These are the stories that drove the conversation today:
The Special Military Task Force in Plateau, Operation Save Haven on Wednesday paraded in Jos three suspects in connection with the latest killings in Plateau.
Spokesman of the Task force, Major Umar Adams, told reporters that the suspects (two Fulani herdsmen and one Berom) were arrested in the course of the attacks while they had in their possession sophisticated rifles, alongside “14 others arrested in connection with civil unrest recently experienced in the state.”
“We all know that some days back, some villages in Barkin Ladi were attacked and these three suspects were arrested in connection with that.
“As our men were repelling the attacks in those areas, we arrested these suspects with four rifles, three locally made guns and one AK-47.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Wednesday said President Muhammadu Buhari was planning a reorganisation of the nation’s security architecture to address ongoing security challenges in parts of the country.
Dogara who disclosed this in an interview with State House correspondents at the end of a meeting between himself, the Senate President and President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja said Buhari briefed them on what he saw firsthand when he visited the troubled state on Tuesday and the measures he was putting in place to forestall recurrence.
“The President has taken enough steps, these are security issues, they are not matters that you can discuss; but he has told us what he is doing, the re-organisation that he plans to put in place to ensure that this doesn’t happen,” he said.
“If you go to the North East, you can see the level of devastation caused by Boko Haram. Everything resembling progress: from schools to hospitals to government institutions, everything has been pulled down. And we don’t want a replication of this all over the country, ” he added.
Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki on Wednesday visited Plateau to commiserate with the people of the state over the brutal killings of over 86 people in some communities on Saturday.
Saraki who had just concluded a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and Speaker Yakubu Dogara, proceeded to Plateau along with some members of the National Assembly leadership.
“We must also ensure that all those who are responsible for these killings must account for it. It is part of providing succour and ensuring the peace. You cannot bring back the lives, but finding and prosecuting the perpetrators will go a long way in helping to calm people and ease the pain that they are going through.
“Therefore, yet again, we call on our Security Agents to ensure that they find the perpetrators that have done this and make them accountable,” he added.
The Imo State House of Assembly on Wednesday suspended four of its members indefinitely for engaging in “unparliamentary conduct.”
The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Acho Ihim, who announced the suspension said that his leadership would not tolerate acts that would tarnish the image of the Assembly before the members of the public, after the supporters of Governor Rochas Okorocha and his deputy, Eze Madumere, engaged each other in a free-for -all as President Muhammadu Buhari addressed delegates during the national convention of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Abuja on Saturday.
Th affected lawmakers were Chiji Collins, representing Isiala Mbano state constituency; Ifeanyi Nnataraonye, Mbaitoli (Madumere’s LGA ); Uche Oguwuike, Ikeduru state constituency (Madumere’s in-law); and Ikenna Nzeruo, representing Oru West state constituency.
The Yobe government has closed down the remaining Internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp in Damaturu, the state capital.
The Permanent Secretary, Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Musa Idi Jiddawa said the camp with a population of 1,314 IDPs with 318 Heads of Household and 996 dependents” was officially established in Pompomari area by the state government on March 27, 2015 after a midnight attack by insurgents on six communities namely: “Ambiya Kura, Ambiya Bulabulin, Ambiya Tasha, Sharfuri and Turo Kura of Gujba LGA” .
He added that the state government has prepared return packages for the returning IDPs which include: “743 bags of 50kg rice; 596 Jerry cans of 25 liters vegetable oil, 541 cartons of tomato paste, 370 cartons of bathing soap, 1000 pieces of mosquitoe nets, 1,272 pieces of nylon mats, 60 bales of used clothes and cash assistance of N9,110,000 to be shared among the 318 heads of household based family size.”
And stories from around the world:
In a game where anything but a win would have sent them home, Germany lacked the cutting edge and fell to a Young-Gwon Kim goal in the 94th-minute and a 97th-minute goal from Heung-Min Son to ensure the Germans will be catching the next trip to Berlin in total shame and disgrace.
The victory was not enough to ensure South Korean qualification to the second round but it moved them to third on the log ahead of Germany. Germany finished rock bottom in the group.
Mexico escaped elimination despite an electric start to the tournament after suffering a 3-0 defeat to a rejuvenated Sweden team.
Mexico’s qualification hanged on the balance but they were dealt a massive favour by South Korea disgracing the Germans. Sweden grabbed goals from Ludwig Augustinsson, Andreas Granqvist and an own goal from Edson Alvarez. Therefore, Sweden and Mexico finished top and runners-up in the Group respectively.
Moscow and Washington struck a deal on Wednesday to hold a summit soon between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, a move likely to worry some U.S. allies and draw a fiery reaction from some of Trump’s critics at home.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, speaking after Putin met U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton in the Kremlin, said the summit would take place in a mutually convenient third country and that several more weeks were needed to prepare for it.
“This meeting has been planned for a long time,” Ushakov told reporters. (Reuters)
Iran has reopened a nuclear plant idle for nine years, its atomic energy agency (AEOI) said on Wednesday, as Tehran prepares to increase uranium enrichment capacity if a nuclear deal with world powers falls apart after the U.S. withdrawal. (Reuters)
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and his arch-foe Riek Machar agreed Wednesday to a “permanent” ceasefire to take effect within 72 hours, raising hopes of an end to four-and-a-half years of war.
“All parties have agreed on a permanent ceasefire within 72 hours,” Sudan’s Foreign Minister Al-Dierdiry Ahmed said after talks between the two leaders in Khartoum.
Kiir and Machar then signed the document — called the “Khartoum Declaration” — in the presence of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
Temidayo Taiwo-Sidiq is a Journalist, Political Analyst and Satirist with major interest in Nigerian Politics, Governance and Sports.
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