Today's Headlines: Abdulsalami Presents Niger Junta’s Demands To Tinubu; Soldiers repel IPOB attack on Imo base, kill gunman
Abdulsalami Presents Niger Junta’s Demands To Tinubu
ABUJA – Retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar, leader of the ECOWAS delegation to Niger Republic’s junta, on Tuesday said he has submitted his report on issues raised by the putschists to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
President Tinubu, who doubles as the Chairman of the Authority of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), held a meeting in this regards with the President of the ECOWAS Commission. He did this in regards with Omar Touray; Abdulsalami Abubakar, and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on their recent mission to the embattled West African country.
Sources privy to the meeting confirmed that Abdulsalami and the ECOWAS delegation to Niger are exploiting all avenues to avert war with the neighbouring country, especially now that the junta in Niger has said it was not averse to dialogue in resolving the impasse.
ECOWAS had, last week, insisted that it would deploy military action against the West African country should it fail to restore constitutional order, especially reinstating sacked Mohamed Bazoum as president.
The development had been further heightened as the junta leader, Abdourahamane Tchiani, proposed a three-year transition template.
“Apparently, President Tinubu does not want to lead ECOWAS to war in Niger Republic. He knows public opinion is decidedly against any war in Niger. But the pressure from the international community particularly U.S. and France is incredible. Even some ECOWAS member-states have become unreasonably hawkish. So, Tinubu is looking for a solution that will not lead to war without losing face,” the source had stated.
Soldiers repel IPOB attack on Imo base, kill gunman
Men of the Nigerian Army have foiled an attack on the Forward ting Base by the Indigenous People of Biafra fighters in Imo State.
The Army said the IPOB fighters who attempted the attack on its base were met with stiff resistance by the personnel on the ground.
A statement on Tuesday by the Director, of Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu said in the fierce gun battle that ensued on August 20, the troops killed one of the fighters and arrested two.
It read, “Troops of 34 Artillery Brigade, operating in 82 Division Nigerian Army, Area of Responsibility have foiled an attack by Indigenous People of Biafra. Including, its armed affiliate, Eastern Security Network on its Forward ting Base at Ukwuorji, along Owerri – Onitsha expressway.
The irredentist fighters attempted the attack on the troops on 20 August 2023 but met their Waterloo, when they came under the superior firepower of the vigilant troops. The troops neutralized one of the fighters, while 2 others were arrested, as others fled.
“Items recovered at the scene of the shootout, include one vehicle, one mobile phone, one machete, nine empty cases of expended 7.62 mm Special Ammunition, and one empty case of expended 12.7mm Ammunition.”
He also said a Boko Haram fighter with his wife surrendered to troops after an aggressive operation in Borno.
“In another development, following troops’ aggressive combat operations against insurgents in the North East, one Boko Haram fighter alongside his wife surrendered to troops of 26 Task Force Brigade Garrison in Gwoza. Items recovered from the terrorist, include one AK 47 Rifle and 10 Live rounds of 7.62 mm Special Ammunition,” the statement added.
Onyema also disclosed that troops in another operation on August 21 were waylaid by bandits preparing to attack a village in Zamfara state.
He said two of the bandits were killed, four motorcycles and two AK 47 were recovered from them.
Ohanaeze Warns Obi Against Any Alliance With Atiku, Kwankwaso
ABAKALIKI – The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has warned the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, against entering into any alliances with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Also with Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the presidential candidates of the PDP and NNPP respectively in the last election as such, the apex Igbo body noted, would cause huge loss of followers to Obi.
They cautioned Obi to be wary of failed politicians whose interests are to exploit the credibility and popularity of the former Anambra State governor to depose President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from power.
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, through its Secretary General, Mazi Okechuwu Isiguzoro, spoke on the backdrop of reported talks between the opposition political parties leaders.
A document issued on Tuesday by Isiguzoro stated that “Nigerians are watching keenly the latest attempt of drowning politicians to use Obi to wrestle power from APC in the future or possible rerun. The indelible stain of such alliance talks between Atiku, kwankwaso, and Obi will destroy Peter Obi if he (Obi) decides to play a second fiddle.
UK surgeons perform first womb transplant, giving hope for future pregnancies
Surgeons have performed the UK’s first womb transplant on a woman whose sister was the living donor.
During an operation lasting nine hours and 20 minutes at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, the woman, 34, received the womb.
Her sister, 40, was willing to donate her womb after completing her own family by giving birth to two children.
The woman who received the womb lives in England and does not wish to be named. She has stored embryos to undergo IVF later this year.
The lead surgeons for the transplant, which took place on a Sunday in early February, were Professor Richard Smith, clinical lead at the charity Womb Transplant UK and consultant gynecological surgeon at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Including, Isabel Quiroga, consultant surgeon at the Oxford Transplant Centre, part of Oxford University Hospitals.
Prof Smith told reporters the experience had been “quite remarkable”, adding that the operation had been a “massive success”.
“It was incredible. I think it was probably the most stressful week in my surgical career but also unbelievably positive,” he added.
“The donor and recipient are over the moon, just over the moon.
“I’m just really happy that we’ve got a donor who is completely back to normal after her big op and the recipient is, after her big op, doing really well on her immunosuppressive therapy and looking forward to hopefully having a baby.”
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