Multiple Bombs in North Nigeria's Kaduna Kill at Least 82

KADUNA Nigeria (Reuters) - Two bomb blasts in the north Nigerian city of Kaduna killed at least 82 people on Wednesday, officials said, in attacks that bore the hallmarks of violent Islamist group Boko Haram.

A suicide bomber targeting a moderate Muslim cleric killed at least 32 of the cleric's congregation on a busy commercial road. Shortly after, a second bomb blast killed 50 people in the crowded Kawo market on Wednesday, a local Red Cross worker on the scene, who declined to be named, told Reuters.
Thousands were gathered for prayers with Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi in Murtala Muhammed square, and when his convoy pulled up, the bomber lunged at him before being stopped by his private security, witnesses and police said.

"The attack was targeted at the sheikh. No arrest has been made yet," said police commissioner Shehu Umar.
The bomb did not injure Bauchi, several witnesses told Reuters. Mustafa Sani, a volunteer for Bauchi's mosque evacuating bodies, said there were 32 confirmed dead so far.

"Somebody with a bomb vest ... was blocked. He detonated the bomb along with the person that tried to block him," Umar said, adding that police had only been able to confirm 25 dead, with 14 wounded.
Police sometimes give lower casualty tolls than workers on the scene.
A Reuters reporter saw blood and body parts scattered on the Alkali Road in the city centre. The military used pick-up trucks to cordon off the area.
Sirens wailed as fire engines raced to the scene. An angry crowd started throwing stones at police, who responded by dispersing them with tear gas.
Some followers had come from Senegal, Chad and Niger to see the popular sheikh.

BOKO HARAM SUSPECTED
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for either blast, but Islamist militant group Boko Haram
has been staging attacks, especially with explosives, outside its northeastern heartlands in the past three months.
Since launching an insurgency in 2009, the militants have often attacked clerics, like Bauchi, who take issue with their Salafist ideology. If Boko Haram is responsible for Wednesday's attack, it underscores the risks moderate clerics take speaking out against it.

The insurgents, who are fighting to carve out an Islamic state in Nigeria, have repeatedly targeted civilians this year, mostly in remote northeastern
Borno state. They killed more than 2,000 civilians during the first half of this year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) estimated a week ago.

Courtesy:
Reuters:

Nigeria Ranks High in Global "Terrorism" Casualty Rate - Maplecroft Report

Nigeria has the world’s highest casualty rate from "terrorism'' with an average of 24 deaths per attack out of 146 recorded in the year through June, according to
risk consultancy Maplecroft.

The global average is two deaths per attack, the Bath, U.K.-based group said in a report released today titled
the Maplecroft Terrorism and Security Dashboard.

Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy, recorded 3,477 deaths in those attacks as violence by the Boko Haram
Haram Islamist militants grew in scale and sophistication, it said.
“The increased capacity of Boko Haram is likely to lead to a further loss of investor confidence,” Maplecroft
said in the report. The latest figures represent a doubling of the 1,735 deaths recorded in the previous year through June 2013, it said.

Boko Haram, whose name means “western education is
a sin,” is waging a five-year-old violent campaign that has killed thousands, to impose Shariah, or Islamic law,
in Africa ’s most populous country of about 170 million people. Nigeria, the continent’s biggest oil producer, is
roughly split between a mainly Muslim north and a predominantly Christian south.

The group drew global outrage with its April 14 abduction of 276 schoolgirls from their dormitories in the northeastern town of Chibok. Though the U.S.,
France and the U.K. joined the search for the girls, most of them are yet to be rescued.
The militant group claimed three bomb attacks this year in Abuja, the capital, that killed at least 120 people.

Maplecroft ranks Nigeria fifth in its list of “extreme risk”.countries topped by Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and
Somalia. While more people have died in those countries due to more frequent attacks, the average death toll per attack has been lower than Nigeria’s,
according to Maplecroft.

Bloomberg

Cameroon Villages Bordering Nigeria Live in Terror of Boko Haram

Yaounde (Cameroon) (AFP) - In the villages that line the border with Nigeria, even those charged with protecting Cameroonians from Boko Haram fighters fear the fall of
darkness.
"When night falls, we tremble. We don't sleep," said a Cameroonian policeman from a far-northern border
town, on condition of anonymity.
The Nigeria-born Islamist group has stepped up raids into northern Cameroon in recent days, murdering and stealing with impunity despite military efforts to clamp down on their bloody insurgency.

On Sunday local police said one of their officers was killed during an attack on the village of Nariki, 500 metres from Boko Haram's Nigerian stronghold of Tarmoa, adding to scores of deaths from raids on local towns this month.
The militants have long used Cameroon to launch attacks on Nigeria as the border between them is extremely porous, with no buffer-zone clearly separating the two countries.
Earlier this month they stole a pick-up truck and weapons in a raid on a police post in Bomberi, Cameroon, only to abandon it on Nigerian territory where it was found by troops days later, said another Cameroon police officer.

Weapons and goods cross the border freely too: the remote northern Cameroon town of Amchide has
become a hotbed for Boko Haram fighters and a hub for trafficking to finance their recruitment.
Cameroon, like other west African countries, has beefed up its operations against Boko Haram since the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls three months ago sparked an international outcry.
The army claims to have killed many militants in recent weeks and suspected members and collaborators have
been arrested and sent to the capital, Yaounde.

Cameroon's elite Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) recently destroyed one Boko Haram camp during a foray
across the border into Tarmoa, said the second officer.
Supported by international governments, they have also targeted the Sambisa forest near the shared border where Nigerian authorities believe the kidnapped schoolgirls may still be hidden in the militants' camps.
But Cameroon's efforts have done little to stem Boko Haram's bloody five-year insurgency or stop almost daily attacks that have left local communities living in constant fear.

"Boko Haram is disorganised because of joint operations by the Cameroonian and Nigerian armed forces, but its activists carry out attacks here and there in Cameroon," the second officer said.
The first policeman said the insurgents can easily escape as "they know very well" where the Cameroonian troops are located.

The Islamist group, blamed for slaughtering more than 2,000 civilians already this year, has increasingly targeted remote border communities, razing entire villages.
Two Cameroonian shepherds were killed and 200 cattle stolen by militants on July 10 during a raid in the village of Bame, less than 10 kilometers (six miles) from the Nigerian border, said the first police officer.

Foiled attack -
And suspected Boko Haram fighters kidnapped a 20-year-old Cameroonian earlier this month from the village
of Balgaram after an attack was foiled by the army.
Senior local figures are also being intimidated to stop them from helping the government against Boko Haram.
In Limani, which lies in the flashpoint zone between Nigeria's Tarmoa and Amchide in Cameroon, militants
kidnapped the sons of a traditional chief who has been a go-between for the group.
"They were intimidating the father," said the second police officer. "He's a go-between for Boko Haram, which suspects him of collaborating with Cameroonian forces."

A lack of coordination by military forces -- particularly between Nigeria and Cameroon -- has hampered the efforts to stop the insurgents.
That was made clear during a botched attempt to rescue 10 Chinese road workers who were kidnapped in May.
A negotiator was hurt when a team of Cameroonians sent to bring back the workers in early July was fired on
by the Nigerian army, which was unaware of their operation, said the second officer.

"There is currently a tacit agreement between Nigeria and Cameroon to let soldiers from both countries cross
the border either way during actions against Boko Haram," he added.
But officially, the Yaounde government does not allow any right of pursuit by Nigerian forces on its territory.

Courtesy:
Yahoo News

President Jonathan Meets Parents of Abducted Chibok Girls' for First Time

President Goodluck Jonathan has met for the first time with many parents of 219 kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls and dozens of classmates who managed
to escape from their Islamic extremist captors.

Tuesday's meeting came after some parents had refused to meet Nigeria's leader last week. For months, they have been asking to see the president
and he finally acceded to a request from Pakistani girls' education activist Malala Yousafzai, who had met the parents.
Jonathan blamed activists of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign for politicising the abductions and influencing the parents. The parents said they needed time to decide who would attend.

Chibok community spokesman Lawan Abana said there were 177 people in the delegation meeting Jonathan and an AP reporter counted 51 of the 57 girls who escaped in the early days after the abduction on 15 April.
At least 11 of the parents have died since then –seven in a village attack this month and four of heart attacks and other illnesses that the Chibok
community blames on the trauma.

Jonathan was accompanied by the education and finance ministers, and his national security adviser.
Jonathan and his team walked to a stage above the waiting parents and girls, and journalists were asked to leave. Also present was governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state, from where the girls were abducted. Shettima has accused Jonathan of not doing enough to save the girls and has angered the government with his charges that Boko Haram fighters are better armed and more motivated than Nigeria's military.
Some of the parents and community leaders of the Chibok town from which the girls were kidnapped have made public statements urging Jonathan to negotiate with the girls' captors. Boko Haram is demanding a swap for detained fighters in exchange for the girls. So far, Jonathan has refused.

Courtesy:
The Guardian

Boko Haram Abducts Politician’s Wife and Two Children in Borno State

Suspected members of Boko Haram have kidnapped the wife and two children of Alhaji Zaraye Mala Sheriff, a Councillor in Borno state who is reported to be a cousin of former Borno state, governor, Ali Modu Sheriff.

A source told Daily Trust that the men stormed the Ngala town residence of the politician in the early hours of Friday July 18th.
“The insurgents stormed the house of the councillor around 12:30am on Friday and asked the wife about her husband. They also asked her for the money he kept at home but she kept quiet.
Luckily enough, Zaraye was at the other side of the house and when he heard the conversation, he fled,” a source from Ngala said.
He said angered by her silence and the absence of their target, the sect members took her and her two children away.
“Up till now, nothing has been heard of the woman and her kids. We have not heard anything about the two businessmen either,” he said.

Two other politicians, Alhaji Annur Mohammed and Liman Alhaji Hussaini were also reportedly kidnapped by the sect men.
Meanwhile there are reports that Maiduguri metropolis and its environs have been without power in the last
three weeks following the destruction of electricity installations around Damboa town, 85 kilometers away from the state capital.

A senior official of the utility firm supplying the state with power, the Yola Electricity Distribution Company
(YEDC) said the attack by Boko Haram members in the last three weeks around Damboa caused “huge damage” to their 33KVA installations.
“The problem is aggravated by the security situation around Damboa which makes it difficult for our men to
effect repairs. The truth is that it will take time before electricity would be restored in Maiduguri and environs,”
he said.

Courtesy:
Nollywood Magazine

BREAKING NEWS: Nigerian Air Force Mi-35 Helicopter Crashes In Borno

A Nigerian Air Force Mi-35 Helicopter on a training mission has crashed, the Defence Headquarters has said.
The jet crashed this afternoon due to technical fault at a location South of Bama, Defence spokesperson, Chris
Olukolade, said in a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES.
The statement did not say whether anyone was killed or injured in the crash.
Mr. Olukolade, a Major General, said investigation has commenced to unravel the circumstances leading to the accident.

He however said the accident was not a result “of any enemy action”.
Further details on the crash, Mr. Olukolade said, would be made known as investigation progresses.
Bama is one of the locations in the North-east state of Borno where the extremist Boko Haram sect has
intensified its terrorist activities.

The Nigerian military has continued to launch ground and aerial assaults on the area to crush the terrorists.
The Boko Haram sect has killed more than 12,000 people since it began its insurgency about five years ago.

Courtesy:
Premium Times

Suspected Fulani Herdsmen Kill 5 In Early Morning Attack On Kaduna Village

At least five people have been killed by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen in an early morning attack on Fadan Karshi village in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Friday, July 18.
The latest attack comes less than a month after about 200 people were killed in seven communities within the
same local government.

The Local Government Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Adamu told Channels Television on telephone, that the
gunmen stormed the village at about 4:45am and started shooting at people and in the process killed five natives and injured many others.
Those who could run were able to escape the onslaught, leaving the weak and aged who fell victims of the attack.

Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has witnessed so many violent attacks by suspected Fulani
herdsmen since the beginning of this year.

In the meantime, the council chairman said soldiers have been drafted to the area to beef up security in the area.

Courtesy:
Channels Television

Nyanya Bombing 'Chief Mastermind' - 'Dr' Rufai Tsiga Still on the Run; Aminu Ogwuche to be Prosecuted in Nigeria

Sequel to the successful extradition of the co-mastermind of April 14 Nyanya bomb blast, Mr Sadiq Ogwuche, the Federal Government, on Thursday, said the chief mastermind of the blast, Rufai Tsiga, is still on its watch list.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja, the coordinator of the National Information Center (NIC), Mr Mike Omeri, said the security forces were on the trail of Tsiga and other personalities aiding terrorism
in the country.

He said: “The chief mastermind of the Nyanya bomb blast, popularly known as Dr Tsiga, is still on our watchlist, as the security forces are on his trail. When we arrest him, we will make it public like that of Ogwuche, for now he remains a wanted person.”

Omeri said Ogwuche will be tried by Nigerian local law and added that when the need arises, other legal process, which demands international standard, may be applied.

Speaking on the proposed $1 billion loan sought by President Goodluck Jonathan, Omeri said it was a longterm facility which would help reinforce the Nigerian military.
“The loan is a longterm facility sought by Mr President with the approval of the National Assembly to help purchase better equipment for the military and reinforce it.
“It is not aimed at only fighting the Boko Haram war, but for reinforcement of the Nigeria armed forces,” he added.
Speaking on the kidnap of a German national in Adamawa State, the NIC boss said the act was criminal, distasteful and must be rejected by Nigerians, just as he added that government would investigate the act and take necessary actions to protect the lives of citizens.

Courtesy:
Tribune Newspaper

Once Again, Boko Haram Attacks Damboa Village (Bornu State), Scores Feared Dead

Residents of Damboa village said they are still picking piles of corpses after Boko Haram gunmen Friday morning invaded the besieged town, 85km south of Maiduguri, shooting and killing defenceless villagers and setting homes ablaze.

A top security official (names withheld) from Maiduguri confirmed the attack but said no details on extent of damage yet.
Vigilante official, Abbas Gava, told Echoesinn blogger that “the death casualty could be very high because my contacts in Damboa said they are still picking and piling the corpses, but many houses, nearly half of what remains of the several attacked town has been burnt”.
Gava promised to get more details on the number of deaths recorded.
He said the gunmen crept upon the villagers who were about to perform the early dawn prayers.

Since the Sunday of fortnight ago, when Boko Haram gunmen walked over a military base killings dozen of soldiers and four police men in Damboa, Boko Haram gunmen had laid siege along the road leading from Maiduguri to Damboa, and had forced soldiers going to the attacked base for evacuation of its destroyed munitions, to turn back by launching some ambush shooting on them twice. Two more soldiers were reported dead in one of the ambush attack. But the soldiers were able to
return fire from an armoured tanker at a sniper with Rocket Launcher who was firing from atop a tree, while others were shooting from the surrounding bushes, a witness said.

Boko Haram had also cut off access to Damboa from the southern part of the road coming from Biu town, 100km away from Damboa by blowing down a major bridge on the highway at a hamlet called Sabongari last Monday.

Damboa, an agrarian village where Borno state sourced most of its grocery and fruits supply, had suffered several attacks in the past two years, reasons of the newly established 7 Division of the Nigeria Army to establish operational
base called 33 Tank Battalion in Damboa.
But since after the last attack before today’s (18th July, 2014) neither the soldiers nor the police could return back to Damboa. The embattled few villagers were left at the protection of the sticks and Dane guns-carrying youth vigilante called Civilian-JTF.

Courtesy:
African Spotlight

Suspected Nyanya Bombing Mastermind - Aminu Ogwuche Extradited From Sudan to Nigeria

Aminu Ogwuche, the suspected mastermind of Nyanya bombing, an Abuja suberb was today extradited aboard a Nigerian Air Force jet from Sudan where he was arrested  following a manhunt by Interpol.

He is currently been held in an undisclosed location pending further investigations and been charged to court.

His successful extradition to Nigeria has paid to rest, insinuations that the Sudanese authorities were bent on frustrating his repatriation to Nigeria.

Will keep you posted on developments in this regard.

Purported Boko Haram's 'Chief Butcher' Arrested By The Police

Nigeria Police on Tuesday 15 July said that following the massive onslaught by security forces on the activities of the insurgent group, Boko Haram, at the Balmo Forest Bauchi State , detectives attached to Bauchi State Police Command on Saturday arrested one Mohammed Zakari, a 30- year old man and senior member of the Boko Haram terrorists ’ organization along Darazo -Basrika Road while fleeing from the intensive counter insurgency operations going on around the Balmo Forest.

In a statement by Frank Mba , spokesperson for the Nigeria Police said the suspect , who hails from
Kaigamari Village, Daptchari in Darazo Local Government Area, Bauchi State is the self-styled “chief butcher” of the insurgent group at the Balmo Forest Camp and is linked with the recent slaughter of seven (7) people , including women and children.

Findings as well as disclosures from the suspect will assist the law enforcement agencies in tracking down some other members of the terror cell .
Mr. Mba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police said in the statement that investigation revealed that the suspect was tutored in the art of insurgency at Gombe Forest under the leadership of fleeing insurgent, Abba Taura and moved to Balmo Forest only three months ago.

Zakari actively participated in the April attack against Customs officers at Kari Town, along Maiduguri Road ,
Bauchi State .
The Police High Command therefore called on the citizens in the affected areas to be on guard for any suspicious or strange character fleeing from Balmo Forest.

The Police also called for the understanding and support of the public. Mba stated the efforts of the
police and other security forces in tackling insurgency, terrorism and other related crimes headlong.
He noted that although the war on terrorism is unrelenting, it is certainly not insurmountable and must be won with the cooperation of all .

Courtesy:
PM News

Boko Haram: Nigerian Army Take Delivery of Sophisticated Weapons in War Against Sect

In a move targeted at effectively stamping out the Boko Haram insurgency in the country, the Nigerian Army has started taking delivery of critical equipment, some of which include two sophisticated helicopter gunships with in-built night vision technology capable of neutralising the nocturnal manoeuvres of the deadly terrorist group.

Sources within the presidency told THISDAY that the special choppers come with night vision technology to enable soldiers monitor and take out the insurgents who move mainly at night to carry out their dastardly acts.

The helicopters, THISDAY learnt, are some of the highly sophisticated military and surveillance aircraft that have been ordered by the Federal Government.

The source explained: “The two helicopters, which are very expensive and boast of the latest technology were ordered for the ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations.

“In fact, we now have the latest aircraft for surveillance and intelligence gathering. More of these weapons are on their way but these (helicopters) are for urgent purposes. I can assure you that more equipment are coming, serious ones,” the source said.

Confirming the arrival of new equipment, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, at a public function yesterday hinted that government was enhancing the capacity of the Nigerian Army to fight terrorism, with the procurement of more sophisticated equipment.

He said the army was adopting new measures to up the ante of its counter-insurgency in the North-east, adding that “a lot of gains have been made in the various operations.

“Yes, we have equipment and the federal government is also introducing fresh and newer equipment for us...”
To give more teeth to its arsenal against the terrorist groups, THISDAY also learnt that Nigerian Army is finalising the   training of the newly formed 143rd Infantry Battalion, which has been set up as a “special elite force” to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency.

THISDAY had exclusively reported last month that Special Forces troops from the California Army National Guard (CNG) are currently in Nigeria training a newly formed infantry battalion designed specifically to counter the threat from Boko Haram.

According to one CNG Special Forces soldier who spoke on the condition of anonymity, a total of 12 California Guard soldiers from two Los Alamitos-based Special Forces units — Special Operations Detachment–US Northern Command and Company A, 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) are involved in a two-month mission, the first is a three-phase plan to assist in the establishment of the battalion.

The Nigerian army’s 143rd Infantry Battalion which was formed from the ground up within the past few months, is said to be “a classic Special Forces mission — training an indigenous force in a remote area in an austere environment to face a very real threat”.

This was recently confirmed by a top military source who said that the training had reached an advanced stage at a location in Niger State.

According to the source: “The 143rd is receiving special training, kitting and equipment from the NA and US Army in Kontagora.”

The source revealed that the new battalion will help to form the core of the elite and strike force currently undergoing training in different parts of the country.

“The US is not the only country involved in this, the Israelis and other allies are also helping in various technical, tactical and operational training in the areas of intelligence, weapons handling and in general counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations,” another security source explained.

THISDAY also gathered that there is already a strike force in place in Borno State, specially trained for the possible rescue of the Chibok girls and other daring actions against Boko Haram terrorists.

The strike force was immediately put together in the aftermath of the girls’ kidnapping and the arrival of foreign military experts working alongside Nigerian security forces.

Minimah, on the other hand, yesterday added that contrary to the belief in some quarters, the ongoing military operations against the Boko Haram Islamic Sect in the North-east, does not involve foreign troops.
Minimah made this clarification yesterday at the opening ceremony of The COAS 3rd Quarter Conference 2014, which is the first under his leadership, with General Officers Commanding (GOCs) and other Operational Commanders.

Speaking to journalists against the backdrop of the popular belief that troops from the US, UK, France, Israel, and China were fighting alongside Nigerian soldiers to rescue the over 200 students of Chibok , he said: “There are no foreign troops on the ground.

Minimah added: “What the foreign nations are doing is sharing of intelligence with the Nigerian armed forces, noting that the military operations, were not being complemented by foreign troops.
“The foreign partners have  not come with boots on ground; they have come to share some level of intelligence with us.”

The COAS also frowned at what he described as “the rising acts of indiscipline and unprofessional conduct by troops”, recalling the attempted mutiny by troops in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, against the then GOC 7 Division, Major-General Ahmadu Mohammed.

Minimah warned that “as a professional army, the conduct of our troops must be above board at all times”.
Accordingly, he directed all unit and operational commanders “to put measures in place to check acts of indiscipline and misconduct by personnel under their commands”.

On reported incidents of desertion, Minimah insisted that “desertion is part of warfare”, adding, “We must accept that desertions will continue to be there, we had desertions during the Nigerian civil war, ECOMOG and now, it will continue with this war.”

He also debunked claims that soldiers had destroyed some BRT buses in Lagos, blaming the incident on hoodlums.

Courtesy:
ThisDay Newspaper

Suspected Boko Haram Gunmen Overrun Bornu Village, Scores Also Killed in Plateau State

Dille village in Askira Uba Local
government of Borno State came under heavy attack at the early hours of yesterday when gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members launched an offensive on hapless dwellers, killing five people and torching houses, including three churches, witnesses said.
The village which lies about 200km south of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, also shares borders with the peripheries of Sambisa Forest where it is believed the Boko Haram gunmen are currently hiding.

Mr Jabani Gadzama, a resident of Dille, told journalists that the gunmen came with three Toyota Hilux vehicles and several motorcycles.
“They were using some kind of petrol
bombs to set ablaze three churches,
residential houses including that of a
former Commissioner of Sports and
Poverty Alleviation, Mr. Daniel Ijai Mamza, who served during former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff’s tenure.
“The attackers were only targeting and setting ablaze better houses within the village while most of the thatched and mud houses were left untouched.
“The Church of Brethern in Nigeria (EYN) was one amongst the three churches that were set ablaze by the gunmen, who were all dressed like soldiers”, said Mr Gadzama, who also confirmed that the gunmen operated for hours until an Airforce fighter jet arrived at about 8am before it engaged them at the time the insurgents were about leaving.

“Many of them were said to have been
killed by the insurgents, but we cannot confirm that now,” he said.
An insider at the 7-Division of the Nigeria Army, Maiduguri, hinted journalists that two jet fighters arrived Dille and saved the villagers from being killed any further.
The source, who begged not to be
quoted, noted many of the insurgents
were killed by the jets, even as five more persons got killed died in the cross fire when the jet arrived.

Killing in Plateau State:
In a related development, at least 11 persons have been feared killed by armed gunmen at Zamadede of Pil-Gani district of Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State.
LEADERSHIP gathered that unknown
gunmen at the early hours of yesterday morning attacked two communities and shot sporadically, killing 11 persons including a 45-year-old mother, her little son and a pregnant woman.
A source who spoke to our reporter
further said several homes were burned.
An eyewitness who lost two members of her family, Mrs Baby Hosea, lamented to our reporter on phone that her people were killed in their sleep.

Confirming the development, the member representing Langtang North and South constituency in the House of Representatives Hon. Beni Lar expressed worry at the recent attacks on her constituents.
The lawmaker, in a chat with newsmen at her family residence in Jos, said the attack had shaken the foundation of the peace being enjoyed by the people.
She described the Zama Dede community as peace loving and hard working farmers that the two local governments depends on due to the large crops they produced.
She wondered why some people would be so cruel to take the lives of innocent citizens, particularly at the time the federal government, through the national conference, was trying to find a lasting solution to clashes between farmers and herdsmen.
The lawmaker also appealed to the people of her constituents to remain law abiding .

When contacted DSP Abu Emmanuel, the police public relations officer said that men of the Police force are trying to get the details and would get back to our correspondent when he has the details of the attack.

Courtesy:
ThisDay Newspaper

Boko Haram: Scores of Soldiers Desert Nigerian Army Within Last Week Due to Low Morale and Battle Plans Routinely Leaked to Sect

MILITARY commanders fear that as many as 162 soldiers deserted the Nigerian Army last week as morale
sinks to an all-time low due to the ongoing success terrorist sect Boko Haram is enjoying in its war with
the army.

A headcount of soldiers serving with the Seventh Mechanised Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri showed that 162 rifles were abandoned by soldiers who were suspected to have left their duty posts during the week. Ministry of defence officials said that is being treated as a routine case of deserters as the authorities are convinced the terrorists did not capture any of its soldiers alive.

Apparently, the soldiers are unhappy about the seeming advantages Boko Haram terrorists are enjoying over the
military in their ongoing battle across northeastern Nigeria. Sources within the army say that soldiers are not only unhappy about the fact that Boko Haram is a better fighting force but they are particularly annoyed about the regularity with which military plans are leaked to the sect.

One army source said: “Routine troop deployment, withdrawals from positions are known to the terrorists even before the soldiers on the ground are briefed. This leak is surely traceable to the officer cadre within the division."
Commanders of the Seventh Mechanised Division only got to know the extent of the problem yesterday afternoon, when a mop-up operation recovered the abandoned rifles. These weapons have now been returned to the division's armoury and the military authorities are battling to raise troops’ morale, which has reached a new low.

This has been the single largest desertion in a week in recent times as the growing disaffection with the
Nigerian Army appears to reached fresh heights. Over recent months, Boko Haram have ramped up daring assaults as its fighters seem to be more motivated.

Courtesy:
Nigerian Watch

Tribute To Lieutenant S.K Leo, Due To Wed August 30th But Axed By Boko Haram

Written by: Don Okereke

Lieutenant S.K Leo, a charming, young Army officer was reportedly killed in a recent attack by Boko Haram. He was due to wed on 30th August 2014 but did not live to witness his wedding.  So sad!

Lt. Leo, you are a hero, you died in the line of duty in the service of your country doing what you loved doing. Be rest assured you did not die in vain. Generations unborn will remember you when the history of this country is written. The least Nigeria's so-called leaders owe you is to put Nigeria first like you did and urgently sort out the mess, embarrassment that Nigeria is fast becoming.

May God grant your family, fiancee and friends the fortitude to bear your irreparable loss. Our heart and prayers are with them. May your soul and those other fallen heroes rest in peace, amen. We pray for serving members of our Armed forces and other security personnel; may God continue to protect you all. No matter how long it takes, Light will surely triumph over darkness!

We sincerely implore Boko Haram to sheathe their sword and end this senseless bloodletting campaign which is swiftly eroding the modicum of trust, camaraderie between those genuine, honorable and kindhearted folks from northern Nigeria and their brothers from other parts of Nigeria.

Let all Nigerians Unite and SAY NO TO INSECURITY AND TERRORISM. Be security conscious! Call Nigeria's national emergency number: 112 or other relevant security agencies to report suspicious activities in and around you.

Deceased Army Officer's Severance: Army Chief's Wife Seeks Expedited Payment of Slain Soldiers’ Entitlements

Wife of Nigeria's army chief, Mrs. Felly Minimah has pledged to wade into the struggle by families of deceased officers and men of the Army to secure the release of owed severance benefits.

She made the resolve in Kaduna, northwest of the country when she visited the women at the Ribadu cantonment.

Felly Minimah says it's disgraceful that relatives of people who died defending the territorial integrity of the nationare left to suffer.

Tesem Akende reports that few out of many women who have lost their husbands to attacks by insurgents in the country's northeast region gather to table their argument.

The challenges of life are now taking a toll on them, as most of them are yet to be paid severance benefits of their husbands after death.

The visit of the army chief's wife in company of wives of other senior military officers brings a ray of hope to them.

Though the visit is one based on goodwill, the widows are quick to present their complaints, and are assured of an intervention as soon as
possible.

In addition to the assurances, the army chief's wife also prayed against activities of the insurgents and a quick end to the war.

The visiting dignitaries also encourage serving officers and men of the army to remain focused and determined to win the insurgency war.

Amidst daunting challenges, they insist that it is rewarding serving their fatherland, urging the officers and men of the army never to
relent in their responsibility of protecting the territorial integrity of the nation.

Courtesy:
TV Continental

Right Activist Malala Meets Families of Abducted Chibok Girls in Nigeria, Pledges to Help

Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani Rights Activist who survived being shot in the head by the Taliban for campaigning for girls’ education, has pledged while on a trip to Nigeria to help free a group of school girls abducted by Islamist militants.

On Sunday, 16-year-old Malala met with parents of the more than 200 girls who were kidnapped by militant group Boko Haram from a school in the northeastern village of Chibok in April.

Boko Haram, a Taliban-inspired movement, say they are fighting to establish an Islamic state in religiously mixed Nigeria. The group, whose name means “western education is sinful”, has killed thousands and abducted hundreds since launching an uprising in 2009.

Some of the parents broke down into tears as Malala spoke at a hotel in the capital Abuja on Sunday.

“I can see those girls as my sisters … and I’m going to speak up for them until they are released,” said Malala, who celebrates her 17th birthday on Monday in Nigeria, where she is scheduled to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan.

“I’m going to participate actively in the ‘bring back our girls’ campaign to make sure that they return safely and they continue their education.”

The girls’ abduction drew unprecedented international attention to the war in Nigeria’s northeast and the growing security risk that Boko Haram poses to Nigeria, Africa’s leading energy producer.

A #BringBackOurGirls Twitter campaign supported by Michelle Obama and Angelina Jolie heaped pressure on authorities to act, and President Jonathan pledged to save the girls, drawing promises of Western help to do so.

But several weeks on the hostages have not yet been freed and media interest has waned.

In addition, Boko Haram, now considered as the main security threat to Nigeria, is growing bolder. Police said on Saturday they uncovered a plot to bomb the Abuja transport network using suicide bombers and devices concealed in luggage at major bus stations.

“I can feel … the circumstances under which you are suffering,” she said. “It’s quite difficult for a parent to know that their daughter is in great danger. My birthday wish this year is … bring back our girls now and alive.”

Taliban militants shot Malala for her outspoken views on women’s right to education. She survived after being airlifted to Britain for treatment and has since become a symbol of defiance against militants operating in the tribal areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

She has won the European Union’s prestigious human rights award and was one of the favorites to win the Nobel peace prize last year, although the award ended up going to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

-Reuters

Boko Haram Claims Responsibility for Abuja, Lagos Bomb Attacks

Leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, has said that his group was responsible for the bomb attacks
on fuel depot on June 25 in Lagos and another in Abuja the same day.
Reuters reports Shekau as claiming that he ordered the attacks.
"A bomb went off in Lagos. I ordered the bomber who went and detonated it," the reports said Authorities said the blasts on Creek road were an
accident caused by a gas canister, but the security sources told Reuters that was a coverup meant to avoid panic in the southwestern city of 21 million people. At least two people were killed.

"You said it was a fire incident. Well, if you hide it from people you can't hide it from Allah," Shekau says in the
video, which according to AFP shows him next to at least 10 gunmen in front of two armoured personnel
carriers and two pickup trucks.
A confirmed attack by Boko Haram would be a cause for concern. Lagos is both an international business
hub and a usually peaceful but at times uneasy melting pot of ethnicities from the mostly Christian south and Muslim north that have fought street battles in the past.

The target of the Lagos bombs was a fuel depot. Had it gone up, it could have caused a massive chain
explosion and disrupted Nigeria's mostly imported fuel supply.
Security sources say it may have been the work of a group or individual inspired by Boko Haram. Shekau
has been known to claim attacks suspected to be the work of another Islamist group or a criminal gang.
Shekau gets the Governor of Lagos State wrong, taunting Adams Oshiomole, who is in fact the Governor the southern Edo State, the agency reported.

Courtesy:
ThisDay Newspaper

Outside Forces Behind Insurgency in Nigeria - David Mark

The Senate President, David Mark, has disclosed that the war against terror in Nigeria has persisted partly because the major perpetrators of terror in the country, Boko Haram sect, has wider networks beyond the nation and also enjoys tremendous support by forces outside the country.

He nonetheless assured that notwithstanding this, the Federal Government is doing everything within its capacity to ensure that it wins the battle against the insurgents.

Mark spoke at the weekend in Abuja when he hosted the American ambassador in Nigeria, James Entwistle.

The Senate President particularly assured the envoy that the Federal Government has not forgotten the kidnapped Chibok school girls who were kidnapped last April by the Boko Haram sect, promising that in no distant time, the girls will regain freedom.

Mark specifically pointed out that Boko Haram is not only a threat to Nigeria but poses a great danger to human existence.

He assured that the nation’s security operatives were doing their utmost to bring the situation under control but would welcome support and assistance from the international community to end the activities of the insurgents.

This was also as the duo pledged Nigeria and the United States of America’s commitment to strengthen strategies to tackle the threat of terrorism confronting Nigeria with a view to bringing the activates of the insurgents to an end.

“The United States of America is a strategic ally to us (Nigeria). We count on your support and military assistance always especially in this battle against the terrorists”, Senator Mark told the Ambassador.

While responding, the American envoy pledged the continued support and assistance of the American government to end terrorism in Nigeria.

Entwistle however cautioned that in the war against insurgents, the security operatives should be mindful of human rights in order not to cause more damage than arresting the situation.

Courtesy:
National Mirror

British Government Probes Nigeria's Opposition Party- APC’s Alleged Link with Boko Haram

Opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) may have come under the spotlight of the British government over allegations that it has links with the dreaded Boko Haram terrorist group. Feelers from the British parliament gave this indication at the weekend.

Reports had it that the United Kingdom (UK)’s Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (otherwise known as foreign secretary), Mr William Hague, was, last week, questioned by an influential member of the British parliament, Mr Andrew Rosindell, on the UK’s engagement with the APC over the Boko Haram problem confronting Nigeria.

Information pieced together by Sunday Tribune from the website of the British parliament, www.parliament.uk, indicated that Rosindell, a conservative representing Romford, listed numerous questions regarding terrorism in Nigeria and some other affected countries of the Commonwealth for the foreign sectary, under “notices for written answers” section of the House of Commons Business Paper.

Some of the questions Rosindell, who is also a member of Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons, want Hague to answer, according to the Business Paper, are: “To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the rise of Islamic terrorism in Northern Iraq. 

“To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the rise in Islamic terrorism in Nigeria. (204387)

“To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department plans to offer to Nigeria in tackling the threat of Boko Haram. 

“To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of links between Boko Haram and other Islamic extremist groups in Africa.

“To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with his counterpart in Cameroon the need for constructive dialogue between that country and Nigeria in tackling Boko Haram; and if he will make a statement.

“To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on tackling the threat from Islamic extremism in Northern Africa.

“To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have had with leading members of the Nigerian opposition party, the All Progressives Congress; and if he will make a statement.

“ To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will commission an inquiry into the international support network for Boko Haram in Nigeria and Cameroon; and if he will make a statement.”

Reports added that the development came after a debate in the parliament in which a Labour member, Sandra Osborne asked the House to examine allegations of links between APC and the insurgents.

It was also noted that increasing questioning of the government of the UK by legislators over the issue may force an enquiry into the allegations.

Sunday Tribune also learnt that at a recent meeting of the parliamentarians, led by Henry Jackson Society and chaired by John Glen, who is a close adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron, similar allegations were raised that key APC members were supporters and financiers of Boko Haram “for ideological and political means.”

The UK is now said to be showing more interest in the Boko Haram menace, especially after the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in April.

Hague, at an international summit on rape in warzones held in London in June, was said to have reaffirmed the UK’s “strong and united commitment to defeat Boko Haram and to end the scourge of terrorism in Nigeria.”

When Sunday Tribune contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for reaction, he said the party was still studying the development, adding that it would react to the allegations appropriately in due course.

Courtesy:
Tribune Newspaper