After Tokyo warned Japanese visitors to be cautious in the country amid a diplomatic row, Beijing on Tuesday pledged to “protect the safety” of foreigners in China.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s suggestion that Tokyo might engage in military action in any attack on Taiwan sparked the conflict.
China, which claims Taiwan as a part of its territory and has no intention of removing its democratic island with force, was furious at Takaichi’s comments.
Read more about Japan’s warning about safety amid the Taiwan row.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning responded to a question about the law-enforcement warning to Japanese visitors.
The comments were made as Masaaki Kanai, the top official in Japan’s foreign ministry for Asia-Pacific affairs, and Liu Jinsong, the country’s top foreign minister, discussed Takaichi’s remarks in Beijing.
Mao claimed that during the discussions, Beijing and Tokyo had reiterated their “strong protest.”
China again lodged a strong protest against Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s erroneous remarks about China during the consultations, according to Mao.
Mao added that Tahiti’s statements “fundamentally damage the political foundation of China-Japan relations” and that “takaichi’s fallacies seriously violate international law and the fundamental standards governing international relations.”
After the talks with Liu shortly before 2:00 pm (0600 GMT), Kanai left Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The deserted hostel where 25 schoolgirls were abducted as a result of a deadly attack on a Kebbi secondary school has now been captured in photos.
The chaos left behind after gunmen stormed the dormitory on Sunday night is captured in the images of the now-quiet building, which show scattered belongings and empty bunk beds.
Witnesses claimed that the attackers lacked standing and panicked the neighborhood.
CSP Nafiu Abubakar, a spokesman for the police, noted that Makuku was shot while attempting to protect the girls and that he was abducted and killed.
Read more about Bandits abduct 25 schoolgirls and murder the vice principal in a vicious attack on a Kebbi school.
He claimed that vigilantes, soldiers, and police tactical units have been deployed and are now searching nearby forests for students.
Ahmed Idris, governor’s chief press secretary, claimed that Umar Tafida, Deputy Governor, had been dispatched to assess the situation on the governor’s behalf.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris issued a directive to security agencies to locate and rescue the girls safely, along with the Federal Government’s condemnation of the attack. Residents and parents are concerned as the search continues.
Agbu Kefas, the governor of Taraba State, has issued an Executive Order mandating the payment of all pending pensions, gratuities, and other related entitlements to verified state pensioners.
Yusuf Sanda, the governor’s top press secretary, made the announcement in a statement.
The governor’s commitment to the welfare of retired workers who diligently served the state is reflected in the statement.
“Taraba State must honor those who gave their lives to the public service. Their respect for one another is a moral obligation, according to Kefas, and we must do the same for them.
Read more: Tinubu Tells Judges Justice Must Never Be For Sale.
He added that a special outreach team would be stationed in every local government district, ward, and village to find pensioners who are incapacitated and still alive, to ensure they would be able to obtain their benefits without difficulty.
No administrative bottlenecks were tolerated while the Governor’s office was being given instructions to submit weekly compliance reports, according to the Ministry of Finance.
The wife of Maga, the slain Vice Principal of Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, has described how her daughter escaped during the deadly attack that resulted in the abduction of 25 schoolgirls.
The family was sleeping when the attackers broke into their home around 3:30 a.m., according to Amina Hassan.
“We were sleeping around three in the morning when I heard footsteps behind our window,” I said. I then attempted to alert my husband by letting him know that our outdoor items are being destroyed by animals. There was a bang on our door before I realized it, she said, and it was forcefully opened.
According to Mrs. Hassan, they initially believed there was an animal cause the disturbance.
“So I called my husband to let him know that the animals have invaded our home and are systematically destroying our belongings.” We became aware that they were robbers carrying guns and not animals as soon as he erupted.
We began to have issues with them. Then one of them shot my husband with his gun as he pulled it out. She said, “Then they dragged me by my hand outside the house.”
She continued, “I told them to leave me alone because they have murdered the father of my children and are requesting that the children sleep,” and that I would not go with them.
Mrs. Hassan claimed that her daughter intervened during the conflict.
When my daughter came out, I was still arguing with them. Then they took her with them, leading them to the hostel, and then they left me.
Then they instructed her to recline so they could also shoot her. She then instructed them to “I should lay down so that you can shoot me.” They responded “yes.”
She then requested that they let her leave to unwind. They then opened the door and saw other girls, causing my girl to lose her mind, she said.
The wife of the vice principal claimed that by removing this distraction, her daughter was able to escape.
She was able to escape into the bush by doing that. It was already morning by the time she returned, she said.
Abduction of schoolgirls
Shortly after leaving the staff quarters, the bandits stormed the school hostel. Malam Hassan Makuku, vice principal, was killed, and 25 students were abducted.
Witnesses claimed that the attackers lacked any resistance and feared the neighborhood.
During the invasion, Makuku allegedly was shot while attempting to protect the students.
CSP Nafiu Abubakar, a spokesman for the Kebbi Police, confirmed the Vice Principal’s abduction and murder.
He claimed that vigilantes, soldiers, and police tactical teams had been deployed. He claimed that they were pursuing attackers’ arrest and rescue in nearby forests.
He claimed that the gunmen stormed the school and removed 25 students.
Deputy Governor Senator Umar Tafida was dispatched to assess the situation, Kebbi Governor Nasir Idris claimed through his chief press secretary, Ahmed Idris.
He claimed that security briefings were being given to the governor while he was away.
The attack was denounced by the federal government. According to information minister Mohammed Idris, security forces were instructed to track down the students and ensure their safe rescue.
He claimed that Bola Tinubu, the president, held the state’s top priority to protect students.
Residents continue to mourn Makuku’s passing while defending his students. As the search for the missing girls continues, parents are concerned.
On Sunday night, the 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped.
Seven people have died in a lone road crash along the Kiyawa–Azare Road in Jigawa State after a commercial bus lost control and somersaulted multiple times, police confirmed on Sunday.
The accident occurred near Jigawan Kurma village in Kiyawa Local Government Area.
According to the police, the Toyota Hummer Bus travelling from Kano to Potiskum with 18 passengers on board suffered a sudden rear tyre burst while on speed.
“The vehicle lost control instantly, somersaulted several times, and veered off the road,” a police spokesperson said, describing the scene as “severe and tragic.”
A team from the Motor Traffic Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer in Kiyawa, was dispatched to the crash site for rescue operations.
Police said seven people, including the 70-year-old driver, Mallam Ibrahim Potiskum, died on the spot.
“Seven occupants sadly could not survive the impact,” the statement added. “We have secured all recovered luggage and deposited the bodies at the hospital mortuary. Efforts are ongoing to identify and contact the families.”
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Eleven injured passengers were rushed to the General Hospital in Dutse.
Medical officials confirmed that four of them have been treated and discharged, while the remaining victims are still receiving care.
Jigawa State Commissioner of Police, CP Dahiru Muhammad, expressed sympathy to the bereaved families.
“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this unfortunate incident,” he said. “We pray for the quick recovery of the survivors.”
He also issued a reminder to motorists to prioritise safety on the highways.
“We urge drivers to carry out routine checks, maintain their vehicles properly, and drive with caution. Tyre bursts, excessive speed, and fatigue remain major causes of fatal crashes in Nigeria,” he warned.
Road safety experts continue to raise concerns about Nigeria’s high rate of preventable road deaths.
“Tyre-related crashes are still among the top contributors to fatalities on our roads,” one expert noted, calling for stricter enforcement of vehicle maintenance standards.
Over 9,000 beneficiaries have been recorded as the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Bank of Industry, has rolled out the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF).
The new scheme is designed to improve the welfare of academic and non-academic staff across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
In a statement released on the official X handle of the National Orientation Agency on Monday, under the initiative, eligible staff of federal and selected state universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education can access interest-free loans of up to ₦10 million, repayable over a maximum of five years, following a 12-month moratorium.
According to details released by the Ministry, about 248 institutions nationwide have been cleared to participate in the programme.
These include all federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, as well as one state university, one state polytechnic, and one state college of education in each state.
READ ALSO: FG Opens Portal For ₦50m Student Venture Grant
The Ministry also confirmed that in the first phase of disbursement, more than 9,000 staff members of eligible institutions have already received payments under the scheme.
The over 9,000 beneficiaries account for 28 per cent of the 33,000 verified applicants drawn from around 219 federal and state tertiary institutions.
