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Death Toll In Baghdad Bomb Attack Rises To 200

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Death Toll In Baghdad Bomb Attack Rises To 200

Baghdad attacks2

The number of people killed in Sunday’s suicide bomb attack in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, has risen to at least 200, and 225 others were injured.

The government has declared three days of mourning after the huge blast, believed to be the deadliest single bomb attack in Iraq since 2007.

A lorry packed with explosives was detonated in the Karrada district while families were shopping for the holiday marking the end of Ramadan.

Rescuers said whole families had been killed with many people badly burned.

The so-called Islamic State, IS, claimed responsibility for the suicide attack.

Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi was greeted by angry crowds when he visited the mainly Shia Muslim area hours after the bombing. His office said the Prime Minister understood the reaction of residents and would increase security by banning “magic wand” fake bomb detectors and improving vehicle inspections at roads into the city.

The fake bomb detectors, some based on cheap devices for finding golf balls, were sold in large numbers to Iraq by several different fraudsters.

One British businessman, who was later jailed for 10 years, sold more than 6,000 devices to Iraq for up to $40,000 each, but despite warnings that the devices were useless, the Iraqi security forces continued to use them.

As night fell on Sunday, teams of workers were still clearing debris from the site and searching the charred remnants of buildings.

The bombing came a week after Iraqi forces recaptured the city of Falluja from IS.

A second bomb exploded shortly afterwards in another predominantly Shia area north of the capital, killing another five people.

IS, which follows its own extreme version of Sunni Islam, said in an online statement that the attack in Karrada was carried out by an Iraqi member of the group as part of “ongoing security operations”.

The US said on Sunday the attack strengthened its resolve to support Iraqi forces in their fight against IS.

Stop Selling Tickets In Dollars, NCAA Warns Airlines

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Stop Selling Tickets In Dollars, NCAA Warns Airlines

Foreign Airlines

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has warned airlines operating in the country, especially foreign carriers, to immediately stop the sale of air tickets in the United States dollars and other foreign currencies.

The agency said it has issued notes of warning to the affected airlines and their actions have been declared a violation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s regulations guiding the cost of production and services in the country.

There were reports that some foreign carriers, since April this year, have been demanding payment for flight tickets only in dollars due to scarcity of foreign exchange in Nigeria.

But the NCAA, through its spokesman, Sam Adurogboye, stated that a situation where foreign airlines operating in the country were declining payments in Naira and insisting on the dollar, was disturbing.

“This act is considered insensitive to passengers who have chosen the airlines for their travels,” Adurogboye stated.

He quoted a CBN circular issued on April 17, 2015 directing that pricing of any product would continue to be in naira only, adding that it was illegal to price or denominate the cost of any product or service, visible or invisible, in any foreign currency.

The NCAA further stated that the action of the international carriers contravened the provisions of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement between Nigeria and other countries as contained in Article 8 (4).

It stated that the agency had written warning letters to errant airlines to immediately comply with the provisions of the BASA and the CBN directive, adding that tickets and services should henceforth be offered to air travellers in naira without further delay.

The NCAA, however, assured the airlines that the Federal Government had taken measures to ameliorate the subsisting foreign exchange issues.

 

 

Police Get 7 DIGs, Force Secretary 

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Police Get 7 DIGs, Force Secretary 
npector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris
npector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris

The Police Service Commission has approved the appointment of seven Deputy Inspectors-General of Police, DIGs, to constitute a new management team for the Nigeria Police Force.

Head of Force Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani,  made this known in a statement released late Monday evening.

“The Commission on Monday, approved the appointment of seven Deputy Inspectors-General of Police to man the seven Management Departments of the Force,” he said.

The new DIGs include: Shuaibu Gambo, Department of Finance and Administration; Joshak Habila, Department of Operations; Maigari Dikko, Department of Logistics and Supply; H. M. Dagala, Department of Force Criminal Investigations Department, FCID; Emmanuel Inyang, Department of Training and Development; Ntom Chukwu, Department of Research and Planning; Folusho Adebanjo, Department of ICT.

The commission also approved the appointment of Abdul Bube, an Assistant Inspector General of police, AIG, as the Force Secretary.

The statement added that the appointments have been conveyed to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris, for implementation.

Mike Okiro, chairman of the Police Service Commission said the officers’ promotion letters will follow in due course.

We Have Received Only N345 million Cash Donation For IDPs Since 2011, Says Shettima

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We Have Received Only N345 million Cash Donation For IDPs Since 2011, Says Shettima
Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima
Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima

Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima on Sunday gave a breakdown of donations received on behalf of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, insisting that a total of N345 million was received as against the rumoured that he had collected billions of Naira.

Borno State, the most affected by the Boko Haram insurgency, has over two million IDPs and gas spent billions of Naira on managing camps and taken care of displaced persons in host communities and rebuilding destroyed settlements.

Addressing journalists in Maiduguri, shortly after returning from Abuja where he met with President Muhammadu Buhari to discuss the issues of internally displaced persons in the state, Shettima stated that only a total of three hundred and forty five million naira (N345m) has been received as cash donation by his administration from May, 2011 when he inherited the Boko Haram crisis to date.

He said: “You see, contrary to wild assumptions that the Borno State Government has received billions of cash donations in local and foreign currencies for the management of Internally Displaced Persons, a lot of Nigerians may be shocked to know that a total of three hundred and forty five million naira (N345m) is the overall amount received as cash donation by our administration from May, 2011 to date.

‎The governor disclosed the donations received to include: N200 million in four years from the federal government under former President Goodluck Jonathan, N50 million from Lagos State Government in October, 2015, N25 million from Edo State Government in 2013, N20 million from Kano State in 2013, N20 million from Adamawa State in 2013, N10 million from Ekiti State in 2013, N10 million from Osun State in 2013, N5 million from Kaduna State and N5 million from Unity Bank.

‎‎He added that a woman who preferred anonymity donated N100,000.

He said while the state was able to receive cash donation of N345 million in total, she was spending N600m every month to cater for IDP’S throughout the Jonathan era.

He however revealed that apart from cash donation, the state was also able to get food and medications from some sources, which include, Kebbi State Government which donated 1,200 bags of rice, Ebonyi State Government gave 5,000 bags of rice, Taraba gave three trucks of highland tea and Gombe gave six trucks of assorted food products via two interventions.

He equally admitted that other groups visited and donated food items in the last five years but certainly not cash to Borno State Government.

He revealed that International partners operate in such a way that they have technical partners that implement their interventions.

‎Shettima said: “We have received tremendous support from some part of the International community but no foreign country or any International partner within or outside the UN and major world donors gave any cash to our administration from 2011 to date for the purpose of IDPs but rather all donations come in materials like medical supplies, technical support and food items, most of which are directly distributed by the International partners themselves to reach IDPs in different parts of Borno State.

He however admitted that: “If there is one organisation that has given us any cash donation outside the N345m for IDPS, it was the Dangote Foundation which gave Borno N400m but that was not for IDPs, it was an economic empowerment programme for women which the Dangote Group launched in different States including Lagos, Kano, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa and Yobe States in which N10,000 each was given to about three or four hundred thousand women across these States I mentioned. The N2b Dangote announced in support of Borno two months ago, we requested that he does not give us cash but building materials worth the amount”.

Ijaw Youths Condemn Renewed Attacks By Niger Delta Avengers

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Ijaw Youths Condemn Renewed Attacks By Niger Delta Avengers

Niger-Delta-Avengers---

The Ijaw Youths Council, IYC, has condemned renewed attacks by the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, militant group, describing it as a breach of the ceasefire agreed with the federal government to pave way for dialogue.

The NDA had in a statement from its twitter account claimed to have blown up five oil wells operated by different oil companies in the region.

Eric Omare, spokesman for the IYC, said the attacks were a setback to ongoing peace talks and called on the group to halt attacks on oil installations to pave way for meaningful dialogue.

In a statement issued by Omare on Sunday in Yenagoa, the IYC regretted that the negotiators failed to take advantage of the visit of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources to advance the peace process.

“It is unfortunate and worrisome that there is a resumption of fresh attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta region by the Niger Delta Avengers,” Omare stated.

“The visit of the Minister for State, Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu’s to the creeks some weeks ago generated so much goodwill and commendation from the people of the region,

“The IYC had expected the federal government to take advantage of that goodwill to engage stakeholders on how to find short and long term solutions to the problem.

The youth group urged the NDA militants to halt further attacks on facilities considering the adverse effects of the attacks on the environment and give room for constructive dialogue.

Several efforts to verify the claims of several attacks on Chevron between Friday and Sunday were futile as calls and sms to Chevron Spokesman, Sola Adebawo did not get a response.

A security source in the area however said that officials of Chevron maintained that they were not aware of the attacks as at Sunday.

He said the claims by the militants were mere propaganda, referring to them as puppets in the hands of “desperate and attention-seeking politicians”

Garba Mohammed, the spokesman for Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, which operates a joint venture with Chevron reportedly also said the corporation was not aware of any damage to its facilities in the region.

But the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Celestina Kalu, confirmed the attacks to a television station, saying on Sunday, “the Chevron Oil Wells seven and eight were blown up between 1:10 and 1:15 a.m.”

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ISIS Bomb Attack Kills 131 In Baghdad

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ISIS Bomb Attack Kills 131 In Baghdad

Isis bombing

At least 131 people have been confirmed killed and about 150 injured in car bombing in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, for which the Islamic State, ISIS, has claimed responsibility.

There are reports that the source of the blast, which struck close to midnight on Saturday, was a refrigerator van packed with explosives.

Many of those killed were children.

The mainly Shia area was busy with shoppers late at night because it is the holy month of Ramadan.

A second bomb also exploded at about midnight in a predominantly Shia area north of the capital, killing another five people.

The bombing in Karrada is the deadliest in Iraq this year.

It comes a week after Iraqi security forces recaptured the city of Falluja from Islamic State militants. Authorities say the city was used as a launch pad for attacks on Baghdad.

The jihadist group, which follows its own extreme version of Sunni Islam, said in an online statement that it carried out the attack and targeted Shite Muslims.

Iraq’s highest Sunni religious body, the Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq, called the bombing a “bloody crime, regardless of who carried it out or what their motivations were”.

Several buildings, including the popular al-Hadi Centre, were badly damaged and families gathered on the street for news of missing loved ones.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was met by angry crowds while visiting the scene of the blast on Sunday.

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Voices from Shikira

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Voices from Shikira

Voices from Shikira

Avengers Bomb NNPC, Chevron, NPDC Oil Facilities.

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Avengers Bomb NNPC, Chevron, NPDC Oil Facilities.

Niger Delt Avengers

THE Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, has blown up oil installations belonging to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL and Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, NPDC in Delta State.

This is coming in spite of efforts by the federal government to enter into dialogue with the militants in order to bring the attacks to an end.

The militant group made this known through its twitter handle, saying it “bombed two major NNPC crude oil trunk line to Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, WRPC, Warri, on Friday at about 9.15 pm.”

It said: “At 11:26pm on Saturday @NDAvengers blow up two NPDC major crude trunk lines close to Batan flow station in Delta state.”

“At 1:15am on Sunday @NDAvengers blow up two major Chevron Oil Wells. Well 7 and Well 8, close to Abiteye flow station in Delta state,” it added.

The militant group had listed a number of conditions it want met before it would enter into negotiations with the federal government.

The conditions include sincerity on the part of government, as well as the involvement of the home countries of the various multinational oil companies working in the area.

They also want government to stop repair works on the destroyed oil facilities in the area.

President Buhari met with some traditional leaders from the Niger Delta Region on Friday, July 1, where he reassured them that his administration will develop the Niger Delta, while urging them to appeal to youths in the area to exercise patience with the government of the day.

Thousands Continue To Protest Brexit Outcome

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Thousands Continue To Protest Brexit Outcome
People hold banners during a 'March for Europe' demonstration against Britain's decision to leave the European Union, in central London, Britain July 2, 2016. Britain voted to leave the European Union in the EU Brexit referendum. REUTERS/Tom Jacobs
People hold banners during a ‘March for Europe’ demonstration against Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, in central London, Britain July 2, 2016. Britain voted to leave the European Union in the EU Brexit referendum. REUTERS/Tom Jacobs

Thousands of people have marched through London to protest against the referendum decision to leave the European Union.

Demonstrators at the “March for Europe” rally, organised on social media, held placards saying “Bremain” and “We Love EU”.

Demonstrators gathered around Park Lane before setting off for Parliament Square. A rally also took place in York.

One of the organisers of the London march, Keiran MacDermott, said they hoped to stop the government from triggering Article 50, which begins the formal process of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

At the end of the two-mile route, protesters gathered in front of the Parliament and listened to speakers including Labour parliamentarian, David Lammy, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, left-wing commentator and activist, Owen Jones and musician Bob Geldof.

Geldof urged Bremain campaigners to take to the streets, speak to their neighbours and work to stop the UK’s exit from the EU.

“We need to individually organise ourselves. Organise those around us and do everything possible within our individual power to stop this country being totally destroyed,” he said.

There is no official turn-out figure for this protest but there must have been several thousand at least on the streets around Hyde Park corner.

The protest was organised hastily, with a call put out on social media less than a week ago.

There were placards, signs and banners expressing anger and resentment at the way the Leave campaign was conducted but also frustration at what’s seen as a lack of clear leadership in the aftermath of the vote.

Failure To Swear Me In, A Disrespect For Rule Of Law – Uche Ogah

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Failure To Swear Me In, A Disrespect For Rule Of Law – Uche Ogah
Uche Ohah
Uche Ogah

Uche Ogah has described the refusal of the Abia State Chief Judge, Theresa Uzoukwu, to swear him in as the duly-elected governor, as a gross disrespect of the rule of law and capable of undermining the peace and stability of the state.

A federal high court in Abuja had nullified the election of Okezie Ikpeazu on the basis that he was not qualified to run for the office in the first place, having tendered fake tax papers during the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, primary in December 2014.

The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately cede Ikpeazu’s certificate of return to Ogah, the candidate that came second in the said primary, while also ordering the Abia State Chief Judge to immediately swear in Ogah as the substantive governor of the state.

INEC on Friday presented Ogah with a certificate of return in obedience to the court order, but Ikpeazu hurriedly obtained another ruling from an Abia State high court ordering the Chief Judge not to swear Ogah in pending the determination of an appeal filed by Ikpeazu.

Ogah contended that the stay of execution of the valid order of the Federal High court procured by the embattled governor, Ikpeazu, is only a “black-market injunction” that has no force of law.

He spoke to journalists in Abuja through his Special Adviser on Public Communications, Monday Ubani, saying that there is a clear difference between a pre-election matter on which the Federal High Court premised its ruling and the post-election trial of electoral matters by tribunals.

“I am not ignorant of the black market injunction allegedly obtained by Dr. Ikpeazu at Osisioma Ngwa High court restraining the Chief Judge of Abia state from swearing in Dr Ogah. That interim order was premised on Section 143 of the Electoral Act which is only applicable to judgements obtained in Election Tribunals, but not in pre-election matters. It is a laughable ruling not worth the paper it was written,” Ubani said.

“A High Court in Abia is a court of coordinate jurisdiction with a Federal High Court and so any order given by such court to contradict an earlier order of the same court is ipso facto null and void. It is only a higher court that has the legal capacity to reverse the earlier order or judgement.”

Ubani maintained that the Federal High Court judgment should be enforced immediately since it was premised on a pre-election matter, stating that Ikpeazu was never adjudged to have been qualified to contest the election in the first place.

Meanwhile the drama over the governorship position in Abia state took a different twist with the declaration of Friday, July 1 and Monday July 4 as public holidays by Governor Ikpeazu.

The governor said the public holidays were in honour of late former foreign affairs minister, Ojo Maduekwe, who is from the state; but many say it was to enable him buy more time in order to know the next step to take.

Recall that the federal government had declared Tuesday July 5 and Wednesday, July 6, as public holidays to mark the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations; which means that civil servants in Abia State will take almost the whole week off, with exception of Friday.

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