Freedom

The head of a United Nations anti-extremism body has expressed “deep concern” over growing tensions over satirical cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, urging “mutual respect” between people of different faiths and political views.

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Wednesday that freedom of expression should stop if it offends more than 1.5 billion people, following the display of images in France of the Prophet Mohammad that Muslims see as blasphemous.

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba on Monday denied media reports that claimed he had quit the French national team over comments made by the country’s president, Emmanuel Macron.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has “condemned the unconstitutional and illegal fines of N9m reportedly imposed by the National Broadcasting Commission [NBC] on Channels TV, AIT and Arise TV [N3m each] purportedly over their coverage of the #EndSARS protests.”

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has imposed N3 million sanction each on AIT, Channels and Arise News television stations, for alleged violation of broadcasting code in reporting the #EndSARS protests.

Yoruba World Congress, YWC, has announced the change of its name to “ILANA OMO OODUA” to help propagate the quest for self-determination of Yoruba nation and in honour of Obafemi Awolowo philosophy.

Ijaw youth in the western zone rose from an emergency meeting, weekend, insisting on restructuring of the country and demilitarization of Niger Delta creeks.

Amnesty International says at least 38 people, including 12 in the capital Lagos, were killed by the Nigerian army and police in a brutal crackdown on protesters Tuesday that drew international condemnation.

Members of the European Parliament were highly critical of EU countries offering citizenship through investment programmes following revelations by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit that showed criminals could possibly buy Cypriot passports.

Fellow Nigerians, It has become necessary for me to address you having heard from many concerned Nigerians and having concluded a meeting with all the Security Chiefs.

The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called for an international inquiry into the killing and maiming of peaceful #ENDSARS protesters at Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, on Tuesday.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has condemned “reports that security agents are shooting at #EndSARS peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll gate, Lagos. This must stop immediately.”

A coalition of civil society organisations has condemned the attacks launched against protesters, demanding an end to police brutality and all related abuses nationwide.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Tuesday adjourned a hearing of a case of assault and enforcement of fundamental human rights filed against the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), and six others by a journalist, Desmond Utomwen to 5th November 2020.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari urging him to “urgently instruct Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation to withdraw the proposed executive bill to amend the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] Act, which if passed and signed into law will severely undermine the commission’s independence, and render it a ‘toothless bulldog or toothless tiger’.”

Nigerian authorities should immediately release journalist Ime Sunday Silas, drop the charges against him, and reform the country’s cybercrime act to ensure it is not used against the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

The first female Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Jumoke Akindele, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

Former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and social commentator, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, was late yesterday, released after close to hours interrogation by the officials of Department of State Services, DSS, in their office in Jos, Plateau State.