Burna Boy speaks against rape, racism around the world

  

   

   The singer stated this as the world took to social media with the hashtag #blacktuesday. Uwaila Omozuwa, a 100 level student of Microbiology at the University of Benin was raped and bashed with a fire extinguisher in the head leading to her death.

This sparked outraged from Nigerians who demanded justice for the lady and others of her kind. Lending his voice, Burna Boy wrote: 

   “Rape and racial injustice are crimes against humanity, they are vicious, insidious and violent acts that no human should commit or commend.

“The stance on rape should be linear and final, there should be no grey areas, no “buts”, only that the perpetrator(s) of the act is to blame and the victim completely blameless.

“From now on, men and women alike need to be educated. Men need to be taught the concept of consent, we need to teach them empathy and compassion. We need to teach men that a woman’s body is hers and hers alone. We need to end stigmatisation and victimization of rape victims, it must STOP.

“Black people deserve and require more than we’re currently getting! I implore you all to get involved, no contribution is too small, no platform is too small #nojusticenopeace #justiceforgeorgefloyd #justiceforuwa #stoprapeculture #justicefortina #stoppolicebrutality #blackouttuesday”

Gunmen abduct two Chinese expatriates in Ebonyi

  

   Two Chinese expatriates working at a mining site in Ebonyi State have been abducted by unknown gunmen

   The abducted Chinese nationals are employees at Greenfield Metals Nigeria Limited, which specialises in lead and zinc mining. The incident, it was gathered, happened at Ihietutu, Ishiagu in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State on Wednesday at a mining pit close to the company’s offices.

  Chairman of the company, Henry Ahanaotu said that the gunmen first shot sporadically into the air to scare away workers before proceeding to whisk away the expatriates. According to him the incident happened at the company’s mining pit at Ajirija mining site, 300 meters from the company’s Life Camp.

  Ahanaotu, who doubles as the Managing Director of the company said a formal report on the incident had been lodged with the police command in the state. He said the company has not made contact with the kidnappers

THE NATION

House of Representatives Vote Against Castration As Punishment For Rapists

 

   

   House of Representatives members has voted against a prayer seeking to recommend castration for rapists. The House, at the plenary on Thursday, rejected the motion which was earlier recommended by a member, Mr James Faleke. Faleke had recommended that persons found guilty of rape should be castrated.

  Following the rising cases of sexual violence in Nigeria, the lawmakers also asked the Inspector General of Police to immediately commence an investigation into the cases of Uwa Omozuwa, Tina Ezekwe, the reported rape of a minor in Jigawa state, as well as all other reported cases of violence against women.

Students protest over the rape and murder of Uwaila Omozuwa

   

   A group of students are protesting the rape and murder of Uwaila Vera Omozuwa, a 100-level student of the Univeristy of Benin, inside a church while reading.

   The group, all clad in black gathered at the entrance of the institution and organised a march in her honour. They call on the police to bring the culprits to book so as to serve as a deterrent to others.

NAFDAC warns of fake COVID-19 drugs in circulation

  

  The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has warned of fake COVID-19 drugs in circulation.

  Prof. Moji Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director-General, said the agency discovered fake Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine in circulation across the country.

Speaking during a webinar in Lagos State on Wednesday, Adeyeye also disclosed that fake face masks and hand sanitizers were in circulation. She explained that this was discovered during post-marketing surveillance of COVID-19 medical products.

The NAFDAC boss said: “Post-marketing surveillance is part and parcel of NAFDAC. We stepped it up because we knew that companies were changing formula and formulations for us. “We see falsified Chloroquine without any active ingredients in it. Of course, we also have had fake sanitizers and masks, which we have to deal with regulatory-wise.

Akpabio got N300m fence construction contract from NDDC - Senator Peter Nwaoboshi

 

    Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, the chairman of senate committee on Niger Delta has accused the minister of Niger Delta affairs, Godswill Akpabio of getting a N300 million fence construction contract from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

  According to The Cable, while still the senator representing Akwa Ibom north-west, Akpabio requested for a N500 million contract from the NDDC in 2017. The Minister was reportedly given the contract of fencing Federal Polytechnic Ukana, Akwa Ibom, (N200 million), and Federal Government College, Ikot Ekpene (N100 million).

  The publication reported that Akpabio got N150 million for entrepreneurship training on the use of modern farming implements for youths and women of Akwa Ibom north-west senatorial district and N50 million for the renovation of a hostel at University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu state.

  Speaking to newsmen on Wednesday June 3, Senator Nwaoboshi said the contracts were fully paid for but there was nothing to show for it.

    He said;  “Findings show that while there was no physical evidence of implementation of these projects, checks show contracts were awarded and fully paid for.  “Such practices have turned the region to sites of abandoned projects.”

   This is coming after Akpabio said he would not allow the NDDC to be raped under his watch. Few days ago, the former Governor of Akwa Ibom state raised an alarm about NDDC abandoned projects and the agency being "turned to an ATM" by politicians. 

Akpabio said; 

   “We have also had a lot of political interference, people have not allowed NDDC to work as it ought to, people coming with ideas not to move the region forward but to move their pockets forward. It has always been so… I think people were treating the place as an ATM, where you just walk in there to go and pluck money and go away, I don’t think they were looking at it as an interventionist agency."

 

4 Minneapolis officers now charged in George Floyd’s death; Mugshots released

 

 

   The mugshots of all the officers involved in the death of an African American, George Floyd, have been released.

  Their mugshots were released after Senator Amy Klobuchar disclosed that Minnesota Attorney General, Keith Ellison is increasing charges against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to second-degree murder. The Star Tribune, citing multiple unnamed law enforcement sources, said Derek Chauvin who had his knee pressed into Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, would face the more serious charge in the death of George Floyd. 

   Sen. Amy also said that the three other officers at the scene Thomas Lane, J. Kueng, and Tou Thao are also going to be charged for their involvement in the incident following calls for their arrest. The Star Tribune reported that the three officers are to be charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. 

   The new charges will be officially announced by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.  Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Floyd’s family, called it “a bittersweet moment” and “a significant step forward on the road to justice.” Crump said Elison had told the family he would continue his investigation into Floyd’s death and upgrade the charge to first-degree murder if warranted.

George Floyd tested positive for coronavirus- Full autopsy report

 

   A full autopsy of George Floyd, was released on Wednesday and provides several clinical details, including that Floyd had previously tested positive for Covid-19.

  The 20-page report released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office came with the family’s permission and after the coroner’s office released summary findings Monday that Floyd had a heart attack while being restrained by officers, and classified his May 25 death as a homicide.

  Bystander video showing Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck, ignoring Floyd’s “I can’t breathe” cries until he eventually stopped moving, has sparked nationwide protests, some violent. The report by Chief Medical Examiner Andrew Baker spelled out clinical details, including that Floyd had tested positive for COVID-19 on April 3 but appeared asymptomatic.

  The report also noted Floyd’s lungs appeared healthy but he had some narrowing of arteries in the heart. The county’s earlier summary report had listed fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use under “other significant conditions” but not under “cause of death.”

   The full report’s footnotes noted that signs of fentanyl toxicity can include “severe respiratory depression” and seizures. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Wednesday upgraded charges against Chauvin to 2nd-degree murder, and also charged the three other officers on the scene with aiding and abetting.

   Floyd family attorney, Ben Crump, earlier decried the official autopsy as described in the original complaint against Chauvin — for ruling out asphyxia. An autopsy commissioned by the Floyd family concluded that he died of asphyxiation due to neck and back compression.

US BANS Chinese airlines from operating flights to US

 

 

  The United States announced Wednesday that Chinese airlines will be suspended from operating passenger flights to and from the US. The move is reportedly a tit-for-tat retaliation for China’s inaction to approve American airlines from conducting passenger service to China amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

  The US Department of Transportation said Chinese authorities have “failed to permit” US air carriers to operate routes previously flown.

“The Department will continue to engage our Chinese counterparts so both U.S. and Chinese carriers can fully exercise their bilateral rights,” the agency said in a statement. “In the meantime, we will allow Chinese carriers to operate the same number of scheduled passenger flights as the Chinese government allows ours.”

Ebonyi shuts government offices as cabinet members test positive

 

    Ebonyi Governor David Umahi has directed the shutting down of all government offices in the state with immediate effect to pave way for decontermination.

   He said the order became imperative followed the contraction of COVID-19 by some Executive Council members. Umahi gave the directive in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Orji Uchenna Orji. He expressed concerns over the increasing cases of coronavirus in the state, which stands at 75 out of the over 3,000 sample tests conducted.

  Although he did not give the names of the cabinet members who tested positive to the virus , the Governor described the situation as disturbing. He noted the positive cabinet members are receiving treatment and all in stable conditions. The government offices, he directed, will be shut from Thursday June 4- Wednesday June 10 to allow for decontamination.

  “All civil servants shall work from their respective homes within this period but shall leave their phones open to respond to official imperatives. “All Exco members and Government officials especially of the Ministries of Finance and Budget are advised to undergo COVID-19 test within this seven days period.

  “The Governor further advises that during this period of close down of Government offices, all workers especially from the two Ministries aforementioned should go into self isolation. “All site operations shall however remain open, but must be in strict observance of COVID-19 protocol.”