Again gunmen burn down Police Station in Imo State, free detainees

 

Gunmen on Tuesday attacked another police station in Imo State, freed suspects in detention and razed it down.

This happened barely 24 hours after the Imo State Correctional Centre and the State Police Headquarters were attacked on Monday with many inmates set free.

Tuesday’s incident happened a few hours after Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and outgoing Inspector General of Police (IGP), Muhammed Adamu left the State.

The VP, IGP and the Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola, were in the state to inspect the level of damage on the burnt security facilities.

The Gunmen attacked and burnt Ehime Mbano Local Government Area Divisional Police Headquarters on Tuesday.

Without any form of investigation, the outgoing IGP Adamu had yesterday accused members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and the Eastern Security Network, ESN, of carrying out the attacks.

This was after the IPOB in a statement by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, denied any involvement in the dastardly act.

The gunmen were said to have operated without any resistance from Security agencies on Tuesday.

- DAILY POST

NPHCDA: One person can’t receive different COVID vaccine brands

Faisal Shuaib, executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), says an individual cannot be administered different brands of the COVID-19 vaccine.

He stated this at a media briefing of the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 on Tuesday, while responding to a question on if a person can receive one dose each of different vaccines.

The first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are currently being administeed across the country.

According to Shuaib, one person cannot receive the AstraZaneca vaccine as the first dose, and another vaccine brand as the second shot.

“You cannot take the AstraZeneca on your left, and Johnson & Johnson on the right. It has to be both doses of AstraZeneca or a single shot of the Johnson and Johnson,” he said.

He also spoke on the expected mild side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and urged persons who experience severe reactions to report to the health centres where the dose was administered.

“I think it we have said on multiple locations here, that there are side effects of these vaccines. Side effects of vaccines are not unique to the COVID-19 vaccine. And it is not uncommon for people who take the vaccine to experience mild side effects,” he said.

“Once they experience these side effects, the correct thing to do is to report the side effects to the health facility where you got the vaccine. There’s also the med safety app that you can download on your phone and report these side effects. The data goes directly to NAFDAC, and we’re following up on these side effects.

“Anywhere there’s a serious side effect, this is investigated to try and establish any causal link between the vaccine and whatever symptoms or signs the client has shown. One thing that we continue to tell vaccinators is that even before people take the vaccine, they should be educated on the potential side effects.”

- THECABLE

Imo prison attack: Buhari govt planning to kill Igbo agitators – Biafra group

 The Biafra Nations League, BNL, says the just sacked Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu has exposed the intention of the Federal Government for Biafran agitators.

BNL said the order by Adamu that police officers use maximum force against members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has exposed a plot by the Federal Government to carry out extra-judicial killings of Biafra agitators.

Adamu had given the order following the attacks on Police headquarters and Correction facilities in Owerri, Imo State.

But the Deputy National Leader of BNL, Ebuta Akor Takon, who did not welcome the order, condemned the activities of the gunmen, stressing that his group is currently investigating their motives.

Takon in a statement sent to DAILY POST said, “since the IPOB has denied involvement, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on uniformed men in the South East, Cross River and Akwa Ibom State it means that the federal government is sponsoring the attacks to label all Biafrans as terrorist”.

The group warned that the federal government “must not play with the lives of the people of the old Eastern Nigeria.”

BNL wondered why security operatives could not “make any arrest during the attack to ascertain which group is behind it.

The group further warned the Federal government not to invite another trouble by arresting separatists.

- DAILY POST

Two Chinese expatriates abducted in Osun

 

Two Chinese expatriates, Zhao Juan (33) and Wen (50) were abducted on Monday, April 5, 2021, by unknown gunmen at a mining site in Osun state.

The foreigners were kidnapped at a mining site located in Okepa/Itikan village in Ifewara, Atakumosa-West local government area of the state.

Reports have it that the gunmen invaded the site in numbers and engaged local guards in a gun duel for almost an hour before they subdued the guards.

Yemisi Opalola, the state police spokesperson said the gunmen also shot two private guards at the gold mining site before abducting the expatriates.

“Two Chinese Nationals, Messrs Zhao Jian, 33, and Wen 50, were kidnapped at Okepa/Itikan Village, gold mining site in Ifewara, Osun on 5th April 2021 around 4:00 pm, by a gang of criminals. Two private guards attached to the site were shot and have been taken to the general hospital for treatment,” she said.

Sequel to this report, the Commissioner of Police, CP Olawale Olokode immediately drafted a strong, combined reinforcement of Police Tactical units, JTF, and other security outfits who have embarked on search/rescue operation for the two abducted Chinese persons and possible arrest of all the fleeing criminals.

Olokode also enjoined members of the public to collaborate with the Police in fighting crime to bring it down to the barest minimum, by providing us with creditable and prompt information as that can lead to the rescue the abductees unhurt.

- PM NEWS

It’s illegal for Buhari to solely appoint IGP, says Ozekhome

 

Mike Ozekhome, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says the appointment of Usman Alkali Baba as the acting inspector-general (IGP) of police is unconstitutional.

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, directed Baba to take over the office of the IGP with immediate effect.

Reacting to the appointment via a statement on Tuesday, Ozekhome said the president lacks the power to single-handedly appoint an IGP.

Citing “sections 7(6) and 18(8) of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, in addition to the clear provisions of sections 214 ,215 and 216 and paragraph 7 to the 3rd Schedule of the 1999 Constitution”, Ozekhome said “the president cannot single-handedly appoint an IGP, as he has again unconstitutionally and illegally done.”

“He can only do so in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Council comprising Mr. President as chairman, all the 36 state governors, the chairman of the Police Service Commission and the IGP,” he said.

“Such an appointment as just happened before the new acting IGP is capricious, arbitrary, whimsical, unconscionable, illegal, unlawful, wrongful and unconstitutional.”

The senior advocate also raised the issue of tribalism, saying that the president is “opaque” in his appointments.

“Today, Buhari has again appointed DIG Usman Alkali Baba, a northern Muslim, as acting inspector-general of police, to replace Adamu Mohammed, another northern Muslim,” he said.

“With Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, another northern Muslim as the minister of police affairs, the circle of policing in Nigeria is complete.

“Of course, Buhari controls the police by virtues of sections 214, 215 and 216 of the 1999 Constitution. It is the same situation with the ministry of petroleum resources and NNPC, the entire security architecture of Nigeria, and other key sectors and commanding heights of the economy.

“The illogical and puerile argument is always that the president only appoints people he can trust and that such persons are qualified in any event. That argument is insulting and insensitive to the intelligence, sensibilities and plurality of Nigeria.

“Can’t President Muhammadu Buhari for once, just for once, in his opaque appointments look beyond his religion and immediate and forsake sectionalism, cronyism, prebendalism, tribalism, favouritism, and act as a true statesman?

“Is he truly saying he cannot trust any of the other over 15 million Nigerians who voted for him, or that he cannot find any of them that is qualified to be made an IGP?”

Ozekhome added that the president has not kept his campaign promises on securing the country, and ensuring fairness.

“I thought he gleefully told Nigerians on 29th May, 2015, while taking his first oath of office, that he was for “everybody and for nobody”? So, Buhari had actually deceived Nigerians and is desecrating his solemn oath of office? So, he just wanted power for the sake of it, after three serial failures in 2003, 2007 and 2011, leading to him even weeping publicly, swearing never to contest again? Is that why he has failed abysmally in deliverables in all his self-appointed campaign promises of a buoyant economy, anti-corruption war and a secured Nigeria?” he queried.

“Is Buhari telling Nigerians that under his governance, Nigerians are indeed living in the federal republic of the north, or northern republic of Nigeria, or the republic of northern Nigeria, or northern Nigeria republic, republic of northern Nigeria and other vassal states?

“I can’t decode Buhari’s defiant refusal to respect the federal character principle enshrined in section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution. Or, can you?”

- THECABLE

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry to begin Netflix docu-series

 

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are set to begin their first Netflix project after signing a multi-year deal with the online streaming platform.

The show featuring the former royal couple will focus on one of the Prince’s passionate cause, The Invictus Games, the Paralympics-style competition for wounded veterans the prince founded in 2014.

The docu-series is titled “Heart of Invictus.” It will follow a group of Invictus Games competitors, “all service members who have suffered life-changing injuries or illnesses” as they prepare for the games in 2022.

The series would be directed by Orlando von Einsiedel and produced by Joanna Natasegara, who won an Oscar for their 2016 documentary “The White Helmets.”

Prince Harry who is the executive producer also would appear on camera.

- PM NEWS

Suspected Fulani herdsmen kidnap three in Edo community

 Suspected herdsmen on Monday kidnapped three persons (two women and the driver of a truck) on their way to Utesi in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.

A colleague of the kidnapped driver said he was heading to a sawmill in the community was said to have been intercepted by the herdsmen, who opened fire on the oncoming truck and forcefully abducted him and the two women.

“The driver was going to the sawmill in Utesi with two women, where he went to carry woods, but on their way, three herdsmen came out and opened fire on them, three of them were kidnapped and we have not heard anything from them till now.

Recall that the Benin-Lagos Road had been under siege by herdsmen, who have been kidnapping and maiming several travellers on the ever-busy Lagos- Benin Road.

Among their victims was an American based Nigerian, Prince Dennis Abuda, who was kidnapped and killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

When contacted on phone, the Police Public Relations Officer, Edo State Police Command, SP Kontongs Bello’s call was picked by someone who told our reporter that the SP was not available to take his call but promised to contact the DPO and revert.

- DAILY POST