Residents of Asere community in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State have decried attacks on their communities by alleged notorious gang of ex-militants, who terrorise and destroy their properties indiscriminately.
The victims, mainly women and children, protested in the community yesterday, appealing to the government and security agencies to nip the menace in the bud.
The protesters disclosed that the last attack was allegedly carried out midnight of Saturday by a seven-man gang of ex-terrorists, who were accomplices to a popular gangster killed in Ajapa a few years ago by JTF personnel.
The residents identified the seven suspects. Speaking on the motive for the dastardly act, they disclosed that one of the attackers, who is an indigene of the riverine community, Asere, alleged that his kinsmen were the ones giving the security men information about him and his hideout.
While addressing newsmen on behalf of the community, a high chief of the community, Abby Moulous, disclosed that the attack by the gunmen left many houses and properties destroyed. He added that many of the residents were currently displaced. Moulous recounted that one of the kingpins came to the community to burn some people’s houses.
U.S. President Joe Biden plans to meet with a bipartisan group of U.S. House and Senate lawmakers Monday on his proposed $2.3 trillion infrastructure and jobs plan.
A spokeswoman said Senator Deb Fischer, the senior Republican on the Commerce Committee’s subcommittee that oversees surface transportation and other issues, was invited to attend the meeting.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday that Biden would welcome members of both parties here when they return next week.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has launched the second phase of the 5-million Solar Home System (SHS) tagged, ‘Solar Power Naija’, to provide energy to 100,000 homes across the federation.
Speaking in the Jangefe community in Kazaure Emirate of Jigawa state during the programme launch on Saturday, Osinbajo said as the cost of installing and maintaining solar devices becomes cheaper, Nigeria has the opportunity to provide power for its citizens.
Osinbajo, while stating that 25 million households would benefit from the programme in the entire phases, said it is aimed to ensure that the country will stop reliance on the national grid and help to serve communities that are not served or underserved.
The programme which is part of the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP), is implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and would create over 250,000 jobs, as part of reversing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He added that the programme is an ambitious initiative funded by a N140 billion financing program to support private developers to provide cheap and environmentally friendly power.
The Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, at the event said the project would generate N7 billion in tax for the federal government per annum.
Fashola has stated that 4,000km of roads have been repaired and the FG will add more roads to be rehabilitated.
The Federal Government has disclosed that over 13,000km of federal roads are currently under repair in its infrastructure drive, adding that 4,000km have been repaired and the FG will add more roads to be rehabilitated.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola in a statement released on Friday.
Babatunde Fashola, recently stated that the Federal Government has not forgotten the ongoing Lagos-Badagry Expressway rehabilitation/reconstruction project as it is on the 2021 Sukuk funding priority list.
Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, has died aged 99, Buckingham Palace has announced.
A statement issued by the palace just after midday spoke of the Queen’s “deep sorrow” following his death at Windsor Castle on Friday morning.
The Duke of Edinburgh, the longest-serving royal consort in British history, was at the Queen’s side for more than her six decades of reign.
Boris Johnson said he “inspired the lives of countless young people”.
“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband,” the palace said.
“The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”
Speaking at Downing Street, the prime minister said that the duke had “earned the affection of generations here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth, and around the world”.
Meanwhile, Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said he “consistently put the interests of others ahead of his own and, in so doing, provided an outstanding example of Christian service”
In tribute to the duke, Westminster Abbey began tolling its tenor bell once every 60 seconds at 18:00 BST. The move will be carried out 99 times to honour each year of his life.
Earlier, the flag at Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-mast and a notice was posted on the gates to mark the duke’s death.
People placed floral tributes outside the palace, while hundreds visited Windsor Castle to pay their respects.
However, the government urged the public not to gather or leave tributes at royal residences amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Royal Family has asked people to consider making a donation to a charity instead of leaving flowers in memory of the duke, and an online book of condolence has been launched on the official royal website for those who wish to send messages.
A message on the website of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s non-profit organisation Archewell paid tribute to the “loving memory” of the Duke of Edinburgh, saying: “Thank you for your service… you will be greatly missed.”
The BBC’s royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said it was “a moment of sadness” for the country and “most particularly, for the Queen losing her husband of 73 years – a bigger span of years than most of us can imagine”.
He said Prince Philip had made “a huge contribution to the success of the Queen’s reign”, describing the duke as “utterly loyal in his belief in the importance of the role that the Queen was fulfilling – and in his duty to support her”.
“It was the importance of the solidity of that relationship, of their marriage, that was so crucial to the success of her reign,” he added.
image captionMourners gathered outside Buckingham Palace following the announcement
A bank of photographers and cameramen were lined up around the growing number of tributes at Buckingham Palace on Friday afternoon, said BBC News reporter Marie Jackson.
Rhea Varma, from Pimlico, pulled up to the gates on her bike to lay flowers and a note saying Rest in Peace Duke.
She said the news was “super sad”. To her, the duke was “the kind of stability that’s so old-fashioned it’s difficult to comprehend. He was a rock who brought integrity.”
Reaction to death of Prince Philip
Adam Wharton-Ward, 36, also arrived to leave lilies by the palace gates. He is visiting London from his home in France but was so moved by the news, he wanted to “rally round” for the Queen’s sake.
“It’s so sad. He’s been with her for 73 years. If it wasn’t for him who knows if she would have got through it,” he said.
The duke’s appeal, he added, was that he was “almost normal with his gaffes”.
“Now that normality has gone,” he said.
The prince married Princess Elizabeth in 1947, five years before she became Queen.
He was admitted on 16 February after feeling unwell, and later underwent a procedure for a pre-existing heart condition at another London hospital – St Bartholomew’s.
‘Quiet reflection’ in Windsor
This is a town that’s seen many royal events over the years, both happy and sad.
Today, it is one of quiet reflection.
The sun has been shining down on Windsor Castle this afternoon, but the mood outside is understandably sombre.
As locals heard of the duke’s death they turned up to leave flowers outside the entrance.
One young boy, Oscar, came with his mother to lay flowers. He left a card which read: “Your Majesty, so sorry about hearing about your amazing husband.”
“It’s really sad,” another woman told us. “I just wanted him to get to 100,” she said.
The flag here hasn’t been lowered to half-mast. That’s because it’s the Royal Standard which means the Queen is in residence. It’s the one flag which remains at full mast.
It was here that the duke spent his last weeks after being discharged from hospital.
Inside the castle the Queen, now a widow, is in mourning for her husband who has always been by her side.
Prince Philip’s funeral will take place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor – but the arrangements have been amended in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the College of Arms said in a statement.
It added that the funeral will not be a state funeral, and the duke will not lie in state.
The duke will, however, lie at rest in Windsor Castle ahead of a funeral, the College of Arms said, “in line with custom and with His Royal Highness’s wishes”.
The statement said: “The funeral arrangements have been revised in view of the prevailing circumstances arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and it is regretfully requested that members of the public do not attempt to attend or participate in any of the events that make up the funeral.”
Buckingham Palace will confirm the detailed arrangements for the funeral on the Royal website, it added.
All UK government buildings have been told to fly an official flags at half-mast in tribute to the duke until 08:00 BST on the day after the funeral.
Prince Philip and the Queen had four children, eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Their first son, the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, was born in 1948, followed by his sister, the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, in 1950, the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, in 1960 and the Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, in 1964.
Prince Philip was born on the Greek island of Corfu on 10 June 1921.
His father was Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, a younger son of King George I of the Hellenes.
His mother, Princess Alice, was a daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg and a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
image captionThe Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary on 20 November 2007
Politicians across the UK were united in mourning following the announcement of the duke’s death.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the UK had “lost an extraordinary public servant”, while Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said his “long contribution to public life in Scotland will leave a profound mark on its people”.
Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford said the duke “served the crown with selfless devotion and generosity of spirit”.
Parliament will honour the duke on Monday, with the House of Commons sitting at 14:30 BST for tributes following his death.
Parties have also suspended their campaigning elections on 6 May, which will see voters head to the polls for council and mayoral positions in England, the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Parliament.
Meanwhile, Commonwealth leaders led international reaction to the duke’s death.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison tweeted that the duke “embodied a generation that we will never see again”, while Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau described Philip as a “man of great purpose and conviction”.
And Indian prime minister Narendra Modi recalled the duke for his “distinguished career in the military” and work “at the forefront of many community service initiatives”.
US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden joined other world leaders in sending their “deepest condolences” to the Queen, the Royal Family and the people of the UK.
In a statement, they said the duke “gladly dedicated himself to the people of the UK, the Commonwealth, and to his family”.
“His legacy will live on, not only through his family, but in all the charitable endeavours he shipped,” it said.
The palace said further announcements would be made “in due course”.
The Trump Organization has hired a veteran criminal defense attorney to bolster its legal team, a lawyer confirmed Friday, as New York prosecutors advance their probe into former president Donald Trump’s business dealings.
The organization — the holding company of hundreds of Trump entities ranging from hotels to golf courses — retained 84-year-old Ronald Fischetti, lawyer Alan Futerfas told AFP.
Vance’s investigation initially focused on hush payments made to two women who allege they had affairs with Trump but has expanded to allegations of tax evasion, and insurance and bank fraud.
The investigation is being carried out behind closed doors in front of a grand jury. It is unclear if it will lead to an indictment, which would constitute the first against a former president in US history.
But the probe appears to be progressing after Vance’s team received eight years of Trump’s tax returns last month following a marathon legal battle that went to the Supreme Court.
According to several US media, prosecutors are trying to pressure the Trump Organization’s long-time chief financial officer, 73-year-old Allen Weisselberg, to cooperate with their investigation.
If Trump, who now lives in Florida, were indicted and found guilty he could face jail time. Lawyers say that is unlikely though with any legal battle expected to last for years.
Russia is ready to support talks between the two Koreas as well as U.S.-North Korea dialogue.
According to Russian news agency TASS, the director of the First Asian Department at Russia’s Foreign Ministry made those remarks at a round table on a strategy to strengthen Russia-North Korea relations at the North Korean embassy.
He noted the only way to settle the problem is through political and diplomatic means.
The panels also issued a joint statement in support of bringing Russia-North Korea relations to a more strategic level of cooperation.
Iran has released South Korean ship’s captain with the ship underway with remaining crew.
Sources say this is the result of active dialogue with Tehran about ways to release its assets frozen in South Korea under U.S. sanctions.
The captain was the last to be let go.
Iran in February released the 19 other crew members as it claimed to be investigating what called “environmental pollution.”
With nine of them having left the country earlier, the ship departed Iran safely Friday morning, according to Seoul’s foreign ministry, with the captain and the rest of the crew onboard.
They’re accompanied by a few others who’d been sent to help manage the ship in the meantime. The ministry said the crew are in good shape, as are the vessel and its cargo.
In January, the ship was detained in the Strait of Hormuz for allegedly polluting the sea, but Tehran provided no evidence.
Soon after, Seoul’s first vice foreign minister Choi Jong-kun went to Iran and met with Iranian officials to try and secure the vessel’s prompt release.
Seoul’s foreign ministry has been continuing dialogue with Tehran on the issue.
In the past, South Korea fully relied on foreign-made fighter jets to meet its defense needs.
That’s about to change as the advanced aviation systems and parts of the KF-21 are developed and produced locally.
The whole process of making South Korea’s first homegrown fighter jet, the KF-21 Borame, from start to finish, including its design to production has been led by local technicians with locally developed technology.
The length of the new fighter jet is nearly 17 meters, its width is around 11 meters and height around five meters all-in-all it’s slightly bigger than the U.S.’s F-16 fighter jets.
With a maximum payload of seven-thousand-700 kilograms, the KF-21 is known to be able to fly 22-hundred kilometers per hour.
Its range is two-thousand-900 kilometers and is equipped with air-to-ship missiles.
Indonesia’s weather agency on Friday warned that a second tropical cyclone in the space of a week could trigger floods and landslides in more central areas.
This comes after cyclone Seroja killed 163 people in eastern parts of the country lashing the area with rain, floods and landslides on Sunday.
The head of Indonesia’s weather agency, Dwikorita Karnawati, said a new cyclone, named Odette, was gaining traction and could hit Lampung province on the island of Sumatra, as well as the provinces of East Java and Central Java and the island of Bali.
Addressing a news conference, Karnawati advised People to remain cautious of heavy winds and rains that could happen in some areas and be mindful of threats of floods, landslides and flash floods.
While Odette is not expected to be as destructive as Seroja, she warned it could generate tidal surges as high as 6 metres in the southern Indian Ocean and urged fishermen to take precautions.
Seroja damaged thousands of homes and displaced over 22,800 people, according to data from Indonesia’s national disaster mitigation agency, while 45 people remain missing.
Rescuers have been searching for missing people and rushing in aid to islands in East Nusa Tenggara province
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