Metro
Taliban killed 100 ex-Afghan govt. officials, others – Report
A United Nations report seen Sunday says the Taliban and its allies allegedly killed more than 100 former Afghan government members, security personnel, and people who worked with international forces.
The report, an advance copy of which was seen by AFP, describes severe curtailing of human rights by Afghanistan’s new fundamentalist rulers. In addition to the political killings, women’s rights and the right to protest have also been curbed.
“Despite announcements of general amnesties for former members of the Government, security forces, and those who worked with international military forces, UNAMA continued to receive credible allegations of killings, enforced disappearances, and other violations towards these individuals,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s report said.
Since the Taliban seized Kabul on August 15, the UN mission in Afghanistan has received more than 100 reports of such killings that it deems credible, the report said.
More than two-thirds of those killings were “extra-judicial killings committed by the de facto authorities or their affiliates.”
Additionally, “human rights defenders and media workers continue to come under attack, intimidation, harassment, arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment, and killings,” it said.
The report also detailed a government clampdown on peaceful protests, as well as a lack of access for women and girls to work and education.
“An entire complex social and economic system is shutting down,” Guterres said in the report.
Afghanistan is in the grip of a humanitarian disaster, worsened by the Taliban takeover that prompted Western countries to freeze international aid and access to billions of dollars’ worth of assets held abroad.
The country was almost entirely dependent on foreign aid under the previous US-backed government, but jobs have dried up and most civil servants haven’t been paid for months.
No country has yet recognized the Taliban government, with most watching to see how the hardline Islamists — notorious for human rights abuses during their first stint in power — restrict freedoms.
With poverty deepening and a drought devastating farming in many areas, the United Nations has warned that half the 38 million population faces food shortages.
The UN Security Council last month unanimously adopted a US resolution to allow some aid to reach desperate Afghans without violating international sanctions.
But there are growing calls from rights groups and aid organizations for the West to release more funds — particularly in the middle of a harsh winter.
A 25-year-old man, Toye Dominic, has been found dead, hanging from a tree in a forest near Alagbadagbo village, Ijebu Igbo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The discovery was made on Thursday by a local hunter, Kareem Oluwalose, who was on a hunting expedition in the area.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, stated that the hunter immediately reported his finding to the Ijebu Igbo Divisional Headquarters.
“After making the discovery, he sought help from a nearby village, where he met Joseph Dominic, the elder brother of the deceased. Joseph revealed that Toye had left for the farm earlier that morning but had not returned, prompting a search, which was fruitless by family members,” the statement read.
Upon arrival at the scene, police operatives and villagers observed that the deceased had set aside his farm tools before proceeding further into the forest, where he was eventually found hanging from a tree.
No suicide note was recovered at the scene, and the deceased’s family expressed shock over the incident, insisting they had no prior indication of distress from him.
“The police have documented the scene with photographic evidence, and the body has been transferred to General Hospital, Ijebu Ode, for further examination,” Odutola added.
While the police have yet to confirm whether the incident was a suicide, the Command urged the public to remain vigilant and support individuals experiencing emotional struggles.
“We urge the public to remain vigilant and seek support for individuals experiencing distress or emotional struggles. Mental health awareness and timely intervention remain crucial in preventing such unfortunate incidents,” Odutola said, extending the police’s condolences to the bereaved family.
She also assured that a thorough investigation would be conducted to ascertain the circumstances surrounding Dominic’s tragic death.
The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed the death of four passengers in a lone accident along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, in a statement issued in Abeokuta on Monday, disclosed that several other passengers sustained injuries in the accident, which occurred on Sunday night at the Alapako area in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area.
According to Odutola, the accident involved a Toyota Hiace with registration number FKJ 570 YE and was allegedly caused by a punctured tyre, leading the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
“As a result of the impact, four persons, including the driver, were observed lifeless on the spot, while nine other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries. The bus was severely damaged due to the crash,” the statement read.
The police further stated that officers were deployed to the scene to manage traffic, control onlookers, and document the incident.
“Police presence was visible assisting in traffic control, easing human congestion and spectators, as well as conducting on-scene video capturing and documentation.”
Emergency responders quickly evacuated the injured victims to Victory Hospital, Ogere, for medical treatment, while the remains of the deceased were deposited at FOS Mortuary, Ipara, for an autopsy.
The Ogun State Police Command has since urged motorists to prioritize vehicle maintenance and adhere to road safety regulations to prevent avoidable accidents on the highways.
A tragic accident claimed the lives of sixteen passengers on Tuesday when a Mazda bus went up in flames along Buhari Estate on the Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway in Ogun State.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) spokesperson in Ogun State, Florence Okpe, confirmed the incident in a statement, revealing that the accident occurred around 1 pm.
According to Okpe, the ill-fated Mazda bus, bearing registration number KJA 949 YJ, was traveling from Ibadan via Abeokuta to Ota when it was engulfed in fire, leading to an explosion.
“The fire outbreak in the vehicle was aggravated by a filled gas cylinder being transported in it, which eventually led to an explosion,” Okpe stated.
She disclosed that a total of 21 people were involved in the accident, with 16 confirmed dead, while others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The FRSC Sector Commander in Ogun State, Akinwumi Fasakin, led his team to the crash scene for a rescue operation but expressed deep displeasure over the incident.
“The driver should have objected to carrying a cylinder filled with gas,” Fasakin was quoted as saying, stressing that highly flammable items should be transported with extreme caution and only in designated vehicles operated by trained drivers.
Okpe further advised motorists and passengers to always prioritize safety when using the roads to prevent such tragic occurrences.
The remains of the deceased have been evacuated, while survivors are receiving medical attention.
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