A Saudi medical team of 38 specialists, including surgeons, technicians and nursing staff, has successfully separated the Nigerian conjoined twins, Hassana and Husaina Hassan lsa.

The surgical separation, which lasted 14 hours, was carried out at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital, King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The conjoined twin girls survived, the Press Attache to Saudi embassy in Abuja, Mohammed Alsahabi, told The Nation on Friday.

Alsahabi in a statement, said the separation was carried out at the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The story of the conjoined twins touched the hearts of millions across the world, drawing attention for them to be urgently separated.

On Tuesday October 30, 2023, the Saudi Medeval plane, marked: HZ-MS4C, airlifted Hassana and Husaina with their mother and other family members through the Aminu Kano Airport.

Kano Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, was at the airport to bid them farewell.

On October 31, the conjoined twins, who were barely five days then, arrived in Riyadh.

From there, they underwent comprehensive examinations that revealed shared vital areas in the lower abdomen, pelvis, lower spine and lower spinal nerves.

According to Alsahabi, the successful separation which began on Thursday morning, “is a result of meticulous planning and execution by a dedicated team of medical professionals.”

“The surgical intervention unfolded in nine planned stages, lasting approximately 14 hours.

“A team comprising 38 consultants, specialists, technicians and nursing staff specialising in anaesthesia, pediatric surgery, urology, orthopaedics, plastic surgery and pediatric neurosurgery, collaborated seamlessly to ensure the success of this complex operation,” he said in a statement on Friday.

It was gathered the surgical milestone involving Hassana and Husaina is the 60th operation undertaken by the Saudi programme for separating Siamese twins.

“The programme has provided care for 135 conjoined twins from 25 countries over the past 34 years.

“The successful separation of Hassana and Husaina exemplifies the Kingdom’s commitment to advancing medical science and extending compassionate healthcare on a global scale,” Alsahabi said, describing the operation as a “medical landmark achievement,” he stressed.

He disclosed that prior to the commencement of the procedure, Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Adviser at the Royal Court, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), and head of the medical team, expressed confidence in the success of the procedure, assuring a 70% success rate.

Dr. Al Rabeeah has extended heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the Saudi leadership for its unwavering support of the programme.

[TheNation]

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Thursday, assured Nigerians that the narrative on the current hardships would be different within the next one year.

Idris spoke at the 50th anniversary lecture of PUNCH Nigeria Limited held at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The minister, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the lecture by the Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, assured Nigerians that Tinubu would deliver on his campaign promises while appealing for patience.

“Of course, the challenges are going to be there; no one is pretending that they do not exist, but we see a situation where the story would be quite different in another one year.”

The information minister urged Nigerians to take a cue from Soyinka, who said he usually waited a year before assessing a new government in power.

“Maybe go back to what Professor Wole Soyinka said when he visited President Bola Tinubu, I listened to the journalist who was asking him to comment on the current administration and what he said, ‘even in my character, I wouldn’t talk until whoever is in office stays for at least one year.’”

Speaking on the efforts being made by the government to take the country out of the woods, the minister said, “Only a few days ago, we invited captains of industries,  Dangote, the BUA, the Elumelu, and ministers, among others, and we all locked ourselves in a room for about three and a half hours discussing how Nigeria is going to get better, and everyone in that room, from the private sector, from the central governments and the sub-nationals, believe that this country is going to get better.

“So, I urge you to see this in line with what Professor Wole Soyinka has said, around what time? Of course, you can criticise, you can offer suggestions, but the country has to exist. Let us, please talk about all those good things happening; it’s not bad stories all the time.”

While stressing that economic challenges were not peculiar to Nigeria, the minister referenced the case of the United Kingdom, which recently slipped into a recession.

Idris said, “Nigeria is going through hard times, as we see, but this is not new and peculiar to this country. All the issues we are discussing now are issues that are also being discussed around the world.

“Only a few weeks ago, we heard that the United Kingdom had gone into recession. I am glad that it did not happen here. Otherwise, the story would be ‘Oh, Nigeria is in recession’ as if it is going to be the end of the world for the country.”

According to him, the incumbent administration started work on the first day in office, adding that the government believed that all the challenges plaguing the nation were for the country’s good.

He said, “The government of President Ahmed Tinubu, as you know, took bold steps from inception, the first one being that upon the resumption of office on day one, the President took away fuel subsidy; second, he also brought clarification to the foreign exchange regime. Now, these suggest that two major issues have been eating deep into the economy. As someone put it, the economy was a dead horse by the time the President came in, so whether the subsidy was removed or not, it would be very challenging. The President took it very boldly, ensuring that this subsidy goes away for the benefit of all, and he was prepared from day one that it was not going to be an easy thing.

“Of course, 10 months down the road, we are seeing the effects of some of these hard decisions, but I can tell you, the good story is that the government is taking bold, proactive decisions to ensure that Nigeria’s economy returns. Let me say this: The government believes that all these things are happening for the good of the country, and the economy is going to be good again.”

Recounting what the present administration had done so far, the minister urged the citizenry to focus on the positives.

“The National Bureau of Statistics recently said for the first time in a very long time that capital imports are improving by about 66 per cent. If we want to continue this movement, fuel subsidy had to go. One reason is that our consumption has decreased by over a billion litres; domestic refining capacity has increased.

“The insecurity inherited by the government; my house is in Kaduna and I drive frequently between Kaduna and Abuja. Months back, it was difficult for you to ply that road; it is either you are on a train, which is very challenging, as you know, going by some of the things that have happened, but now you can leave Abuja and go to Kaduna by 9 pm, and you can guarantee that you would get there.

“The Governor of Borno State has acknowledged that the insecurity that is there in terms of Boko Haram and banditry, among others, has been almost pushed to the back. We are not saying that insecurity has completely disappeared, but it has improved significantly in these 10 months.

“All the kidnappers that were around Abuja, making Abuja a little bit difficult, are either not with us anymore or are with the security agencies. So, these challenges will continue to be there, but the most important thing is that the government is being proactive and taking the right steps towards ensuring that all these challenges go away.”

Idris further disclosed that the petroleum sector should expect a major policy shift that would enhance the operations of the sector, adding that almost all the demands of the Nigeria Labour Congress had also been met.

“I want to tell you that very soon, you will hear a major policy shift within the petroleum industry that will enhance operations and increase investments in that sector.

“Also, the Nigerian Labour Congress has complained about the hardship in the land, which may be true, but we are happy that 24 hours after now, they also found it necessary to take action. Most of the 15-point demands that labour made in October of last year have been met; those still pending cannot easily be met. For example, in that agreement, there was the issue of the CNG buses that the government has committed over N100bn to.

“Of course, we know we cannot just buy CNG buses, processes are in place. The President said there would be a wage award of N25,000, and at the same time, labour complained, and the government said we should listen to them. He brought them in, and they had a thorough conversation. They agreed they needed nothing less than N35,000, which the president approved after doing the numbers.

“Two days ago, there was also a resumption of the suspended N25,000 monthly payment for three months that the government approved for 15 million households in this country.”

Discussing the ministerial panel established by the President, the minister mentioned that the panel had completed its work.

The information minister implored the media ‘to please report us well.’

“This is our country; we do not have any other country. If we run down businesses, and there is no other place for all of us to go to,” he added.

[Punch]

JUST 25. I mean Aaron Bushnell, a soldier of humanity. Inside his United States Air Force uniform, he wore the conscience of sacrifice for a people he may never have met. He was trained by the most powerful military in the world to obey the last order. But he was not going to obey the order of the US Commander-in-Chief, President Joe Biden, an elderly grandfather making excuses for the continuous massacre of Palestinian babies and children, even in hospitals where they seek medical care. As a principled soldier, the last order Bushnell was willing to obey, was that of his conscience.

He was not going to sit by, watching genocide visited on a people, not by aliens, but by their neighbours whose past knew genocide. He was not going to be part of an establishment which at every turn and corner, blocked the urgent ceasefire, necessary to save tens of thousands of lives. As a soldier, he knew that unless decisive steps are taken, these figures would easily climb to hundreds of thousands sent to avoidable early graves.

What greater love can a human have than to sacrifice his life for others? On Sunday, February 25, 2024, at approximately 12:58pm local time, the Development Operations engineer of the United States Air Force, donned the uniform of his service and walked smartly to the Israeli Embassy. As he did so, he said: “…Aaron Bushnell, I am an active duty member of the United States Air Force. And I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine, in the hands of their colonisers, is not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.”

When he got to the embassy gates, he doused himself in inflammable liquid and set himself ablaze, shouting continuously: “Free Palestine! Free Palestine!! Free Palestine!!!”

As a first responder security man tried to put off the flames, rather than help, an obvious secret service agent, merely trained his gun at the burning Bushnell. This prompted the former to shout: “I don’t need guns, I need fire extinguisher!” In this brief moment, we see two species of human beings: a conscientious one, intent on saving life, and a conscienceless secret service agent ready to shoot a dying man engulfed in flames.

The flames that extinguished the life of young Bushnell were in the United States, but they were seen all over the world. They were flames of love for humanity. It was a symbolic act, but worth far more than the combined rhetoric of those sitting in the White House, Downing Street, Elysee Palace, Bellevue Palace or the comfortable chambers of the United Nations.

I will not put it past people who have lost their humanity, to claim that Bushnell was a psychiatric case. Such persons cannot understand how a person could sacrifice his life this way. Their Biblical progenitors would have blamed Jesus Christ for needlessly losing his life for the helpless and defenceless, and standing up against the Israeli establishment.

This explains why US Secret Service Spokesperson, Joe Routh, told the press that the security services responded to what appeared as “an individual that was experiencing a possible medical/mental health emergency”. But it was not Bushnell that was in a mental health emergency, it is the millions of human beings that stand by watching genocide perpetrated before their very eyes.

I had thought that after colonial Germany from 1904 to 1907 wiped out half of the Namibian people; the Turks between 1915 and 1923 exterminated 1.5 Armenians; Hitlerite Germany, exterminated six million Jews; Belgium under Leopold II massacred 15 million Congolese; and the 1994 Rwandan genocide, humanity would never again allow genocide. But with one going on today in the Palestine, I am convinced that a large section of humankind has lost its soul.

Amongst those who remain human, is Netherlands Deputy Ambassador, Angelique Eijpe. She, after 21 years in service, including in Gaza, resigned in protest against the Dutch government’s support for the genocide in the Palestine. She tried to dialogue with government officials under Prime Minister Mark Rutte, but failed. She participated in weekly sit-ins by civil servants of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, expressing dissent against the government’s policies in the Palestine. But little or nothing was achieved. So, Eijpe decided to resign.

She said of her resignation letter: “I wrote about the moral standing we have lost in the Netherlands. For example, the government has refused to define what’s going on as war crimes or potential war crimes. We have abstained twice in the UN General Assembly where it comes to voting for a cease-fire. We are here in The Hague, the capital of peace and justice, and our credibility has really suffered an extreme blow. Some civil servants in the US and Europe are taking a stand against their governments’ support for Israel’s war in Gaza. Several have resigned because they no longer feel able to implement government policies they disagree with.”

One of the most courageous steps taken by a country to stop this genocide was that by South Africa under President Cyril Ramaphosa. Where the Apartheid Zionists in Israel were being protected by the US and some European countries, South Africa dragged a yelling Israel to the International Court of Justice. The international court in January 2024 gave an interim ruling ordering Israel to stop its acts of genocide, including the wilful destruction of hospitals and homes, and allow humanitarian assistance to be provided the civil populace. But like an international outlaw protected by a powerful mafia, Israel has continued to ignore the ruling and common sense.

Bushnnel’s sacrifice reminds me of that by John Brown who on Sunday October 16, 1859, decided to strike a blow for enslaved Black peoples who were regarded as no higher than mules. Brown lost his two sons in that battle while he himself was captured.

The seriously injured Brown was brought to court in a stretcher and sentenced within one week. But he scored a moral victory over the lynch mob that tried him and the establishment that put them in place. On being sentenced to death, he told the court: “I see a book kissed here which is the Bible, and which teaches me all things; that I would have men do unto me, so must I do unto them. I endeavoured to act up to that instruction. I fought for the poor; and I say I was right.” History proved the saintly John Brown right. That same history, will prove Aaron Bushnnel right. 

May his soul rest in power.

Nigerian authorities are reportedly seeking $10 billion in penalties from the global cryptocurrency exchange platform Binance, alleging the country has incurred massive losses due to the platform’s activities.

The Nigerian government detained two Binance Holdings Ltd. executives, days after the central bank governor said that the nation is losing out on taxes from unregistered crypto exchanges.

The two were intercepted by national security officers after arriving in the country on the grounds that Binance operates illegally in Nigeria.

Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu, made the penalty known Friday morning in an interview with the BBC.

Binance profited substantially from its “illegal transactions” in Nigeria while the nation suffered huge losses, Mr Onanuga said during the interview, which was monitored in Lagos.

Sources confirmed that Binance is being interrogated on issues bordering on money laundering (worth billions of dollars), currency speculation, tax evasion, operating in Nigeria without a licence and after being banned, terrorism financing and organised crimes, The source ends by saying, “it’s very bad.”

Terrorism and organised crime financing are the crux of the matter, which is why the Office of the Security Adviser requested the data of all users and their transactions.

“They are showing good faith and cooperating with relevant agencies( ONSA, NFIU, EFCC, DSS). They are ready to right their wrongs.

“They already admitted and linked the huge “passed-through funds” to terrorism and organised crime financing, “ the source disclosed.

The federal government has said that the distribution of 42,000 metric tons of grains to vulnerable Nigerians will be flagged off by next week in Niger State.

Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, who disclosed this after a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security ahead of the commissioning of the mechanisation program by the President in the state, said the distribution of the grains will be flagged off in the state as the state will be used as pilot state in the North Central so that the distribution can commence in earnest.

The Governor further disclosed that as part of their support to the people, the state has further acquired 120,000 trucks of grains including rice, beans, millet, sorghum, soybeans among others to be distributed freely.

“We have vouched to march there dollar to dollar, if the federal government is giving us N100million, we will also give a 100million. We will continue to farm and we are doing lots of sensitization for our farmers to go back to agriculture including aquaculture, livestock among others.”

On his part, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari said that 42,000mt Sorghum, millet, maize and gaari will be distributed across the country.

He further disclosed that the second phase of the dry season farming would also be flagged off next week in Niger state, before extending the commencement to other states.

To ensure transparency, the minister assured that the operation will be very robust as the media, CSOs, religious groups, workers union will all oversee the distribution.

“I can assure you that it is going to be very transparent. When the template is concluded, we are going to declare to everybody where, what and how the distribution will go. Those issues will be addressed. I know a lot of people are worried about what has happened in the past. But we will set up a template for everyone to see,” he stated.

The Commander General of Kano Hisbah Board, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, has resigned from his appointment.

The head of the Kano Shari’a police tendered his resignation in a short clip posted on his official Facebook page on Friday.

Daurawa’s resignation came less than 24 hours after Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf faulted the new method of operations being deployed by Hisbah against acts of immorality in the state.

While addressing Ulama at the Government House on Thursday, Gov. Yusuf, especially kicked against the mode of invading public places in the name of arresting prostitutes, an act he considered uncivilized.

Governor Yusuf also frowned at Hisbah’s methods of arresting suspects, insisting the board must review its present operations to correct the wrongs in society.

While reacting to Governor Yusuf’s comment, the Daurawa explained that the Hisbah board under his stewardship has embarked on a series of activities to correct the immorality being perpetrated in the society, especially by social media influencers.

According to Sheikh Daurawa, Hisbah has done what he believes was right and under the tenets of Islam. He, however, noted that he would resign his appointment and wished the governor and his administration well.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has warned Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, not to take action against bandits terrorising the people of the South West without the involvement of the military forces and other security agencies.

Recall that Igboho had on Monday told his supporters not to wait for the government’s intervention before taking steps to fight the Fulani herders who are denying local farmers from accessing their farmland in the Southwest region.

Igboho claimed that the people of Southwest should unite to create a regional security force that protects them from incessant Fulani herders’ attacks on their farmland.

The Yoruba activist stated that he was willing to engage with the federal government to discuss lawful ways to pursue his course.

In an interview with reporters on Thursday, the spokesman for Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba said any action taken by Igboho without the involvement of the security agencies would be considered unconstitutional.

Buba said the military is ready to work with Igboho to flush out killer herdsmen and bandits terrorising farmers and people on the highways in the South West.

He also praised the activist for his boldness and assured him that the military would be willing to work with him if he intended to improve the security situation of the country.

“I have not seen the video where he made that statement, but one thing I must say is that people and communities are always welcome. If what he said is to make the situation better, he is welcomed, but if what he is saying is that we should disregard the armed forces of Nigeria, definitely, he is out of line because that is against Nigeria’s constitution,” he said.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has addressed recent criticisms directed at its Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, urging detractors to engage more constructively.

In an exclusive interview with TheCable, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, emphasized the need for critics to familiarize themselves with the electoral laws and the commission’s processes before levying accusations.

The response comes in the wake of the first anniversary of the 2023 presidential election on February 25, a date that saw a surge in social media activity, with some Nigerians expressing their displeasure towards Yakubu.

The aggrieved parties accused him of manipulating the election results in favour of the incumbent President, Bola Tinubu.

Oyekanmi, however, defended the integrity of the 2023 elections, describing them as “a huge success and the most painstakingly planned” in the history of Nigeria’s electoral process.

He challenged the notion of electoral fraud and highlighted the commission’s commitment to transparency and fairness throughout the election cycle.

He said, “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) believes that the 2023 general election was a huge success, despite some challenges that the commission had to grapple with.

“It was the most painstakingly planned election and for the most part, our plans were successfully executed.

“Just last Friday, we released the official report of the election, which consisted of 526 pages, organised into 14 chapters and fortified with 60 tables, 14 boxes and 10 graphs. There is a lot to chew in the report.

“And for the first time ever in Nigeria’s electoral history, the 2023 elections unveiled unprecedented political diversity, with four political parties capturing gubernatorial seats, effectively breaking the duopoly that has long dominated the political scene.

“Besides, seven parties won senatorial seats, eight secured federal constituencies and nine were successful in state legislatures.

“While the report emphasises the significant impact of technological advancements on the integrity of the electoral process, especially the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which reduced electoral fraud and bolstered the credibility of elections, the document also explained the challenges encountered with the INEC result viewing (IReV) portal during the presidential election.

“With the report now in the public domain, we expect stakeholders to interrogate it and offer useful advice on how we can further improve the electoral system.

“As for those persons who embarked on what they described as ‘a day of curses’, my advice is that they should pay adequate attention to substantive issues, make more productive use of their time, and cure themselves of their visible ignorance of the laws governing the electoral system and the commission’s processes and procedures.”

In a historic medical feat, a team of Saudi medical professionals has accomplished the separation surgery of Nigerian conjoined twins, Hassana and Husaina, at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh.

The directive for this landmark achievement came from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The intricate procedure, which commenced on Thursday morning, was the result of meticulous planning and execution by a dedicated team of 38 medical experts, including consultants, specialists, technicians, and nursing staff. Lasting approximately 14 hours, the surgery unfolded in nine carefully planned stages, addressing shared areas in the lower abdomen, pelvis, lower spine, and lower spinal nerves of the twins.

The Advisor at the Royal Court, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), and head of the medical team, Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, expressed confidence in the success of the procedure, citing a 70% success rate.

“This is a momentous occasion that showcases the Kingdom’s commitment to advancing medical science and providing compassionate healthcare globally,” he said.

The successful separation of Hassana and Husaina marks the 60th operation undertaken by the Saudi program for separating conjoined twins, a program that has provided care for 135 conjoined twins from 25 countries over the past 34 years.

Dr. Al Rabeeah extended heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the Saudi leadership for their unwavering support of the program.

He said, “The successful separation of Hassana and Husaina exemplifies the Kingdom’s dedication to humanitarian causes and its role as a leader in global healthcare.”

On his part, the Press Attaché at the Saudi embassy in Abuja, Mohammed Alsahabi, commented on the achievement, stating, “This remarkable feat highlights the close collaboration between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria in the field of healthcare. We are proud to have played a part in improving the lives of these twins and their family.”

The separation of Hassana and Husaina signifies not only a medical triumph but also a symbol of hope for countless others facing similar challenges worldwide.