News
Iran Admits Shooting Down Ukrainian Plane That Killed 176 People
Iran has admitted it fired a missile that brought down a passenger plane shortly after it took off from its main Airport on Wednesday morning, effectively backtracking on fervent denials.
“A sad day. Preliminary conclusions of internal investigation by Armed Forces: Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster,” Iranian Foreign minister Javad Zarif said in a statement Saturday morning.
“Our profound regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, to the families of all victims, and to other affected nations”.
A Boeing 737-800 passenger plane operated by Ukrainian International Airlines went down shortly after take off from Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran at about 6:12 a.m.
All 176 passengers and crew members on board, including 82 Iranians, were killed.
There were immediate suspicion that the plane was shot down because the incident came as Iran was firing missiles against American targets in Iraq through the night on Wednesday. But Iran quickly dismissed the claim, with a senior official describing it as “a big lie” on State television.
Ukraine also initially dismissed reports that the plane was shot down, but later retracted after emerging evidence began showing high possibility of a missile attack.
However, on Thursday, a day after the crash, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada announced that evidence from Canadian and other Western intelligence outfits showed Iran fired a missile at the plane.
Canada had the highest number of nationals on the plane: 63. Germany, the United Kingdom and Ukraine also had citizens on it.
Ukrainian Aviation Experts had been given access to the flight recording devices that were recovered shortly after the crash, but it was not immediately clear whether they had commenced analysis.
Iran had said it would seek support from international partners, especially from France and Canada, to study evidence collected from the crash site.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, BoT, is currently holding an emergency meeting.
The meeting was called to find lasting solutions to the current leadership crisis bedeviling the party.
Those who have arrived include the BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara; Secretary of the BoT, Senator Ahmed Makarfi; and former Governors Achike Udenwa, Sam Egwu, Babangida Aliyu, Senator Ben Obi, and Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola, among others.
The meeting is holding amid the crisis surrounding the struggle for who occupies the position of the PDP National Secretary.
Last week, at the PDP national secretariat, a fight broke out between Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye during its BoT meeting.
The crisis between the duo started when Anyanwu left to contest for Imo State governorship election and Ude-Okoye was was selected by the Southeast arm of the party to replace him.
This led to a lawsuit, after which the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu declared Ude-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary.
But Anyanwu said Ude-Okoye has no authority to assume the position, despite the ruling.
Anyanwu cited his appeal of the ruling at the Supreme Court as grounds for maintaining the status quo
The Nigerian Senate has approved the termination of three Resident Electoral Commissioners who have been suspended since 2023 for flouting the provisions of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Act
The approval followed the request from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging the Senate to terminate the appointments of the embattled State Resident Electoral Commissioner for Adamawa, Sokoto and Abia.
Sponsor of the motion and Leader of the Senate, Michael Bamidele Opeyemi sought the invocation of Section 157 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, saying that the law empowers the Chamber to approve the request.
Those whose appointments will be terminated include, Dr Nura Ali, Sokoto State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari, Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner and Professor Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu, Abia State Resident Electoral Commissioner respectively.
He said, “Aware that the aforementioned Resident Commissioners were earlier suspended in 2023, bordering on allegations of infractions of the Electoral Act; compromise of elections and abandonment of duty without cogent reasons.”
A copy of the motion sighted by Newsmen on Wednesday revealed that the Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, and the Department of State Services, DSS, indicted Dr. Nura Ali in their reports, having confessed to corruption, incompetence and receiving bribe to the tune of $150,000 from politicians.
According, the plenary which was presided by the Senate President, Godswill Obot Akpabio activated the relevant provisions of the Constitution and approve the termination of appointment of the affected Commissioners.
President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Wednesday for a private visit to Paris, France, before proceeding to Addis Ababa for the 46th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council and the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU Heads of State.
“The president will arrive in Addis Ababa early next week for the AU summit,” Mr Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesman, said in a statement.
The AU Summit is scheduled to hold from Feb. 12th to 16th.
“In Addis Ababa, President Tinubu will join African leaders at the 46th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council and the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU Heads of State, scheduled for Feb. 12th to 16th.
Hea said while in France, President Tinubu would meet with his French counterpart, President Emmanuel Macron.
BREAKING: PDP BoT holds emergency meeting amid Anyanwu, Ude-Okoye crisis
BREAKING: Senate approves termination of appointment of 3 Resident Electoral Commissioners
Tinubu Departs for France Ahead of AU Summit
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