Niger Foils ‘Coup Attempt’ Days Before Presidential Inauguration

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March 31, 2021

Plans by a military unit which tried to seize the presidential palace in Niger’s capital Niamey overnight in an attempted coup have been foiled and order has been restored.

Government spokesman Abdourahamane Zakaria, in a statement condemned what he described as a cowardly and regressive act which was a threat to democracy and the state of law.

He said several people had been arrested while others were still being sought, but that the situation was under control

Elsewhere, three security sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said the assailants, from a nearby air base, fled after the presidential guard met their attack with heavy shelling and gunfire.

There were however no comments on the whereabouts of president-elect Mohamed Bazoum, who is due to be sworn in on Friday following an election victory disputed by his opponent Mahamane Ousmane.

Former president Mahamane Ousmane, who lost in the runoff, has rejected the results and said there was fraud while President Mahamadou Issoufou is stepping down after two five-year terms.

There have been growing attacks in Niger by Islamist militants, and political tensions in the country following Bazoum’s victory in a February presidential election runoff.

ICC Upholds Acquittal Of Ivorian Ex-President Gbagbo

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Zoe Maven

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March 31, 2021

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The International Criminal Court has upheld the acquittals of former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo and former minister Charles Ble Goude on charges of involvement in deadly post-election violence.

In 2019 both were cleared of responsibility for crimes including murder, rape and persecution following disputed elections in 2010, with judges saying prosecutors did not prove their case.

The decision halted the trial before defense lawyers had even presented their evidence.

The prosecution appealed against the decision to clear Laurent Gbagbo, arguing there were procedural errors in how the original verdict was delivered.

They insisted that thousands of documents and 96 witnesses presented during the trial, had proved his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

But presiding Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji said that the appeals chamber, by majority, has found no error that could have materially affected the decision of the trial chamber.

However, this exoneration paves the way for Laurent Gbagbo’s, return to Ivory Coast, where he remains an influential figure.

His successor and rival, President Alassane Ouattara, has invited him to return to Ivory Coast, which is still striving for political stability.

In the meantime In Ivory Coast his supporters gathered on the grass outside the court were jubilant there was dancing and singing in main city of Abidjan.

BREAKING: Gunmen Attack Soludo in Isuofia

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Henry Williams

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March 31, 2021

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Frontline Aspirant in the November 6th Governorship Election and Former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria Prof. Charles Soludo was attack by unknown gunmen in his home town in Isuofia

This attack took place while he was having an interaction with Isuofia youths at the town’s Civic Centre, This attack left two policemen whom are suspected to be security details to the Aspirant Dead.

This attack caused a stampede to breakout in the Afuzo Area of the village, as at the time of filing in this report the Aspirant is said to be safe but whereabouts is unknown, reports from an unconfirmed source has it that the state Commissioner for Public Utilities Engr. Emeka Ezenwanne who was at the said venue is missing

More details coming once confirmed.

EndSARS: No evidence that soldiers killed anyone at Lekki Tollgate — US

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Henry Williams

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March 31, 2021

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Amid overwhelming reports and claims by various bodies and media organisations, including Amnesty International and the U.S.-based Cable News Network, the United States government says it does not believe soldiers shot at protesters at the Lekki Tollgate.

The U.S. view is contained in its newly-released ‘2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Nigeria.’

It said, “On October 20, members of the security forces enforced curfew by firing shots into the air to disperse protesters, who had gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos to protest abusive practices by the Nigerian Police Force’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Washington’s position, under President Joe Biden’s administration, did not reflect the view of then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The Voice of America reported on October 22 that the U.S. condemned police brutality at Lekki, two days after at least 12 protesters were shot dead by Nigerian security forces.

Customs Strikeforce recovers N1.03bn from under-declared imports in Q1

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Henry Williams

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March 31, 2021

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The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Strike Force Unit said it has recovered about N1.03billion from debit notes raised on imports that were falsely or underdeclared by their owners in the last three months.

Speaking in Lagos on Tuesday, Ahmadu Bello Shuaibu, the officer in charge of the unit, said the amount generated would have been lost to smugglers, fraudulent importers and clearing agents who under-declare their cargoes at ports.

He further said that the unit in the last three months intercepted foreign parboiled rice, printed label materials, used vehicles, textiles material, used tyres, and second-hand clothing. He however charged importers involved in false and under-declaration of goods to turn a new leave.

Corroborating this, Joseph Attah, national public relations officer of the Service, said the over N1 billion recovered by Strikeforce in the first quarter, has justified the creation of the Unit.

Easter: Oyo Police deploy over 5,000 officers for security

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Henry Williams

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March 31, 2021

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To forestall any security breaches in and around Oyo State this Easter season, the State Police Command has deployed over five thousand officers to secure places of worship, recreation facilities and financial institutions.

The command stated that this action became necessary in view of the forthcoming Easter celebrations where there is likely to be increased activities at these strategic areas.

The command in a statement made available through Olugbenga Fadeyi, public relations officer of the command, added that effective plans have also been put in place to police all entry and exit points and other parts of the State through aggressive stop and search.

Fadeyi in the statement issued on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, who enjoined residents to comply with COVID- 19 protocols, assured residents that places of worship, recreation centres, financial institutions and other public facilities would be adequately protected.

SSA accounts for nearly half of global mobile money accounts

By

Henry Williams

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March 31, 2021

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There are more mobile money accounts in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) than in any other region in the world in 2020. The region accounts for 558 million of the total 1.2 billion accounts recorded in 2020, representing 43 percent of all registered accounts.

According to the latest GSMA report, the 1.2 billion represents a 13 percent growth from the previous year and the fastest growth was in markets where governments provided significant pandemic relief to their citizens.

The total transaction value also grew by 22 percent globally in 2020 to reach $767 billion out of which $490 billion went to the sub-Saharan Africa region. The growth in value was the first time the mobile money industry was processing over $2 billion in a day and has seen over double value since 2017.

While West Africa has the most Live Services – active mobile money operators – in the world, East Africa still dominates the number of accounts, active accounts, the volume and value of mobile money transactions.

Indonesian firefighters Put off days-long oil refinery inferno

By

Elizabeth Williams

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March 31, 2021

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Indonesian firefighters were working Wednesday to put out a large blaze at one of the country’s biggest oil refineries that has been burning for more than two days after an explosion rocked the facility.

Crews blasted fire-suppressing foam on two still-burning storage tanks to quench the inferno that severely injured at least six people early Monday.

Thick plumes of black smoke shot into the sky at the Balongan refinery in West Java, owned by state oil company Pertamina.

By Wednesday, two of the tanker fires had been extinguished.

“Pertamina is focused on extinguishing fires at the two other tankers,” it said in a statement.

About a thousand locals have been evacuated from the area.

The cause of the fire was not clear, but the company said the blaze broke out during a lightning storm.

The local disaster agency said one person had died from a heart attack after the explosion.

The local disaster agency said one person had died from a heart attack after the explosion.
The cause of the fire was not clear, but the company said the blaze broke out during a lightning storm.
The local disaster agency said one person had died from a heart attack after the explosion.
Six severely wounded people have been hospitalised in the capital Jakarta, about 200km from the sprawling plant, which opened in the mid-90s and can refine some 125,000 barrels of oil a day.
At least 30 others suffered minor injuries.

Supplementary Lighting Used To Grow Plants In South Korea

By

Angel Gimalo

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March 31, 2021

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Fine dust and yellow dust can affect the quality of plants grown through the winter and spring.

To tackle this problem, more and more farms are using supplementary lighting to boost growth.

Inside these greenhouses, roses and gerberas are about to bloom right on time for this year’s spring season.

However, this farm noticed some challenges from the high levels of fine dust and yellow dust at the start of spring.

But they are not the only farm adopting this technology.

According to Rural Development Administration there were 34 places using this lighting in 2015. Three years later, this had jumped to 80 places.

The type of lighting being used by the farms is changing too.

The RDA has been providing support for supplementary lighting.

And they are also providing a coating technology so fine dust doesn’t attach to greenhouses easily to stop fine dust from blocking sunlight.

San Francisco Broker Uproots Two-Storey Victorian House

By

Angel Gimalo

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March 31, 2021

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A San Francisco broker has paid $400,000 to uproot his entire two-story Victorian house and move it to a new plot six blocks away in downtown San Francisco.

After 139 years at 807 Franklin Street, the charming green home with large windows and a brown front door was loaded onto giant dollies and rolled around the corner to 635 Fulton Street.

Hundreds of onlookers who began lining the sidewalks at 6.15am watched in awe as the structure made its astonishing journey – at a top speed of one mile per hour.

Tim Brown, who bought the six-bedroom home dubbed the Englander house for $2.6million in 2013, has been laying plans for the move for nearly eight years, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Brown is planning to renovate the home into seven individual residential units at its new location, while the original property, which sits right next to a gas station, will be turned into an apartment complex.