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Bomb threat stokes fear in Ohio’s Springfield after Trump amplifies pet-eating rumours

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Evacuation of government buildings came days after the former president falsely claimed that Haitian immigrants were harming pets

Government buildings and a junior school in Springfield, Ohio were evacuated on Thursday after an emailed bomb threat, police said, rattling the small US city at the heart of an anti-migrant conspiracy theory amplified by Donald Trump.

Springfield has been thrust into the spotlight in recent days after an unfounded story of Haitian migrants eating pets went viral on social media, with the Republican ex-president and current White House candidate pushing the narrative despite it being debunked.

Democrats have accused Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, of fanning racial tensions as they use the Springfield conspiracy theory to elevate immigration as a campaign issue ahead of November’s election.

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Trump doubled down on the rhetoric during a campaign rally in Tucson, Arizona on Thursday, saying that “migrants are walking off with the town’s geese”.

Immediately after mentioning Springfield in his speech, Trump added: “I’m angry about young American girls being raped and sodomised and murdered by savage criminal aliens,” though provided no specific details.

Springfield authorities said there were no credible reports of pets being harmed by members of the immigrant community – accusations that Trump also repeated in his Thursday debate against Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris.

The White House condemned the claims on Thursday as “filth” and said they were endangering people’s lives.

On Thursday, Springfield police said that city hall and several other government buildings had been evacuated after a bomb threat sent by email at 8:24am (local time).

“Authorities investigated and cleared all facilities listed in the threat with the assistance of explosive detecting canines,” the force said in a statement.

Fulton junior school and Springfield Academy of Excellence were also listed in the threat and evacuated, according to the statement.

“We are currently partnering with the Dayton office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to identify the source of the email,” it added.

Arriving at the school to retrieve his child, Haitian immigrant Mackenso Roseme said that the current tensions in the community were “worrying”.

“I’m a little stressed. I think something might happen,” he said.

A sign in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole informed Roseme and other parents that the students had been moved to a high school.

A man carries an AI-generated image of Donald Trump carrying cats away from Haitian immigrants during a campaign rally in Tucson, Arizona, on September 12. Photo: AFP

 

Mayor Rob Rue told the Springfield News-Sun that the person who sent the bomb threat claimed to be from the city and mentioned Haitian immigration issues.

Despite the bomb threats, Trump was still reposting memes related to the conspiracy theory hours later on his Truth Social platform.

He claimed Ohio was being “inundated with illegal migrants, mostly from Haiti, who are taking over Towns and Villages at a level and rate never seen before.”

Springfield, with a population of about 58,000, has seen an increase in Haitian immigrants in recent years – 10,000 to 15,000 according to the Springfield News-Sun.

Social services, schools and housing have been stressed in the city for years, with some pointing to migration as a factor.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine – a Republican like Trump – gave some context to the situation in Springfield during an interview on Thursday.

DeWine said 15,000 immigrants from Haiti live in Springfield, “a dramatic change” for the city, and added they were there under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which allows foreign nationals to live and work in the United States.

“Why did they come? They came for jobs,” DeWine told Fox News reporters. “There’s nothing wrong with us being welcoming.”

A multiracial group of pastors called a press conference on Thursday in Springfield, joining hands in prayer and calling on the community to come together.

“Today there were some things that happened, some threats of violence,” Wes Babian, a former pastor of First Baptist Church, said.

“That is part of what motivated the quick calling of clergy to come together to express our support for the Haitian community and our concern for the well-being of the entire community.”

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Obidient movement launches online registration portal, identity cards for members

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April 26, 2025

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The Obidient Movement has launched its online registration portal and identity cards for members in Nigeria and in the diaspora.

This was disclosed on Saturday in a statement signed by Obidient Movement’s National Coordinator, Dr Yunusa Tanko and Nana Kazaure, the Director of Strategic Communications and Media of the Obidient Movement.

The movement said the identity card will carry the flag of the country where the holder resides.

According to the statement, the identity card has a QR code on the bottom right hand corner for authentication.

The statement reads: “Obidient registration portal supports Nigerians and fellow Obidients living in the diaspora. You will observe that the ID has a flag on it so, for example, if you’re not resident in Nigeria, the top right hand corner will carry the flag of your country of residence.

“That way, we can all witness first hand, the embodying of our spirit of diversity, comradery, unity and how far reaching the messaging Obidient Movement is.

“The OBX is constant on the ID card. The Diasporan and Nigerian card, all start with the same prefix which is the OBX.

“The following characters which are 2 letters and 2 numbers depending on if you are a Nigerian or a Nigerian voter living in the diaspora, who comes in to vote every election cycle indicates your State and LGA.

“It is worthy of note that there are 4 characters. The first 2 letters are for Nigerian State codes (for example Lagos state is LA and Delta is DE). The others are 2 digit numbers which represent the local government area where you are registered.

“If you are Nigerian and you are an Obidient or an individual who identifies with our struggle, our mantra of better sustainable governance all over the world, and our firm belief especially in our country Nigeria where we reaffirm that “A NEW NIGERIA IS POSSIBLE, the card will vary slightly from the Nigerian model because, in this case, the card will carry a 3 letter country code. So in the UK for example, it will be simply read GBR.

“Most importantly, please note that the other numbers on the identity cards are deliberately randomised for the security of our card carriers. So you cannot just guess the Obidient Movement’s codes and numbers. So for example, you cannot expect HE Peter Obi’s ID card to just read 001.

“The QR code on the bottom righthand corner is there to authenticate the authenticity of your card. Which can be scanned with any QR scanner such as a smartphone. This aims, with the intention to give Obidients a secure and confident way of interacting with one another. So if you choose to support or do business with an Obidient, you can scan the QR code or verify the OBX ID online to confirm that the person is who and what they truly say they are and are who they truly claim to be.

“When you sign up and submit your form online, it goes through a verification process. So for example you put in your X handle, it makes it easier for verification.

“In the event you decide to enter into any business dealings or enter into any informal or formal relations we implore you all to please endeavour to carry out your own independent investigations and do your due diligence thoroughly and properly so as to avoid becoming prey to some who may have ulterior and criminally motivated intentions.”

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‘Tinubu’s administration has no achievements since inception’ – Atiku

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April 26, 2025

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Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has knocked the administration of President Bola Tinubu for its economic policies, saying it has recorded no achievement since its inception.

Atiku, who stated this in a statement on his official X handle, said Tinubu’s administration has no achievements to stand on and no credible record to defend, adding that its only strategy is chaos and division.

“Because that’s the last refuge of the incompetent. And make no mistake— an incompetent captain does not only wreck his ship; he endangers the lives of everyone on board,” he wrote.

The 2023 PDP presidential candidate’s outburst comes after recent high profile defections from the opposition party.

Ekwutosblog reports that the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and the immediate past governor of the state, Ifeanyi Okowa, on Wednesday left the Peoples Democratic Party for the ruling All Progressives Congress.

In the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives, Oluwole Oke, resigned from the PDP and joined the APC on the same day.

While commenting on the next presidential election, Atiku said results would not be determined by political alliances, but by common goals.

“Let us be clear: the coming political battle is not APC versus PDP, or LP versus APC. It is Nigerians versus an administration that has plunged the nation into untold suffering. The economy is in freefall. Inflation is choking the masses. Jobs are vanishing. Youth restiveness is surging to terrifying levels. Nigerians are not just tired — they are angry, and rightfully so.

“This moment is about collective survival. The real enemy is not one another — it is the Tinubu administration’s abysmal failure. We must reject every attempt to distract us with ethnic, regional, or religious sentiments. These are tools of manipulation, designed to divide and conquer, used by those with nothing else to offer,” he added.

The former Vice-President pointed out that the need to speak out on the state of the economy was engineered by calls from concerned Nigerians.

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Kwankwaso: NNPP considering three options – Ladipo Johnson

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April 26, 2025

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Ladipo Johnson, the spokesperson for the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, has said the party is considering three possibilities ahead of 2027 presidential election.

Johnson said the NNPP was considering joining forces with the APC, the coalition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or standing on its own in 2027.

This comes amid defections from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the APC.

Atiku recently announced the formation of a coalition alongside his former counterpart of Labour Party, Peter Obi; ex-Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai and some other politicians.

The former PDP presidential candidate, had his ex-running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa defecting to the APC.

Also, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State also dumped the opposition party to the APC.

Amid these defections, the House of Representatives member from Ideato Federal constituency of Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, had claimed that two more state governors and 40 PDP lawmakers will soon defect.

Ugochinyere urged the PDP’s National Working Committee, NWC, to urgently take steps towards addressing the imminent danger.

He disclosed this while addressing PDP members in Akokwa area of Imo State on Friday

However, Johnson, in a statement said: “Well, so far, what I’ll say is this: in the NNPP, we tend to, at least from our own history as the Kwankwasiyya movement, wait till midterm.

“May 29th will be the midterm for this administration. It will be two years down, and two years to go. That is when we believe that proper politicking will commence.

“So, yes, we are talking, and we’ve been talking. But you’ll recall that at that time, I told you I didn’t want to mention specifically the groups or persons or movements that are in conversation with us. That is still the position now.

“You’ll recall that there have been many publications in newspapers and online, insinuating that Senator Kwankwaso is moving to the APC, that it is imminent and all that. That is just the nature of the game. Some people are pressing or pushing that narrative for their selfish reasons.

“But the bottom line is that very soon, they will begin to hear from us. We will tell our supporters what we are doing.

“There are basically three cards on the table: either we remain in the NNPP and continue with those who joined us all the way or we form some sort of coalition with Atiku, others; or we form an alliance with the ruling party. I

“I am not saying any of these is the case now. But these are the three basic options that could happen.”

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