Joint Session of Congress‬‬ : Biden to deliver first address to a joint session of Congress

 

President Biden, on the eve of his 100th day in office, is poised Wednesday to deliver his first address to a joint session of Congress. He is expected to pitch a pair of ambitious spending and tax packages in the prime-time speech and call for lawmakers to pass his immigration plan.

Biden’s address comes a day after he touted the relaxation of masking restrictions for fully vaccinated people, offering his latest remarks on the coronavirus pandemic, an issue that has dominated the opening months of his presidency.

Insurgency: Reps resolve to demand state of emergency on insecurity

 

The House of Representatives on Tuesday reached 12 resolution on combating general insecurity in the country.

Following a 3 hours close door session, the House resolved to urge President Muhamadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on security.

The position of the House was read by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila and adopted by the House.

 

vehicles destroyed as mob attack, burn police station in Sokoto

 

One person has been confirmed dead and vehicles destroyed as mob set a police station in Kware Local Government Area of Sokoto on fire.

The Police Spokesman in the state, ASP Abubakar Sanusi, told newsmen on Tuesday that the unfortunate incident happened after a mob came to the station demanding the release of two suspected kidnappers.

Sanusi said the suspects were earlier arrested and are being investigated for their alleged involvement in kidnapping in the area.

He explained that the mob, mostly youths, came to the station shouting and insisting that the two suspects be released.

According to him, they overpowered the operatives guarding the station and burnt it down along with the DPO’s car and two police vans.

He added that the mob succeeded in killing one of the suspects and wounded the other.

Sanusi, however, said no arrest had been made but an investigation was ongoing.

 

Desist from illegal movement out of Nigeria”- FG warns

 

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore, has warned Nigerians to desist from illegal movement out of the country due to some challenges.

Balgore gave the warning during an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, NAN reports.

He expressed concern over the rate at which some Nigerians were moving out of the country to the extent of renouncing their citizenship even through illegal means.

He said that such acts could also lead to avoidable deaths and missing of some citizens as noted across the nation.

“Protecting citizens right is part of what we are saddled with; we handle marriages and we handle citizenship issues; people trying to get citizenship into Nigeria, people who want special immigrant status.

“Unfortunately, once in the while some Nigerians want to renounce their citizenship and we don’t want them to do that, except through constitutional rights of such movement.

“We would like to advise Nigerians against taking some drastic actions due to the present circumstances faced by the country as an excuse to move out illegally to avoid getting into life-threatening problems.

“Even if they want to, we advise they do it in a proper manner,” he said.

 

Convene security summit now – Ortom tells Buhari

 

 

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately convene a National Security Summit to discuss and address the worsening security situation in the country.

The Governor made the call on Tuesday while addressing protesting youths at Abagena village where Fulani militiamen killed seven persons and injured many others during a midnight attack on Monday.

Governor Ortom who called on his colleagues to join forces to salvage the country also urged President Buhari to declare a state of emergency on security in Nigeria.

He said it was time for Mr President who had taken an oath to secure and provide security for lives and property to address the nation on the state of insecurity.

“I have severally written to the President and security agencies that Miyetti Allah leadership held a meeting in Yola where they said except we repeal the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, nobody will know peace in Benue as they will kill, maim, rape and perpetrate all kinds of atrocities. They have started doing it.

“How do you reconcile a situation where Mr President gives an order to security agents to shoot at sight anyone illegally seen with AK47 and a minister counters it?” the Governor lamented.

He stated that within the last two weeks alone, over 70 people from Makurdi, Guma and Gwer West were killed by militia herdsmen, stressing that despite his preaching of respect for the rule of law, Benue people have been overstretched and had become weary.

Executive Chairman of Makurdi Local Government Council, Hon Anthony Dyegeh, Executive Secretary State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Emmanuel Shior and a youth leader, Amos Amu said the militia herdsmen carried out the attack unprovoked and called for immediate action against the menace.

Igbo women’s group decry high insecurity in Southeast

 

A women’s group, Mothers of Ndigbo has decried the high level of insecurity in the Southeast, calling on the federal government to quickly wade in and stop the incessant killings.

The group which consists of Igbo women from the age of 60 and above at a press conference on Tuesday said the insecurity in the zone has gotten to a climax.

Mrs Chika Ibeneme who addressed journalists on behalf of the group said mothers can no longer watch while security deteriorates,

“The situation has gotten to the climax in recent time that we can no longer afford to stand and watch while the security situation in Nigeria, particularly in the South East region continues to deteriorate.

The group said since 2015, there have been systematic attacks on peace and tranquillity which has existed in the region over the years, with attendant economic hardships on citizens.

They said the attacks and other insecurity problem has forced the zone into poverty according to the National Bureau of Statistics’ rating.

The group chronicled some killings in the zone, while also protesting what it called the lopsided appointment of security personnel in the country, which has left the South-east with no representative at the security council.

It said, “To date, despite all these killings, it is on record that no single perpetrator of these heinous atrocities against the people have been held to account or brought to justice while the victims have neither been adequately compensated nor taken care of.

“Armed herders have been invading and violently seizing and occupying ancestral bushes, farmlands and forests belonging to the indigenous people of the South-east region and its outposts in Kogi, Benue, Delta, Edo, Rivers and Cross River States.”

Proffering solutions, the group said: “As an immediate remedial measure before the situation gets out of hand, the Federal Government must, without further delay, demilitarize the South East Region and its key outposts.

“We call on the federal government to immediately end the policy of flooding our land and its outposts with compromised Muslim military and police commanders.

“All killer herdsmen, clandestinely aided and protected by federal security forces who have now permanently settled in farmlands, bushes and forests in our land and our key neighbouring states must be moved out and relocated back to wherever they were brought from.”

 

Wike imposes curfew on Rivers land borders

 

 

Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has imposed a night curfew at all entry and exit points with Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Imo States.

Governor Wike in State broadcast said the curfew which takes effect from Wednesday night, is necessitated by the recent security breaches and deadly attacks on security personnel by yet to be identified gunmen.

He said the Government of Rivers State decided to restrict night movements in and out of the state from the land borders.

”Consequently, a night curfew is hereby imposed and no person or vehicle is allowed into and out of Rivers State from 8.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. from tomorrow (Wednesday) 28 April 2021 until further notice.

“We wish to advise that those who have any legitimate need or reason to come into or go out of the state must do so before 8.00 pm when the curfew shall come into force daily.”

The governor said, “security agencies have been posted to monitor and enforce strict compliance with the curfew at all borders and or entry and exit points with Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Imo States.”