Connect with us

IN-THE-NEWS

13 Killed As Kenyan Parliament Is Set Ablaze After Days of Tax Protests

Published

on

By


 

At least 13 protesters have lost their lives in Kenya following days of protest over a controversial tax bill.

 

Also, doctors say, and a section of parliament went up in flames as demonstrations against new tax proposals escalated on Tuesday, according to the BBC.

 

An angry crowd broke through police lines to storm parliament in the capital Nairobi before setting parts of it ablaze.

 

In an address on Tuesday evening, President William Ruto said all means would be deployed to “thwart any attempts by dangerous criminals to undermine the security and stability of our country”.

 

He has deployed the military to quell the protests.

 

Protests against an unpopular finance bill, which includes several tax rises, have been ongoing for days. But they escalated on Tuesday as MPs passed an amended bill.

 

Protesters broke into parliament, vandalising the interior and setting parts of the complex on fire. The ceremonial mace, symbolising the authority of the legislature, was stolen.

 

Police opened fire with live ammunition, killing at least five people according to the Kenya Medical Association. A BBC reporter at the scene reported seeing bodies lying on the street in pools of blood.

 

“There are some things that are hard to understand, like how can you impose 16% tax on bread? How can you tax sanitary pads?” 24-year-old Derrick Mwathu told the BBC, referring to some of the proposals contained in the original bill.

  READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

President Ruto pledged a tough response to what he called the “violence and anarchy”.

 

“It is not in order or even conceivable that criminals pretending to be peaceful protesters can reign terror against the people, their elected representatives and the institutions established under our constitution and expect to go scot-free,” Mr Ruto added.

 

Hundreds were reportedly injured, including with rubber bullets and tear gas. At a cathedral in Nairobi where a medical camp had been set up to tend to injured protesters, a BBC reporter witnessed doctors being forced out of the building by soldiers.

 

Another temporary unit was set up outside the emergency unit at Kenyatta National Hospital. Doctors leave a building with their hands up Doctors leave a medical camp they set up for protesters in a Nairobi cathedral after being forced out by military personnel.

 

Former president Uhuru Kenyatta urged dialogue, saying Kenya’s leaders should “know that power and authority is donated to them by the people”.

 

Although the government has rowed back on some proposals in the original bill, protesters demanded that it be withdrawn in its entirety.

 

23-year-old Maureen Awuor said: “Our voice must be heard… We are the generation that is coming up, so they need to hear us.”

The protests have made headlines across Africa and other parts of the world.

 

Two of Africa’s leading anti-establishment figures, Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine and radical South African politician Julius Malema, have both expressed their support for the protesters.

 

Western countries have expressed concern at the violence and urged calm.

READ FULL STORY HERE>>...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

IN-THE-NEWS

Man Brutally Assaults His Ex-Girlfriend In Minna, Says She Was Lucky He Wasn’t Carrying A Knife

Published

on

By


 

Mohammed Abba Yahaya, a 26-year-old man, has been arrested by the Niger State Police Command.

He was arrested for assaulting a 400-level student of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai.

The spokesperson of the command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, who confirmed the incident said the suspect was arrested by police operatives attached to the Chanchaga Division in Minna on June 30, 2024, for criminal force and assault against the victim, Hussena Sani, who is his ex-girlfriend. 

“On 29/6/2024 at about 1630hrs, a case of criminal force and assault, causing injury, was reported at Chanchaga Division against the suspect, one Mohammed Abba Yahaya, 26, of Tungan-goro, Minna. At about 2100hrs, he assaulted one Hussena Sani, 25, of the same area, and inflicted serious injury on her,” the PPRO said. 

Yahaya claimed that he saw his female friend, Hussena Sani, being dropped off by a vehicle at Tungan-goro and, upon inquiring about the driver, did not receive a satisfactory response. 

An argument ensued, leading to a physical altercation in which Yahaya punched Sani in the face.

The victim was taken to the hospital for medical treatment, while the suspect has been transferred to the State Headquarters of the Niger State Police Command in Minna for further investigation and prosecution.

However, in a swift reaction, the victim debunked the suspect’s confessional statement to police investigators, though she confirmed that Yahaya was her former boyfriend. 

Sani, whose eyes were swollen and tightly closed, likely due to the beating by Yahaya, recounted her ordeal. 

She explained that the incident occurred on Saturday, 29/6/2024, at about 2100 hrs after she had seen off a visitor in his private car near her residence. 

Sani stated that Yahaya, who saw her alight from the visitor’s car, angrily approached her and demanded to know the identity of the car owner and her relationship with him. 

When she replied that it was none of his business, he slapped her, followed by heavy blows to her face and body, causing her to fall to the ground with one eye bleeding profusely.

She further explained that Yahaya, upon realizing she was struggling in pain and crying for help, forcefully took her iPhone/Android phone and fled.  READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Sani managed to walk slowly, holding her left eye, towards Yahaya’s house to report the incident to his parents. 

Yahaya accosted her again, hitting her on the remaining eye. 

She shouted at him, “Do you still want to kill me?” Yahaya responded that she was lucky he wasn’t carrying a knife, or he would have stabbed her to death.

Sani was later rushed to Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Specialist Hospital in Chanchaga, Minna, for urgent medical attention and was subsequently referred to eye specialists at Minna General Hospital. 

She has started responding to treatment, though she still cannot see with one of her eyes as of Thursday, July 4. 

Meanwhile, Hajiya Fatima, Sani’s mother, in a brief interview with the Nigerian Tribune, described the injuries suffered by her daughter from her former boyfriend as unacceptable, wicked, and ill-treatment. 

She sent a passionate appeal to the Niger State Government and the State Police Command to ensure that Yahaya is held accountable for his alleged dastardly acts. 

The visibly distraught mother, who was crying throughout the interview, said her daughter’s precarious health condition was a great concern. 

She added that Sani was supposed to have returned to the university for the continuation of her academic program since last weekend, prior to the unfortunate incident.

Hajiya Fatima described the suspect as a brute, heartless, and a thief for snatching her daughter’s phone after inflicting serious injuries on her. 

She advocated for justice against Yahaya and a serious penalty to serve as a deterrent to others. 

She expressed appreciation to the Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command, CP Shawulu Ebenezer Danmamman, and his officers for the immediate arrest, detention, and investigation of the suspect, with plans for his prosecution upon completion of the investigation.

Fatima expressed fears that her daughter may be left with a permanent scar and trauma from the incident, emphasizing that justice must be served. 

READ FULL STORY HERE>>...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Continue Reading

IN-THE-NEWS

A Married Man Who Lives In His Family House With His Wife And Kids Is Still A Boy

Published

on

By


 

Stella Justice, a Nigerian lawyer, has caused a stir with a statement she made online.

The lawyer opined that a married man who lives in his family house with his wife and children is still a boy.  READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

“If you are MARRIED as a MAN and YOU are STILL LIVING in your FAMILY HOUSE with your WIFE and CHILDREN, you are still a BOY. Such a man is not ready to take up his RESPONSIBILITIES,” she wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday. 

“You and wife needs PRIVACY. You don’t need to HIDE to MAKE LOVE for FEAR of anyone KNOCKING. YOUR WIFE needs to be FREE to wear transparent night gown for you as the husband.” 

READ FULL STORY HERE>>...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Continue Reading

IN-THE-NEWS

President Tinubu Re-elected ECOWAS Chairman

Published

on

By


Tinubu, whose first tenure is to elapse on July 9, 2024, was elected by a unanimous decision of fellow Heads of Government at the 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority held at the State House, Abuja, on Sunday.

 

Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu has been re-elected as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of States and Government for another one-year tenure.

Tinubu, whose first tenure is to elapse on July 9, 2024, was elected by a unanimous decision of fellow Heads of Government at the 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority held at the State House, Abuja, on Sunday.

In his acceptance speech, the President said, “I have accepted to continue to deliver on this service with the great men and women on this democratic journey, to serve our interest and build democratic values on the structure we inherited.” READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Presidency sources had on Saturday night told our correspondent that Tinubu may be elected for another tenure.

“Some people say he should hand over, and others say he should continue. But they will decide tomorrow,” said the source who preferred to remain anonymous as he was not authorised to speak on the issue.

Tinubu was elected Chairman of the Authority at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the regional bloc held last July in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau.

Details shortly…

READ FULL STORY HERE>>...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Continue Reading

Trending

error: Content is protected !!