Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has detained the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.

Emefiele was picked up on Thursday night, less than an hour after he regained his freedom from the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS.

The former CBN governor, it was learned, is currently being interrogated at the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.

The EFCC is reportedly probing Godwin Emefiele over alleged impropriety during his term as the head of the apex bank.

Recall that the DSS arrested Emefiele in June, on the same day President Bola Tinubu suspended him from office with immediate effect.

According to the Presidency, Emefiele was suspended at the time due to “ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy.”

Vanguard

Israel steps up air and ground attacks in Gaza and cuts off territory's communications

Israel knocked out internet and communications in the Gaza Strip in stepped-up bombardment Friday night, largely cutting off its 2.3 million people from contact with each other and the outside world and creating a near-blackout of information, as the military said it was “expanding” ground operations in the territory.

The military’s announcement signaled it was moving closer to an all-out invasion of Gaza, where it has vowed to crush the ruling Hamas militant group after its bloody incursion in southern Israel three weeks ago.

Explosions from continuous airstrikes lit up the sky over Gaza City for hours after nightfall. The Palestinian telecom provider, Paltel, said the bombardment caused “complete disruption” of internet, cellular and landline services. The cutoff meant that casualties from strikes and details of ground incursions could not immediately be known. Some satellite phones continued to function.

Already plunged into darkness after most electricity was cut off weeks ago, Palestinians were thrown into isolation, huddling in homes and shelters with food and water supplies running out.

Relatives outside Gaza panicked after their messaging chats with families inside suddenly went dead and calls stopped going through.

“I was so scared this was going to happen,” said Wafaa Abdul Rahman, director of a feminist organization based in the West Bank city of Ramallah. She said she hadn’t heard for hours from family in central Gaza.

“We’ve been seeing these horrible things and massacres when it’s live on TV, so now what will happen when there’s a total blackout?” she said, referring to scenes of families that have been crushed in homes by airstrikes over the past weeks.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said ground forces were “expanding their activity” Friday evening in Gaza and “acting with great force ... to achieve the objectives of the war.”

Israel says its strikes target Hamas fighters and infrastructure and that the militants operate from among civilians, putting them in danger.

The Hamas media center reported heavy nighttime clashes with Israeli forces at several places, including what it said was an Israeli incursion east of the refugee camp of Bureij in the central Gaza Strip. Asked about the report, the Israeli military reiterated early Saturday that it had been carrying out targeted raids and expanding strikes with the aim of “preparing the ground for future stages of the operation.”

Israel has amassed hundreds of thousands of troops along the border ahead of an expected ground offensive. Earlier Friday the military said ground forces conducted their second hourslong incursion inside Gaza in as many days, striking dozens of militant targets over the past 24 hours.

The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has soared past 7,300, more than 60% of them minors and women, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. A blockade on Gaza has meant dwindling supplies, and the U.N. warned that its aid operation helping hundreds of thousands of people was “crumbling” amid near-depleted fuel.

More than 1,400 people were slain in Israel during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, according to the Israeli government, and at least 229 hostages were taken into Gaza. Palestinian militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel, including one that hit a residential building in Tel Aviv on Friday, wounding four people.

Early Saturday, the Israeli military released the names of 310 soldiers killed during the initial Hamas attack and its aftermath. The vast majority were killed Oct. 7, according to the announcement. The slain soldiers are part of the overall death toll in Israel.

The overall number of deaths far exceeds the combined toll of all four previous Israel-Hamas wars, estimated at around 4,000.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel expects a long and difficult ground offensive into Gaza soon. It “will take a long time” to dismantle Hamas’ vast network of tunnels, he said, adding that he expects a lengthy phase of lower-intensity fighting as Israel destroys “pockets of resistance.”

His comments pointed to a potentially grueling and open-ended new phase of the war after three weeks of relentless bombardment. Israel has said it aims to crush Hamas’ rule in Gaza and its ability to threaten Israel. But how Hamas’ defeat will be measured and an invasion’s endgame remain unclear. Israel says it does not intend to rule the tiny territory but not who it expects to govern — even as Gallant suggested a long-term insurgency could ensue.

In Washington, the Pentagon said U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Gallant on Friday and “underscored the importance of protecting civilians during the Israel Defense Forces’ operations and focusing on the urgency of humanitarian aid delivery for civilians in Gaza.” The Pentagon said Austin also brought up “the need for Hamas to release all of the hostages.”

The conflict has threatened to ignite a wider war across the region. Arab nations — including U.S. allies and ones that have reached peace deals or normalized ties with Israel — have raised increasing alarm over a potential ground invasion, likely to bring even higher casualties amid urban fighting.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned on X that the “outcome will be a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions for years to come.”

With no electricity, no communications and no water, many of those trapped in Gaza had little choice but to wait in their homes or seek the relative safety of schools and hospitals as Israel expanded its bombing early Saturday.

Throughout the night, orange fireballs exploded on the horizon above the apartment buildings and refugee camps of Gaza City, briefly illuminating clouds of white smoke hanging in the air from previous strikes. Some bombs hit in tight groups, apparently slamming into the same location.

Lynn Hastings, U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the occupied territories, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that without phone lines and internet, hospitals and aid operations would be unable to operate. The Red Crescent said it could not contact medical teams and residents could no longer call ambulances, meaning rescuers would have to chase the sound of explosions to find the wounded. International aid groups said they were only able to reach a few staffers using satellite phones.

The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed alarm, saying the world “is losing a window into the reality” of the conflict. It warned that the information vacuum “can be filled with deadly propaganda, dis- and misinformation.”

The loss of internet and phones deals a further blow to a medical and aid system that relief workers say was already on the verge of collapse under Israel’s weekslong seal. More than 1.4 million people have fled their homes, nearly half crowding into U.N. schools and shelters. Aid workers say a trickle of aid Israel has allowed to enter from Egypt the past week is a tiny fraction of what is needed.

Gaza hospitals have been scrounging for fuel to run emergency generators that power incubators and other life-saving equipment.

Gallant said Israel believes that Hamas would confiscate any fuel that enters. He said Hamas uses generators to pump air into its hundreds of kilometers (miles) of tunnels, which originate in civilian areas. He showed reporters aerial footage of what he said was a tunnel shaft built right next to a hospital.

“For air, they need oil. For oil, they need us,” he said.

Late Friday the army released photos showing what it said were Hamas installations in and around Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest. Israel has made such claims before, but declined to say how the photos were obtained.

Little is known about Hamas’ tunnels and other infrastructure. Claims by the military and Gallant couldn’t be verified.

Speaking at Shifa Hospital, Hamas media chief Salama Maroof called Israel’s claims “lies” and said they were “a precursor for striking this facility.”

“I ring the alarm bell. There is imminent danger hovering above the medical facility,” Maroof said. The hospital has been overwhelmed and around 40,000 displaced residents have crowded its grounds for shelter, the U.N. says.

Asked if Israel plans to target Shifa, Hagari said, “We will not be able to allow terror activity against Israel from hospitals.”

Hundreds of thousands of people remain in northern Gaza.

In related developments:

— The U.N. General Assembly approved a nonbinding resolution calling for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaza leading to a cessation of hostilities. It was the first U.N. response to Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7 attacks and Israel’s ongoing military response and vow to obliterate the militant group.

— In New York City, hundreds of protesters calling for a cease-fire filled the famed Grand Central Terminal during rush hour Friday, wearing T-shirts saying “Jews say cease-fire now” and “Not in our name.” Many were detained and removed, their hands zip-tied behind their backs. Police couldn’t immediately provide a number of arrests.

AP

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia shells Ukraine's Kherson, injuring 8, damaging buildings

Russian forces heavily shelled the centre of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Friday, injuring eight people and destroying or damaging at least 15 buildings, a senior city official said.

Pictures posted on social media showed at least three sites dotted with piles of rubble and the interior of one building strewn with shattered building materials and other debris.

Roman Mrochko, head of the city's military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app that three of the injured were being treated in hospital. He said two buildings had been destroyed, three suffered heavy damage and 10 less damage.

"In the evening the entire city trembled," Ukraine's Emergency Services said on Telegram. "The enemy targeted the very centre of Kherson."

The posting said emergency workers had rescued two women, in their 70s and 80s, who had been blocked in a building, and brought a fire under control in a rubble-strewn area.

Ukraine's Suspilne public broadcaster said Russian forces had also shelled Beryslav, a town further north on the Dnipro River in Kherson Region, wounding one person.

Russian forces captured Kherson in the early days of the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but abandoned the city and the western bank of the Dnipro late last year. They now regularly shell those areas from positions on the eastern bank.

** Russian diplomats deny Moscow executed soldiers on battlefield

Russian diplomats on Friday dismissed as lies a White House allegation that Moscow's military was executing its own soldiers if they refused to carry out battlefield orders in Ukraine.

"Whoever came up with these other-worldly lies could only have been a person with an imagination far into overdrive," the Russian embassy in Washington said in comments carried by the RIA Novosti news agency.

"And all this simply to justify the failed, much publicised counteroffensive of its (Ukrainian) ward. Let us say with full responsibility that all insinuations about this in comments by the White House spokesperson are a lie."

White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday that the U.S government had information the Russian military had been executing soldiers who refuse orders.

"We also have information that Russian commanders are threatening to execute entire units if they seek to retreat from Ukrainian artillery fire," he said.

Kirby provided no evidence for his assertions.

Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive, which has regained villages in the south and east, but is moving more slowly than an advance last year through occupied northeastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Russian losses had grown significantly in the past week. These included, he said, at least a brigade worth of troops trying to advance on the eastern town of Avdiivka.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia appoints replacement for controversial sacked general

Lieutenant-General Viktor Afzalov has been confirmed as the new head of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the Defense Ministry in Moscow announced on Friday. He had stepped in as acting commander when Sergey Surovikin, the general who masterminded the defense of Zaporozhye and Kherson, was relieved after the Wagner mutiny.

“Appointed commander of the Aerospace Force in October 2023, by presidential decree,” read the general’s official biography on the Russian Defense Ministry website as of Friday, confirming unofficial reports by major media outlets last week.

Afzalov, 55, is a highly decorated career air defense officer, whose previous post was heading the Aerospace Force general staff since 2018. He was born near Simferopol, in Crimea.

The official appointment comes approximately two months after Afzalov stepped in as acting head of the force. Surovikin was reassigned to other duty in late August, and was subsequently spotted in Africa with several high-ranking military officials. His biography has since disappeared from the Defense Ministry website, without explanation.

Surovikin had gained fame during the conflicts in Chechnya and Syria, garnering the nickname ‘General Armageddon’ for his approach to military operations. He was put in charge of the entire Russian force engaging the Ukrainian military in October 2022, amid the Ukrainian offensives in Kharkov and Kherson. In January 2023, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov took over that post and Surovikin continued acting as his deputy.

It was Surovikin who reportedly recommended a tactical retreat from the right bank of the Dnieper in Kherson and building the extensive fortifications in both Kherson and Zaporozhye – dubbed the ‘Surovikin Line’. The Ukrainian army attempted to breach the line starting in June 2023 and failed while losing an estimated 90,000 men and thousands of pieces of equipment.

** Russian forces destroy 31 Ukrainian warplanes, 3 helicopters since October 1

Russian combat aircraft and air defense forces have destroyed 31 Ukrainian warplanes and three helicopters since October 1 in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

"Since October 1, fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces and air defense capabilities have destroyed 31 Ukrainian Air Force planes and three helicopters, including 20 MiG-29 fighters, eight Su-25 ground attack aircraft, a Su-24 bomber, two L-39 combat training planes and three Mi-8 helicopters," the ministry said in a statement.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 515 Ukrainian warplanes, 253 helicopters, 8,312 unmanned aerial vehicles, 441 surface-to-air missile systems, 12,960 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,169 multiple rocket launchers, 6,893 field artillery guns and mortars and 14,684 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, the ministry reported.

On October 25, Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said at a meeting with the personnel of the battlegroup East decorated with state awards that Russian troops had shot down 24 Ukrainian warplanes over the past few days with the weapons they received. Later, a source close to the Defense Ministry told TASS that Russia had employed the latest S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile system in conjunction with an A-50 long-range radar surveillance aircraft in the zone of the special military operation in Ukraine.

Reuters/RT/Tass

In an era in which the scales often tip in favour of evil rather than good, a disconcerting debate rages on. While some argue that the world inherently harbours more good than evil, it is an argument ensnared in ambiguity. What remains indisputable, however, is the unwavering passion with which those who perpetuate evil pursue their craft; a stark contrast to the lukewarm commitment of those advocating for good.

The disheartening question arises: Why does the fervour for goodness seem to pale in comparison to the zealous dedication of the malevolent? One possible explanation is that the rewards for doing good seemingly pales in comparison to those for nefarious acts.

The proponents of evil recognise their dominion over the world, perpetuating a cycle in which malevolence takes the centre stage, occasionally disrupted by the valiant efforts of the forces of good, although such interventions are a rarity.

Unfortunately, the majority of those professing to be champions of good can be aptly labeled as cowards, lacking the courage to relinquish their personal comforts. They prefer to stew in their private discontent, remaining passive until their patience wanes. In stark contrast, the evil doer, akin to a fearless thief, courageously acknowledges the risk but marches forward regardless, propelled by dark passions.

It is said that every nation receives the leadership it deserves. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wisely observed that evil thrives when the good stand idly by. The crucial question arises – why do Nigerians find themselves governed by charlatans they never elected, who never even participated in an election?

The malevolent elite are acutely aware of our inertia, knowing that our most potent response is to vent our frustrations through complaints, screams, and curses. Regrettably, we are often too timid to rise and confront crooked leaders, their corporate collaborators and judicial bandits.

In contrast, these wrongdoers are resolute in their willingness to accept risk, and the African equivalent of the Arab Spring remains a distant dream because many would rather endure suffering than risk the discomfort that comes with protesting against an unjust government.

Ultimately, when we condone a flawed system and abstain from combating malevolent forces, we implicitly accept whatever fate befalls us. Our silence morphs into complicity, and our pitiable escape is “japa”, hoping to savour the fruits of other people’s life struggles in a foreign land, while abandoning the very soil from which we hail. What a shame!

For a nation to emerge, it necessitates a critical mass of individuals prepared to lay down their lives for the common good, those who ardently advocate for what is right and galvanise others to join their noble cause. However, in Africa, comfort holds an irresistible allure, often overshadowing our readiness to engage in the struggle. We seemingly opt to bide our time, anticipating the ascent of our own ‘evil men’ to power, so we too can partake in the spoils of corruption – a dilemma of our own making.

The disheartening aspect is that even the most educated, privileged, and economically empowered citizens in Nigeria have often faltered in making decisions that favour the collective over personal interests. This tragic facet of our nation persists as a lamentable reality.

We vociferously demand that others do what is right while neglecting to do so ourselves. In the contemporary world, evil appears to gain a significant upper hand over good. The competition is not merely lopsided; it verges on the non-existent. It is incumbent upon us to confront a stark reality – those who have willingly embraced the darkness and the rewards it bestows are often more pragmatic in navigating life than those of us who continually lament.

Nigerians often amuse me with their curious notions. Many seem to believe that exposing a counterfeit certificate, revealing classified FBI files, or any such revelation might serve as a transformative game-changer. The true paradox, however, lies in their conviction that mere wishes possess the extraordinary ability to usher in significant transformations.

The responsibility rests upon the shoulders of citizens to rise above corrupt leaders and their collaborators. They must stand ready to defend their nation against the encroaching forces of darkness. This duty is not only to themselves but to future generations. A society that permits evil to flourish through complacency deserves any misfortune that may befall it.

A 40-year-old garbage collector in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi tragically lost his life after being shot by a loaded gun that had been thrown away in a plastic garbage bag.

Imagine living in a place where gun crime is so high that people casually throw loaded firearms in garbage cans where they can literally kill garbage collectors. One such incident took place on October 16, near the Rioverde town hall, in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. A group of garbage collectors was doing their jobs when tragedy struck. One of the men was calmly picking up garbage bags and throwing them into the back of a garbage truck when suddenly a gun went off. His colleagues froze in place and then started looking around for assailants, but there was no danger in sight. Then, they saw the man lying on the pavement.

Upon realizing that one of their own had been shot, the other garbage men called emergency services, but even though an ambulance arrived only a few minutes later, the man succumbed to his gunshot wound shortly after being taken to the Rioverde Medical Center.

According to Mexican newspaper El Universal, the man’s death was caused by a bullet fired from a loaded gun discarded into one of the garbage bags he was collecting. experts believe that the gun’s trigger was accidentally pushed when the garbage bag was thrown into the truck. Unfortunately, the barrel was pointed directly at the garbage worker and he got shot.

Authorities are still investigating this case in hopes of finding the gun’s owner and bringing them to justice for disposing of it so irresponsibly.

Oddity Central

President Bola Tinubu says the judiciary demonstrated a high degree of professionalism in the challenge to his election.

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general election, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), had challenged the outcome of the February 25 poll and Tinubu’s affirmation as winner by the petitions tribunal.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court dismissed pleas of the petitioners and upheld Tinubu’s election.

In a unanimous verdict, the court held that the appeals filed by Abubakar and Obi lacked merit and were “frivolous”.

Reacting to the verdict of the apex court, Tinubu said the judgment has laid the “agitating discourse over who truly won the 2023 presidential election” to rest. 

“I want to reiterate that my faith in our nation’s judiciary has never been shaken, not even for a moment, because I know that our hallowed courts of law will not fail to administer justice to all Nigerians in all matters and at all times,” the president said in a statement. 

“Despite the fusillade of pressure and attempts at intimidation by some political actors, the judiciary demonstrated its unequivocal commitment to upholding the rule of law for the upliftment and defence of humanity.

“It was affirmed once more today, that my party, the governing All Progressives’ Congress, had freely and fairly won the popular mandate of Nigerians, which has since given rise to my leadership of this great nation at a tumultuous period of unprecedented reforms in our history as a nation.”

Tinubu said the judgment has re-energised him in his bid to deliver good governance to Nigerians. 

“The victory of today has further energised and strengthened my commitment to continue to serve all Nigerians of all political persuasions, tribes, and faiths, with honour and total respect for the diverse opinions and uniting values of our citizens,” he said. 

“Our Renewed Hope agenda for a greater and prosperous Nigeria has further gained momentum and I will continue to work from morning to night, every single day, to build a country that meets our collective yearnings and aspirations.”

The Cable

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the judgment of the supreme court affirming President Bola Tinubu’s victory.

On Thursday, the seven-member panel of the supreme court agreed that the petitions of Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of Labour Party (PDP) were devoid of merit.

Obi and Abubakar had separately sought to overturn the judgment of the presidential election petition tribunal which upheld Tinubu’s election as president.

In a statement, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said the opposition party is “appalled” by the verdict.

Ologunagba said the majority of Nigerians are “alarmed, disappointed and gravely concerned with the reasoning of the Supreme Court”.

The party said the judgment is against the “express provisions” of the constitution, Electoral Act, 2022, and the guidelines and regulations issued by INEC for the conduct of the election.

“The PDP asserts that it is indeed a sad commentary for our democracy that the Supreme Court failed to uphold the provisions of the law,” the statement reads.

“Instead, it trashed the expectation of the majority of Nigerians who looked up to it as a Temple of Impartiality to deliver substantial justice in the matter having regards to the laws and facts of the case.

“Nigerians are still at a loss as to how the Supreme Court condoned the serious issues of forgery, falsehood and perjury on the altar of technicalities.

“The general gloom, melancholy and sense of despondency across the country upon the delivery of the judgment is an ominous sign of eerie situation which portend grave consequences because of the disappointment embedded in the judgment.

“This judgment by the Supreme Court has evidently shaken the confidence of Nigerians in the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court as the last hope of the common man.”

The PDP advised Nigerians not to be discouraged or allow the judgment to detract them from the quest for the entrenchment of a credible electoral system.

The Cable

Labour Party (LP) has rejected the judgement of the supreme court affirming the victory of President Bola Tinubu.

In a unanimous decision on Thursday, the seven-member panel of the apex court dismissed the petitions of Peter Obi of the LP and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 election.

Reacting to the verdict, Julius Abure, LP national chairman, called on the international community to rise and defend democracy in Nigeria.

Abure also described the judgement as “shocking and surprising”.

“The leadership of Labour Party watched as the sacred fabric of justice and good conscience was shredded today at the Supreme Court as it delivered its verdict in the case between our party, the Presidential candidate and the APC Presidential candidate,” the statement reads.

“We are indeed very shocked and surprised that even the apex Court will toe the line of an earlier judgement in spite of all the flaws associated with the judgement delivered by the Presidential Election Appeal Tribunal.

“Having conclusively exercised our fundamental rights as gifted to us by the laws of the land, we have no other choice but to move on.

“We may be disappointed and dismayed by the outcome of the exercise, but we have chosen to trudge on and to remain optimistic of what the future holds for the nation.

“However, there are great lessons to be learnt. What transpired in Nigeria since the February 25 presidential election is a clear testament that our institutions are not working and that we may be sliding towards dictatorship.

“It is very clear that the executive has hijacked both the judiciary and the legislature.

“This is so unfortunate for our democracy, and it is even more for the people of Nigeria.

“All what our forbearers taught us has been destroyed within a short space of time because of the Unbridled ambition of a few.

“The founding fathers fought with their lives to achieve independence for the country. People lost their lives for the struggle to keep our democracy and all these years people have been struggling to achieve electoral and constitutional reforms.

“Regrettably, all of these efforts and struggles have been destroyed today.

“We are also calling on the International community to rise to the occasion to defend democracy in Nigeria.

“Your voices were loud and clear in condemnation of the outcome of the presidential election.

“As we approach the next stage of our democratic journey, we call on you to stand by the millions of Nigerians who are already pushed beyond their limits into unnecessary hardship and penury.”

Abure urged Nigerians not to lose hope, adding that a new Nigeria is still possible.

The Cable

An Enugu High Court, presided over by Anthony Onovo, has voided the proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organisation.

The Federal Government under Muhammadu Buhari had, in 2017, proscribed the secessionist group, while the leader, Nnamdi Kanu, was clamped into detention.

The court, yesterday, also declared that self-determination was not a crime and should not, therefore, be used as a basis to arrest, detain and prosecute the IPOB leader.

Kanu, through his Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, had in January this year, approached the court to seek nullification of the proscription and terrorist tag on the group, based on the fact that it is a registered organisation with membership exercising their right of association.

He had sought de-listing of the organisation as a terrorist group in line with the provisions of the African Charter and the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as restraining the government from proceeding with criminal proceedings against Kanu.

Delivering judgment on the matter, Onovo agreed that the African Charter is binding on Nigerian courts.

He declared that in practical application of the Terrorism Prevention Act, the executive or administrative action of the South East Governors Forum (SEGF) and the Federal Government, which directly led to the proscription of IPOB, its listing as a terrorist group and the consequent arrest, detention and prosecution of Kanu is illegal, unconstitutional and amounts to infringement of his fundamental right.

The judge ordered the Federal Government and South East governors to issue official letter(s) of apology to Kanu for the infringement of his fundamental rights; and publication of the letter(s) in three national dailies.

The court awarded jointly or severally N8 billion to Kanu as monetary damages claimed against the Federal Government and South East governors for the physical, psychological, property and other damages he suffered as a result of the infringements on his fundamental rights.

Ejimakor commended the court as the last hope of the common man.
He stated: “We are grateful that justice has prevailed over this matter since 2017. The court has reaffirmed the hopes of the common man in the judiciary. You have saved thousands of lives.”

The Guardian

Israeli troops briefly raid northern Gaza to 'prepare' for an expected full-scale incursion

Israeli troops and tanks briefly raided northern Gaza overnight, the military said Thursday, engaging with Hamas fighters and targeting anti-tank weapons in order to “prepare the battlefield” before an expected ground invasion.

The third Israeli raid since the war began came after more than two weeks of devastating airstrikes that have left thousands dead, and more than 1 million displaced from their homes, in the small, densely-populated territory.

The U.S. military, meanwhile, launched airstrikes early Friday on two locations in eastern Syria linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Pentagon said, in retaliation for drone and missile attacks against U.S. bases and personnel in the region that began early last week.

Arab leaders made a joint plea Thursday for a cease-fire to end civilian suffering and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, where Israel has imposed a suffocating siege ever since Hamas’ rampage and hostage-taking in southern Israel ignited the war. Residents are running out of food, water and medicine, and U.N. workers have barely any fuel left to support relief missions.

The rising death toll in Gaza is unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said Thursday more than 7,000 Palestinians have died in the fighting, a figure that could not be independently verified. Even greater loss of life could come if Israel launches a ground offensive aimed at crushing Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and survived four previous wars with Israel.

More than 1,400 people in Israel, mostly civilians, were slain during the initial Hamas attack, according to the Israeli government.

The damage to Gaza from nearly three weeks of bombardment showed in satellite photos of several locations taken before the war and again in recent days.

Entire rows of residential buildings simply disappear in the photos, reduced to smears of dust and rubble. A complex of 13 high-rises by the sea was pounded to dust near Gaza City’s al-Shati refugee camp, leaving only a few tottering bits of facade. Just down the street, hardly anything remained in what had been a neighborhood of low-built homes on winding lanes, according to the photos by Maxar Technologies.

New strikes Thursday leveled more than eight homes belonging to an extended family, killing at least 15 people in the southern city of Khan Younis. In the chaotic wasteland of crumbled concrete and twisted metal, rescuers lifted the body of a boy from beneath a slab.

The Israeli military said an airstrike killed one of two masterminds of the Oct. 7 massacre, Shadi Barud, the head of Hamas’ intelligence unit. The military says it only strikes militant targets and accuses Hamas of operating among civilians in an attempt to protect its fighters.

Palestinian militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel since the war began. One struck a residential building in the central city of Petah Tikva, without wounding anyone.

Hamas’ military wing said Thursday that Israeli bombardment has so far killed about 50 of the at least 224 hostages the militants abducted during its Oct. 7 assault. There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials, who have denied previous, similar claims.

Family members and Jewish groups are trying to keep the spotlight on the hostages’ plight. In Paris, 30 empty baby strollers were displayed in front of the Eiffel Tower — each with a photo of one of the children taken from Israel. A day earlier, blindfolded teddy bears with photos of the abducted children were placed in front of a fountain in Tel Aviv.

The conflict has threatened to ignite a wider war across the region.

Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed ally of Hamas in Lebanon, has repeatedly traded fire with Israel along the border. The United States has sent to the region two aircraft carrier strike groups, along with additional fighter jets and other weaponry and personnel.

In a statement Thursday night, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes in eastern Syria were “a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on Oct. 17.”

He said President Joe Biden directed the narrowly tailored strikes “to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel and its interests.” He added that the operation was separate and distinct from Israel’s war against Hamas.

Israel has vowed to crush Hamas’ capacity to govern Gaza or threaten Israel again but also says it doesn’t want to reoccupy the territory, from which it withdrew soldiers and settlers in 2005. That could prove a daunting challenge, since Hamas is deeply rooted in Gaza, with political and charity organizations as well as a formidable armed wing.

Benny Gantz, a retired general and a member of Israel’s war Cabinet, said any possible ground offensive would be only “one stage in a long-term process that includes security, political and social aspects that will take years.”

“The campaign will soon ramp up with greater force,” he added.

The overnight raid into Gaza was the largest of several known brief incursions. The military said soldiers and tanks killed fighters and destroyed tunnels and anti-tank missile launching positions. The military said no Israelis were wounded. There was no immediate confirmation of any Palestinian casualties.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a military spokesman, said the incursion was “part of our preparations for the next stages of the war.”

Israel also said it also carried out around 250 airstrikes across Gaza in the last 24 hours, targeting tunnel shafts, rocket launchers and other militant infrastructure. Its reported targeting could not be independently verified.

The figure of 7,000 deaths reported by the Gaza Health Ministry is more than three times the number of Palestinians killed in the six-week-long Gaza war in 2014. The ministry’s toll includes more than 2,900 minors and more than 1,500 women.

After Biden said he had “no confidence” in Gaza’s casualty figures, the Health Ministry on Thursday countered by releasing a more than 200-page document listing the names of 6,747 dead, including ages and gender. It said another 281 dead had not been identified and that hundreds still missing under rubble were not included in the count.

The warning by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, over depleting fuel supplies raised alarm that the humanitarian crisis could quickly worsen. Israel is still barring deliveries of fuel — needed to power generators — saying it believes Hamas will take it for military use.

About 1.4 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have fled their homes, with nearly half of them crowding into U.N. shelters. Hundreds of thousands remain in northern Gaza, despite Israel ordering them to evacuate to the south and saying that those who remain might be considered “accomplices” of Hamas.

In recent days, Israel has let more than 70 trucks with aid enter from Egypt.

“This is a small amount of what is required, a drop in the ocean,” said William Schomburg, an official with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza. “We are trying to establish a pipeline.”

Elsewhere, Egyptian state-run media outlet Al Qahera News reported early Friday that an explosion hit the Egyptian resort town of Taba, which is near the border with Israel. Five people were wounded. The cause of the blast was not immediately clear, and The Associated Press could not immediately confirm the details.

Nine Arab countries — including key U.S. allies and nations that have signed peace or normalization deals with Israel — issued a joint statement Thursday calling for an immediate cease-fire and an end to the targeting and death of civilians.

“The right to self defense by the United Nations Charter does not justify blatant violations of humanitarian and international law,“ said the statement, signed by Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Morocco.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities detained 86 Palestinians, including five women, in multiple raids overnight, bringing the total detained there to more than 1,400, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, which represents former and current prisoners. At least 104 Palestinians have been killed in violence in the West Bank.

AP