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Stranded Nigerians in Sudan: Some evacuations already done via sea – FG

Published

1 year ago

April 27, 2023

Stranded Nigerians in Sudan: Some evacuations already done via sea – FG

The Federal Government has disclosed that no Nigerian life has been lost in Sudan since conflict broke out on April 15 from bitter power struggle between leaders of Sudan’s regular army and rival paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Over 400 people have died and nearly 3,500 injured in the crisis which has forced hundreds of citizens to flee the capital, Khartoum.

The RSF paramilitary organisation, led by Gen. Mohamed Dagalo, and Sudanese Armed Forces, under the command of Gen. Abdel al-Burhan, were previously allies untill they had differences that led to violent confrontation.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zuberu Dada, yesterday, said in a bid to ensure the safety of Nigerians in the war-torn country, the Federal Government successfully secured permission and authorisation from the Sudanese government to evacuate Nigerians to safety.

“The evacuation is being done in batches to ensure the safety of all Nigerians. But the good news is that no Nigerian life has been lost so far,” he said.

The minister said the government has also arranged for security support and transportation for evacuated Nigerians to the Egyptian border.

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He said government was making efforts to evacuate as many Nigerians as possible during the 72-hour window provided by the Sudanese government.

Dada also disclosed that some Nigerians had already been evacuated by ship from the Port Sudan by the government of Saudi Arabia.

“Don’t forget that this is a joint effort. We have friendly nations that are ready to assist. Saudi authorities have been able to pick up some Nigerians, they’re transporting them by ship, I guess to Jeddah in particular. From where, of course, again, we’ll link up and find a way of bringing them back from Jeddah,” he said.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffery Onyeama said diplomats from Nigeria are there to coordinate the evacuation. He said women and children will be given priority.

He said: “Now as regards the gender question. I think that’s obviously something we will have to look into in a bit more detail, but I think ordinarily, it will be .”

The minister also gave update on what transpired between Nigerians at the Ethiopian border saying there were seven Nigerians who came to the border and were not being allowed to pass through, but that the issue had been resolved.

Onyeama also explained that the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammadu Muhammed, was already on ground in Egypt and coordinating the logistics with embassy staff to ensure a smooth evacuation process.

On how much it cost Nigerian government, Onyeama said: “$1.2 million is what we’re being charged for all the 40 buses. We have huge transporter luxury buses made available to us to transport to the Egyptian border. Of course you know, because of the risks involved and so many other things, a lot of people are going to also take advantage, you’re going to hike up the price. We saw that the French convoy was attacked and so forth. It was difficult procuring these buses. But we had to do it because you know, Nigerian lives matters for us.”

Stranded Nigerians in Sudan: Some evacuations already done via sea – FG

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Three siblings attack school teacher for flogging brother in Port Harcourt

Published

6 hours ago

May 7, 2024

Trends Admin

Sonia Amadi

Three siblings attack school teacher for flogging brother in Port Harcourt

The family of a J.S.S.1 student of a secondary school in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, simply identified as Favour, on Monday, accosted a female teacher, Sonia Amadi on her way to work and flogged her for allegedly whipping their child.

According to the punch, the family members also allegedly went into the school compound and locked up the Admin Officer, Joy Ajayi, inside her office and threatened to do the same to her.

It was gathered that it took the intervention of other parents to prevent the family who had physically assaulted the female teacher from beating up the Admin officer.

Speaking with newsmen, an Admin Officer of the school, ‘Silver Bird International School’ Agip, Mile 4, in Port Harcourt, Joy Ajayi said she was in her office on Monday morning when three boys matched in, locked the door and said they wanted to flog her.

“One of the boys carried the scissors we used in doing school work and threatened to stab me. He asked why should they flog his brother in this school,” she narrated.

“All the teachers came out that there was no need for them to take this thing to that extent. But they refused to open the door. There was a parent inside here with me and we were resolving an issue.

“So the parent had to start begging them that they should calm down. They were here for more than 15 to 20 minutes. My teachers were outside trying to get inside but they could not

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“They were saying they would flog me and that we should go and call the Police or lawyer. I now said I have a right to defend myself. As I was talking, that was when their father came, and said they should open the door. They opened the door and their father now said he wanted to take his family and that he would come back later

“Before they came to my office and locked me up, a teacher was flogged, my English teacher Sonia Amadi when she was coming to school.

“They flogged her seriously. She is in the office and I have to ask her to calm down. The mother of the boy also slapped her as she was coming to school

“The same people who came to my office had already accosted my teacher and flogged her seriously. As she was entering the gate they followed her and matched straight to my office, “she added.

It was gathered that the management of the school has lodged a formal complaint at the Ada George Police Division where the teacher was issued a medical form to visit the clinic for treatment.

Meanwhile, a rights group, the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, has condemned the alleged assault on the female teacher and invasion of the school by the student’s family

The National Coordinator of the group, Price Wiro, in a statement, said the parents of the student should have reported to the Ministry of Education if they felt their child was treated inappropriately or the Police in case of physical assault rather than taking laws into their hands.

We called on the Police to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident and anybody found culpable should be made to face the law.

“We condemn the invasion of the school by the student’s brothers and the locking up of an admin staff on account that she flogged their child in a manner that they considered inappropriate,” he said.

“I want to advise parents that if you feel that the way your child was treated in school is not right, there are channels for seeking redress. If there are physical signs of assault you can go to the police or the Ministry of Education to make a formal complaint.

“Resort to self-help by taking the laws into your hands is not the way to go. I therefore call on the Police to thoroughly investigate this matter anybody found culpable no matter how highly placed should face the law.”

Three siblings attack school teacher for flogging brother in Port Harcourt

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Depressed Delta lady kills self over hardship

Published

9 hours ago

May 7, 2024

Trends Admin

Depressed Delta lady kills self over hardship

A 34-year-old lady simply identified as Blessing has committed suicide in Warri, Delta State.

The deceased was said to have taken her own life after consuming sniper, a popular insecticide, and the go-to poisonous chemical substance for suicidal people.

Details of Blessing’s demise is still hazy but her friend simply identified as Ejiro, said the deceased had been battling chronic depression.

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The deceased also was said to have left behind a note, explaining why she took her own life.

In the note, she disclosed that life has been hard and no one has reached out to help her.

According to her: “She bought Sniper and drank it without anyone knowing. Before she drank it, she wrote a letter near her dead body, and she said in the letter that she was depressed. No help from family members and friends.”

At the time of filing this report, the remains of the deceased had been buried by her family members

Depressed Delta lady kills self over hardship

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Many injured as Police teargas Delta protesters

Published

9 hours ago

May 7, 2024

Trends Admin

Delta Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Edafe Bright,

Many injured as Police teargas Delta protesters

One middle-aged woman was shot while many others sustained varied degrees of injury in Ughelli on Monday as operatives of the Delta State Police Command resorted to forceful dispersal of a group of protesting women.

The women from Oteri-Ughelli in the Ughelli North Local Government Area were protesting against alleged incessant harassment and extortion by policemen in the community.

Eyewitnesses said what started as a peaceful protest turned bloody when the aggrieved women, in their hundreds, who had mobilised to the Police Area Command office in Ughelli to register their grievances, were rebuffed by the men and officers of the area command.

The women protesters carried placards with assorted inscriptions such “Oteri-Ughell is a peaceful community with law-abiding citizens, stop making life difficult for us”; “Police are making life difficult for our poor and innocent citizens”; etc.

But security operatives reportedly used heavy teargas against the unarmed women and shot one middle-aged woman in her left leg while others were beaten to stupor.

Two leaders of the protesting women, who volunteered to speak with journalists, Harvest Ugbhwiako and Mrs. Vivian Aphiare, alleged that the police unlawfully arrested and detained their children and wards who were on errands. She said they were made to part with between N150,000 and N200,000 to secure their release on bail.

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Also addressing newsmen at the emergency ward of the General Hospital, Ughelli, where some victims of the police gunshots were admitted, the President General of the community, Efe Peter, berated the police “for using guns with live ammunition against the peaceful protesters”.

He said, “The women from Oteri community were in peaceful protest to the palace of the Ovie (monarch) of Ughelli kingdom and the Area Commander to register their grievances.”

Efe stated that the Area Commander called him to appeal to the protesting women to go home, promising that he would look into their complaints, “but before I looked back, policemen started shooting and teargassing the women, thereby shooting one in the leg and injuring many.”

He lamented that “people of the community had come to notice, with worries, that they could no longer access their community nor come out from the community without experiencing extortion by policemen.”

“Whenever you come out of the community to Ughelli main town, once it is 8 o’clock in the evening, you cannot get motorcycles or tricycles to convey you any longer because of the police extortion.

“Consequently, our mothers and women trek home from Ughelli main market every day as a result of police harassment and extortions of money from motorists.

“Recently the police embarked on incessant arrest and vandalism of houses belonging to youths of the community and carted away their personal belongings, detained them and collected a huge amount of money from them without offence.”

When contacted, the Police Area Commander in Ughelli, ACP Adebayo, told journalists that his office “is looking into the complaints of the community with a view to sanctioning erring police officers and men.”