A yet-to-be identified man and a woman have been found dead inside a Sienna vehicle along the Mowe/Ibafo axis of Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

Residents of the area said the car was seen on Tuesday, locked up with the two of them inside.

The car, with Lagos number plate, LSD 992 HH, had a helmet on the dashboard, suggesting that the owner might be an engineer or a contractor.

As people could not ascertain what led to the death of the two of them, there were speculations about the cause of their mysterious death.

A resident of the area, who simply identified herself as Jane, said, “The car has been standing here since yesterday (Monday). But this morning, people moved closer and discovered that there were two lifeless bodies inside it. We don't know what killed them.”

Another source said that they might be having sex with each other when the incident happened.

“It was discovered that a man and a woman were having sex in the car but they died opposite Nasfat praying ground," the source said.

But, one Seun Damilola countered that this couple actually didn't die while having sex inside the car.

According to him, “the man beat his girlfriend to death at their house around Akoka, drove her down to Mowe, dropped a suicide letter to his family and fed himself with poison.”

When contacted, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident on Wednesday.

Oyeyemi said the two did not die while making love inside the car, but it was a case of murder and suicide.

According to him, the man had visited the deceased woman, his girlfriend, somewhere in Lagos.

“The two did not die while having sex. What happened was that the girl in question happened to be a girlfriend to that man. He rented an apartment for her somewhere in Lagos. He went there to visit her. We don't know what transpired between them, but we learnt he hit the woman on the head and she slumped.

“He carried the lifeless body of the woman in his vehicle. People in that neighbourhood ran to Ilaje police station in Bariga to report. But he drove off, straight to his house at Orimerunmu. He dropped a suicide note, informing his wife that he had killed somebody. He told his wife not to bother looking for him, asking her to take care of the children. Then he left the house.

“He drove and parked near NASFAT area and he committed suicide there. We saw a container of Sniper in the vehicle, which suggested that he drank Sniper (an insecticide). He wound up the glasses and died in the vehicle. 

“So, it is a case of murder and suicide, Oyeyemi explained.

The PPRO added that the corpses had been deposited in the mortuary.

Bandits have wreaked havoc in Matane, hometown of the Secretary to the Niger State Government, Ahmed Ibrahim Matane.

The village is in Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State, which has recorded multiple attacks in recent times.

Bandits invaded the village on Tuesday, setting shops, houses and other valuables ablaze.

The attackers also invaded Bamba-Lamba community, a few kilometers Eastern Kontagora.

A resident of Bamba-Lamba, Hashimu Ahmed, told our correspondent that the the bandits struck around 5pm and set the entire community ablaze.

“They surrounded the community. I was able to escape to Kontagora town with my family. They set our homes ablaze. We now live in an open place; we need help,” he said.

The State Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Internal Security, Emmanuel Umar, confirmed the attack to our correspondent.

He said several houses and shops as well as other belongings were burnt by the bandits.

Umar said he could not confirm the casualties.

The Commissioner explained that the attackers moved from one village to another, noting that security operatives have been on the trail of the bandits since Monday when they blocked Minna-Suleja road.

He said the bandits were frustrated because their only escape route to Zamfara had been blocked by the troops.

Daily Trust

Federal Government’s plan to retain the collection of Value Added Tax despite a Federal High Court ruling, hit a brick wall on Tuesday as the National Assembly rejected a proposal seeking to shift the collection of VAT from the concurrent to the exclusive legislative list, effectively leaving the decision to the Supreme Court which is hearing the matter.

A Federal High Court had last year ruled that states had the powers to collect VAT. However, the Federal Government  opposed the ruling and continued to collect VAT while it  projected that it will collect N2.2tn in 2022 through the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

The government of President Muhammadu Buhari also incorporated VAT collection in its Finance Act 2021 and included it in its 2022 budget, a move that put the government on a collision course with the Southern Governors’ Forum.

Also, the Federal Inland  Revenue Service was reported to have lobbied the National Assembly by sending a proposal to the House of Representatives seeking to move VAT collection to the exclusive list. Although the tax agency denied this claim, the National Assembly accepted the proposal and sent it to its constitutional amendment committee.

On Tuesday, the National Assembly, voted on 68 amendments recommended by the Joint Senate and House of Representatives’ Special Ad Hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.

44 senators vote against VAT on exclusive list, 41 in favour

A Bill for an Act to Alter Part I of the Second Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to include Value Added Tax on the exclusive legislative list failed at the upper legislative chamber

A total of 95 senators registered to vote and 85 voted. While 41 voted in favour of VAT being collected exclusively by the Federal Government, 44 voted against it while no one abstained. In the end, the bill failed because it did not meet the minimum 73 votes.

In the House of Representatives, about 209 lawmakers voted to retain VAT on the concurrent list while 91 voted for it to be placed on the exclusive list.

LASG, A’Ibom hail N’Assembly

Reacting to the development, Lagos State Government, which is a party to the suit before the Supreme Court and has passed a law on VAT collection, said the National Assembly deserves commendation.

Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, said any decision that would promote federalism should be commended.

He added, “I think the lawmakers have done well. If they have said now that the states have the right to collect VAT, it is good because that has been the question that the judiciary has been asked to answer, and if the Lagos State Government and some other state governments are pushing for this, at the National Assembly it is wisdom.

“It is the right way to go. I think they deserve kudos; they deserve applause because in my own view, it is a ‘no victor, no vanquished’ situation. It is good for democracy. It is a victory for the rule of law. It is a victory for equity, for justice. It is a victory for what is right as against what is not right.”

In a similar vein, Akwa Ibom State Government said it was in support of any move that would expedite the country’s move towards true federalism.

Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Ini Ememobong, described the National Assembly act as a move in the right direction.

He said “The state government, like other forward looking private and corporate citizens, is supportive of every attempt to increase the speed of our travel to true federalism. This act by the National Assembly is a march in the right direction. The government of Akwa Ibom State led by Governor Udom Emmanuel has been at the lead of this advocacy and therefore welcomes this development.”

VAT needs further review – Gombe

However, Gombe State Government, which had previously kicked against states collecting VAT, said on Tuesday that the issue of VAT collection still needed to be reviewed further.

Commissioner for Information, Julius Ishaya, said the latest development is more complex than a lot of people understand.

Ishaya who made this disclosure to one of our correspondents said, “For us aside from passing it as a law, there will be a need for states to sit down and sort out things.

“For instance VAT is value added tax on goods and services. If you buy airtime, instead of it being done at the organisation’s head office, it is meant for them to separate it to know cards used around the Gombe area and remit the VAT to the state unlike what was obtained in the recent past.

“That is the complicated issue, there is more than meets the eye but it is not a simple thing as people expect. We will increase our productivity and other economic activities to make sure we attract value addition.”

Lawmakers reject pro-women bills

However, the gender bills failed to pass despite the fact that Aisha Buhari, the President’s wife had on Wednesday last week, stormed the Senate and House chambers in company with female ministers to lobby the lawmakers as the committee laid its report.

Also on Tuesday, Dolapo Osinbajo, wife to the Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, accompanied by Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, observed as members of the House voted on the recommendations by the committee, and watched as the lawmakers voted against the gender bills.

The rejected proposals either failed to get the required two-third or four-fifth votes in the 360-member House or they were voted against by a majority of the lawmakers in both chambers.

In the Senate, a bill seeking special seats for women at the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly failed to scale through. While 91 senators registered to vote on the bill, 30 voted for it, 58 against it and three abstained.

Similarly, the senators voted against a bill seeking affirmative action for women in political party administration. 91 registered, 90 voted out of the figure 34 voted yes, 53 no and three abstained. The bill which was meant to guarantee inclusivity of women in governance failed as it could not garner at 73 votes needed for it to be passed.

All the bills relating to women failed to pass but for the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, who vetoed Bill 68 which proposed a 35 per cent quota for women in the presidential and state cabinets.

When the House voted on the proposal electronically, 226 members voted for it, 70 voted against it while four others abstained.

Gbajabiamila, however, pleaded with the lawmakers to allow the last remaining gender related bill to pass.

Majority Leader, Ado Doguwa, however, moved for an amendment of the clause to reduce the percentage to 20, while Babajimi Benson seconded the motion.

Instead of electronic voting on the amendment, the Speaker called for voice vote. While the nays were louder than the ‘ayes’, Gbajabiamila ruled that the ayes had it.

Other rejected proposals include Bill 13 which sought to “provide for the procedure for passing a Constitution alteration bill where the President withhold assent.” While the amendment required four-fifth or 288 votes, it failed to pass when put to vote twice.

Another is Bill 15 which sought to “provide for the procedure of removing presiding officers of the legislature.”

Also failing to meet the required votes was Bill 35 to “provide for special seat for women in the National and state Houses of Assembly;” Bill 36 to “expand the scope of citizenship by registration;” Bill 37 to “provide for affirmative action for women in political party administration;” and Bill 38 to “provide criteria for qualification to become an indigene of a state in Nigeria.”

Bill 42 which sought to “expand immunity to the legislative and judicial arms of government” also failed to garner the required number of votes.

For independent candidacy in presidential, governorship, National Assembly, state Houses of Assembly and local government area council elections, as proposed by Bill 58, 269 lawmakers gave their votes; 28 voted against the proposal, while three others abstained.

However, Bill 59 which proposed Diaspora voting failed to pass, with 58 members voting for it and 240 others voting against it.

Another proposal that required four-fifth votes was contained in Bill 64, which sought to “further define acts that constitute torture, inhuman or degrading treatment.” It, however, failed to get up to 288 votes.

Bills for LGA, legislative autonomy scale through

The House passed Bill 1 to “abrogate the State Joint Local Government Account and provide for a special account into which shall be paid all allocations due to local government councils from the Federation Account and from the government of the state.”

It also passed Bill 2 to “establish local government as a tier of government and guarantee their democratic existence, tenure and for related matters.”

Bill 9 which sought to “provide for the financial independence of state Houses of Assembly and state Judiciary” also passed.

The House also passed Bill 17 which sought to “establish the federal revenue court and the revenue court of a state.”

States get powers to run prisons, airports

Also, the House passed Bills 30, 31, 32 and 33 to move airports; fingerprints, identification and criminal records; prisons (and re-designate it as Correctional Services); railway; and power generation, transmission and distribution from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, respectively.

Also passed was Bill 39 to “empower the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission to enforce compliance with remittance of accruals into and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account and streamline the procedure for reviewing the Revenue Allocation Formula.”

While Bill 44 is to “specify the period within which the president or the governor of state shall present the Appropriation Bill before the National Assembly or House of Assembly,” Bill 45 seeks to require the president or governors to submit the names of persons nominated as ministers or commissioners within 30 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or state House of Assembly.”

The House passed Bill 46 to include presiding officers of the National Assembly in the membership of the National Security Council; approved the establishment of a ‘State Security Council’ in Bill 47; and passed Bill 55 which sought to include former Heads of the National Assembly in the Council of State.

AGF, minister of justice separated

While passing Bill 51 to establish the Office of the Accountant –General of the Federal Government separate from the Office of the Accountant –General of the Federation, the House also approved establishment of the Office of the Attorney–General of the Federation and of the state, separate from the Office of the Minister of Justice or Commissioners for Justice of the state “in order to make the offices of attorneys–general independent and insulated from partisanship.”

Independent candidacy in presidential, governorship, National Assembly, Houses of Assembly and local government council elections scaled through at the senate. 94 senators registered to vote, 89 voted in support while five voted against.

As the lawmakers voted against gender bills, Gbajabiamila had threatened that records showing how they voted would be made public.

However, the details had not been made available as of 10pm on Tuesday when this report was filed

Amendments at variance with restructuring – Sagay

Reacting to the amendments, Legal luminary, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said the amendments were not a positive step towards restructuring but the exact opposite.

Sagay said this on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme on Tuesday.

The senior advocate said in a real federation, there are only two tiers of government- the federal and the state.

He said ideally, the states ought to determine the number of local governments within their domain. He said that the autonomy granted to the local governments by the National Assembly undermines the spirit of federalism.”

Punch

Russia bombed a TV tower in Ukraine's capital on Tuesday and rained rockets on the city of Kharkiv as Moscow intensified its bombardment of Ukrainian urban areas in a shift of tactics after its six-day invasion stalled.

A U.S. official said a miles-long armoured column bearing down on the capital Kyiv had not made any advances in the past 24 hours, frozen in place by logistics problems, short on fuel and food, and perhaps pausing to reassess tactics.

Russia's defence ministry urged Kyiv residents to flee and said it would strike unspecified areas used by Ukraine's security services and communications.

Speaking in a heavily guarded government compound in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia must "first stop bombing people" before peace talks could make any headway.

In a joint interview with Reuters and CNN, Zelenskiy also urged NATO members to impose a no-fly zone to stop Russia's airforce, something the military alliance has ruled out.

As Zelenskiy, unshaven and wearing simple khaki clothes, spoke, news came that a Russian missile had struck a TV tower near the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial site in Kyiv, killing at least five people.

Zelenskiy, who also spoke by phone for 30 minutes with U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday, said the artillery barrages on the eastern city of Kharkiv amounted to "state terrorism".

Biden and Zelenskiy discussed how Russia had intensified attacks on sites used by civilians, the White House said. The U.S. president is expected to highlight Western unity over Ukraine in his State of the Union address later on Tuesday.

'SHAMBOLIC'

President Vladimir Putin has drawn global condemnation and sanctions that have already sent the rouble into freefall and forced Russians to queue outside banks for their savings.

The West has imposed heavy sanctions on Russia to shut off its economy from the global financial system, pushing international companies to halt sales, cut ties, and dump tens of billions of dollars' worth of investments.

But nearly a week since Russian troops poured over the border, they have not captured a single major Ukrainian city after running into far fiercer resistance than they expected.

"Looking at the Russian operation so far, they're having tremendous problems with logistics and communications. The whole effort seems shambolic," Michael Kofman, an expert on the Russian military at Washington's Wilson Center, wrote in a tweet.

Many Western military analysts fear that Russia will now fall back on tactics which call for crushing bombardment of built-up areas before trying to enter them.

A senior U.S. defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said:

"One reason why things appear to be stalled north of Kyiv is that the Russians themselves are regrouping and rethinking and trying to adjust to the challenges that they've had."

The Russians have been surprised not only by the scale of Ukrainian resistance but also by poor morale among their own forces, some of whom surrendered without a fight, the official said, without providing evidence.

Russia still has more forces to throw into the fight, though.

Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the "special military operation" would continue until it had achieved its goals, defined by Putin as disarming Ukraine and capturing the "neo-Nazis" he says are running the country.

Rocket strikes on Tuesday in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second biggest city, killed at least 10 people and wounded 35, Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said.

Human rights groups and Ukraine's ambassador to the United States have accused Russia of using cluster bombs and vacuum bombs, weapons condemned by many organizations. Moscow denies targeting civilians.

Munitions experts who reviewed footage on social media of attacks on Monday said Kharkiv appeared to have been targeted by cluster bombs.

High-rise buildings, schools, and kindergartens were among the buildings destroyed in those strikes, Interfax Ukraine reported, citing Ukraine's defence ministry.

In the south, Russia claimed to have completely encircled Ukraine's Azov Sea coast. If confirmed, that would mean Russian forces invading from Crimea had joined up with separatists in the east and had cut off Ukraine's main eastern port, Mariupol.

Zelenskiy said Kyiv remained the main target. Some Kyiv residents have been sheltering in underground metro stations at night, there are long lines for fuel, and some products are running out in shops.

APPEAL TO EUROPE

In an emotional address to the European Parliament by video link on Tuesday, a day after he signed an official request to join the European Union, Zelenskiy urged the bloc to prove that it sided with Ukraine.

"Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness," he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a Geneva disarmament meeting via video link that Ukraine had been seeking nuclear weapons. He did not provide evidence other than saying "Ukraine still has Soviet nuclear technologies and the means of delivery of such weapons."

More than 100 diplomats walked out of the hall in protest as his speech began, underlining Russia's international isolation.

Ukraine's general staff said Russian losses included 5,710 personnel, 29 destroyed and damaged aircraft and 198 tanks, all figures that could not be verified. Russia has given no full account of its battlefield losses.

'I SAW WAR'

Moscow announced a ban on foreign companies selling assets to try to halt the flight of Western companies abandoning their Russian ties. Putin also issued a decree banning cash exports of foreign currency from Russia exceeding $10,000 in value.

The rouble hit a record low on Tuesday, threatening the living standards of ordinary Russians.

Most effective among the sanctions so far have been those on Russia's central bank that prevent it from using its $630 billion foreign reserve war chest to prop up the rouble.

With energy prices soaring, the U.S. and its allies agreed Tuesday to release oil reserves as buyers avoid Russian suppliers.

More than 660,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries such as Poland and Romania since the invasion began, the U.N. refugee agency said.

At the Hungarian border crossing Tiszabecs, a mother cradled a baby in her arms after a four-day drive from Kyiv.

"I saw war, I saw rockets," said her older son Ivan, 15, who looked exhausted after the journey. His father had stayed behind to fight.

Reuters

OGUN, Lauretta Fagbohun

Sought-After Creative Academy, a tuition free school located in the heart of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital is on the verge of shutting down it's operations due to lack of funding.

The founder of the academy, Anfela Tolulope who stated this said that the challenges of running the academy free is enormous and the support systems have become lean.

She noted that payment of salaries, buying of uniforms, educational materials, and play yard equipments have been hampered recently, which if not urgently attended to might lead to the shutting down of the school.

According to her, "We need people that can assist with the school upkeep. We are at the verge of shutting down.

"We need to be able to pay salaries to staff and stipends to our volunteers. Things haven't been so good recently with us but we believe God to come through for us.

"What we do here is about passion for the kids. We don't charge their parents any Kobo, it's all for free because we are located where the standard of living is very low so we want to be able to support these families with quality education for their children", she added 

Founded in 2017, Sought-After Creative Academy, located at C2 Olorunsogo street, Saraki Adigbe Abeokuta is in need of a school bus, standard school building and other supports to keep the school afloat.

Kaduna State Government has advised residents to be vigilant as explosive devices have been planted by terrorists in various parts of the state.

The government gave the advice on Monday through a statement by the state commissioner for Internal Security and Homeland Affairs, Samuel Aruwan.

It said security agencies feared the terrorists may be planning to “discreetly place explosives in public facilities such as schools, hospitals, hotels, bars, entertainment centres, restaurants, parks, major roads and places of worship.”

The statement reads:

“Kaduna State Government wishes to issue an crucial advisory to citizens across the state, for heightened alertness to the threat of explosive devices planted in public places by terrorists.

“This follows sustained assessments by security agencies, and the possibility of terrorists looking to harm citizens, by discreetly placing explosives in public facilities such as schools, hospitals, hotels, bars, entertainment centres, restaurants, parks, major roads and places of worship.

“Security agencies are working to ensure that no harm or destruction comes to residents and facilities.

“Citizens are however urged to be alive to this threat, and to remain watchful for suspicious persons loitering, or packages seemingly abandoned in strategic places.

“Increased general awareness is strongly advised, and frequent thorough checks of premises are recommended.

“Any suspicious person or object observed must be immediately reported to the nearest security formation. The Security Operations Room may also be contacted, on the lines 09034000060 and 08170189999.

“Quarry operators are also advised to enhance security on their sites, and to ensure that explosive materials are not readily accessible to be carted away for criminal purposes. Sites will be inspected for compliance.

“Close monitoring of the situation by security agencies will continue.”

Kabala West bomb incident

Earlier on Monday Kaduna state police spokesperson, Mohammed Jalige, had confirmed an explosion in Kabala West area of the state metropolis on Sunday.

Confirming the incident to NAN, Jalige said “an explosion, suspected to be an Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) on Sunday night occurred in Kabala West area of Kaduna South Local Government Area.

“The explosion is suspected to be IED, there is no casualty recorded in the incident. There was nobody in the building when it exploded. It happened Sunday night around 21:45 p.m.

“The anti-bomb squad has been deployed to the scene to analyse the particles we got from the place,’’ he said.

Jalige promised that details of findings would be made available after investigation.

Badarawa blast

In July 2021 an explosive killed two children in Badarawa area of Kaduna.

The explosives according to the Kaduna police was placed in a Viju milk container and it exploded while the children were playing with it.

Awwal, son of one Aminu died instantly while his friend died hours later in Barau Dikko hospital in Kaduna.

PT

Presidents of eight central and eastern European nations on Monday called on European Union member states to immediately grant Ukraine a EU candidate country status and open membership talks according to an open letter published on Monday.

The letter reads,"We, the Presidents of the EU member states: the Republic of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Poland, the Slovak Republic, and the Republic of Slovenia strongly believe that Ukraine deserves receiving an immediate EU accession perspective,".

Reuters

Russian forces shelled Ukraine’s second-largest city on Monday, rocking a residential neighborhood, and closed in on the capital, Kyiv, in a 40-mile convoy of hundreds of tanks and other vehicles, as talks aimed at stopping the fighting yielded only an agreement to keep talking.

The country’s embattled president said the stepped-up shelling was aimed at forcing him into concessions.

“I believe Russia is trying to put pressure (on Ukraine) with this simple method,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Monday in a video address. He did not offer details of the hourslong talks that took place earlier, but said that Kyiv was not prepared to make concessions “when one side is hitting each other with rocket artillery.”

Amid ever-growing international condemnation, Russia found itself increasingly isolated five days into its invasion, while also facing unexpectedly fierce resistance on the ground in Ukraine and economic havoc at home.

For the second day in a row, the Kremlin raised the specter of nuclear war, announcing that its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines and long-range bombers had all been put on high alert, following President Vladimir Putin’s orders over the weekend.

Stepping up his rhetoric, Putin denounced the U.S. and its allies as an “empire of lies.”

Meanwhile, an embattled Ukraine moved to solidify its ties to the West by applying to join the European Union — a largely symbolic move for now, but one that is unlikely to sit well with Putin, who has long accused the U.S. of trying to pull Ukraine out of Moscow’s orbit.

A top Putin aide and head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said that the first talks held between the two sides since the invasion lasted nearly five hours and that the envoys “found certain points on which common positions could be foreseen.” He said they agreed to continue the discussions in the coming days.

As the talks along the Belarusian border wrapped up, several blasts could be heard in Kyiv, and Russian troops advanced on the city of nearly 3 million. The vast convoy of armored vehicles, tanks, artillery and support vehicles was 17 miles (25 kilometers) from the center of the city and stretched for about 40 miles, according to satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies.

The Maxar photos also showed deployments of ground forces and ground attack helicopter units in southern Belarus.

People in Kyiv lined up for groceries after the end of a weekend curfew, standing beneath a building with a gaping hole blown in its side. Kyiv remained “a key goal” for the Russians, Zelenskyy said, noting that it was hit by three missile strikes on Monday and that hundreds of saboteurs were roaming the city.

“They want to break our nationhood, that’s why the capital is constantly under threat,” Zelenskyy said.

Messages aimed at the advancing Russian soldiers popped up on billboards, bus stops and electronic traffic signs across the capital. Some used profanity to encourage Russians to leave. Others appealed to their humanity.

“Russian soldier — Stop! Remember your family. Go home with a clean conscience,” one read.

Video from Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-biggest city, with a population of about 1.5 million, showed residential areas being shelled, with apartment buildings shaken by repeated, powerful blasts. Flashes of fire and gray plumes of smoke could be seen.

Footage released by the government from Kharkiv depicted what appeared to be a home with water gushing from a pierced ceiling. What looked like an undetonated projectile was on the floor.

Authorities in Kharkiv said at least seven people had been killed and dozens injured. They warned that casualties could be far higher.

“They wanted to have a blitzkrieg, but it failed, so they act this way,” said 83-year-old Valentin Petrovich, who watched the shelling from his downtown apartment and gave just his first name and his patronymic, a middle name derived from his father’s name, out of fear for his safety.

The Russian military has denied targeting residential areas despite abundant evidence of shelling of homes, schools and hospitals.

Fighting raged in other towns and cities across the country. The strategic port city of Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov, is “hanging on,” said Zelenskyy adviser Oleksiy Arestovich. An oil depot was reported bombed in the eastern city of Sumy.

Despite its vast military strength, Russia still lacked control of Ukrainian airspace, a surprise that may help explain how Ukraine has so far prevented a rout.

In the seaside resort town of Berdyansk, dozens of protesters chanted angrily in the main square against Russian occupiers, yelling at them to go home and singing the Ukrainian national anthem. They described the soldiers as exhausted young conscripts.

“Frightened kids, frightened looks. They want to eat,” Konstantin Maloletka, who runs a small shop, said by telephone. He said the soldiers went into a supermarket and grabbed canned meat, vodka and cigarettes.

“They ate right in the store,” he said. “It looked like they haven’t been fed in recent days.”

Across Ukraine, terrified families huddled overnight in shelters, basements or corridors.

“I sit and pray for these negotiations to end successfully, so that they reach an agreement to end the slaughter,” said Alexandra Mikhailova, weeping as she clutched her cat in a shelter in Mariupol. Around her, parents tried to console children and keep them warm.

For many, Russia’s announcement of a nuclear high alert stirred fears that the West could be drawn into direct conflict with Russia. But a senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States had yet to see any appreciable change in Russia’s nuclear posture.

As far-reaching Western sanctions on Russian banks and other institutions took hold, the ruble plummeted, and Russia’s Central Bank scrambled to shore it up, as did Putin, signing a decree restricting foreign currency.

But that did little to calm Russian fears. In Moscow, people lined up to withdraw cash as the sanctions threatened to drive up prices and reduce the standard of living for millions of ordinary Russians.

In yet another blow to Russia’s economy, oil giant Shell said it is pulling out of the country because of the invasion. It announced it will withdraw from its joint ventures with state-owned gas company Gazprom and other entities and end its involvement in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project between Russia and Europe.

The economic sanctions, ordered by the U.S. and other allies, were just one contributor to Russia’s growing status as a pariah country.

Russian airliners are banned from European airspace, Russian media is restricted in some countries, and some high-tech products can no longer be exported to the country. On Monday, in a major blow to a soccer-mad nation, Russian teams were suspended from all international soccer.

In other developments:

— The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said he will open an investigation soon into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

— Cyberattacks hit Ukrainian embassies around the world, and Russian media outlets.

— The United States announced it is expelling 12 members of Russia’s U.N. mission, accusing them of spying.

— The 193-nation U.N. General Assembly opened its first emergency session in decades, with Assembly President Abdulla Shahid calling for an immediate cease-fire and “a full return to diplomacy and dialogue.”

The U.N. human rights chief said at least 102 civilians have been killed and hundreds wounded — warning that figure is probably a vast undercount — and Ukraine’s president said at least 16 children were among the dead.

More than a half-million people have fled the country since the invasion, another U.N. official said, many of them going to Poland, Romania and Hungary.

Among the refugees in Hungary was Maria Pavlushko, 24, an information technology project manager from a city west of Kyiv. She said her father stayed behind to fight the Russians.

“I am proud about him,” she said, adding that many of her friends were planning to fight too.

The negotiators at Monday’s talks met at a long table with the blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag on one side and the Russian tricolor on the other.

But while Ukraine sent its defense minister and other top officials, the Russian delegation was led by Putin’s adviser on culture — an unlikely envoy for ending a war and perhaps a sign of how seriously Moscow took the talks.

AP

Officers of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested five notorious suspected cultists who have been on the wanted list of the command.

The suspects were arrested on February 22 at their hideout along Molipa Road, Ijebu Ode while allegedly planning another violent attack.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, the suspects Segun Olabiyi aka Koleje, Musa Atanda aka Musa SARS, Olorunjuedalo Adewale, Olamide Odewole and Peter Anuoluwapo Akinyemi were arrested following information received by policemen attached to Obalende Divisional Headquarters, Ijebu Ode, that the hoodlums who are members of Aiye confraternity were gathering in groups at the back of De Prime Hotel in preparation for a deadly attack.

“Upon the information, the DPO in charge of Obalende Division, SP Salami Murphy, mobilised his men and headed to the scene. And on sighting the policemen, the hoodlums engaged them in gun battle but they were subdued by the superior firepower of the policemen, which eventually led to the arrest of five amongst them, while others escaped with bullets injuries.

“Recovered at the scene of the encounter are one locally made short gun, two live cartridges and assorted charms.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were actively involved in various cult clashes that had claimed many lives including that of a serving policeman, Sergeant Akeem Oseni attached to Igbeba Division.

“Their trademark according to their confession is to cut off the right hand of their victims after killing them.

"They also confessed to have involved in some robbery operations in Ijebu Ode and its environs.

"They added that one of their prominent leaders simply known as ‘Perth’ was killed in one of the robbery operations,” Oyeyemi stated.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Lanre Bankole, who applauded the gallantry and professional performance of his men, has directed that the suspects be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation.

He also charged his officers to take the battle to the doorsteps of all known criminals in the state.

Armed men suspected to be members of a secret cult on Saturday invaded a burial ceremony in Ebenebe, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, killing 20 persons.

They also desecrated the corpse that was being prepared for burial.

It was gathered that the burial was that of a suspected leader of a cult group, named Ozo.

It was also gathered that while the corpse of Ozo was lying-in-state in his compound, some suspected cultists arrived at the scene and shot at the mourners while others scampered to safety.

A source said, “My sister was supposed to be at the burial. She and her friends had already prepared to leave Awka for Ebenebe, but the vehicle they booked to take them disappointed them.

“She and her friends were so unhappy, and they decided to go in search of another vehicle that can take them. It was in the course of going to the burial that they received a phone call that everybody at the burial had been dispersed by some gunmen.

“There is a video from the scene, which showed several persons lying in the pool of their own blood dead, while the corpse was desecrated, with its coffin lying far apart and sprawling on the ground.”

It was gathered that members of the community were wailing, while corpses littered the compound.

Anambra State Police command confirmed the incident, stating that it was a case of cult rivalry.

The state police spokesman, Tochukwu Ikenga, who responded to the message sent to his phone, said, “Yes, this morning (Saturday), there was an incident at Ebenebe. A burial was going on when some people suspected to be cultists invaded the area and started shooting.

“I do not have details of casualties now, but I will keep you informed once the picture becomes clear.

“For now, Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng, has despatched tactical squads comprising of various units to the area to maintain calm.”

Punch