End SARS Protest: Abia Govt relaxes curfew.
Abia Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has directed that the curfew in the State be relaxed to now take effect from 6pm to 6am from Sunday, 25th October, 2020.
The Governor also directed all markets in the State to be reopened during the day, while Market committees should mobilize adequate security teams to watch over the markets at night and during the day.
The directive was contained in a release by the State Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi Kalu and made available to DAILY POST on Saturday morning.
Governor Ikpeazu further directed all commercial tricycle operators to henceforth vacate the roads during the curfew time of 6pm-6am daily to avoid being caught in the evil plans of armed urchins who want to hide under the noble cause of genuine EndSARS protests to perpetuate acts of brigandage, arson, armed robbery and other violent crimes
According to the release, “tricycle operators that fail to heed this directive will have themselves to blame as security agents have been authorized to impound and detain erring operators with their tricycles till the current curfew regime is lifted.
End SARS: More police stations burnt in Anambra, DPO, station officer killed.
Four more police stations have been reportedly burnt down in Anambra State, while a Divisional Police Officer and a station officer were also reportedly killed by rampaging youths.
The burning and killing of the policemen happened on Friday, even while the curfew imposed by the State governor, Chief Willie Obiano was still on.
Reports said that police divisions in Amichi, Osumeyi, Ezinifite and Ukpor, all in Nnewi South Local Government Areas were burnt, while the DPO of Osumenyi and two others were fatally wounded in the process, resulting in his death and the death of one other.
This was confirmed by the Anambra State Police Command’s PRO, SP Haruna Mohammed.
Mohammed said, “On the 23/10/2020 between 8:30am and 6:30pm hoodlums in large number under the guise of “END SARS” protesters attacked Amichi, Osumeyi, Ezinifite and Ukpor Divisions all under Nnewi South LGA of Anambra State. Suspects also attacked Oraifite Area Command/ Division, vandalized and set the facilities ablaze carting away exhibits but NOT Arms and ammunition.
“Meanwhile, the DPO Osumeyi Division and two others were fatally wounded during the attack. The injured police officers were rushed to the hospital for medical attention after which the DPO and the Station officer Osumeyi were confirmed dead by the medical Doctor, while the other police Constable is responding to treatment. Corpses photographed and deposited at the morgue for autopsy".
He added that, “Consequently, the hoodlums equally torched part of Awgbu Division but were later repelled by the police in collaboration with members of the Communities. However, six suspects were arrested in connection with the recent attack on 3-3 Police Station and effort is being intensified to arrest other fleeing perpetrators in order to bring them to book,” he said.
End SARS: Hoodlums set ablaze SEMA, Cross River State Newspaper office.
Hoodlums numbering over a thousand, in Calabar, Cross River State have set ablaze the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) warehouse on fire. Also set ablaze was the Advert department of the State Newspaper Corporation, the Nigerian Chronicle.
The hoodlums had earlier attacked a Warehouse at Bishop Moynah Street and at the Ministry of Work, Ekorinim.
An eyewitness, who declined giving his name, said that the hoodlums burnt down the Advert department completely and looted some offices in the Newspaper office, which housed SEMA and the warehouse.
“The looting started peacefully but there was stampede when the number increased. I can’t ascertain if any life was lost at the moment. It was from the stampede that the looters became violent and torched the warehouse and part of Newspaper Corporation administrative office (Advert department)”, he said.
Hoodlums kill DPO, one other in Nnewi.
HOODLUMS under the guise of EndSARS protesters have allegedly killed the Divisional Police officer (DPO) in charge of Osumeyi and the station officer in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Haruna Mohammed, in a statement disclosed that on the 23/10/2020 between 8:30am and 6:30pm, hoodlums in large numbers under the guise of “EndSARS”protesters attacked Amichi, Osumeyi, Ezinifite and Ukpor Divisions all under Nnewi South LGA of Anambra State.
Suspects also attacked Oraifite Area Command/ Division, vandalised and set the facilities ablaze, carting away exhibits but not arms and ammunition". Meanwhile, the DPO Osumeyi Division and two others were fatally wounded during the attack,” he said.
He added that “the injured police officers were rushed to the hospital for medical attention after which the DPO and the station officer, Osumeyi were confirmed dead by the medical doctor while the other police constable is responding to treatment. Corpses have been deposited at the morgue for autopsy. The hoodlums equally torched part of Awgbu Division but were later repelled by the police in collaboration with members of the community".
He said six suspects were arrested in connection with the recent attack on 3-3 Police Station and effort was being intensified to arrest other fleeing perpetrators in order to bring them to book.
Also, the police in Rivers State have arrested eight members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in connection with torching of three police stations, killing of two police officers and stealing arms and ammunition.
This was disclosed in a press statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Nnamdi Omoni, of the Rivers State Police Command and made available to journalists in Port Harcourt on Friday. SP Omoni gave a review of crimes perpetrated by about 500 members of IPOB in the guise of #EndSARS protest during the week to include damaging of 15 vehicles and one Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC).
“Three police stations in Rivers State came under attack yesterday 21/10/2020 at about 2130hrs when hoodlums numbering about 500 suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) invaded the Oyigbo Area Command, Oyigbo and Afam Police Stations, setting them ablaze and damaging about 15 vehicles including one Armored Personnel Carrier (APC). In the wake of the attack, two Police Officers were killed and some arms and ammunition carted away by the hoodlums,” he explained
Over 20 property fire incidents recorded this year — FG.
witnessed varying degrees of fire incidents this year, the Federal Government said on Friday.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, stated this as her ministry conducted a fire exit drill at the Federal Secretariat, Phase 1, Abuja, in commemoration of the the 2020 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Farouq said the purpose of the fire exit/evacuation drill was to ensure effective and efficient use of the exit facilities available in the case of emergency. She noted that such drills would ensure orderly exit under control and prevention of panic that had been responsible for much of the loss of lives in major fire disasters.
The minister said, “What we have just done is remarkable, considering the series of incidences of fire disasters in public and private buildings in Nigeria. In 2020 alone, we have witnessed more than 20 fire incidents in both public and private buildings. Experience and research have shown that panic, stampede and smoke inhalation rather than burns from fire have been responsible for loss of lives in the major fire disaster history".
Farouq noted that the 13th of October every year had been set aside by the United Nations to raise awareness, educate the public and to mobilise political will and resources in ensuring disaster risk reduction globally.
She said the international theme for this year was ‘Disaster Risk Governance,’ adding that the theme was a reflection of the ministry’s focus to strengthen the existing strategies for disaster risk reduction.
The minister said, “Today, we are translating the call for disaster risk reduction into action and departing from the normal rhetoric in making international days with speeches. Hence, the ministry has organised this simulated fire exit drill which focused on raising awareness among public and private organisations as well as mitigating the risks of fire especially in the high rising buildings".
#EndSARS: Govts’ poor response indication Nigerian youths’ future under threat — ASUU.
Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has said governments’ response over the #EndSARS protests,especially the killings of protesters at Lekki tollgate, showed that the future of Nigerian youths was under threat.
The union, in a statement Friday’s night by its president, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, condemned in strongest terms, the manner in which the government handled the Lekki incident which led to the loss of lives and injuries of various degrees.
While noting that the repression and killing of any citizen exercising the constitutionally guaranteed rights to protest was unjustifiable and criminal, the Union urged the Federal government to immediately, employ measures that would fish out the culprits and bring them to justice in order to calm frayed nerves.
He further urged the Federal Government to stop security operatives from senseless killing of armless youth protesters with infiltrators brought under check through active intelligence, adding that based on past betrayal, the youths were right to insist on seeing evidence of how well government has met its five-point demand.
In his words: “From all indications, SARS had become an instrument of oppression; intimidating, extorting and killing innocent youth and citizens on trump charges. Those who survived the SARS experience tell gory tales. Mere name-changing of the killer-organisation (SARS) is therefore not enough to erase the deep-rooted impression of betrayal by a security outfit supported with tax-payers’ money. It will certainly not end the cruel murders widely perpetrated by SARS now changed to Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT). ASUU notes with regrets that Nigeria has not grown beyond the conquest subjugation orientation of colonial rule evident in police and military brutalisation of the civilian populace. Any approach to security that ignores the existential needs of the citizenry — economic, social, cutural — is tenuous. Indeed, Nigeria’s approach to security will endure only when it evolves within the prism of the fundamental objectives of the Nigerian state which situate security in the deep bowels of welfare and good life for the citizenry. Government after government has distributed the wealth created by workers to the rich and powerful (in all parties and all regimes). To confront our monumental security challenges, the conditions of life of the suffering Nigerians, not the rich and powerful, should be the starting point. Nigeria’s constitution states clearly that the Nigerian state must be a welfare state. The youth’s response is a reflection of the suffering imposed upon them by Nigeria’s rulers and their partners from Europe and America. It is a suffering Nigerians of all ages are all experiencing. The youth’s ongoing protest is a challenge to those who hold political power to urgently and rightly address the core issues of poverty, homelessness, unemployment, poor education, and lack of access to social services such as adequate healthcare, good roads, housing and electricity for majority of Nigerians. The youth are carrying the burden of resistance, a burden which they have taken on behalf of other classes of the Nigerian society. The labour movement, the professional groups, the peasant farmers, the artisans, and the intellectuals must defend the rights of the people as guaranteed by the Constitution as the youth have done with the peaceful protest. t is a challenge to all those who want genuine change in Nigeria. We must intervene in manners that bring lasting impact; lest the genuine struggle of our youth is hijacked by self-seeking opposition politicians and miscreants as already happening".
“The future of the you people in Nigeria is threatened. They are living in conditions of hopelessness, disintegration of families, and despair about the present and the future. So long as the prevalent deprivations persist, lacking a hope for a better satisfying life conditions, it is expected that they will lose confidence in the present set up. The solution is, therefore to embark as, an emergency, on a series of public programmes of economic and social welfare, as provided for in Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution (amended) – provision of state-funded qualitative education, mass employment as well as other life-enhancing opportunities that characterise a welfare state".
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