Headlines
Police Arrest 125, Guard Embassies, MTN as Protests Spread
Protests against xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa continued on Wednesday with the Federal Government declaring that Nigeria would boycott the World Economic Forum on Africa scheduled for the former apartheid enclave.
Though the Federal Government beefed up security at companies including the MTN and Shoprite linked to South Africa, this could not stop protesters from attacking some of these companies in cities across the nation.
The Federal Government also expressed its determination to end the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians living in South Africa once and for all.
The government’s latest stance came after a morning meeting summoned by President Muhammadu Buhari to review developments so far.
At the meeting were Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama.
The meeting resolved that “enough is enough,” adding that this time round, Nigeria would ensure that attacks on its citizens in South Africa must end.
Onyeama, who spoke with State House Correspondents after the meeting, said several measures had been reached and would be unfolded in the days ahead.
He stated that talks with the South African authorities would be detailed this time round and would shape the pattern of the Nigeria-South Africa relations in the years ahead.
Onyeama confirmed that one option considered was that Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Kabiru Bala, should return home.
However, he clarified that this would be after the special envoy Buhari sent to his South African counterpart, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, would have concluded the assignment and reported back to the President.
He declined to name the special envoy for “security reasons” but added that he was expected to be back from South Africa by the weekend.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered water-tight security around foreign missions, foreigners and their businesses across the country.
He has also placed zonal Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and Commissioners of Police across the federation on red alert to ensure that no similar violence was replicated in the country.
This was as the police said they had arrested 125 suspects for allegedly attacking and looting Shoprite outlet in Lekki area of Lagos on Tuesday, under the pretext of protesting against the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
A good number of looted valuables were said to have been recovered by the force. “The force has commenced investigations and profiling of the arrested suspects with a view to establishing their connection with the stealing, malicious damage, arson and disturbance of public peace on the day of the incident,” the force spokesman, DCP Frank Mba, disclosed in a statement on Wednesday.
The IG condemned the violent attacks, noting that three police officers were seriously injured while an operational vehicle was set ablaze during the attack.
The police noted, “Miscreants and criminally-minded people who masquerade as genuine protesters are, therefore, warned to stay off the streets of Nigeria as the force will not hesitate to bring to bear the full weight of the law on any such law-breaker.”
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to the former Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, his son Abdulaziz Malami, and his wife Asabe Bashir in the sum of N200 million each and two sureties in like sum.
As part of the bail conditions, one of the sureties is to deposit title deeds of properties in highbrow Maitama or Asokoro.
The defendants have been ordered to deposit their international passports with the court.
They are to remain in the custody of the Nigerian correctional service pending perfection of their bail conditions.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter until March 16 for the commencement of the trial.
Headlines
Israeli Ambassador Accuses Iran of Spreading Terror, Sponsoring Extremist Activities in Nigeria
Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, has accused Iran of sponsoring extremist activities in Nigeria and other parts of the world, alleging that Tehran supports groups aimed at destabilising countries while pursuing its hostility against Israel.
Freeman made the remarks on Friday while speaking during an interview on The Morning Show on Arise News.
The envoy claimed that Iran is the only country within the United Nations that openly expresses a desire to destroy another sovereign state, referring to repeated threats against Israel.
According to him, the Iranian government has, over several decades, supported militant groups and terror organisations around the world in pursuit of that objective.
Freeman alleged that Iran has backed groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, adding that Tehran was also behind the October 7 attack carried out by Hamas against Israel.
He further claimed that Iranian activities aimed at spreading instability have been observed across several regions, including Europe, Australia, and parts of Africa.
Speaking specifically about Nigeria, the Israeli ambassador alleged that the Islamic Movement of Nigeria receives backing from the Iranian government.
According to Freeman, statements of support from Iran’s leadership, including posts by Ali Khamenei on social media, have openly indicated such ties.
He said: “The issue here is about Iran. Iran is the only country in the world, in the United Nations, who expressly desires to wipe another country off the face of the earth. Iran has stated its very policy is to destroy Israel. Is to wipe Israel off the map is to make sure they kill every single person and no regime, no country that has an express desire to destroy Israel, and it’s not only an expressed desire.
“We’ve seen over 47 years, they’ve taken all the actions they can in order for that to happen. We’ve seen them sponsor terror organizations. They were behind October the seventh massacre of Hamas. We’ve seen them sponsoring Hezbollah. We’ve seen them acting in Europe. We’ve seen them acting in Australia. We’ve seen them acting in Nigeria.
“We’ve seen these people acting all across the world in order to spread disturbance for them to try and carry out their aim of destroying Israel, and Israel will not allow another country to have nuclear weapons when they’ve expressly stated they want those weapons to destroy Israel”.
“I think that it is well documented. We know that there are certain movements, for example, the Islamic movement of Nigeria is sponsored and is backed by the Iranian regime. This is not me saying this, we’ve seen that documented by the Iranian regime.
“The Supreme Leader posted on X his support and his backing there. So that’s very open. And there are other areas as well that Iran is working for, destabilizing, not only Nigeria, but all of West Africa.”
No fewer than 140 persons are missing after an Iranian navy ship sank off the coast of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan navy says around 180 people were on board, with 32 rescued.
A spokesperson told the BBC the cause of the sinking was not known. But US Defence Secretary (Secretary of War) said that the US submarine sank Iranian warship with torpedo in Indian Ocean.
Hegseth says that in the Indian Ocean, the US sank “an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters”.
“Instead it was sunk by a torpedo,” he says.
Hegseth did not name the Iranian ship that was attacked.
But earlier, the Sri Lankan navy reported the IRIS Dena went down in the Indian Ocean, with around 140 people on board missing.
Hegseth says “more waves” are coming
This “was never meant to be a fair fight, and it’s not a fair fight”, says Hegseth, adding that the US was punching Iran “while they’re down”.
“More and larger waves are coming, we are just getting started,” he said
Hegseth says Iranian regime are “toast”
Hegseth said the results over the past four days had been “incredible, historic really”.
“They are toast, and they know it,” he said referring to the Iranian regime.
He added that US forces had begun to “hunt, dismantle, demoralise, destroy and defeat” the regime’s capabilities.
He said that Iranian leaders would be looking up and seeing only “US and Israeli air power” until US and Israel decided the war was over.
“America is winning,’” says Hegseth
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said “America is winning, decisively, devastatingly and without mercy.”
“We are only four days in”, he said, but “as Trump has said” the US “will take all the time we need” to make sure the operation is a success.
BBC
