News
One dead, hundreds injured as riots sweep New Caledonia
By Francesca Hangeior
One person was killed, hundreds more were injured, shops were looted and public buildings torched during a second night of rioting in New Caledonia, authorities said Wednesday, as anger over constitutional reforms from Paris boiled over.
What began as pro-independence demonstrations have spiralled into three days of the worst violence seen on the French Pacific archipelago since the 1980s.
Despite heavily armed security forces fanning out across the capital Noumea and the ordering of a nighttime curfew, rioting continued overnight Tuesday virtually unabated.
Hundreds of people including “around 100” police and gendarmes have been injured in the unrest, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Wednesday in Paris.
One person had been shot dead overnight but authorities were yet to establish the circumstances that led to the incident, Darmanin said, adding that dozens of homes and businesses had been torched.
In Noumea and the commune of Paita there were reports of several exchanges of fire between civil defence groups and rioters.
On Wednesday, streets in the capital were pocked by the shells of burned-out cars and buildings, including a sports store and a large concrete climbing wall.
“Numerous arsons and pillaging of shops, infrastructure and public buildings — including primary and secondary schools — were carried out,” said the High Commission, which represents Paris in the islands.
Security forces had managed to regain control of Noumea’s penitentiary, which holds about 50 inmates, after an uprising and escape attempt by prisoners, it said in a statement.
Police have arrested more than 130 people since the riots broke out Monday night, with dozens placed in detention to face court hearings, the commission said.
The territory’s La Tontouta International Airport remained closed to commercial flights and people were urged to restrict any travel during the day, the high commission said.
As rioters took to the streets, France’s lower house of parliament 17,000 kilometres (10,600 miles) awayvoted in favour of a constitutional change bitterly opposed by indigenous Kanaks.
The reform — which must still be approved by a joint sitting of both houses of the French parliament — would give a vote to people who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years.
Pro-independence forces say it would dilute the share of the vote held by Kanaks, the Indigenous group that makes up about 41 percent of the population and the major force in the pro-independence movement.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged calm in a letter to the territory’s representatives, calling on them to “unambiguously condemn” the “disgraceful and unacceptable” violence.
Macron said French lawmakers would vote to definitively adopt the constitutional change by the end of June unless New Caledonia’s opposing sides agree on a new text that “takes into account the progress made and everyone’s aspirations”.
The French leader has been seeking to reassert his country’s importance in the Pacific region, where China and the United States are vying for influence.
Lying between Australia and Fiji, New Caledonia is one of several French territories spanning the globe from the Caribbean and Indian Ocean to the Pacific in the post-colonial era.
In the Noumea Accord of 1998, France vowed to gradually give more political power to the Pacific island territory of nearly 300,000 people.
As part of the agreement, New Caledonia has held three referendums over its ties with France, all rejecting independence.
But the independence movement retains support, particularly among the Indigenous Kanak people.
The Noumea Accord has also meant that New Caledonia’s voter lists have not been updated since 1998 — depriving island residents who arrived from mainland France or elsewhere since then of a vote in provincial polls.
Former speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bishop Kennedy Azubuike Njoku has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State.
Rt. Hon. Njoku, who previously represented Osisioma Ngwa North State Constituency in the 7th Assembly, resigned his position as Speaker after the PDP reached a compromise to allow Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji, the son of Abia’s former governor, to assume the role.
Addressing supporters at his country home in Mbutu Nta village, Osisioma Local Government Area, Njoku explained that his decision to leave the PDP was made after extensive consultations with constituents and stakeholders across the state.
“I am grateful to the PDP for the opportunities they provided me and wish them well in their future endeavours,” Njoku said.
He, however, called on his supporters to join him in the APC, emphasizing that only those ready to work hard would be rewarded, quoting the adage, “Onye ruo, ya erie” (He who works, eats).
The former lawmaker expressed appreciation for the support he has received from the people of Osisioma Ngwa North, Osisioma Ngwa LGA, and Abia State as a whole. He assured them that his move to the APC was driven by a vision to secure a brighter future for the local government area and the state at large.
Prominent stakeholders, including Comr. Odimegwu Aruru, Chief of Staff to the Bishop Campaign Organization; Comr. Emmanuel Nduagu, former president of the Osisioma Ngwa Youth Congress; and Hon. Austin Uruakpa, former leader of the Osisioma Ngwa Legislative Council, expressed full support for Njoku’s defection.
They urged his supporters to obtain APC membership cards from their respective wards and emphasized that the move signals hope for the masses.
In a vote of thanks, Comr. Oliver Christian, a youth leader from Isiala Osokwa Ward 6, commended Rt. Hon. Njoku’s decision pledged full support and prayed for God’s blessings on him and his supporters.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for Davos, Switzerland, to represent Nigeria at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, announced this in a statement issued from the State House, Abuja, on Sunday.
The prestigious event, which attracts global leaders, top business executives, and development partners, will focus on addressing pressing global economic issues and fostering solutions to improve global prosperity.
During the high-profile gathering, Vice President Shettima will participate in a series of workshops, bilateral meetings, and strategic forums.
One of the key highlights of his engagement will be a workshop titled “Roadmap to Co-create Investment Opportunities for Africa’s Frontier Markets”.
Organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in collaboration with the WEF, the session will explore strategies to boost capital inflows into Africa’s markets and advance sustainable development across the continent.
Notably, the Vice President will join discussions on the launch of the Humanitarian and Resilience Investing (HRI) Roadmap for Africa, which aims to build partnerships between public and private sector leaders to mobilize investments in the region’s emerging markets.
Shettima is also set to co-chair a forum on “Turning Digital Trade into a Catalyst for Growth in Africa”, where participants will deliberate on how to leverage the private sector to implement the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol, adopted in January 2024.
The forum underscores Africa’s drive to harness digital trade as a key driver for economic growth and regional integration.
As a panelist at the “Global Risks 2025” dialogue, the Vice President will contribute to discussions on geopolitical, technological, and environmental challenges outlined in the latest Global Risks Report.
This event promises to provide insights into strategies for navigating a rapidly evolving global landscape.
In addition to his scheduled events, Shettima will attend a dinner for heads of state, government, and international organizations, alongside distinguished honorees and business leaders.
Accompanying the Vice President to Davos are key government officials, including the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Aisha Rimi.
Their presence underscores Nigeria’s commitment to fostering partnerships and attracting investments for national and continental development.
The Vice President is expected to return to Abuja after his engagements in Davos.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has said it will unveil this year’s Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) to the public on February 4.
The theme for this year is: The Role of Early Warnings towards a Climate Resilient Aviation Industry for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development.
NiMet predicts and publishes the expected annual pattern of climatic variables, such as rainfall and temperature across Nigeria in the first quarter of each year. This is in pursuance of its mandate of advising the government and the public on all aspects of weather, climate, and water-related matters.
NiMet’s Director General, Prof. Charles Anosike, said: “The Seasonal Climate Prediction highlights vital weather and climate information that may affect socio-economic activities in the following sectors during the year: agriculture, aviation, disaster risk management, health, oil and gas, telecommunication, tourism, transport (water and land), power (hydro and renewable), water resources management, etc.
“The socioeconomic implications of the expected rainfall and temperature patterns for some sectors of the economy are also presented in the publication.”
The forecast information provided in the SCP document includes the onset and cessation dates of the 2025 rainy season; the length of the cropping season; the total amount of rainfall expected in all the 774 local government areas of the country; temperature (January to May) as well as Malaria and Meningitis vigilance forecast.
The SCP document is a national document and the public presentation attracts guests from the public and private sectors, development partners, non-governmental organisations, the diplomatic community, farmers associations, among others.
Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo is expected to perform the presentation of the publication alongside its summary for policymakers and translations in three major Nigerian languages, as well as the State of the Climate in Nigeria.
Abia Assembly speaker defects to APC, dumps PDP
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