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Lightning kills 14 at refugee camp in Uganda
At least 14 people, including several children, were killed in northern Uganda’s Palabek refugee camp when lightning struck a makeshift church during a heavy storm on Saturday evening.
According to the police, around 50 people had gathered for prayer when lightning hit the building’s metal roof.
William Komech, the resident district commissioner for the Lamwo region, confirmed that the victims included five girls and nine boys, all between the ages of 14 and 18, adding that another 34 people sustained injuries and were treated at a nearby health centre.
He stated that most of the refugees in the camp are from South Sudan’s Nuer community and that Uganda’s government is coordinating with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, to provide aid to the survivors.
“The government team is on the ground assisting families and ensuring the bodies are returned to their loved ones,” said Hillary Onek, Uganda’s Minister for Refugees and Disaster Preparedness.
Uganda has experienced several fatal lightning incidents in recent years. In 2011, lightning struck a primary school, killing 18 students. In August 2020, nine teenagers were killed in a similar incident.
Lightning also claimed the lives of four endangered mountain gorillas in Mgahinga National Park in February 2020.
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BREAKING: Finland Police Nab Simon Ekpa, 4 Others Over Terror-related Activities
The Central Criminal Police in Finland has announced the arrest of Finnish-Nigerian separatist agitator, Simon Ekpa and four other individuals over terror-related activities.
According to a tabloid in Finland, Ekpa, the self-declared Prime Minister of Biafra Republic Government In-Exile, was remanded in custody by the district court of Päijät-Häme on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.
In a Thursday statement published on its website, the Central Criminal Police in Finland said it arrested five persons on suspicion of terrorist crimes.
The police said the main suspect was arrested “on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent”, while four others were arrested “for financing a terrorist crime”.
The police added: “Claims will be heard in Päijät-Häme district court today, November 21.”
The statement reads, “The detention demands are related to the preliminary investigation, in which a Finnish citizen of Nigerian background, born in the 1980s, is suspected of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.
“The police suspect that the man has promoted his efforts from Finland by means that have led to violence against civilians and authorities as well as other crimes in the region of South-Eastern Nigeria.”
The statement quoted the head of the investigation, Crime Commissioner Otto Hiltunen from the Central Crime Police as saying that “the man has carried out this activity, among other things, on his social media channels”.
“Four other persons are suspected of financing the aforementioned activity. All five suspects of the crime have been arrested during the beginning of the week.
“International cooperation has been carried out during the preliminary investigation,” the statement added.
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