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Nigerian broadcasting regulatory body, the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), has fined three television stations for what it called ethical infractions on their reportage of the #EndSARS protest and the ensuing crisis.

Without disclosing the infractions or the unprofessional reportage of the protest, the NBC, through Professional Armstrong Idachaba, its Director-general, in Abuja on Monday, said the affected media houses – Africa Independent Television (AIT), Channels TV and Arise TV – were fined N3,000,000 each for flouting the provisions of the Nigerian broadcasting code.

Meanwhile, reacting to what has been tagged media gag by the Nigerian Government, a known rights group in the country, SERAP, in a statement by its deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare said: “This action by NBC is yet another example of Nigerian authorities’ push to silence independent media and voices. NBC should drop the fines and uphold the Nigerian constitution and international obligations to respect and protect freedom of expression and media freedom. We will sue the NBC if the unconstitutional fines are not rescinded within 48 hours.”The organization said: “This is a new low in Nigeria’s protection of freedom of expression, and the ability of independent media to function in the country. The fines are detrimental to media freedom, and access to information and NBC must immediately withdraw the decision.The statement from SERAP read in part: “Media freedom and media plurality are a central part of the effective exercise of freedom of expression and access to information. The ability to practice journalism free from undue interference, to cover peaceful protests and critical views is crucial to the exercise of many other rights and freedoms.“The media has a vital role to play as ‘public watchdog’ in imparting information of serious public concern and should not be inhibited or intimidated from playing that role. NBC should stop targeting and intimidating independent media and voices.”“President Muhammadu Buhari should caution the NBC to stop intimidating and harassing independent media houses and to respect the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international human rights obligations, including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”

Mali’s interim prime minister said on Monday he was open to talks with Islamist militants whose insurgency has made vast swathes of the country ungovernable, but former colonial power France signaled opposition to the idea.

Ousted former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said earlier this year that his government was prepared to negotiate with al Qaeda-linked militants. National talks in the aftermath of the August coup that overthrew Keita endorsed that policy.

Malian officials have provided few specifics about what kinds of compromises could emerge, but some proponents of negotiations have said they could include recognition of a greater role for Islam in public life.

Moctar Ouane, who was appointed interim prime minister last month to manage an 18-month transition after the August 18 coup that toppled Keita said his government was prepared to pursue talks.

“The conclusions of the inclusive national talks … very clearly indicated the necessity of an offer of dialogue with these armed groups,” Ouane said at a news conference in Bamako with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian who is on a two-day visit.

“We need to see in that an opportunity to engage in far-reaching discussions with the communities in order to redefine the contours of new governance of the areas that are concerned,” he said.

Le Drian, however, indicated he was opposed, noting that the Islamist groups had not signed a 2015 peace deal that it considers a framework for restoring peace to northern Mali.

“Let’s say things very clearly: there are peace accords … and then there are terrorist groups that have not signed the peace accords,” Le Drian said. “It is simple.”

France has more than 5 000 troops in Mali and neighbouring countries in West Africa’s Sahel region to fight the jihadists, against whom it first intervened in 2013.

But the militants, many with links to al Qaeda and the Islamic State has grown stronger in recent years, stepping into vacuums left by weakened state authorities.

In the sustained fight against the Boko Haram terrorists in the North-Eastern part of the country, the Nigerian military said on Sunday that its fighter jets have killed dozens of terrorists and aborted their planned attack on troops location in Borno State, the hotbed of insurgent attacks in Nigeria.

This was disclosed by Major General John Enenche, Coordinator of the Defence Media Operations, (CDMO), in an operation update released to journalists in Abuja on Sunday.
General Enenche said the air operation was conducted by the Air Task Force of Operation, LAFIYA DOLE, under a subsidiary Operation WUTAR TABKI.
He said the operation was in continuation of the sustained offensive against terrorist elements in the North East of the country.
The CDMO said the ATF during the operation, destroyed terrorists’ hideouts and neutralized several fighters at Ngwuri Gana along the Gulumba Gana-Kumshe axis as well as at Jumacheri near Damasak in the Northern part of the state.

“This was achieved through separate air interdiction missions carried out on 21 and 22 October 2020 on the heels of Human Intelligence reports as well as series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions indicating that several terrorists had assembled at the 2 locations in preparation to launch attacks against nearby troops’ positions.
“The hits by Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets and helicopter gunships dispatched by the Air Task Force to attack the 2 target areas resulted in the destruction of some structures as well as the neutralization of dozens of terrorists,” Enenche said.

The African Union (AU) on Sunday welcomed the signing of a permanent ceasefire agreement and treaty between rival forces in Libya.

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, the AU chairperson, welcomed the development on Sunday.

The agreement was signed in Geneva in Switzerland on Friday, October 23.

“We congratulate all signatories for agreeing to this groundbreaking permanent ceasefire agreement,” Ramaphosa said in a statement on Sunday.

“The signing of this agreement is an important step towards silencing the guns in Africa. 

“We further support the appeal by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres for all stakeholders, regional and international actors, to respect the provisions of the ceasefire agreement and ensure its implementation without delay in order to bring an end to this conflict. 

“This includes ensuring the full and unconditional respect of the UN Security Council (UNSC) arms embargo,” Ramaphosa said.

The ceasefire agreement, its enforcement, and observation was a critical first step in creating conditions conducive for lasting peace in Libya. It paved the way for the resumption of the intra-Libyan dialogue, which was the only legitimate platform that could produce a durable Libyan-owned political solution.

Ramaphosa stressed the need for external parties to respect the UNSC arms embargo and called on them to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of Libya. He also emphasized the importance of AU/UN collaboration in supporting the Libyan parties in the search for a political solution.

“Guided by the spirit of fraternity and the principles of solidarity and cooperation, the AU stands ready to accompany the Libyan people on this journey towards peace, national reconciliation, and unity,” he said.

Mr Solomon Jamiru, the Sierra Leone National COVID-19 Response Centre (NaCOVERC) spokesperson, has revealed that the national government had decided to a sale down a response to the virus in the face of a low date rate.

Sierra Leone, since the advent of the virus in March 2020, has recorded 2,340 cases. According to the government, 1,777 had recovered, with 73 deaths.

Most African countries such as Sierra Leone, have performed far better than the predictions made by scientists early this year about the impact of the pandemic on the continent.

However, that is not to say that it is Uhuru for Africa as so many countries globally are gearing up for a second wave of the virus, necessitating the question on why Sierra Leone decided to scale down responses.

Jamiru responded thus: “The National COVID-19 Emergency response will scale down by minimum 40% effective 1 November 2020. 

“This decision was reached at a workforce rationalization conference held from 19-21 October at the Golden Tulip, Aberdeen, Freetown. This marked the 30th week of the Coronavirus outbreak in Sierra Leone.

“The conference was informed by an assessment of the epidemiological data especially for the last three months, which indicates a general downward trend in COVID cases nationwide. 

“With this general downward trend in cases, the Conference concluded that it will not be fiscally prudent to retain the over 9,000 workforces nationwide.

“As of 23rd October, there are 23 quarantine homes (all being self-quarantine), with a total of 175 persons in three Districts -Western Area Urban, Western Area Rural and Port Loko Districts. Positive cases currently admitted in treatment and care centers nationwide are below 5% of the total bed capacity which is 984.

“Majority of the Districts have gone for several incubation periods without recording a case (one incubation period is 14 days). For instance, Kambia District has gone up to 7 incubation periods without a case.

“Consequently, the workforce will scale down by a minimum of forty percent (40%) effective November 1, 2020. In the event of any surge which may require scaling up the workforce, personnel and logistical re-engagement mechanism have already been agreed.

“Risk allowances accounted for a large percentage of the funding portfolio. The cut will enable refocusing and repurposing funds towards emergency and health systems strengthening which are two critical national imperatives.

“This development does not in any way signal the end of COVID-19. The Response will continue to keep the virus in check, and counts on the cooperation of all.

“NaCOVERC commends the four Regional Coordinators, sixteen (16) District Coordinators, 16 District Medical Officers, Pillar Leads, Technical and Operations Coordinators and Field Monitors, for a successful Conference.”

The government of Sierra Leone has received hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid and loans to help build the country’s resilience against the impact of the pandemic on the economy. But with export revenue and much-reduced tourism income, there are fears economic growth will take a very long time to recover, amid growing unemployment and poverty.

President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria has finally addressed the country after more than two weeks since protest broke out in the country.
Recall that the youths in the country had for the past two weeks taking to the street in virtually all the states of the federation, demanding the disbandment of the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and police brutality.

The youths also demanded good governance for the citizenry, warranting almost three weeks of a peaceful demonstration in the country.
However, in what was like a state-sponsored attack, the men of the Nigerian Army on Tuesday at a tollgate at the highbrow Lekki area of Lagos, attacked the peaceful and armless protesters, leading to the death of more than 20 protesters, leading many to demand that the president addressed the nation.

It was said that the country’s National Assembly even threatened impeachment of the president if he failed to address the nation.
However, at 7 pm on Thursday, Buhari finally held a nationwide broadcast where he failed to address the genuine agitations of the protesters, rather taking time to reel out both real and imagined achievements of his administration.
In the speech that had been criticised as lacking in empathy for the young Nigerians gunned down by soldiers, the president failed to show any emotion for what the army personnel did. 
Below is the full text of the address of the Nigerian President.

“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.
“I must warn those who have hijacked and misdirected the initial, genuine and well-intended protest of some of our youths in parts of the country, against the excesses of some members of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

“The choice to demonstrate peacefully is a fundamental right of citizens as enshrined in Section 40 of our Constitution and other enactments.

“But this right to protest also imposes on the demonstrators the responsibility to respect the rights of other citizens, and the necessity to operate within the law.

“As a democratic government, we listened to, and carefully evaluated the five-point demands of the protesters. And, having accepted them, we immediately scrapped SARS and put measures in place to address the other demands of our youth.

“On approving the termination of SARS I already made it clear that it was in line with our commitment to the implementation of extensive Police reforms.

“Sadly, the promptness with which we have acted seemed to have been misconstrued as a sign of weakness and twisted by some for their selfish unpatriotic interests.

“The result of this is clear to all observers: human lives have been lost; acts of sexual violence have been reported; two major correctional facilities were attacked and convicts freed; public and private properties completely destroyed or vandalised; the sanctity of the Palace of a peace-maker, the Oba of Lagos has been violated. So-called protesters have invaded an International Airport and in the process disrupted the travel plans of fellow Nigerians and our visitors.

“All these executed in the name of the ENDSARS protests. I am indeed deeply pained that innocent lives have been lost. These tragedies are uncalled for and unnecessary.”Certainly there is no way whatsoever to connect these bad acts to legitimate expression of grievance of the youth of our country.

The spreading of deliberate falsehood and misinformation through the social media in particular, that this government is oblivious to the pains and plight of its citizens, is a ploy to mislead the unwary within and outside Nigeria into unfair judgement and disruptive behaviour.

“On the contrary, both our deeds and words have shown how committed this administration has been to the well being and welfare of citizens, even with the steadily dwindling revenues, and the added responsibilities and restrictions due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

“Government has put in place measures and initiatives principally targeted at youths, women and the most vulnerable groups in our society.  These included our broad plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years;

“The creation of N75 billion National Youth Investment Fund to provide opportunities for the youths, and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Survival Fund, through which government is:

a. paying 3-months salaries of the staff of 100,000 micro, small- and medium- enterprises b. paying for the registration of 250,000 businesses at the Corporate Affairs Commission c. giving a grant of N30,000 to 100,000 artisans d. guaranteeing market for the products of traders.

“These are in addition to many other initiatives such as a. Farmermoni, b. Tradermoni, c. Marketmoni, d. N-Power, e. N-Tech and f. N-Agro.

No Nigerian government in the past has methodically and seriously approached poverty-alleviation as we have done.

“With regard to the welfare of police personnel, the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission has been directed to expedite action on the finalization of the new salary structure of members of the Nigeria Police.

“The emoluments of other paramilitary services are also being reviewed upwards.

In order to underscore the importance of education in preparing youths for the future, this administration has come up with a new salary structure and other incentives for our teachers.

“Let me at this point reaffirm the Federal Government’s commitment to preserving the unity of this country.

“We will continue to improve good governance and our democratic process, including through sustained engagement.

“We shall continue to ensure that liberty and freedom, as well as the fundamental rights of all citizens, are protected.

“But remember that government also has the obligation to protect lives and properties, as well as the right of citizens to go about their daily businesses freely and protected from acts of violence.

“To our neighbours in particular, and members of the international community, many of whom have expressed concern about the ongoing development in Nigeria, we thank you and urge you all to seek to know all the facts available before taking a position rushing to judgement and making hasty pronouncements.

“Tn the circumstances, I would like to appeal to protesters to note and take advantage of the various well-thought-out initiatives of this administration designed to make their lives better and more meaningful, and resist the temptation of being used by some subversive elements to cause chaos with the aim of truncating our nascent democracy.

“For you to do otherwise will amount to undermining national security and the law and order situation. Under no circumstances will this be tolerated.

“I, therefore, call on our youths to discontinue the street protests and constructively engage the government in finding solutions. Your voice has been heard loud and clear and we are responding.

“And I call on all Nigerians to go about their normal businesses and enjoin security agencies to protect lives and properties of all law-abiding citizens without doing harm to those they are meant to protect.

“Let me pay tribute to officers of the Nigeria Police Force who have tragically lost their lives in the line of duty.

“l would like to thank those State Governors, traditional and religious leaders who have appealed for calm and restraint.

“I also thank youth leaders who have restrained their followers from taking the law into their hands.

“This government respects and will continue to respect all the democratic rights and civil liberties of the people, but it will not allow anybody or groups to disrupt the peace of our nation.”Thank you all. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Pierre Buyoya, former president of Burundi, has been handed life imprisonment after he was found guilty of killing another of the Country’s former president.

The country’s top court sentenced the former president to life in prison for the 1993 murder of Melchior Ndadaye, another president who had defeated him in elections, an attack that triggered a 10-year civil war in which about 300 000 people were killed.

In the October 19, 2020 ruling that was seen by Reuters on Tuesday, the court sentenced Buyoya and 18 others for the death of Ndadaye, who had defeated Buyoya to become the central African country’s first freely elected president.

Three of those sentenced were handed 20 years each in jail.

Buyoya is at present the African Union’s High Representative for Mali and the Sahel. He could not immediately be reached for comment on the sentencing. Many of those convicted including Buyoya did not appear in court or enter a plea as they are abroad.

Ndadaye was shot dead along with several cabinet ministers in an ambush by ethnic Tutsi soldiers four months after he won the election, touching off protracted ethnic bloodshed between Tutsis and Ndadaye’s Hutu-dominated FRODEBU movement.

FRODEBU was Burundi’s largest political party before Buyoya, a Tutsi, seized power in a 1996 military coup.

Also sentenced with Buyoya were former deputy presidents Busokoza Bernard and Alphonse Marie Kadege. Busokoza fled abroad in 2015 and was charged in the same year over-involvement in a failed 2015 coup attempt.

Kadege fled in 2006 after being arrested and tortured by the SNR intelligence service for attempting to overthrow the then president Pierre Nkurunziza, who died in June.

Ndadaye’s successor Cyprien Ntaryamira and Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana died in 1994 when a plane carrying them was shot down by a rocket over Kigali in neighbouring Rwanda, triggering the Rwandan genocide in which 800,000 were killed.

The court also ordered that those sentenced collectively pay a fine of 103 billion Burundian francs ($54 million).

The AU Commission has condemned Tuesday’s violence in Nigeria, particularly the attack on armless and peaceful protesters, which resulted in multiple deaths and injuries during protests against police brutality.

The statement from the commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat, dated Wednesday and posted on the organization’s website, however, failed to directly call out Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, who has been condemned by international politicians, athletes, and celebrities after the army allegedly killed protesters in a crackdown on Tuesday.

The protests against the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) erupted earlier this month and have continued even after the government agreed to disband the unit, accused of beating and torturing citizens.

In the commission’s statement, Mahamat offered his condolences to the families of those killed and appealed to “all political and social actors to reject the use of violence and respect human rights and the rule of law”.

He also urged dialogue in order to de-escalate the situation and find concrete and durable reforms.

“In this regard, the chairperson welcomes the decision by the federal government to disband the Special Anti-Robbery Squad as an important step in this direction,” the statement said.

Faki reiterated the AU’s commitment to helping Nigeria’s government and people find a solution and “encouraged” the Nigerian authorities to conduct an investigation to ensure the perpetrators of acts of violence were held to account.

At least unarmed peaceful protesters were on Tuesday evening killed by the personnel of the Nigerian at the first tollgate of highbrow Lekki area of Lagos.
Te killing thus confirmed the fact that the Nigerian Government eventually make real their threat to quell the #ENDSARS protesters with whatever means.

The #ENDSARS protest, which is simultaneously going on in virtually all the states of Nigeria is entering its nineteenth day on Wednesday.

The young Nigerians are protesting against extrajudicial killings by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the police, which is notorious for killing a lot of innocent Nigerians, and police brutality in the country, among other agitations.As at the time of making this report, there are still heavy shootings by the men of the Nigerian Armed Forces, who are firing live bullets at the protesters.

The African Bar Association (ABA), an umbrella body of lawyers in Africa, is concluding plans to drag the Nigerian Government to court over Tuesday’s killing of over fifty peaceful #ENDSARS protesters in Lagos by the army.
ABA said it would immediately file criminal complaints against the Federal Government of Nigeria before international bodies. While frowning at the shooting of unarmed protesters by soldiers,the body said it would call for an international inquiry into the matter. The association said this in a statement by its President, Hannibal Uwaifo.
According to the statement: “the African Bar Association is deeply saddened by the actions of the Nigerian Government in drafting Soldiers to forcefully suppress the ongoing #ENDSARS protest in the country.“This devilish action which has resulted in the killings and maiming of unarmed peaceful protesters in Lagos is not only a violation of international law but constitutes criminal acts for which those responsible will be held accountable in due course.

“The African Bar Association is totally disappointed in the government of Nigeria who instead of wholly addressing the germane issues raised by the protesting youths chose to adopt Gestapo tactics infiltrating the ranks of peaceful protesters with hired mercenaries and thugs who attacked the protesters in order to create a scene of chaos.

“The African Bar Association will immediately file formal criminal complaints before appropriate international bodies to open an international inquiry into the irresponsible behaviour of the Nigerian government masquerading as a democracy.”