Daily Watch – Wike reportedly meets Tinubu, Sanwo approves BRT price increases

Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters says 4,770 terrorists comprising 864 adult males, 1,415 women and 2,490 children surrendered to the Nigerian troops between 1 June and 15 June in the North East. The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, said this at the bi-weekly news conference on the operations of armed forces on Thursday, in Abuja. Onyeuko said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai had intensified the tempo of their operations in the various locations across the North East Zone. He said the operations led to the rescue of abducted persons, neutralising of terrorists, arrest of terrorist members, recovery of arms and ammunition and other security-related items. Onyeuko said the troops of 152 Battalion had between June 17 and June 21, encountered fleeing Boko Haram terrorists/Islamic State West Africa Province fighters at Buduwa in Bama Local Government Area of Borno and eliminated seven of them. He added that 14 rustled cattle and three bicycles were recovered while some terrorist collaborators and logistics suppliers were apprehended.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved a flat rate increase by ₦100 in bus fares for all Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Standard Routes with effect from July 13. Mr Kolawole Ojelabi, Assistant Director, Corporate Communication, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), made this known in a statement on Thursday. He said the increase was to sustain the operations of regulated bus services in Lagos State and the increase will take effect on July 13. He added that the fare increase aimed at ensuring sustainability of the BRT and standard route schemes was due to the attendant high number of buses out of operation as a result of lack of spare parts. Ojelabi noted that the governor, in consenting to the fare increase, also approved a proposal for a bail out for the bus operating companies.

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike was reported by local newspaper, PM News, to have left Turkey where he was holidaying, for France to meet the APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. A die-hard loyalist of Tinubu and Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on the Environment and Water Resources, Joe Igbokwe disclosed this on Wednesday. Igbokwe said while they were on social media abusing everybody, Wike had gone to France to meet Tinubu. He said on his Facebook: “While they are on Social Media abusing everybody, Gov. Wike goes to France to meet Asiwaju. Abuse, calling names, hate and bigotry are no strategy. “They hated and abused PMB since 2015 and now they have transferred the aggression to Asiwaju. We wait and see.”

There have been bomb blasts in four separate places in Ethiopia’s northern city of Bahir Dar, police have said, indicating a further deterioration of security in Amhara, the country’s second largest region. The explosions occurred in selected “strategic” places in the city, which is the regional capital, and were aimed at “terrorising the public”, according to a police spokeswoman. She did not disclose whether there were any casualties, but confirmed that six suspects were apprehended in relation to the incidents. Tensions have escalated in the region after the authorities launched what they called a “law enforcement operation” that has seen the arrest of thousands of individuals in the region. The latest developments indicate that there are simmering tensions that could pose significant challenges to a country blighted by widespread conflicts.