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“Anytime we want to kill terrorists, President would ask us to take permission from France but they were killing our soldiers-” Niger Republic coup leader
Leader of last weekend’s military coup in Niger Republic, Major General Abdurrahman chiani has further explained why they had to overthrow the administration of President Mohammed Bazoum, saying among other things that any time the soldiers discover hideout of terrorists and want to bomb or kill them, the President would order them to seek clearance from France, even as the terrorists kill their soldiers without mercy.
It would be recalled that Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Authority of Heads of State and Government under the leadership of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, met in Abuja on Sunday and issued a seven-day ultimatum to the military to release and reinstate President Mohammed Bazoum as the legitimate Head of State and government of Niger.
Present at the meeting were Presidents Patrice Talon of Benin Republic, Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire, Adama Barrow of The Gambia, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, Umaro Embalo of Guinea Bissau, Macky Sall of Senegal and Faure Gnassingbé of Togo while Presidents of Cape Verde, Liberia, Niger and Sierra Leone were represented.
While reacting, General Abdurrahman chiani rejected the call and warned ECOWAS against military intervention, saying, “We want to once more remind ECOWAS or any other adventurer of our firm determination to defend our homeland.”
He warned against any military intervention in a statement read on Niger national television.
Je said- “The objective of the ECOWAS meeting is to approve a plan of aggression against Niger through an imminent military intervention in Niamey in collaboration with other African countries that are non-members of ECOWAS, and certain Western countries,” Aljazeera quoted the military spokesperson, Col. Amadou Abdramane, to have said.
Making further explanation on the matter, the interm president said that- “Some people think that the coup operation is a game،
But whether we like it or not, there’s no going back.
“There are two cases, if France and its allies try to attack us to liberate Bazoum, we will have to liquidate it even before the Westerners reach us. Those who want to rally, let’s do it now, otherwise, having understood that we succeeded, if they come, we will not give up, either kill them or go to jail.
“I’ll tell you a secret: We often located terrorists, but when we asked to rush to kill them, President Bazoum told us to ask permission from the French forces first.
But our soldiers were falling on the fronts and France did not pay attention to this.
“We decided to do the same as Mali and Burkina Faso because one of the largest nests of terrorists is located here, and the “Ahmed Koufa” of the Malians is also located here near the Mali / Niger border.
We are ready to form a partnership with Russia and rely a lot on Mali to achieve this.
I’m already old and so are the other generals, so if we die it will be for a good reason.
The young man will take power, as in Burkina Faso and Mali.
“France will be weaker than all that. Mali was right about these imperialists. Many presidents here in Niger have received billions to spoil us, I myself have received offers but we have not given up, so be sure of one thing that will make us like Mali. If I wanted, I would have led the command but if I let the former chief of staff salivo Modi lead it is for a very good reason and I have my reasons.
“I ask the people of Niger to follow the example of Malians and Burkinabes,” he stated.
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers on Thursday, abducted passengers travelling to Abuja along the Otukpo–Adoka road in Benue State.
The incident happened when an 18-seater commercial bus travelling from Enugu to Abuja was intercepted around the Ankpechi–Omutele axis in Ohimini Local Government Area.
According to the Benue State Police Command, 14 passengers were on board the bus. So far, security operatives have rescued five victims, including a four-year-old boy, while nine others are still being held by the suspected kidnappers.
One of the rescued victims reportedly sustained a gunshot injury during the rescue operation and is currently receiving treatment at a medical facility in Otukpo.
The police said efforts are ongoing, in collaboration with other security agencies, to rescue the remaining victims safely.
Residents in the affected communities have also been urged to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious activities to security agencies.
A federal judge on Friday cleared the way for U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to strip nearly 1,100 Somalis of legal protections against deportation that have allowed them to live and work in the United States.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston allowed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to terminate the Temporary Protected Status designation for Somalia after the U.S. Supreme Court in June allowed the administration to end similar protections for thousands of people from Haiti and Syria.
The Supreme Court’s ruling, powered by its 6-3 conservative majority, curtailed the ability of judges to review DHS efforts under Trump to end TPS designations for 13 countries that provided humanitarian immigration protection to eligible migrants from those nations.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs and DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Two other judges last week allowed the administration to similarly end TPS for South Sudan and Myanmar. Only the end of TPS for Ethiopia remains blocked by a judge.
Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in January announced plans to end TPS for Somalis, arguing Somalia’s conditions had improved, despite ongoing fighting between Somali forces and al-Shabaab militants.
Burroughs, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama, in March blocked Noem’s decision from taking effect in a lawsuit brought by four Somalis and two advocacy groups including African Communities Together.
The plaintiffs argued the administration sought to end TPS for Somalia due to bias against non-white immigrants, pointing to Trump’s past descriptions of Somalis as “garbage” and “low IQ people.”
After the Supreme Court ruled, Burroughs issued a new order that continued to temporarily block the end of the Somalis’ TPS while she considered whether to allow the plaintiffs to try to challenge DHS action on grounds the Supreme Court’s ruling did not address.
Rivers State Government will from Monday, August 17, begin the commissioning of 10 major people-oriented projects across the state as part of efforts by Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration to deepen development at the grassroots.
The commissioning programme, which will run through August 31, will cover projects across several local government areas, include roads, bridges, healthcare facilities, educational infrastructure and other public facilities.
The Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr Dagogo Wokoma, disclosed this on Friday during a media briefing in Port Harcourt.
According to Dr Wokoma, the projects are tangible evidence of the Governor’s commitment to transforming communities and addressing the developmental needs of residents across the state.
A statement by Juliana Masi, Head, Information and Public Relations Unit, office of the Secretary to the State Government, said that Dr. Wokoma disclosed that the commissioning will commence on August 17 with the Buguma-Degema-Abonnema Road, which links communities in Asari-Toru, Degema and Akuku-Toru Local Government Areas.
The Egwi-Afara-Mba Road in Etche Local Government Area will be commissioned on August 18, followed by the Capt. Elechi Amadi Polytechnic’s Entrepreneurship Centre/Engineering Faculty Building on August 19.
The statement which was shared by Onwuka Nzechi, Chief Press Secretary to the River State Governor also stated that on August 20, the Governor will commission the Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Dual Carriage Way in Ikwerre/Emohua/Onelga Local Government Areas, while the Omoku Zonal Hospital, Omoku in ONELGA, will be commissioned on August 21st.
The commissioning programme will resume on August 24 with the Omademe Internal Roads in Ikwerre LGA and attention will shift to Port Harcourt LGA on August 25 for the Commissioning of the New Runway at the Air Force Base, Rumuola.
On August 26, attention will shift to Emuoha LGA for the commissing of the Agba Ndele Road and Bridge while two major health facilities — the Neuro Psychiatric Hospital and New General Hospital, Rumuigbo, both in Obio/Akpor — are scheduled for commissioning on August 27.
The 10-day programme will end on August 28 with the commissioning of the Bonny National Grammar School in Bonny Local Government Area.
Dr. Wokoma said the projects reflected the administration’s determination to ensure that government policies and programmes affect citizens positively.
“These projects scheduled for commissioning are tangible evidence of His Excellency’s unwavering dedication to transform our communities and address the developmental needs of our people,” he said.
He added that the projects underscored the administration’s commitment to ensuring that governance produced “meaningful and measurable benefits for every citizen across the 23 Local Government Areas of the State.”
The SSG also acknowledged the contributions of government officials, contractors, host communities and other stakeholders to the completion of the projects as he urged Rivers people to participate in the commissioning activities and continue to support the administration in its pursuit of peace and development.
“We invite all Rivers people to join in celebrating these milestones and to continue supporting the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara as it advances peace, development, progress, and prosperity,” Dr Wokoma said.
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