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One killed, six injured as Sudanese forces fire live ammunition at student protesters in El Geneina

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The Government of Sudan must condemn in the strongest terms the excessive use of force by its police and security forces in El Geneina, West Darfur on Sunday 7 January and conduct an immediate independent and impartial investigation into the death of one student and injury of six others and hold those responsible to account, said African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, ACJPS.

Mega Icon Magazine learnt that on 7 January 2018 at 10 AM, in Al Madaris neighborhood, El Geneina, hundreds of secondary school students organized a peaceful procession to condemn the increase of the price of bread. As the students marched towards the office of the state governor, located close to the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) office, they came across a fleet of armored vehicles of the joint forces of NISS, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Police who fired live ammunition into the crowd to disperse them. Seven students sustained gunshot wounds, one of whom was shot in the chest and died on spot. According to eyewitness accounts, the deceased is said to have been shot by an officer of the RSF. The RSF is a paramilitary government force under the command of the NISS.

In Sudan, the police are in charge of policing demonstrations, however, in some cases, the NISS and armed forces have concurrent powers during demonstrations as provided by article 6 (2) of the Armed Forces Act 2007 and article 50 (1) of the National Security Act 2010. The use of force to disperse assemblies is authorized in the Criminal Procedure Act 1991 and the Police Act 2008. In a news article by BBC, Babikir Digna, the Sudanese Minister of State for Internal Affairs is quoted to have said that the authorities would deal firmly with any acts of sabotage and chaos.

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All seven students were taken to El Geneina hospital for medical attention. The six injured students are currently at El Geneina hospital receiving medical treatment.

Name of the deceased:

Alzubair Ahmed Alsukairan, 19 years old, a student at Noor Almaarif secondary school, from Alnaseem neighbourhood.

Names of injured persons who sustained gunshot wounds:

Issam Basshir Yahia, (m), 15 years old, secondary school student, lives in Umdewin, sustained gunshot wound on his arm.

Muhammad Salih Abdullah, (m), 16 years old secondary school student, lives in Alkifah neighborhood, sustained gunshot wound on his leg.

Ibrahim Aboot Yousif, (m), 15 years old, secondary school student, lives in Aljabel neighborhood, sustained gunshot wound.

Azza Hamdan, (f) 15 years old, secondary school student, lives in Alsafia neighborhood, sustained gunshot wound on her arm.

Safa Altigani Khalil Suleiman, (f), 15 years old, secondary school student, lives in Alsafia neighborhood, sustained gunshot wound on her thigh.

Albdulhaleem Salih Zain Alabideen, (m), 16 years old, secondary school student, lives in Alshaty neighborhood, sustained gunshot wound on his head.

At about 3 PM, a number of people gathered at the hospital to receive the body of the deceased for the arranged funeral ceremony however the police fired tear gas at the crowd and only allowed the family of the deceased to receive the body.

The Minister of Education for West Darfur issued a decree suspending study for all students of primary and secondary schools for a week, beginning 7 January until 14 January.

ACJPS reiterates its calls for the security forces responsible for killing and injuring protesters to be held to account. Sudan should stop violently suppressing protests and demonstrations and guarantee the right to freedom of expression, association and assembly, as provided under Sudanese and international law. The Government of Sudan should ensure that security forces carry their mandate in accordance with the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. Ensure in particular that security forces refrain from using excessive and disproportionate force against demonstrators and that reports of such violations are thoroughly and independently investigated with a view to bringing those responsible to justice promptly.

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Background

The Government of Sudan increased the import dollar rate from 6.7 Sudanese pounds to 18 Sudanese pounds. As a result of this, prices on basic commodities drastically increased to double or triple the price. The first attempt by the Government to increase the import dollar rate occurred in November 2016 which resulted into a call for civil disobedience from the Sudanese public.

Over the years, a deteriorating economy and other austerity measures have fuelled popular discontent amongst the Sudanese people, leading to a surge in demonstrations across the country. These demonstrations have been met with excessive use of force by authorities to disperse protests and public gathering in recent years.  The unnecessary use of force by authorities to suppress protests has resulted into killing and injuring of many protestors.

In September 2017, ACJPS documented the killing of at least five people and injury of 29 others after Sudanese forces opened live ammunition on a crowd of protestors at Kalma camp of internally displaced persons in Nyala, South Darfur on 22 September, shortly before a planned visit by President Omar al-Bashir.

In January 2016, at least seven people, including one child, were killed when security forces opened live ammunition at a crowd of protestors outside the West Darfur state governor’s office. The crowd had gathered to demand protection after the nearby village of Mouli was looted and burned to the ground. The following day, three people were killed and seven others sustained gunshot wounds when security forces again fired live ammunition at the funeral for the deceased.

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In September 2013, at least 185 people were killed around the country when government forces shot at anti-austerity protestors. Human rights defenders and victims’ rights groups calling for justice and accountability for the 2013 protest killings were subjected to arbitrary arrests and harassment

The protest killings have taken place in a climate of total impunity. Immunities provided in law to government officials, including members of the NISS, SAF and the police have prevented effective investigations into allegations of the excessive use of force and resulted in a lack of prosecutions for the perpetration of these and other human rights violations. This includes the failure, three years on, to hold anyone to account for the killing of 185 people during the protests in 2013.

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Crime & Court

Rivers Police Parade Juju Priest, 25 Suspects in Car Snatching Ring Bust

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Some items seized from the shrine

The Rivers State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in dismantling a car snatching ring with the arrest of a Juju Priest, Ugochukwu Onuigbo, and 25 other suspects.

The arrests were made public during a parade held on Wednesday at the Command Headquarters on Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, as Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, shed light on the operation.

Explaining the circumstances surrounding the arrests, Commissioner Disu stated, “For some time now we have noticed that a lot of cars were being stolen and some robbed in town and we tasked officers of our tactical team and our investigators to move into it. Today, I am very happy to inform you that about 26 suspects who specialise in stealing vehicles and robbing them have been arrested. Our greatest joy is the arrest of Chidozie Anthony Onyekwe and Kelechi Igwe.”

Speaking further on the roles of the apprehended individuals, Disu highlighted, “Chidozie is the leader of persons who come into Rivers State to steal cars. Not only does he come in here, he trains his men well. He is linked to all the suspects here who have been arrested before for this same offense of stealing cars. At the same time, Kelechi Igwe is an expert at removing trackers from vehicles. Almost all the vehicles stolen from Rivers State must pass through Kelechi for him to remove the trackers for them. He’s also a wonderful mechanic.”

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Also, it was disclosed that the stolen cars were transported to Mgbuka Obosi in Onitsha, Anambra State, where they were dismantled and sold as scrap. A total of 79 vehicles have been connected to the suspects, many of whom reportedly formed their alliances while serving time in correctional facilities.

Out of the total, 17 vehicles have been recovered, with some already returned to their rightful owners.

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Crime & Court

EFCC Nabs Five for Illegal Solid Mineral Transportation Without Licenses

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Operatives from the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have apprehended five individuals for their involvement in the possession and conveyance of three truckloads of various solid minerals without the necessary licenses.

In a statement released on Tuesday, EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, identified the suspects as Dauda Suleiman, Quadri Oladimeji, Abubakar Alhassan, Anas Sanusi, and Auwal Garba. Among them, Suleiman, Alhassan, and Sanusi were operating as truck drivers, while Oladimeji and Garba served as truck boys.

The arrests, carried out along Maraba road in Ilorin, Kwara state, and Ogbomosho, Oyo state, between March 21 and 22, 2024, were made possible through credible intelligence and surveillance efforts.

The suspects were caught transporting solid minerals, suspected to include marble stone, white powder, lithium, and lepidolite, to Shagamu and Alakija in Ogun and Lagos States for commercial purposes, despite lacking the required licenses. They claim to have been hired for the task.

The trucks seized from the suspects were identified as carrying the registration numbers JJJ 206 YG (Lagos), T24413 LA (Lagos), and KNT 635 XP (Niger), respectively.

This incident marks another crackdown by the EFCC on individuals engaged in illegal mining activities within the country.

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Previously, on February 5, the agency arrested 41 individuals suspected of illegal mining in Ilorin and impounded 12 truckloads of assorted minerals mined without licenses. With this recent arrest, the total number of individuals apprehended stands at 46, with 15 vehicles seized in the last month for similar offenses.

According to the statement, the suspects will face prosecution in court once investigations are concluded.

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Crime & Court

NDLEA Seizes Over 44,948.1kg of Illicit Drugs In Lagos, Edo, Ondo

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In a crackdown on drug trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) disclosed the seizure of a staggering 44,948.1 kilograms of illicit drugs across Lagos, Edo, and Ondo states.

Alongside the confiscations, eight suspects were apprehended during the operations, revealed Femi Babafemi, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, on Sunday.

The anti-narcotics agency disclosed that it also impounded 11 vehicles owned by drug cartels as part of the enforcement efforts.

Among those arrested were five individuals, including 67-year-old Sunday Otulugbu, Agbayeogor Joshua (39), Kelvin Ofuasia (45), Williams Peter (37), and Kamaru Onimisi (44).

According to Babafemi, a substantial amount of cannabis, totaling 7,687.8 kilograms, was destroyed in a warehouse located in the Ala forest of Akure, Ondo State, with an additional 670 kilograms evacuated on Saturday, March 23.

In separate operations, significant quantities of cannabis were eradicated in the Uzebba/Avbiosi forest, leading to the arrest of Kabiru Idris (36), Alaba Jimoh (40), and Lekan Asobere (35).

Similarly, in the Okpuje forest of Owan West LGA, NDLEA operatives, with military support, razed 5,000 kilograms of the illicit substance, further intensifying the crackdown.

The agency’s efforts extended to Edo State, where a substantial 14,310.8625 kilograms of psychoactive substances were destroyed on farms spanning 5.7 hectares in the Ohosu/Ugbogui forest of Ovia South West Local Government Area on Tuesday, March 19.

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Highlighting a well-coordinated operation in Lagos State on Wednesday, the NDLEA seized 10,534 kilograms (10.534 tonnes) of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis, in the Ajah area. Additionally, 11 vehicles linked to the drug cartel were confiscated during the operation.

The recovered vehicles include an Iveco truck marked KRD 522 YE, Toyota Sienna vehicles marked AAA 338 GL, AAA 308 EP, and LSD 744 GP, a Nissan bus marked EKY 846 YG, a Mercedes bus marked EPE 743 XT, among others.

 

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