Boko Haram Clash 'Kills 4 Chad Soldiers, 33 Islamists'

N'Djamena (AFP) - A clash between Chad's army and Boko Haram on a Lake Chad island has killed four soldiers and 33 Islamists, a military spokesman said Friday.

Nigerian Troops Arrest 3 Suspected Boko Haram Bomb Makers in Gombe

The Nigerian defence headquarters has said a cordon and search operation conducted by Nigerian troops in Gombe state has led to the arrest of three bomb making experts. Chris Olukolade, director, defence information, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday. Olukolade said the arrested persons were suspected to be members of Boko Haram, in search of soft targets for attack after being dislodged from the stronghold in Sambisa forest and other enclaves.

He listed the Items recovered from them to include a tricycle and materials for making improvised explosive devices (IEDs). He said the suspects were currently undergoing interrogation. “Cordon and search is continuing in certain localities and will be intensified along with mopping up operations in locations where offensive operations are being conducted,” he said. “The essence is to apprehend the terrorists who have been dislodged from their sanctuaries and are in search of escape routes or resorting to attacking soft targets.”

Olukolade said in line with the development, the public should be extra vigilant and report suspicious movements or activities within their environs. He said the military was poised to ensure the ongoing operations were duly aligned with security arrangements aimed at forestalling attempts by any group to breach security or disrupt the inauguration of a new government in the country.

Source:
thecable.ng

Niger Republic Arrest, Charge Over 600 For Boko Haram Links

Niamey - Niger has detained and charged 643 people since February for their links to the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram, Security Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou told parliament.

Niger has deployed 3 000 soldiers to a joint regional force formed with Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria in order to quash the Boko Haram insurgency, in which thousands have been killed.

Several Boko Haram networks and sleeper cells have been dismantled in Niger's southern Diffa region, which is on the border with Nigeria, since a state of emergency was declared there in February and troops deployed, Massaoudou said.

"If this measure had not been taken, we could have had an uprising in the very interior of Diffa," the minister told parliament late on Tuesday.

Those arrested and detained have been charged with acts of terrorism and criminal conspiracy, he said.

Diffa came under heavy attack in February when Boko Haram, which wants to establish an emirate in northern Nigeria carried out attacks in neighbouring countries.

Boko Haram, which loosely translates as "Western education is sinful" in the northern Hausa language, began an insurgency in 2009 to establish a state adhering to strict sharia law.

Source:
news24.com

Boko Haram: Nigerian Army Dismiss 200 Soldiers for ‘Cowardice’

The Nigerian Army has sacked at least 200 soldiers for cowardice and failure to fight against Boko Haram militants, several soldiers have told the BBC.
Up to 4,500 other rank and file soldiers could be dismissed, they say.

A Nigerian military source confirmed the dismissals to the BBC, but would not give an exact figure.

The army was widely criticised when the Islamist group Boko Haram captured vast areas in the country's North-east last year, despite a military emergency.

Nigerian troops, with military backing from Chad, Cameroun and Niger, has now recaptured most of the areas in the North-east which the group had seized, but sporadic attacks and violence have continued.

Many of the dismissals are thought to be connected to the fall of Mubi, the second largest town in Adamawa State, one of three states worst hit by the insurgency.

Boko Haram insurgents captured the town in October after clashes with government forces.

One of the soldiers who has been dismissed, and was present at the fall of Mubi, told the BBC Hausa service that soldiers were simply following orders from their commanders, who had told them to retreat from the town because they lacked adequate weapons to take on the militants.

“We weren't given an opportunity to defend ourselves. I've spent 20 years in the service of the Nigerian Army, I've never been accused of any offence,” said the soldier, who did not want to be named.

It is expected that the soldiers who have been dismissed will not receive any extra payment or pensions because of their low rank and are not entitled to defend themselves in a military court, reported the BBC.

A military official, who did not want to be named, said that video footage taken during the fall of Mubi showed soldiers fleeing Boko Haram, providing proof of their cowardice.

Nigeria's incoming President, Muhammadu Buhari, may review the death sentences of the 66 soldiers separately convicted for refusing to fight Boko Haram, according to their lawyer.

About 1.5 million people have been displaced and hundreds more abducted since the group launched their violent uprising in 2009. More than 15,500 people have been killed in the fighting.

The group is still holding many women, girls and children captives including 219 schools girls it kidnapped from a school in Chibok in April last year.

Source:
ThisDay Newspaper

Al-Qaeda Operative Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charges

An al-Qaeda operative has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges. Saddiq al-Abbadi pleaded guilty Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court to conspiracy to murder American troops abroad and to providing material support to a terrorist group.

Is There a Link Between Climate Change and Terrorism?

Barack Obama has spent considerable time in recent months publicly explaining his positions on both climate change and violent extremism.

How Security Questions Can Get You in Trouble

Who’s your favorite superhero? No matter which name you choose, bad guys have a decent shot at correctly guessing it due to the limited number of possible answers, according to a new study.

That fact illustrates a major problem with the security questions often used by online services to help users recover passwords: The answers to such questions are either memorable or secure, but rarely both.

Boko Haram Kill Dozens in Gubio, Borno State

At least 37 people killed after fighters storm town of Gubio in Borno state in five-hour assault, witnesses say.

Captured Video Appears To Show Foreign Fighters Amongst Boko Haram

Nigerian army analysing footage, which shows amputations, stoning and floggings and a turbaned man making sharia judgments in Sudanese Arabic.

FBI Push To Weaken Cell Phone Security, Skirt Encryption Alarms Privacy Advocates

The FBI’s push to ensure a backdoor into cellphones so that federal agents can skirt around tricky encryption technology in order to track terrorists is evoking backlash from privacy groups and technology companies.

Boko Haram Commander's Body Found With Thousands Of Euros In Nigeria After Foiled Attack

Nigerian troops have found thousands of Euros on the body of a slain Boko Haram kingpin in Borno state near the border with Cameroon. The terrorist commander was one of several Boko Haram fighters killed Saturday during a foiled attack on Nigerian Special Forces in Mafa district, according to local media reports.

“Thousands of Euro currency were found on the body of a terrorist commander after troops successfully repelled a terrorist attack on Mafa towards the border,” Nigeria Defense spokesman Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade said in a statement Monday, obtained by THISDAY. “The terrorist, who is also an Amir by status, and believed to be of foreign descent, is among about 30 terrorist fighters who died in the encounter while many others fled with wounds.”

The Nigerian army also recovered a number of equipment from the Islamist insurgents including rifles, a machine gun, rocket propelled grenades and a Toyota Buffalo vehicle. Two armored vehicles belonging to the fighters were also destroyed in the repelled attack.

Boko Haram fighters armed with machetes stormed a village in Madagali district on Friday and hacked 10 residents to death. The attackers descended on the village of Pambula-Kwamda while residents were sleeping. The Nigerian army had declared the district surrounding the village free of the militant group in March, but attacks have continued. Last week, three people were killed and seven women abducted from the nearby village of Sabon Garin Hyembula in Madagali, CNN reported.

The Nigerian military has recaptured land from Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria but has not held onto all of the territory gains in recent months. Earlier this month, Boko Haram fighters retook Marte after Nigerian troops had recaptured the town in February.

More than 15,000 people have died in Nigeria since Boko Haram's insurgency began in 2009 and nearly 1.5 million have been displaced, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

Source:
International Business Times

Mother, Daughter Kidnapped in Ibadan, South West Nigeria

A middle-aged woman, Mrs. Opeyemi Adeniran and her daughter, Oyinkansola have been kidnapped in Ibadan, capital of Oyo State.

They were kidnapped on Friday around 8:00pm at their residence on Plot 4, Lodi 2, Apooyin Street, Lodi 2, Academy, Odo-ona  in Elewe.

It was gathered that the abductors made away with Mrs. Adeniran, fondly called Mummy Mathew and Oyin baby, in an Ash colour Volkwagen Golf 3 car with registration number FKJ 238 BD.

Confirming the incident, her brother who simply identified himself as Mr. Banjo said: “The family had been battling with the situation since yesterday (Friday night).”

He also informed that a formal report had been lodged at Orita-Challenge police station.

As at yesterday, her friends were sharing useful information that might help in locating her on their social media account, especially on Facebook.

The Public Relations Officers, Oyo State Police Commandz, DSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, could not be reached on his mobile telephone.

A short message service (SMS) also sent to his line was not replied as at the time of going to press.

Source:
The Nation Newspaper

Nigerian Army “Pulls out” 34 Generals From Service

The Nigerian Army on Friday held the traditional “pull out” ceremony for 34 infantry generals who retired between 2005 and 2015.

Ekiti Crisis: State’s Largest Market Set Ablaze, as Fayose Evacuates Hausa Community

In spite of the dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed by Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State on Wednesday, a fresh threat to the peace of the state brewed on Friday when unknown persons razed the popular Oja-Oba (King’s market) in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

Northern Elders Entreat Buhari To Grant Amnesty To Boko Haram Members

SOME prominent northerners including the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Mohammed Uwais and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe and former Nigerian Ambassador to the United Nations, Ibrahim Gambari have asked the President -elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, rtd, declare amnesty for Boko Haram insurgents when he takes over power on may 29.