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Army Foils Massive Raid, Kills Over 50 Insurgents

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Army Foils Massive Raid, Kills Over 50 Insurgents

Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri

The Nigerian army said its troops conducting anti-terrorists campaign in the Northeast successfully averted an attempted massive raid on villages in Borno and Adamawa states during the weekend, killing over 50 insurgents in the process.

Military spokesman, Chris Olukolade, a major general, said in a statement that the terrorists who were on their way to attack selected communities were ambushed by troops who had received intelligence report of the plot in Bilta, Borno state.

As the terrorists filed out of the forest to embark on their mission at about 10pm on Saturday, the army swept in on them and launched a massive onslaught on them.

“Over 50 terrorists died in the fierce encounter that ensued, while 30 rifles, 36 Hand Grenades, 7 Machine guns and 11 Rocket Propelled grenade tubes were captured by the troops,” Olukolade said.

Also recovered from the terrorists were over 3,500 rounds of ammunition, six smoke grenade canisters and locally fabricated guns as well as four vehicles used by the terrorists in the foiled attack.

Four soldiers who were wounded in the operation are currently receiving medical treatment in the military medical facility.

Residents Of Borno Warn Against Epidemic From Decaying Corpses

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Residents Of Borno Warn Against Epidemic From Decaying Corpses

Musdpha Ilo, Maiduguri

Residents of Gwoza local government area in Borno State are worried that an epidemic of diseases might soon breakout in the community as corpses continue to litter some villages, following series of attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents.

A district head in one of the wards in Gwoza, Lawan John, lamented to journalists that none of the people of the area who had since fled the area could summon enough courage to return and bury their dead for fear that the terrorists may just be lurking around.

John, who himself is now seeking refuge in Maiduguri, said that “corpses still littered our villages because we didn’t have access to the villages as the insurgents were still hanging around.”

According to him, many residents of the community are trapped in the mountains and hills and have gone without food for over five days.

Another residents of the area who spoke anonymously said the corpses would have decomposed by now and there could be an epidemic if the whole area is not fumigated after the corpses are evacuated.

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“They (insurgents) kill our people and they won’t allow us to give them proper burial, their corpses are made to lie on the road which is not befitting of even a dead animal,” the resident lamented.

The senator representing Southern Borno district in the National Assembly, Mohammed Ali Ndume, who called for a stakeholders’ meeting, lamented that his people were made to go through untold hardship by recent attack as over 1,000 persons have been displaced.

Speaking on behalf of the stakeholders to journalists, Ndume said attacks on villages such as Gavva, Agapalagu, Chikide, Dushwale, Ngoshe and Ashigashiya, have continued unabated.

“We are here to salvage the condition of our people. As a quick solution, we have sought for military intervention in six wards in Gwoza East that are currently under siege and as I am speaking to you now, there is no military presence in these areas except in Pulka, but we have been pressing on the security agencies to salvage the situation,” he said.

According to the senator, the state government has released N10 million, including donation of funds from some members of the Gwoza communities, to be used to provide relief materials to displaced persons and a committee has been set up for this purpose.

Chairperson of the relief committee, who is also the Borno State sommissioner for Commerce and Industries, Asabe Vilita, said three camps had been opened for some of the displaced persons who are now taking refuge in Maiduguri.

According to her, 680 displaced persons were camped in Tashan Bama, 426 in EYN Church, Wulari and 50 persons in Mule Area of Maiduguri.

Vilita appealed to well-meaning individuals to come to the aid of the displaced persons.

Fulani Cattle Rearers Rape Woman To Death

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Fulani Cattle Rearers Rape Woman To Death

Jefferson Ibiwale, Benin

The police in Edo State has confirmed that the death of an unidentified middle-aged woman, who was allegedly and attacked raped by suspected Fulani cattle rearers in Edo State.

Police public relations officer of the state, Noble Uwoh, a deputy superintendent of Police, said the body of the deceased has since been recovered.

Uwoh narrated that the woman, along with her 18-year-old son, were accosted while returning from their farm at Odighi community in Ovia North East local government area last Tuesday but while the son managed to escape, the woman was raped to death.

The police spokesman said three suspects have been arrested over the alleged rape and murder of the woman.

He gave the names of the suspects simply as Mohammed, Isah and Yusuf.

US To Set Up Satellite TV In Northern Nigeria

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US To Set Up Satellite TV In Northern Nigeria

As part of its continued assistance to Nigeria in the war against terrorism, the United States has concluded plans to launch a 24-hour satellite television in the troubled Northern part of Nigeria to counter the spread of terrorism activities of Boko Haram in the region.

The television project, which is to be financed by the US States Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism, according to the New York Times, will cost about $6 million and will be used to sensitise the people of the North on the criminal activities of the Boko Haram sect and also redirect the orientation of the teeming youth.

The television channel, to be called Arewa24, according to US officials who spoke to New York Times, is being established with full collaboration of the Nigerian government.

The project, the newspaper disclosed, was started last year and is run in Nigeria by Equal Access International, a San Francisco-based government contractor that has managed media programmes sponsored by the state department in Yemen and Pakistan, which encourage youth participation in politics, in addition to countering Islamist extremism.

“Work on the project is nearing completion, but broadcasts have not yet begun,” it was reported.

America believes the television channel is crucial to countering the extremism of radical groups such as Boko Haram and the move is seen as an indication that the US government wants to increase its counterinsurgency efforts to directly challenge the Boko Haram terrorist group which has been globally disclaimed for its kidnappings and mindless killing of innocent people.

The goal of the satellite television channel is to provide original content, including comedies and children’s programmes that will be created, developed and produced by Nigerians.

State Department officials said they hoped to provide an alternative to the violent propaganda and recruitment efforts of Boko Haram.

A US government official who spoke on the project said the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls was a game-changer, saying “it demonstrates the need for a strong and durable alternative narrative to the destructive narrative of Boko Haram and other violent extremists”.

Although foreign policy experts have been applauding the state department’s programmes to counter the deadly onslaught of Boko Haram and other extremist groups, they outlined challenges the new satellite project would face in a region with low levels of infrastructure, public services, literacy and security, especially where only few people own or have access to televisions.

They pinpointed Nigeria’s electricity challenge and the security situation as some of the obstacles to be surmounted.

Former CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi Is New Emir Of Kano

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Former CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi Is New Emir Of Kano

The Former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has emerged as new Emir of Kano.

The secretary to the state government, Rabiu Bichi, announced that Sanusi had been selected from among three other nominees submitted to the state governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Saturday by the Kano Emirate kingmakers.

The kingmakers who visited the governor are the Madakin Kano, Yusuf Chigari; Sarkin Dawaki, Bello Abubakar; Makaman Kano, Abdullahi Ibrahim and Sarkin Bai, Mukhtar Adnan.

It was gathered that the other names nominated include the eldest son of the late emir, Ciroma Lamido Ado Bayero who is already the district head of Gwale local government area of Kano; the district head of Dala local government area of the state, Aminu Ado Bayero, and Nasiru Ado Bayero.

Sanusi succeeds the late Ado Bayero who died on Friday after ruling for 50 years, the longest tenure so far.

Delta Poly Security Chief Jailed For Bribery

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Delta Poly Security Chief Jailed For Bribery

The Chief Security Officer, CSO, of Delta State Polytechnic, Peter Obonyamo, has been sentenced to 33 years imprisonment for bribery by a Delta State High Court sitting in Warri.

The security man was dragged to court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, for demanding the sum of N150,000 as gratification from a contractor with the Polytechnic.

In a sting operation by the ICPC, the contractor agreed to pay the sum of N100,000 to the CSO and he was arted as soon as he accepted the money which unknown to him had been marked.

Delivering judgement, Justice Briki-Okolosi held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt in counts 1,3,4,6 and 11 of the charge while he struck out counts 2 and 5 for duplication.

The court further held that counts 8, 9 and 10 were not proven beyond reasonable doubt.

However, the court sentenced the convict to 7 years imprisonment on each of counts 1, 3, 4 and 6 with an option of N20, 000 fine on each count.

The court also sentenced the convict to 5 years imprisonment without an option of fine on count 11.

The accused person was therefore sentenced to a total of 33 years imprisonment but would only spend 7 years in prison as the terms are to run concurrently.

After the judgement, the convict was whisked off to Warri Prison to start his sentence.

Presidency Denies Media Censorship, But Newspaper Seizure Continues

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Presidency Denies Media Censorship, But Newspaper Seizure Continues

The Presidency has described as untrue media reports that it ordered a clampdown on some media houses two days ago.

Senior special assistant on public affairs to the President, Doyin Okupe, told a news conference that the media as the fourth estate of the realm, was held in very high regards by the administration.

This, he said, has been practically demonstrated in various ways by the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration in the last three years.

He recalled that it was President Jonathan who signed the very contentious Freedom of Information Bill into law on assumption of office and has consistently espoused the principles of openness, accountability and liberalism in his relationship with the media at all times.

“The reported incidences of checks being carried out by the military on major Nigerian roads and cities is not targeted at newspaper vans because of the contents of the publications as insinuated. Rather, the military had explained that those routine checks were being carried out following intelligence reports,” he said.

He stressed that there had been reports that of some elements within the society planned to use such vehicles to convey materials with grave security implications across the country.

“While we sympathise with media houses which might have suffered one discomfort or the other as a result of these security checks we assert, for the avoidance of doubt that the President has not and will never give any order capable of hampering the smooth running of any media organisation,” Okupe maintained.

But Okupe’s denial came despite continuing seizure of newspapers of at least four titles for the third day running. The management of The Nation, Daily Trust, Laeadership and Punch newspapers have all said that editions of their publications have been seized by the authorities.

Chairman, Board of Trustees of Newspaper Distributors in Abuja, Oladipupo Moses, said the soldiers impounded the distribution vans of several media houses at the Garki Area one distribution point for the newspapers.

He said the distribution vans in custody of the soldiers included those of The Guardian, Leadership, Thisday, Daily Trust, Sun, Pilot, Newswatch and The Mirror.

Oladipupo said the soldiers, led by an officer in a green tracksuit, said henceforth, all the distributors and the vendors must operate with identity cards.

He said the army officer alleged that some vendors had been caught with arms in Jos, Plateau State, while other dangerous weapons were found in market stalls where fruits were sold at Nyanya, Abuja.

Oladipupo said the soldiers assembled all the vendors and searched all of them before releasing them, while confiscating the vans and their content.

“They impounded all our distribution vans. The ones that arrived early and were seized are Leadership, ThisDay, Daily Trust, Sun, Pilot, Newswatch and The Mirror newspapers. The team leader told the leaders of the union that everybody should be coming there for identification. The man said that everybody should be coming here with an identity card,” he said.

Reacting to the clampdown, management of Media Trust Ltd., publishers of Daily Trust, said its newspapers were seized but that the military authority had not advanced any reason for its action.

The newspaper said that it suspects that the clampdown has something to do with a story published in its Wednesday publication concerning the sharing of plots of land in an Abuja barrack to Army generals and their spouses for personal use.

In the report titled “Nigeria: Army Shares Out Barracks Land To Generals, Others”, the paper said that the Army had shared out to top military brass part of a land that was meant for barracks in the Asokoro District of Abuja.

It said among the 439 beneficiaries in the land sharing are spouses, relations, friends, associates and companies of senior Army officials.

“There are also many retired officers as well as civilians on the list of those given allocations from the land. The Annex B Layout Army Barrack, Cadastral Zone A04, land was originally set out for building of barracks for the Air Force, Army and Navy,” Daily Trust reported.

The paper believes that it is for this reason that its papers are being confiscated, portending a case of castigation.

New Emir Of Kano To Be Announced Tomorrow

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New Emir Of Kano To Be Announced Tomorrow

Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has said after receiving the Kano Emirate’s kingmakers at the Government House on Saturday that a new emir would be announced tomorrow.

The kingmakers who visited the governor are the Madakin Kano, Yusuf Chigari; Sarkin Dawaki, Bello Abubakar; Makaman Kano, Abdullahi Ibrahim and Sarkin Bai, Mukhtar Adnan.

As is the custom, the kingmakers submitted a list containing four names to Kwankwaso who is to give final approval.

It is widely speculated that the names of the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; the eldest son of the late emir, Ciroma Lamido Ado Bayero who is already the district head of Gwale local government area of Kano; the district head of Dala local government area of the state, Aminu Ado Bayero, and Nasiru Ado Bayero, make up the list.

Some palace watchers believe that Sanusi might be the chosen one due to his political affiliation with the All Progressive Congress, APC, which is the ruling party in the state.

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The new emir would succeed the late Ado Bayero who died on Friday after ruling for 50 years.

Four Killed In Ethnic Clash In Abuja

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Four Killed In Ethnic Clash In Abuja

The Police on Saturday confirmed that four persons have died following a clash between Gwari farmers and Fulani herdsmen in Paiko, near Gwagwalada, in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory.

The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in the area, Patrick Daaor, explained that two persons were killed at the scene of the fight, while the two others were among the 21 injured, but who later died at the hospital.

He said the quick intervention of the police helped in controlling the clash.

The chairman, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, UATH, Gwagwalada, Medical Advisory Committee, Haruna Abubakar, also confirmed the casualties.

Some Fulani herdsmen allegedly entered the farm of a Gwari man with their flock on Thursday and the cattle destroyed the farmer’s crops.

It was learnt that the farmer’s kinsmen mobilised and attacked the herdsman, insisting that his cows ate up crops on the farm and a hot argument was ignited.

When the news got to the town youths mobilised themselves and decided to take revenge on any Fulani man they saw.

A resident said that one of the Fulani herdsmen ran into a mosque he and was followed and was killed there.

The chairman of the local council Abubakar Jibrin-Giri, who visited the scene of the clash and the hospital, described the incident as unfortunate but promised that his office would assist the displaced victims and those hospitalised.

Jibrin-Giri said that security personnel had been drafted to the area to ensure peace and urged both parties to live harmoniously.

Dora Akunyili Dies Of Cancer

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Dora Akunyili Dies Of Cancer

Former director general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Dora Akunyili, has died in a Specialist Cancer hospital in India on Saturday morning.

This was confirmed in a statement by former Anambra state Governor, Peter Obi, on behalf of her family.

Born on July 14, 1954 in Makurdi, Benue State, Akunyili, became famous for her role in raising awareness against the distribution of fake drugs and foods in the country through the NAFDAC, with her experience as a trained pharmacist.

She was also minister of Information and Communications between 2008-2010, after which she resigned to run for election as senator for Anambra Central on the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, in April 2011 but was defeated by Chris Ngige of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.

In spite of her illness, she was unwavering in her belief in a better Nigeria and she defied her condition to attend early sessions of the National Conference as a delegate before her illness forced her to seek treatment abroad.

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