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How Nigerian soldiers killed 150 Biafra agitators
About 150 agitators for the Republic of Biafra have been killed by Nigerian security operatives, especially the Nigerian army. This much was contained in a new report by Amnesty International (AI), detailing how the pro-Biafrans met their death through extrajudicial killings and torture by the security forces. Over 150 Biafrans were reportedly killed between August 2015 and August 2016 according to the report titled: “Bullets Were Raining Everywhere” and obtained by Premium Times. This stats was said to have depended on an analysis of 87 videos, 122 photographs and 146 eye witness testimonies which showed the soldiers were firing live ammunition to disperse some of the agitators without a prior warning.
For instance, no fewer than 60 defenceless protesters of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were killed within two days ahead of the May 30 Biafra Remembrance Day celebration. IPOB and MASSOB laid curses on Nigeria at her independence This also confirmed Premium Times’s earlier report about the massive clampdown and inexplicable killings of IPOB members by soldiers, police officers and operatives of the State Security Services (SSS).
Fani-Kayode In a statement issued alongside the report, AI wrote: “On Remembrance Day itself, the security forces shot people in several locations. Amnesty International has not been able to verify the exact number of extrajudicial executions, but estimates that at least 60 people were killed and 70 injured in these two days. The real number is likely to be higher.” A woman simply identified as Ngozi, during an interview with AI, recounted some of the incidents that occurred during the Remembrance Day celebration. The 28-year-old wife of a late IPOB protester explained to the Amnesty that her hubby had informed her that day shortly after leaving for work that he had been shot in the abdomen by the soldiers but that he was in a military vehicle with six other members (four already dead). She added: “He started whispering and said they just stopped [the vehicle].
He was scared they would kill the remaining three of them that were alive… He paused and told me they were coming closer. I heard gunshots and I did not hear a word from him after that.” It was not until the next day that the woman found her husband’s corpse in a mortuary not far from their place of residence. And the mortuary attendant explained how the man had been brought (with three gunshot injuries – one in the abdomen and two on the chest) alongside six others.
Another witness, identified as Chukwuemeka (pseudonym) explained how he was shot and taken to the barracks with other corpses. “They dumped us on the ground beside a pit. There were two soldiers beside the pit. The pit was very big and so many dead people were inside the pit.
I cannot estimate the number of people in the grave. … We were dumped on the ground,” the 25-year-old trader said. The BBC also quotes Makmid Kamara, Amnesty’s interim director for Nigeria, as saying: “This reckless and trigger-happy approach to crowd control has caused at least 150 deaths, and we fear the actual total might be far higher.” It also reported that a 26-year-old man was reportedly shot in Nkpor area of Anambra state but did not die. And when some soldiers found him again, they poured acid on him in a bid to have him die slowly.
The Nigerian army has denied killing members of the Movement for the Actualisation of a Sovereign State Of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) and accused them of committing heinous crimes. In a statement by Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman who is the spokesperson of the army, he reacted to a planned release of Amnesty International that reportedly accused the army of carry out extra-judicial killing of member of the separatist groups. Usman however accused the international group of peddling lies and said it was an attempt to tarnish the image of the army.
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NASS amends NDLEA Act, okays life imprisonment for drug traffickers
The Senate has concurred with the recommendation of the House of Representatives to commute the death sentence penalty for persons found guilty of storing, moving or concealing hard drugs and other illicit substances to life imprisonment.
The alignment of the Senate with the House of Representatives yesterday was a sequel to the amendment effected on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act.
The amendment was considered at the plenary, presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, APC! Kano North, after majority of senators supported the harmonisation of the conference committee of the two chambers of the National Assembly on Section 11 of the NDLEA Act.
Recall that recently, the House of Representatives passed an amendment to the NDLEA law to prescribe life imprisonment for drug traffickers but the Senate version of the amendment prescribed death penalty for the offenders.
In order to address the differences, both the Senate and the House of Representatives needed to hold a conference committee on the amendment where they will conclude on a final amendment to the section.
The then Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Tahir Monguno, had told his colleagues that the Senate would adopt the amendment of the House prescribing life imprisonment for drug traffickers.
Monguno, who is the chairman of the conference committee, explained that if the National Assembly adopted the death sentence, it meant over 900 accused persons behind bar on drug related cases would be executed.
He, therefore, urged his colleagues to support the resolution in order to reduce the effect of drug consumption and trading in the country.
After the presentation, the Deputy Senate President put the resolution to a vote and majority of the senators supported it.
Senator Barau, thereafter, approved the amendments to include life imprisonment for drug traffickers.
With the amendment, the section now reads: “Anybody who is unlawfully involved in the storage, custody, movement, carriage or concealment of dangerous drugs or controlled substances and who, while so involved is armed with any offensive weapon or is disguised in anyway, shall be guilty of an offence under this Act, and liable on conviction to be sentenced to life imprisonment.”
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‘He was never our member’ — IPOB disowns Simon Ekpa
The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) says Simon Ekpa, the controversial Biafra agitator, was never a member of the group.
IPOB said Ekpa was not a registered member of the group’s chapter in Finland and cannot be the leader of the group.
On Thursday, Ekpa, a Finland-based secessionist, was arrested by law enforcement agents in the northern European nation.
He was subsequently sent to prison by the district court of Päijät-Häme for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media”.
Ekpa was said to have committed the crime in 2021 in Lahti municipality.
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) also arrested four other men over alleged terrorist offences.
In a statement on Friday, Emma Powerful, IPOB’s spokesperson, said Ekpa was a “destructive agent” paid to “infiltrate and destroy” the “peaceful movement” of IPOB.
Powerful accused the Nigerian and Finnish governments of shielding Ekpa from arrest.
“Simon Ekpa was never and is not an IPOB member, let alone being a leader in IPOB. IPOB has some family units in Finland, and Simon Ekpa is not a registered member of any IPOB unit in Finland or any other IPOB unit globally,” the statement reads.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu established IPOB as a peaceful movement to seek Biafra Independence via a supervised UN referendum.
“IPOB is a peaceful global movement that has never taken to violence or arms struggle in two decades of our self-determination struggle.
“It was unfortunate that some innocent Biafrans, being passionate for the restoration of the stolen sovereignty of the Biafran Nation, thought that Simon Ekpa was genuinely sympathetic to the Biafra cause.
“Sadly, they had to learn the hard way that he was a destructive agent paid to infiltrate and destroy the IPOB peaceful movement for Biafra self-determination. He recruited violent criminals to destabilize the South East Region in 2021.
“The Simon Ekpa-led group has no alliance, affiliation or relationship with IPOB family worldwide. He recruited his criminal gangs who have been terrorising the Biafran territory since 2021.
“The Nigerian government and politicians that contracted Simon Ekpa have been making strenuous efforts to tag the violent crimes of their agent on IPOB just to blackmail and demonise the genuine and peaceful Biafra self-determination struggle of the Biafran people led by the IPOB.
“On the purported arrest of Simon Ekpa, all IPOB members, Biafrans and lovers of Biafra freedom should remain calm and focused on our core objective which is the restoration of the sovereign state of Biafra.”
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Lagos state government seals Ile Iyan restaurant over waste disposal violations
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has sealed off Ile Iyan, a restaurant in the Sabo Yaba area of the state, for “non-compliance with waste disposal regulations”.
Lagos Waste Reporters, a publication focused on waste management, reported that officials discovered invoices and food waste from Ile Iyan at an illegal dumpsite.
The dumpsite is located near Aje Comprehensive High School, Yaba.
“Despite the establishment’s claims of registration with LAWMA, no corroborative evidence was provided,” the report reads.
LAWMA has now mandated Ile Iyan to formally register and comply with established waste management regulations.
“It is essential to maintain cleanliness in Lagos. Businesses must register with LAWMA and adhere to proper waste management procedures to prevent closure,” the report added.
Tokunbo Wahab, commissioner for the environment and water resources in Lagos, has ramped up enforcement of environmental regulations in the city, with markets, clubs and eateries often sealed over purported violations.
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