metro
Eight dead as Somali forces battle Al-Shabaab at besieged hotel
At least eight civilians have been confirmed dead in an attack by Islamist militants on a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu, an official said Saturday, as security forces continued to battle gunmen holed up inside
Fighters from the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab group stormed the popular Hayat Hotel on Friday evening in a hail of gunfire and bomb blasts.
Sporadic gunfire and loud explosions could still be heard early Saturday, many hours after the start of the assault.
It is the biggest attack in Mogadishu since Somalia’s new president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, was elected in May after many months of political instability.
The jihadist group, which has been waging a deadly insurgency against Somalia’s fragile central government for about 15 years, claimed responsibility.
“The security forces continued to neutralise terrorists who have been cordoned inside a room in the hotel building; most of the people were rescued but at least eight civilians were confirmed dead so far,” security commander Mohamed Abdikadir told AFP.
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“The security forces rescued dozens of civilians including children who were trapped in the building safely,” he added.
Dozens of people have been gathering outside the hotel to discover the fate of loved ones caught up inside the hotel.
“We have been looking for a relative of mine who was trapped inside the hotel, she was confirmed dead together with six other people, two of them I know,” said witness Muudey Ali.
Witnesses reported at least two large explosions as the gunmen stormed the hotel, a popular spot frequented by government officials and ordinary Somalis.
Police spokesman Abdifatah Adan Hassan had told reporters late Friday that the initial blast was caused by a suicide bomber who attacked the hotel with several other gunmen.
Witnesses said a second blast occurred just a few minutes later, inflicting casualties on rescuers and members of the security forces and civilians who rushed to the scene after the first explosion.
– ‘Random shooting’ –
The militants claimed responsibility for the attack in a brief statement on a pro-Shabaab website.
“A group of Al-Shabaab attackers forcibly entered Hotel Hayat in Mogadishu, the fighters are carrying out random shooting inside the hotel,” the group said.
Earlier this week, the United States announced that its forces had killed 13 Al-Shabaab fighters in an air strike in the central-southern part of the country as the Islamist militants were attacking Somali forces.
The US has carried out several air raids on the militants in recent weeks.
In May, President Joe Biden ordered the re-establishment of a US troop presence in Somalia to help local authorities combat Al-Shabaab, reversing a decision by his predecessor Donald Trump to withdraw most US forces.
In recent weeks, Al-Shabaab fighters have also launched attacks on the Somalia-Ethiopia border, raising concerns about a possible new strategy by the jihadists.
Somalia’s new president Mohamud said last month that ending Al-Shabaab’s insurgency required more than a military approach, but that his government would negotiate with the group only when the time was right.
Al-Shabaab fighters were driven out of the capital in 2011 by an African Union force, but the group still controls swathes of countryside.
It continues to launch deadly strikes on civilian and military targets, with popular hotels and restaurants frequently hit.
Earlier this month, new Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre announced the appointment of the group’s former deputy leader and spokesman, Muktar Robow, as religion minister.
Robow, 53, publicly defected from Al-Shabaab in August 2017, with the US government at one point offering a $5 million bounty for his capture.
The Horn of Africa nation has been mired in chaos since the fall of the military regime of President Siad Barre in 1991.
His ouster was followed by a civil war and the ascendancy of Al-Shabaab.
The deadliest attack in Somalia occurred in October 2017 when a truck packed with explosives blew up in a bustling commercial district of Mogadishu, killing 512 people.
AFP
metro
Excessive speed, substandard tyres caused Kaduna, Kano fatal crashes – FRSC
Excessive speed, substandard tyres caused Kaduna, Kano fatal crashes – FRSC
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has warned motorists against the use of substandard tyres and excessive speeding while driving to avert road accidents.
The warning came after two crashes that claimed the lives of 18 people at Gaya Junction, Kano State, and Tashar Yari, Kaduna State.
The Corps Marshal, Dauda Ali Biu, in a statement posted on the FRSC X handle attributed the main causes of the two road accidents to use of bad tyres and speed limit violation.
Biu urged motorists to comply with maximum safety requirements, according to the statement signed by Jonas Agwu, an Assistant Corps Marshal and spokesman for the corps.
It stated that investigation reports submitted to the Corps Marshal showed the Kano crash involved two vehicles, a Toyota Hiace Bus and a Hijet Bus, occurred on Friday 19 April, 2024.
The report added that it involved 28 people, comprising 17 male adults, five female adults, two male children and four female children.
“From the number, 16 victims comprising five male adults, five female adults, two male children and four female children were injured while 12 persons including the driver, all male adults got killed.
“The FRSC rescue team that conducted the rescue operations has taken the injured victims to Gaya General hospital for emergency medical attention, while the dead bodies have been deposited at the morgue of the same hospital,” it stated.
The statement also disclosed that the Kaduna (Tashan Yari) crash occurred on Thursday involved a total of 57 people comprising 30 male adults, 22 female adults, and five female children.
It stated, “From this number, 30 victims were injured comprising 12 male adults, 15 female adults and three female children as six of the victims all male adults were reported killed.
“The crash which involved a trailer was caused by speed limit violation, use of worn-out tyre that eventually led to loss of control.
“The injured victims and the corpses were conveyed to General Hospital Makarfi, Kaduna State.”
metro
BREAKING: Court acquits Ex-AGF Adoke
BREAKING: Court acquits Ex-AGF Adoke
A former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, has been acquitted of money laundering charges by an Abuja Federal High Court.
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, upheld Adoke’s “no case” submission against the money laundering charges.
In 2017, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Adoke and Abubakar Aliyu, a property developer, with laundering about N300 million.
While the EFCC acknowledged before Ekwo that it was a mortgage taken by Adoke from Unity Bank, it alleged before Justice Kutigi that the money constituted a bribe from the sale of an oil block by Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd in 2011.
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On March 28, 2024, Kutigi dismissed the charges against Adoke and others, citing contradictions and criticizing the EFCC for a four-year trial.
Justice Ekwo, on Friday, ruled that the EFCC failed to provide evidence to prove the essential elements of the offence against Adoke, acquitting him of the charges.
However, Ekwo mandated Aliyu, the second defendant, to open his defence, stating that he has a case to answer.
BREAKING: Court acquits Ex-AGF Adoke
metro
Army releases Delta traditional ruler detained over slain 17 soldiers
Army releases Delta traditional ruler detained over slain 17 soldiers
The Nigerian Army has released a Delta State traditional ruler, Clement Ikolo, arrested over the murder of 17 soldiers in Okuama community.
He was released on Friday during a briefing by the Director of the Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu.
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