Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Friday 26th March 2021
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 26/03/21
Read also
Adamawa Polytechnic Shut Indefinitely Over Students’ Rampage
Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola, has been shut indefinitely after final-year students of the institution went on rampage.
The rampaging students destroyed the school’s 500-seater lecture theatre, burnt the Students’ Union Government building and also destroyed the Students’ Union’s president’s vehicle.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that no life was lost during the incident but the police have arrested some of the students.
The Rector of the institution, Ibrahim Umar, who announced the closing of the school, said the students were protesting against the cancellation of “signing out’’ ceremony for the year.
He explained that at the end of their final year, students celebrate “signing out’’, but the activity was cancelled this year by the Students Affairs Division following unfavourable security reports.
He said the students refused to comply with the cancellation and went on rampage.
He added that a committee would be set up to look into the issue.
He said: “We have closed the institution till further notice.”
Education
News
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
SaharaReporters, New York
Disable advertisements
:
Bandits Kill Traditional Ruler, Two Others In Fresh Attack On Sokoto Community
File photo used to illustrate story.
Gunmen suspected to be bandits have killed the village head of Tunga community, Illela Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The gunmen, who stormed the community Wednesday evening on motorcycles also killed two other people.
File photo used to illustrate story.
A source said the traditional ruler was shot dead after refusing to be kidnapped by the bandits.
The attack comes few days after gunmen attacked Amarawa community, also in Illela LGA, killing at least 10 persons.
“More than 10 villagers were killed while houses and other properties were destroyed.
“Many others have fled their homes to seek refuge in nearby communities within the local government area,” a source had told SaharaReporters.
Sokoto, like many other states across the North, has witnessed sporadic attacks by bandits and kidnappers that have claimed the lives of many.
Insecurity
Insurgency
News
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
SaharaReporters, New York
Disable advertisements
:
Self-Determination: Yoruba Groups Set June 12 As Referendum Date
File photo used to illustrate story.
Several Yoruba groups under the aegis of Assembly of all Yoruba Groups Worldwide have set June 12, 2021 as a day of referendum for the South-West region.
The groups disclosed this on Thursday after their meeting held in Ibadan, the Oyo State.
The meeting was tagged “The Paramountcy of Yoruba Unity in Tackling The Insecurity Menace in Yorubaland.”
In a communique read on behalf of the groups by Otunba Deji Osibogun after the meeting, they said the push for Yoruba self-determination is non-negotiable.
Noting various threats to security in Yoruba land, the meeting charged Yoruba people, especially the elites, to return to protect their land.
File photo used to illustrate story.
The meeting also tasked every House of Assembly in the South-West to pass a resolution on the state of insecurity in Yorubaland.
The groups called on members representing Yoruba constituencies in the Senate and House of Representatives to move a motion on insecurity in Yorubaland within the next 90 days, precisely June 25.
They urged Yoruba groups to organise relief materials for Fulani ravaged victims while a Yoruba Central Coordinating Council was also proposed.
In his remarks, popular historian, Prof. Banji Akintoye, who was represented by Tunde Hamzat, stressed that the call for Yoruba self-determination should not be misconstrued as secession.
Akintoye said the Yoruba nation will be achieved peacefully through the building of a consensus and mobilisation of the people.
Also speaking, Ambassador Yemi Farounbi stressed that Yoruba people should be ready to defend themselves against threats to their lives.
He charged all Yoruba individuals and groups to bring to bear their intellect, assets, and knowledge for the cause of the Yoruba nation.
In the same vein, renowned lawyer, Femi Falana (Senior Advocate of Nigeria), who made a phone call during the event, harped on the need for restructuring of Yorubaland.
He called on Yoruba people to take charge of their affairs and ensure the development of the Yoruba nation.
To curb herders/farmers’ clashes, he urged the Yoruba nation to embrace ranching as it was in the times of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the first Premier of the region.
Groups present at the event included YorubaKoya and Soludero.
Politics
News
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
SaharaReporters, New York
Disable advertisements
:
My Vaccination Story By Azu Ishiekwene
Azu Ishiekwene
It wasn’t planned. I was seeing off my neighbour and friend on Thursday evening when one of the officers of our estate residents’ association called out to me.
He was in knickers and shirtsleeves, with his right hand clutching his left shoulder. “I’ve just been vaccinated,” he said. “Would you like me to put your name forward for it tomorrow?” After what I have seen in the last one year – COVID-19 related deaths first becoming statistics, and then statistics becoming people, and people having faces, and faces becoming friends and relatives – news of the discovery of vaccines was a huge relief. But vaccines, like many good things, are made abroad, while rumours and myths about them are manufactured locally. Nigeria was expecting a consignment of about five million doses – one for every 40 citizens. With one of Africa’s highest infection and death rates at the height of the pandemic, no one was exactly sure how five million doses could work. One evening when I brought up the subject at home, with the enthusiasm of someone who had just discovered a magic formula, I noticed a pregnant look on my wife’s face. She suggested I asked the children what they think about vaccines before I decide on whether or not to take the shot when they became available.
Azu Ishiekwene
That made sense. Since the youngest of them is 21, I fully expected a robust conversation. But what I got on that conference call with two of them, obviously speaking for other family members, was more than robust: it was premeditated, full-blown vaccine rebellion. The chemical engineer, often the spokesperson, asked me what I knew about the vaccines already in circulation. This was in January. While a privileged few had either gone to Dubai to have it or, like the Governor’s wife, Ebele Obiano, chased it all the way down to Houston, Texas, for designer sessions, the bulk of us were just following the news. What do I know about the vaccines? I know they don’t offer 100 percent protection from Coronavirus infection and that they have been developed and are being deployed at a historically record speed. Initial data also suggested that with good hygiene and social protocols, vaccination could reduce the spread of the virus. My interlocutor laughed. Though conceding that science had done a great job of getting the vaccine out in record time, she said safety and efficacy may have been compromised on the altar of expediency and desperation. She said she was not sure that enough samples had been taken or time given to analyse the outcomes from the different population demographics before the vaccine rollout. She dived into the global vaccine politics between US and European pharma giants, and that between the west and China. Caution, Dad. And then she asked the mother of all questions: is there any evidence so far that a single particular vaccination could prevent the different strains popping up at the time or even if it does, where is the data that vaccination could prevent the risk of re-infection? Was I following what was happening in South Africa, for example? She summed it up by saying that for her, the risk of younger-not-obviously-at-risk persons taking the vaccination and being exposed to the potential negative side effects outweighed any benefits from taking any vaccination whose full after-effects were only just emerging. I disagreed. Of course, while I conceded that there was still more to learn about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, my point was that on balance, it was better to risk staying alive by getting vaccinated than to risk infection, long-term impairment and possibly death, by abstaining based on groundless fears. And I don’t believe herd immunity is superior to personal responsibility. After 56 years, health vulnerabilities and underlying conditions tend to increase. But confronting your mortality after that age also brings with it liberation from the fear of death. So, what’s all the fuss about the jab, anyway? Strangely, throughout the conversation, my wife, otherwise an engaging, strongly-opinionated woman, was silent. We’re both above 50. After months of swallowing more than enough vitamins to float a chemist, immersing ourselves in steaming hot local herbs, and consuming all conceivable spices, I thought that this vaccination was our best chance to put the damn thing behind us once and for all; that we would be champions of vaccination. What’s more, in the midst of the second wave, my son had an infection scare that put him out of circulation for days and got me ringing up everyone I knew for advice! So, why won’t the family seize the opportunity for vaccination with both hands? The vaccine finally arrived in Nigeria in March, but the news didn’t lessen my isolation. A friend had shared with me a WhatsApp message about a tabular comparison of the safety, efficacy and unit prices of the four vaccines currently available – AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Of the four, Pfizer was rated the most effective with 95 percent trial effectiveness and least side effects. At $20 per vial, it’s also the second most expensive. Moderna was 94 percent, pricier and with virtually the same side effects as Pfizer; while Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, came in at 66.9 percent and 62 percent effectiveness respectively with longer lists of side effects. Others may think of AstraZeneca as the redeeming vial of the world’s majority, and Nigeria may be congratulating itself that it’s not too far behind in importing a limited quantity but the fact that AstraZeneca is in the bottom of the pile – the cheapest of the lot and the worst for side effects – seemed to highlight, if not confirm, my daughter’s worst suspicions. My family already rebelling against vaccination, was hardly in the mood for AstraZeneca. Their suspicions were compounded by anxiety about all that could go wrong in the supply chain from shipment abroad, through many potentially crooked paths, to the point where the jab is taken. How do you even know what you’re getting and if – or when – the next dose will come? These images flooded my mind on Thursday when my neighbour offered to enroll me for AstraZeneca in the estate. If I had been offered a chance at self-assisted suicide, I would not have felt more conflicted. “Why are you looking at me like that”, my neighbour asked. “Are you not interested? The medical team will be in the estate again by 8am on Friday. Let me have your name and your wife’s name, too.” I snapped out of my confusion. “Leave my wife out,” I said. “Put my name down. I will be there at eight in the morning to take the shot.” That night, my wife convened another family conference. She called the children, one by one, to inform them that I had decided to take the vaccine. The chemical engineer was at her hilarious, even mischievous, best. She asked if I had written my Will and who was my next of kin. She also asked if I had left my bank details and details of any other valuables within reach. As for herself, she said, even though there was a little more data about the vaccines today than was available in January, the risk of the unknown was still troubling. We laughed and talked through it again and I went to bed asking myself, what if she’s right? Too bad, too late. My mind was made up. I’ll take the vaccine. I turned up at the initial vaccination venue in the estate as Number 200 on the list. I learnt that over 80 persons had been vaccinated the previous day and there were no adverse reports. Today, persons of various ages – a good number of them 60 and above – were on the queue. With 199 persons ahead of me, whatever happened, I was in good company. The venue was later changed but I stuck with the train and after re-numbering came up at 37. After three hours’ wait, I took my jab and went home. From the moment I walked in, my wife’s eyes were on me. She asked if I felt anything, I said I didn’t, which was true. She fussed that I should immediately use analgesics, but I brushed her suggestion aside. My children called and took turns to pepper and tease me with questions about how I was feeling. I told them I felt nothing, which again, was true. I have heard of stories of nausea, of dizziness, pains or aches after vaccination, but experienced nothing of the sorts.
I went to bed and slept like a log. I woke up hale and hearty. It’s been one week since, and I’m not growing horns. Three days after I took my shot, when my wife was sure I was alive, she lined up for her shot, too! Then after she took it, I reminded her that the book says the second shot should come 15 to 22 days after the first shot, but our next appointment is in June, nearly three months after our first shot! I’m not living worried, especially since I’m now even in better company than when I lined up for my dose. The family’s guinea pig is in excellent company, at last. And yet, it was not planned.
Ishiekwene is the Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP
Opinion
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
Azu Ishiekwene
Disable advertisements
:
How Nigerians Smuggling N256million Cocaine Capsules In Their Stomachs Were Caught In Pakistan
File photo used to illustrate story
Two Nigerians have been arrested by Customs officers in Pakistan for attempting to smuggle 2.450 kilogrammes of cocaine worth Rs49 million (N256 million) filled in 161 swallowed capsules.
According to reports, the customs officials stationed at the arrival hall of Jinnah International Airport checked the two Nigerian passengers arriving from Nigeria via Qatar on Wednesday.
File photo used to illustrate story
The report said the passengers, who showed signs of unusual panic, were sent to the Customs Examination Counter for a detailed search and an X-ray was conducted on them.
They were thereafter taken to the hospital near the airport where the presence of a large number of capsules in the stomachs of both the passengers was found in X-rays.
The duo reportedly confessed that the capsules were filled with cocaine.
“The accused were presented before the court after registration of a case. The court ordered the remand of the accused. They were shifted to Jinnah Hospital to recover the cocaine capsules from their stomachs. The capsules wrapped in the plastic tape were recovered from their stomachs. The customs officers found 2.450kg of cocaine from 161 capsules. The value of the seized drugs was Rs49m,” customs said.
Drugs
News
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
SaharaReporters, New York
Disable advertisements
:
Nigerians May Soon Pay More Than N200 Per Litre For Petrol, Says NNPC GMD
The General Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari says Nigerians may likely pay more for petrol in April.
The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) had earlier released a template increasing petrol price to N212 per litre but it was later deleted.
Speaking with journalists at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Kyari said the NNPC can no longer bear the burden.
He also said the NNPC pays between N100 billion and N120 billion a month to keep the pump price at the current level, insisting that market forces must be allowed to determine the pump price of petrol in the country.
The NNPC GMD explained that while the actual cost of importation and handling charges amount to N234 per litre, the government is selling at N162 per litre.
“The price could have been anywhere between N211 and N234 to the litre. The meaning of this is that consumers are not paying for the full value of the PMS that we are consuming and therefore someone is paying that cost,” he said.
“As we speak today, the difference is being carried in the books of NNPC and I can confirm to you that NNPC may no longer be in a position to carry that burden.”
Oil
News
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
SaharaReporters, New York
Disable advertisements
:
E2%80%94voice-nigeria-dg Current Insecurity Is PDP Investment In Nigeria—Voice Of Nigeria DG
The Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu has alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party is responsible for the insecurity currently witnessed in the country.
Okechukwu said this while reacting to the statement credited to the All Progressives Congress Caretaker Chairman, Mai Mala Buni that APC needs 32 years to fix the country.
He also noted that in a few months, the security challenges in the country will come to an end.
“A lot of people may not know that the insecurity we now talk about here and there is the investment of PDP.
“In the few months ahead, the issue of insecurity will come to a drastic end, and Governor Buni is looking at that before 2023, those foundations we have laid would start glittering.
”Dr Buni is relying on the fact that immediately we could curb this insecurity, then the Nigerian people will see what the APC has done. He relied on what we have done on the ground and he knows it is overwhelming,” he said.
Insecurity
News
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
SaharaReporters, New York
Disable advertisements
:
30 Students Hospitalised As Strange Illness Hits Sokoto School
No fewer than 30 students of the Government Girls College, Sokoto, has been hospitalised following a strange illness that broke out in the state, according to the Peoples Gazette.
Dr Abdurrahaman Dantsoho, the Director of Public Health in the state ministry of health, told journalists on Thursday.
Danstoho confirmed that the incident which began on Wednesday forced the infected students to be admitted to a specialist hospital where they were treated and discharged.
He said the ministry had started probing into the disease testing samples of water, food and other surrounding materials collected.
According to him, no death was reported during the hospitalisation, adding that the ministry was not aware of the rumour of death as a result of the incident.
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Science and Technology, Dr Kulu Haruna, whose ministry supervises the school confirmed the incident, saying that the Sokoto State government has deployed 10 medical doctors to the school.
“The situation was brought under control due to the quick intervention of the state government. And all the infected students have been isolated to curtail the spread of the disease,” she said.
PUBLIC HEALTH
News
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
SaharaReporters, New York
Disable advertisements
:
Banditry: Zamfara Government Directs DSS, Police To Go After Journalists, Social Media Handlers
Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle
The Zamfara state government has directed security agencies to take action against journalists and media platforms that operate outside the ethics of the profession.
Ibrahim Dosara, Zamfara commissioner for information, disclosed this at a joint media briefing with security agencies on Thursday in Gusau, the state capital.
Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle
According to the commissioner, the government has realised that some media activities, especially the social media handlers, are undermining the peace process of the state government.
He said, “The Zamfara state government, among its resolutions, recently adopted to take appropriate action against unprofessional conduct in media practices.
“The state government realises that the print and electronic media activities, especially the social media handlers, undermine the peace process of the state government.
“Let me emphasise here that the state government will never continue to condone the unwholesome act.
“Consequent upon this, the state commissioner of information and security chiefs in the state have been directed to monitor the conduct of media practitioners in the state.
“The commissioner of police, the DSS, the civil defence and I, as commissioner, have been saddled with the responsibility of ensuring compliance with professionalism in media practices, as well as cyber crimes and the violation of public peace, fundamental human rights and the rule of law.”
The commissioner maintained that the government will not allow such media reports sabotage the peace process in the state.
Journalism
Politics
News
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
SaharaReporters, New York
Disable advertisements
:
E2%80%94sheikh-gumi Why Bandits Are Yet To Release Abducted Kaduna Students —Sheikh Gumi
An Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has said the shoot-on-sight order given by President Muhammdu Buhari is hindering the efforts to negotiate the release of the kidnapped students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechaniszation, Afaka in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna state.
The students were abducted on March 11, 2021, exactly two weeks ago.
A day after the abduction, a video surfaced online, where the students were seen sitting on the ground in an unknown location and guarded by armed men whose identities were concealed.
See Also
Breaking News
BREAKING: Bandits Storm Kaduna Primary School, Kidnap Many Pupils, Teachers
0 Comments
1 Week Ago
The victims, who were seen being tortured by the armed men, appealed to the government to rescue them.
President Buhari had earlier in the month asked security operatives to gun down those carrying arms illegally in the forests.
Speaking on Thursday, the cleric said some of the bandits he met in the forest during his peace meetings have assisted in identifying the leader of the gang responsible for the abduction of the students.
According to Daily Trust, Gumi said despite identifying the leader of the gang, he has been unable to reach out to him because of the shoot-on-sight order of the president.
The cleric added that during his previous tours to the bandits’ dens, he met with more than 80 percent of their leaders, saying if not for lack of encouragement from some government officials, he would have met all the leaders to persuade them to lay their arms for peace to reign.
He said, “If we had encouragement, we would have met all the leaders. All those we met usually offered to support us to negotiate on our behalf, just like what happened in Niger State.
“Presently, our ability has reached the extent that we can identify who is involved in any criminal act. We have identified the leader of those who took the students but he has never attended any peace meeting with us.
“Those groups we met identified him but we could not reach out to him because of the security implication since the government gave shoot-on-sight order and then the government said no negotiation. So, I don’t want us to go into the bush and the government will think we are encouraging them.”
Asked what needs to be done to get the victims released, Gumi said, “What I think is for the government to just relax and allow us to follow these people to teach them how to behave, admonish them and then negotiate so that they stop this thing. We are doing this for ourselves not for the government or any political party.
“We don’t want politicians to mess up our land because they will come and go while we remain here, God willing. So we are not doing it for political reasons, we are doing it for ourselves so that we stop killing each other.”
On the stand of Governor Nasir El-Rufai against negotiating with bandits, Gumi said, “I cannot change the state government’s stand on negotiation and ransom payment. All I want from them is to allow us to continue discussion with the bandits.”
Insecurity
Insurgency
News
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
Saharareporters, New York
Disable advertisements
:
Read also
You can also check
