IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

President Bola Tinubu has felicitated with former Kaduna State Governor, on his 65th birthday, eulogising his resourcefulness and brilliance.

Tinubu in a statement on Sunday by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, described El-Rufai as an administrator, scholar, and politician.

The President commended El-Rufai for his “endeavours for democracy; his meritorious service to the nation, and mentorship of the younger generation.” He acknowledged Mallam El-Rufai’s “role in the dialogues leading up to the formation of the APC and his contributions to the success of the party in the three consecutive elections of 2015, 2019, and 2023.”

“President Tinubu wishes El-Rufai good health and strength for continuous service to the nation.”

At least 18 people died during a stampede at a railway station in India’s capital late Saturday when surging crowds scrambled to catch trains to the world’s largest religious gathering, officials and reports said. The Kumbh Mela attracts tens of millions of Hindu faithful every 12 years to the northern city of Prayagraj, and has a history of crowd-related disasters — including one last month, when at least 30 people died in another stampede at the holy confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers.

The rush at the train station in New Delhi appeared to break out Saturday as crowds struggled to board trains for the ongoing event, which will end on February 26. “I can confirm 15 deaths at the hospital. They don’t have any open injury. Most (likely died from) hypoxia or maybe some blunt injury but that would only be confirmed after an autopsy,” Dr Ritu Saxena, deputy medical superintendent of Lok Nayak Hospital in New Delhi told AFP.

“There are also 11 others who are injured. Most of them are stable and have orthopaedic injuries,” she said. Broadcaster NDTV reported three more dead from the stampede quoting an official of another hospital in the city. Those dead were mostly women and children. “I have been working as a coolie since 1981, but I never saw a crowd like this before,” the Times of India newspaper quoted a porter at the railway station as saying. “People started colliding and fell on the escalator and stairs” when platform for a special train departing for Prayagraj was suddenly shifted, the porter said.

Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said a “high-level inquiry” had been ordered into the causes of the accident. Vaishnaw said additional special trains were being run from New Delhi to clear the rush of devotees. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “distressed” by the stampede. “My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured have a speedy recovery,” he wrote on X. 

Israel’s defence ministry said Sunday that a shipment of “heavy” US-made bombs arrived overnight in Israel, as Marco Rubio began his first visit to the country as Washington’s top diplomat. “A shipment of heavy aerial bombs recently released by the US government was received and unloaded overnight in Israel,” the ministry said in a statement, referring to MK-84 munitions recently authorised by President Donald Trump’s administration.

“The munitions shipment that arrived in Israel, released by the Trump administration, represents a significant asset for the air force and the IDF (military) and serves as further evidence of the strong alliance between Israel and the United States,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said in the statement. The Trump administration had earlier in February approved the sale of more than $7.4 billion in bombs, missiles and related equipment to Israel.

The sale “improves Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defence, and serves as a deterrent to regional threats”, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said at the time. Israel launched a hugely destructive offensive against Hamas in Gaza in October 2023 in response to an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian militant group that month. The war has devastated much of Gaza, resulting in the displacement of much of its 2.4 million population.

A ceasefire has been in effect since January 19, providing for the release of hostages seized by Hamas. In response to concerns over civilian deaths, former US president Joe Biden’s administration had blocked a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, but Trump reportedly approved them after taking office. Rubio, meanwhile, began his official trip to Israel on Sunday, and is expected to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials during the day.

He is expected to discuss the Gaza ceasefire and Trump’s plan that sees displacing Palestinians from the territory and relocating them to Egypt and Jordan, a proposal that has triggered global outrage. 

President Bola Tinubu’s 2025 budget, initially proposed at N49.7 trillion, was increased to N54.9 trillion following additional revenue from key government agencies. The National Assembly approved the budget on February 13, 2025, with allocations covering debt servicing, recurrent expenses, and capital projects.

Economic experts and analysts have expressed divided opinions. Some argue that the additional revenue should have been used to fully implement the 2024 budget, while others warn of potential inflation risks. Business leaders stress the need for infrastructure-focused spending to drive economic growth.

Critics believe the budget increase is more of a political move than an economic necessity, urging the government to ensure proper execution to prevent economic strain. The success of the budget will depend on its implementation and its impact on Nigeria’s economy. 

A mob in Abuja’s Lugbe area killed two suspected one-chance operators on Saturday, setting their vehicle ablaze after they allegedly threw a victim out of the moving car.

According to a commercial driver, Ahmed, residents pursued the suspects and caught up with them near Dunamis Church. While one suspect managed to escape, one died instantly, and another, critically injured from the mob attack, later succumbed to his injuries.

The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment, while authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the incident. 

There are indications that residents of Emeke Agbala in Owerri North Area of Imo State, now live in fear, following more than four hours of unchallenged armed robbery attacks in the area over the weekend.

Our correspondent gathered that the armed robbers were armed with guns, axes, iron bars and other dangerous weapons, just as they robbed victims of their valuables, including phones, sophisticated electronics, rappers and women jewelries.

According to the report, the scene of crime was less than 500 metres to the premises of the youth President, head of the vigilante team, community leaders and the traditional ruler of the area His Royal Highness Eze Malachi Onu. 

The house to house armed robbery attacks which started about 1.00am lasted for four hours without any help from the community leaders, vigilante team, youth leadership and the Nigerian police, despite efforts by victims and other residents of the area who reached out to these community leaders, but regrettably non of them came to their rescue.

One of the victims, Mr Uzor forwarded worrisome photographs to our correspondence on how the armed robbers accessed his house along Emeke Agbala old road.

He confirmed that the armed robbers stole phones, money and other valuables belonging to all members of his family and later proceeded to the house of one Chief Mrs Ann Amadi and dispossessed her of her jewelries and other valuables.