Foreign

Ministry of Defence Offers Military Support to Armed Met Officers

By Web News 684

The Ministry of Defence is offering soldiers to support armed police in London after dozens of Met officers stood down from firearms duties.

According to reports, more than 100 officers have turned in permits allowing them to carry weapons, there are more than 2,500 armed officers in the Met.

Police said the action was being taken after an officer was charged with the murder of unarmed Chris Kaba, 24.

Met chief Sir Mark Rowley welcomed a Home Office review into armed policing.

In an open letter to the home secretary, he said it was right his force was “held to the highest standards” – but the current system was undermining his officers and suggested they needed more legal protections.

A Met Police officer appeared in court on Thursday.

In a statement, the Met said some officers were “worried” about how the Crown Prosecution Service decision to bring a charge “impacts on them”.

The MoD said it received a request – known as Military Aid to the Civil Authorities MACA – from the Home Office to “provide routine counter-terrorism contingency support to the Metropolitan Police, should it be needed”.

A MACA is offered to the police or the NHS in emergency situations – the military helped medical staff in the Covid pandemic and covered for striking border staff and paramedics last year.

The Met said it was a “contingency option” that would only be used “in specific circumstances and where an appropriate policing response was not available”.

Military staff would not be used “in a routine policing capacity”, it added.

Last saturday, the Met said its own officers still make up the vast majority of armed police in the capital but they were being supported by a limited number of firearms officers from neighbouring forces.

According to London Assembly figures, in April there were 2,595 authorised firearm officers in the Met Police.

It is a figure which has steadily decreased every year since 2018 when there were 2,841 licenced to carry a gun.

Announcing the review, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the public “depend on our brave firearms officers to protect us”.

“In the interest of public safety they have to make split-second decisions under extraordinary pressures.”

She said that officers have her “full backing”.

“I will do everything in my power to support them,” she added.

In his letter to the home secretary, the Met Police commissioner said that a system where officers are investigated for “safely pursuing suspects” should not have been allowed to develop.

Sir Mark said he would “make no comment” on any ongoing legal matters, but “the issues raised in this letter go back further”.

He said firearms officers are concerned that they will face years of legal proceedings, “even if they stick to the tactics and training they have been given”.

Previous reviews have not delivered change, he added.

“Officers need sufficient legal protection to enable them to do their job and keep the public safe, and the confidence that it will be applied consistently and without fear or favour,” he wrote.

But in instances where officers act improperly, Sir Mark said the system “needs to move swiftly” rather than “tying itself in knots pursuing good officers through multiple legal processes”.

Former Greater Manchester Police chief constable Sir Peter Fahy said any review would “not be wide enough”, adding he believed there are issues around morale and how police prevent organised crime.

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

Foreign

Two Dead, Others Injured in Oslo Nightclub Shooting

By Web News 492

Two people have been shot dead and 21 injured in a shooting at a nightclub and nearby streets in the centre of the Norwegian capital, Oslo, police say.

The shootings are being investigated as terrorist act.

There was gunfire at about 01:00 local time (23:00 GMT) in three locations including a gay bar. A suspect has been arrested and two weapons seized.

Shots were fired at the London Pub, a popular gay bar, as well as near the Herr Nilsen jazz club and a takeaway.

Organisers said Oslo has called off its annual Pride parade, which was due to be held on Saturday, following the shootings.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere called it a “terrible and deeply shocking attack on innocent people”.

“I saw a man arrive with a bag, he picked up a gun and started to shoot,” journalist Olav Roenneberg of public broadcaster NRK said.

One witness in the London Pub told NRK that he had been hit by flying glass.

“I was in the outer bar in London when it happened. I just noticed that a shot was fired, and I was hit by a shard of glass. There were more and more and more shots, so I escaped into the inner bar and tried to get as many as possible with me,” he said.

“At first people did not understand what was happening, but then there was panic.”

A woman told the Verdens Gang newspaper that the gunman had taken careful aim at his targets. “When I understood that it was serious, I ran. There was a man covered in blood motionless on the floor,” she said.

Another man told the newspaper he had seen a lot of people on the ground with head wounds.

Norway’s Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl said the incident had shaken the country.

“Norway is a community of trust where everyone should feel safe outside on a Saturday night,” she said, according to NRK.

BBC/Simeon Ugboovon

Foreign

Organ Harvesting: Ex-Deputy Senate President, Wife, Arrested in London

By Web News 757

A former deputy president of the Nigerian Senate and his wife have been charged with conspiring to transport a boy to the UK in order to harvest organs.

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 60, and his wife Beatrice Ekweremadu, 55, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court in west London on Thursday.

The Metropolitan Police of the United Kingdom said the 15-year-old alleged victim has been taken into care and that agencies were working to support him.

The defendants are accused of conspiracy to arrange and/or facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation.

UK Prosecutor, Damla Ayas told the court: “In respect of these offences the Attorney General’s consent is required and the Crown require 14 days for that to be obtained.”

Ms Ayas told the court that most of the alleged offences took place in the UK.

The Ekweremadus, who were arrested two days ago, have been remanded in custody to appear at the same court on 7 July.

A University of Lincoln spokesman, where Senator Ekweremadu was recently made a visiting professor said: “We are deeply concerned about the nature of these allegations but as this is an active police investigation, we cannot comment further at this stage.”

An investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime Team took place after detectives were alerted to potential modern-day slavery offences.

Organ-harvesting involves removing parts of the body, often for commercial gain and against the will of the victim.

BBC/Maxwell Oyekunle

Lifestyle

London to Lagos Biker Denied Entry into Cote d’Ivoire

By Web News 1430 Post a comment

Nigerian biker, Kunle Adeyanju who is currently riding from London to Lagos said he has been denied entry into Cote d’Ivoire.

Kunle who has been updating his followers about his journey, through his twitter handle said he had to turn back, while the Nigerian Embassy handles the issue.

Kunle started his courageous but hazardous journey on April 19th and there have been several twists and turns in the journey.

According to him, he has had a combination of a smooth and bumpy journey so far.

In Mali, for instance, he was confronted by a serious challenge whereby his rear wheel got damaged. But that has since been fixed and he has moved on.

Kunle’s announcement of his plans to auction his Eagle bike and use the proceeds for charity has generated a lot of buzz on Twitter, it has also received the backing of the online community.

Net/Olaolu Fawole

Lifestyle

Biker Begins 25 Day Journey From London to Lagos

By Web News 1013 Post a comment

A Nigerian biker, Kunle Adeyanju has commenced an ambitious journey, riding from London to Lagos on his bike.

It is a journey of 12,000km and he plans to do it in 25 days. The journey commenced on Tuesday, April 19th and Kunle tweeted that he is currently in Borgers, France, after leaving London and crossing the English Channel.

The long ride will take him from London – France – Spain – Gibraltar – Morocco – Western Sahara – Mauritania – St Louis – Senegal – Gambia – Mali – Cote d’Ivoire – Ghana – Togo – Benin – Lagos.

Explaining why he embarked on the long journey, Kunle said in a tweet that he wants to use it to raise twenty million naira for charity.

He said he will donate 100% of funds generated to supporting primary health, water & sanitation, PolioPlus project.

“100% of fund raised will be channeled to Primary Health, Water & Sanitation, PolioPlus project. Particularly 20% of fund raised will be targeted to support the fight to sustain Africa Polio free status.

As soon as he made his tweet, Nigerians started to react to it in different ways.

Legit/Olaolu Fawole

Politics

President Buhari Returns from London

By Web News 511

President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja after a successful medical check-up in the United Kingdom.

The presidential aircraft conveying the President and some presidential aides landed at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja at about 4.45 p.m.

Those at the airport to welcome the him included the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammed Bello, and the National Security Adviser, retired Major-General Babagana Monguno.

Others were the Service Chiefs, Acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufa’i, the Director General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, and other presidential aides.

The President, after a brief welcoming ceremony at the airport, boarded a presidential helicopter that conveyed him to the Presidential Villa.

President Buhari had on March 30 departed Abuja for London, United Kingdom, for routine medical check-up.

FRCN Abuja

Foreign Health News

Kenya Confirms First Coronavirus Case

By Web News 919

Kenya has confirmed that a woman has tested positive for Covid-19.

Health Minister, Mutahi Kagwe, said she had arrived from the US on 5 March and tested positive for the virus on Thursday.

She had travelled from the US, transiting in London without leaving the airport.

The Minister said the patient was now stable and eating, adding that her fever had gone down.

She would be kept in isolation until she tested negative, he said.

BBC NEWS

Yoruba

Aare Buhari sọ àsọyan pàtàkì lórí isẹ ìdàgbàsókè

By Web News 1087

Aare Muhammadu Buhari tí sọọ di mímọ fún olootu ìjọba ilẹ̀ Gẹ̀ẹ́sì Boris Johnson àwọn iṣẹ́ ìdàgbàsókè tó ń wáyé nílèyi, pàtàkì jùlọ labala ètò ọrọ ajé àti àgbékalè ètò náà.

Àwọn aṣáájú méjèèjì lo ṣepàdé pò níbi apejopo ilẹ̀ Gẹ̀ẹ́sì pẹ̀lú ilẹ̀ Africa fodun 2020 èyí tó wáyé nilu London.

Ààrẹ Buhari ṣàlàyé fún Ogbeni Johnson wípé igbinyanju ifesemule ise àgbè, lọ́nà àti lè máa pèsè ànító àti aniseku iresi àtàwọn oúnjẹ onilowo min.

Nígbà tó ń sọ̀rọ̀ nípa Ogun gbígbé tí àwọn agbesunmomi Ààrẹ ilẹ̀ yí ṣàlàyé pé eko tí ń ṣojú mímu nípa pé àwọn aráàlú tí ń fedo lórí oronro lórí ọ̀rọ̀ ààbò.

Nínú ọ̀rọ̀ tiẹ̀, olootu ìjọba ilẹ̀ Gẹ̀ẹ́sì Boris Johnson gbosuba fún ààre Buhari wípé bo se jẹ olórí tó pegede tó sì tún gbosuba fún isejoba rẹ nípa bó ṣe lọ isẹ àgbè fún ìpèsè ise. 

Olootu ìjọba ilẹ̀ Gẹ̀ẹ́sì wá jeje ifowosowopo pẹ̀lú ilẹ̀ Nàìjíríà àtàwọn ilẹ̀ Africa tó kú lọ́nà àríwá ojútùú sí ìṣòro agbègbè Lake Chad àti igbelaruge ètò ààbò lápapò. 

Kemi Ogunkola/Rotimi Famakin