The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says the Federal Government is not panicking over demand for sanction by the United Kingdom lawmakers.
The PUNCH reports that the UK lawmakers had on Monday debated over alleged human rights abuses during the #EndSARS protest in Nigeria and demanded sanctions on government officials and security agents such as visa ban, freezing of assets, and stopping the funding and training for the Nigeria Police Force.
The debate was sequel to a petition started by Silas Ojo which had garnered over 200,000 signatures.
Responding on behalf of the UK government, the MP for Aldridge-Brownhills, Wendy Morton, who is also the Minister at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, said the UK government was communicating with the President’s Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“It is a long-standing practice not to speculate on future sanctions as it could reduce the impact of the designations,” Morton said.
Reacting to the development during a chat on NTA on Wednesday, Mohammed cautioned foreign countries not to take decisions based on “fake news”.
When asked about threats by the UK parliament to ensure sanctions, the minister said, “We earlier stated that government all over the world who have taken hasty decisions about Nigeria on this issue should please seek the truth.
“If the decision of any government all over the world is based on fake news, it is very risky. It brings me to the issue of the UK parliament resolution. We are not panicking at all as a government for two reasons – the resolution of the UK parliament is not the decision of the country and no serious govt will take a decision such as imposing sanctions based on fake news.
“This is why we are warning foreign countries to seek the truth and beware of fake news. The entire #EndSARS protest was fuelled by fake news.”
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on Tuesday gave a comprehensive account of the human casualties and property damage that occurred during the #EndSARS protests in October.
He said 102 people died, including 37 policemen who were ‘gruesomely murdered’.
According to him, 196 people were seriously injured.
More frightening, he said 136 police rifles stolen during the period have not been returned.
Adamu gave the new figures of casualties and the missing guns at a meeting in Port Harcourt today between a presidential team and governors of the South South region and other leaders.
The Presidential team was led by Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, the chief of staff to President Buhari.
According to Adamu, 243 public facilities were burnt and 71 warehouses looted.
He also said 610 vehicles were destroyed, while 134 police stations were burnt.
He said 164 police vehicles were also destroyed.
Adamu blamed purveyors of fake news for the death of civilians and police personnel and the destruction of police and other public assets.
Adamu alleged that intelligence has confirmed that the EndSARS protest was funded from within and outside the country.
He further added that one of the primary objectives of the protest was to effect a regime change.
The family of Ifeanyi Okereke, the vendor killed by a security aide of Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, is demanding N500 million from the number four citizen.
Last week, Okereke was shot by Abdullahi Hassan, a Department of State Services (DSS) operative attached to the speaker.
According to PUNCH, the demand was contained in a letter addressed to the speaker by Mike Ozekhome, counsel to the family.
In the letter dated November 23, the Okereke family said the demand is not enough to replace their son.
“Our clients have instructed us to make from your good self, the following modest demands: That you use your good offices to ensure the immediate prosecution of your security aide (Abdullahi Hassan), who went on a frolic of his own, clearly acted outside the purview of his duty and responsibility by shooting to death an innocent, harmless and armless citizen,” Ozekhome said.
“That you adequately compensate the Okereke family with a modest sum of N500m only.
“This monetary demand can never adequately replace or take the place of their son, husband, brother, and breadwinner’s life. But it will at least mitigate the obvious trauma and hardship the premature demise of their irreplaceable breadwinner has placed on them.”
The lawyer said if the speaker fails to accede to their demand in seven days, they would take legal steps.
“Take note therefore that it is our clients’ firm instruction that in the event that you fail, refuse and/or neglect to accede to or proffer reasonable compensatory terms to our above modest demands within seven days from the date of this letter, we shall without any further correspondences from us, take appropriate legal steps to enforce our clients’ constitutional rights,” he said.
Gbajabiamila said he has handed over the aide to the DSS for discipline.
He has also visited the family of the deceased to condole with them.
Self-acclaimed African giant, Burna Boy, has been nominated for the 2021 Grammy Awards, which is billed to hold on January 31, 2021.
Burna Boy’s latest body of work, Twice as Tall, makes the cut for the Best Global Music Album category.
His previous album, African Giant, was also nominated at the 2020 Grammy Awards ceremony, but Angélique Kidjo won the award.
Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa dominate the overall nominations.
Beyoncé received nine nominations in eight categories, including both record and song of the year for “Black Parade.”
The 63rd annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast by CBS from Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021.
See the full list of nominees:
Record of the Year:
“Black Parade,” Beyoncé
“Colors,” Black Pumas
“Rockstar,” DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch
“Say So,” Doja Cat
“Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish
“Don’t Start Now,” Dua Lipa
“Circles,” Post Malone
“Savage,” Megan Thee Stallion
Album of the Year:
“Chilombo,” Jhené Aiko
“Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition),” Black Pumas
“Everyday Life,” Coldplay
“Djesse Vol. 3,” Jacob Collier
“Women in Music Pt. III,” Haim
“Future Nostalgia,” Dua Lipa
“Hollywood’s Bleeding,” Post Malone
“Folklore,” Taylor Swift
Song of the Year:
“Black Parade,” Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk and Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
“The Box,” Samuel Gloade and Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
“Cardigan,” Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
“Circles,” Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk, Austin Post and Billy Walsh, songwriters (Post Malone)
“Don’t Start Now,” Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick, Dua Lipa and Emily Warren, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
“Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
“I Can’t Breathe,” Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
“If the World Was Ending,” Julia Michaels and JP Saxe, songwriters (JP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels)
Best New Artist:
Ingrid Andress
Phoebe Bridgers
Chika
Noah Cyrus
D Smoke
Doja Cat
Kaytranada
Megan Thee Stallion
Best Pop Solo Performance:
“Yummy,” Justin Bieber
“Say So,” Doja Cat
“Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish
“Don’t Start Now,” Dua Lipa
“Watermelon Sugar,” Harry Styles
“Cardigan,” Taylor Swift
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
“Un Dia (One Day),” J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny and Tainy
“Intentions,” Justin Bieber featuring Quavo
“Dynamite,” BTS
“Rain on Me,” Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
“Exile,” Taylor Swift featuring Bon Iver
Best Pop Vocal Album:
“Changes,” Justin Bieber
“Chromatica,” Lady Gaga
“Future Nostalgia,” Dua Lipa
“Fine Line,” Harry Styles
“Folklore,” Taylor Swift
Best Rock Performance:
“Shameika,” Fiona Apple
“Not,” Big Thief
“Kyoto,” Phoebe Bridgers
“The Steps,” Haim
“Stay High,” Brittany Howard
“Daylight,” Grace Potter
Best Rock Album:
“A Hero’s Death,” Fontaines D.C.
“Kiwanuka,” Michael Kiwanuka
“Daylight,” Grace Potter
“Sound & Fury,” Sturgill Simpson
“The New Abnormal,” The Strokes
Best Alternative Music Album:
“Fetch the Bolt Cutters,” Fiona Apple
“Hyperspace,” Beck
“Punisher,” Phoebe Bridgers
“Jamie,” Brittany Howard
“The Slow Rush,” Tame Impala
Best R&B Performance:
“Lightning & Thunder,” Jhené Aiko featuring John Legend
“Black Parade,” Beyoncé
“All I Need,” Jacob Collier featuring Mahalia and Ty Dolla Sign
“Goat Head,” Brittany Howard
“See Me,” Emily King
Best R&B Song:
“Better Than I Imagine,” Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello and Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Robert Glasper featuring H.E.R. and Meshell Ndegeocello)
“Black Parade,” Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk and Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
“Collide,” Sam Barsh, Stacey Barthe, Sonyae Elise, Olu Fann, Akil King, Josh Lopez, Kaveh Rastegar and Benedetto Rotondi, songwriters (Tiana Major9 and Earthgang)
“Do It,” Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Anton Kuhl, Victoria Monét, Scott Storch and Vincent Van Den Ende, songwriters (Chloe X Halle)
“Slow Down,” Nasri Atweh, Badriia Bourelly, Skip Marley, Ryan Williamson and Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Skip Marley and H.E.R.)
Best Progressive R&B Album:
“Chilombo,” Jhené Aiko
“Ungodly Hour,” Chloe X Halle
“Free Nationals,” Free Nationals
“____ Yo Feelings,” Robert Glasper
“It Is What It Is,” Thundercat
Best Rap Performance:
“Deep Reverence,” Big Sean Featuring Nipsey Hussle
“Bop,” DaBaby
“What’s Poppin,” Jack Harlow
“The Bigger Picture,” Lil Baby
“Savage,” Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé
“Dior,” Pop Smoke
Best Melodic Rap Performance:
“Rockstar,” DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch
“Laugh Now, Cry Later,” Drake featuring Lil Durk
“Lockdown,” Anderson .Paak
“The Box,” Roddy Ricch
“Highest in the Room,” Travis Scott
Best Rap Song:
“The Bigger Picture,” Dominique Jones, Noah Pettigrew and Rai’shaun Williams, songwriters (Lil Baby)
“The Box,” Samuel Gloade and Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
“Laugh Now, Cry Later,” Durk Banks, Rogét Chahayed, Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Ron LaTour and Ryan Martinez, songwriters (Drake featuring Lil Durk)
“Rockstar,” Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, Ross Joseph Portaro IV and Rodrick Moore, songwriters (DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch)
“Savage,” Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe and Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé)
Best Rap Album:
“Black Habits,” D Smoke
“Alfredo,” Freddie Gibbs and the Alchemist
“A Written Testimony,” Jay Electronica
“King’s Disease,” Nas
“The Allegory,” Royce Da 5’9”
Best Country Solo Performance:
“Stick That in Your Country Song,” Eric Church
“Who You Thought I Was,” Brandy Clark
“When My Amy Prays,” Vince Gill
“Black Like Me,” Mickey Guyton
“Bluebird,” Miranda Lambert
Best Country Song:
“Bluebird,” Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby and Miranda Lambert, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“The Bones,” Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins and Laura Veltz, songwriters (Maren Morris)
“Crowded Table,” Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby and Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen)
“More Hearts Than Mine,” Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis and Derrick Southerland, songwriters (Ingrid Andress)
“Some People Do,” Jesse Frasure, Shane McAnally, Matthew Ramsey and Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Old Dominion)
Best Country Album:
Lady Like,” Ingrid Andress
“Your Life Is a Record,” Brandy Clark
“Wildcard,” Miranda Lambert
“Nightfall,” Little Big Town
“Never Will,” Ashley McBryde
Best Latin Pop or Urban Album:
“YHLQMDLG,” Bad Bunny
“Por Primera Vez,” Camilo
“Mesa Para Dos,” Kany García
“Pausa,” Ricky Martin
“3:33,” Debi Nova
Best American Roots Performance:
“Colors,” Black Pumas
“Deep in Love,” Bonny Light Horseman
“Short and Sweet,” Brittany Howard
“I’ll Be Gone,” Norah Jones and Mavis Staples
“I Remember Everything,” John Prine
Best Global Music Album:
“Fu Chronicles,” Antibalas
“Twice as Tall,” Burna Boy
“Agora,” Bebel Gilberto
“Love Letters,” Anoushka Shankar
“Amadjar,” Tinariwen
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical:
Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
Dave Cobb
Flying Lotus
Andrew Watt
Best Music Film:
“Beastie Boys Story,” Beastie Boys
“Black Is King,” Beyoncé
“We Are Freestyle Love Supreme,” Freestyle Love Supreme
“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice,” Linda Ronstadt
The White House has approved an intelligence briefing for the United States, US, President-elect Joe Biden.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in the White House said the US President-elect would receive the president’s daily intelligence brief “as part of the support to the transition.”
Spokesman of ONDI disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, NAN reports.
“Following the statutory direction of the Presidential Transition Act, ODNI will provide requested support to the transition team.
“This afternoon the White House approved ODNI to move forward with providing the PDB (president’s daily brief) as part of the support to the transition,” the official said.
This is coming after the US President, Donald Trump had approved the commencement of the process.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said minimum wage earners would be exempted from Personal Income Tax payment.
Buhari said the plan was one of the proposals in the 2020 Finance Bill pending before the National Assembly.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo disclosed Buhari’s plan at the opening of the 26th Nigerian Economic Summit Group conference.
A statement by Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, disclosed that the measure would also help in stimulating Nigeria’s economy.
“We are proposing in the new Finance Bill that those who earn minimum wage should be exempted from paying income tax.
“These provisions complement the tax breaks given to small businesses last year to not only further stimulate the economy, but are also a fulfillment of promises made to take steps to help reduce the cost of transportation and the impact of inflation on ordinary Nigerians,” he said.
Nigerian rights activist and Co-convener of #BringBackOurGirls movement, Aisha Yesufu, has been listed among the BBC’s 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for the year 2020.
The activist was listed alongside Sanna Marin, who leads Finland’s all-female coalition government, Michelle Yeoh, star of the new Avatar and Marvel films, and Sarah Gilbert, who heads the Oxford University research into a Coronavirus vaccine, as well as Jane Fonda, a climate activist and actress.
According to the BBC, this year’s 100 Women list “is highlighting those who are leading change and making a difference during these turbulent times”.
Yesufu has also been at the forefront of the EndSARS movement, a campaign that gained traction on social media globally against the excesses of a deadly police unit called the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
Yesufu, who was born by Edo parents but raised in Kano, had always shared her difficult experiences of being a girl-child in a heavily patriarchal environment.
She said, “By the time I was 11 years old, I did not have any female friends because all of them had been married off but I wanted to be educated and leave the ghetto.
“Most of my mates were almost grandmothers when I married at 24.”
The United States mission in Nigeria says Nigeria is not included in the visa bond pilot programme which was issued by the outgoing President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday.
In a statement, the U.S. mission said that the limited six-month visa bond pilot programme, beginning Dec. 24, 2020, affected 15 African countries, excluding Nigeria.
The 15 African countries affected are Angola, Liberia, Libya, Burkina Faso, Congo, Djibouti, Burundi, Eritrea, Mauritania, Gambia, Susan, Chad, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Principe and Cape Verde.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) visa bond programme will require applicants for tourist and business visas from some African countries to pay up to $15,000 bond (country dependent) in addition to visa fees.
The U.S. mission said that the new rule was put in place to address the high rate of Nonimmigrant overstay following visa expiration and/or completion of purpose in the U.S.
“The Department and our embassies and consulates overseas conducted an in-depth analysis to identify and address root causes of overstays.
“The State Department is considering additional steps to address overstays, including piloting a limited visa bonds program to test the operational feasibility of posting, processing, and discharging visa bonds as means to ensure the timely departure from the United States of certain travelers.
“This is in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),” the statement read.
According to the mission, the U.S. is committed to combating visa overstays and making sure travelers to the United States respect laid down laws.
“The implementation of this pilot builds on our engagement with foreign governments in recent years and will ensure continued progress to reduce overstay rates,” the U.S mission said.
The death toll from last week’s protests over the arrest of Ugandan presidential candidate and musician Bobi Wine has risen to 45.
More than 800 people were arrested during two days of protests that broke out on November 18.
Police spokesman Fred Enanga told reporters on Monday that “our hearts go to the families” of those killed.
The election will be held in January next year.
The unrest – Uganda’s worst in a decade – broke out after Mr Wine’s arrest in the eastern town of Luuka.
Police accused him of flouting Covid-19 guidelines which require presidential candidates to address less than 200 people.
He was later charged with negligent conduct likely to cause spread of an infectious disease.
Mr Wine, who has been arrested many times in recent years, has captured the imagination of many Ugandans with his persistent calls for president Yoweri Museveni to retire after 36 years in power.
Last week, the United Nations secretary-general condemned the violence and called on Ugandan authorities to ensure that “all perpetrators of human rights violation are held accountable”.
The bodies of three children were found in a car parked at the home of a retired police officer at Ugwu Ogede in Itchi, Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State on Monday, November 23.
The victims identified as Chibugo Eze, Chinenye Eze, and Ebuka Ene, were reported missing after they went to fetch water at a commercial borehole owned and located at the home of the former police officer.
It was gathered that two other children named Kingsley Eze, and Mmasichukwu were equally rescued from the same car and upon resuscitation, they claimed that three hooded men abducted them into the car and left.
The parents of the children had raised a search team when their children who had gone to the borehole at about 8 am on Sunday, November 22, did not return home as usual.
The traditional ruler of the community, HRH, Igwe Ike Oke, who confirmed the incident said that he also mobilised personnel of vigilante and Forest Guard groups who joined in the search of the missing children.
“We were almost frustrated in our search when a community member who went to fetch water heard the voice of a little child calling her name. She traced the voice to a car that had been parked for over six months in the compound where she discovered the children and raised the alarm,”said the monarch.
“We found three of the children already dead by the time we opened the car. I think they suffocated to death because the car doors were stiffed when we tried to open it at first but we engaged an artisan who forced it open. One of the two children rescued said they went to fetch water but didn’t meet anyone at the borehole because the owner and the entire members of the family had gone to church service,”
“He informed us that they were about going home when three hooded men came from a hill beside the scene of the incident and abducted them into the car and left. He said they were all dressed in red cloths. He also said that the hoodlums returned at the middle of the night to take them away but they couldn’t open the car doors because they were stiffed. We are still investigating.
