Day: September 19, 2021

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Africa’s COVID-19 Cases Surpass 8.13 Million: Africa CDC

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa reached 8,134,511 as of yesterday afternoon, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

The Africa CDC, the specialised healthcare agency of the African Union, in its continental COVID-19 dashboard, indicated that the death toll from the pandemic across the continent stands at 206,202.

Some 7,454,718 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease so far.

South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Ethiopia are among the countries with the most cases in the continent, according to the agency.

In terms of the caseload, southern Africa is the most affected region, followed by the northern and eastern parts of the continent, while central Africa is the least affected region in the continent, according to the Africa CDC

Source: Nam News Network

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Bandits Release 10 Students Kidnapped 2 Months Ago From Nigerian School

Bandits have released 10 more students kidnapped two months ago from a Baptist school in northwest Nigeria, the school administrator told Reuters on Saturday.

The Rev. John Hayab, administrator of the Bethel Baptist High school, said 21 students from the school remained in captivity. He said an undisclosed ransom was paid to release eight students while another two were set free due to ill health.

Last month bandits released 15 students from the school after a group of 28 was set free in July following the release of a first group of 28 two days after the raid.

Around 150 students were missing after armed men in July raided the school in Nigeria’s Kaduna state, the 10th mass school kidnapping since December, which authorities attributed to criminal gangs seeking ransom.

“They are looking for more money, that’s why they are releasing them in batches,” Hayab said.

He has previously said the abductors were seeking $2,433 per student.

Schools have become targets for mass kidnappings for ransom in northern Nigeria by armed groups. Such kidnappings in Nigeria were first carried out by jihadist group Boko Haram, and later its offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province, but the tactic has now been adopted by other criminal gangs.

The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said on Wednesday that 1 million Nigerian children could miss school this year as the new term begins amid a rise in mass school kidnappings and insecurity.

Source: Voice of America

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