Tag: United States

U.S. ‘worried’ as China eyes permanent military base in Equatorial Guinea

Aminu Imam

China is looking to create its first permanent military presence on the Atlantic Ocean, on the coast of the tiny African nation of Equatorial Guinea, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, based on classified U.S. intelligence. Malabo, the Equatoguinean capital, is just 144 kilometres from Calabar, 225kms from Port-Harcourt, and 672kms from Lagos in Nigeria. Though U.S. officials did not describe Beijing’s plans in detail, they said China’s presence on Africa’s Atlantic coast would enhance the possible threat to the U.S., as it would give Chinese warships…

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Biden invites Nigeria, others to virtual summit on democracy

Aminu Imam

United States President, Joe Biden, has invited around 110 countries to a virtual summit on democracy in December, including major Western allies but also Iraq, India and Pakistan, according to a list posted on the State Department website on Tuesday. China, the United States’ principal rival, is not invited, while Taiwan is — a move that risks angering Beijing. Turkey, which, like America is a member of NATO, is also missing from the list of participants. Among the countries of the Middle-East, only Israel and Iraq will take place in…

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Buhari hosts US Secretary of State, Blinken in Presidential Villa

Aminu Imam

…Says he can’t act on #EndSARS panels’ reports…Signs Climate Change Bill into law President Muhammadu Buhari has said the Federal Government will not act on the reports of panels set up to probe police brutality in the country following the #EndSARS protests of October 2020, until the various States that initiated the inquiries complete the process. Buhari stated this yesterday at the Presidential Villa, State House, Abuja, while receiving in audience the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. Recall that the Lagos panel presented its report on police brutality…

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US removes Nigeria from religious violators’ list, gives reasons

Aminu Imam

The United States (US) has removed Nigeria from the list of countries “engaging in violation of religious freedom”. Nigeria was removed from its list of religious violators, even as it blacklisted Russia, China and eight other countries “as Countries of Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated ‘systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.” US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, made this known in an issued statement yesterday, titled: ‘Religious Freedom Designations’, ahead of his visit to Nigeria. He added that the American government had blacklisted Russia, China…

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State of the Nation: “Nigeria tilting from failed State to point-of-no-return” – US Council

Aminu Imam

…Says country is in its last phase The United States Council on Foreign Relations and the Harvard Kennedy School, yesterday, warned that Nigeria is moving from a failing State to the point-of-no-return under President Muhammadu Buhari, having shown all the signs of a failed nation. The organisation, which made the disclosure in a research finding it released through its senior fellow and former US Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell and the founding Director, Harvard Kennedy School’s Programme on Intrastate Conflict and President Emeritus, World Peace Foundation, Robert Rotberg, said Nigeria…

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‘Leave Ethiopia as soon as possible’, US urges its citizens

Aminu Imam

The U.S. embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has advised all U.S. citizens to leave Ethiopia as soon as possible, a statement on their website said on Friday, after an alliance of anti-government forces threatened to march on the capital city. “The security environment in Ethiopia is very fluid. We advise U.S. citizens who are in Ethiopia to leave the country as soon as possible”, the statement said. US citizens looking to leave the crisis-struck country can do so from the Bole International Airport, the US Embassy said. US Special Envoy…

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Anambra Election: US threatens visa ban on electoral violence sponsors, others

Aminu Imam

Ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State, the United States, (U.S.), has said it will take action against anyone found guilty of undermining the electoral process during the election. The warning comes amid boycott campaigns by separatist groups in the South-East region. The U.S., which gave the warning in a statement on Wednesday, said visa restriction may be placed on those found guilty of disrupting the election, adding that it will be monitoring the exercise, but assured that the country is looking forward to a peaceful and transparent governorship…

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“We Are Determined To Harness Ecotourism Opportunities In Gombe State”, Gov. Inuwa Yahaya Says, As He Hosts US – Based Wildlife Conservationist

Aminu Imam

By Umar Kaltungo Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, says his administration is determined to harness ecotourism opportunities available in the state towards boosting responsible travel to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. The Governor stated this yesterday when he granted audience to Professor Lynne Baker, a United States-based wildlife conservationist and senior research associate at the Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation, (IDECC). IDECC is an organisation working in disparate fields of environmental conservation and sustainable development in megadiverse regions of…

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$69bn illegal NNPC oil shipment deals’ funds during Jonathan’s govt. uncovered in US Banks 

Aminu Imam

A disclosure by a US-based asset recovery firm, Forensic Assets Investigation and Recovery Services LLC (FAIR), saying it has uncovered $69 billion (about N28.3tn) in illegal oil deals by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC), stuck in American banks. The firm said the funds were believed to have been siphoned from undeclared crude oil sales under the Goodluck Jonathan administration allegedly by the NNPC officials and their collaborators in the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN). Out of the stash, $9bn was reportedly traced to a Texas bank account allegedly belonging…

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Boko Haram: U.S. seizes Nigeria’s $6.1m, as illegal arms contractor pleads guilty

Aminu Imam

The United States has seized about $6.1 million belonging to Nigeria after a hired arms supplier pleaded guilty to charges that included illegal dealing in military-grade weapons and money laundering, court documents have revealed. According to reports, Judge Erica Grosjean, of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, ordered the forfeiture after Ara Dolarian, an unlicensed armed dealer hired by the Nigerian government to help circumvent U.S. ban on arms sale to Nigeria, admitted conducting arms sale without requisite approvals. Dolarian, who initially denied any wrongdoing, was…

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