Nigeria posts 920 new COVID-19 cases, death toll hits 1.218

 

Nigeria reported six new COVID-19 related deaths on Saturday, taking the death toll to 1,218.

The NCDC also reported 920 new cases of COVID-19, more than the 850 posted on Friday and far from the existing record of 1,145 cases.

The new figure has taken the overall cases to 77,933.

According to data released by NCDC, Lagos accounted for 308 cases, a third of the new cases announced.

The upsurge in the COVID-cases in Nigeria’s commercial capital has justified the restrictions announced Friday by Governor Sanwo-Olu.

The governor has also contracted the virus and is undergoing treatment.

Abuja posted the second highest figure of 207, after Lagos.

Kaduna was next in line with 179 cases.

According to the data, the active cases are now 8,931, while the discharged people are 67,784.

“Our discharges today include 115 community recoveries in Kaduna State and 104 community recoveries in Lagos State managed in line with guidelines”, the NCDC stated.

Here is a breakdown of the new cases

Lagos-308
FCT-207
Kaduna-179
Plateau-46
Niger-43
Adamawa-26
Sokoto-18
Rivers-16
Yobe-15
Enugu-13
Kano-13
Ogun-12
Delta-10
Edo-5
Osun-3
Oyo-3
Anambra-2
Ekiti-1

77,933 confirmed
67,784 discharged
1,218 deaths

- PM NEWS

QUOTA SYSTEM PRODUCT !! Bello, Nigeria’s nominee to ICC, well beaten, secures only 5 out of 110 votes

 

Ishaq Usman Bello, chief judge of the federal capital territory (FCT) high court, has failed in his bid to be elected as a judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

President Muhammadu Buhari had nominated Bello as Nigeria’s candidate on June 20.

Bello polled 12 votes, with only Milandou Prosper, nominee from the Republic of Congo, scoring lower out of 117 in the first round of the election held on Thursday.

In the second round, Bello garnered only five votes out of 110 votes.

The ICC advisory committee on the nomination of judges had earlier ranked Bello low in October, giving the indication that he may not be selected in the final election.

Although the FCT chief judge has a master’s degree in international criminal law from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, the ICC said Bello lacked knowledge of the workings of the court.

Only Korner Joanna and Lordkipanidze Gocha, nominees of the United Kingdom and Georgia respectively, were elected judges out of the 18 candidates.

Six judges were supposed to be elected to fill one-third of the court’s 18 judicial seats.

- THECABLE

LaLiga: Pele reacts as Messi equals his record

 

Brazil football legend, Pele, has congratulated Barcelona’s Lionel Messi for matching his goalscoring record at a single club.

Messi netted his 643rd for the Catalans as they drew 2-2 with Valencia on Saturday.

That figure matches Pele’s record with Santos in official competition, although the Brazilian scored many more in friendlies and tours.

Messi is also Barca’s all-time highest scorer.

With the 33-year-old set to break his record this season, Pele has now spoken of his admiration for Messi.

“When your heart overflows with love, it is difficult to change your path,” the 80-year-old wrote on Instagram.

“Like you, I know what it’s like to love wearing the same shirt every day. Like you, I know that there is nothing better than the place we feel at home.

“Congratulations on your historic record, Lionel. But above all, congratulations on your beautiful career at Barcelona.

“Stories like ours, of loving the same club for so long, unfortunately will be increasingly rare in football. I admire you very much, @leomessi.”

- DAILY POST

Our security outfit targeted at criminals – IPOB

 

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB has debunked insinuations that the security outfit recently floated by the group; Eastern Security Network (ESN) is targeted at attacking and clamping down anyone that speaks against their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

According to a statement issued on Saturday by the Publicity Secretary of the group, Comrade Emma Powerful stated the vigilante group which he said is akin to Amotekun in the South West is to eradicate terrorism and criminality in Biafra land over the inability of security agencies to effectively police the Southeast.

According to Powerful, the establishment of ESN is not targeted against law-abiding citizens but only after criminal elements and terrorists in the Southeast.

Kanu who lambasted a group; Conference of Igbo Elders for Peace and Development (CIEPAD) for making derogatory comment about the formation of the security outfit said

“Well-meaning individuals and groups like Afenifere, the leading socio-cultural organization in Nigeria have already hailed the formation of ESN. Easterners both home and in the diaspora have also continued to send goodwill messages over this uncommon feat. Even the usually frightened National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, has grudgingly offered his support to the security outfit.

“This is the only reason the security agencies who are already jolted by the outpouring of commendations trailing the formation of ESN from across the world is making frantic but belated efforts to discredit ESN by using faceless groups. This lame strategy is not new to us.

“We wish to also remind the public of the Okwudili saga, another fictitious figure created in the minds of DSS operatives to usurp the leadership of IPOB, that failed spectacularly.

“How about fake groups like RENIPOB, REPOB, SEXIPOB floated at various times in the past in an attempt to deceive the public into thinking that the great IPOB family is factionalised. It all failed and so will this latest joke called IEPAD.”

- PM NEWS

PEDOPHILES !!! National assembly wants voting right for married underage girls

 The national assembly joint committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is recommending that married underage girls be recognised as eligible voters.

Nigeria’s constitution currently pegs the eligible age for voting at 18.

The national assembly joint panel made the recommendation to a technical committee which will work on the new electoral act proposed by the federal lawmakers.

The technical committee is made up of lawyers, lawmakers, INEC officials and civil society organisations (CSOs).

At a public hearing organised by the joint panel about two weeks ago, some stakeholders recommended that married underage girls should be considered as voters.

Speaking at the inauguration of the technical committee in Abuja, Kabiru Gaya, chairman of the senate committee on INEC, said the recommendation is a unanimous decision by the joint panel.

“The joint committee has proposed that if a lady who is not up to 18 years is married, she should be considered to be mature enough and be eligible to vote,” Gaya said.

But Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, said the issue of voting age is a constitutional matter, adding that the law also recognises 18 as marriageable age.

In response, Aisha Dukku, chairperson of the house of representatives committee on INEC, said the recommendation cannot be thrown out because it was suggested by stakeholders at the public hearing.

“It is already in the electoral act amendments submitted in the last assembly, so it cannot be thrown away just like that,” the chairperson said.

“We should look at it and come up with something instead of throwing it away. It is not from us but from the stakeholders on the day of the public hearing held in the 8th assembly.”

Thereafter, Yakubu said INEC would work with the federal lawmakers to amend the country’s electoral act before the first quarter of 2021.

Electronic voting will be backed up by law if the national assembly passes this amendment and the president assents to it.

- THECABLE

Do not write stories in favour of politicians because of money – Aare Musulumi warns journalists

 

The Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo, Kogi, Kwara, and Delta States, Alhaji Daud Makanjuola Akinola has warned journalists across the country not to write their stories in favour of politicians because of money.

Akinola gave the warning at the weekend while hosting members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Oyo State council led by its Chairman, Alhaji Ismail Ademola Babalola.

The visit of the NUJ members to the Aare Musulumi was part of activities marking the 2020 Press Week of the NUJ, Oyo State Council, DAILY POST reports.

Akinola, who said that journalists can mar or make issues based on their thoughts and beliefs, warned against writing stories and reports in favour of some set of people because of money.

He advised journalists to tell the stories as they are, in line with the ethics of their profession, instead of writing against perceived enemies or friends because of pecuniary gains.

Akinola said, “Try to leave behind a good legacy. No one can make you rich. It is God that makes you rich.

“Do not write in favour of politicians. Do not write in favour of anyone because of money. If you write in favour of someone, you write against someone and the person you write against is sent to prison. Whatever happens to the person in prison is caused by you because you have written against him or her.

“Do not depend on anyone. God is the one that can do what you want and not a human being.

“If the town is good, it is you and if the town is bad, it is in your hand. So, make use of what you are doing, based on your professional calling to make things work and not to mar things.

“Do not do journalism of the highest bidder. As journalists, do not judge, because God is the ultimate judge.

“You journalists should always say the truth and do not favour anyone because of worldly things. If you do not have money today, you will have tomorrow, because you are saying the truth.”

- DAILY POST

Bandits strike again in Katsina, kidnap 84 children

 

Katsina state is fast becoming a playground for armed hoodlums and bandits as police confirmed the kidnapping of 84 school children on Saturday night.

This was some 72 hours after Kankara schoolboys captured 11 December by bandits were freed.

The 84 children were abducted 2200 GMT by armed men, who ambushed them in Mahuta village, Dandume LGA, as they were returning from a Maulud Nabbiyu event at Unguwan Alkasim village.

The children were all of Hizburrahim Islamiyya school.

The same set of bandits had already kidnapped four persons and rustled twelve cows from Danbaure village in Funtua LGA of the state, before kidnapping the children.

They were trying to escape into the forest, when they ran into the children.

But the police and vigilante groups swiftly responded to rescue the children.

The DPO of Dandume LGA got a distress call and moved in his men.

Police Spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, in a statement Sunday said the DPO led Operations “Puff Adder,” Sharan Daji and Vigilante group to the area and engaged the bandits into a fierce gun duel.

“Subsequently, the teams succeeded in dislodging the bandits and rescued all the eighty-four (84) kidnapped victims and recovered all the twelve rustled cows.

“Search parties are still combing the area with a view of arresting the injured bandits and/or recovery of their dead bodies. Investigation is ongoing,” Isah noted.

However, some reports indicated that some of the children are still in the hands of the bandits.

Hamisu Ya’u, a resident of Mahuta told an online medium that “nobody will tell you the exact number of the abducted children because it happened at night and the place where the abduction took place was very dark”.

“As of now, we don’t have the exact figures of the rescued ones and the missing ones.”

- PM NEWS