Ismail Abdulaziz - NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Ismail Abdulaziz
Jan, Mon, 2021

Police says no targeted attack on Fulani in Ebonyi

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By Christian Ogbonna
The Ebonyi Police Command has described as “fake, baseless and mischievous” an online video in circulation alleging that Fulani herdsmen in the state were being attacked and forced to leave the state.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Philip Maku, made the assertion in a statement issued to newsmen in Abakiliki.

According to the statement, Fulani herdsmen are not under attack or being chased out of Ebonyi.

“The attention of the Ebonyi Police Command has been drawn to a distorted and misleading video in circulation on social media platform by a faceless group that Fulani herdsmen were being attacked and chased out of Ebonyi.

“To set the record straight, the command wishes to state that on January 2, one Fulani herdsman, Alhaji Adamu, residing at Ozibo Village in Nkaleke Ichaba/Enyibishiri Community decided to relocate.

“Adamu relocated with some members of his family to Taraba in-search of greener pastures for his cows as the dry season is setting in.

“He also informed the village chairman and Ichaba Development Centre Coordinator before his peaceful and voluntary relocation.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Adamu left seven other members of his family, including Alhaji Musa Danfo and six others, who are still residing at the same settlement with some of their cattle.

“Before this video, the command has no record of threat to the lives of the peace-loving herders or their cows, neither to those residing in the said camp or entire state.

“It may also interest the public to know that the Fulani community on Saturday, January 2, paid a Christmas and New Year visit to Gov. Dave Umahi and no such threat was reported.

“However, the mischief makers and the enemies of the state made a recorded video to create panic, mislead the public and misrepresent the peaceful coexistence between the herders and their host communities,” the statement stated.

It further states that the police boss had ordered full scale investigation into the matter with a view to arresting those behind the fake video.

It therefore urges the public “to regard the video as fake, baseless and mischievous” and go about their lawful businesses.

Ismail Abdulaziz
Jan, Mon, 2021

Foreign

U.S. Congress re-elects Pelosi as Speaker

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By Harrison Arubu
The 117th U.S. Congress took office on Sunday with Nancy Pelosi securing re-election as Speaker of the House of Representatives with a narrow voting margin.

Pelosi, 80, retained the position after garnering 216 votes to beat her rival, Kevin McCarthy of the Republican Party, who secured 209 votes.

Five fellow Democrats chose not to support Pelosi. While two voted for lawmakers who were not running, three others simply voted “present”, according to ABC news.

This will be the California lawmaker’s 4th term (non-consecutive) as speaker, and she remains the only woman to have ever held the office.

The Democratic Party lost 11 seats in the Nov. 3 elections thus narrowing its majority in the House to 222-212.

Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence swore in members of the new Senate, whose control has not been determined due to two pending run-off elections in Georgia.

The Republicans are currently leading with 50-48 seats, and should the Democrats win the two vacant seats on Tuesday, the Vice President, who is the chairman of the senate, becomes a tie-breaking voter.

On Wednesday, the two chambers will hold a joint session to certify the election of President-elect Joe Biden before his inauguration on Jan. 20.

It promises to be the first major test of the new Congress where 11 Republican senators, led by Ted Cruz (Texas), have vowed to vote against Biden’s victory in swing states disputed by Trump.

But in a statement on Sunday, a bipartisan group of 10 senators said the 2020 election was over, and urged their colleagues to certify Biden’s election.

Ismail Abdulaziz
Jan, Mon, 2021

Health

COVID-19: Nigeria records 917 new infections, 9 deaths

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By Abujah Racheal
The Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) has reported 917 new Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections in the country, according to its verified website on Sunday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that so far, 955,429 persons have been tested in the country since the first confirmed COVID-19 case was announced in Feb. 27, 2020.

According to the public health agency, the total number of infections in the country now stands at 90,080.

The centre reported nine new deaths in the past 24 hours in the country.

It said 16 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) recorded the new infections.

In the past 24 hours, 255 recoveries were recorded in the country, It added.

A breakdown of data provided by the health agency shows the FCT recorded the highest number of infections for the day with 222 cases, followed by Lagos, Kaduna, and Plateau states which reported 214, 119, and 92 cases respectively.

The other states affected are Nasarawa, with 50 new infections, Oyo-41, Adamawa-33, Ondo-32, Abia-28, Ogun-19, Rivers-17, Kano-16, Yobe-14, Edo-eight, Anambra-six, Ekiti- five, and Jigawa-one.

It said a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, continued to coordinate the national response activities.

According to it, 917 new confirmed cases and nine deaths were recorded in the country as of Jan. 3.

Till date, 90,080 cases had been confirmed, 75,044 discharged, and 1,311 deaths recorded in 36 states and FCT, NCDC said.

NAN recalls that in week 52, the number of new confirmed cases increased to 5,908 from 5,261 recorded in week 51.

The cases were reported in 36 states and FCT.

Also, number of discharged cases in week 52 increased to 2,731 from 2,213 recorded in week 51.

The cases were reported in 30 states and FCT.

Cumulatively, 1,254 deaths with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 1.5 per cent have been recorded since the disease first broke out in Week 9 of 2020.

Also, the number of reported deaths in the past one week in 13 states and FCT stands at 33.

In week 52, also the number of in-bound international travellers at Nigerian airports was 19,238 as against 20,209 recorded in Week 51.

The number of international travellers with positive results in week 52 was 84 as against 270 recorded in week 51.