The Cross River State Commissioner of Police, Abdulkadir Jimoh, has died of COVID-19.
SaharaReporters gathered that Jimoh died at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital Isolation center.
Kankara Schoolboy: Boys With Big Guns Ordered Me To Speak
One of the freed schoolboys of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, has narrated his six-day ordeal in the hands of his abductors.
The student, who claimed he featured in a video released by Boko Haram on Thursday, said he was “convinced” by the kidnappers to speak in the video.
“I don’t know who they are but they said I should say they are Boko Haram —gang of Abu Shekau,” the student said at the Katsina State Government House on Friday shortly after Governor Aminu Masari received the 344 abducted schoolboys.
Gunmen had invaded the school premises last Friday and abducted over 300 students after a gun duel with the police.
The abduction took place some hours after the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), arrived in Daura, Katsina for a week-long private visit.
Leader of terror group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, later released two video footage claiming responsibility for the dastardly act.
But speaking with newsmen on Friday, the student, who claimed he was the teenager who featured in viral video released by Boko Haram on Thursday, said from “what I experienced, they (his captors), are not Boko Haram”.
He further said, “Sincerely speaking, the gang of armed robbers was very scared of what was happening from the jets. They assigned me to speak directly from the video to tell the government to stop sending the army and jets, if not they were going to kill us.
“We suffered a lot physically, they beat us morning and night. They only gave us food once in a day and water twice in a day.
“Some of those who beat us are just tiny boys with big guns.”
Meanwhile, the Katsina State governor said the schoolboys would receive proper medical attention before they are reunited with their families.
Burundi: Former President Buyoya Dies From COVID-19
The former President of Burundi, Pierre Buyoya, has died in Paris of Covid-19 complications at the age of 71, several close relatives told AFP on Friday.
“President Pierre Buyoya died last night in Paris. He had Covid-19,” a member of his family told AFP, requesting anonymity.
Several other relatives confirmed the death of Buyoya, who served as special envoy of the African Union to Mali and the Sahel from 2012 until November this year.
Buyoya “had been hospitalised Wednesday last week in Bamako where he was placed on a respirator,” the family member said.
“He was evacuated to Paris yesterday afternoon. His plane made a stopover and arrived in France in the evening. He died as the ambulance took him to hospital in Paris for treatment,” the source said.
Buyoya resigned as AU envoy in late November after being sentenced to life imprisonment in Burundi the month prior over the 1993 assassination of his successor, which he denounced as politically motivated.
Buyoya, an ethnic Tutsi, first came to power in Burundi, one of the smallest countries in Africa, in a coup in 1987.
He stepped down in 1993 in the country’s first democratic elections in which Melchior Ndadaye, a Hutu, resoundingly beat him.
But hardline ethnic Tutsi soldiers killed Ndadaye just four months into the job.
His murder plunged Burundi into years of civil war between the majority Hutus and minority Tutsis.
Buyoya became president again after a coup, ruling from 1996 to 2003.
In 2000, he signed the Arusha Accords, an agreement aimed at ending the civil war which left an estimated 300,000 people dead between 1993 and 2006. He stepped down in 2003 in line with the accords.
Cross River Commissioner Of Police Dies Of COVID-19
The Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, Lanre Abdulkadir Jimoh, is dead.
Sources in the Police command say Mr Jimoh died at an isolation centre in Calabar, the state’s capital, CrossRiverWatch reports.
He is said to have shown COVID-19 symptoms.
Several calls to DSP Irene Ugbo, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, were neither taken nor returned as at press time.
Jimoh resumed at the command in late July 2020.
SAHARAREPORTERS
US Vice President, Mike Pence, Gets Coronavirus Vaccine In Public Event
United States Vice President, Mike Pence, received a coronavirus vaccine on Friday at the White House in a televised event aimed at showing the vaccine is safe and effective.
Pence, wearing a short-sleeve dress shirt, pushed up his sleeve to get the vaccine. He appeared to be smiling underneath his mask, and did not watch as he was administered the vaccine by a member of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
“I didn’t feel a thing! Well done!” Pence said after getting the shot.
Pence, who was joined by Dr. Anthony Fauci, CDC Director Robert Redfield, and others for the event, praised the FDA for its work evaluating the vaccines. He said he expects the FDA to approve the Moderna vaccine later on Friday.
Pence, who led the White House’s coronavirus response, is the highest-ranking U.S. official to receive the vaccine so far, and is among many public officials who have committed to publicly receiving the vaccine as part of an effort to boost public trust in the process.
President Trump, who has not received the vaccine, did not join Pence in person for the event, nor did he comment on the event on Twitter.
Trump tweeted about the Moderna vaccine shortly before the event started. Afterward, he tweeted complaints about China, Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, the media, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. He also retweeted a post questioning the efficacy of wearing masks to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, contradicting Pence, who urged Americans to wear masks “when indicated” during his remarks.
Trump has not received the vaccine, though he has said he would do so “at the appropriate time.” The White House has said Trump, who was hospitalized with COVID-19 in October, has antibodies to the virus, and wants to make sure that vulnerable people get the vaccine first.
President-elect Joe Biden is expected to get the vaccine as soon as next week, and has committed to getting it publicly to promote its safety.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell each said they will get the vaccine in the coming days. It is also being made available to other members of Congress and staff as part of a national security directive that provides for continuity of government.
These officials’ receipt of the vaccine comes shortly ahead of an expected widespread distribution of the product. The U.S. death toll from the virus has topped 300,000 and is still climbing.
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said the symbolic significance of his vaccination was important in sending a message to Black Americans that it is safe.
Westlink Iconic Villa: Odu’a Investment Company And Chapter 4 Unveils N4bn Luxury Estate In Ibadan
“Luxury living that wouldn’t break the bank” could be the watchword of Westlink Iconic Villa.
Located in Ibadan, Westlink Iconic Estates Limited is a joint venture of Odu’a Investment Company Limited and Chapter 4 Estate Management Limited.
Addressing journalists at the media tour and visit of the Westlink Iconic Villa strategically situated at Alakia in Ibadan, the Group Managing Director of Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Mr. Adewole Raji, said the decision to build a N4bn luxury estate in Ibadan unlike the mechanized farming being championed in other south-west states; stems from the high prospect Ibadan offers.
The 124 mixed-luxury residential properties as well as a 58-unit commercial hub sits on about 3.8 hectares of land opposite the Nigerian Breweries PLC and bordered by the Ibadan-Ife Expressway.
The estate offers eight five-bedroom fully detached duplexes, eight five-bedroom semi-detached duplexes, six four-bedroom semi-detached duplexes, forty four-bedroom terraced duplexes, sixty three-bedroom apartments, and 58 units of commercial outlets.
Located in the estate will also be a recreational hub comprising luxury amenities such as an indoor pool, fully equipped gymnasium, courts for different ball games, dedicated 4G optic fiber internet, and much more.
A utility center within the estate will provide 24 hours electricity and centralized treated water while a First Aid room complete with a licensed physician will provide aid in the case of emergency.
Mrs. Abiola Reis, the Director of Public Relations and Corporate Affairs for Chapter 4 Estate Management Limited, a real estate company based in the United Kingdom, reiterated the selling point of affordable luxury especially in a country where procuring basic amenities could prove inconvenient.
Putin: Why I Won’t Take Russian COVID Vaccine Right Now
President Vladimir Putin said he’s not ready yet to take a Russian vaccine against Covid-19 because at the age of 68, he’s too old for those that are now available, Bloomberg reported Thursday.
“Experts tell us that the vaccines now available are intended for citizens in a specific age category,” Putin told his annual press conference on Thursday. “The vaccines haven’t reached people like me. I’ll do it as soon as it becomes possible.”
Russia has the fourth-most cases of coronavirus globally at more than 2.7 million. It started a national campaign to vaccinate the public against the virus with the Sputnik V vaccine, but demand for the free shots has so far been limited.
Putin said vaccine production continues to be held back by lack of necessary equipment, but pledged that output would reach millions of doses per month next year. In response to a question, he said Russia’s distribution of the vaccine to other countries wouldn’t affect availability at home.
Sputnik V had officially been authorized for use only on people up to 60 years old. But several prominent officials above that age, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, 65, and ultranationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, 74, have been shown on national television taking the shots.
Answering questions via video link from journalists around the country, Putin said Russia is coping better than advanced economies in Europe and the U.S. from the fallout of the pandemic.
Russia’s economy has contracted 3.6% so far this year, Putin said. “That’s less than all leading countries in Europe and the European Union, less than the U.S.,” he said. The Russian healthcare system proved more prepared and “more effective” than other major nations in dealing with the spread of the virus, Putin added.
Official: FRSC Will Begin NIN Enforcement In Driver’s License Dec. 21
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it will start enforcing the National Identification Number (NIN) directive on driver’s license processing nationwide, with effect from Dec. 21.
Mr Bisi Kazeem, Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM), Corps Public Education Officer, announced in a statement on Wednesday, in Abuja.
Kazeem said that the enforcement became necessary following the Federal Government’s directives on harmonisation of citizens’ data by relevant agencies.
In compliance with the directive, Kazeem said the FRSC had earlier put members of the public on notice, urging them, particularly those going for their driver’s license processing, to adhere to the directives.
“As a follow up to that, FRSC management has resolved that effective Dec. 21, 2020, all applicants for the National Driver’s License in Nigeria must present the NIN from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
“This is necessary before they can be captured for any class of the licenses produced by the FRSC.
“All applicants for drivers’ licence, are, therefore, expected to present their NIN from the date, before they can be attended to as there will be no waiver for anyone,’’ he said.
Kazeem further stressed the need for a harmonised database on citizens’ information because it was critical to resolving the challenges of identifying individuals.
According to him, it will also assist security agencies in data collation and quick retrievals, to address some of the nation’s security challenges.
He further advised the public to carefully follow the procedures for obtaining their NIN from the NIMC, which must be verified to be authentic, before action could be taken on any license application.
Kazeem also stated that all numbers presented by applicants must correspond with what NIMC issued to individuals for the harmonised database.
He solicited the cooperation of the public to make the policy a success in the collective interest of the nation and commitment to building and maintaining a credible national database.
The ACM assured of FRSC’s commitment to support the Federal Government in its resolve to tackle the challenges of citizens’ identification and national security.
Kazeem also assured all drivers’ license applicants of improved services at the processing centres nationwide, in line with the pledge by the Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, that improved service delivery remained at the centre of FRSC’s operations.
EU And UK Close Ranks On Post-Brexit Trade, No Real Deal Yet
British and EU negotiators were closing in Wednesday on a deal to oversee fair competition in a post-Brexit trade deal, but remain deeply divided over fishing.
As intense talks continued in Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said “the next days are going to be decisive”.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said separately: “There’s every opportunity, every hope, that I have that our friends and partners across the Channel will see sense and do a deal.”
Many supposed deadlines have already been missed, as the EU chief admitted. But, with two weeks until Britain leaves the EU single market, time is finally running out.
In Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose government holds the rotating EU presidency, said she had news of progress in the talks “but no breakthrough yet”.
Merkel said negotiations would continue “until the end of this week to see if a solution can still be found”.
Any trade deal reached by EU negotiator Michel Barnier and UK counterpart David Frost will have to be approved by the UK and EU parliaments. Special sessions may have to be held over the Christmas and New Year.
Bitter Dispute Over Fishing
Britain left the European Union on January 31 and, if no trade deal is agreed before the end of the year, EU-UK trade will revert to bare-bones World Trade Organization rules.
In practice, this will mean a return to tariffs and quotas that will disrupt commerce and supply chains and drive up prices, a fate both sides say they want to avoid.
But trade talks have stumbled over how to ensure fair competition between EU and UK businesses once London is free to diverge over time from Brussels’ regulations.
And there is a bitter dispute over fishing — a tiny part of the economy but a totemic issue for several member states, and which the EU has linked to the broader trade deal.
Johnson insists that when Britain leaves the EU single market at the end of the year it will resume full control over access to its waters.
He told parliament that the EU must “understand that the UK has a natural right, like every other country, to want to be able to control its own laws and its own fishing grounds”.
Contingency Plan
Some EU member states, led by France and the Netherlands, are holding out to preserve quotas for their crews in UK waters and a long-term arrangement to provide stability.
Addressing the European Parliament, von der Leyen said: “The good news is that we have found a way forward on most issues.”
She added that she and Barnier can now see a “narrow path to an agreement”.
“But this is now a case of us being so close, and yet being so far away from each other, because two issues still remain outstanding, you know them: a level playing field and the fisheries,” von der Leyen said.
A UK official close to the talks confirmed that “we’ve made some progress, but we are still very far apart in key areas”.
Separately, ambassadors from EU member states approved a contingency plan to keep road and air traffic moving between Britain and the continent in the event of a “no deal”.
This would allow trucks and planes to operate for an additional six months after January 1 — but only if Britain agrees reciprocal terms.
They also backed a plan to authorise fishing to continue — again on a reciprocal basis — until the end of 2021, but London has already said it will assume full sovereignty over its waters on January 1.
The European Parliament is expected to approve these plans on Friday.
Von der Leyen said that Barnier and Frost had made progress towards resolving rules for state aid to businesses and that questions over how the deal will be governed “are largely being resolved”.
She said Britain had agreed not to undercut the labour, regulatory and environmental standards it already upholds under EU law. “That’s a big step forward,” she said.
Now, however, the two sides must agree a mechanism to allow them to respond if standards diverge after Brexit.
Britain insists that it must be free to not follow new EU regulations. But Brussels wants a mechanism to impose penalties if this leaves EU firms at a disadvantage.
On fishing, von der Leyen warned “the discussion is still very difficult… and in all honesty, I sometimes feel that we will not be able to resolve this question.”
Lawan, Tinubu, Gbajabiamila, Others Celebrate Buhari At 78
The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; and the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, have fecilitated with President Muhammadu Buhari, who turns 78 today.
Lawan, in a statement he signed said the President had shown undeniable commitment to the unity, peace and even development of Nigeria.
He cited the ongoing infrastructure projects across the country and “series of programmes targeted at lifting the most vulnerable, like the social investment scheme,” as major achievements of the Buhari regime.
In his statement Gbajabiamila said, “Nigeria and Nigerians have gained a lot from your wealth of experience and selfless service to the country and humanity in your 78-year sojourn on mother earth. As our leader, your humility, dedication to the unity of Nigeria and commitment to making the country better are unquestionable.
“Under our great party, the All Progressives Congress, you have redefined selfless service. Nigerians should continue to support the President for there are better days ahead.”
On his part, Tinubu described Buhari as a “true patriot who wants the best for the nation.”
Tinubu, in a statement he signed, said, “I join all patriotic and peace-loving Nigerians in supporting your efforts to move Nigeria forward and to find lasting solutions to the longstanding issues that have faced our nation for so long.
“You are a true patriot who wants the best for the nation and I join you in this desire. May Almighty Allah bless these efforts and support us so that at the end of the day we shall overcome and that Nigeria must stand as a prosperous and peaceful nation.”
Also, the Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, said he shared in the joy of the president birthday.
“As you continue to serve our nation with an uncommon sense of patriotism and unwavering dedication, I thank Almighty God for granting you a life of great accomplishments and abiding fulfillment.
“We in Ogun State share in both the joy and challenges and pray that this birthday will bring you the good fortune to address the security, economic and political challenges facing our country,” the statement added.
Similarly, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a congratulatory message on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, said President Buhari had demonstrated unparalleled leadership skills, patriotism, integrity and courage in steering the ship of Nigeria.
He said, “Since you assumed office on May 29, 2015, you have provided honest and transparent leadership and your achievements in the fight against corruption, has earned Nigeria respect in the comity of nations. You are a true leader that’s worthy of emulation.”
Meanwhile, This is the first time Buhari will be marking his birthday outside the Presidential Villa, Abuja since he became President in 2015.
When he marked his 73rd birthday in December 2015, he was joined by family members and political associates inside the Presidential Villa.
In 2016 when he clocked 74, Buhari again marked his birthday with members of the Guard Brigade holding a special parade.
The event was held at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
A similar scenario played out in 2017 when the President’s wife, Aisha; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; and some top government officials including state governors organised a surprise birthday get-together for Buhari when he clocked 75.
In 2018 when he clocked 76, the Guards Brigade again held a special parade among other activities marking the day.
The story was not different in 2019 when Buhari clocked 77.
He celebrated the day with his aides and family members inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
While Buhari is still in Daura, some of his friends may still hold events in his honour in Abuja.
Punch correspondent sighted a notice inviting guests to “PMB @78 birthday concert” slated for Unity Fountain, Abuja.
The concert, according to the invitation, is powered by #iStandWithBuhari.