A surrender deadline for Tigray forces is just hours away with Ethiopia’s military threatening to bombard the regional capital – a city of half a million people.

Ethiopia’s prime minister on Wednesday rejected growing international demands for dialogue and a halt to deadly fighting in the northern Tigray region as “interference”, saying his country will handle the conflict on its own as the 72-hour surrender ultimatum expires at 16:30 GMT.

We respectfully urge the international community to refrain from any unwelcome and unlawful acts of interference,” a statement from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office said as government forces encircled the Tigray capital, Mekelle, with tanks.

“The international community should stand by until the government of Ethiopia submits its requests for assistance to the community of nations. We reject any interference in our internal affairs.”

A news agency in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, meanwhile, reported more than 10,000 Tigrayan troops had been “destroyed” during the three-week conflict raging in the mountainous north.

The report by the regional government-run AMMA agency in Amhara, where authorities back Abiy’s federal forces, could not be verified and there was no immediate response from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

Abiy, last year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, insists on calling the conflict a “law enforcement operation” while his ultimatum for TPLF leaders to surrender ends ahead of a final push to arrest them.

Abiy’s government has warned Mekelle’s residents to move away from TPLF leaders and military installations saying there will be “no mercy” – language the United Nations human rights chief and others have warned could lead to “further violations of international humanitarian law”.

Communications remain almost completely severed to the Tigray region of some six million people and it is not clear how many people in Mekelle are aware of the warnings and the threat of artillery fire.

Diplomats on Tuesday said UN Security Council members in a closed-door meeting expressed support for an African Union-led effort to deploy three high-level envoys to Ethiopia.

Three AU envoys – former Presidents Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa – were due to arrive in Addis Ababa on Wednesday, two diplomatic sources told the Reuters news agency.

‘Great concern’

The European Union foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said late on Tuesday the fighting is seriously destabilising the region and hostilities should halt.

I expressed my great concern regarding increasing ethnic-targeted violence, numerous casualties, and violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law,” said Borrell after speaking to Ethiopia’s foreign minister.

Tigray’s regional leader Debretsion Gebremichael could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday.

The TPLF dominated Ethiopia’s government for more than a quarter-century but was sidelined after Abiy took office in 2018 and sought to centralise power in a country long ruled along ethnic lines. The TPLF opted out when Abiy dissolved the ruling coalition, then infuriated the federal government by holding an election in September after a national vote was postponed by COVID-19. Each side now regards the other as illegal.

The international community has urgently called for communications to be restored to the Tigray region so warring sides’ claims can be investigated, and so food and other desperately needed supplies can be sent as hunger grows.

Source: Aljazeerah

The Speaker of the House of Representative, Femi Gbajabiamila has confirmed the death of a newspaper vendor shot by one of his security aides on Thursday.

Gbajabiamila who, in a series of tweets on his official handle in the early hours of Friday, narrated how the incident took place, explained that the vendor was hit by a stray bullet meant to disperse a crowd when he went to greet newspaper vendors while leaving the National Assembly.

“A horrible incident has taken place. This evening as I left the national assembly, I stopped, as usual, to exchange pleasantries with the newspaper vendors at the corner,” he explained.

“Many of them have known me since I first moved to Abuja and it was a friendly exchange. Unfortunately, after the convoy set out in continuation of movement, unidentified men obstructed the convoy which got the attention of security men in the convoy who shot into the air to disperse them.”

The Lagos lawmaker narrated that some hours after they got to their destination, he was informed that someone had the victim simply identified as Ifeanyi had been hit by a stray bullet.

He said this was “contrary to an earlier report by men in the convoy that they applied their security discretion to shoot in the air.

“In the meantime; the officer who fired the fatal shot has been suspended from the convoy pending the conclusion of the investigation.”

While sending his condolences to the family of the deceased, the Speaker expressed distraught about the incident.

“For one of them (vendors) to have been shot by my security detail is horrific and I cannot begin to imagine the grief and loss Ifeanyi’s family must feel on this sad day. No family should have to go through this,” he added.

“I have caused a report to be made to the local police station and an investigation has commenced. My value for human life and my respect for all people – irrespective of social-economic status – is what endeared me to these vendors and these are the reasons why I stop my convoy quite often to connect with them.”

Source: Channels TV

A senior Nigerian minister lashed out against CNN Thursday, saying the network should be sanctioned over its investigation, which uncovered evidence that the Nigerian army and police opened fire on unarmed protestors on October 20.

CNN’s investigation focused on a demonstration against police brutality, led by the largely peaceful “#EndSARS” movement.

Minister for Information and Culture Lai Mohammed Thursday dismissed the CNN investigation as “fake news” and “misinformation,” repeatedly denying the military used live rounds against protesters.

“Like everyone else, I watched the CNN report. I must tell you that it reinforces the disinformation that is going around, and it is blatantly irresponsible and a poor piece of journalistic work by a reputable international news organization,” he told reporters at a press conference in Abuja, in the most significant federal government response so far to the October 20 violence.

“This is very serious and CNN should be sanctioned for that,” he said.

CNN stands by its investigation, a company spokesperson said.

“Our reporting was carefully and meticulously researched, and we stand by it,” the spokesperson said via email.

The report was based on testimony from dozens of witnesses, and photos and video obtained and geolocated by CNN. It painted a picture of how members of the Nigerian army and the police shot at the crowd, killing at least one person and wounding dozens more.

Protesters Victor Sunday Ibanga, left, and Wisdom Okon. Their families say they haven't seen them since the protest on October 20.

Protesters Victor Sunday Ibanga, left, and Wisdom Okon. Their families say they haven’t seen them since the protest on October 20.

CNN verified photos and videos acquired from multiple eyewitnesses and protesters using timestamps and other data from the video files. Video footage shows soldiers who appear to be shooting in the direction of protesters. And accounts from eyewitnesses established that after the army withdrew, a second round of shooting happened later in the evening.

Prior to publishing the report, CNN tried multiple times to elicit comment from the Nigerian army and police. A Lagos State police spokesman declined to comment because of an ongoing investigation. While a statement from the Lagos State government said that there would be no comment while a judicial tribunal was underway.

CNN also included comments from army representative Brigadier Ahmed Taiwo, testifying before the tribunal. He denied that soldiers would shoot at Nigerian citizens.

The investigation was broadcast and published on Wednesday and cast doubt on Nigerian authorities’ shifting and changing statements over what happened at the protest at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos.

Addressing reporters, Mohammed insisted that “the military did not shoot at the protesters at the toll gate” but fired blank ammunitions into the air, blaming looters for the violence which broke out on the night of October 20.

“Six soldiers and 37 policemen were killed all over the country during the crisis,” Mohammed said.

“CNN relied heavily on unreliable and possibly doctored videos as well as information sources from questionable sources to reach these conclusions,” he continued.

He did not provide any evidence the videos were doctored.

The CNN report included evidence that bullet casings from the scene matched those used by the Nigerian army when shooting live rounds, according to current and former Nigerian military officials.

Two ballistics experts also confirmed with CNN that the shape of the bullet casings indicate they used live rounds, which contradicts the army’s claim they fired blanks.

While the Minister for Information and Culture asserted that “not a single family” has reported the death of relatives during the protest on October 20, the Chief Coroner of Lagos State has since issued a public call for all those who have “lost loved ones between 19 — 27 October 2020” to come forward and provide evidence which could assist in the “identification exercise.”

During his press briefing on Thursday, the Minister denied reports of fatalities at the protest.

“As I said earlier, what started as a peaceful protest against police brutality quickly degenerated into incredible violence despite an immediate response to the demands by the government,” he said.

“While we await the Judicial Panel in Lagos to unravel what transpired at the Lekki toll gate, what we can say, based on testimonies available in the public space, is that the world may have just witnessed, for the very first time ever, a massacre without bodies,” he added.

Read and watch CNN's full investigation

Read and watch CNN’s full investigation

According to Mohammed, the National Economic Council (NEC) directed the “immediate establishment” of a state-based judicial panel of inquiry on October 15 — before the Lekki toll gate incident, but after protests against violence had begun — to investigate complaints of police brutality and extrajudicial killings.

Eyewitnesses have since told CNN that the government’s comments are “lies,” making them feel as though they had “hallucinated the whole event.”

“Haven’t they hurt us enough? I still close my eyes and see the blood and hear the screams,” another eyewitness said.

During the press conference, Mohammed said the federal government continues to be “very satisfied” with the role played by security agencies — especially the military and police — through the protests.

Source :CNN

The Ooni of Ife and his wife, Olori Silekunola Naomi Ogunwusi on Wednesday welcomed a baby boy, a Prince of Ife.

While announcing the development on his Twitter handle ,Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi who described the development as a joyous one for the entire Oduduwa house said both mother and child were fine and hearty.

He tweeted “To God be the glory great things he has done.

“Hearty congratulations to the entire House of Oduduwa and Olori Silekunola who today birthed a Prince to the Royal throne of Oduduwa.

Mother and child are doing well to the glory of God Almighty.”

A statement by Moses Olafare ,Oba Ogunwusi’s spokesperson confirmed the development, saying “The Almighty Olodumare has blessed the House Oduduwa with a Crown Prince as our mother Yeyeluwa, Olori Silekunola Naomi Ogunwusi gave birth to a bouncing baby boy at the early hours of this morning, Wednesday 18th November 2020.