Nigeria’s Army Says Northeast Gwoza Retaken From Boko Haram

Nigeria’s military said it captured the northeastern town of Gwoza from Boko Haram on Friday, driving the Islamist insurgents out of one of their last remaining strongholds in the region.

Soldiers captured the town that Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters described as “the headquarters of the terrorists’ self-styled caliphate” in a post on its Twitter account. The military said the security forces killed “several terrorists,” captured “many more” and were “mopping up” in the town, about 716 kilometers (445 miles) north of Abuja, the capital.

Nigerian troops have been joined by forces from neighboring Chad and Niger to intensify the campaign against Boko Haram before presidential and parliamentary elections on March 28. The militants have killed at least 1,000 civilians this year, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch, and prompted a six-week vote delay after the military said it needed time to subdue the insurgents.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan thanked troops for their “immense sacrifices” and for recapturing “most of the communities and territories formerly occupied” by Boko Haram in a state broadcast Friday.

Source:
Bloomberg

Military Deploys 2 Fighter Jets, 4 Helicopters To Rescue Chibok Girls in Gwoza

A coordinated attack is set to be carried out by the military to liberate Gwoza, Borno State, from Boko Haram captivity as the defence authorities have deployed four attack helicopters and two air force fighter jets to flush out the terrorists in the areas.

A reliable source in the military told our correspondent on Thursday that the attack helicopters and the fighter jets departed Yola, Adamawa State, at about 3pm, heading for Gwoza, the last town in Borno State under the control of terror sect.

The source told our correspondent on the telephone that ground forces from Bama, Borno State, and Madagali in Adamawa State, were advancing towards Gwoza in the air and ground operation to end the reign of the insurgents in the area.

President Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday, promised that the terror sect would be flushed out of Gwoza, where the kidnapped Chibok girls are allegedly being kept.

Source:
Punch Newspaper

Secure Messaging Apps That Terrorists Could Be Using For Communication, Recruiting Insurgents

The Islamic State (ISIS) and other terror groups may need to thank the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) for inadvertently recommending to them, which messaging apps to use.

Chibok Girls Are In Gwoza, Says Freed Boko Haram Abductee

Chibok Girls

Over 200 girls abducted in Chibok in April 2014 are being held in Gwoza town in Borno State, a woman who was recently released by the Boko Haram sect has told the icirnigeria.org.

BREAKING NEWS! Boko Haram Abducts Fresh 506 Women, Children From Damasak, Borno State, Nigeria

DAMASAK, Nigeria, March 24 (Reuters) - Residents in the northern Nigerian town of Damasak said on Tuesday that Boko Haram militants kidnapped more than 400 women and children as they left the town, which was freed by troops from Niger and Chad this month.

Internet of Things (IoT): Security Risks of Networked Medical Devices

Photo Credit: (Help Net Security)

Networked medical devices linked to the Internet of Things (IoT) hold tremendous promise if security is built in from the outset, according to a new report by Intel Security and the Atlantic Council.

Scam Alert! Scammers Use WhatsApp Calling Feature As A Lure

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Windows 10 Will Let You Log In With Your Face And Fingerprint

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Gunmen Attack Taraba Village, Kill 5, Scores Injured

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen yesterday killed five persons and injured dozens others when they attacked Ananum Village in Donga local government area of Taraba State.

Obama Writes Nigerians Over 2015 Elections; Urges Peaceful, Credible Polls

President Obama

As preparations intensify for general elections in Nigeria, starting Saturday, the United States President, Barack Obama, on Monday sent a special message to Nigerians, urging a credible and peaceful polls.

Forecasting Boko Haram's Next Cycle of Terror

There is no gainsaying the fact that terrorism is a very complex, constantly evolving phenomenon with varying procedures and targets. It is dangerous to confine the inventiveness of man or of extremists. Terrorism basks on the duality of surprise and near unpredictability. Hindsight tells us that several terrorist incidents could have been pre-empted and frustrated if the security agencies were able to forecast probable scenarios and left no stone unturned in forestalling such.

Are Outdated Intelligence Tactics Allowing Terrorism, Radicalization To Fester In The UK?

Jihadi John (Mohammed Emwazi)

Britain’s intelligence agencies are leaving known terrorists to “carry out evil deeds” through a flawed approach which focuses on disrupting suspects rather than prosecuting them. This, according to the former shadow home secretary David Davis.

Boko Haram: Nigeria Pays Chadian, Nigerien Soldiers N146m Monthly

CDS Alex Badeh

Nigeria is bearing the financial burden of the operations by multinational forces against Boko Haram insurgents, findings by The PUNCH on Sunday have revealed.

‘Buhari Being Funded By ISIS, Al-Qaeda,’ - PDP Spokesperson

Fani Kayode

The spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign organization, Femi Fani-Kayode has accused All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari of receiving funds from Middle-Eastern terrorist groups.

Rampaging Gunmen Kill 8 In Port Harcourt, South-South Nigeria

No fewer than eight persons were killed and many in­jured last Friday night, at different locations in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when gunmen went on the rampage in the city.

Growing Insecurity In Nigeria: Gunmen Abduct Emir Of Bukuyum In Zamfara

Emir of Bukuyum - Mohammed Usman

Unknown gunmen have kidnapped the Emir of Bukuyum, Mohammed Usman, from his palace in Zamfara State, north-west Nigeria.

Nigerian Troops Foil Fresh Boko Haram Attack on Bama

Nigerian troops on Saturday quashed a fresh attempt by Boko Haram militants to recapture Bama, the defence headquarters said. Bama was retaken from Boko Haram last week.

Army Officer Shot Dead For Taking New Wife

A warrant officer with the Nigeria Army, 50-year-old Joseph Ekpenyong Okon has been shot dead by his elder brother. The suspect was said to have taken the action as a way of protesting against the deceased’s decision to marry a new wife.

Boko Haram: UN Officials Forecast Regional Humanitarian Crisis

Top United Nations officials yesterday said that the immense suffering in Nigeria as a result of persistent attacks from the Boko Haram sect could lead to a serious regional humanitarian crisis.

United States Approves Amazon Drone Trial

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Horror In Bama As Military Discovers Bodies In Wells

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Pentagon Loses Track of $500 Million in Weapons, Equipment Given to Yemen

The Pentagon is unable to account for more than $500 million in U.S. military aid given to Yemen, amid fears that the weaponry, aircraft and equipment is at risk of being seized by Iranian-backed rebels or al-Qaeda, according to U.S. officials.

Root Cause Must Be Understood First To Counter Violent Extremism

According to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, some 20,000 people have joined ISIL since last summer. They have traveled to Syria and Iraq from more than 100 countries all over the world for that purpose. To make a comparison, it took ten years for the number of foreign fighters against the Soviet Army in Afghanistan to reach 20,000.

Boko Haram: How Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Pitched Private Fighting Force To President Jonathan

Nigeria’s government is deploying South African mercenaries in its effort to battle the Islamist Boko Haram militia that’s wreaking havoc in the northern part of the country, the New York Times reported last week.

Gunmen Kidnap Younger Brother Of Diezani Allison–Madueke, Nigeria's Minister Of Petroleum

Police say unidentified gunmen, on Thursday, kidnapped Joseph Agama, the younger brother to Diezani Allison-Madueke, Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources.

U.S. And ISIS Drones Downed This Week

The United States lost a Predator drone that was operating over Syria this week. The American military's Central Command noted that the U.S. destroyed several ISIS targets, including a remotely piloted aircraft near Fallujah.

How The Dark Web Morphed Into A Virtual Battlefield For Terrorists, Spy Agencies

It's a technological arms race, pure and simple. That's how Jamie Bartlett, author of The Dark Net, sums up the constantly evolving battle in cyberspace between terrorists and the intelligence agencies trying to discover their hidden communications.

French Comedian Sentenced For ‘Condoning Terrorism’ In FaceBook post

Dieudonne M'bala M'bala (AFP Photo/Loic Venance)

Amid a crackdown on hate speech and “condoning terrorism” online, a French court has handed out a two-month suspended prison sentence to prominent comedian and political activist Dieudonne over a Facebook post in the wake of Charle Hebdo attack.

Gunmen In Military Attire Kill 19 In Tunisia Museum Attack; 2 Gunmen Killed in Firefight

Gunmen in military uniforms attacked a museum in downtown Tunis around noon on Wednesday, killing 19 people, officials said. Security forces later advanced into the museum and killed two gunmen in a firefight, state television reported.

'I Have Clues To Abducted Chibok Girls’ Location' – Escapee

A woman abducted by Boko Haram insurgents along with her grand daughter has returned with tales of horror— and a possible clue to the location of the kidnapped Chibok girls.

'Cyanide Letter' Sent To White House

White  House

The US Secret Service says it is conducting further tests on an envelope posted to the White House which may contain cyanide.

Court Orders Alleged Nyanya Bomb Blast Mastermind - Ogwuche, Co-accused To Be Tried In Camera

Aminu Ogwuche (centre)

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that the alleged mastermind of the April 14 Nyanya bomb blast, Aminu Ogwuche and five orders be tried in camera.

'Boko Haram Has Legitimate Grievances' - Obasanjo

Former President Obasanjo

Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has again advocated dialogue with the insurgent group, Boko Haram, saying the group has legitimate grievances despite its brutal five-year campaign that has killed more than 15,000 people, with hundreds of thousands displaced.

Europe Education Minister Summit Brainstorm On Radicalization

EU Ministers of Education are meeting in Paris today to discuss new measures to tackle radicalization across the European Union. Minister Jet Bussemaker (Education) thinks that teachers need more support in highlighting the issue of radicalization in schools.

France blocks websites accused of condoning terrorism

Source: Aljazeera

France has blocked five websites accused of condoning terrorism, in the first use of new government powers that came into force in February, the interior ministry said on Monday.

Facebook Updates Its Policy On Terrorism, Nudity, Cyber Bullying And Fake Names

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Terrorism Morphing Into Different Threats - CIA Director

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Suspected Fulani Herdsmen Kill 80 in Attack On Agatu, Benue State

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China Emerges World's Third Largest Arms Exporter

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How The CIA Inadvertently Bankrolled Al-quaeda

AFGHANISTAN used about $US1 million ($A1.3 million) provided by the CIA to a secret government fund to pay Al-Qaeda in 2010 for a diplomat’s release, The New York Times reports.

Nigeria Denies Hiring 'Mercenaries' To Fight Boko Haram

The Nigerian government has not hired any foreign mercenaries in its battle to defeat the Boko Haram insurgents, an official said on Sunday.

Court Sanctions Extradition Of Nigerian To UK For Murder Charges

Mr Kekere-Ekun

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Nigerian Banks Lose N6bn To e-fraud In 2014, 118% Increase From Previous Year

The value of reported electronic fraud by Deposit Money Banks (DMB) has risen to 1181.1 per cent, translating  into N6.2 billion in 2014 from N485.2 million in 2013.

U.K. Intelligence Watchdog Defends Nation’s Bulk Data Spying As Necessary

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ISIS Accepts Boko Haram's Allegiance

The Islamic State (ISIS) has accepted the allegiance offer of Nigerian terrorist organization Boko Haram, according to an audio file released on social media. The file, titled "Kill and Be Killed," also appeared on file-sharing websites. The Al-Furqan Media Foundation, ISIS's media group, took responsibility for the message. 

Dare Devil Armed Robbers Storm A Bank In Lekki Phase 1, Gun Down Policemen, Others

Reports reaching us indicate that scores of well-armed robbers dressed in military camouflage, robbed an FCMB Bank located at Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos State.

Boko Haram's Allegiance To ISIS Shows It Is Expanding Its Focus From Nigeria To The World - John Campbell

In a recording Boko Haram released last week Abubakar Shekau pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) emir, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The recording appears to be authentic. Shekau’s pledge goes further than his previous statements of support for ISIS, and was a Boko Haram propaganda coup: once again, the movement made the front page of the New York Times and became a brief media sensation. However, it is unclear what, if any, practical effects this pledge will have.

Abuja Police Commissioner Warn Nigerians Not To Tamper With Crime Scenes

The Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory, Wilson Inalegu, has said that the police’s inability to solve many crimes in Nigeria is largely because Nigerians often tamper with crime scenes.

Second South African Military Contractor Fighting Boko Haram Killed In Nigeria

Johannesburg - The South African private military contractor who died when his tank was attacked in Nigeria knew what his mission might entail, his wife Almarie told Netwerk24.

France Set To Boost Its Counter-Insurgency Force Against Boko Haram

In a move aimed at completely annihilating the terror group, Boko Haram, France has committed to increasing its West African counter-insurgency force to support regional forces fighting Boko Haram, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said yesterday.