Ahmaud Arbery killing: US Top Authorities Weighing Hate Crime Charges

The state authorities are not yet visible to investigate the killing of Arbery as a hate crime as Georgia does not have a hate crime law.

The United States Department of Justice is weighing up on either to file a hate crime charges against the whites who shot dead Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed black man who was shot while jogging in the small coastal town of Brunswick, Georgia.

"The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the US Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia have been supportive and will continue fully to support and participate in the state investigation. 

We are carefully assessing all the evidences to determine whether federal hate crimes charges are appropriate," Kupec said in a statement.

State authorities were unable to investigate the killing as a hate crime as Georgia is one of four states without a hate crime law. 

Outrage over Arbery's death came through last week after a viral video of the alleged murder, which took place on February 23, surfaced. 

The video shows Arbery running at a jogging pace on the left side of a road with a truck parked on the road ahead of him. One white man is inside the pick-up truck's bed, while the other is standing beside the driver's open door.

The runner crosses the road to pass the pick-up truck on the passenger side, then crosses back in front of the truck. A gunshot sounds, and the video shows the runner grappling with a man in the street over what appears to be a shotgun or rifle.

A second shot is heard, and the runner can be seen punching the man. A third shot is fired at point-blank range. The runner staggers a few feet and falls face down.

Authorities asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) to look into the case last week after the video emerged. 

The GBI arrested and charged father and son, Gregory and Travis McMichael, with murder and aggravated assault. 

The father and son told police they thought Arbery matched the appearance of a burglary suspect who they said had been recorded on a surveillance camera some time before, according to the Glynn County police report filed after the shooting.

Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, has said she thinks her 25-year-old son, a former high school football player, was just jogging in the neighbourhood before he was killed.

Meanwhile, a man identifying himself as the person who recorded the mobile phone video of the shooting said he had received death threats.

William "Roddie" Bryan is identified as a witness in the police report taken after Arbery's shooting. He appears to be mentioned in a single sentence of the report, which says Gregory McMichael told an officer that "'Roddy' attempted to block [Arbery] which was unsuccessful."

"I had nothing to do with it. I'm trying to get my life back to normal, and it's been smeared for the last week," Bryan told WJAX-TV in an interview that aired Monday. "I was told I was a witness, and I'm not sure what I am, other than receiving a bunch of threats."

Bryan has not been charged in the case. The TV station reported Bryan would not discuss his involvement in the events that led to Arbery's death.

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"Holy Spirit Led Me To Start This Church"- General Overseer Of Nigerian Gay Church

Despite the Federal Government's intolerance for Gay activities in Nigeria, Reverend Jide Macaulay, has damned all consequences and reopened his gay church, House of Rainbow in Lagos.

Its primary vision is to reach out to sexual minorities in Nigeria, UK, and around the world.

Rev Rowland Jide Macaulay is a confirmed and ordained Pastor who founded the House Of Rainbow Church in 2006. He openly held Sunday services in a Lagos hotel hall decked out with rainbow flags until the public revolted against the church.

He then fled to the UK after death threats.

Read Pastor Jide's views on homo-sexuality below:

"For me I have always been gay and I never became gay.

I became aware of my same sex attraction whilst living in Nigeria at the age of seven. Boys flirt with each other unknowing all the time and it was at this stage that I was more aware of my emotional, physical, mental and sexual attraction to boys.

I was 14 when I had my first sex with a guy, it was filled with curiousity, passion, embarassment and guilt as with with any heterosexual having sex for the first time.

By this age I had become a youth leader in the church and had spent time reading the bible including discovering chapters that "condemned" homosexuality.

Imagine the furore of my life? Now I have to be discrete, secretive and live a lie. When I look back at my life it never stopped my same sex attractions.

Fast forward thirty years, I am now fully confident that being gay is my natural being and I regretted ever trying to be straight.

I regretted that I did not get the education and appropriate spiritual development to be a gay man. I can understand that and that is why I am determined that the short life I may live in this world I trust God for the development of inclusive Christian education to enable the freedom of the mind, body, soul and spirit.

Recently, my father asked me to prove that homosexuality is genetics. I just looked at him and pointed to myself, "ME" you made me, you gave birth to a homosexual boy he was anxious to know more, so I asked him to prove to me that God is real, not that I don't know but if we were to play "doubting Thomas", lets lay all the cards out.

My homosexuality is real, I am gay and I did not become gay, just like I am black and I did not become black. This is a great way to move forward in life and let the world know that they may hate us but God Adores Us.

House Of Rainbow Fellowship is an inclusive Christian community, that welcomes all people and does not discriminate against LGBTI people (of faith or no faith).

I am proud that the Holy Spirit has led me to start this group, (nearly five years). We are growing with passion and relevance and it is my hope that we would be able to advance the learning and inclusion of all people.

I love myself and it is my daily prayer and hope that millions of LGBTI people around the world, their friends and families will come to understand and love them."

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12 Tested Positive In Bauchi

Over the last one week and few days, 12 people connected to the Federal Medical Centre, Azare, Bauchi, have tested positive for COVID-19. 

On April 28, the hospital recorded three confirmed Coronavirus cases: a doctor, a nurse and a patient in the employ of PHCN who had been on admission in the ward for a week. 

The doctor hadn’t travelled out of town for weeks, meaning this was a case of community infection.

Therefore, it was hugely surprising that the hospital did not conduct proper contact tracing; the known primary contacts of these confirmed cases were not isolated. 

Instead, the hospital management told them to continue working as usual.

As on May 3, one patient who had spent five days in the ward tested positive with three additional hospital staff, two nurses and a doctor tested positive for the virus too. 

These nurses were primary contacts of the nurse who tested positive on April 28. Anyone would be forgiven for expecting the hospital, at this point, to learn from its mishandling of the index cases, but nothing changed. 

Nurses and doctors in the same department who had repeated contact with the confirmed cases were not isolated.

They were told to continue working, consequently interacting with their colleagues, patients and families! 

Now, the wife and two children of the doctor who tested positive on April 28 as well as two daughters of one of the nurses who tested positive on May 3 have all been presently positive.

Despite the scale of this tragedy, there isn’t yet one official statement from the hospital management announcing the confirmed cases to its staff or regulating the influx of people into the hospital & outpatient clinics.

Sadly, some healthcare workers at the FMC are starting to show symptoms of the virus, yet they’re being made to attend to other patients within the hospital. 

The number of suspected cases in Azare has recently been rising rapidly in a manner similar to Kano’s.

FMC Azare urgently needs proper contact tracing and isolation of primary contacts of confirmed cases.

Delaying this intervention will fuel the festering of the stealthily-brewing health crisis in Azare, and it could spill to the rest of Bauchi.

In addition, some people in that hospital have shirked their responsibilities.

Those who bungled FMC Azare’s handling of these COVID-19 cases must be investigated, identified and punished as it will serve as a deterrence to other senior health officials elsewhere who have scant regard for the sanctity of the human lives in their care.

Source: FISAYO SOYOMBO on his Twitter handle.

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Be Prepare For Deep Crisis – UN warns

The General Secretary to the United Nation António Guterres, has warned that the world is about to be faced with another deep emergency aside the Coronavirus pandemic.

Guterres on Wednesday said the biodiversity was declining sharply and climate disruption approaching a point of no return

Guterres made this known in his message to mark the International Mother Earth Day, NAN reports.

He said although the world is currently occupied with the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was facing another deep emergency which is the planet’s unfolding environmental crisis’

The UN chief, therefore called for decisive global action to protect the planet from both the coronavirus and the “existential threat of climate disruption’’.

Guterres further proposed climate-related actions to save countries.

“First, as we spend huge amounts of money to recover from the coronavirus, we must deliver new jobs and businesses through a clean, green transition.

“Second, where taxpayers’ money is used to rescue businesses, it needs to be tied to achieving green jobs and sustainable growth.

“Third, fiscal firepower must drive a shift from the grey to green economy, and make societies and people more resilient,’’ he said.

“We need an end to fossil fuel subsidies and the need for environmental polluters to be held accountable and made to pay compensation.

“Climate risks and opportunities must be incorporated into the financial system as well as all aspects of public policy making and infrastructure,’’ he added.

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Couples Arrested In Lagos For Faking Maid Suicide

A middle-aged woman Nene Steve, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (CID) for allegedly killing her maid, Joy Aboel.

It was alleged that She mercilessly beat Joy to death and then hung her to the ceiling to make it look like a suicide.

Commenting on the incident that occurred at 18, Ogundola Street in Bariga, Joy’s brother, Philips Ejeh, told newsmen that’ 

“The deceased was an indigene of Benue State brought to Lagos through an agent.

“She started working with her (Nene) as a maid in January 2020. She reported that her boss refused to pay her and anytime she asked for her salary, she would start beating her.

“She was making an attempt to leave, but due to the lockdown, she remained there until Sunday when her boss claimed she stole Indomie noodles. This led to serious  beating and her master hung her to death.

“The madam said Joy hung herself. How can someone hang herself and her legs will be on the ground? My sister engaged herself for the job to be able to further her education.

“The case was reported to the State CID. The police have deposited her body for autopsy. She (Nene) killed Joy because she didn’t want to pay her salary. The good people of Nigeria should come to our help.”

Police Public Relations Officer in Lagos, DSP Bala Elkana, said Nene and her husband were at Bariga Police Station to report that their maid committed suicide.

Elkana recalled that when detectives visited the scene and saw the position of the rope with which Joy allegedly hung herself, they suspected a foul play.

“Police moved on with their investigation and found a lot of signs of violence on her body, showing that she was tortured before she put the rope on her neck.

“If it were to be ordinary suicide, how come wound and signs of beating are all over her body?,” he wondered.

Elkana confirmed that the corpse had been deposited in the morgue for autopsy, while the matter is currently being handled by the State CID operatives in Panti, Yaba.

The couple have been arrested and will be charged to court after investigation is completed, the Police spokesman added.

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Please Don't Consume Our Cleaning Agents To Tackle Coronavirus

The company that produces Lysol and Dettol is urging customers not to consume its cleaning agents after President Donald Trump suggested the possibility of injecting disinfectants to protect people from coronavirus.

Reckitt Benckiser (RBGLY), a British company, warned on Friday that human consumption of disinfectant products is dangerous. It issued the statement following "recent speculation and social media activity."

"As a global leader in health and hygiene products, we must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route)," the company said in a statement.

RB said products should only be "used as intended and in line with usage guidelines.

"We have a responsibility in providing consumers with access to accurate, up-to-date information as advised by leading public health experts," the company said.

The statement followed remarks from President Trump on Thursday on the use of disinfectants.

"And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in one minute. Is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning ... it would be interesting to check that," Trump said. "It sounds interesting to me," he added.

CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta was quick to point out that this is simply wrong.

"He also said it needs to be studied. Actually, it doesn't. I mean we know the answer to this one," he said on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 on Thursday. "I think everybody would know that that would be dangerous and counter-productive."

Ingesting or injecting disinfectants is dangerous, according to a medical expert employed by the Trump administration. Food and Drug Administration chief Dr. Stephen Hahn told CNN's Anderson Cooper, "I certainly wouldn't recommend the internal ingestion of a disinfectant."

The US Food and Drug Administration regularly warns the public against drinking bleach, or even inhaling fumes from bleach. It's also irritating to skin.

On Monday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said calls about poisonings with cleaners and disinfectants had increased more than 20% in the first three months of 2020 -- as coronavirus cleaning increased -- than from the same period a year earlier. Among cleaners, bleaches accounted for the largest percentage increase in calls from 2019 to 2020.

The CDC recommends using soap and water or bleach to kill the virus. Rubbing alcohol that's at least 70% alcohol will also kill it on surfaces; 60% for your hands.

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An Un-Explainable Death Is On The Loose in Kano

There is a disaster currently unfolding in Kano, with rising death rates particularly among the elderly that is not getting the National attention it deserves. 

While some may explain the increasing death rate to the lack of medical care for the chronically ill due to the lockdown (which in any case is poorly observed and enforced in Kano), we should not forget that these same pre-existing medical conditions make the elderly more vulnerable to infections and deaths by Covid-19 Kano, the most populous city in Nigeria, will if urgent measures are not taken now, become the epicentre of COVID-19 pandemic on the African continent. 

I have always believed that based on the epidemiology of the virus, the population dynamics, negative socioeconomic factors, the state of healthcare and infrastructure in the city, Kano alone will have more positive cases than the whole country put together. 

But, because we were not testing, we did not find. We are now seeing more cases because the test centre in Kano started working just two weeks ago. 

On Monday April 20th, 2020, there was a news scroll on National Television Authority (NTA) captioned “100 people died in Kano from a strange illness”. Really? What illness can be stranger than COVID-19 at this moment in our history, I asked? Print and social media are also replete with hysterical headlines about the rising fatalities in the city. 

There are first hand reports from many cemeteries in the city of steadily increasing burials which the state government initially denied but later said it would investigate. 

Doctors in the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) of the major teaching hospital in the city report that recently, almost 60% of all A&E visits are adults with symptomatic respiratory infections with increasing fatality in those above 50 years of age. 

To worsen things, most of the hospitals in the state are currently only partially functioning due to fear and uncertainty among healthcare workers who know very well that the hospitals cannot cope with sick Covid-19 patients that will soon be coming.

The tragedy is that healthcare workers who are in the frontline and exposed daily to the mortal danger of this virus are not provided with any form of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). 

About two months ago, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) lost two brilliant doctors in the prime of their lives and careers to Lassa fever after operating on an infected pregnant patient. 

This is the reason that the AKTH Chapter of the Association of Resident Doctors issued a statement on 20th April 2020 putting the hospital authorities on notice that they will stop seeing patients if they are not provided with adequate PPEs. 

These doctors are right in their demands which are enshrined and protected by the WHO rights of healthcare workers taking care of patients in any pandemic.  

Doctors took an oath to protect and preserve lives not to commit suicide which is what knowingly seeing a Covid-19 patient without PPE will be. 

Nigerians as a people should salute, speak up for, and protect our healthcare workers. 

These selfless men and women, some of the best among us are in the frontline all across the nation putting their lives on the line for us in this existential battle against this unseen enemy. 

6Sadly, the Kano State’s Task Force on COVID-19 is in disarray since several of its key members went into quarantine after testing positive for the virus, this vacuum in leadership has resulted in the very slow response and testing by the State’s Rapid Response team resulting in increasing fatality particularly among the elderly. 

It is the socioeconomic consequences of this pandemic that scares me more than the virus itself. How well it is handled now will determine this outcome. Clearly, Kano city is in serious trouble and the political leadership is in dire need of help from the Federal government, it’s citizens and the whole nation. A wise man once said “When disaster strikes, it tears the curtain away from the festering problems that we have beneath them.” I call on the Federal government to act now with all sense of urgency by mobilizing resources to Kano to achieve the following remedies before it is too late. (a). Humane but strict enforcement of Social Distancing measures (b). Provision of foodstuffs and palliatives to enable people to stay at home (c). Aggressive case finding by increasing testing and isolating those found positive (d). Provision of adequate PPEs to healthcare workers (e). Provision of adequate Drugs & Consumables to hospitals (f). Provision of more hospital & ICU bed spaces (g). Provision of Ventilators to hospitals (h).Employment of more healthcare workers like Nurses and Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWS) to assist in contact tracing (I).Aggressive public education (j). All deaths should be reported and swabs taken for Covid-19 before burials (k).Active engagement of Traditional, Religious and community leaders. We all have a duty to pull together and look out for each other at this trying time. Yusuf is a Professor of Haematology-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Related Kano records 12 cases as Nigeria’s coronavirus cases surge to 407 150 people die in Kano in 3 days COVID-19: Ministers wear masks for briefings, healthcare personnel work without them Download Daily Trust News App Share this article TwitterFacebookWhatsAppTelegram Join us on Join our whatsapp group here for Breaking News, Exclusives , others Complain about a story or Report an error and/or correction: +2348189301900 (Whatsapp and SMS only) Email: dtonline@dailytrust.com DISCLAIMER: Comments on this thread are that of the maker and they do not necessarily reflect the organizations stand or views on issues. Top Posts 150 people die in Kano in 3 days Has husband killer, Maryam Sanda, received Presidential pardon? 12 countries currently operating 5G network Buhari's Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari dies of COVID-19 Race for Abba Kyari’s successor begins Nasarawa buys N500m cars for lawmakers Abba Kyari’s last moments Lockdown: Tough decisions coming from Buhari next week – NCDC Ganduje's deputy, daughter self-isolate as Kano Task Force's co-chair tests positive for COVID-19 'I was misunderstood over Abba Kyari's comment', sacked Kano commissioner Just In What we know about COVID-19 and sex for now – FG COVID-19: FG reacts to report of planned national lockdown COVID-19: Borno, Rivers,

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Two Cats Tested Positive To Coronavirus

Two cats in New York have been infected with the Covid19, federal officials announced Wednesday. 

Both had mild respiratory symptoms and are expected to make a full recovery.

"These are the first pets in the United States to test positive," the US Department of Agriculture said Wednesday in a joint statement with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agencies emphasized that there is no evidence pets play a role in spreading coronavirus in the United States. 

"There is no justification in taking measures against companion animals that may compromise their welfare," they said.

The two cats were tested after they showed respiratory symptoms, according to the agencies, and they join the ranks of a lion and a tiger in New York who were previously confirmed to be infected.

A veterinarian tested the first house cat after it showed mild respiratory signs, but none of the humans in its household were confirmed to have the virus.

It's possible, officials said, that the cat was infected by somebody outside the home. Someone inside the house, with mild or no symptoms, could have also transmitted the virus.

The second cat, in a separate area of New York, was also tested after it showed signs of respiratory illness. The owner of that cat tested positive for Covid-19 before the cat became ill, but another cat in the household has shown no signs of illness.

Officials are still learning more about coronavirus and pets, but the CDC is recommending that people limit interactions between their pets and people or animals outside the household.

Cats should be kept indoors when possible, the CDC said, and dogs should be walked on a leash, maintaining at least six feet from other people and animals.

The agency said dogs should also avoid public places where a large number of people and animals gather, such as dog parks.

If someone is ill with Covid-19 -- whether suspected or confirmed -- officials recommend having another member of the household care for pets.

If that's not possible, people should wear cloth face coverings around animals, making sure to wash their hands before and after any interactions.

And when people are sick, officials said they should refrain from petting or snuggling their pets -- and avoid being kissed or licked.

SOURCE: CNN

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First Coronavirus Death In Ekiti

A Lagos based 29 year Old health worker lose her life to Covid19 after sneaking into Ekiti.

The deceased, who is pregnant is a community health worker based in Lagos, she's said to have sneaked into Ekiti in spite the lockdown order.

“Yes, a death has been recorded already, the third confirmed case. A pregnant woman who delivered her baby successfully, the baby is okay but she is dead,” a health worker told SaharaReporters.

The state on Tuesday confirmed that a doctor working with a private clinic tested positive for the virus.

According to Commissioner for Health in Ekiti, Dr Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, the doctor contracted the virus while treating the late pregnant woman

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