Spanish rescuers plunged into inundated garages to find bodies on Monday, a day after furious crowds heckled and hurled mud at the king and the prime minister following devastating floods.

The toll stands at 217 dead — almost all in the eastern Valencia region — and Spain dreaded the discovery of more corpses in its worst such disaster in decades.

National weather service AEMET announced the end of the emergency for Valencia but placed part of the northeastern Catalonia region on the highest red alert for torrential rain on Monday.

Catalan trains were suspended until further notice, Transport Minister Oscar Puente announced on X, while flights were delayed and diverted at Barcelona’s El Prat airport.

The country grappled with the aftermath of an extraordinary outburst of popular anger directed at King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

The Civil Guard has opened an investigation into the chaos in the ground-zero town of Paiporta that cut short their visit on Sunday, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told public broadcaster TVE.

He blamed “marginal groups” for instigating the violence where mud spattered the monarchs’ face and clothes and broke a window of Sanchez’s car.

Organising the visit was “a collective mistake” as fringe groups hijacked raw emotions to endanger the royals, Sanchez and Valencia region leader Carlos Mazon, Puente told television channel La Sexta on Sunday.

The incident underscored growing anger at the authorities’ preparation for and response to the catastrophe.

Experts have questioned the warning systems that failed to alert the population in time and the speed of the response.

– ‘We were abandoned’ –

Thousands of soldiers, police officers, civil guards and firefighters spent a sixth day distributing aid and clearing mud and debris to find bodies.

But relief works only reached some towns days after the disaster and in many cases volunteers were the first to provide food, water, sanitation and cleaning equipment.

“We shouldn’t romanticise it: the people saved the people because we were abandoned,” said Jorge, a resident of the town of Chiva where the royals cancelled their visit on Sunday.

The applause should be for the volunteers, not “those who come just to take a picture and show off”, the 25-year-old told AFP.

Divers on Monday concentrated their search for missing bodies in garages and a multi-storey car park in the town of Aldaia capable of holding thousands of vehicles.

The storm caught many victims in their vehicles on roads and in underground spaces such as car parks, tunnels and garages where rescue operations are particularly difficult.

Local authorities extended travel restrictions for another two days to facilitate the work of the emergency services, cancelled classes in Valencia and urged citizens to work from home.

Storms coming off the Mediterranean are common for the season. But scientists have warned human-induced climate change is increasing the ferocity, length and frequency of extreme weather events.

“Politicians haven’t acted on climate change, and now we’re paying the consequences of their inaction,” environmental activist Emi, 21, told AFP in Chiva.

IGP Orders Thorough Investigation into Possible Security Threats, Networking

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested 130 suspects comprising 113 foreign nationals (87 males and 26 females), primarily of Chinese and Malaysian origin, and their 17 Nigerian collaborators (4 males and 13 females) for their alleged involvement in high-level cybercrimes, hacking, and activities that threaten national security. This strategic operation was conducted through a coordinated raid on a building at the Next Cash and Carry area of Jahi, Abuja, where the suspects were reportedly using computers and other sophisticated devices to facilitate criminal activities.

The operation which was led by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police for Zone 7 Headquarters, Abuja, AIG Benneth Igweh, on Saturday, 2nd November 2024, comprised officers of the Nigeria Police Force Zone 7 Command Abuja and the National Cyber Crime Centre (NPF-NCCC).

We are investigating the matter and scientifically analysing the exhibits recovered from them. The suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of our investigations.

We will update the public on the outcomes of our investigations as and when due.

Thanks.

ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI
Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters Abuja
3rd November, 2024.

Nigerian Correctional Service: 72 Minors Accused of Treason Not in Our Custody”

Correctional authorities confirm they are not detaining the 72 minors charged with treason, amidst growing public and legal interest.

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has refuted allegations that 72 minors, who are facing treason charges in a Federal High Court in Abuja, are being detained within its facilities.

In a statement released on Saturday, NCoS spokesperson ACC Abubakar Umar emphasized that the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019 clearly forbids the admission of juveniles into adult correctional facilities. It grants authority to Controllers of Corrections and Superintendents overseeing these centers to refuse entry to minors.

Umar noted that the Act mandates the Service to refuse further admissions when a facility has reached full capacity.

According to the statement, “Some sections of the media are circulating misleading reports suggesting that the suspects charged with treason before Justice Obiora Egwuatu at the Federal High Court in Abuja during August 2024’s End Bad Governance protest were detained in an adult custodial center in Abuja.”

The report in question is entirely false as the Service operates according to top correctional and global standards. To clarify, under the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019, Controllers of Corrections and Superintendents-in-charge are prohibited from admitting juveniles into adult facilities. Additionally, the Act requires that no more inmates be admitted if it’s clear that a facility has reached its capacity limit.

The Service would like to inform the public that the mentioned suspects were not accepted, and none of them was detained in adult custodial facilities as suggested by the report.

The Service guarantees the public that the Nigerian Correctional Service will consistently prioritize professionalism and uphold human rights, adhering to the United Nations Minimum Standard Rules for the Treatment of Juvenile Offenders.

Additionally, the general public is encouraged to disregard the report as it does not accurately reflect the situation.

The NCoS reaffirmed its dedication to upholding international standards in correctional practices and protecting the rights of juveniles.