GBV: SOAR Initiative inaugurates safe space centre for FCT communities

By Justina Auta

An NGO, Sexual Offences Awareness and Response (SOAR) Initiative, on Tuesday in Abuja, inaugurated a safe space centre to eliminate violence against women and girls in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) communities.

The groups Executive Director, Ms Chinyere Eyoh, said the organisation was contracted by UNESCO to initiate the project under Spotlight Initiative, which is a global initiative to end violence against women and girls funded by the United Nations and European Union.

Eyoh said the inauguration of the safe space centre in Kurudu, under the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), would also be inaugurated in Ushafa, Bwari Area Council of the FCT.

She explained that in the safe spaces created, we teach life skills such as assertiveness, self esteem, and decision making.

We teach girls their rights and give them the skills required to assert those rights, pursue and acquire what they desire to become and want.

It will enable girls and women to have their capacity built and learn life skills, and how to protect themselves and what the law says their rights are, as well as make confidential disclosures about sex, justice and support concerning violation.

According to her, the organisation has visited 60 schools to create safe spaces to teach girls life skills, as well as how to protect themselves from sexual violence and related crimes.

She added that the organisation had also created remedial classes for girls at the risk of dropping out of school so as to empower them to complete their education, as well as trained 120 guidance and counselling counselors to work with them.

Dr Stephen Onyekwelu, the Spotlight Initiative Project Manager, UNESCO Regional Office, said the essence of the safe space was to achieve the mandate of the Initiative toward eliminating violence against women and girls.

Onyekwelu said that the safe space would provide a place for women and girls to be empowered with life skills, share experiences relating to violence and eliminate the culture of silence and appropriate actions to know and fight for their rights.

The AMAC Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu-Candido, said the effort was in line with the councils mandates toward ending Gender Based Violence (GBV) in communities through the collaboration of religious and traditional leaders.

Adamu-Candido, who was represented by the Special Assistant on ICT/CSOs, Mrs Abiodun Essiet, said the council had deployed a staff from the social welfare unit to regularly lecture women and girls on GBV, as well as refer complex cases for prosecution to seek justice.

The Chief of Kurudu, Mr Ezra Gomna, commended the efforts of the government and NGOs for their support, which he said would reduce cases of GBV in the community.

Gomna reiterated the commitment of the traditional council in ending GBV, adding that culprits would be reported to the appropriate authorities for prosecution, while survivors would be cared for at the safe space centres.

A community member, Mrs Joy Ugwu, said the centre would serve as comfort zone for women and girls seeking to confidently report and seek justice for violence and harmful practices meted on them.

Source: NAN News

Buki Ponle, MD NAN

By Ifeanyi Nwoko

The government of the Peoples Republic of China has agreed to foster its over 30-year- old news exchange agreement with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The agreement was reached on Tuesday in Abuja, when the new Managing Director of NAN, Mr Buki Ponle paid a courtesy visit to the Chinese Embassy.

This is even as the Chinese embassy pledged to support the agency as it mulls plans to re-establish its office in Beijing, China.

The NAN managing director was received by the Charge DAffairs of the Embassy, Mr Zhao Yong.

Ponle reeled out the mutual relationship which NAN had enjoyed with its Chinese Counterpart Xinhua over the years.

He also commended the government of the Peoples Republic of China for the support it had given to the NAN over the years in the area of training and provision of equipment.

Ponle hinted that over the years, NAN had only focused on positive stories about China, adding that under his watch, NAN would focus more on development journalism rather that the era when negative stories made news.

He informed the Chinese representative of the plans by NAN to open an office in Beijing, urging the Chinese government to assist the agency to attain the feat.

He also called on the government of China not to relent in their training and other support to the agency.

Ponle who recalled a six-week experience in China during his 35-year duty as a staff of the agency, noted that China had tremendously improved since 1995 when he visited.

On his part, while congratulating the new MD on his appointment, Zhao said that NAN was seen as a member of the Chinese family and was always welcome to the embassy.

He said that Nigeria and China had enjoyed good relationship over the years, noting that the good relationship between both countries was what transcends to the relationship between the news agencies of both countries.

As you have said, we have excellent relationship between our two media agencies. The bilateral relations between China and Nigeria are the best in history.

We have achieved more and more results from our co-operations: you can see the airport terminals, the new railways, the roads and also the industrial parks, he said.

He recalled the support which Nigeria extended to China when it was battling the coronavirus pandemic, pointing out that Nigeria was one of the first countries to reach out to China in solidarity.

He added that as a means of reciprocity, China has also reached out to Nigeria with material support to fight the pandemic.

Zhao said that the Chinese government had already delivered two batches of materials to Nigeria and disclosed that the third batch was already at the port and would soon be handed over to the Nigerian government.

He pledged continuous cordial relationship between both countries and their news agencies.

The envoy also welcomed the intention of NAN to open an office in China.

Source: NAN News

#EndSARS: US shut down Lagos consulate, issues security alert to nationals

By Lizzy Okoji

The United States Mission to Nigeria has shut down its consulate in Lagos following the #EndSARS protest in the state.

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria made this known in a message on its official website on Tuesday.

The mission also issued security warnings to its nationals living across the country.

The US Government said multiple demonstrations were ongoing across Nigeria, to include areas within the consular districts of Abuja and Lagos.

The Embassy said that although most demonstrations were peaceful, some have become violent and had shut down in 02 major thoroughfares and bridges.

Some police stations have been targeted. Lagos State closed all schools indefinitely as of October 19 due to protests and implemented a 24-hour curfew starting at 4:00 p.m. on October 20.

Consulate General Lagos is closed for the rest of today and tomorrow.

We continue to urge all U.S. citizens to avoid areas around protests and demonstrations and to check local media for updates and traffic advisories.

Continue to be vigilant and avoid areas affected by the protests, the Embassy warned.

Source: NAN News

Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu

By Ihechinyere Chigemeri-Uwom

Abia Government has imposed a 24-hour curfew on the two major cities of Umuahia and Aba, following the alleged killing of a police officer (name withheld) in Aba on Monday night.

The Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi-Kalu, announced this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Tuesday.

Okiyi-Kalu stated that the curfew would take effect from 6pm on Tuesday, October 20.

He stated that the deceased was allegedly murdered after a police patrol van was attacked by at least 30 hoodlums, who reportedly hijacked the EndSARS protest in Aba.

He stated that the measure became necessary to forestall further breach of the peace and ensure the security of lives and property of law-abiding citizens in the state.

He stated: Last night, a contingent of police officers on official duty around Azikiwe/Asa Road in Aba was attacked by hoodlums, numbering over 30 and sadly killed one of the officers.

The hoodlums also carted away police arms and ammunition, even though one of the suspected attackers was apprehended with gunshot injuries.

The commissioner further stated that Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu had approved a cash reward of N5 million for anyone that provided information that could lead to the arrest of the hoodlums.

This is in addition to the approval of N1 million reward for each authentic video evidence to be submitted to the Judicial Panel of Inquiry into brutality and extra judicial killings by security agents in Abia.

Okiyi-Kalu urged parents and guardians to restrain their children and wards from engaging in nefarious activities that disrupt the peace in the state.

Mr Onyebuchi Ememanka, the Chief Press Secretary to Ikpeazu, said that the state Executive Council (EXCO) decided to impose the curfew to enable government to bring the tensed situation in

Aba and Umuahia under control.

EXCO took the decision for a 24-hour curfew as an immediate and interim measure to ensure that the situation is brought under control.

No responsible government will fold its arms and watch hoodlums unleash mayhem on innocent citizens.

It was learnt that hoodlums hijacked what ordinarily was a peaceful protest in Aba against police brutality.

EXCO will go ahead to review the curfew after 6 pm on Wednesday, depending on the stitution on ground, Ememanka said in an interview with NAN.

Source: NAN News

#ENDSARS protesters

By Yinusa Ishola

Following the imposition of a 24-hour curfew on residents ofEkiti bythe Ekiti State Government, the Police Command there on Tuesday announcedban on all forms of protest in the state.

The command in a statement signed by Mr Sunday Abutu, its Public Relations Officer, said that the ban was sequel to the rising threats to security of lives and properties over the #EndSARS protests.

According to the statement, the Police Command in Ekiti state wishes to inform the general public that from 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20, protest or gathering of any form or possession of weapons is banned.

The command advised everyone to comply with the curfew order, stay within the confines of their homes and shun any act of disobedience or violence, saying that such would not be tolerated by the operatives.

This is necessary to ensure that sanity and peace are restored to our dear state.

In view of this, operatives across all security agencies have been deployed for maximum security and the enforcement of the curfew all over the State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Kayode Fayemi had earlier announced the imposition of a curfew on the state from 10 p.m. starting from Tuesday, Oct 20.

Fayemi had in a statement signed by Mr Biodun Oyebanji, the Secretary to the State Government, said that the curfew was to prevent anarchy by some elements who had hijacked the peaceful protest against EndSARS in the state.

The statement noted that government was concerned that if such was allowed to continue unabated, it would lead to a breakdown of law and order thereby threatening the wellbeing of the people of Ekiti.

It stated that hoodlums had capitalised on the EndSARS protests to engage in robbery, rape and assault on innocent citizens in addition to the wanton destruction of private properties.

According to the statement, only essential workers and service providers with valid means of identification will be allowed to move during the curfew. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria

By Jessica Onyegbula

Department of Church and Society of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (DCSCSN), hascalled on theFederal Government to empanel a committee of elder statesmen, civil society groups and the Youth to redefine the rules of engagement and proffer solutions to the nationwide protests.

Rev. Fr Uchechukwu Obodoechina, National Director, DCSCSN, who made the call at a news conference in Abuja, stressed that the youthare calling for a holistic reform of the Nigerian Police Force and the entire security architecture of the country.

Obodoechina stated that the call to reform, retrain and re-orient the Police Force must be prioritized.

It is not enough to rename the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), to SWAT.

The Nigerian Youth along with the rest of the Nigerian citizens are living witnesses to situations of poverty, and disease, exacerbated by infrastructural decay, ruined healthcare systems, endemic insecurity and a tenuous social life.

The living standard of most average Nigerian families is nothing to write home about.

In fact, the hunger and poverty, the banditry and insecurity, the unemployment and the systemic corruption in the rank and file of Government, the abuse of human rights and the profligacy of the political class among others are evidently unbearable.

Life has become dangerously brutish and short in Nigeria.

As it were, the Nigerian Youth, with grim determination woke up from its sleep to demand not only for the disbandment of the notorious security formation but also for an immediate social transformation programme capable of ensuring a good life for all Nigerians.

The Church and Society Department of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria upholds that the dignity of the human person is inviolable and non-negotiable.

Human persons are made in the images and likeness of God and are imbued with inalienable dignity.

The Police Force and other Security outfit, within and outside Nigeria are so instituted to guarantee security of life and property of citizens, he said.

Obodoechina added that, it is instructive to note that section 34 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended provides, in an unequivocal term, the protection of the dignity of every person.

It states inter alia:

Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, and accordingly, no person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment;

No person shall be held in slavery or servitude;

And no person shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour.

It is, therefore, preposterous for our democracy and the course of good governance, when the rule of law does not hold sway in the ebb and flow of government processes.

Obodoechina said that the Nigerian state would be ill-prepared for the pending anarchy and doom that could result therefrom.

But looking to the future with optimism, and wishing to bring the on-going nationwide protest to a peaceful resolution, we, the DCSCSN, hereby make the following suggestions.

The Federal Government as a matter of urgency, should empanel a committee of elder statesmen, well-meaning opinion leaders, civil society groups along with the Youth to redefine the rules of engagement and proffer solutions to the spiraling protests.

It would be mutually self-destructive for the government, overtly or covertly, to try to arm-twist the protesters with intimidations and the use of either the Army or the Police.

In whichever way, the use of force, or the operation of the Exercise Crocodile Smile would exacerbate the feud in an already toxic and volatile environment.

The protesting Youth deserve to be listened to and taken very seriously.

Justice must be done and seen to be done indeed. This is most urgent in the light of the victims of police brutality, living and dead.

Just compensation is inevitable, while the Police perpetrators are to be fished out across the country for proper prosecutions under the course of law, he said.

He added that the call to reform, retrain and re-orient the Police Force must be prioritised.

It is not enough to rename the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), to SWAT.

Police personnel should be reoriented on the need to respect, protect and promote the fundamental human rights of citizens.

The Government must as a matter of urgency, develop effective strategies that would ensure inclusive governance, strengthening the judicial, health, educational, and social systems to serve the Common Good of all citizens.

It is still the duty of Government to take proactive steps to ensure peace, security and stability in the land. There would be no lasting basis for peace without justice.

Though pursuing a worthy course, since their demands align with the tenets of democracy and indices of good Governance, the Youth must avoid all forms of violence and banditry, taking the laws into their hands, lest the message and aims of the protest would be defeated, Obodoechina said.

He, however, said that in dynamic collaboration with all well-meaning Nigerians, the Nigerian Youth, Civil society Organisations, and the International community are calling for a holistic reform of the Nigerian Police Force.

They call for reform of the entire security architecture in the country and the diverse structures of governance to reflect true structures of service for fullness of life for all Nigerians.

Nothing short of this aspiration would be acceptable, he said.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

#EndSARS protesters

By Ruona Isikeh

EndSARS protesters in Benin on Tuesday apprehended some suspected hoodlums who broke into shops under the guise of the peaceful protest by its members.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that protesters at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and University of Benin (UNIBEN) Ugbowo campus main gate nabbed four suspected hoodlums.

The hoodlums broke into shops between UNIBEN and UBTH and were about to cart away goods worth thousands of naira when they were caught.

The EndSARS protesters, whoapprehended the suspected hoodlums took the four-man gang to Ugbowo Police Station for proper investigation but were rejected by the police officers on duty.

The police officers advised the EndSARS protesters to take the suspects along with them and the stolen items recovered to the state police headquarters because they were working on instruction not to arrest any suspects.

A police officer, who pleaded anonymous said that the reason for their action was not unconnected with the burning down of two police stations by hoodlums during the EndSARS protest in the state on Monday by suspected hoodlums.

He said some hoodlums during the protest had earlier stormed the police division demanding to know if any suspect was in detention in their cell and threatened to set the station ablaze. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Police station on fire in Lagos

By Oladapo Udom

The Police Command in Lagos State has confirmed that four police stations and the secretariat of Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government have been burnt in the course of the #EndSARS protests.

The Commands Police Public Relations Officer, SP Olumuyiwa Adejobi,in a statement on Tuesday said that the police formations burnt in the state were located in Orile, Layeni, Amukoko, and Cele outpost (under Ijesha division).

Adejobi added that the disbanded SARS office at Ajegunle and the Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government secretariat were also burnt by suspected hoodlums.

He said that the Mushin Police Division, and the Ilembe Hausa Division were attacked and warned that the police would repel further attacks.

He also said that the number of policemen killed at various locations within the state would be released soon.

We will ensure that there is no total break down of law and order in the state as adequate security operatives have been deployed to enforce the curfew, Adejobi said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. Dapo Abiodun

By Abiodun Lawal

Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun has ordered the closure of all schools and thesuspension of motorcycle operations in the state due to theprevailing situation surrounding the #EndSARS protests.

Abiodun said this during a press conference in Abeokuta on Tuesday night.

The governor said that the schools should be closed till Oct. 26, and that operations of motorcycles called okada be suspended for Wednesday in the first instance.

He noted that the blockade of highways and the molestation of innocent citizens going about their lawful businesses by protesters would no longer be tolerated in the state.

He said that the state would deploy joint patrol teams of security agencies to ensure that there would be no threat to public security.

He said that the state government had called for an increased security around the correctional centres and public buildings.

In spite of all the engagements and practical demonstrations of governments commitment to address the demands of the protesters to bring an end to the agitation, the protest has since escalated into another dimension.

And very sadly, an officer with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) was killed earlier on Tuesday by a mob on motorcycles in one of the border towns.

The incidents in the state are not isolated cases, indeed there are worse and gory reports of disturbing developments in other states across the country, including jail breaks and loss of lives and property, Abiodun said.

According to him, as a responsible administration, we will consider many options that will include imposing a curfew on the state if the need should arise.

However, in line with our focus, deliberate and measured approach, we had to take these decisions.

We are hereby requesting the youth groups to appoint leaders among themselves for a meeting with the governor for further dialogue.

We will be reviewing developments on a 24-hour basis and we will not hesitate to announce stringent measures as may be considered necessary. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Rice in bags

By Hawa lawal

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), disturbed by the increase in price of rice, have concluded plans to crash the price in all markets across the country.

Dr Musa Olasupo, an Assistant Director in CBN and a member, CBN Rice Value Team made this known on Tuesday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He said that RIFAN had assured CBN that Nigerians should expect between nine and 11 million metric tonnes of rice by the end of the year with the support of the bank.

Olasupo said that CBN had financed the construction of rice mills to support food self-sufficiency and security.

He said that the multi-billion naira, 32 tonnes-per hour mill being constructed by the Lagos state government at Imota, has reached 80 per cent completion and will be completed before the end of the year.

He said that Nigerias quest for self-sufficiency in rice production had continued to be hampered by issues around quality, price instability and harvesting/processing challenges, among others.

The bank started the funding process since 2 015 and it will continue to fund the millersas part of government efforts at revamping agriculture to crash price of rice.

Once the millers are able to produce more, price will continually come down until it attains an equilibrium, he said.

He said that the bank was determined to support any entrepreneurial initiative aimed at ensuring food security and safeguard the countrys foreign exchange from endless importation of rice available in different varieties locally.

The official said CBN was also funding other rice mills including Labana Rice Mills in Kebbi State and Umza Rice Mill in Kano State, while Dangote Farms was also constructing five mills; two in Jigawa and one each in Kebbi, Zamfara and Sokoto states.

Olasupo said that establishing bigger mills across the country had become imperative so that farmers would grow more paddies to feed the mills and crash the price of rice.

He said that rice consumption in Delta, Benin, Rivers, Beyalsa would be growing to more than 200 million metric tonnes, so there was need encourage more people build rice mill in the Niger Delta region.

Olasupo said that CBN and management of Bayero University Kano (BUK) had begun talks on how to develop a comprehensive blue print to fund rice production and processing in commercial quantity in the university.

Alhaji Aminu Goronyo, the National President of RIFAN, told NAN that the volume of rice production needed to increase from 6.9 million tonnes per annum to 10 million considering the ever growing population.

He said the CBN was intervening in various ways to crash the price and urged Nigerians not to panic, assuring that in the next few weeks the prices of rice would come down as markets would be flooded with local brands of rice.

Goronyo said through the financial effort and the involvement of the CBN and RIFAN, the prices of milled rice would fall.

Goronyo said the increase in the price of rice was associated with the high foreign exchange rate to buy inputs, the coronavirus lockdown and floods.

Things will soon go back to normalcy as the dry season farming will commence by the end of October and this will compensate for whatever that is happening in any location and take care of all the losses.

Even though we have issue of banditry, but this year, there is a massive production of rice, people have planted en-masse.

Every little space that can produce rice has been cultivated; so that will compensate for whatever that is happening in any location, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News