Some Nigerian football fans were on Saturday expelled from a football stadium in Senegal for displaying Biafran flags.

The fans were expelled minutes after they displayed Biafran flags alongside Nigerian flags at a football match between Nigeria and Algeria at the U-23 African Cup of Nations holding in Dakar, the Senegalese capital.

There have been protests in South-East Nigeria by Igbos who demand for a separate Biafran country. Biafra was also the name adopted by the Eastern Nigeria during the civil war between 1967 and 1970, after which a ‘no victor, no vanquish’ was declared by the federal government after Biafra was defeated.

On Saturday, the Senegalese football association officials considered the display of the Biafran flags at the Leopold Sedar Senghor stadium “a militant act”.

As a result, the Vice President of the Senegalese Football Federation, FSF, Amadou Kane, who was in charge of the organisation, ordered security officials to respond by tearing down the Biafran flags and posters and expelling the supporters involved.

Senegalese FA officials said the group took advantage of the presence of the media at the stadium to raise the Biafran flag.

Dressed in T-shirts with the Biafra logo, eye witnesses said the group “invaded” the left wing of the covered pavilion to flaunt the Biafran flag alongside that of Nigeria. They later displayed a large flag calling for Biafran autonomy.

The match eventually ended 0-0 with Nigeria coming second in Group B with five points, behind Algeria.

Nigeria will face Senegal in the semi-final next week while Algeria will battle South Africa.

Culled From PremiumTimes

A 33-year-old Chinese man died while participating in an international marathon in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Saturday, December 5.

According to CCTV News, Yao was 400 meters away from the finish line when he suddenly collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital but the emergency treatment could not save his life.

Media reports indicate that Yao worked as a salesman and used to exercise regularly. In fact, he participated in a half marathon last month, and finished the race in two hours and ten minutes.

His younger brother said that Yao had undergone regular annual medical examinations and was found to be healthy.

A fuel tanker which exploded in the early hours of Saturday, December 5, 2015 has left several cars burnt and the Ojuelegba bridge partly damaged.

According to a report by Sunnewsonline, the explosion had reportedly occurred from a fuel tanker transporting Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

While details of the casualty has not been ascertained, it was gathered that several commercial vehicles popularly referred to as Danfo were set ablaze by the raging inferno caused by the explosion.

#CAUTION: As A Result Of PMS Content Spilled Into Some Drain pipes, residents of #OJUELEGBA Environs Are Advised To Avoid Lighting Fires Now

— GIDITRAFFIC (@Gidi_Traffic) December 5, 2015

The havoc wrecked has seen authorities appealing to residents of the area to desist from lighting fire or any actions that can ignite fire.

Certain rumours have been flying about concerning the Senate’s “Social Media Bill” with certain provisions of the bill unclear to many.

The Presidency of the Senate in a new press statement has clarified certain things about the bill.

Clarification on false claim that Senate passed a bill proposing to jail social media users for two years. The bill being made reference to, is An Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and Other Related Matters, which absolutely makes no mention of jailing social media users.

Senator Na’Allah’s bill seeks to make illegal, the common act of individuals sponsoring frivolous petitions to tarnish/blackmail public servants or political office holders for selfish purposes.

The bill also seeks to make it a requirement for petitioners to depose to an affidavit in court which will must be attached to any petition. Where such petition is discovered to be frivolous, or mischievous or the fact there in are false, the proposed bill makes it a case of perjury which is an offense under the law.

The Deputy Senate leader in his submission expressed concern that with such frivolous petitions, the right of an individual to be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court, would have eroded such presumption of innocence as these petitions lead to media trials that hampers the rule of law.

In the developed societies and in particular, the US, if one files a petition with the Federal Bureau of Investigation or any other government agency, aimed at defaming someone, ruining their reputation or family and such petition is discovered to be false, such a person will be held liable and would pay dearly for it.

One can only imagine that if countries allowed dishonest elements to file petitions against their opponents without having to hold them accountable, this will amount to impunity.

Please find attached the lead debate to the said petition.
Signed

Bamikole Omishore
SA New Media
President of The Senate