At least 58 people were killed by armed bandits who attacked villages in northwest Nigeria’s Zamfara state…reports Asian Lite News
Ibrahim Bello Zauma, a spokesperson for the governor of Zamfara state Bello Matawalle, told Xinhua news agency that the attacks took place on January 5 and 6 in the villages in the Anka and Bukkuyum areas.
“We recorded 36 (deaths) at Bukkuyum and 22 (deaths) in Anka so far,” Zauma said.
He said the state Governor has visited the affected areas to condole with the people over the tragic incident of bandit attacks in the areas.
Niger celebrated its National Day at Expo 2020 with a visit by Mohamed Bazoum, President of the Republic of Niger…reports Asian Lite News
Niger celebrated its National Day at Expo 2020 on Monday with a visit by Mohamed Bazoum, President of the Republic of Niger, a flag-raising ceremony at Al Wasl Plaza, and a musical performance reflecting the traditions and cultural roots of the West African nation.
Mohamed Bazoum, President of the Republic of Niger was welcomed by a UAE delegation headed by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee; Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation,and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai, and Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Niger celebrates National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai
Speaking at a media briefing in the Niger Pavilion, President Mohamed Bazoum said: “Given the reputation of the UAE, it is not surprising that 192 countries have participated in Expo 2020 Dubai, and having African nations present at Expo 2020 Dubai is very important and symbolic. It proves the central role of the UAE in the world today.”
”We signed a certain number of MoUs with the UAE today, and we undertook a project that will allow us in a few years to create huge solar photovoltaic plants as a result. I am confident that our cooperation with the UAE in this sector of our economy, as well as in many other sectors, such as agriculture, livestock, and infrastructure, will develop considerably. We are working towards achieving that.”
Earlier, during the ceremony in Al Wasl Plaza, Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan said: “We are pleased to be celebrating Niger, not only as a successful participant in Expo 2020, but also as a steadfast and long-standing partner of the UAE.
”Niger’s participation showcases the nation’s rich heritage as well as its economic and national priorities, driven by the will of its people. The pavilion highlights Niger’s perspective on its own advancement and growth, such as its aim to focus on ICT development as a way to stimulate economic development, as well as its advancements in the fields of renewable energy, infrastructure, agriculture and tourism.”
Singer-songwriter Bombino and his band showcased a true mix of the traditional and contemporary to celebrate the National Day, with their characteristic guitar rhythms, blending rock and blues across Al Wasl Plaza.
Located in the Mobility District, the Niger Pavilion not only showcases the nation’s key mineral wealth, it also provides an overview of the unique travel attractions of this sub-Saharan republic, filled with ancient caravan cities at the edge of the desert. Chief among those attractions are the Neolithic rock art of the Air Mountains and the dinosaur graveyards hiding beneath the dunes of the Ténéré Desert.
National and Honour Days at Expo 2020 Dubai are moments to celebrate Expo’s 200-plus International Participants, shining a light on their culture and achievements and showcasing their pavilions and programming.
Running until 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 has invited visitors from across the planet to join the making of a new world in a six-month celebration of human creativity, innovation, progress and culture.
Over 20 people were killed when bandits attacked villages in Nigeria’s northwestern state of Kaduna on Saturday…reports Asian Lite News
Samuel Aruwan, the commissioner for internal security affairs in Kaduna, said in a statement that four villages in the state’s Giwa local government area came under heavy attacks, as the bandits went on the rampage, shooting at the villagers and setting ablaze houses late Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.
Bandits kill 20 in Nigeria
Aruwan said the state government has immediately directed an urgent assessment of the affected areas or communities toward providing relief, and security agencies will sustain surveillance in the general area.
Nigeria Govt ban arrivals from four countries over new Covid-19 variants
The Nigerian government has announced its intention to ban arrivals from Canada, Britain, Argentina and Saudi Arabia from Tuesday, after the four countries added Nigeria on their “red list” and banned foreign travels from the country after detection of a new coronavirus variant…reports Asian Lite News
The decision was to reciprocate restricted flights from Nigeria into those countries over the new Covid-19 variant Omicron, said Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika on Sunday at a news conference in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub.
Sirika added that if those countries placed Nigeria on a red list, they lacked the moral right to have their airlines fly into Nigeria on commercial operations, Xinhua news agency reported.
Nigeria Govt ban arrivals from four countries over new Covid-19 variants
“I participated in a meeting with the Covid-19 task force, and we gave our input that it is not acceptable to us and we recommended that Canada, the UK, Saudi Arabia and Argentina be put on the “red list”,” he said.
“As they did to us, if they do not allow our citizens into their countries…They are not supposed to come in. I am very sure in the next three days, on Monday or Tuesday, all those countries will be put on the red list of Covid-19,” the Minister added.
Sirika apologised to Nigerians, intending to travel to those countries, but said the Nigerian government’s decision was in the interest of the country.
Nigerian authorities have confirmed six imported cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in the country since the country reported first Omicron cases On December 1.
Nigeria confirms three more Omicron variant of Covid-19
Nigerian authorities confirmed three more cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases of the variant of concern to six in the most populous African country…reports Asian Lite News
All the cases so far detected in the country were persons with travel history to South Africa in November, said Ifedayo Adetifa, head of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), in a statement.
Adetifa said the public health institution will continue to coordinate genomic surveillance activities across the country to sequence all positive Covid samples from international travellers arriving in Nigeria, Xinhua news agency reported.
Nigeria confirms three more Omicron variant of Covid-19
This, he said, includes sequencing of positive samples from international travellers from October to date.
“Nevertheless, the Delta variant remains the dominant variant and so far, we have not seen the replacement of this variant by the new Omicron variant as observed elsewhere,” the official added.
Last week, the NCDC detected three imported cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in the country for the first time, becoming the first West African nation to detect the variant of concern.
Mohamed bin Zayed and President of Nigeria discuss promoting cooperation
The two sides exchanged views on various regional and international issues of common concern…reports Asian Lite News
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, received this evening at Qasr Al Shati’ Palace, President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, who is on a working visit to the UAE during which he’s patronising his country’s National Day celebrations held yesterday at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Mohamed bin Zayed and President of Nigeria discuss promoting cooperation
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed and the African leader discussed friendship relations and cooperation paths between the two countries and the promising opportunities available to develop collaboration and mutual interests in various fields for the common good of the two nations’ peoples.
The Nigerian president congratulated the UAE leadership and people on the country’s Golden Jubilee, wishing the UAE further progress and prosperity.
Sheikh Mohamed expressed his thanks and appreciation to President Muhammadu for his sincere feelings towards the UAE and its people, wishing Nigeria further development and prosperity.
The two sides exchanged views on various regional and international issues of common concern.
The meeting also touched on Nigeria’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai and its importance in highlighting the African nation’s vision for sustainable development over the coming years
Armed banditry has been a primary security threat in Nigeria's northern and central regions, leading to deaths and kidnappings in recent months.
Armed banditry has been a primary security threat in Nigeria’s northern and central regions, leading to deaths and kidnappings in recent months…reports Asian Lite News
The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said repeated attacks in northwest Nigeria forced over 11,500 Nigerians to flee across the border to neighbouring Niger in November, resulting in a humanitarian crisis.
In recent weeks armed groups, locally called “bandits”, have repeatedly attacked villages in northwest Nigeria. The violence comes against the backdrop of inter-communal clashes between farmers and herders as competition increases for dwindling resources, aggravated by the climate crisis, said a UNHCR statement reaching Xinhua on Friday.
Armed banditry has been a primary security threat in Nigeria’s northern and central regions, leading to deaths and kidnappings in recent months.
“We are deeply concerned by the surging violence in northwest Nigeria and call for concerted and massive support to address the growing humanitarian needs of the affected population, ranging from protection services to food, shelter kits, kitchen utensils, blankets, and other non-food items,” said the statement.
It said most of the November arrivals from Nigeria have taken shelter in rural communities in Niger’s Tahoua region, which was already hosting 3,500 Nigerian refugees since September, Xinhua news agency reported.
Women and children make up most of the recent arrivals and describe killings, kidnappings for ransom and the looting of their villages, UNHCR said.
The UN refugee agency is registering new arrivals, providing emergency help and identifying the most vulnerable in coordination with Nigerian authorities, said the statement.
US top diplomat visits Nigeria, discusses areas of interest
Visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Abuja and met with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and some officials, discussing the US administration’s interest in the West African country…reports Asian Lite News
A statement issued by the Nigerian presidency said Buhari and Blinken held talks in Abuja over issues including regional security and climate change. It quoted Blinken as saying that the United States and Nigeria have diverse challenges, but a common denominator is security, and hope for better partnerships.
US top diplomat visits Nigeria, discusses areas of interest
The US top diplomat, who had held a virtual meeting with the Nigerian leader earlier in the year, hailed the contributions of Buhari to the protection of the climate, particularly his presence and contributions at the recent COP26 climate conference held in Glasgow, Scotland.
At a joint press conference with Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama in Abuja on Thursday, Blinken highlighted a number of areas that the US is willing to further cooperate with Nigeria, including security, climate change, education, health, and work with the West African country in important critical infrastructure under the USAID framework, Xinhua news agency reported.
Nigeria is the second leg of Blinken’s three-country tour in Africa starting in Kenya on Wednesday, which will be rounded off in Senegal later this week.
African national held with heroin worth Rs 5 crore
An African national was nabbed with 513 grams of heroin worth Rs 5 crore in the international market from the national capital…reports Asian Lite News
According to the official, a tip-off was received at the Anti Narcotics Cell Dwarka that an African national is supplying the contraband in the jurisdiction of Mohan Garden police station in Dwarka district.
After this, senior officials constituted a team of four policemen to nab the accused identified as Namdi Ilias Akabueze, a native of Nigeria.
African national held with heroin worth Rs 5 crore
On Tuesday, as per the information received, at around 1.25 p.m. the police team reached Chhath Puja Park, near Ganda Nala Najafgarh in the city.
“After a few minutes a team of Anti-Narcotics Cell/CAIF Dwarka apprehended that African national,” the official said.
He said that the accused was searched in the presence of ACP, Najafgarh Dwarka and due procedure was followed as described in the NDPS act.
The police arrested the accused under section 21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
As the accused was residing in Mohan Garden area of Delhi, a case has also been registered against his landlord.
During interrogation, the Nigerian national disclosed that he was an intruder and came to India through Bangladesh in 2019.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka District) Shankar Choudhary said further interrogation is going on to nab the source of the recovered drugs and its buyers and the entire chain of backward and forward links related to the crime.
Choudhary had recently launched ‘Operation Varchasva’ to make Dwarka area crime free.
Since the launch of the operation, several gangsters, snatchers and robbers have been arrested.
In the fight against terrorism, Nigeria has availed itself creditably by tackling home-grown terrorists with links to global terrorist organisations…reports Asian Lite News
The Nigerian government has slammed a US-based NGO for calling it a sponsor of terrorism, saying that it was a “disgusting distraction” orchestrated by those seeking to weaken the ongoing massive onslaught against militancy in the west African country.
Nigeria Denies Terror Sponsor Allegations
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed said the so-called Global Advocates for Terrorism Eradication (GATE) is a pesky irritant that should be ignored, especially because it is as confusing as it is irresponsible, reports Xinhua news agency.
According to media reports, the GATE petitioned on Friday the office of the US Secretary of State, demanding that the American government should designate some Nigerian government officials as sponsors of terrorism, alleging that “from all available indices, what is happening in Nigeria is state-sponsored terrorism”.
“This organisation called GATE is not even worth the ink with which its name is written. How can a serious organisation accuse a government that is tackling the twin evils of terrorism and banditry with an uncommon determination of sponsoring terrorism,” Mohammed said.
The Minister said this organisation has chosen this time when terrorists are surrendering in droves or running helter-skelter as a result of a renewed offensive against them by the military to “orchestrate a distraction…to weaken the fight against terror and banditry”.
Mohammed said the fact that GATE, in making its absurd allegation, relied on the words of a thoroughly discredited, fake-news-peddling former Nigerian navy intelligence officer shows the hollowness of its allegation.
“In the fight against terrorism, Nigeria has availed itself creditably by tackling home-grown terrorists with links to global terrorist organisations,” the Minister added.
