Metro

Nigerian govt claims over 1,000 kidnapped victims rescued without ransom payments

Published

2 weeks ago

April 16, 2024

The Nigerian government claims that no fewer than 1,000 victims of abductions in the country have so far been rescued by the President Bola Tinubu administration without the payment of any ransom.

National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, who disclosed this on Monday when he received 22 kidnapped students and staff of the Federal University of Gusau, Zamfara State, who were rescued on Sunday by security operatives, said the Tinubu administration had vowed never to pay ransom in any form to criminals so as not to encourage the proliferation of such cases.

The NSA, who recieved the freed victims in his office in Abuja, commended the security operatives who carried out the rescue operation without losing any of the abducted students or paying any ransom.

“On behalf of the President, I thank all those involved in the successful rescue of the victims without losing anyone of them or paying any ransom” Ribadu said.

“This is yet again a success story in our efforts to free all those being unlawfully held in captivity.

“We have so far released over a thousand such victims without noise and with complete respect to their privacy and safety.

“This occasion marks a final juncture in a series of rescues we have undertaken in the last few months, to free victims of recent cases of mass abductions.

“Going forward, we are strengthening law enforcement and security measures to prevent these abductions and strengthen physical security across vulnerable communities.”

On Friday, September 22, 2023, suspected bandits riding on about 50 motorcycles and armed with sophisticated weapons, had invaded three students hostels in Sabon Gida Village near the Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State, where they kidnapped a number of students and staff of the institution and whisked them to an unknown destination.”

Seven of the students were initially rescued by the police while two escaped, leaving a total of 22 others in captivity.

But on Sunday, April 14, the 22 captives, comprising 15 students and seven workers of the university, were rescued in an exercise coordinated by the National Counter-Terrorism Centre.

The National Coordinator, NCTC, Maj-Gen Adamu Laka (retd.), who briefed the NSA on the rescue mission, said search and rescue operations conducted by security agencies led to the release of the students in three batches.

“Search and rescue was conducted by a combined team of law enforcement agencies and the abductees were subsequently released in three batches, after 207 days in captivity.

“The first batch was rescued on March 15 the second batch was rescued on April 12 and the last batch rescued on April 14.

“All the abductees were profiled at NCTC while the ONSA Medical Team examined them and administered minor treatments on the bruises sustained by three of them.

“Four of them were diagnosed with malaria and are being treated. None of the females was molested and all the females tested negative for pregnancy test,” Laka said

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Metro

Conservationist, Kearns, names intolerance and digital media abuse as threats to media freedom

Published

7 hours ago

April 29, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Nsama Kearns, the Executive Director of Care for Nature, speaks on the indispensable role of a free media in society.

In a conversation with Zambia Monitor in Mansa, Luapula Province, Kearns underscored the importance of media freedoms, digital rights, and freedom of speech in enhancing good governance.

“Let me begin with the criticality of media freedom, especially for those of us involved in information dissemination through mass media, including social media,” she remarked.

While acknowledging the existence of media freedoms in Zambia, Kearns expressed concerns about the prevailing situation.

“Despite media freedoms in Zambia, as reported in the 2022 human rights report, there are instances where the government may display intolerance towards criticism, especially if perceived as politically motivated,” she observed.

Regarding freedom of speech, Kearns emphasized the necessity for individuals to express themselves without fear of reprisal.

“Whether communicating through written or oral means, individuals should be able to express themselves freely without intimidation or fear of repercussions,” she stressed.

Kearns highlighted the significance of freedom of expression in enabling civil society to address issues that might be inconvenient for the government.

“For instance, in Luapula Province, longstanding issues such as illegal mining and the Mukula tree trade, involving politically exposed persons, have been challenging to address,” she explained.

Despite challenges, Kearns noted the positive impact of digital media in driving social enterprise.

However, she also highlighted the prevalence of abuse, particularly targeting women, on social media platforms.

“While digital media presents opportunities for social entrepreneurship, individuals, especially women, often face abuse online, hindering their enjoyment of human rights,” Kearns lamented.

She called for the creation of safe spaces to empower individuals to report abuse to the Zambia Information Communication Authority (ZICTA) and address issues of digital media abuse and intolerance effectively.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Metro

I saved Nigeria from bankruptcy by removing fuel subsidy— Tinubu

Published

12 hours ago

April 29, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, on Sunday, boasted that he saved Nigeria from going bankrupt by removing fuel subsidy on his first day in office.

Tinubu had, in his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, pronounced that his administration would discontinue fuel subsidy payments and though the ripple effect of the removal has brought untold hardship and hunger, the President has continued to praise his courage in taking that decisive action.

Tinubu who spoke at the Special World Economic Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, admitted that though the policy came with economic pains, it was in the best interest of Nigerians, affirming that the move has save the government money for infrastructural expansion.

While addressing his audience, Tinubu argued that removing the petrol subsidy was a necessary action for Nigeria not to go bankrupt and to reset the economy towards growth.

Tinubu said that the petrol subsidy removal equally engendered accountability, transparency and physical discipline for the country.

“Concerning the question of the subsidy removal, there is no doubt that it was a necessary action for my country not to go bankrupt, to reset the economy and pathway to growth,” Tinubu said.

“Yes, there have been drawbacks. Yes, there was the expectation that a greater number of people would feel the difficulty, but, of course, I believed it was their interest that was the focus of government.

“It is easier to manage and explain the difficulties, but along the line, there was a parallel arrangement to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal on the vulnerable population of the country.

“We shared the pain across the board. We cannot but include those who are very vulnerable. Luckily, we have a very vibrant youthful population interested in discoveries by themselves, highly ready for technology, good education, and committed to growth,” Tinubu explained.