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Nine migrant bodies have been recovered from the shores of Tajoura, an eastern suburb of Libya’s capital, Tripoli, after a boat carrying about 19 people capsized.

The bodies were recovered over two days, according to the Tripoli branch of the Red Crescent, which said search and recovery operations were still ongoing.

Muad Zurgani, a media officer with the Tripoli Red Crescent, said more bodies could wash ashore because of the number of people believed to have been on the boat.

“The search and recovery operations are still ongoing,” the Red Crescent said, describing the operation as requiring continuous effort and an urgent humanitarian response.

Images released by the humanitarian organisation showed Red Crescent volunteers and security personnel carrying bodies in white bags from the beach.

In a separate incident on Monday, the rescue ship EMERGENCY rescued 50 migrants from a wooden boat in international waters off Libya, while seven others were found dead.

Libya remains a major transit point for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty who attempt to reach Europe through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea.

The dangerous Mediterranean crossing has continued to claim migrant lives, with Libya serving as one of the main departure points for people attempting the journey to Europe.

Authorities and humanitarian organisations are continuing the search for possible survivors and additional victims from the latest boat disaster.

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Some youths in Onne, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, have destroyed a traditional worship shrine run by a woman popularly know as ‘Eze Nwanyi’.

In a viral video, a pastor was seen leading the aggrieved youth who entered the woman’s compound, searching from room to room and gathering materials they claimed were used for idol worship.

According to them, the community abolished idol worship many years ago.

The pastor who addressed a crowd said the group received reports that idol worship was taking place at the residence.

He said, “We have been informed that such a thing has been going on in this land for quite some time now, though it was only a rumour.

“So, we decided to come and see things for ourselves. Apostle Dandy and I came on Saturday. We saw things by ourselves, and the lady was trying to claim that what she had been doing here was worship, worship of God and all of that.

“So, having seen all of this, we told her that this is pure idol worship. And, of course, in 1973, through some of our fathers, God invaded this land, roasted all the idols. The record is all over, and He marked it significantly in such a way that nobody died for 35 years after that event.

“Ever since, Onne has transformed so much that you cannot see any public idol worship anywhere around the land, or shrine, or demonic altar. But we were shocked that this woman had something like this here, even though she was trying to hide it. But thank God that He has finally exposed her.

“The community condemns this completely. We are not happy with this, and this is causing us a lot of concern. After this, we have to go and cry to God, based on the covenant we had with Him in 1973 with all our leaders in Onne, that Onne would never embrace idol worship or public idol worship on this land.

“So, with this now, we have already broken the covenant, and it will cost us a lot to go and cry in our market square, with the whole community, to ask for mercy.

“Going forward, we do not want to see any of these things happening again. We are sending a strong message to any stranger, or any person from Onne, wherever you are coming from, that we do not want to see this kind of thing.

“We have been told that there are other strangers bringing strange gods into their houses. We are using this medium to communicate to all the landlords and land ladies around Onne that, please, before you give out a house to a tenant, try to know what the tenant is into.

“Look at what it is costing us now. This is what they can do in other lands, but not in our own case. Rather, God has abolished all of this.

“We bless God for today, and others will learn from it and refrain from this act. Of course, we will be going around the land of Onne. Anywhere we hear such things, we will enter that house and bring them out.”

A Port Harcourt-based rights activist, Prince Wiro, has condemned the destruction of the shrine in a private residence, calling for arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.

Wiro, who is the National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, described the alleged invasion as a violation of the woman’s fundamental rights of worship, saying disagreements over religious practices should be addressed through lawful channels.

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Foluso Omole, a Nigerian based in Australia, has been charged over his involvement in $5 million National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) fraud.

Mr Omole, 38, was arrested at Adelaide Airport as he attempted to flee Australia for Nigeria last Friday.

Charged in court on Monday, the court heard Mr Omole, a dual Australian and Nigerian citizen, had already purchased a one-way ticket to Nigeria to escape the country before he was arrested at the airport, ABC reported on Monday.

According to the prosecutor, Mr Omole allegedly improperly received information from an employee of the National Disability Insurance Agency over six years and used it to fraudulently obtain benefits.

However, Mr Omole’s lawyer, Mark Twiggs, told the court that “The charges against his client are denied. He has no record at all. My client has good reason why he should be given bail.”

Patrick Hill, the magistrate who presided over the case, refused bail for Mr Omole, saying he posed a flight risk.

“Whether it was a one-way ticket to Nigeria or a return ticket to London do make a difference as to the court’s assessment of whether or not Mr Omole is a flight risk,” Mr Hill said.

“For the other reasons put forward by the prosecution, in any event, I remain concerned that he is a risk of flight and the application for bail is refused,” he added.

Mr Omole is expected back in court in September.