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IPOB Declares Sit-at-home On Tuesday As Nnamdi Kanu Appears In Court

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IPOB also reminded its followers that another court in Abia State was expected to deliver a judgment on Wednesday over Kanu’s fundamental human rights.

The Indigenous People of Biafra has asked its members and supporters of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, living in South-East to boycott social and economic activities on Tuesday.

The sit-at-home on January, according to the group, is to allow the Biafra agitators give solidarity to Kanu, who will appear before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja on that day.

IPOB, however, clarified that there will be no sit-at-home on Wednesday and Thursday, saying that, “we don’t want to compound the pains of our people, hence, we will limit the sit-at-home to only January 18” .

In a statement by the group’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, on Saturday, IPOB also reminded its followers that another court in Abia State was expected to deliver a judgment on Wednesday over Kanu’s fundamental human rights as filed by his Special Counsel, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor.

The statement reads, “We are the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB under the command of our indefatigable leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Following our leader’s upcoming court proceedings on the 18th, 19th and 20th of January 2022 next week, we wish to remind Biafrans that there will be only sit at home on 18th of January, and not 19th and 20th of January. In keeping with our avowed solidarity with our leader, the entire Biafra land will be on lock down only on January 18 for obvious reasons.

“Biafrans should understand that 19th January is the judgment day in the suit by our leader against the Federal Government which is pending before an Umuahia High Court. So, there will be no sit-at-home on that day.

“Again, we don’t want to compound the pains of our people, hence, we will limit the sit-at-home to only January 18. Biafrans and residents of Biafra are free to go about their businesses without molestations on 19th and 20th January. Anybody found enforcing non-existent Monday sit-at-home on 17th, 19th and 20th is criminal and must treat as such, IPOB leadership have given order and that order is what signed.

“Everybody must be careful because this waves that is coming will consume many and every principal of IPOB mostly the coordinators must know that it will bounce on their heads if they don’t checkmate the activities of members and call them to order. IPOB is not village or social club where everybody will behave untoward to people like cultists.

“It is on the table and to the knowledge of IPOB leadership how some principal officers were encouraging evils in IPOB without minding the repercussions and consequences but we want to make categorically known to them that it will come back to him or her that encouraged evil against his or her fellow human beings

“For clarity sake, we reiterate that there will be no sit-at-home on January 19th and 20th. Nobody is expected to interfere with either human or vehicular movements in those days under any guise. Any detractor or agent of darkness caught obstructing peoples activities in Biafra land on January 19th and 20th in the name of enforcing sit-at-home will regret his or her actions.

“We realise that some unscrupulous and traitors are trying to create confusion about these days and dishing false information and propaganda trying to create confusion in Biafra land. IPOB never declared sit at home on 19th and 20th of January 2022. Therefore, we want all Biafrans to go to their normal business on these days without fear.

“Anybody issuing order for sit at home on 19th and 20th of January is not a member of IPOB. Such persons are working against the interest of our leader and the entire struggle for independence. They should be disregarded.

“For the umpteenth time, IPOB is under one Central command and Control , and doesn’t have parallel or factional leadership. The Directorate of State under the command of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is in charge of the global movement of IPOB.

“Anybody who is not loyal to DOS is an impostor and should be disregarded.

“We expect our people everywhere to adhere to this directive and refuse to be misled by sacked members of IPOB in Europe and America. IPOB remains unshakeable, built and rooted on the rock and will remain so until the freedom for Biafra is fully achieved.”

Culled from the Sahara Reporters

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Nigerian officials probe plan to marry off scores of female orphans

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Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Women Affairs says it is investigating a plan by a lawmaker in central Niger state to marry off some 100 female orphans of unknown ages later this month.

Speaker of the Niger State Assembly Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji announced the mass wedding last week but called off the ceremony following widespread outrage.

Minister of Women Affairs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, condemned the plans.

Kennedy-Ohanenye said she had petitioned the police and filed a lawsuit to stop the marriages pending an investigation to ascertain the age of the orphans and whether they consented to the marriages.

“This is totally unacceptable by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and by the government” of Nigeria, she said.

Last week, Sarkin-Daji announced his support for the mass wedding of the orphans, whose relatives were killed during attacks by armed bandits. He said it was part of his support to his constituents following an appeal for wedding funding by local traditional and religious leaders.

The mass wedding had been scheduled for May 24.

“That support I intend to give for the marriage of those orphans, I’m withdrawing it,” he said. “The parents can have the support [money], if they wish, let them go ahead and marry them off. As it is right now, I’m not threatened by the action of the minister.”

Despite national laws prohibiting it, forced or arranged marriage is a common phenomenon in Nigeria, especially among rural communities in the predominantly Muslim north, where religious and cultural norms such as polygamy favor the practice.

Poor families often use forced marriage to ease financial pressure, and the European Union Agency for Asylum says girls who refuse could face repercussions such as neglect, ostracism, physical assault and rape.

Raquel Kasham Daniel escaped being married off as a teenager when her father died and now runs a nonprofit helping children, especially less-privileged girls, get a formal education for free.

She said the ability of women to avoid forced marriage in Nigeria depends on their income and education.

“I was 16 when I lost my dad and I was almost married off, but then I ran away from home. And that gave me the opportunity to complete my education, and now I have a better life,” Daniel said.

“So, the reason why I prioritize education is to make sure that other girls have access to quality schooling so that it will help them make informed decisions about their lives. Education not only increases our awareness as girls about our rights but also enhances our prospects for higher income earning,” she said.

Thirty percent of girls in Nigeria are married before they turn 18, according to Girls Not Brides, a global network of more than 1,400 civil society groups working to end child marriage.

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Shell investigates smoke near Gbaran oil facility in Nigeria

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YENAGOA, Nigeria, May 14 (Reuters) – Oil major Shell is investigating reports of smoke early Tuesday near its Gbaran Ubie oil and gas facility in Nigeria’s coastal Bayelsa state, a spokesperson said after residents reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke near the area.
The incident would not immediately lead to an operational shut-in, the Shell spokesperson said.
A fire was reported around 0600 GMT by residents in the nearby community, who said blasts were heard where pipeline repair works had been ongoing.
The Gbaran facility, which began operations in 2010, is by far the most important Nigeria LNG gas feedstock project, processing almost 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day.
“We are actively monitoring reports of smoke detected near our Gbaran Central Processing Facility in Bayelsa State. While the source appears to be external to our facility, we are in close communication with regulatory authorities to look into the incident and ensure the safety of the surrounding communities,” a Shell spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
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Shell did not immediately respond to the accounts of residents in the area.
Resident Ovie Ogbuku told Reuters: “At about 7 a.m. I heard the sound so deafeningly and it shook the foundation of the earth and we ran for our dear lives. The result is the thick smoke you are seeing now.”
Another resident Uche Ede said; “We have no idea of the cause of the explosion but we are grateful no life was lost because it was far away from homes.”
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Land operations in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta are prone to sabotage, theft, and pipeline vandalism, forcing oil majors to exit such fields to focus on deepwater drilling.

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Lifestyle

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Nigeria tour: A Round Up

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Meghan and Harry spent three days in the African country, Nigeria in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent time in Nigeria as part of a three-day tour, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of The Invictus Games.

The couple were personally invited on the trip by Nigeria’s chief of defence staff, General Christopher Musa; they are not there in any official capacity on behalf of the royal family or the UK. The tour schedule, which started in the bustling capital of Abuja, has been jam-packed, including a visit to primary and secondary school Lightway Academy, where they met with students, and experiencing the work of Nigeria Unconquered, a charitable foundation dedicated to aiding wounded, injured, or sick servicemembers.

Naturally, the trip also provided the opportunity for Meghan to showcase a multi-day “tourdrobe”, the likes of which we haven’t seen since the couple stepped down as senior working royals in early 2020 – and she hasn’t disappointed, in a series of summery maxi dresses, elegant tailoring and striking separates.

See highlights from their trip so far, below.

On day three, the couple arrived at Lagos airport, where they were given an official state welcome.

The couple posed for a photo with children and Nigerian dignitaries.

 

The couple were greeted by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

 

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They then attended a basketball exhibition training match at Ilupeju Grammar School in Lagos. After the match, they posed for a photo with the Toronto Raptors basketball team president, Masai Ujiri, and the principal of Ilupeju Grammar School, Josephine Egunyomi.

 

The couple attended a reception hosted by the charity organisation Nigeria Unconquered, held at the Officers’ Mess in Abuja.

 

A visit to the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

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