Connect with us

News

Middle Belt Concern Urges Govt. To Return IDPs To Ancestral Homes

info

Published

on

IMG 2080.png

By Ijeoma Popoola

 

A coalition of citizens groups, Middle Belt Concern (MBC), on Thursday called on the Federal Government to do more to stop unlawful killings and displacements in the Middle Belt.

 

The MBC, a coalition of about 80 groups, also urged the government to return all displaced citizens to their ancestral homes.

 

A co- Convener of MBC, Mrs Ier Jonathan-Ichaver, made the call at a media roundtable in Lagos.

 

The roundtable had the theme: “Voice, Vision and Justice: Navigating the Middle Belt’s Future in the Nigerian Federation”.

 

 

She said: “For over a decade, our people in Benue, Southern Kaduna, Kogi, Kwara, Plateau, and across the Middle Belt, have buried their dead and fled their farms.

 

“The killings must stop, the displaced must be restored, and the politics of denial must end.”

 

She said that violence and unlawful killings in the region since 2000 had cost tens of thousands of lives, displaced many and deepened poverty in the area.

 

The co-convener said that citizens displaced by insecurity in the area were crowded into makeshift camps.

 

“They are our mothers, our farmers, our children,” she said, stressing that it was the duty of the state to protect its citizens.

 

“We demand immediate, verifiable action: a credible national count of the displaced, physical securing of ancestral homes, real trauma care and a binding roadmap to restorative justice.”

 

Jonathan-Ichaver said that violence in the Middle Belt should not be described as farmer-herder clashes or communal clashes.

 

“What is happening in the Middle Belt is not a clash. It is not a misunderstanding between neighbours.

 

“It is organised, repeated, and escalating violence that has overrun entire villages, driven millions from their homes,” she said.

 

She also said that the violence made women and children victims of atrocities such as rape and defilement.

 

She called on all Nigerians to collectively seek end to insecurity.

 

Another co-Convener of MBC, Mrs Marie Orgah, urged the government to fish out all sponsors, supporters, and perpetrators of terrorism to deter criminal activities.

 

She said that the government should focus more on justice, care and restoration for victims.

 

Orgah urged the government not to leave any terrorist unpunished, saying that such would embolden them. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

 

Edited by Esenvosa Izah

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

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

News

Osimhen Scores Again But Injury Scare Raises Fresh Concern For Super Eagles

info

Published

on

By

Osimhen Scores Again But Injury Scare Raises Fresh Concern For.jpg

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen produced a mixed night for Galatasaray on Friday, scoring against İstanbul Başakşehir before being forced off with an injury that could raise concerns over his availability for Nigeria’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Osimhen opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a stunning effort to put Galatasaray ahead.

Read Also: “My Injury Changed Everything” — Aiyegbeni Reveals How Achilles Blow Ruined Chelsea Move

However, his night was cut short after he appeared to suffer a problem following a challenge with Christopher Operi in the 23rd minute. The Nigerian striker continued briefly but later felt the problem again after making a run behind the defence and signalled that he could not continue.

Osimhen was eventually substituted in the 33rd minute, with Barış Alper Yılmaz coming on as his replacement.

Initial reports describe the problem as a suspected muscle/groin injury, but there is currently no confirmed diagnosis or recovery timeline. Osimhen himself reportedly admitted after the incident that he did not yet know whether the injury was serious.

The timing could be significant for Nigeria.

The Super Eagles are scheduled to begin their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign against Madagascar on September 23, before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau on September 27.

That leaves Nigeria with just under three weeks before the Madagascar encounter, meaning Osimhen could still have time to recover if the injury proves minor. However, a significant muscle strain or tear could put his participation in doubt.

For now, Osimhen has not been ruled out of the Super Eagles’ upcoming matches, and his availability will depend on further medical examinations and his recovery over the coming days.

The immediate concern for Nigeria will therefore be the results of those assessments.

He scored a spectacular goal, but the biggest question tonight is whether Osimhen will be fit when Nigeria need him most.

Continue Reading

News

AI compute provider Nscale is looking for $3.5B in pre-IPO financing

info

Published

on

By

GettyImages 2266843677.jpg

Nscale, a British AI infrastructure company founded just two years ago, has said it may go public as early as later this month. Ahead of that expected IPO, the company is reportedly in talks to raise an additional $3.5 billion.

Bloomberg reported Friday that the company is looking to sell $1.5 billion in convertible notes — a type of loan that can later convert into company stock — to a group of investors, while also seeking an additional $2 billion in financing from Nvidia.

Nvidia also participated in the firm’s Series B funding round in March, a $1.1 billion raise led by investment fund Aker. Nscale hailed its round as “the largest Series B in European history.” The company’s Series A round, in December of 2024, raised $155 million.

TechCrunch reached out to Nscale and Nvidia for comment.

AI infrastructure startups have seen immense growth amid the current era of AI enthusiasm, wherein compute has become a competitive currency.

Nscale recently signed a large deal with Anthropic worth approximately $45 billion. Earlier this week, reports emerged that Nscale had been telling potential investors that it has approximately $103 billion in revenue following the deal. That figure isn’t current sales; it’s a projection based on signed customer leases, according to The Information.

Continue Reading

Trending