Governor Ademola Adeleke has warned of stern state action against traditional rulers of Ifon, Erin Osun and Ilobu communities if they fail to sustain current peace and de-escalation of the crisis in their communities.
The Governor issued the warning against the backdrop of online reports that some faceless groups across the conflict areas are planning another round of attacks.
“In the midst of Sallah celebrations, I got reports of some people planning another round of conflict around Ifon, Ilobu and Erin Osun towns. The security agencies have tightened surveillance to ensure no attacks take place”, Governor Adeleke was quoted to have said in a statement signed by his spokesperson Olawale Rasheed on Monday.
“The security agencies are also speeding up the interrogation of key chieftains and actors in the conflict. I will remind top leaders of the towns that the peace undertaking they are signing are not for joke. They will be held accountable. There will be accountability before the law.
” The curfew we relaxed was on humanitarian grounds. As a compassionate government, we know many innocent people are suffering because of the evil agenda of a few elements across the conflict areas. Any attempt to exploit the adjustment of the curfew for renewed violence will be met with full re-imposition of the 24-hour curfew.
Myanmar declared a week of national mourning on Monday over the country’s devastating earthquake, as the death toll passed 2, 000 and hopes faded of finding more survivors in the rubble of ruined buildings.
National flags will fly at half-mast until April 6 “in sympathy for the loss of life and damages” from Friday’s massive quake, the ruling junta said in a statement.
The junta also announced a minute’s silence on Tuesday, to begin at 12: 51: 02 pm (0621 GMT) — the precise time the 7.7-magnitude quake struck.
People should stop where they are to pay tribute to the victims, the junta said, while media should halt broadcasting and show mourning symbols, and prayers will be offered at temples and pagodas.
The announcement came as the tempo and urgency of rescue efforts wound down in Mandalay, one of the worst-affected cities and the country’s second-largest, with more than 1.7 million inhabitants.
“The situation is so dire that it’s hard to express what is happening”, said Aung Myint Hussein, chief administrator of Mandalay’s Sajja North mosque.
A man walks along a road carring a tent to setup outdoors in Mandalay on March 31, 2025, three days after the deadly Myanmar earthquake. Myanmar declared a week of national mourning on March 31 for the country’s devastating earthquake, as the death toll passed 2, 000 and hopes faded of finding more survivors in the rubble of ruined buildings. (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP)
People prepared to camp out in the streets across Mandalay for a fourth successive night, either unable to return to ruined homes or nervous about the repeated aftershocks that rattled the city over the weekend.
Some have tents but many, including young children, have been bedding down on blankets in the middle of roads, trying to keep as far from buildings as possible for fear of falling masonry.
The junta said Monday that 2, 056 have now been confirmed, with more than 3, 900 people injured and 270 still missing, but the toll is expected to rise significantly.
Three Chinese nationals are among the dead, China’s state media said, along with two French people, according to the foreign ministry in Paris.
At least 19 deaths have been confirmed hundreds of kilometres away in Thailand’s capital Bangkok, where the force of the quake caused a 30-storey tower block under construction to collapse.
Indonesian Air Force troops and National Mitigation Agency officials prepare to load humanitarian aid from the Indonesian government for earthquake victims in Myanmar into a Hercules C-130 transport aircraft at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta on March 31, 2025. (Photo by BAY ISMOYO / AFP)
– Outdoor hospital –
Mandalay’s 1, 000-bed general hospital has been evacuated, with hundreds of patients being treated outside.
Patients lay on gurneys in the hospital car park, many with only a thin tarpaulin rigged up to shield them from the fierce tropical sun.
Relatives did their best to comfort them, holding hands or waving bamboo fans over them.
“We’re trying to do what we can here. We are trying our best”, said one medic, who asked to remain anonymous.
The sticky heat has exhausted rescue workers and accelerated body decomposition, which could complicate identification.
But traffic began returning to the streets of Mandalay on Monday, and restaurants and street vendors resumed work.
Hundreds of Muslims gathered outside a destroyed mosque in the city for the first prayer of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that follows the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.
– Humanitarian crisis –
The challenges facing the Southeast Asian country of more than 50 million people were immense even before the earthquake.
Myanmar has been ravaged by four years of civil war sparked by a military coup in 2021, with its economy shattered and healthcare and infrastructure badly damaged.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the quake a top-level emergency as it urgently sought $8 million to save lives, while the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has launched an appeal for more than $100 million.
International aid and rescue teams have been arriving after junta chief Min Aung Hlaing made an exceptionally rare appeal for foreign assistance.
In the past, isolated Myanmar’s ruling generals have shunned foreign assistance, even after major natural disasters.
Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun thanked key allies China and Russia for their help, as well as India, and said the authorities were doing their best.
“We are trying and giving treatment to injured people and searching for missing ones”, he told journalists.
But reports have emerged of the military carrying out air strikes on armed groups opposed to its rule, even as Myanmar grapples with the quake’s aftermath.
One ethnic minority armed group told AFP on Sunday that seven of its fighters were killed in an aerial attack soon after the quake, and there were reports of more air strikes on Monday.
Myanmar’s raging civil war, pitting the military against a complex array of anti-coup fighters and ethnic minority armed groups, has displaced around 3.5 million people.
In Bangkok, diggers continued to clear the vast pile of rubble at the site of the collapsed building.
Officials say they have not given up hope of finding more survivors in the wreckage, where 12 deaths have been confirmed and at least 75 people are still unaccounted for.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have started releasing the results of the H-1B visa lottery for the year 2026.
Applicants are to check their status online through the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) portal, through their employer, or their legal representative. Since notifications are being issued in phases, some applicants may need to wait longer for confirmation of their status.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows U. S. employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialty occupations that require specialised knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
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It is commonly used for jobs in technology, engineering, finance, healthcare, and academia.
This year’s registration opened on March 7, 2025, and closed on March 24, 2025. USCIS implemented several changes this year, the most significant being a steep increase in the registration fee—rising from $10 to $215 per beneficiary. This non-refundable fee, payable at the time of registration, marks a 2, 050% increase.
Each year, the issuance of H-1B visas is capped at 65, 000, with an additional 20, 000 slots allocated for applicants with advanced degrees from U. S. universities.
The Assistant State Woman Leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River South Senatorial District, Margaret Okon, has officially resigned from the party.
Her decision comes barely 48 hours after Emana Amawhe, the deputy governorship candidate for the 2024 general elections, also stepped down from the PDP.
In a letter addressed to the Ward Chairman of Edem Odo Ward, Akpabuyo Local Government Area, Cross River State, Okon expressed gratitude for the opportunities and experiences she gained while serving the party.
She reflected on her journey, which included roles as a ward executive member, councillor, and most recently as a member of the state executive council and assistant state women leader for the South.
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“I am grateful for the opportunity to have served the party in various capacities, from being a Ward Exco member to serving as a Councillor, and most recently, as a member of the State Executive Council/ Assistant State Woman Leader, South, a position I have held until today. These experiences have been invaluable, and I deeply appreciate the trust and support I received throughout my journey”, she said.
“The insights and lessons I have gained during my time in the PDP will undoubtedly play an instrumental role in shaping my future endeavors. As I take this step forward, I remain committed to the service of my community and the pursuit of progress for our people”.
In a sustained crackdown against crude oil theft and related crimes in the Niger Delta region, troops from the 6th division of the Nigerian Army have detained 39 suspected oil thieves and destroyed 18 illegal refining facilities.
According to the Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, the operation was carried out between March 24 and March 30, 2025, in collaboration with sister security organizations.
Danjuma claimed security forces also seize more than 60 000 litres of petroleum products that had been stolen and destroyed the illegal refining infrastructure.
He claimed that troops in Rivers State had intercepted a custom-built twin tank with 18, 000 litres of crude oil stolen along Ochokocho Road in the Etche Local Government Area. Additionally, a MAN Diesel container truck with the registration number LXA 44 XA was seized while attempting to smuggle petroleum-related items that were hidden in sawdust bags. When they saw security forces, the suspects left the car and fled.
Further anti-oil theft operations along the Imo River, in his opinion, resulted in the destruction of numerous illegal refining facilities, with over 15, 000 litres of stolen goods being recovered. 2,800 litres of stolen crude oil were taken from Rumuekpe Forest in Ahoada East LGA, where two refining sites were destroyed and two refining facilities were also damaged.
Similar operations were conducted in the Degema Local Government Area’s Ebocha, Omoku, and Jelikri Creek, where illegal refining facilities, drum ovens, hoses, and metal pipes were all found.
Additionally, the Army’s statement highlighted significant accomplishments in Bayelsa State, particularly in Yenagoa LGA, where two illegal refining facilities were demolished and reassembled with more than 8, 000 litres of stolen crude in drums and sacks.
Another illegal operation was discovered in the Southern Ijaw LGA, which involved the recovery of 1,500 liters of crude oil and 300 liters of automotive gas oil (AGO).
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In Delta State, troops continued to fight crude oil theft after seizing several jerricans filled with illegally refined AGO and destroying storage containers used in the illicit trade.
According to the statement in Akwa Ibom State, troops “dominated the operational landscape,” preventing criminals from operating freely.
Major General Emmanuel Emekah, the division’s General Officer Commanding (GOC) leader, reiterated the army’s commitment to halting crude oil theft during his remarks. Our troops will continue to protect Nigeria’s resources and deter oil thieves. He warned that anyone who engages in illegal refining must turn a new leaf or be prepared to face the full punishment of the law.
Major General Emekah, who affirmed the army’s position, was quoted further as saying, “We will not relent in our efforts to maintain a secure environment where legitimate exploration activities can thrive without criminal interference.”
Dele Momodu, a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), criticized President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, calling it “anti-democratic.”
In response to the oil-rich state’s political crisis, Tinubu suspended governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months in addition to the state of emergency.
Momodu, who was featured as a guest on Channels Television’s “The Morning Brief” and “The President’s Choice,” joined a long list of other people who can’t fault the president’s choice.
“It’s unfortunate, I think. President Tinubu is a very, very, very well-known figure to me. We were in exile together, and despite the fact that I’ve not been in the same party, he gallantly fought for this democracy. He said on Monday that many of us, as co-comrades at the time, are actually very embarrassed that our government has a pro-democracy leader, despite what we are witnessing being worse than dictatorship.
Please don’t destroy democracy in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu pleaded with him. This will be said by everyone who loves him. We love him for his contributions to the motivation in the back, which is what is draining, Momodu said, but I don’t, I haven’t asked him for anything or anything.
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Dele Momodu’s photo in the file.
The All-Party Party (APC) leader accused the opposition of intimidating him and urging him to “watch your back.”
On the show, he said, “I’m saying to millions of Nigerians that President Tinubu should not allow people to deceive you,” he said.
