Connect with us

Metro

Taliban killed 100 ex-Afghan govt. officials, others – Report

Published

on

File photo: Taliban fighters stand guard near the venue of an open-air rally in a field on the outskirts of Kabul on October 3, 2021. Hoshang Hashimi / AFP

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.

 

Comments

Metro

Woman allegedly sets co-wife, two children ablaze in Kano

Published

on

Residents of the Hotoro area of Kano were thrown into panic after a woman allegedly set her co-wife and two children ablaze in a late-night domestic attack.

The incident occurred on Monday night in the Mai Allo area of Hotoro, leaving four persons with varying degrees of burns.

The victims — a 28-year-old woman and her two children aged seven and three — are currently receiving treatment at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala and Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital.

Their father, who reportedly sustained injuries while attempting to rescue the victims from the inferno, is also undergoing treatment.

A relative of the family informed that they received a distress call around 3am informing them that the woman, her husband and the children had been set ablaze.

According to the source, the victim had spent less than two weeks in her matrimonial home before the attack occurred.

“She is about 28 years old. The children are from her previous marriage. They are stepchildren to the husband, who works as a tricycle rider,” the relative added.

Residents of the area described the incident as horrifying and called on security agencies to ensure justice was served.

“We are shocked by what happened. This kind of violence has no place in our community,” a resident said.

The suspect has since been taken into custody at the Mariri Police Division.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kano State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

Continue Reading

Metro

Flood threat looms as FG lists 226 LGAs in high-risk zones

Published

on

The Federal Government on Wednesday disclosed that no fewer than 226 Local Government Areas across 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory fall within high flood-risk zones in 2026.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, made this known during the public presentation of the 2026 Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency held at the State Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Utsev said a total of 14,118 communities in 266 LGAs across the affected states and the FCT had been identified as highly vulnerable to flooding.

He listed the states as Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, and the FCT.

The minister added that 405 LGAs in 35 states fall within the moderate flood-risk category, with Ekiti State as the only state not captured under this classification.
He further noted that 923 communities in 77 LGAs across 24 states would experience minimal flooding.

“Low flood risk incidences are expected in Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara,” Utsev said.

The minister also disclosed that the 2026 Annual Flood Outlook introduced a community-based flood forecasting system designed to provide location-specific predictions for faster response and intervention.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening emergency response systems and promoting sustainable development nationwide.

Represented by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, the President said the government had reviewed existing challenges and acknowledged the critical role of rescue teams in mitigating disasters.

He noted that efforts were ongoing to enhance the capacity and coordination of relevant ministries for more effective and timely emergency responses.
Tinubu stressed that improved communication, strategic planning, and collaboration remained vital to addressing emerging challenges and ensuring better service delivery.

The President added that with strengthened systems in place, the government was confident of mitigating risks and improving outcomes for citizens.

The event, themed ‘Smart Water Resources Management: Moving From Oil To A Water-Based Economy’, was attended by ministers and key stakeholders in the water and environmental sectors.

Continue Reading

Metro

Robbers attack Akure health centre, abduct three workers

Published

on

Police authorities in Ondo State have confirmed a robbery attack at the Basic Health Centre in the Oke-Ijebu area of Akure, the state capital, in the early hours of Saturday.

It was gathered that three suspects armed with pump-action rifles and cutlasses invaded the facility after arriving in a black Toyota Venza, which they parked along the main road. The assailants reportedly scaled the perimeter fence to gain access to the premises.

During the attack, three health workers on duty were forcefully dispossessed of their personal belongings, including mobile phones and a Point of Sale terminal. The suspects subsequently whisked the victims away towards the Olokuta Correctional Centre axis along Ondo Road.

The spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Saturday.

According to him, “Preliminary investigation reveals that the suspects ordered them to remove their clothing and subsequently abandoned them in the bush before fleeing the scene. The victims, however, found resort from nearby staff of the Correctional Service.”

Jimoh disclosed that security patrols had been intensified, while collaboration with other security agencies and local vigilante groups had been strengthened to enhance safety across the state.

He urged residents to remain calm, vigilant and law-abiding, adding that members of the public should promptly report suspicious activities or useful information to the nearest police station or other security agencies.

The police spokesman assured residents that the command remained committed to safeguarding lives and property and would not relent in efforts to rid the state of criminal elements.

Continue Reading

Advertisement

Entertainment

Advertisement

MegaIcon Magazine Facebook Page

Advertisement

MEGAICON TV

Advertisement

Trending