News
Black Lives Matter: America boils as violent protesters demand justice for George Floyd
Protesters have clashed with police in cities across the US over the killing of an unarmed African-American man at the hands of officers in Minneapolis.
Hundreds of people rallied outside the White House, which was briefly put under lockdown on Friday, demanding justice over the death of George Floyd.
Demonstrations have been taking place in Minnesota, New York and California.
A former Minneapolis police officer has been arrested and charged with murder over Mr Floyd’s death in custody.
Derek Chauvin, who is white, was shown in footage kneeling on 46-year-old Mr Floyd’s neck on Monday. He and three other officers have since been sacked.
Mr Chauvin, 44, is due to appear in court in Minneapolis for the first time on Monday.
President Donald Trump has described the incident as “a terrible, terrible thing” and said he had spoken with Mr Floyd’s family, whom he described as “terrific people”.
What happened during the protests?
On Friday evening, crowds gathered near the White House in Washington, DC, waving photographs of Mr Floyd and chanting “I can’t breathe” – invoking his last words and those of Eric Garner, a black man who died after being held in a police chokehold in New York in 2014.
The White House was then temporarily placed on lockdown, with the US Secret Service closing entrances and exits.
Curfews were ordered for the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, from 20:00 to 06:00 on both Friday and Saturday evening. But further gatherings of protesters were reported after the curfew had come into effect, and buildings and vehicles were later set alight.
There were violent clashes between protesters with police in several cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Louisville, Phoenix, Columbus and Memphis.
In Atlanta, buildings were vandalised and a police vehicle was set alight as protesters gathered near the offices of news broadcaster CNN.
In Dallas, officers launched tear gas canisters after they were pelted with stones.
While Mr Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter over his role in Mr Floyd’s death, the protesters want the other officers involved to face justice.
The case has reignited US anger over police killings of black Americans, and the nationwide protests follow days of looting and arson in Minneapolis.
On Thursday, during the third night of protests, a police station was set alight. A number of buildings have been burned, looted and vandalised in recent days, prompting the activation of the state’s National Guard troops.
What did the prosecutor say?
Hennepin County Prosecutor Mike Freeman said he “anticipates charges” for the three other officers but would not offer more details.
Mr Freeman said his office “charged this case as quickly as evidence has been presented to us”.
“This is by far the fastest that we’ve ever charged a police officer,” he noted.
According to the criminal complaint, Mr Chauvin acted with “a depraved mind, without regard for human life”.
How did George Floyd die?
The full report by the county medical examiner has not been released, but the complaint states that the post-mortem examination did not find evidence of “traumatic asphyxia or strangulation”.
The medical examiner noted Mr Floyd had underlying heart conditions and the combination of these, “potential intoxicants in his system” and being restrained by the officers “likely contributed to his death”.
The report says Mr Chauvin had his knee on Mr Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds – almost three minutes of which was after Mr Floyd became non-responsive.
Nearly two minutes before he removed his knee the other officers checked Mr Floyd’s right wrist for a pulse and were unable to find one. He was taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center in an ambulance and pronounced dead around an hour later.
The Minnesota police handbook states that officers trained on how to compress a detainee’s neck without applying direct pressure to the airway can use a knee under its use-of-force policy. This is regarded as a non-deadly-force option.
What has the president said?
At the White House on Friday, Mr Trump said he had asked the justice department to expedite an investigation it announced on Friday into whether any civil rights laws were violated in Mr Floyd’s death.
The president also said “looters should not be allowed to drown out the voices of so many peaceful protesters”.
Earlier, he described the rioters as “thugs” who were dishonouring Mr Floyd’s memory.
Social media network Twitter accused Mr Trump of glorifying violence in a post that said: “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
What’s the reaction?
Mr Floyd’s family and their lawyer, Benjamin Crump, said that the arrest was “welcome but overdue”.
The family said they wanted a more serious, first-degree murder charge as well as the arrest of the other officers involved.
The statement called for the city to change its policing, saying: “Today, George Floyd’s family is having to explain to his children why their father was executed by police on video.”
Former US President Barack Obama also weighed in, saying: “This shouldn’t be ‘normal’ in 2020 America.”
His statement added: “If we want our children to grow up in a nation that lives up to its highest ideals, we can and must be better.”
What happened in the arrest?
Officers suspected Mr Floyd had used a counterfeit $20 note and were attempting to put him in a police vehicle when he dropped to the ground, telling them he was claustrophobic.
According to police, he physically resisted officers and was handcuffed.
Video of the incident does not show how the confrontation started, but a white officer can be seen with his knee on Mr Floyd’s neck, pinning him down.
Mr Floyd can be heard saying “please, I can’t breathe” and “don’t kill me”.
A former local nightclub owner has said Mr Chauvin and Mr Floyd both worked as bouncers at her venue in south Minneapolis up until last year, though it is unclear if they knew one another.
– BBC
A Unity Bank customer, Mr. Amadi Chinmenem Gift Chike, has emerged as the latest winner of One Million Naira in the ongoing Cash Rewards Promo by Unity Bank Plc and CashToken Rewards Africa.
CashToken Rewards Africa is a Cash-Reward-as-a-Service company that rewards customers for their patronage and loyalty.
Mr. Amadi, a customer from Unity Bank’s Aba Road Branch, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, won the cash prize after completing qualifying transactions on Unity Bank’s digital banking channels including Unifi, *7799#, and on his Unity Bank-issued Verve card. Through these transactions, he received CashTokens, which entered him into the weekly national consumer draw, where he was selected as the lucky winner of the N1 million prize.
From left: Chioma Umeh, Unity Bank Branch Manager, Aba Road 1, Port Harcourt; Amadi Chinmenem Gift Chike, the grand prize winner, and Mr. Etop Ukpe, Unity Bank’s Regional Manager, Port Harcourt/Uyo Region presening the N1M check to the winner, recently.
The grand prize winner, Mr. Amadi is the second customer to claim the N1 million grand prize in the rewards promo, which commenced in November 2023. Since the launch, Unity Bank customers have collectively won over N6 million in cash rewards.
Unity Bank and CashToken Rewards promo offers guaranteed instant cash rewards and life-changing opportunities for loyal customers who transact on any of the Bank’s electronic payment platforms, including the Unifi mobile banking application and the *7799# USSD platform. Every card transaction earns customers CashTokens, which qualify them for the weekly national consumer draw, with prizes ranging from N5,000 to N100 million.
Presenting the cheque to the winner in Port Harcourt, Unity Bank’s Regional Manager for Port Harcourt/Uyo Region, Mr. Etop Ikpe, congratulated the winner and reiterated the Bank’s commitment to building a sustainable loyalty platform for customer engagement and satisfaction.
The winner celebrates with the Unity Bank team
He said, “We are happy to see another one of our loyal customers win a substantial cash prize through the Unity Bank and CashToken Rewards Promo. This initiative aligns with our mission to reward customer loyalty while providing a seamless and rewarding banking experience. As we continue to innovate and enhance our digital banking platforms, we are committed to creating more opportunities for our customers to benefit from their relationship with Unity Bank.”
In his reaction, an elated Mr. Amadi said, “This is a reward for my steadfastness. I have been banking with Unity Bank for a long time and I am really happy to win the cash prize. I commend the bank for the initiative and Unity Bank has always come through in keeping their promises both in terms of service delivery and meeting expectations of customers.”
The winner celebrates with the Unity Bank team
Also commenting on the development, Simi Adeoye, Chief Business Development Officer for CashToken Rewards Africa, added: “We are proud to partner with Unity Bank in bringing life-changing opportunities to their customers through our Cash-Reward-as-a-Service model. We aim to make every transaction meaningful by turning regular banking activities into chances for customers to win significant rewards. We congratulate Mr. Amadi on his win, and we look forward to creating more millionaires as the promo continues. Mr. Amadi just like other beneficiaries can easily cash out his win by dialling *6700#, following the prompt and transferring his wins directly to his Unity Bank account.”
The Vice Chairman of Alimosho Local Government Area, Mr. Akinpelu Johnson has officially received an appointment letter to take over from the suspended Chairman, Jelili Sulaimon.
The letter, dated 8th October, 2024, was signed by Kikelomo Bolarinwa, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development.
Titled: ‘Re: Suspension of Mr. Sulaimon Jelili, Chairman, Alimosho Local Government Area Resolution of the House’, the appointment letter read: “I write to refer to the resolution of the House of Assembly in respect of the above
subject which states that Mr. Sulaimon Jelili has been suspended indefinitely from
Office as the Chairman, Alimosho Local Government in accordance with Section 24
(1,2,3,4) of the Local Government Administration Law (Amendment) Law, 2016. (Copy attached for ease of reference).
“In view of the above, you are to assume duty IMMEDIATELY as the Acting Chairman, Alimosho Local Government.”
Recall that the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday suspended Jelili Sulaimon from office following various allegations by the lawmakers.
The lawmakers resolved at the sitting that Johnson should take over the running of the affairs of the council.
The lawmakers further instructed the management of the council, including the manager and treasurer, to recognise Johnson and accord him all the support to make him work effectively.
Meanwhile, four out of the seven councillors in the council have denounced the purported suspension of Johnson by their three colleagues.
In a press release signed by the four councillors including Deputy Leader Mojisola Fabusuyi Ayeni (Ward D), Saheed Adejoke (Ward C), Rasheed Semiu (Ward E), Elizabeth Fashina (Ward F), they commended the House of Assembly for intervening while urging stakeholders’ in the council to go about their activities peacefully.
Read the full statement below:
Illegal Suspension of Hon. Akinpelu Ibrahim Johnson,Vice Chairman Alimosho Local Government
We, the undersigned legislators from Alimosho Local Government, officially dissociate ourselves from the staged managed, and illegal suspension of Mr. Akinpelu Ibrahim Johnson, The Vice Chairman of Alimosho Local Government.
We condemn in totality the purported suspension of the Vice Chairman by minority legislators who acted on instructions of the validly suspended Chairman.
As representatives of our people from different wards in Alimosho, we remain committed to supporting the state and federal government’s efforts to improve the lives and well-being of our people, most especially at the grassroots.
We commend the State House of Assembly for their intervention in the mismanagement of the local government over the years. We urge all stakeholders to remain peaceful as there’s no cause for alarm.
The Renewed Hope (RH) Agenda of our Dear President, H.E Asiwaju Bola Tinubu GCFR, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES + Agenda, deserve every attention and support at this critical stage of our state and nationhood and by extension at the local government.
We would like to emphasize that at no time was the Vice Chairman suspended hence our readiness to support him going forward with the administration of the Local Government.
As a man of the people, we have no doubt in our minds that Hon Akinpelu Johnson will deliver beyond the expectations.
We shall keep the public posted should there be any information of interest to the public.
Signed:
1. Councillor. Mojisola Fabusuyi Ayeni (Ward D), Alimosho LGA, Deputy Leader
2. Councillor Saheed Adejoke (Ward C), Alimosho LGA, Chief Whip
3. Councillor Rasheed Semiu (Ward E), Alimosho LGA, Member.
4. Councillor Elizabeth Fashina (Ward F), Alimosho LGA, member.
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday returned Julius Abure as the national chairman of the Labour Party, LP.
The court declared the 2024 Labour Party national convention held in Nnewi, which re-elected Abure, is valid, stating that the convention was in line with all laid down laws in Nigeria.
This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh.
According to the statement, Justice Emeka Nwite while delivering the judgement, compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to grant due recognition and all privileges to the Labour Party’s National Working Committee as led by Abure.
JomogNews reports that INEC had announced that it did not recognise Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.
The Commission argued that the Abure-led LP leadership was invalid, stating that the March 2024 National Convention that re-elected Abure as chairman violated both the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act.
Unity Bank, CashToken Rewards Promo Produces New Millionaire
NCC Commences Pre-Enforcement Action On Starlink Over Price Hike
Breaking: Alimosho LG Vice Chairman Gets Appointment Letter To Take Over Office
NAF Appoints Air Commodore Akinboyewa As New Spokesman
Court Returns Abure As Labour Party National Chairman
Don’t Be Ignorant Of The Law, Lagos Assembly Hits Back At Suspended Chairman, Lawyer
NNPCL Ends Sole Purchase Agreement With Dangote Refinery
Breaking: Allow Me Govern Rivers, Fubara Tells Wike
I’m Concerned That Tinubu Mentioned Only My Name In Rivers Crisis – Fubara
Whitney Houston’s Mother And Grammy-Winning Singer, Cissy Houston Dies At 91
-
News1 day agoBreaking: Lagos Assembly Suspends Alimosho Council Chairman
-
News2 days agoUnion Bank Reaffirms Support for Education in Nigeria; Backs 10th Edition of Maltina Teacher of The Year.
-
News1 day agoIremide Ogunyemi Wins Fidelity Bank’s ‘Read2Lead’ Writing Competition
-
News2 days agoNigeria Indivisible 110 Years After Amalgamation – INEC Chair
-
News16 hours agoFresh Controversy As Dangote Refinery Snubs Oil Marketers On Direct Petrol Lifting
-
Breaking News2 days agoIGP Orders Immediate Withdrawal Of Personnel From Rivers LGAs
-
News15 hours agoWhitney Houston’s Mother And Grammy-Winning Singer, Cissy Houston Dies At 91
-
News11 hours agoDon’t Be Ignorant Of The Law, Lagos Assembly Hits Back At Suspended Chairman, Lawyer