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OPC arrest notorious Fulani warlord in Oyo State

Nigeria

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March 7, 2021

OPC arrest notorious Fulani warlord in Oyo State

Word out is that a joint team of Ibarapa security operatives, including Oodua Peoples Congress, Vigilante, and other groups have arrested the notorious Fulani warlord terrorising Oyo communities, Iskilu Wakili.

It was gathered that Wakili was arrested after several attempts resulting in a gun battle.

There had been reports that Wakili and his gang were involved in the killings and kidnapping of several people in Ibarapa, Oke Ogun, Oyo State.

Wakili was nabbed barely seven days after his second-in-command, Isiaka Muhammadu, was arrested alongside four others.

The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, confirmed Wakili’s arrest in a statement made available by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, on Sunday.

Adams said the Fulani warlord was arrested around 7 am on Sunday and had been handed over to the Divisional Police Office in Igbo Ora, Oyo State.

The statement was titled, “Insecurity: Gani Adams applauds OPC, Ibarapa joint security team over arrest of Kidnap kingpin Wakilu, three others in Ibarapa’.

The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland described Wakili as the ‘most-dreaded, notorious kidnap kingpin’ who has operated in Oyo State.

Adams said, “I am happy that the notorious kidnapper had been captured alongside three others. It is a good development and a positive signal to other criminal elements that the South-West is no longer an abode for bandits, kidnappers, and criminal herders.

“I commend all the members of the joint security team that has made this possible because with the video at my disposal, it was purely a neat job.

“With this development, I think the whole world will agree with me that the fight against insurgency, kidnapping, and banditry needs native intelligence, information gathering, and grassroots support from local securities and operatives.

“As I have said earlier that the effort to rid the South-West of bandits and kidnappers was to complement the efforts of the police and in doing that, it is also very important for the police to support the local security operatives because they are always at the grassroots and they have their ears to the ground on local security matters.”

Soyinka urges governors to stop being timid, asks them to demand more autonomy

Nigeria

Chris Ottah

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March 7, 2021

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Soyinka urges governors to stop being timid, asks them to demand more autonomy

Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has urged state governors to “stop being timid” and push for greater autonomy.

Soyinka said the governors are enmeshed in a “centralised mentality”, adding that “they are afraid to come out of their cocoons”.

The Nobel laureate made his thoughts known when he spoke on Saturday at the virtual Obafemi Awolowo lecture with the theme, ‘Whither Nigeria?’

See Also: Remove travel ban on Nigerians, Atiku urges Biden

“I want to make a plea to all governors, stop being so timid. Push this federal envelope as far as it can go, even while we undertake the technical aspect of restructuring,” he said.

“Whether in terms of dialogue, evolving the constitution or whatever, something has to go on, after all, we’ve had so many of these confabs.”

He noted that governors should take charge of the welfare of their people while stressing that they need more autonomy to operate.

“My plea is to governors to start with the immediate responsibility of the welfare of your own people in whatever term and if you study the constitution carefully, I have done this with lawyers, and it seems that a lot can be done at this moment,” he said.

“Consult with your lawyers, I have consulted with mine and they also expressed the view that the governors are too timid, there is too much centralised mentality embedded in their minds and they are afraid to come out of their cocoons

“You need a season of greater autonomy for your own states and that is what I mean by pushing the federal envelope as far as it can go even with this impossible document that we have to cease what power, what authority you can derive from the constitution.”

12 bad words you might be using that makes others feel inferior

Lifestyle

Chris Ottah

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March 5, 2021

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12 bad words you might be using that makes others feel inferior

Words are about as powerful as swords, if not more powerful. Words have the power to either break or mar a person. While the right words will motivate a person and help them keep going, the wrong words can confine a person to a life of mediocrity. They have the power to make or mare people.

Even when we know how powerful our words are, a lot of us still go on to use negative words more than positive words. This inclination to use negative words is something deeply entrenched in society.

So deeply entrenched that most of the times, we do not even do this with the aim of hurting others. We do it with good intentions, hoping to help them change their behavior.

Regardless of our intentions, these words end up making the other person feeling belittled and inferior.

To make matters worse, the damage done by these words cannot be easily undone, even if you follow them with positive words as people tend to focus more on negative words than positive words.

To avoid unintentionally belittling others, you should make a conscious effort to expunge negative words from your vocabulary.

In this post, we’ve listed 12 bad words you might be using that makes others feel inferior.

1. INCOMPETENT

A lot of us use this word at workplaces. It’s used by condescending bosses or clients who want to intimidate staff. But you’ll agree with me that intimidation is not the best way of motivate people to be better at their jobs. What you’ve done is belittle and demoralize them.

Rather than saying people are incapable of doing their jobs, you can simply say that they aren’t meeting your expectations and that they need to try harder.

2. IRRESPONSIBLE
Every time you’ve called a person irresponsible, you’ve indirectly said that they act without thinking about the possible outcomes of their actions.
When you tell someone that they’re irresponsible, you almost certainly do so because you would like them to place more thought into their actions.
However, calling someone irresponsible doesn’t help them in any way. It only works to shame and intimidate them, and if they end up believing you, they will avoid being proactive and taking up leadership roles in a bid not to display their perceived irresponsibility.

3. DUMB

If you’ve ever been referred to as dumb, you must know how this feels. Guess it made you feel a lesser person and probably affected your self-confidence and self-esteem temporarily. Exactly!
Every time you refer to someone as dumb, you’re basically saying the person is below-average intelligence, that their thinking or decision-making is outside the expectations of normal behaviour. But the reality is that nobody is dumb.
Someone won’t be excellent in one area, but there are other areas where they’re better than you. Does that make you dumb? Not really. So, why refer to someone as dumb because they did not behave as you expected?

4. CAN’T

When you say a person CAN’T do a certain thing, you have discouraged the person.

It is very possible that the person will believe you, especially if you are someone whose opinions they trust, which will in turn prevent them from giving their all and achieving what they wanted.

5. WEIRD

Weird says there is something wrong with you. It also says I’m normal and you’re not.
If you’re someone whose opinion this person values and respects, calling them weird will make them feel inferior and inadequate like they’re aren’t worth hanging out with you or doing something.
To avoid making others feel this way, you should try as much as possible to avoid using the word weird.

6. HATE

Hate is such a strong and powerful word. When you tell someone that you hate them or something about them, it means that you have a very intense dislike for them.

In other words, if you had an option, you’d totally avoid them. You might not mean that, but that is the message that the person will infer from your words.

7. FOOL

When you refer to someone as a fool, it means you think that that they’re incapable of acting wisely. When someone is referred to as a fool severally, they start believing it and lose the motivation to try and perform better. Why try when they believe they cannot?

Ultimately, continuously referring to someone as a fool can even lead to lack of self-belief and even depression.

8. FAILURE

The word failure has a very negative connotation.

When you refer to someone as a failure, you are essentially saying that they are not capable of winning.

As the person hears this more and more, they might actually start believing that they cannot do anything successfully.

Instead of referring to someone as a failure even when something they were working on didn’t work, what you should do is encourage them to examine why it didn’t work, see what they can learn from the experience and then try again.

9. USELESS

Can someone really be useless? Even a doormat has its uses because it helps people clean their shoes as they get into a building.

By telling someone that they are useless, you are implying that they are even worse than a doormat, that they add no value on earth.

Everyone has something good about them, so you should avoid referring to anyone as useless.

10. BORING

When you tell someone that he or she is boring, you are essentially saying that there is nothing interesting about them.

This can easily make a person feel inferior and insignificant. The truth is that everyone has totally interesting about them.

If you think there is nothing interesting about a person, that’s probably because you don’t know them well enough.

11. UGLY

This is just a word you should not use. How we look is something natural, and there is not much someone can do about how they look.

When you tell someone that they are ugly, you are making them feel inferior for something that is not within their control.

Just don’t refer to someone as ugly.

12. RIDICULOUS

When you tell someone that something about them is ridiculous, you are implying that their opinion/ideas are laughable.

Who wouldn’t feel inferior if people laughed at your ideas or suggestions?

President Buhari Orders Immigration To Tighten Security Around Nigeria’s Borders

Zoe Maven

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March 5, 2021

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President Buhari Orders Immigration To Tighten Security Around Nigeria’s Borders

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Nigeria Immigration Service to improve surveillance and control around the nation’s borders.

The President was speaking at the virtual commissioning ceremony of the NIS Technology Building on Thursday in Abuja asking the service to make sure the country does not become a safe haven for criminal elements.

Buhari urged the NIS to partner with international security organisations such as INTERPOL in safeguarding the borders and called on all security agencies to raise their performance in protecting lives and property.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President gave his assurance that his administration will give the much-needed support to the operations.

He stressed that the nation’s ranking in the Global Security Index must be improved, urging all security agencies to step up their activities towards to do their best in order to achieve this goal.

In addition, president Buhari called for strong working relationships and ties with the international community and friendly nations as it relates to migration management.

He also commended the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, for consistently pushing for the completion of the Technology Building, which would serve as the Command and Control Centre of the NIS.

In response, Aregbesola thanked President Buhari for approving the project in 2018 and following up with the completion of all phases of the facility.

ICYMI: Texas, Mississippi to end mask mandates and allow businesses to reopen at full capacity

Cleopatra Okohai

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March 4, 2021

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ICYMI: Texas, Mississippi to end mask mandates and allow businesses to reopen at full capacity

The governors of Texas and Mississippi both announced that they are lifting mask mandates and allowing businesses to reopen at full capacity.

Gov. Greg Abbott ended Texas’ statewide mask mandate and announced an executive order to allow all businesses to reopen at full capacity.

“It is now time to open Texas 100%,” Abbott said at a news conference Tuesday.

“COVID has not suddenly disappeared,” he added. “But it is clear from the recoveries, from the vaccinations, from the reduced hospitalizations, and from the safe practices that Texas are using, that state mandates are no longer needed.”

Abbott’s executive order is effective March 10, overriding a previous executive order issued in October. The new order mandates that if hospitalization rates exceed 15% hospital bed capacity for seven days, county judges may use mitigation strategies in their jurisdiction, according to Abbott.

The state’s mask mandate had been in effect since July.

Abbott spent the last week teasing the announcement during press conferences and on Twitter, hinting at “exciting news.”

Health experts, including Dr Anthony Fauci, have, however, cautioned against states reopening too quickly. At a White House briefing on Friday, Fauci warned against easing restrictions until the U.S. baseline average of new infections is lower.

“We have to carefully look at what happens over the next week or so with those numbers before you start making the understandable need to relax on certain restrictions,” Fauci said. “Watch it closely, and be prepared to react according to what actually happens.”

White House senior COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt told CNN Tuesday night he hopes Abbott will rethink lifting restrictions, especially the mask mandate, though he stopped short of suggesting President Joe Biden should call the governor to ask him to change course.

“We think it’s a mistake to lift these mandate too early. Masks are saving a lot of lives,” he said. “The president has been clear about the fact that in the first 100 days of this administration, we could save 50,000 lives if we stick to this. I’m hoping that the businesses, and the community and people in Texas, the mayors, the county, will rethink this. I hope the governor rethinks this. It’s only a small piece of cloth that’s needed.”

As of Tuesday, Texas had reported 2.6 million infections and 43,918 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

During the Tuesday press conference, Abbott touted the state’s positivity rate as being “under 9%,” still nearly double the 5% threshold recommended by the World Health Organization.

In Texas, 6.8% of the population has received both doses of the vaccine, slightly lower than the national average of 7.9%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mississippi followed suit on Tuesday, with Gov. Tate Reeves announcing he would also remove mask mandates and business restrictions.

“Starting tomorrow, we are lifting all of our county mask mandates and businesses will be able to operate at full capacity without any state-imposed rules,” Reeves said in a Facebook post. “Our hospitalizations and case numbers have plummeted, and the vaccine is being rapidly distributed. It is time!”

While cases have fallen in the state since January, the percent positivity rate for the last month is 10.96%, according to Johns Hopkins University. Only 7.63% of the state’s population has been vaccinated.

On the same day the Governor announced the end of restrictions, the Mississippi Department of Health tweeted, “Despite a decline in COVID-19 cases, significant community transmission continues. MSDH advises all Mississippians 65 and up, or 16 and older with serious chronic medical conditions, to avoid all social gatherings outside of the household until vaccinated.”

Meghan granted £450k interim payment in privacy case, demands front-page apology from Mail on Sunday

Cleopatra Okohai

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March 4, 2021

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Meghan Markle has been granted an interim £450,000 down payment towards her £1.5m legal costs in her privacy case against the Mail on Sunday.

The payment follows her victory last month against Associated Newspapers Ltd, publisher of the Mail on Sunday and Mail Online, over extracts published from a private handwritten letter she sent to her estranged father, Thomas Markle.

Meghan had asked for an interim payment of £750,000. She is also demanding a front-page apology, and a high court order forcing the newspaper to hand over any copies it has made of the letter, and destroy any copies of it or notes made about it.

Meghan Markle, 39, sued ANL over five articles published in February 2019. She was granted summary judgment in relation to her privacy claim and part of her copyright claim.

Lord Justice Warby refused ANL permission to appeal against his judgment. The publishers have the right to appeal for permission directly to the court of appeal.

At a remote hearing on Tuesday, ANL argued that Meghan’s “extremely large costs bill” of about £1.5m was disproportionate. Full costs will be decided at future hearings in the case.

Ian Mill QC, representing Meghan, argued in written submissions that ANL had “failed to deliver up copies it has of the letter such that the threat to infringe and further misuse her private information remains real and, inexplicably, the defendant has still not removed the infringing articles from Mail Online”.

He argued this was despite the judge’s ruling that found publication of the articles had infringed Meghan’s rights. “Accordingly, at the time of writing, the defendant defiantly continues to do the very acts which the court has held are unlawful.”

He also sought an order requiring ANL to publish a front-page statement in the MoS about Meghan’s legal victory, as well as on the home page of Mail Online “to act as a deterrent to future infringers”. A decision will be made at a later date.

Meghan has indicated she is willing to cap her damages to a “nominal award” – a token sum – for misuse of private information to save time and cost debating the issue, the court heard.

She had asked for ANL to pay £750,000 within two weeks as “an interim payment on account” to cover legal costs of bringing the claim.

Antony White QC representing ANL, said his client planned to appeal against the summary judgment ruling, arguing that it “would have a real prospect of success”.

ANL had resolved to take down the articles pending any appeal, the judge heard. The publisher said the declaration Meghan wanted it to publish was not accurate, and erroneously stated she had won her whole claim rather than the fact that summary judgment had been given on parts of her claim, with other parts still to be determined.

There had been worldwide reporting of the duchess’s success in her privacy claim and it did not need a declaration as suggested, White said.

Any order requiring ANL to hand over any copies of Meghan’s letter to her father should be put on hold until any appeal against last month’s judgment could be determined, added White.

Warby ruled that any “financial remedies’’ to be granted to Meghan for misuse of private information would be considered at a further hearing in late April or early May. The judge said that hearing would also deal with Meghan’s claim under the Data Protection Act, as well as “the issue of copyright ownership’’.

Last month, Warby ruled that the publication of Meghan’s letter to her father was “manifestly excessive and hence unlawful”. He said: “It was, in short, a personal and private letter” and these were “inherently private and personal matters”.

The handwritten letter was sent to her estranged father, 76-year-old Thomas Markle, in August 2018.

The duchess claimed the five articles published in February 2019 involved a misuse of her private information, breached her copyright and breached the Data Protection Act.

The judge has said the issue of whether Meghan was “the sole author” – or whether Jason Knauf, formerly communications secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, was a “co-author” – should be determined at a trial, despite being one “of minor significance in the overall context”.

Females can inherit property – Akwa Ibom court

Cleopatra Okohai

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March 4, 2021

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Females can inherit property – Akwa Ibom court

The ancient tradition in Etinan council area of Akwa Ibom state which denied female children the right to inherit their father’s properties has been nullified in a landmark ruling.

A High Court presided by Justice Pius Idiong quashed the practice yesterday while delivering judgment in a suit filed by eight children of the late Obong Patrick Joseph Noah of Edem Ekpat.

They filed the suit against their aunt Mrs Gertrude Ekanem to stop her from inheriting the landed property of her sister, the late Immaculata Noah, who died and left behind the property without a husband or a child.

The case with the suit number HET/3A/2019 between Mr Michael Patrick Noah and seven others and Mrs Gertrude Ekanem, originated from the Etinan District Court, whose judgment the appellants appealed to the Chief Magistrate Court and the High Court.

In their evidence, the appellants contended that their aunt cannot inherit her sister’s property located at number 24 Iman Street, Etinan, because she is a woman and had also been married out of the family.

In his judgment, Justice Pius Idiong described such practice as anachronistic, primitive and unconscionable, which should not exist in the 21st Century society.

The Court held that any custom that denies a woman an inheritance on the ground of her gender, is not only unfair but runs contrary to the fundamental objective of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Duchess Of Sussex accuses Palace of “Perpetuating Falsehoods”

faith Jegede

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March 4, 2021

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Duchess Of Sussex accuses Palace of “Perpetuating Falsehoods”

In released excerpts of her interview with Oprah Winfrey that is expected to air on Sunday,Meghan says that she should not be expected to remain silent, if the palace was actively perpetuating falsehoods about the prince and herself.

She gave this reply after being asked how she felt about the palace hearing her “speak your truth today”. she also stated that if it came at the risk of loosing things, a lot had been lost already.

CBS reportedly shared the clip after Buckingham Palace revealed that it had launched an investigation into accusations of bullying, leveled against the duchess by former staff.

News of this investigation comes after various palace aides insist that the “tell all” interview was not a concern to the palace and the royal family at this time as they were focusing all their energy on making sure that seriously ill Prince Philip, makes a full recovery.

The duke and duchess both sit down for this highly awaited interview as they “lift the lid” on their short time as working royals.

Prince Harry has severally expressed fear of history repeating itself and states that as the reason for being so protective of his family and choosing to step back and settle into more normal lives.

He is not the only royal who nurses this fear. His brother Prince William wrote an angry legal letter aimed at protecting his wife Kate, a few years ago. the letter itself has remained confidential but close friends of the couple describe the prince as being very angry and extremely frustrated.

Again, Bandits abduct 70 Nursing mothers, their children and others in Zamfara

Nigeria

Cleopatra Okohai

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March 4, 2021

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Again, Bandits abduct 70 Nursing mothers, their children and others in Zamfara

Suspected armed bandits have invaded Ruwan Tofa village in the Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State, abducting over 70 people, including nursing mothers and children.

LN247 gathered that the armed men riding motorcycles, attacked the village on Wednesday shooting sporadically.

According to a source, the bandits kidnapped at least 70 persons and carted away valuables, including foodstuffs and animals.

Houses and vehicles belonging to villagers were also destroyed and burnt.

“The attack lasted for several hours, the gunmen took at least 70 persons into the forest,” the source said.

The incident occurred few days after gunmen killed 40 persons and abducted over many others at Sabuwar Tunga, a neighbouring village in Maru LGA.

Deadly attacks have raged across Zamfara state where bandits have thrived.

Farming and herding communities in the state have long been terrorised by gangs who raid villages, stealing cattle and kidnap residents for ransom.

On Friday, 279 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe in the Talata Mafara Local Government area of the state were abducted.

The gunmen were said to have arrived the school around 1 am and loaded the girls in buses.

The students were released after negotiations between the government and the kidnappers.

Bloody Reunion

The reunion ceremony of the 279 abducted students of Government Girls Junior Secondary School in Jangebe, Zamfara state and their parents on Wednesday, March 3, turned bloody after military officers allegedly fired shots at the agitated parents, killing one person while two other persons sustained serious gunshot injuries and have been rushed to the hospital.

According to reports, the anxious parents had gathered within the school premises waiting to reunite with their children.

Trouble started when the parents who were angry that the reunion ceremony was unnecessarily too long, disrupted the proceedings to hug their children and reunite with them.

LN247 had earlier reported that security agents at the reunion ceremony allegedly fired shots at the agitated parents who were against the prolonged ceremony organized to reunite with their daughters.

It was in the moment of the chaos that the military allegedly pulled their trigger, killing one person. Two others sustained gunshot wounds.

Sadly, one of the two injured victims later died. The other one according to Arise TV is still in the hospital.

In 2019, the state government entered a peace agreement with the gunmen.

About 15 brand new Hilux vehicles and cash gifts were also given to leaders of different ‘repentant’ gangs of bandits by the governor in 2020.

But despite all these, communities in the state are still being attacked and residents kidnapped and/or killed.

Freed Jangebe Schoolgirls reunion with Parents Marred by Shooting

Nigeria

faith Jegede

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March 4, 2021

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Freed Jangebe Schoolgirls reunion with Parents Marred by Shooting

The joyful reunion of children and parents on Wednesday March 3, quickly turned sour as security official shot and killed at least 4 people.

The 279 kidnapped Zamfara school girls, had been in the care of the state government in the capital of Gusau receiving medical treatment before being handed over to the school.

Anxious parents were outraged by the delay after officials’ insisted that the girls be marched into the dinning hall first, and then be handed over to the local chief of Anka district, Attahiru Ahmad Anka before their parents got access to them.

Chaos ensued as parents marched into the hall snatching up their children amid tears and hugs to the consternation of officials present. The matter was further aggravated as crowds pelted regional parliament speaker Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya as he made his way out of the village. Security forces responded by opening fire at them, killing several.

Despite the tragedy, students and parents alike, expressed joy at the release of the school girls 5 days after their kidnap on Friday 26 of February.