One killed in PDP, APC Clash in Osun State

One person reportedly lost his life on Friday in a fracas between supporters of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State .
Fighting broke out shortly before the door- to -door rally organised by the PDP ’s gubernatorial candidate , Senator Iyiola Omisore.

Saturday Independent learnt that people suspected to be political thugs , around 8am at Irojo area of Ilesa , went on rampage, destroying billboards and posters of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

The hoodlums numbered about five and were allegedly led by Ibukun Fadipe, former local government chairman of Ilesa - West, according to eyewitness accounts . They went wild and stormed the house of one Tolu , believed to be supporter of the APC in the area , and unleashed terror on him.

It was further learnt that one of the hoodlums shot sporadically into the air to scare onlookers away and a stray bullet hit Tolu in the chest. He died on the spot.

The thugs left the vicinity and escaped through Osun Ankara Road and Express Road before the arrival of policemen from Ayeso police station.
A neighbour who declined to be named said Tolu, though an avowed supporter of Aregbesola and the APC was not politician.

The Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs . Folasade Odoro , a deputy superintendent of police , confirmed the incident and said that the police have commenced investigation on the
matter.

Daily Independent

'Freewheeling Violence By Jihadists' Caused Shutdown of US Embassy in Libya - Kerry

The U.S. State Department was forced to suspend operations at its embassy in Libya because of "freewheeling militia violence" there, Secretary of State John Kerry said today.

Kerry, who spoke to reporters before a meeting with the Turkish and Qatari foreign ministers about Gaza , made
the comments after the State Department announced it evacuated its staff in Tripoli.
He blamed the "freewheeling militia violence," caused by Jihadist groups which have only grown in power since
the ouster of former president Muammar Gaddafi, for creating an environment in which the diplomatic
activities at the Libya embassy had to be suspended.

"A lot of the violence is around our embassy but not on the embassy, but nevertheless it presents a very real
risk to our personnel," Kerry said.
As a result, embassy personnel were transported in vehicles escorted by U.S. military guards and helicopters to Tunisia and dispersed throughout the
region from there.
Kerry insisted the special envoy to the region, David Satterfield, would continue to engage with his British
counterpart, and that the U.S. embassy personnel would return as soon as the situation stabilized.

But he stressed the need for Libyans to engage in a peaceful political process in order to permanently change the tide of violence in the violence-ridden nation.
"We're very, very hopeful that those people will recognize that the current course of violence will only bring chaos and possibly a return of difficulties," said Kerry.

The State Department also issued a travel warning for Libya and urged Americans there to leave.
The groups in Tripoli have been fighting for weeks, with dozens killed and wounded on all sides.
The withdrawal comes two years after a deadly attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi.

ABC News

Aftermath of Bomb Attack on Buhari: FG Ramps Up Security Cordon Around Former Leaders

Sequel to the bomb attack on former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, a massive security cordon has been reportedly thrown around former leaders irrespective of political
leanings.

Buhari escaped being killed in a bomb blast in Kaduna on Wednesday, hours after a hot verbal exchange between him and President Goodluck
Jonathan over the impeachment of All Progressives Congress (APC) governors.

Jolted by the possibility of finger-pointing in an event of any eventuality, the Jonathan administration is said to have improved on the existing security around the former leaders, to avoid a repeat of the near-fatal attack on any of the living former leaders.

A couple of the former leaders, especially those of Northern extraction had issues with the president, with Buhari, his defeated challenger in 2011 presidential election, being his most strident critic. Buhari is also the president’s projected challenger in 2015 election.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo also has political differences with Jonathan.
Apart from the normal security in place for them, more soldiers and men of the State Security Service, it was learnt, are to be added to the former leaders’ retinue of security details.

An aide to the president who is currently abroad told Saturday Tribune by phone that the former leaders had always been given a full complement of security details, adding that he was not on ground to confirm if an addition had been made to their security arrangement.
The aide, however, noted that the Kaduna blast was beyond the quantum of security arrangement around the former leaders, adding that the real story behind the blast would soon be known as investigation progresses.

A security source said the move was being handled as surreptitiously as possible to avoid any possible compromise since it has become
difficult to trust even close associates of the said former leaders.

Spokesperson of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said he had no comment when contacted.
He said it was a security issue that should not necessarily be discussed.

Tribune

NAF Helicopter Crash: Chief of Air Staff Commends Gallantry of Officers, Commiserates With Dead Pilot's Family

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Adesola Amosu has commended the gallantry of the officers who survived the Helicopter crash in Borno State.

The Air Chief who gave the commendation while receiving the officers who survived air crash in
Maiduguri thanked God for sparing their lives and commiserated with them on the loss of their colleague in the flight. He assured them of the support of Government and the Nigerian Air Force to the bereaved family.

Speaking further, Air Marshal Amosu emphasized the need for all service personnel to continue to give selfless sacrifice for the defence of the sovereignty of the nation despite the enormity of current security challenges. He enjoined the officers not to be deterred as the President was committed to providing all necessary requirement of the military in tackling the terrorists insurgency with a view to bring the menace to a speedy end, adding that the C-in-C has accordingly, ordered the immediate replacement of the lost helicopter and more platforms for the Nigerian Air Force.

The Chief of the Air Staff also stressed that the Air Force would do everything to sustain the current synergy between the Air Force and the Army as this was the surest approach to victory in the campaign against terror.

Daily Post

Why Umar Abdulmutallab Failed To Blow Up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 – United States TSA

The United States Has Said That The
Nigerian Terrorist, Umar Abdulmutallab, failed to successfully
carry out a bomb attack in 2009 because the explosives he was wired with became ‘degraded’ after he wore the same pair of underpants for two weeks.

Abdulmutallab had, at the age of 23, confessed to and convicted of attempting to detonate plastic explosives hidden in his underwear while aboard a Northwest Airlines Flight 253, en route from Amsterdam to Michigan, US on December 25, 2009.

However, United States officials explained that the bomb failed to detonate aboard the flight, which was
carrying nearly 300 people, but caused a brief fire that caused burns to his groin.
He was sentenced to life without parole in February 2012 after he pleaded guilty to all charges on the second day of his trial the previous October.

The U.S. Head of the Transportation Security Administration, John Pistole, said during the week that the bomb failed to detonate because of how long Abdulmutallab had been wearing his underwear.
Pistole said, “The bomber had had the device with him for over two weeks.”
When he was then asked whether the bomb had become ‘damp’ Pistole replied that the explosive had become damp due to the length of days Abdulmutallab carried the device in his underwear.

During his trial, Abdulmutallab said the bomb in his underwear was a ‘blessed weapon’ to avenge poorly treated Muslims around the world.

However, after the bomb failed to detonate, passengers pounced on Abdulmutallab and forced him to the front of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 where he was held until the plane landed minutes later.

Punch

Sultan of Sokoto To Boko Haram: It's Delusional To Kill & Expect Paradise, Says Boko Haram Now a 'Franchise'

Sultan of Sokoto and president-general, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar (III) has declared that life is sacred, thus anyone who bombs himself thinking he will go to heaven is delusional.

The Sultan, who said this on Friday when he hosted security chiefs during the breaking of the Ramadan fast
in his palace in Sokoto, further explained: “For us, one single life lost means a lot to us because life is sacred.
You cannot love God if you do not love your neighbour and if we all agree that you cannot love God if you do not love your neighbour, then why are we having all these problems?” the Sultan asked.

Stressing that Boko Haram has now become a ‘franchise’ used by many to commit series of crimes, the Sultan warned that any attempt to politicise the insecurity that is confronting Nigeria will not bring solutions.

His words: “When we politicise the security issue, there can never be a solution to it. We should not narrow it
down to an ethnic or religious thing. Let us stop pointing accusing fingers and vieweing terrorism as Hausa or Fulani issue. We must all join hands to fight insecurity because by the time you feel relaxed and say they should continue to kill themselves, by the time they finished killing themselves they will now get back to you…

“Therefore, let us collectively fight insecurity. Though, we might not know those behind this insecurity,
but we should take our hands up to Almighty Allah to expose those doing these killings. We must also not
pray and go to sleep. Let us continue to be proactive. Let us continue to work harder and sensitise our people on security matters.”

Sheikh Zakzaky’s Son, 10 Others Feared Killed As Nigerian Troops, Shiite Muslims Clash in Zaria Over Israel-Palestinian Conflict

Nigerian Shiite Muslims have accused Nigerian troops of killing 11 of their members and injuring 40 others in a
clash between the group and soldiers in Zaria on Friday.

In a statement on Friday night, the group said among those gunned down were Mahmud, the son of the leader of the group, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, as well as a woman with a baby strapped to her back.

Ibrahim Musa, the editor of Al-Mizan, the weekly newspaper published by the group, said in a statement,
“Reports reaching our news desk now indicated that some soldiers of the Nigerian army have opened fire on
the tail end of the Quds procession held after Jumaat prayers in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Mahmud Ibrahim Zakzaky
“The procession, which took off from Sabon Gari Jumaat Mosque, reached Kofar Doka peacefully with no
incident. However some soldiers attacked the procession [at the] PZ junction in Zaria.
“They shot Mahmud Ibraheem Zakzaky, but [his body] was taken away by the Muslim brothers. But several [other] Muslim brothers were shot by the security agents.

“As at the time of writing this report, there is no confirmation on the number of Muslim brothers shot or
killed by the soldiers, but our [sources] say five people were killed. The Quds procession was held today
peacefully in more than 10 Nigerian cities. Why the attack on the Zaria procession?

“[The] latest report on the attack by soldiers on Quds peaceful procession is that ten Muslim brothers were
gunned down by the soldiers, among them Mahmud Ibraheem Zakzaky, son of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky,
and a Muslim sister with her child on her back. There are over 40 Muslim brothers’ casualties with different
degrees of gunshots by the soldiers. The story is still unfolding, with reinforcement of soldiers coming from Kaduna, according to our news sources.”

The military did not respond to requests for comment.
Defence spokesperson, Maj. General Chris Olukolade, did not respond
to calls to his phone.  Spokesperson for 1 Mechanized Division Nigeria Army, Usman Abdullahi, said he would provide details later.

PREMIUM TIMES had earlier quoted residents who narrated how soldiers exchanged fire with members of
the group who were on a procession around the PZ area of the town, in response to the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

The procession, called Muzahara, is an annual ritual after the Ramadan, during which thousands of faithful
walk around the city dressed in black.
This year, the Shiites dedicated the march to protesting the ongoing fighting between Israel and the Palestinian militant group, Hamas.

Residents reported prolonged gunfire that lasted about an hour.
One resident said he saw five bodies taken away from the scene of the shooting.
“I can’t really ascertain what happened, but I saw five unidentified corpse taken away from the scene,” the resident, a Shiite Muslim, said.
Another witness said the incident occurred when military personnel tried to force their way through the
crowd of Shiite followers.
“Mahmud, one of Shiekh Ibrahim El-Zakzaki’s son is shot and the second son Ahmed was arrested and taken
away by the security. Mahmood is however, not dead,” a witness, Musa Ali, said.

Suspected Mastermind of Kaduna Bombing Arrested By Troops

The Defence Headquarters on Friday said that troops in Kaduna had arrested a man suspected to be connected with the explosion targeted at Gen. Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday.

This information is contained in a statement posted on Defence headquarters web site defenceinfo.mil.ng.

The statement said that the young man was apprehended by military patrol team that swooped on the area immediately after the explosion.

It said that he disguised as a woman clad in female garb to exude femininity with a brazier affixed to his chest.

“The suspect was arrested while trying to fizzle into a crowd of onlookers when the patrol team arrived the scene.

“Youths in the area attempted to mob him while he was being arrested but were restrained by troops who quickly whisked him away in an armoured personnel carrier,” it explained. 

The statement said that he was currently being interrogated by security agencies in a bid to ascertain his links.

It would be recalled that there was a twin bomb explosion on July 23 in Kaduna metropolis.

Fight Against Terrorism and Insurgency: Nigerian Govt. Orders 40 Attack Helicopters From US, Russia

The Federal Government in a determined effort to eliminate terrorism by routing insurgents from their hideouts in parts of the North East and North West once and for all, has placed purchase orders for 40 helicopters for attacks and transportation from the United States (US) and Russia.

Reliable security sources within the Presidency revealed this to some journalists  Friday that some of the aircraft will arrive in the country as early as next month while the remaining will be received certainly before the end of the year to boost the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

According to the source, the arrival of the weaponry before the end of the year, will be a game changer as it will help to ensure successful execution of the counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations, especially against Boko Haram Islamic Sect.

"Some military and other security forces are currently frustrated about their inability to storm the notorious Sambisa Forest where Boko Haram militants are keeping the abducted Chibok secondary school girls and also serving as operational headquarters of the group", the source said.

Details to follow

Courtesy:
ThisDay Newspaper

Lagos State Police Launch Counterterrorism Enlightenment Campaign

THE police in Lagos State have begun an enlightenment campaign on how to fight terrorism with the launch of security tips pamphlets, which will be shared to the people of the state.

Over 17 million pamphlets, containing tips on how to prevent, identify and tackle terrorism will be distributed among the people of the state.

This was disclosed on Thursday by the image maker in charge of the state police command, Sade Braide, who said the new initiative was necessitated by the security challenges in many parts of the country.

Braide, while speaking on the pamphlets  entitled:   “Counter- Terrorism  Campaigns”  said the content would help Lagosians to be more security-conscious and know what to do when confronted by any security issues.

The Lagos police image maker stated that strategies had been mapped out to  distribute the pamphlets in churches, schools, banks, hotels, among other places.

She advised that “people should know their neighbours and their means of livelihood. Landlords should conduct background checks on all their prospective tenants.”

She  also advised that residents of the state should “draw the attention of the police to vehicles parked or abandoned by unknown persons, do not allow unknown persons to drop or abandon bags, boxes, fruit barrows, trolleys, articles of trade or cartons.”

The Lagos police image maker also advised that “ legitimate sellers of chemicals such as fertiliser, ammonium products, acid, etc should be wary of persons they sell such products to.

She said people should be vigilant at public places,  as objects such as bombs could be kept by unscrupulous persons in unattended bags, packages, cans, and containers.

Tribune

Two Cameroon Soldiers Killed in Crossborder Boko Haram Attack

Yaounde: A suspected crossborder raid overnight by Nigeria's radical Islamic group Boko Haram killed two Cameroonian soldiers, a Cameroonian security official said on Friday on condition of anonymity.

The attack occurred late Thursday in the border village of Balgaram in northern Cameroon. Eight soldiers posted there fought back, and "in the clash we lost two men," the official said.

Military reinforcements were sent to the area and several troops "entered Nigerian territory with the aim of finding the assailants," the official said.

The armed Boko Haram movement is seeking to install an extremist Islamic state in Nigeria. It started its bloody insurgency in 2009.

In recent days, the group has been blamed for several clashes, abductions and killings targeting troops in northern Cameroon deployed to counter them.

More than 3,000 Nigerians fleeing Boko Haram attacks have taken refuge in the Cameroonian town of Fotokol, a municipal official said.

"We are worried about infiltrations" by the Islamists among the refugees, a police officer in the town said.

Courtesy:
NDTV

Nigerian Students Kidnapped in Ukraine

Ukrainian official says negotiations are underway to free nine Nigerian students taken captive by separatists in the eastern city of Luhansk.

Colonel Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, told a news conference Wednesday that people with experience conducting negotiations were making contact with what he called “the terrorists.”

He said Ukrainian officials hoped the talks would end “successfully in the near future.”

Ukrainian news agencies say militants abducted the Nigerian students in Luhansk on Monday and have been holding them as prisoners at an occupied government security building.

The city is deep inside rebel-held territory, close to the Russian border.

Separatists seeking greater autonomy have been waging a bloody battle in eastern Ukraine against the government.

Courtesy:
Daily Independent

Nigeria, Cameroon, Others Deploy 2,800 Troops Against Boko Haram

Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger have agreed to quickly form a new force that would comprise 2,800 soldiers to fight against Boko Haram insurgents.
The defence ministers of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger said they would contribute 700 troops each to
the force.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Niger’s Defence Minister, Karidio Mahamadou,
said they were determined to “eradicate this curse”.
Boko Haram’s insurgency is focused on Nigeria, but has carried out some cross-border raids.
The bridge which serves as a key transport link between north-eastern Nigeria and Cameroon in Gamboru Gala was blown off by men of the deadly sect.

According to residents, cars and lorries loaded with goods were stranded on the highway.
The regional defence ministers met in Niger’s capital, Niamey, on Wednesday, to hold further discussions on the growing threat posed by Boko Haram.
While the meeting was ongoing, the Islamist group unleashed terror on Kaduna, killing 70 people.

A former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) who was caught in the violent attacks narrowly
escaped death.
Efforts to step up regional co-operation gained momentum after Boko Haram caused an international outcry by abducting more than 200 girls from a boarding school in north-eastern Nigeria.

The girls are said to be held in the vast Sambisa forest, along Nigeria’s border with Cameroon.

Channels TV

Algerian Airliner Carrying 116 Passengers Feared Crashed on flight From Burkina Faso

A passenger plane carrying 116 people is feared to have crashed on a flight from Burkina Faso to the Algerian capital Algiers.
Contact with the Air Algerie flight was lost over the Sahara as it crossed Mali in bad weather, officials said.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the plane, which has 50 French citizens aboard, "probably crashed".
French media reported that soldiers had found wreckage in Tilemsi, central Mali, but this was not confirmed.

Contact with Flight AH 5017, chartered from Spanish airline Swiftair, was lost about 50 minutes after take-off from Ouagadougou, Air Algerie said.
The pilot had contacted Niger's control tower in Niamey to change course because of a sandstorm, officials say.
BBC West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy says the route is well used by French travellers .

Speaking in Paris, Mr Fabius said: "Despite intensive search efforts no trace of the aircraft has yet been
found. The plane probably crashed."
He said two French Mirage fighter planes were scouring the area.
Earlier, an Algerian official told Reuters that the plane had crashed, but gave no further details.

France's civil aviation body said crisis centres had been set up at airports in Paris and Marseille.
An Air Algerie spokesman quoted by Reuters said the provisional passenger list included 50 French citizens,
24 people from Burkina Faso, eight Lebanese, four Algerians, two from Luxembourg, one Belgian, one Swiss, one Nigerian, one Cameroonian, one Ukrainian and one Romanian.
A crisis centre has been set up in Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris

The passenger plane had taken off from Ouagadougou airport in Burkina Faso
Officials in Lebanon, however, said there were at least 10 Lebanese citizens on the flight.
The six crew members are Spanish, according to the Spanish pilots' union.
UN troops in Mali say they understand the plane came down between Gao and Tessalit, the BBC's Alex Duval Smith in the Malian capital Bamako reports.
She says the search area is vast, with few roads, and there is rebel activity. Added to that, sandstorms make
visibility in the Sahara poor for at least a day, she adds.
"In keeping with procedures, Air Algerie has launched its emergency plan," Air Algerie officials, quoted by APS news agency (in French), said.
Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal reportedly told Algerian radio: "The plane disappeared at Gao (in Mali),
500km (300 miles) from the Algerian border."

Burkina Faso Transport Minister Jean Bertin Ouedraogo said the plane sent its last message at around 01:30 GMT, asking air traffic controllers in Niger to change its route because of bad weather.
In a statement (in Spanish) , Swiftair said that the aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 and that they were unable to establish contact with it.
An Algerian official had previously told Reuters that the plane was an Airbus A320.

An unnamed Air Algerie company source, speaking to AFP news agency, said: "The plane was not far from the
Algerian frontier when the crew was asked to make a detour because of poor visibility and to prevent the risk
of collision with another aircraft on the Algiers-Bamako route."
"Contact was lost after the change of course."
Flight AH 5017 flies the Ouagadougou-Algiers route four times a week, AFP reported.

BBC

Bomb Blast Rocks New Road Bus Station, Sabon Gari, Kano

Residents of Sabon-Gari in Kano, Kano State, have confirmed to SaharaReporters that a high
capacity improvised explosive device (IED) detonated at the New Road Motor Park in Sabon Gari, Kano, at around 3:00pm (1500 GMT) today.

One of them, who spoke with SaharaReporters on phone, said the explosive devices were hidden in a
worktop fridge, concealed in a bag and dropped off by two men masquerading as travelers.

The number of dead and injured victims was unclear at the time of reporting, but unlike last year’s blast the same area, there were fewer number of people around the scene of the blast. In March at least 60 were reported killed, and several vehicles destroyed by a bombing at the same motor park.

Police in the state also confirmed the blast, saying: “Explosion has occurred at New Road Motor Park, Sabon-Gari, Kano, at 3pm. Explosives [were] hidden in table-top fridge disguised as luggage.”
Today's incident joins the near-daily string of attacks that has plagued the region.

SR