News

Minister who uses wheelchair denied entry to Cop26 venue

An Israeli minister has described how she was denied entry to the Cop26 summit because as a wheelchair user she was unable to access the Glasgow venue, criticising the refusal to accommodate her as “outrageous”.

Karine Elharrar, Israel’s energy and water resources minister, who has muscular dystrophy, waited for two hours outside after organisers refused to let her enter the compound in the vehicle in which she had arrived, she said.

Her office said she was eventually offered a shuttle transport to the summit area, but the shuttle was not wheelchair-accessible, forcing her to return to her hotel in Edinburgh.

Elharrar wrote on Twitter: “I came to Cop26 to meet with my counterparts around the world and promote a common struggle in the climate crisis. It is sad that the UN, which promotes accessibility for people with disabilities, in 2021, does not provide accessibility to its events.”

An official in Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett’s delegation said they had formally complained to organisers, the Times of Israel reported. Bennett reportedly said Elharrar’s vehicle would arrive at the summit area on Tuesday as part of his official convoy, thus ensuring her entry.

The UK environment secretary, George Eustice, said: “We deeply regret that incident.” He added there appeared to be a miscommunication and organisers were not aware of her requirements in advance and so had not made the right provisions at the particular entrance she was coming to.

“I know that at most of the other entrances, wheelchair access is there. It was because she came to an entrance where they didn’t have that provision,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, adding action should have been taken to resolve the issue.

The UK ambassador to Israel, Neil Wigan, tweeted that he had apologised “deeply and sincerely” to the minister. “We want a Cop summit that is welcoming and inclusive to everyone,” he wrote.

The Foreign Office minister James Cleverly, tweeted: “I am deeply disappointed and frustrated that minister @KElharrar could not access COP today. The Cop venue is designed to be accessible for all. I have spoken to the minister about this and I look forward to meeting her tomorrow.”

Elharrar told Israel’s Channel 12 news :“The only way they said I could come in was to walk on foot for almost a kilometer, or to board a shuttle which was not wheelchair-accessible.”

She told Ynetnews.com that organisers blocked all roads leading to the conference and left her out despite the Israeli delegation’s best efforts to convince security to let her in.

“It was impossible to get in with a car and I could not make that distance independently,” she said. “It’s outrageous conduct and it should not have happened. I came for certain purposes and could not achieve them today, but there will be other opportunities.

“The UN calls on everyone to act in accordance with the international convention and to make places accessible, so it is fitting that its events should be accessible. I sincerely hope that today’s lesson will be learned so that tomorrow promoting green energies, removing barriers and energy efficiency will be the only things I have to deal with.”

News

IGP orders arrest and investigation of officer caught on tape making unauthorized political comments about Edo guber election

The Nigeria Police Force says it is aware of a recent video evidencing political comment by an individual dressed in a Spy Police uniform regarding the upcoming Edo State gubernatorial elections, which has been circulating on social media platforms.

In a statement released, the spokesperson of the police force, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the NPF strongly condemned this act and clarified that the individual is not a regular officer of the Nigeria Police Force, but a Supernumerary (Spy) Police Officer employed by a private company.

“Supernumerary Police Officers are private individuals trained by the Nigeria Police for specific security functions, primarily within their place of employment.

“They are not on the payroll of the NPF and do not swear to the oath of allegiance like sworn regular police officers, thus they have the right to belong to any political party of their choice and freedom of expression.

” In this extant case, the Police frowns at the wearing of his official SPY uniform and engaging in political activities.

The individual involved has been arrested for further investigations. We reiterate that his political comments do not reflect the views of the Nigeria Police, and the public is urged to disregard any such statements and trust in our continued commitment to professionalism, neutrality, and the rule of law.” Adejobi said

In the viral video, the officer could be heard saying ;

“They want to make the governance of our state a family affair, an affair between two friends and we Edo people will not allow that to happen and this is the time to bring Obaseki to justice.

” He has committed a lot of crimes against Edo people. We have spared him because of the immunity given to him by the Constitution. Very soon, he will not have immunity, he will be free and the Edo people will deal with him as we please”

News

UAE deports 400 Nigerians

Four hundred Nigerians including 90 females and 310 males have been deported from the United Arab Emirates, UAE, the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, reports.

They were received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by the office of the National Security Adviser alongside the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other stakeholders.

It was gathered that a total of 103 Nigerians deported from the Republic of Turkiye, recently, were received by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other stakeholders.

The deportees who arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Friday at 7:00 pm through the pilgrims wing of the airport were received by Federal Government officials led by NEMA personnel.

News

#Endbadgovernance: Court grants N10m bail each on 10 protesters

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday slammed N10 million bail each on the
ten members of the #endbadgovernance# protesters who were charged with attempting to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu between July 1 and August 4 this year.

Justice Emeka Nwite admitted them to bail while delivering a ruling on their bail applications.

Among others, the protesters are to produce one surety each in the same amount while the sureties must be residents in Abuja.

Besides, the sureties must be property owners in Abuja and must deposit documents of the properties to the court in addition to swearing an affidavit of means.

Also, both the defendants and the sureties must deposit their international passports and three recent passport photographs with the court.

Justice Nwite, while rejecting the objections of the Inspector General of Police against the bail request, ordered the defendants not to participate in any public rally throughout their trial.

Pending the perfection of their respective bail conditions, the Judge ordered that they be remanded in prison custody.

Meanwhile, September 27 has been fixed for the commencement of their trial.

The accused persons were said to have committed the treasonable offence during their one-week nationwide protests when they allegedly levied war against Nigeria.

The offences were said to be contrary to sections 96, 410 and 413 of the Penal Code.

The Inspector General of Police, IGP, who brought the charges against them alleged that the accused persons broke into the Abacha Army Barracks and openly called on the military to take over the constitutional government of President Tinubu.

He also alleged that they attempted to force their way into the seat of power during which they allegedly burned down a police station and injured police officers.

They were also said to have incited the Nigerian public against the government and destroyed several public properties including a Police station, High Court complex and National Communication Commission, NCC facilities.

The accused persons are Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye, Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaluwa Eleojo Simon, Angel Love Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello Nurudeen Khamis and Abduldalam Zubair.