• Hot Source
• Uncategorized
• March 29, 2025
• 11 views

US woman released by Taliban in Afghanistan

An American woman, Faye Hall, has been released by the Taliban in Afghanistan, Washington’s former envoy to Kabul, Zalmay Khalilzad, has revealed. Faye, two Britons, and their Afghan translator were captured earlier this year. She is the fourth US citizen to be released by the Taliban since January, as part of agreements brokered by Qatar.
US woman released by Taliban in Afghanistan

An American woman, Faye Hall, has been released by the Taliban in Afghanistan, Washington’s former envoy to Kabul, Zalmay Khalilzad, has revealed.

Faye, two Britons, and their Afghan translator were captured earlier this year.

She is the fourth US citizen to be released by the Taliban since January, as part of agreements brokered by Qatar.

“American citizen Faye Hall, just released by the Taliban, is now in the care of our friends, the Qataris, in Kabul and will soon be on her way home,” Khalilzad wrote on X on Saturday.

Khalilzad has been part of a US delegation working on Taliban captive releases.

Hall’s release comes just days after another American, George Glezmann, who was detained in Afghanistan for more than two years, was freed by the Taliban.

Glezmann was reunited with his wife in the US and was greeted by a welcoming party that included his former cellmate.

US woman released by Taliban in Afghanistan

• Hot Source
• Uncategorized
• March 29, 2025
• 14 views

PET bottle collectors, scavengers accuse Delta Govt of fraudulent registration

PET bottle operators and their scavengers have clashed with the Delta State Ministry of Environment in Asaba, the state capital. While the ministry has conducted a raid on scavengers and unregistered dump sites used by PET bottle operators in Asaba over non-payment of registration fees, the operators have insisted that the government’s registration process is
PET bottle collectors, scavengers accuse Delta Govt of fraudulent registration

PET bottle operators and their scavengers have clashed with the Delta State Ministry of Environment in Asaba, the state capital.

While the ministry has conducted a raid on scavengers and unregistered dump sites used by PET bottle operators in Asaba over non-payment of registration fees, the operators have insisted that the government’s registration process is fraudulent.

The arrest of the operators and scavengers may be linked to their failure to comply with the state government’s directive to register with the ministry for proper regulation.

The operation led to the arrest of 12 individuals, including both operators and scavengers, across at least 10 locations. They were then transported to a waiting court in the capital city.

One of those arrested, Jude Madaiki Babayi, confirmed that the operators were aware of the registration notice but had previously registered before the process was cancelled by the Secretary to the State Government, without a refund of the money paid.

He further revealed that, in the previous registration process, which was later cancelled, operators had paid for jackets, uniforms, and other items, totalling more than N200,000.

Babayi said the operators wanted to ensure the validity of the new registration system before committing to any further payments.

“We are also concerned about the credibility of the new registration process. The account number given to us is not an official government account, and we need to investigate further before making another payment,” Babayi said.

“It’s not that we don’t want to register. We are ready, but we need to confirm that the process is legitimate before we pay again.”

“We were still in the process of complying when the officials swooped in and took us to court.”

Babayi explained that they had not refused to register, but the challenge lay in raising the N1 million required for registration with the Delta State government.

“We did not refuse to register. The issue is raising the money; it’s not easy for us,” he concluded.

In an interview with journalists after the court session, Sylvester Ofuyekpone, Assistant Director of the Department of Sanitation and Waste Management in the ministry, emphasised that the state government had imposed a ban on scavenging without registration.

“For anyone to run a PET bottle collection business, they must have Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration, as well as register with the Ministry of Environment.

“To ensure smooth operations, the state had engaged consultants for Delta North, Delta Central, and Delta South. However, despite sensitisation efforts, many operators resisted the registration process.

“As a result, the ministry had no choice but to initiate the crackdown to force compliance. The 12 arrested operators were taken to a waiting court in the capital city. The court issued fines to the arrested operators for failing to register their businesses.”

Ofuyekpone clarified that paying the fines did not exempt them from completing the registration process with the ministry, noting that each operator was expected to pay an annual registration fee.

“Smaller operators could form clusters and pay the fee collectively, provided they have a CAC certificate, which would serve as a prerequisite for registration.”

John Itinegbedia, a representative of the consulting firm G-Part E-C Consult Nig. Ltd., added that the raid was a consequence of non-compliance with government directives.

He stressed that the state government, particularly the Secretary to the State Government and the Commissioner for Environment, was dissatisfied with the operators’ refusal to register.

“We’ve issued notices to the PET bottle operators, but they refused to come forward to register and be profiled. So, we had to go on this operation to ensure they complied. Whether they like it or not, they must adhere to the regulations to safeguard the environment, lives, and property,” he said.

The targeted sites included the former Textile Mill premises, Ibusa Road, Okpanam Road, behind the A Division of the Nigeria Police Force, behind the MTN office, and along the expressway between Summit Road and Asaba Airport.

The raid was carried out by officials from the ministry in collaboration with the Asaba Capital Territory Development Agency and a consultant hired by the state government.

PET bottle collectors, scavengers accuse Delta Govt of fraudulent registration