Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of Police, IGP Muhammad Adamu for being sensitive and responsive to the clarion call for the disbanding of Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS. In a statement by the President, Rev Dr Samson Ayokunle on Tuseday, the association also called for the reformation of all security agencies in the country. “We are aware of the circumstances that led to the agitation which included but not limited to alleged extra- judicial killings, unlawful arrests and detentions, extortion, tortures, and disappearances of detainees. “CAN acknowledges the spontaneous nature of…

Read More

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), an advocacy group in Lagos, on Wednesday called on the #EndSARS protesters against police brutality to disperse since the Federal Government has disbanded the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). A statement by the Director of MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akinola made available to ASHENEWSONLINE on Wednesday, warned hoodlums and politicians from turning the protest into their parochial agenda. Commending the efforts of the protesters, the group condemned the reported excesses of the SARS, saying “We frown at the brutal killing of young Nigerians in the hands of the police and consider these as crimes against humanity. “The…

Read More

Former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokiri says the new squad, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team, named to replace the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, will simply be like the change of name from National Electricity Power Authority, NEPA, to Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN. The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Muhammad Adamu on Monday, announced the formation of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team to “fill the gaps” arising from the dissolution of SARS. However, Omokri through his Twitter handle @renoomokri said that SARS/SWAT transformation will be like NEPA/PHCN change. “The SWAT announced by the…

Read More

Stevie Wonder on Tuesday released two new singles appealing for unity amid the challenges of systemic racism and the coronavirus pandemic, and said he would donate 100 per cent of the proceeds of one of them to the non-profit Feeding America. “Where Is Our Love Song” and “Can’t Put It In the Hands of Fate,” are songs Wonder, 70, said he had started writing years ago about romantic relationships but was inspired to give them a different twist by the tumultuous events of the past year. “If I can do anything to use the gift of song to help to…

Read More

Nigeria recorded one death and 225 fresh Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed on its Twitter handle on Tuesday. The public health agency added that 63 treated patients recovered from the infection and were discharged accordingly. It said that the new infection were  reported from 11 states with Lagos having 165, FCT 17, Rivers 13, Ogun 12, Niger (8), Delta (4), Ondo (2), Anambra (1), Edo (1), Ekiti (1), and Kaduna (1). The NCDC stated  that it had conducted about 558,313 tests since the first confirmed case was announced in the country. “Till date, 60,655 cases have been confirmed,…

Read More

The Super Eagles were on Tuesday held to a 1-1 draw by the continent’s second-ranked team Tunisia in a cagey friendly affair at the Jacques Lemmans Arena in Austria. The game was the Super Eagles’ second friendly encounter within four days. Gernot Rohr’s men were defeated 1-0 by an early Ramy Bensebaïni goal for Algeria on Friday. However, against the Carthage Eagles, Nigeria took an early lead through Kelechi Iheanacho in the 21st minute. But Tunisia levelled before the break, after Iheanacho was presented with a glorious opportunity to double the lead and missed from the penalty spot. There was…

Read More

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Muhammad Adamu, has replaced the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, with a new formation, the Special Weapons and Tactics Team, SWTT. A statement by the spokesperson of the Force Headquarters, DCP Frank Mba on Tuesday, disclosed that the personnel from police commands in the South-East and the South-South will be trained at the Counter-Terrorism College, Nonwa-Tai, Rivers State. According the statement, the new team, who would undergo tactical training next week, will undergo a psychological and medical examination to ascertain their fitness and eligibility for the new assignment. Those from the police commands in the…

Read More

The Federal Government, on Tuesday, said it might consider adoption of University Transparency Account System (UTAS) presented by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). UTAS, proposed by ASUU to the Federal Government, is an alternative emoluments payment platform to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). The Labour Minister, Sen. Chris Ngige, said this while addressing newsmen after about two and half hours closed door meeting with the leaderships of the Senate and ASUU. Ngige said that the alternative payment platform presented by ASUU was home grown and worth given thorough assessment test. “We agreed at the meeting…

Read More

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that by adopting Public Private Partnership’s (PPP) cost-effective measures, the Federal Government is delivering 19 road projects across the six geo-political zones in the country totaling 780.15km. Osinbajo’s spokesman’s Laolu Akande, in a statement, said the Vice President spoke at a webinar on Public-Private Partnerships on Tuesday. The webinar was organised by the Law firm of Yusuf Ali and Co in collaboration with the Business Law Department of the Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin. Osinbajo listed some of the road projects being undertaken by private companies and advancing to completion. “The reconstruction of…

Read More

The 36 states governors are to meet with the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, on the security situation in the country, particularly the Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad (FSARS) protests going on across the country. A statement issued by Mr Abdulrazaque Bello-barkindo, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Head, Media And Public Affairs, in Abuja on Wednesday said that Adamu would be joining the NGF 19th teleconference meeting to explain the security situation. Bello-barkindo said that the governors in the virtual meeting beginning by 2pm on Oct. 14, would also be briefed by the technical committee on electricity tariffs. “The…

Read More