130 STILL MISSING IN CAMEROON AFTER CRACKDOWN, SAYS AMNESTY

One hundred thirty men and boys remain missing in Cameroon nearly two years after a government crackdown on suspected members of the Nigeria-based Boko Haram extremists, Amnesty International said Tuesday, calling on the government to provide answers.

Authorities on Dec. 27, 2014 arrested more than 200 people in Magdeme and Double villages in Cameroon's Far North region, Amnesty said. The arrests were part of a push by the government to combat Boko Haram. They came within days of Cameroon's first airstrikes against the Islamic extremists to dislodge about 1,000 fighters who had seized a military base and attacked several villages along the border with Nigeria, according to reports at the time.

More than 25 of the arrested men died in custody and 45 were transferred to a prison the next day, with three more dying due to dire conditions, Amnesty said. Nine civilians were killed, and 70 homes destroyed in the operations in the two villages by the military, it said.

"The country must stop using its fight against Boko Haram to justify its blatant violations of human rights,"said Alioune Tine, Amnesty's regional director for West and Central Africa.

The rights organization said it considers the 130 people victims of enforced disappearance, a crime under international law. The group called on Cameroon's government to reveal the locations of those arrested, launch an independent investigation into the disappearances and hold fair trials for those who may be responsible.

The rights group said it has noted 17 other cases of suspected enforced disappearance in Cameroon between June 2014 and June 2016.

Cameroon has joined neighboring countries, including Niger, Nigeria and Chad, in a multinational force to combat the seven-year Boko Haram insurgency that has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced some 2.6 million others in the region.

SOURCE: AP.org

Not knowing the history of your country or family is to lose memory – Obasanjo

Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, says it is unfortunate that history is no longer taught in schools, warning that people can lose their memory and even what they ate the previous night when they do not know the history of their country, family or locality.

Speaking as the special guest of honour at the launch of educational toys designed to teach Nigerian and by extension African history, the former president decried the poor level of awareness of the nation’s history and cultural heritage amongst Nigerians.

While expressing disappointment that many children do not know enough about their states of origin let alone the country, he called on Nigerians to imbibe cultural values and norms so as to promote the nation’s heritage.

Obasanjo said, “I have understood that history is no longer thought in school, which is unfortunate. Not knowing the history of your country, family or locality is to lose memory and if you lose your memory, you won’t remember even what you ate last night. You can see that it is a disaster.”

He then stressed that Nigerians must “go back to make our children know what matters about our country and ourselves so they can be inspired for tomorrow.”

SOURCE: DailypostNG

The Kwara State Police Command has arrested a Fulani herdsman, identified as, Abubakar Usman, for allegedly killing his 65-year-old mother, Khadijat, and his brother’s wife, Ramatu Shagari, 35.

The 25-year old, who resides in Patigi area of the state, was paraded at the state police command’s headquaters in Ilorin, the state capital on Wednesday.

Usman, while speaking with Punch, however, regretted his action, saying he may have been charmed by his father.

According to Usman, “I am into cattle rearing. On that day when I woke up, I took N1,000 from my room and took my cows out for grazing.

“Suddenly, I discovered that the cattle were running away and I followed them. On getting back home, something came over me and I used a knife to stab my mother. I also stabbed my brother’s wife. I believe that my father charmed me. I do not have mental disorder.”
SOURCE: Dailypostng

Boko Haram violence taking “devastating toll” on children

Years of violence by Islamist Boko Haram militants have taken a “devastating toll” on children living in the Lake Chad basin, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday.

The insurgency displaced 1.4 million children in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger and left at least another one million trapped in areas that are hard to reach or under the control of Boko Haram, the agency said.

An estimated 475,000 children across Lake Chad are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year, up from 175,000 at the beginning of the year, according to the report.

“Humanitarian needs are outpacing the response,” warned UNICEF regional director for West and Central Africa Manuel Fontaine.

In north-eastern Nigeria alone, where Boko Haram has its strongholds, an estimated 20,000 children have been separated from their families.

About 38 children have been used to carry out suicide attacks in the Lake Chad basin so far this year, the UN said, bringing to 86 the number of children used as suicide bombers since 2014.

Earlier this week, the World Food Programme warned that the number of people who need food aid in north-eastern Nigeria has almost doubled to 4.5 million between March and August.

Boko Haram poses a steady threat to communities in the north-east of Nigeria and has also launched offensives in neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

SOURCE: Premiumtimesng

Senator Leila de Lima Becomes First Female United Nations Secretary General

The WORLD is about to CHANGE forever as this is the first time a woman is holding the leading role as the United Nations Secretary General since its formation in 1945.

Filipino Senator Leila de Lima has been elected as the new United Nations Secretary-General as Ban Ki-moon brings his term to an end.

Having defeated 10 others( six men and five women), Leila de Lima emerged the position following Ban Ki-moon’s plea for the next person to take his office after his departure should be a woman. 

Ban said he feels that after eight men have led, “it’s high time now” for a female secretary-general, stating he strongly believes women should be “given equal opportunities.”

Leila de Lima is a Filipino lawyer and senator. She was appointed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Chairperson of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights in May 2008. She served the commission until June 30, 2010, after resigning from its chairmanship to accept her appointment by President Benigno S. Aquino III as the Philippines’ new Secretary of the Department of Justice.

She resigned from this office five years later, on October 12, 2015, to focus on her candidacy for a seat in the Senate of the Philippines in what was then an oncoming 2016 Philippine general election. She eventually won one of the twelve contested seats and will serve as a Philippine senator in the Philippines’ 17th Congress.

UN Endorses Campaign to Lower Age Criteria for Political Office

The United Nations (UN) has thrown its weight behind the campaign to lower the age criteria for running for political office in Nigeria.

The endorsement was made by UN Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth, Mr. Ahmed Alhendawi, who spoke Wednesday at an interactive session with young people at the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports in Abuja.

The #NotTooYoungToRun campaign was launched to drum support for passage of a Bill in the National Assembly to reduce the age limit for contesting into certain elective offices in the country.

Mr. Ahmed Alhendawi said the bill is important considering not only the age of the continent but also the overwhelming youth demographic in Nigeria, noting that “interventions for youth without the youth are not for youth.”

A statement by Samson Itodo of the Youth Initiative for Advancement, Growth and Advocacy (YIAGA) said the UN envoy noted further that “working with and for young people is one of the priority areas for the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, saying his office specifically focuses on strengthening the position of young people across government, civil society, academia, media, and the agencies of the United Nations.”

According to the statement, “the #NotTooYoungToRun campaign welcomes this endorsement with gratitude and commends the UN Youth Envoy for his dedication and support to the advancement of youth issues across the globe. This endorsement will in no small measure boost the campaign and mount pressure on the National and State Assemblies to pass the #NotTooYoungToRun bill which is currently under consideration by the Constitution review committee in the House of Representatives having passed first and second reading.

“The #NotTooYoungToRun bill seeks to alter Sections 65, 106, 131, and 177 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) to reduce the age of qualification for the office of the President, Governor, and House of Representatives from 40 to 30, 35 to 30, and 30 to 25 respectively. The reduction will take the age of candidacy for Senate from 35 to 30, and that of State Houses of Assembly from 30 to 25.  The Bill sponsored by Hon. Tony Nwulu, member representing Oshodi/Isolo constituency also seeks to mainstream independent candidacy into Nigeria’s electoral process.”

SOURCE: OrderPaperToday 

Police Rescue 13 Children, 15 Adults Chained in House in Lagos

The Lagos State Police Command at the weekend rescued 13 children and 15 adults chained and locked up by one Emmanuel Adeyemi at the Oke-ira area of Ojodu, Lagos.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Fatai Owoseni, acting on a tip-off, had deployed operatives from the Area G Command Headquarters to the scene.

Although the initial intelligence report was that a teenager was chained in the house at Oyinbo Unity Estate, Olamidun Close, Yakoyo, Oke-Ira, Ojodu, subsequent search of the residence by the police revealed 27 others apart from the 17-year-old Toba Adedoyin the Police had gone to rescue.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police, said, “The command received a report through Area ‘G’ Command Headquarters, Ogba, that a child was chained in a house at Oyinbo Unity Estate, Olamidun Close, Yakoyo, Oke-Ira, Ojodu.

“Consequently, a team of policemen was mobilized to the location where a teenager named Toba Adedoyin ‘m’, aged 17, was found in a room with a chain on his legs.

“The victim was allegedly chained by one Emmanuel Adeyemi ‘m’ who claimed to be his father, in order to restrain him from going out.

” Further search of the premises led to the discovery of other people chained by the suspect.

“A total number of 28 persons, comprising six adult males, nine adult females, seven female children and six male children were rescued and taken to protective custody.

“A suspect has been arrested and is currently undergoing interrogation as the command is working assiduously to get to the root of the occurrence.”

SOURCE: Thisdaylive