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Syrian rebels sack Assad, end 60-year family rule

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In a historic turn of events, Syrian rebels seized the capital Damascus unopposed on Sunday, bringing an abrupt end to President Bashar al-Assad’s 13-year rule and the six-decade-long dominance of the Assad family.

The lightning advance sent Assad fleeing to Russia, which granted him and his family asylum, according to Russian state media.

The collapse of Assad’s government marks a major geopolitical shift, diminishing the influence of Iran and Russia in the region while leaving Syria in the hands of a rebel coalition partly backed by Turkey.

For Syrians, the regime’s sudden fall brings the promise of an end to a devastating civil war that left hundreds of thousands dead, cities in ruins, and millions displaced across the Middle East and beyond.

In a jubilant speech at Damascus’s historic Umayyad Mosque, rebel leader Abu al-Golani declared the dawn of a new era, urging Syrians to rebuild their nation.

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“How many people were displaced across the world? How many people lived in tents? How many drowned in the seas?” al-Golani told a huge crowd at the medieval Umayyad Mosque in central Damascus, referring to refugees who died trying to reach Europe, as reported by Reuters.

“A new history, my brothers, is being written in the entire region after this great victory,” he said, adding that with hard work Syria would be “a beacon for the Islamic nation”.

The Assad regime’s notorious police state disintegrated overnight. Freed political prisoners poured out of jails, rejoicing in the streets. Residents walked freely into the presidential palace, with some leaving carrying furniture.

The fall of Assad, long supported by Moscow and Tehran, is a major blow to their strategic ambitions in the region, including Iran’s ability to arm its allies and Russia’s naval presence in the Mediterranean.

United States President Joe Biden welcomed Assad’s ouster but cautioned that it marked a moment of both opportunity and uncertainty.

PHOTO: Members of the Syrian community wave Syria’s national flags during a demonstration near Domplein to celebrate the end of the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad after rebel fighters took control of the Syrian capital Damascus overnight, on December 8, 2024. – (Photo by ROB ENGELAAR / ANP / AFP)

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Police parade Doctors, others over alleged Organ Trafficking in Nasarawa

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The Nigeria Police Force has paraded four suspects, including two nephrologists, over an alleged organ-harvesting syndicate in Nasarawa State.

According to the police briefing reported by Channels Television, the suspects allegedly targeted vulnerable young men, luring them into kidney donations and paying them far less than the alleged value of the organs.

Police said one victim was allegedly paid about $1,250, while another reportedly received N7 million after his kidney was removed.

Investigators also alleged that forged documents, including birth certificates, affidavits, consent letters and identification documents, were used to facilitate the procedures and conceal the identities of some victims.

One alleged victim recounted during the briefing how he was deceived into donating his kidney.

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A representative of Wellington Clinic, where some of the procedures allegedly took place, also addressed the media, claiming that the hospital only provided the platform for the surgeries and was unaware of the alleged illegal activities involving changes to donors’ identities.

The police said investigations are ongoing as they work to identify and apprehend other members of the alleged syndicate.

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How doctors unlawfully removed kidneys of over 10 youths — VDM’s Lawyer reveals

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The lawyer to social media influencer VeryDarkMan, Marshall Abubakar, has alleged that vulnerable young Nigerians are being lured into illegal kidney harvesting schemes by medical practitioners and their agents under the guise of medical procedures.

According to Abubakar, more than 10 young Nigerians may have fallen victim to an alleged illegal kidney harvesting network involving medical practitioners and their agents.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Friday, Abubakar said the case came to light after a young man approached the Martin Luther King Centre, headed by VeryDarkMan, with a medical report indicating that his left kidney was missing.

He said the centre independently verified the report at two hospitals in Abuja, including a government medical facility in Jabi, where the absence of the young man’s left kidney was reportedly confirmed.

He said the young man was allegedly given about $1,300 after the procedure, while his identity was changed and an affidavit obtained in another name in an attempt to conceal the circumstances surrounding the operation.

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Abubakar further alleged that other youths had been similarly targeted around Masaka, Nyanya and Mararaba, with some allegedly recruited through agents.

He claimed that kidneys harvested from some victims were subsequently sold for between ₦50 million and ₦70 million, while the donors received only a fraction of the proceeds.

Abubakar described the alleged practice as a criminal enterprise, stressing that lawful organ donation requires informed consent and must not involve financial inducement.

He also alleged that the families of the affected youths were not informed before the procedures and only became aware after the cases emerged. (Channels)

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Gunmen kill APC chairman in Kogi, abduct another

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Gunmen have killed the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, Hon. Ishaq Yunusa, and abducted another occupant of his vehicle.

The incident occurred on Thursday along the Itobe-Ochadamu Expressway, around Ojuwo Olijo in Ofu Local Government Area of the state.

The Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Afusat Saliu, confirmed the incident in a statement made available to journalists in Lokoja on Friday.

Saliu said the attack occurred at about 5pm when armed assailants emerged from the surrounding bush and opened fire on motorists.

She said a blue Toyota Corolla, with registration number GWA 636 CH, was subsequently found abandoned along the highway.

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“The driver, identified as Hon. Ishaq Yunusa, was found dead in the vehicle, while another occupant was taken into the bush by the assailants,” the statement said.

The police spokesperson said the command, in collaboration with other security agencies, had intensified operations in the area, with personnel combing the surrounding forest to locate and rescue the abducted victim and apprehend the assailants.

She said the deceased had been evacuated to Grimard Hospital, Anyigba, for autopsy, while the command was pursuing all available leads in connection with the incident.

The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, directed sustained security operations along the affected corridor and ordered efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The command urged motorists and residents along the route to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements to the police or other security agencies.

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