged corruption by government officials, the case is based on evidence of suspicious procurement practices for a public works project that was never completed.

The project in Busia involved a solid waste management system.

The prosecutor said in June that several recent investigations by the EACC had gaps and lacked strong evidence, forcing him to return the cases to the agency for further work.

In Tuesdays statement, Haji said the investigation into the governor had been resubmitted to his office in June.

It had gaps that, in my opinion, if not covered would not have sustained a credible prosecution, Haji wrote in a text message.

The government led by President Uhuru Kenyatta, who was re-elected in 2017, has said it is undertaking a renewed push to tackle graft.

The charging of dozens of civil servants and business people over the past two months suggested an attempt to fight corruption through prosecution, but the countrys track record on that front is poor.

Kenyan media have reported on more than a dozen corruption scandals involving state agencies and officials since Kenyatta took power, but there have been no convictions of high profile figures, according to a Reuters review of the cases. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN

The senior Catholic official in the world, Australian Archbishop Philip Wilson, was on Tuesday sentenced to 12 months of detention for covering up the crimes of a paedophile priest in the 1970s.

The 67-year-old priest is also convicted for concealing child sexual abuse.

Newcastle Local Court magistrate Robert Stone sentenced Wilson to 12 months of detention with a non-parole period of six months.

There is no remorse or contrition showed by the offender. I am of the opinion the sentence should not be suspended.

It does not support the terms of general deterrence, Stone told the packed court.

On that basis, the only available remaining option is full-time imprisonment or home detention.

Stone also ordered that Wilson be assessed for home detention suitability, which means he may be spared jail.

The matter has been adjourned until Aug. 14.

Wilson, the Archbishop of Adelaide, South Australia, has been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimers.

Outside the court, abuse survivor Peter Gogarty said the fact Wilson has been convicted was significant, but the sentencing being not necessarily custodial was disappointing.

My personal view is that is probably letting him off a little bit too lightly, he told newsmen.

In May he was found guilty of failing to report to police and concealing the abuse of two altar boys by a paedophile priest in the 1970s when he was an assistant parish priest in East Maitland in regional New South Wales.

Wilson has since stepped aside from his duties but has so far refused to resign.

His legal team had argued during the sentencing hearing that he would not be able to survive prison given his frail health condition, including suffering from diabetes, hypertension, and depression, and it may even threaten his survival.

They also argued being jailed will put him at risk of violence from fellow inmates and should instead be given a good behaviour bond.

But the prosecution argued there was no evidence to suggest Wilson would be attacked in jail and ill health
cannot be a licence to commit a crime.

The magistrate-only trial found in May that Wilson had known that paedophile priest James Fletcher was sexually
abusing altar boys but dismissed their credible allegations because of his desire to protect the church and
its reputation.

During the trial, Wilson claimed to have no memory of a 1976 conversation he had with Peter Creigh, one of the
alleged victims, and another altar boy, who can not be named due to legal reasons.

Fletcher was found guilty in December 2004 on nine counts of child sexual abuse. He died in jail of a stroke
in 2006.

When Fletcher was charged with child sex offences and before his death, Wilson had obtained the level of belief
needed to report what he knew to authorities, the magistrate said in May.

The Adelaide archdiocese and the Catholic Church in Australia did not responded immediately to request for
comments on Wilsons sentencing.

The whole of the community is devastated in so many ways by the decades of abuse and its concealment. We are
all the poorer for what has occurred, magistrate Stone said Tuesday during the sentencing.

A five-year-long Royal Commission inquiry into child sexual abuse found last year that tens of thousands of
children were sexually abused between 1960 and 2015 in Australian institutions, including schools and churches.

It also found that 7 per cent of all priests between 1960 and 2015 had allegedly abused children and 62 per cent
of victims, who reported abuse in a religious institution, were from Catholic-managed institutions. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN

A Chinese firm said it has developed a laser gun designed for police use that can set fire to protesters hair or banners from a range of almost one kilometre.

The general manager of the ZKZM Fibre Laser company, who asked to remain anonymous, said the weapon would immediately produce a strong pain response in the target but stressed it was designed to be non-lethal.

The weapon is designed to do things such as setting fire to illegal banners at a protest or setting fire to the hair or clothing of a protester, he told AFP.

It is not designed explicitly for killing like a gun that uses bullets and cannot cause the instant carbonisation of human skin and tissues, he added.

The 15-mm calibre weapon weighs three kilogrammes (6.6 pounds), has a range of 800 metres (2,600 feet) and can pass through glass and other transparent obstacles.

It can be mounted on cars, boats and planes, the firm said, adding that it was seeking a partner that has a weapons production licence or a partner in the security or defence industry to start large-scale production.

It is mainly expected to be for Chinese police use, the manager told AFP.

He said it would need to be upgraded to a laser cannon with increased power to become lethal and confirmed his firm was working on such a weapon.

But he noted there was an international agreement not to develop killer lasers and said any such weapons would be inhumane the pain would be unimaginable.

Some experts were sceptical of the unveiling, saying laser weaponry was still a matter of science fiction.

Specialist website Techcrunch noted that laser weaponry capable of real harm has eluded the eager boffins of the worlds militaries for several reasons.

The power required to set a person aflame instantly from half a mile away is truly huge, the website stressed.

The idea of one that weighs a handful of pounds and fires hundreds of instantly skin-searing shots is just infeasible today.

Development of such laser weapons is not limited to China, with all the big defence players in the US working on prototypes for the Pentagon.

Last year, Lockheed Martin announced a 60-kilowatt laser weapon that is invisible to the naked eye and will be deployed against mortars and small drones.

Source: NAN

There are more than 200, 000 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) awaiting collection in Enugu state, according to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mr Emeka Ononamadu.

Ononamadu disclosed in his address of welcome during the stakeholders forum between state Traditional Rulers Council and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Enugu.

Uncollected PVC cards in the state is still on the high side and we have above 200,000 cards uncollected, he said.

Ononamadu, however, noted that the state had recorded huge progress in the ongoing Continue Voter Registration (CVR).

He attributed the success of the exercise to less voters apathy due to joint sensitisation embarked upon by the commission, traditional institution in their various communities and other stakeholders.

Meanwhile, traditional rulers in the state have commended INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood and Ononamadu for the progress made so far in the ongoing CVR in the state.

The traditional rulers gave the commendation in a two-page communiqu they issued after stakeholders forum in Enugu and signed by the Chairman of the Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu.

The forum which also involved the state INEC officials noted that the hard work and ingenuity of Mahmood and Ononamadu had translated into to the success of CRV in the state.

They also expressed confidence in the capability of the Mahmood-led IINEC to conduct free, fair and credible election in forthcoming 2019 general elections in Nigeria.

They also lauded Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for providing and promoting peace in the state under which INEC had been able to make tremendous impact in the ongoing CVR.

The communiqu said that INEC and rulers agreed that names of owners of PVCs not yet collected would be displayed in their various wards for their respective traditional rulers to note.

It also noted that the traditional rulers would further sensitise their subjects on the imperative of collecting their PVCs.

Source: NAN

The Secretary-General, Miyetti Kautal Hore, MrSaleh Alhassan, said the arrest of suspects made over the killings at a Benue Catholic Church has vindicated the association and its herdsmen.

He therefore

Alhassan made the demand on Channels Televisions breakfast show,.

According to Alhassan, the recent arrest of the Commander of the Benue State Livestock Guards, Aliyu Teshaku, has vindicated the association.

Today, they have arrested Aliyu Teshaku who is alleged to be the Head of the Livestock Guard in Benue who is behind those killings. He is arrested now, he said.

People that killed the two clergymen and 17 others in the church are being tried in Makurdi and they are all Tiv people. And they are all members of the livestock guard working for Governor Ortom.

So we expect by now there should be an apology from the Benue State Government to our association because we have never promoted violence. We have always advocated for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

Apart from linking Tiv people to the attack on the Catholic church in Benue State that left two priests and 17 other worshippers dead, Alhassan accused the state government of propaganda against the association.

I have always insisted that Governor Samuel Ortom is on a voyage of propaganda against our association, he said.

And today, if you look at the arrest made in Benue, with respect to the perpetrators of the conflict there, you look at their ethnicity and background and you look at who is employing them, we have been vindicated.

Alhassans comments come in the wake of attacks that have gripped the north-central state in which many people have been killed and many others displaced.

Read More at

Source: NAN

20-year-old boy hangs himself after Argentina's ouster from World Cup...

Monotosh Halder, a 20-year-old Messi and Argentina fan, committed suicide in Habibpur which is in West Bengal's Malda district after the Albicelestes went down 4-3 to France in the Round of 16 of the ongoing World Cup in Russia.

Halder, an ardent Messi fan, was heartbroken after his favourite team's ouster from the elite competition. He skipped dinner on Saturday night and went off to sleep locking the doors of his bedroom.

On Sunday morning, even after several attempts when he did not open the door, the police was informed. The door was breached by the police and Halder's dead body was found hanging from the ceiling.

"My son had no illness. He was an Argentina fan and every day he used to remain glued to the TV since the world cup had started. He was distraught after Argentina's loss to France. But we never thought he would do something like this," said Mongol Halder, father of the deceased.

Meanwhile, Malda police have started a probe. "We are investigating the case. It seems that he has committed suicide since Argentina lost in the world cup," said the police.

Another incident of suicide had been earlier reported from Kerala when a 30-year-old's body was recovered from of a nearby river in Kottayam. The youth had penned a suicide letter and went missing after Argentina's humiliating 3-0 defeat against Croatia on June 21.

Both Kerala and West Bengal are footballing hotbeds of India and South American countries like Brazil and Argentina are hugely popular among the masses.

The proposed visit of President of France, Mr. Emmanuel Macron, has forced the Lagos State Government to effect traffic diversion and restriction of movement.

The alteration is from noon to 12 midnight on July 3, around Alausa, African Shrine and Agidingbi axis in Ikeja.

The state government will receive the visitor, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Dr Taiwo Salaam, said.4

He appealed for the understanding of residents and urged motorists to make use of alternative routes provided.

“While we regret the inconvenience that this might cause the public, especially those who live and work in the area, we appeal that you kindly bear with us during this period and make use of the alternative routes provided,’’ Salaam said in a statement.

Macron is expected to be hosted by the state government at the African Shrine on Tuesday.

He would also be attending the opening of the French Cultural Centre and the African Business Forum.

French leader Emmanuel Macron will on Tuesday visit the Afrika Shrine, a nightclub in Lagos founded by Nigerian music legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

Macron will become the first “real president” to enter the club synonymous with marijuana smoke, sexy backup dancers and protest music. And he is not a stranger to Nigeria. He trained as a senior civil servant at the French Embassy in Lagos in 2004, seven years after Fela died.

The Afrika Shrine located in the teeming Lagos district of Ikeja replaced Fela Kuti’s original club that burnt down in 1977, but for millions of fans it still represents the original Shrine built by the musical maverick.

“The Shrine is a must-see place,” said Olivier Laouchez, the head of the TRACE media and entertainment group and organiser of the event Macron will attend, adding that Lagos is “Africa’s cultural capital”.

The evening will feature concerts, fashion shows by leading African designers and a meeting with stars from Nigeria’s booming Nollywood film industry.

Lagos is also giving Johannesburg — the other African cultural hotspot — a run for its money in the art world with its annual Art X event.

“There is clearly something abuzz in Lagos, with auctions mushrooming, and this will explode,” said contemporary art specialist Marie-Cecile Zinsou, who is based in neighbouring Benin.

“The idea is to show the richness and diversity of African cultures,” said Laouchez.

“Europe does not know Africa or at least its cultural dimension.”

Macron, who is visiting the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott to attend an African Union summit on Sunday, will go on to Nigeria’s capital Abuja for talks with his counterpart Muhammadu Buhari on security and terrorism, before coming to Lagos, a vibrant megapolis of 20 million people.

Fela Anikulapo Kuti came from a patrician Nigerian family whose pioneering music and quest for social justice made him an international star and the bugbear of Nigeria’s former military rulers. Fela died on 2 August 1997. He was 59 years old.

Called the “black president” by adoring fans, Fela Kuti’s trademark style, christened Afrobeat, featured songs in his native Yoruba and pidgin and were searing indictments of corruption and incompetence.

Ibrahim Tcha-Tchere, a veteran employee of the Alliance Francaise cultural institute in Lagos, said Macron’s visit was fitting given that “France has always had great cultural cooperation with Nigeria.

“It was the French who organised Fela’s first European tour in 1981,” he said.

“Then his sons Femi and Seun launched their international careers in France.”

The shrine is a big hall, painted brown and yellow, with patterns of green, red and black, suggesting African symbolism.

Laouchez joked that organising the event was no cakewalk, saying: “It requires great organisation because there are frequent power cuts and you have to ensure that the ceiling fans do not fall on the heads of guests… but it’s exciting.”

“Musically speaking, the new Nigerian Afrobeat movement is global,” he added, pointing to stars such as Davido, Wizkid and Mr Eazi.

The Army has confirmed that 32 Boko Haram terrorists have willingly surrendered themselves to troops at different locations in Borno.

The army spokesman, Brig.-Gen Texas Chukwu, who confirmed this in a statement on Sunday, said that among them was one Ibrahim Lawal, who also surrendered one AK 47 rifle.

Chukwu added that Lawal also handed over two magazines containing 59 rounds of 7.62mm (special) ammunition.

“The surrendered terrorists are currently undergoing interrogation and will be handed over to the appropriate authority on completion,” he said.

Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the terror group Boko Haram, is said to be weakened by ill health, prompting questions about his ability to lead the militants, the AFP reported on Friday.

The sources said Shekau has a range of conditions that have left him “too weak to be in charge” of the jihadists, whose insurgency has killed at least 20,000 in Nigeria since 2009.

“He has high blood pressure and failing sight from diabetes-related complications,” said one source with close knowledge of the group’s activities.

A senior security source tracking the conflict, who also asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media, described Shekau’s diabetes as “debilitating”.

“He suffers from diminished eyesight from cataracts or glaucoma as a result of diabetes,” he added.

The source with knowledge of Boko Haram’s activities said Shekau and his lieutenants have been in talks this week about his “failing health” and whether he was well enough to lead.

Boko Haram split in mid-2016 over ideological differences.

One faction, headed by Abu-Mus’ab Al-Barnawi, whose father Mohammed Yusuf founded Boko Haram, won the support of the Islamic State group.

Some experts suggested that with Shekau off the scene, the different groups could be reconciled.

Shekau used to appear frequently on video messages from the group, particularly at the height of the conflict, when Boko Haram ran riot across northeast Nigeria, seizing territory.

The Nigerian authorities have claimed Shekau has died or been killed on at least three occasions, and that he has been replaced by a series of lookalikes.

Shekau’s last appearance on camera was in a 14-minute video released on February 6 in which he claimed responsibility for attacks in Borno state capital, Maiduguri, and other towns.

He was previously seen on January 15 in an 11-minute video in which some of the remaining Chibok schoolgirls who were abducted in 2014 vowed never to return to their parents.

Both sources said between February and April last year, Shekau was bed-ridden in Bulayaga, a village in the Konduga area of Borno, near his group’s Sambisa Forest stronghold.

Bulayaga is some 35 kilometres (22 miles) from Maiduguri.

“No-one thought he would survive because he was terribly sick from diabetes and malaria,” said the security source.

Shekau resurfaced in a video published on May 4, 2017, rejecting claims he had been injured in a Nigerian air strike the previous day at the nearby village of Balla.

“I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive,” he said.

But in it, he looked frail and appeared to have difficulty reading from a prepared speech, which he held close to his face in an apparent indication of vision problems.

The August 2016 split caused bitter in-fighting and saw Shekau lose men, territory and weapons.

Barnawi, whose group operates in northern Borno around the shores of Lake Chad, is now seen as “more in charge”, said the source.

Yan St-Pierre, counter-terrorism advisor and head of the Modern Security Consulting Group, said Shekau’s removal would only have a “limited” effect internally and on operations.

“Most terrorist organisations always have a ‘next man up’ planned because leadership could be lost at any time,” he said in emailed comments.

“The myth of Shekau” could also remain as a “galvanising factor” for Boko Haram fighters, he added.

The security source suggested the removal of Shekau “could signal the mending of fences between the two factions”.

“Shekau has been the major wedge to reconciliation between the factions and if he resigns, the prospect of a truce and merger between the factions is high,” he added.

Ryan Cummings, Africa security analyst at the Signal Risk group, agreed the two sides could move closer but also suggested it could trigger a power struggle in the high command.

That “could trigger further violent factionalism”, he added

The Lagos State Government has commiserated with families of victims of the fatal tanker explosion which occurred on Thursday evening on Otedola Bridge, inward Ojodu Berger area of the State.

The incident, which occurred at about 5.30 P.M. left scores of vehicles burnt while some lives were lost.

The Government, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, described the incident as a sad development, saying that the incident was most unfortunate and regrettable.

“On behalf of the Lagos State Government, we extend our deepest commiseration to the families of persons who lost their lives as well as properties to the incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this time of pain and grief.

“As a government, we would not relent in putting measures in place to ensure safety of lives and property of all residents,” Bamigbetan said.

The Commissioner said that Governor Ambode has directed all relevant agencies to move into the area to normalise the apprehension that had taken over the area and to also ensure that those in need are adequately taken care of.

The governor assured that clearing of the highway of damaged vehicles to establish normal traffic flow would continue throughout the night until the objective is achieved.

He called for the co-operation of all citizens with the officials of the agencies to restore the situation to normalcy.

He also urged motorists to continue to adhere to the safety standard and the State Traffic Laws so as to prevent a re-occurrence of such incidents.

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Nine persons died in the petrol tanker fire around Otedola Bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Thursday after it caught fire and spread the inferno to the vehicles behind, the Federal Road Safety Corps said.

Images of the accident which happened at the notorious Otedola Estate junction of the highway, were gory.

The FRSC also said in its update that the victims were burnt beyond recognition. There were four other serious injuries.

According to the FRSC, 54 vehicles were burnt. There were 45 cars caught in the inferno, along with five buses, two trucks, inec tricycle and the tanker itself .

The accident, outward Lagos, happened around 5.30pm yesterday.

According to Bisi Kazeem, spokesman of the FRSC, the cause of accident was break failure suffered by the petrol laden tanker.

A Joint rescue operation involving FRSC, LASEMA, NPF, RRS, NSCDC, Lagos State Fire service, LASTMA was mounted promptly within 10 minutes of the accident.

French cement giant Lafarge was charged Thursday with complicity in crimes against humanity and financing a terrorist organisation for paying millions to jihadist groups, including the Islamic State, to keep a factory in Syria open during the war.

A legal source said the company, which paid the armed groups through middlemen, has also been charged with endangering the lives of former employees at the cement plant in Jalabiya, northern Syria.

French rights group Sherpa, one of the plaintiffs in the case, said it was the first time that a company anywhere in the world had been charged with complicity in crimes against humanity.

The allegations against Lafarge, which merged with Swiss firm Holcim in 2015, are the most serious against a French company in years.

Lafarge was ordered to hand over 30 million euros ($35 million) to authorities as a security deposit ahead of the trial.

Eight Lafarge executives, including former CEO Bruno Laffont, have already been charged with financing a terrorist group and/or endangering the lives of others over Lafarge’s activities in Syria between 2011 and 2015.

Lafarge is suspected of paying nearly 13 million euros ($16 million) to IS and other militant groups to keep the Jalabiya plant running long after other French companies had pulled out of Syria.

Sherpa hailed the decision to charge the company, saying it was “a decisive step in the fight against the impunity of multinationals operating in armed conflict zones”.