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Israel launches air strikes on Iran

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Israel announced the launch of “precise strikes” on military targets in Iran on Saturday in retaliation for Iranian missile attacks, as an AFP journalist in Tehran reported hearing several explosions.

“In response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel –- right now the Israel Defense Forces (Israeli military) is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran,” the military said in a statement.

Israel had vowed to hit back at Iran following its October 1 missile attack, with Defence Minister Yoav Gallant saying the response would be “deadly, precise and surprising”.

Israel has been fighting Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza since the deadliest attack in its history on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.

It has since broadened the scope of its operations to Lebanon, vowing to secure its northern border after nearly a year of attacks launched by Iran-backed Hezbollah in support of Hamas.

“Our defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilised,” the Israeli military said in a statement.

Military spokesman Daniel Hagari in a separate statement urged people to be “alert and vigilant”.

Iran’s October 1 strike, its second direct attack on Israel, came after an Israeli air raid killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guards general Abbas Nilforoushan in Lebanon on September 27.

It also followed the killing of Hamas’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, on July 31 in Tehran in an attack widely blamed on Israel.

The rapid escalation of violence has raised fears across the region of a wider war, pitting Israel against Iran and the allies it dubs the “axis of resistance”.

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Fully mobilised’
Iranian state television said Saturday “strong explosions” were heard around the capital, though it did not specify the cause of the blasts.

“Minutes ago, the sound of strong explosions were heard from around Tehran, the source of these sounds is not yet clear,” a state TV presenter said.

It later said “six loud blasts” were heard in areas of Tehran.

An AFP reporter also heard the explosions.

Iranian media said no fire or explosions had been reported at a main oil refinery near the capital.

Iran had in recent weeks warned that any attack on its “infrastructure” would provoke an “even stronger response”, while Revolutionary Guards general Rassul Sanairad said an attack on nuclear or energy sites would cross a red line.

US National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said the “targeted strikes on military targets” are “an exercise of self-defence and in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1.”

The United States was “informed beforehand and there is no US involvement,” a US defence official told AFP, on condition of anonymity.

The official did not say how far in advance the United States had been informed or what had been shared by Israel.

The scope and nature of Saturday’s strike was not immediately clear, but in a possible indication, Syrian state news agency SANA said Syrian air defences had intercepted what it described as “hostile targets” near the capital city, Damascus.

“Our anti-aircraft defence is confronting hostile targets in the skies around Damascus,” SANA said on Telegram.

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It also reported “sounds of explosions” in the vicinity of Damascus, though the origin of those blasts was unclear.

AFP

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NDLEA laments high intake of cannabis, loud in Oyo

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The Narcotics Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Oyo State Command, Mr Olayinka Joe-Fadile, has expressed worry over the high intake of illicit drugs in the state.

Joe- Fadile made the observation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Abeokuta at the sidelines of the “Public Destruction of Drug Exhibits” held at Ipara town, Ogun, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Way.

According to him, the high consumption of Cannabis Sativa in the state which has metamorphosed into loud with different strains like Scottish Loud, Canadian Loud, Arizona Loud among others is worrisome.

“These loud drug are even expensive and more dangerous than Cannabis Sativa,” he said.

He said that the illicit substance killed gradually and painfully.

Joe- Fadile said “I am using this medium to appeal to the youths, who will become the country’s future leaders, to stay away from drugs.

“You may think the drug is giving you inspiration now, but it will eventually kill slowly and painfully.”

He reiterated that the Command had cordial relationship with all security agencies saying the 1.6 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs destroyed was possible because of joint efforts.

“Each command used to burn its exhibits separately; that is, Oyo state Command will burn its exhibits separately, Lagos will do same, Ogun will do the same.

“But the three states and some strategic commands, shared under Zones 9 and 11, came together today to perform the task jointly.

“The Zones comprised Lagos Strategic Command, Ogun Command, Oyo State command, Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command, Lagos Seaports Idiroko Border Command and Seme Command.” (NAN)

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Agribusiness : FG denies exclusion of North-East from SAPZ programme

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The Federal Government said the statement by the National Assembly North – East Caucus that its zone was ” completely excluded” from the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme was not correct.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, stated this on Saturday in Abuja, while responding to the National Assembly North – East Caucus statement.

Kyari said that the Caucus in a statement had said that the North East was “completely excluded” from the SAPZ initiative.

The SAPZ is part of a strategic initiative of the Federal Government aimed at promoting agricultural industrialisation.

He said that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu has recognised the absolute need to avoid exclusion because one of the agenda is ‘Inclusivity’

Kyari said this was to ensure that all segments of the country and all relevant stakeholders and groupings were carried along in the design and implementation of government programmes.
He said that the SAPZ programme was inaugurated in 2022 based on its conceptual design of Phase 1 in 2019.

Kyari said that the project is a Federal Government enabled initiative with subscription by the State Governments of the Federation.

” All state Governments are expected to individually express Interest in the programme.

” For clarity the following steps were taken to arrive at the programme as it is today:The selection Process.

” In 2019, each state governor was notified in writing to express interest with an attached eligibility criteria that will enable them to participate in phase 1 of the programme,” he said.

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He explained that upon receipt of their expression of interest, a joint team comprising the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Finance, the African Development bank conducted a mission to each of the states to verify the fulfillment of the eligibility criteria as a selection process.

” This stage got eight States that qualified namely,Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, Imo, Cross River, and FCT.

” However, upon the assumption of office by this administration, we reviewed development potential of this programme under the renewed hope agenda of Mr President and decided that no state will be left behind,” he said.

He said Vice – President Kashim Shettima’s first international mission was to Rome, Food System summit where he galvanised more funding to enable us take more states.

” He embarked on a second mission to the World Food Price meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. where he obtained a commitment of 1 billion dollars from the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the sole purpose of bringing on board more states,” he said.

Kyari further explained that SAPZ is a Subsidiary Loan Agreement Programme which meant that the Federal Government onboards the obtained loans to the state for the implementation of the programme.

” Considering this is a loan, it is solely the discretion of the state to participate or not, and we have cases where states have not expressed interest,” he said.

He said that the overall policy directive of President Tinubu was that all States must be brought on board adding that this would be in phases.

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” We are convinced that as other states see the actuality of this project, they get more interested and therefore express their interest in being the first stage of being onboarded.

” Perhaps, this is the case with the North East Caucus seeing two landmark events being held back-to-back in Kaduna and Cross River,” he said.

The minister said that the phase 2 of the programme had already commenced in earnest.

” I have personally communicated to all the states that are not in phase 1 in written notifying them of the programme and to express interest.

” We have received Expression of Interests from 27 States but only 10 States fully complied with the eligibility criteria which includes Gombe, Borno and Bauchi States for the first tranche of phase 2 as they will be 3 tranches of onboarding states in the phase two,”he said.

Kyari expressed confident that more States would do the needful to fulfill the eligibility criteria to enable government capture them in the second tranche funding of phase 2.

” I therefore also want to appeal to the legislators especially the North East NASS Caucus to appeal to the other Governors u of Taraba, Yobe and Adamawa to reinvigorate their interest in the programme and to ensure they fulfil the eligibility criteria for the second phase,” he said.

He said that beyond the SAPZ Programme, the Federal Government had continued to provide targeted support for farmers in the North-East and across the country.

” We will continue to listen; and we’ve heard the statements of the representatives of the North East and we assure you all that the SAPZ Programme is for all Nigerians and each and every State of the Federation will be brought on board,” he said. (NAN)

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NDLEA interdicts Malaysian returnee with meth consignment concealed in music speakers

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 41-year-old ex-convict and Malaysian returnee, Ndubuisi Udatu (aka Richard) with two giant music speakers used to conceal four large parcels of methamphetamine.

The methamphetamine weighing 2.700kilograms for distribution in Yola and Mubi, Adamawa state, and across the border into Cameroon.

The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday via the agency’s X handle.

Mr Babafemi said Ndubuisi was arrested inside a commercial transport bus at an NDLEA check point at Namtari along Ngurore -Yola road, Adamawa on Monday 7th April 2025.

“He was found with two new music speakers used to conceal four packages of methamphetamine and monetary exhibit of N22,300.

“In his statement, he claimed he returned to Nigeria to continue his illicit drug trade after serving out his jail term in Malaysia where he had been arrested, convicted and sent to prison for drug trafficking offences”, he said.

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