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Bandits Stormed Goronyo Weekly Market Killed Over 40 People

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Bandits who were believed to be working as a team massacred dozens of people at Goronyo market in Sokoto State on Sunday night.

The bandits were said to have stormed the weekly Goronyo market in different directions and were shooting sporadically.

According to locals, the market was filled to the brim when the terrorists, riding on over 100 motorcycles, surrounded the place and opened fire on buyers and sellers that led to the death of 49 people.

According to locals, over 65 people have been killed in the last 10 days on that axis.

At least 22 traders were killed in a similar attack at Unguwan Lalle market in Sabon Birni Local Government Area on October 8.

Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal confirmed the attack on Monday when he hosted the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, at the Sokoto Government House.

He said the number of people killed at the Goronyo market rose to 43 and details were still being put together.

Tambuwal said the spate of attacks by bandits in the eastern part of Sokoto State could be attributed to the ongoing military operation in Zamfara State.

“We were greeted this morning with a dastardly attack and scores lost their lives. We are still counting.”

“It was not like this before. If you chase them away from Zamfara they run into other states. This is why there are attacks in Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Kaduna and Sokoto States.”

“The operation should have taken place in all the distressed states simultaneously. We need more presence of military personnel and more logistics in the state. We will continue to pray for you, Mr President and the armed forces to succeed over these criminals,” he said.

Also, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, while receiving the chief of army staff in his palace said that the current security challenges in the country are surmountable.

“We know the magnitude of the challenge but we have confidence in you. We assure the military of our total commitment and support,” he said.

On his part, the Chief of Army Staff, General Yahaya, who is an indigene of the state, expressed shock over the Goronyo attack.

He said they were in Sokoto to interact with troops, have first-hand information about their operations and appreciate them.

“We succeeded in killing and arresting many of them and we are surprised to see some of the people involved,” he said.

In his condolence message, President Muhammadu Buhari in a statement issued by his media aide, Garba Shehu, said the days of the bandits were numbered because the military capabilities of our forces were being boosted by the acquisition and deployment of advanced equipment.

He said Nigerians should “not to despair because this administration is determined more than ever before to protect Nigerians from murderous criminal gangs that have no respect for the sanctity of life.”

“The bandits are living in the fool’s paradise of invincibility, but reality will soon dawn on them harder than ever before,” the statement said.

Also, the Senator Aliyu Wamakko, representing the Sokoto North, has condemned the killings at the Goronyo market in Sokoto State by armed men suspected to be bandits.

In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Bashar Abubakar, the Senator described the incident as barbaric and inhuman.

Wamakko, a former Governor of Sokoto State, also stated that no religion in the country allows the wanton killing of innocent souls.

The statement read in part: “The Senator commiserates with the people of Goronyo Local Government, the families of the deceased persons and the entire Sokoto State.”

“God will not allow this ugly trend to continue ravaging the Sokoto communities.”

Wamakko while urging the people of the State to continue to pray to Almighty Allah to provide a remedy to these ungodly acts, prayed to the Almighty Allah to forgive the departed souls and expose those behind the killings of the innocent victims.

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Nigerian officials probe plan to marry off scores of female orphans

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May 15, 2024

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ABUJA, NIGERIA — 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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2 days ago

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May 15, 2024

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

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May 15, 2024

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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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