The United States crashed out of the Copa America on Monday after a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay, as Panama sealed their place in the quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Bolivia.

The tournament hosts suffered an upset 2-1 defeat to Panama last week and went into Monday’s final Group C game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City needing to match or better Panama’s result against Bolivia to advance.

But US coach Gregg Berhalter’s side never looked like doing enough to seriously threaten a well-drilled Uruguay who advance to the last eight as group winners.

“Just looking at the faces of the staff and the players, we’re bitterly disappointed with the results,” Berhalter said.

“We know that we’re capable of more and in this tournament we didn’t show it. It’s really as simple as that. We should have done better.

“We’ll do a review and figure out what went wrong, why it went wrong, but it’s an empty feeling right now for sure.”

USA captain Christian Pulisic blamed a lack of attacking quality.

“We had a good start and brought a lot of energy, but just didn’t have enough quality,” he said. “We just couldn’t find a solution.”

Hopes of a great escape for Berhalter’s men faded inside the first 30 minutes as news filtered through that Panama had taken a 1-0 lead against Bolivia in Orlando.

US hopes were revived early in the second half after Bolivia equalised, leaving the hosts on course for qualification, provided they continued to hold Uruguay.

Yet the US optimism was punctured just moments later when Uruguay took the lead in controversial circumstances through Mathias Olivera on 66 minutes.

– ‘Pretty crazy’ –

Ronald Araujo’s powerful header from Nicolas de la Cruz’s free-kick was parried away by US goalkeeper Matt Turner, but only into the path of Olivera, who tucked away the rebound.

Replays appeared to show that Olivera was offside when Araujo first made contact with the ball, but despite a lengthy VAR review, Peruvian referee Kevin Ortega ruled that the goal should stand.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Berhalter said. “I don’t understand it, I feel like I know the offside rule pretty well.

“It’s disappointing. It really is. But you know that that happens in football, and we have to live with it.”

The mathematics of qualification looked even more bleak for the US after news that Panama had scored again through Eduardo Guerrero to regain the lead at 2-1, and the final nail in the coffin came when Cesar Yanis added a third for Panama in stoppage time.

The USA’s first-round exit raises fresh questions about the future of Berhalter, who remains deeply unpopular amongst swathes of American fans.

Berhalter was only reappointed to the US job in June last year following a hiatus after leading the team to the 2022 World Cup.

The nature of Monday’s early exit is certain to reignite debate about whether he is the best man to lead the United States into the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

Failure to defeat Uruguay, 14th in the latest FIFA rankings, extends Berhalter’s poor record against top 20 teams.

Berhalter has just five wins in 20 matches against top-20 teams during his reign, and four of those victories came against regional rivals Mexico — who were also eliminated from the Copa in the first round.

That dismal sequence continued after a toothless attacking performance against Uruguay, where the US registered only three shots on goal in a misfiring offensive display.

Defender Antonee Robinson described the officiating as “amateur hour” but stressed responsibility for the defeat lay with the players.

“Just not enough quality in the final third,” Robinson said.

“At the end of the day we weren’t good enough to get the result today. This is on us.”

AFP

Gentlemen of the Press,

1. Good day and welcome to this important press conference at the Nigeria Customs Service Port Harcourt Area II Command, Onne. Today, we gather to inform you about the recent significant developments in our operations to secure our nation's borders and ensure public safety.
2. Gentlemen of the Press, you may recall that at a press briefing of this nature held recently at the Tin Can Island Port Lagos, I had disclosed attempts by criminal elements seeking to exploit our trade facilitation friendly posture to compromise our processes and procedures. With our robust Risk Management System, we have always remained a step ahead of their moves. When these attempts revolve around revenue generation, our automated audit systems at different level enable us to trace, track and recover the revenue. However, when efforts are geared towards creating actions that will produce irreversible consequences on national security, our alert level is elevated to match the threats posed to us.
3. And so it was the case with this 1X40 foot container MAEU165396, which originated from Turkey, and based on a number of risk factors, became a subject of interest. We had followed its sail across the Continents, as we benefitted immensely from credible information produced through our collaboration with the intelligence communities, both at the local, national and international levels.
4. Working within our local structures, we followed diligently as the Importer attempted to circumvent our procedure through the outlet of a Private Bonded Terminal.  Consequently, on Friday, 21 June 2024, the suspicious container was subjected to thorough physical examination. The examination result revealed the following alarming contents:
   1. Eight Hundred and Forty-Four (844) units of rifles
   2. One Hundred and Twelve Thousand, Five Hundred (112,500) pieces of live ammunition

The breakdown is as follows:

1. 764 units of Tomahawk Jojef Magnum Black Pump Action Rifles
2. 10 units of VC Verney Caron Gunmakers Jojef Magnum Silver Pump Action Rifles

• 50 units of VC Verney Caron Gunmaker Double Barrel Rifles

1. 20 units of VC Verney Caron Gunmaker Single Barrel Rifles
2. Exclusive Series, Sterling High-Quality Live Ammunition 34g - 25 Plastic Shotgun Shells (70MM)
3. The rifles and ammunition were concealed using various items such as doors, furniture, plumbing fittings, and leather bags. The duty-paid value of the container is Four Billion, One Hundred and Seventy-One Million, Seven Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira (₦4,171,710,000.00).
4. In connection with this, we have three suspects in our custody after securing a detention warrant from a competent court of justice. Furthermore, a thorough investigation is ongoing to ensure all those involved face the full wrath of the law.
5. In another development, our officers, through synergy, collaboration, and intelligence sharing, on Saturday, 29 June 2024, intercepted yet another 8x40-foot container transit to a bonded warehouse from Onne Port. The container numbers are TCKU6879285, CMAU5985012, CMAU7515384, CMAU4297020, SEKU5488437, BMOU4363156, MRKU4616024, and MRSU3068928. Upon examination, they were found to contain the following:
   Six containers laden with:
   1. 1,050,000 bottles of CSC Cough Syrup with Codeine (100ml)
   2. 3,500,000 tablets of Trodol Benzhexol Tablets (5mg)

• Duty-paid value: Nine Billion, Six Hundred Million Naira

          (₦9,600,000,000.00)

Two containers laden with:

1. 720 bales of used clothes
2. With Duty-paid value: ₦144,000,000.00

The total duty-paid value of the nine displayed containers is Thirteen Billion, Nine Hundred and Fifteen Million, Seven Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira (₦13,915,710,000.00).

8. In line with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, the following decisions have been taken with respect to these containers:
9. The 40-footer container of evil, bearing 844 units of assorted Rifles and 112,500 pieces of live ammunition is hereby seized, alongside the other contents previously highlighted.
10. The items would be handed over to the Coordinator of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, under the office of the National Security Adviser for diligent investigation, and ultimately rigorous prosecution.

• The suspects arrested would be handed over to the Centre for further processing. We will work diligently with other Agencies of Government to apprehend all other cohorts and Death Merchants involved in this monkey business.

1. The Eight Containers whose contents were wrongly declared to evade duty payment and Prohibition Order are hereby declared seized.
2. The Licences and Permits issued for the operation of all the Warehouses and Terminals as well as those of their Customs Agents involved in these cases are hereby suspended pending the determination of their involvement.
3. Customs Officers who are found complicit in the perpetration of  these nefarious act would be heavily sanctioned in a manner that would be approved by the Board of the Nigeria Customs Service.

• Officers who kept faith with the Oath of allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and refused to be bribed into releasing these containers will be adequately rewarded in a manner provided by the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.

9. As I conclude, let me warmly commend the professional commitment of the Customs Area Comptroller Onne Port, Mohammed Babandede and through him his Officers and Men, for the meticulous approach deployed to this operation. I also acknowledge our various partners, local and international who provided us the much needed information to successfully prosecute this operation.
10. Finally, this seizure serves as a strong warning to others who may be contemplating similar misadventures, my message to them is simple; we will run you out of business.   The Nigeria Customs Service, under my leadership, will not tolerate any action that compromises the economy and security of our beloved nation.

Thank you for your attention and cooperation.

A far-right, anti-immigration party is in reach of becoming the biggest political force in France after the first of two rounds of voting in parliamentary elections drew a historically high turnout. The first-round results in the French election are the latest evidence of surging support for the far-right in Europe, but the real test of that trend nationally will come when France opens the polls for the second, decisive round of voting in one week.

French President Emmanuel Macron took a huge gamble by calling the snap election this year, and he's now issued a battle cry urging the nation's voters to come out in force on July 7 to stop the far-right, which made its best showing ever in round one, from rising to the very top of government in round two.

Turnout was unusually high as many voters said they either wanted to block the far-right, or just get rid of Macron's government.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said her National Rally party had "virtually wiped out" Macron's centrist power base in the first-round Sunday vote. National Rally took a third of the votes in that round.

Macron called these elections hoping to rally voters against the far-right, after parties like Le Pen's fared well in Europe-wide elections for the European parliament, which governs the European Union, in the spring.

"President Macron made a colossal error in judgment," political analyst Douglas Webber told CBS News. Webber said the first round results show Macron could be forced to share power with National Rally — a party that is anti-immigration, wants to roll back the power of the European Union, and has even threatened to pull France out of the U.S.-led NATO military alliance.

If the National Rally wins enough votes in the second round, party president Jordan Bardella could find himself in the country's second-top job, as prime minister. He wants to pull back on France's support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's ongoing invasion.

"That would be a very good result for Vladimir Putin, a very bad result for Ukraine and President Zelenskyy," said Webber.

That outcome is not a foregone conclusion. The French have a history of voting more ideologically in the first round — "with their hearts," as the saying goes — but then more tactically, "with their heads," in the second round.

Macron and the thousands of left-wing supporters who gathered in central Paris on Sunday to voice their concern at the far-right's performance will be hoping that's the case, and that the actual gains in parliamentary seats won't mirror the windfall seen for Le Pen and Bardella's party in round-one.

"Right now, we have big problems with the right wing," said one young woman before the results came in. "We want more democracy, you know, we don't want people to feel afraid or scared about living in France."

But the political winds across much of the continent have been blowing decidedly to the right for more than a year. Should the far-right parties win big in France on July 7, Webber warned it could leave a power "vacuum at the heart of Europe," which has been dominated for years by the influence of its two biggest economies, France and Germany.

"No one, or no other group of countries, could conceivably fill the role that's historically been played by France and Germany," he said. "That's, of course, the main reason why so many people, observers, are extremely worried."

Among the worried Europeans voicing their angst on Monday was Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who said the first-round results in France indicated a "very dangerous" political turn.

"This is all really starting to smell very dangerous," said Tusk, who suggested without offering specific evidence that "Russian influence" was behind the rise of "many parties of the radical right in Europe."

"Even the complete victory of the radical right of Ms. Le Pen's camp does not signal the loss of power by the center represented by President Macron," Tusk told reporters. "But it is a very clear sign of what is happening not only in France, but also in some other countries, also in Western Europe."

Tusk said France "will be forced to confront these radical forces," and he warned that, "foreign forces and enemies of Europe are engaged in this process, hiding behind these movements."

Macron has called on voters from across the political spectrum to block the far-right's precipitous rise with their votes in the final round on Sunday.

[CBS]

The United Kingdom will hold its first national election in almost five years on Thursday, with opinion polls suggesting that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party will be punished for failing to deliver on promises made during 14 years in power.

The center-right Conservatives took power during the depths of the global financial crisis and have won three more elections since then. But those years have been marked by a sluggish economy, declining public services and a series of scandals, making the Tories, as they are commonly known, easy targets for critics on the left and right.

The Labour Party, which leans to the left, is far ahead in most opinion polls after focusing its campaign on a single word: Change.

But the Tories face other challenges as well. The new Reform Party is siphoning off votes from the rightwing of the Conservatives after criticizing the Tory leadership for failing to control immigration.

How will the election work?

People throughout the United Kingdom will elect all 650 members of the House of Commons, one for each local constituency. There are no primaries or run-offs, just a single round of voting on July 4.

Britain uses a “first past the post” system of voting, which means that the candidate that finishes top in each constituency will be elected, even if they don’t get 50% of the vote. This has generally cemented the dominance of the two largest parties, Conservatives and Labour, because it is difficult for smaller parties to win seats unless they have concentrated support in particular areas.

How is the prime minister chosen?

The party that commands a majority in the Commons, either alone or with the support of another party, will form the next government and its leader will be prime minister.

That means the results will determine the political direction of the government, which has been led by the center-right Conservatives for the past 14 years. The center-left Labour Party is widely seen to be in the strongest position.

Who is running?

Sunak, a former Treasury chief who has been prime minister since October 2022, is leading his party into the election. His primary opponent is Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions in England and leader of the Labour Party since April 2020.

But other parties, some of which have strong regional support, could be crucial to forming a coalition government if no one wins an overall majority.

The Scottish National Party, which campaigns for Scottish independence, the Liberal Democrats, and the Democratic Unionist Party, which seeks to maintain ties between Britain and Northern Ireland, are currently the three largest parties in Parliament after the Conservatives and Labour. Many observers suggest the new Reform Party, fronted by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, may siphon votes from the Conservatives.

Why are the Conservatives under pressure?

The Conservatives have faced one challenge after another since they took power in 2010. First there was the fallout from the global financial crisis, which swelled Britain’s debt and caused the Tories to impose years of austerity to balance the budget. They then led Britain out of the European Union, battled one of the deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks in western Europe, and saw inflation soar after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Regardless of the circumstances, many voters blame the Conservatives for the litany of problems facing Britain, from sewage spills and unreliable train service to the cost-of-living crisis, crime and the influx of migrants crossing the English Channel on inflatable boats.

On top of that, the party has been tarred by the repeated ethical lapses of government ministers, including lockdown-busting parties in government offices. The scandals chased former Prime Minister Boris Johnson from office and ultimately from Parliament after he was found to have lied to lawmakers. His successor, Liz Truss, lasted just 45 days after her economic policies cratered the economy.

What are the big issues?

The economy: Britain has struggled with high inflation and slow economic growth, which have combined to make most people feel poorer. The Conservatives succeeded in controlling inflation, which slowed to 2% in the year through May after peaking at 11.1% in October 2022, but growth remains sluggish, raising questions about the government’s economic policies.

Immigration: Thousands of asylum seekers and economic migrants have crossed the English Channel in flimsy inflatable boats in recent years, triggering criticism that the government has lost control of Britain’s borders. The Conservatives’ signature policy for stopping the boats is a plan to deport some of these migrants to Rwanda. Critics say the plan violates international law, is inhumane, and will do nothing to stop people fleeing war, unrest and famine.

Health care: Britain’s National Health Service, which provides free health care to everyone, is plagued with long waiting lists for everything from dental care to cancer treatment. Newspapers are filled with stories about seriously ill patients forced to wait hours for an ambulance, then longer still for a hospital bed.

The environment: Sunak has backtracked on a series of environmental commitments, pushing back the deadline for ending the sale of gasoline- and diesel-powered passenger vehicles and authorizing new oil drilling in the North Sea. Critics say these are the wrong policies at a time the world is trying to combat climate change.

Why is the election being held now?

Sunak surprised pundits and most of his own lawmakers six weeks ago when he set the election for July 4, at least three months earlier than expected.

While most observers thought the vote would take place in the fall, Sunak gambled on a summer election, hoping that positive economic news would help him persuade voters that Conservative policies were beginning to work.

The decision was so startling that it landed the Tories in hot water. Allegations have emerged that party members and police officers assigned to protect government officials had placed wagers on a summer election, suggesting they had inside information and damaging Sunak’s ability to claim that his party is more trustworthy than Labour.

Commentators had been speculating about the timing of the election for months because the parliamentary term was scheduled to end in mid-December. While each parliament is elected for up to five years, the prime minister can call an election whenever it is most advantageous politically.

[AP]

Religious leaders in Siaya want the government to engage an international mediator in solving the current impasse that saw young Kenyans take to the streets to protest the passage of the finance bill.

Through the Siaya Church Leaders’ Forum (SCLF), the clerics say that the situation may get out of hand if urgent steps will not be taken to address it, adding that government will only succeed if an independent international mediator is brought on board to engage the youths.

Led by the chairman of the church leaders’ forum, Archbishop James Opiyo Anyango, the clerics lauded the efforts that the government was putting in place to ensure that the youths are engaged and their demands taken into account.

The forum organizing secretary, Bishop Wilfred Amollo said Kenyan youths seem to have lost hope and trust in the current government and may not feel comfortable engaging President William Ruto.

The church leaders lauded the Kenyan youths for standing firm in exercising their rights, but called on them to embrace peace and avoid destruction of properties during their anti-government protests.

Other leaders who addressed the media during the occasion were Bishop Elias Sewe and Bishop Martin Arara who called on the government to minimize wastage of public resources to quell the Gen Z protests.

[https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/]

According to Shettima, 42 persons were brought to the specialist hospital, but 14 have been discharged after receiving treatment.

The Vice President noted that 26 are still receiving treatment.

Shettima, who made a personal donation to all the victims, condoled with the families of those killed by the multiple explosions.

He also conveyed the condolences of President Bola Tinubu to Gwoza people and Borno State.

The Vice President was in the company of the Deputy Governor of Borno State, Babagana Kingibe, Senator Ali Ndume, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, former Nigerian Ambassador to China, Baba Ahmed Jidda, the Director General of NEMA and other government functionaries.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu has described criminals responsible for the suicide bombing in Borno State as cowards who would soon face the wrath of justice.

The President said the action of the terrorists is due to the pressure mounted against them by security forces which have degraded their abilities to mount attacks.

While consoling all those affected by the attack, President Tinubu assured Nigerians that the government would not allow the nation to slither into an era of fear, tears, sorrow, and blood.

He added that his administration would take every necessary step to ensure citizens are protected, and criminals are brought to justice.

[NaijaNews]

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Monday fumed over the allocation of land meant for a bus terminal in the Central Business District, Abuja.

Wike, who made the complaint at the inauguration of the construction of Mabushi Bus Terminal, Phase I, in Abuja, described the action as a gross distortion of the Abuja Master Plan.

He explained that the FCT Administration decided to build three terminals, one each in the Central Business District, Mabushi and Kugbo, to ensure a secure and convenient travel experience for commuters in the territory.

He, however, said that the land designated for the bus terminal in the Central Business District, where a train track was expected to pass through, had been allocated to somebody.

“When we went there to start preparation for the inauguration project last Tuesday, I received a text that I had taken somebody’s land, and I was surprised.

“In fact, in that text message, the person said, ‘after his sacrifices and inputs to the party, is this what he will suffer?”.

“When I enquired, we found out that the place has been given out and Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) had been signed, even consent judgement has been entered between FCTA and the person,” he said.

He explained that he directed that the Mabushi location should be used for the inauguration of the terminal project, pending when the issue would be resolved.

The minister noted that leadership was all about taking decisions, noting that in taking decisions, not everybody would be happy, but a decision must be taken.

“This is just to let people know some of the things we face; how the Master Plan of the FCT had been distorted.

“When you want to make a decision, so many people will be angry and when you are complaining, they won’t come with sincere facts; they will come with distorted facts,” he said.

The minister added that Abuja was supposed to be one of the best cities in the world but lacked the necessary infrastructure to be a first-class city.

He particularly pointed out that a city like Abuja does not have bus and taxi terminals, thereby forcing people to park and board vehicles on the road, and taxis all over the place.

This, according to him, is contributing to the level of insecurity in the territory, including the proliferation of “one chance” criminal elements.

He explained that the construction of the bus and taxi terminals was part of efforts to reduce the level of insecurity under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“To reduce insecurity, we made a proposal to the National Assembly explaining that part of the security problem we are facing is because we have not been able to know who the people operating taxis and buses in FCT are and where they are loading from.

“One of the things that people don’t understand about the Renewed Hope Agenda, is that it is not just about human capital development; it is also about empowerment of our people.” he said.

[Newspot]

Relatives of victims of suicide bombings in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State have narrated harrowing experiences of how they lost their loved ones on Saturday.

Many people, including a soldier, and some wedding guests were killed, and several others injured when four suicide bombers launched attacks at different spots in Gwoza and Pulka towns, all in Gwoza LGA.

The Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Barkindo M. Saidu, shortly after the incidents, said 18 persons comprising children, adult male, females, and pregnant women died, while 19 others who were seriously injured were conveyed to Maiduguri in four ambulances.

Gwoza, located in the fringes of the Sambisa Forest and the Mandara Mountains, which serves as sanctuaries for Boko Haram fighters, had suffered devastating attacks in the nearly fifteen years of the insurgency.

Hundreds of people have been killed, many injured and houses, markets, hospitals, police stations and other symbols of authority destroyed.

Incidents of suicide bombing have not been reported for a long time, until Saturday’s resurgence.

Meanwhile, our correspondent yesterday visited the state specialist hospital in Maiduguri where the wounded are currently receiving treatment.

He said the atmosphere at the hospital was tense as relatives who besieged the facility to see the wounded shared their disturbing experiences.

A resident of Gwoza, Buba Shehu, who lost five of his family members, said the incident happened so fast that the whole scenario seemed as if it was a movie.

“This is just like a dream; I have lost five people in my family in less than 24 hours. Three died yesterday (Saturday) as a result of the dastardly act by suicide bomber during wedding reception at our family house in Gwoza.

“We also received a call this (Sunday) morning that two people passed away due to lack of blood in their bodies. So, personally, I lost three family members and two of my good friends. This is painful,” he said.

Shehu added: “Many of our friends left Maiduguri to attend the wedding in Gwoza. Unfortunately, seven are currently receiving treatment in this hospital. As at last night, we lost 20 persons and 30 others wounded.

“But this (Sunday) morning, we lost one person in Maiduguri and two of our relatives died in Gwoza in the early hours.”

Another relative of the victims, Abdul Umaru, also said he lost two persons while two others who were critically wounded were currently battling with their lives.

“I wanted to travel for the wedding but there was a challenge of logistics and I was furious with myself for missing the wedding ceremony in our family house.

“Only for me to hear that there was suicide attack during reception. Two of my uncles lost their lives. Two of my elder brothers are currently undergoing a series of treatments due to wounds they suffered from the attacks. We are broken and you can see hundreds of people in this place. It is sad, you see someone and next day, you hear that some useless people have killed him,” he said.

In the meanwhile, the Secretary of Gwoza LGA, Hajiya Fatimah Musa, has said three suspected suicide bombers have been arrested in Gwoza and Pulka, following the imposition of curfew by the military on the troubled town.

She noted that the actions of the military would restore peace in the areas, while urging the residents to support and report any suspicious activities within their general areas to the security agencies.

She said so far, casualties ascertained included 21 deaths comprising women and children, and 48 people who were seriously injured.

“We lost one person among those who were taken to Maiduguri yesterday (Saturday). We also got a report that two people died yesterday. They have been buried according to Islamic rites,” she said.

She added that a total of 42 people had been admitted, including 12 taken to Maiduguri on Saturday night and 31 others equally transported at noon on Saturday.

Tinubu, Atiku, northern govs condole with relatives

Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has condemned the Saturday bomb attack in Borno State, saying those responsible will pay a heavy price for their actions.

The president, in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, condoled with the families of those affected and said his administration will not allow the country to slither into an “era of fear, tears, sorrow, and blood.”

President Tinubu said his administration was taking necessary measures to secure citizens, emphasising that efforts will be redoubled to ensure that “those who trouble the nation, dispatching precious lives, and disrupting law and order are completely removed.”

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has also condemned the bomb attack in Borno State, asking the federal government not to allow the North East slide back into the theater of terrorism.

Atiku in a post on his Verified Facebook page asked the present administration to live up to expectation, accusing the government of lackluster posture in holding firmly to the frontline in the gains made by security operatives.

He said it is a sad development that the “ugly incidents of terrorism are resurfacing and, indeed, metastasising in the North East.”

He also expressed condolences to the families of victims of these attacks, saying, “it is my prayer that God grants a peaceful repose to the souls of the departed.

Relatedly, the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) has expressed deep condolences to the victims, government and the people of Borno State following the recent tragic suicide attacks in Gwoza Local Government Area.

Chairman of the forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, in a statement issued yesterday condemned the heinous act, which resulted in the loss of innocent lives and left many injured.

The statement issued by his spokesman, Ismaila Uba Misilli, described the attack as cowardly, and emphasised that such acts of terror have no place in a peaceful and progressive society.

Yahaya, therefore, called for collective resilience and unity among the people of northern Nigeria to stand together and remain undeterred by the acts of terror.

[DailyTrust]

Nigerian students in foreign lands appear to have suddenly become targets for elimination.

If they are not murdered by the security agents of their host countries, they are murdered by citizens of foreign countries.

From Africa to Europe, Asia to America, the story is the same.

Many Nigerians who have travelled to countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Ghana, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, among others to get quality education, have been gruesomely murdered in recent times.

It has been tales of sorrow, pains and anguish for parents whose wards have become victims of these unfortunate incidents.

Many of them were murdered when they had almost completed their course of studies. Others had scarcely settled down to their studies when the messengers of death came calling.

Unfortunately, offenders of such heinous crimes against Nigerians have never been brought to book. The host countries had always treated such incidents with levity.

Even where they appeared to have taken interest, they would not pursue the matter to a conclusive end, thereby eventually creating a window of escape for the offender.

Just last month, May 17, 2024 precisely, a 43-year old Nigerian, identified as Prince Ebuka was allegedly shot and killed by the South African Police in Danielskuil, Northern Cape, a development that sparked outrage by the Nigerian Diaspora Forum, NDF.

According to the report, the circumstances that led to it remained unclear, but sources close to the deceased family revealed that he was a law-abiding citizen who had no criminal record.

The NDF condemned the killing, describing it as a senseless and avoidable tragedy.

A statement by the NDF’s Country Director, Hon. Chike Amadichi called on the South African authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident.

He said: “The Nigerian Diaspora Forum (NDF) expresses its deep concern over the recent tragic event in Danielskuil, Northern Cape, South Africa on May 17, 2024.

“We urge the public to stay informed as we closely follow developments and cooperate with the authorities to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation.

“Our commitment remains strong towards advocating for justice and upholding human rights for all Nigerians living in the Diaspora.”

This incident has raised concerns about the safety and well-being of Nigerians living in South Africa, many of whom have faced xenophobic attacks and harassment in recent years.

The group also urged the Federal Government to take decisive action to protect its citizens abroad

“As the investigation continues, the Nigerian community in South Africa and beyond is mourning the loss of Prince Ebuka, a husband, father, and friend who was brutally taken away from his loved ones.

“His family and friends are demanding answers and justice, and the world is watching to see how the South African authorities will respond to this tragic incident,” the NDF submitted.

Also, the family of the 19-year-old Afolabi Opaso is still waiting for answers on the circumstances surrounding the death of their son on December 31, 2023.

Afolabi was allegedly shot dead by Winnipeg police officers in Manitoba, Canada.

According to the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, which investigates all serious incidents involving the police in the province, the officers were alleged to be responding to a well-being call at an apartment building at 77 University Cres, at about 2:30 pm on December 31.

In spite of the dangers Nigerian students in foreign lands are exposed to, parents and guardians still besiege the embassies of foreign countries seeking for education visas for their wards in those countries.

Very many Nigerians believe that the Nigerian education system is in comatose and that has been responsible for the increase in education tourism abroad.

They attributed what is happening to Nigerian students studying abroad to failure of leadership.

Commenting on Nigerians’ quest for foreign education, a human rights lawyer, Malachy Ugwumadu, attributed the scourge to total collapse of the educational system in Nigeria.

He said: “Nigeria has not ceased to amaze those who are critical. You do not wish away what you have no capacity to control.

“The bottom line is that the outsourcing of education is a direct function of the failure of the educational system in Nigeria.

“As you know, those who have the luxury of sending their wards to study abroad are paying through their nose; they are paying far more expensively than those studying in Nigeria.

“The corresponding risks to which our worlds are now exposed is one that underscores really the insufficiency of the government to provide education, and it has complicated the whole challenge of Nigerians and their search for quality education in such a way that our successive governments are now exposed to the ridicule of the entire world.

“Even as close as the Benin Republic here, the statistics of Nigerians there in the make-shift buildings in the name of education is pitiable.”

He also said that the failure of successive Nigerian governments to keep faith with the United Nations’ recommended minimum budgetary requirement of 26 percent of annual budget for education had also increased the poverty of our situation.

He equally agreed that the perennial cases of industrial actions by lecturers have not helped matters in the sense that students have continually experienced an endless educational system.

“And that is what has promoted the private universities in our country where our people are subjected to excruciating expenses to take their wards through normal academic education.

“So, instead of spending 10 years for a course of five years, parents tend to make do with the private universities where they are made to pay what it has taken the entire generation to go to school,” he submitted.

He attributed the upsurge in the number of Nigerian students abroad to what he called politicization of education in Nigeria.

“There is too much politicization of education in the system. It is no longer seen as a core professional and foundational enterprise that determines and defines the future of the country, as well as guarantees the quality and content of leadership that can come from there,” he added.

He, therefore, submitted that unless things were done right, Nigerians would continue to seek for foreign education in spite of all the dangers out there.

“So, to think that people will stop sending their children abroad, is to imagine that all of these things are already in place.

“But, the reality is that they are not in place, and there are no signs that they will soon be in place with the direct consequence that things will continue to be as they are,” he said.

On the nasty and poor treatment that Nigerians are exposed to in foreign land, he attributed that to the strong resentment, which other countries have for Nigeria and its citizens.

He said: “The poverty of the situation is that given the total resentment of the comity of nations against this huge and potentially great country that is squandering its fortunes, our people are subjected to the worst forms of attacks and harassment.

“In South Africa, it is xenophobia; in Asian countries, it is intolerance because anything committed by any Nigerian, be it the least of offences, attracts maximum punishment.

“The common denominator is that our citizens have come under direct siege in their pursuit for better education outside the shores of this country. It is an indictment of the government.”

He called on the National Assembly to rise up to its oversight function by whipping the Ministry of Foreign Affairs into line in this regard.

According to him, “I think that the Committees on Diaspora in the House of Representatives and Senate must find a way in furtherance of their over-sighting to compel the foreign affairs ministry to do something.

“It is not just drinking tea from one country to another; these are core responsibilities.

“The way and manner we have continued to undermine and expose ourselves to the ridicule of the world makes it easy for them to kill us and nothing happens. So, the ministry of foreign affairs should be able to mobilise and respond adequately.”

Also reacting, the President and Founder of SelfWorth Organisation for Women Development, Mrs Chinyere Anokwuru thinks that in spite of the dangers which Nigerian students abroad face, those who could afford to send their children abroad for studies, should not be discouraged.

She cited the dysfunctional educational system in Nigeria at present as one of the reasons for her position.

Such dysfunctional elements, according to her, include constant industrial action by lecturers, as well as unqualified teachers.

“So those that can afford it should go ahead and do so,” she stressed.

She also said that lack of proper parental counseling and orientation equally contributes to the disaster, which always befell their children.

“But it depends on parenting. I know that some of the victims were involved in clubbing and cult-related activities.

“If a child is properly orientated at home; properly taught and groomed at home; when such a child gets out of Nigeria to study, he knows he is representing his parents there and his family’s name is at stake.

“So, he will go there and behave well. He will try to stay out of trouble because he is there to study and not to club. Why the clubbing, the cultism and the fighting? He will hide himself and focus on what he has gone there to do.

“If parents train their kids properly, they will keep out of trouble in foreign lands,” she argued.

She noted that if the good private schools in Nigeria which were mostly owned by churches were made affordable, the craze to go abroad for quality education would be greatly minimized.

“If these churches can charge so high for the education they are offering, where is the charity; where is the love?

“I implore the churches to lessen their tuition fees, and I believe if their fees come down a bit, we might just stop sending our children abroad and patronize our local colleges that are also doing well,” she posited.

But, for the public administrator, Curis Anthony, people should look beyond why Nigerians travel abroad for studies.

He wants people to take a holistic look at such issues as why students even travel out in the first instance, as well as what the state of education and security in the country are.

He believes that the foregoing factors are critical because according to him, “When you talk in terms of safety, you need to relate it to the issue of the abducted school girls in northern states and many other Nigerian students who have been killed in the Northeast and across the country, on account of insecurity.

“I think it is very important to have a holistic approach to understand these issues and not just necessarily getting alarmed about what happens to Nigerian students abroad.

“What is also Nigeria’s role in protecting her citizens in the country or outside the country? So, these are the critical questions that must be addressed.”

He also looked at the matter from the economic angle, when he said: “When you run a global economy that is exploitative and more concerned about the profit and market forces, there is always a disregard for human life.

“So, the context of security whether in Nigeria or anywhere in the world, must be placed at the heart of who controls the economy and for what purpose. Is the economy being controlled in the interest of the people or not?

“You also have people, who also have their own peculiarities in terms of insecurity, irrespective of what is being presented. When you present such places as peaceful and comfortable, it is to the extent of what is being projected, which shows that there are some discontents in those societies.

“And for those who are marginalised of access to their basic needs, they also transfer aggression and that’s what has been responsible for violence instead of promoting unity and peace.

“My perspective has always been that the spirit of internationalism has to be based on what affects us and that is why the slogan of workers of all countries is, ‘unite against the oppressors and exploiters of various countries.’

“That is the context because without placing it in that context, we just get unnecessarily alarmed. For those who have to travel abroad, there is the material force that propels them because they have to survive, irrespective of the dangers they are going to face.

“It is like somebody who is in danger; he will assess which is less and that is the desperation of Nigerians wanting to travel abroad despite the dangers. The policy environment necessarily turns them into those frustrations.

“For them, death is a necessary consequence they have to face if they don’t want to starve to death.”

On whether parents should keep sending their wards overseas for studies in spite of the dangers ahead, he said: “It is not about parents.

“Do you know how many thousands of Nigerians that go abroad without the consent of their parents? That is the issue.

“How many parents in Nigeria can afford to send their children abroad? The children of the poor that you find abroad, stowed away in most cases; they struggled themselves to be there out of desperation. That is the issue to look at.

“If the academic environment in Nigeria is conducive for learning, people won’t be going abroad to study in such large numbers.”

He also agreed that the collapse of the educational system was largely responsible for the prevailing education tourism.

He said: “The decay has been over the years and that principally informed what has been the campaign over the years on the same public education.

“Several Nigerians have also been victims of travelling abroad which can also be attributed to the irresponsibility of the political environment. The approach is not just to have some of those cosmetic pronouncements by the government.

“It is basically to have a holistic approach to it. Once you have a system that cannot guarantee people the basic necessities of life, they are bound to have those kinds of things.”

[DailyPost]