Plateau killings: Northern Senators demand prosecution of perpetrators
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Senators from the 19 northern states under the aegis of Northern Senators Forum have urged the Federal Government to identify, apprehend and punish those behind the recent Killings in Jos, Plateau State.
They also want the government to draw action from reports of investigation of similar cases, and take necessary steps to prevent future occurrences.
The PUNCH had earlier on Tuesday reported that the Plateau State Police Command on Tuesday disclosed that 96 persons were killed while 221 houses were set ablaze during the Christmas Eve attacks by gunmen in Plateau State.
According to him, the attacks that were carried out by the assailants in 15 communities of Bokkos and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas of the state also left eight vehicles burnt in the process.
In a statement by the Northern Senators signed by the forum spokesperson, Senator Kawu Sumaila, they condemned the acts and condoled the affected families and the Government of the state.
The statement read, "It is with profound sorrow and a weighty heart that, as a forum, we address you on the recent tragic incident of mass killing in Plateau State.
"This brutal act is indefensible, devoid of reason, and stains our shared humanity.
Tinubu celebrates Akume at 70
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President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, felicitated the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, on his 70th birthday.
Tinubu described him as "one of the most reliable citizens" Nigeria can boast of.
The president's birthday message was contained in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, titled 'President Tinubu celebrates Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, on 70th birthday.'
"The people of Benue have subscribed to his sterling leadership principles and leveraged his remarkable talent for so many years because of what he has always stood f
or.
"He will be with you in the best of days, and even most reliably, in the worst of days. The country has been blessed with the dedication and sure-handedness of Senator Akume," the President said.
Tinubu commended the former Benue State Governor for his consistency and perpetual dedication to duty in coordinating government affairs.
Plane Held For Days In France On Trafficking Concerns Lands In India
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A plane grounded in France for days over concerns it was part of a human trafficking scheme landed in India Tuesday, with its passengers avoiding media questions as they quickly exited bustling Mumbai airport.
The Airbus A340 initially had been bound for Nicaragua when it was detained last Thursday at Vatry airport, east of Paris, where it had stopped for refueling.
It had arrived from the United Arab Emirates and was halted after an anonymous tip-off that it was carrying potential victims of human trafficking.
Of the original 303 people on the passenger list, 276 were on the plane that arrived in Mumbai before dawn on Tuesday.
Passengers began walking out onto the concourse four hours later but refused to speak to a large crowd of waiting journalists and covered their faces to shield their identities.
It was unclear whether the arrivals were questioned by authorities and India's government has yet to state their return.
Among those staying behind in France were two people questioned by police there over suspected people trafficking.
A judicial source said they were released after it was established the passengers had boarded the plane of their own free will.
French authorities are continuing to investigate the case for a potential violation of immigration laws, but no longer for people trafficking, judicial sources said.
Another 25 passengers sought asylum in France including five minors, local officials said.
A source close to the inquiry told AFP that those aboard were likely workers in the UAE bound for Nicaragua, which they intended to use as a staging post for journeys to the United States or Canada.
Authorisation for the plane to leave France came after a court ruled that any further detention of three of its passengers would be illegal.
The passengers of the flight, operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines, were put up at Vatry airport during the investigation.
Beds, toilets, and showers were installed, the local prefecture said, while police prevented the press and outsiders from entering the airport.
The passengers included 11 unaccompanied minors, according to Paris prosecutors.
The Indian embassy in Paris posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday that it was grateful for the "quick resolution" of the incident.
The 30 crew members were not detained. Some had handled the Dubai-Vatry leg while others were to take over for the flight to Nicaragua.
Ukraine destroys Russian fleet ship- Air force
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Ukraine's air force on Tuesday said it has destroyed a Russian fleet ship off the Crimean peninsula suspected of carrying drones for use in Moscow's war against Kyiv.
"Around 2:30 am (0030 GMT) on December 26, tactical aviation of the Air Force attacked with cruise missiles the Novocherkassk large landing ship of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation in the area of Feodosia," it said in a post on messaging platform Telegram.
Feodosia is home to a major Russian naval base on the occupied Crimean peninsula.
In an earlier message, it said the Novocherkassk had been "destroyed", adding that "people say that it transported Shaheds", referring to Iranian explosive drones used regularly by Russia against Ukraine.
Air Force commandant, Mykola Olechtchouk, posted a video of a fiery explosion at the Russian naval base in Feodosia.
Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin-backed head of Crimea, said: "An enemy attack was carried out in the area of Feodosia".
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