Saturday, 16 May 2015

Boko Haram Recaptures Border Town of Marte in Borno State

The Boko Haram terrorist group on Friday recaptured Marte, a border town in the northern part of Borno State.

Security sources said members of the terrorist group, who fled Sambisa forest, had now regrouped in Marte.

Borno State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Zannah Mustapha, also confirmed the recapture of the town by Boko Haram terrorists during a press conference in Maiduguri.

“It is sad as we have been made to understand that Marte is today (Friday) completely fallen under the control of the insurgents, which to us is a very huge setback,” he said.

Mustapha raised the alarm that 600 women and girls had been dispatched by the terrorists as suicide bombers with the aim of causing multiple explosions in Maiduguri.

The deputy governor urged residents to be patient with the security agencies in spite of the attendant hardships caused by the dusk to dawn curfew imposed on Maiduguri.

He said, “It is unfortunate that we are experiencing yet another attack in Maiduguri at this time that we are thinking that the insurgency should have subsided following the taking over of Sambisa forest by the military.

“Our thinking was that every other place should have been blocked so that the insurgency would be curtailed to a restricted area, but that has not been the case because the insurgents have been fleeing to other communities.

“Initially, we were opposed to the suggestion by the military, but when we received a security report that about 600 women have been kitted as suicide bombers and are to be sneaked into Maiduguri during the attack, couple with the gory pictures of some of the women who detonated themselves during the attacks, we had no option than to okay the curfew.

“But the curfew has been relaxed from noon to about 5pm to ease the hardship and afterwards it may be reviewed. Our government is going to do everything possible by supporting the military to ensure that Maiduguri and other parts of Borno State are not attacked or taken over by the insurgents.”

The capture of Marte happened as soldiers sustained the 24-hour curfew imposed on Maiduguri, the Borno state capital on Thursday after Boko Haram terrorists attempted an invasion of the city on Wednesday night.

Source:
Punch Newspaper

12 Challenges of Doing Business in Nigeria



This essay, akin to setting up the Yin (the dark negative feminine principle in Chinese dualistic cosmology) before the Yang (the bright positive masculine principle), is a prelude to my ensuing piece which will enumerate ample investment/business opportunities in Nigeria. A shrewd entrepreneur will agree that some of the challenges discussed herein are themselves, business opportunities.

Friday, 15 May 2015

Lead Poisoning Kills 28 Children in Niger State, North Central Nigeria

Lead poisoning has killed 28 children in central Nigeria’s Niger state, the government has said, in the latest incident that has claimed hundreds of lives in recent years.

Terrorism: Female Suicide Bombers Kill Three Nigerian Soldiers, Six Civilain JT Fin Maiduguri

Thirteen persons were killed in one of the Wednesday night attacks on Maiduguri by the Boko Haram sect, a member of the youth vigilance group told our correspondent in Maiduguri on Thursday.

Thursday, 14 May 2015

Nigerian Army Imposes 24-Hour Curfew On Maiduguri Aftermath of Boko Haram Attack

The 7 Division of the Nigerian Army on Thursday announced a 24-hour curfew on Maiduguri, following a botched attack by suspected Boko Haram insurgents

Nigeria Army Repels Fresh Boko Haram Attack on Maiduguri

Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - Boko Haram fighters launched an attack on northeast Nigeria's largest city Maiduguri on Wednesday ‎but were repelled by Nigerian troops after intense clashes, residents and the army said.

Wednesday, 13 May 2015

Bigger than Heartbleed, 'Venom' Security Vulnerability Allows Hackers Take Over Most Datacenters

A security research firm is warning that a new bug could allow a hacker to take over vast portions of a datacenter -- from within. The zero-day vulnerability lies in a legacy common component in widely-used virtualization software, allowing a hacker to infiltrate potentially every machine across a datacenter's network.

'Islamic State' Second-in-command Al-Afari 'Killed in US Coalition Air Raid'


 
The second-in-command of Islamic State (IS) has been killed in a US-led coalition air strike in northern Iraq, the Iraqi ministry of defence says.

Military Coup in Burundi: Army General Topples President Pierre Nkurunziza After He Traveled ToTanzania for Summit

The Burundian army has declared it is taking control of Burundi in a radio announcement.
The coup d'etat was announced on a private radio, with senior army generals saying they were deposing the embattled President Pierre Nkurunziza, who is travelling to Tanzania to meet East Africa Community leaders to discuss the recent violence that has rocked his country.

"Forces Vives de the Nation have decided to take charge of the nation," Godefroid Niyombareh, who was fired by Nkurunziza as intelligence chief in February, said in the radio announcement.
"President Pierre Nkurunziza is removed from office."

Niyombareh announced that a national salvation committee had been set up to run the country, and said he is working with civil society and other groups on forming transitional government.
"All people are asked to respect the lives and property of others," Niyombare added.

Fighting to take over state broadcaster
Military officers have been reported to be closing on the Radio-Télévision nationale du Burundi (RTNB), the country's state broadcaster, as loyalists fire back to protect the building - still under loyalist control.
As at 12.30 GMT, the loyalists were still holding the building

Burundi opposition not behind coup
Burundi's opposition leaders have denied being behind the coup. Former rebel militia leader and presidential hopeful Agathon Rwasa told IBTimes UK he did not know about the coup.
"I am discovering it now on the radio, just like you," he told IBTimes UK from the capital Bujumbura. "Now, we will have to see what happens next."

International reaction
A South African foreign ministry spokesman told Reuters that "it's way too early to say" whether a coup had taken place in Burundi but added that the situation is being closely monitored.

More to follow...

Source:
International Business Times

Police Council Confirms Arase Substantive Inspector General of Police

IGP Solomon Arase
The Police Council presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday confirmed the appointment of Solomon Arase as the substantive inspector general of police (IGP).

Terrorism: Trial Of Nyanya Bombing Suspects Stalled Again

The trial of Aminu Ogwuche and five others suspected to have masterminded a bomb blast at Nyanya Motor Park in the outskirts of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, on April 14, 2014, has again failed to commence.

Over 70 people were killed in the attack and several others were injured.

7 Doctors Get Kidnap Threat in Ekiti State

The kidnap saga in Ekiti may have worsened as seven other doctors have allegedly received threat messages that they would be kidnapped.

Police Arrest Four Members Involved In Lekki Robbery

Four suspected members of the gang that robbed a new generation bank in Lekki, Lagos State, in March have been arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Lagos Command.

Monday, 11 May 2015

30 Charged With 'Terrorism' Over Deadly Macedonia Shooting

Kumanovo (Macedonia) (AFP) - Thirty alleged gunmen were charged Monday with terror offences after a bloody shootout with Macedonian police which left 22 dead, including eight police officers, and dozens of homes destroyed in a town close to the border with Kosovo.

Experts: Terrorists Can Be Their Own Worst Enemies

Are Islamic State, Other Extremist Groups Doomed to Fail? Many anti-terrorism experts contend that modern terrorism is evolving at such speed that counterterrorism strategies are falling behind. But others note that the newly morphed terrorists can be their own worst enemies.