Muslim Cleric allegedly kills customer, dumps corpse on bridge

 Mr. Isiaka Akanbi, popularly called Alfa, has been arrested for allegedly killing a 62 year old woman, Raliatu Kareem (pictured right) after stealing her wallet and other personal effects.‎ According to a report on Punch, the Alfa ‎owns a traditional healing centre on Lawani Street, Olodi Apapa, Lagos‎ and the late woman, Raliatu was his close customer for years.

It was gathered that on Saturday, October 25, Raliatu who lived in Agbado Ijaiye, Lagos, went to visit her niece who put to bed in the Olodi Apapa area. She was said to have left her house in Ijaiye after the monthly environmental exercise was over, informing her 20-year-old son, Abdullahi, of the visit after which she reportedly headed for the Alfa’s place at about 6pm.

Two days after, Raliatu did not return home as she promised and her family became apprehensive, trailing her to Olodi Apapa.
After not finding her at her initial destination, some family members, who knew she was a friend of the cleric, decided to check the Alfa’s place.
On getting there, the Alfa allegedly denied seeing her. The family became suspicious when Alfa reportedly started packing his property, and preparing to leave the house some hours later.
They raised an alarm and headed for the Tolu Police Station to report the incident and the Alfa was arrested.
During interrogation, Alfa told the police that he did not kill the woman, but that she died in his place.
According to him,

    “On the evening of October 26, it is true that she visited me. We have been very good friends too. On that day, she just collapsed and became unconscious. I quickly rushed her to a nearby hospital, but I was shocked when the nurses told me she had died. I got a NAPEP tricycle and took her corpse to the Marine Bridge that same night and abandoned it there. I did not want people to trace her corpse to me. When I got home, I buried her wallet, handset, bangle and ring behind my house. I did not kill her. I am an Alfa, I do favour charms for traders. I met Raliatu in 1986. Since then, we have been family friends. She used to come to my place for consultation and I had been to her house too.”

One of the deceased's children, Abdullahi, said,

    “I have seen the man in our house a number of times. But he said she died in his house and he now took her corpse to Marina Bridge and abandoned it. We want him to produce that corpse so that we can bury her appropriately.”

After contacting all relevant agencies in the state, the family said the corpse had yet to be found.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the case and that it has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department, Yaba

Army recaptures Chibok from Boko Haram

The Nigerian army said yesterday that it had recaptured the north-eastern town of Chibok, where Boko Haram insurgents abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in April, provoking a wave of global outrage.
Gallant Nigerian soldiers

Gallant Nigerian soldiers

An elder of Chibok community, Pogu Bitrus however told AFP that Chibok was recaptured in a joint operation with local vigilantes known as the Civilian Joint Task Force. He said the vigilantes fought inside Chibok while the soldiers “stayed outside the town to mop up the insurgents trying to escape”.

Boko Haram fighters who were dislodged last week from Mubi in Adamawa by a combined team of local hunters and the troops fled to Chibok through Mararaba, Mubi and Uba and took over the town when residents on seeing the terrorists fled.

The terrorists had captured the town last Thursday after a battle lasting several hours that left many victims among both the insurgents and the local militias dead.

Several residents said the army had fled from the assault, leaving the vigilantes to fight on their own against Boko Haram.

There was no immediate information about any casualties from Saturday’s battle for the town, which witnesses say was virtually empty of residents.

A statement from Army Headquarters signed by Colonel Timothy Antigha, Chief of Staff, Department of Army Public Relations said, “The Nigerian Army troops recaptured Chibok at about 7pm last (Saturday) night from Boko Haram insurgents. The town is now secured. Exploitation and mop-up operations are ongoing. More details will follow as soon as they are available.”

Vanguard had reported last week that after several days of strategizing, the Nigerian Military, working in collaboration with local hunters, vigilantes and foreign military advisers from Israel commenced a major offensive to retake Mubi, Michika and Madagali towns from Boko Haram terrorists.


Atiku lambasts FG

Meanwhile, former vice president, Atiku Abubakar has condemned the Federal Government over its handling of the Boko Haram insurgents in the North east saying “any serious government would have reacted decisively to the security challenge that has almost consumed three states or more”

According to him, “the Federal government is not ready to solve the problem of insurgency ravaging the entire Northern states. This is evident because for more than five years, insurgency has persisted and there seems no end to it.”

Atiku, who spoke to correspondents at the 9th annual Founder’s Day and 10th anniversary of the American University of Nigeria, Yola expressed regret that the Federal Government has no excuse whatsoever to give Nigerians for allowing insurgents to persist despite the material and human resources at its disposal.

Meanwhile, against the backdrop of President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration to contest the 2015 Presidential election on the platform of the PDP, intelligence reports collated by security agencies have shown that more terrorists bombings will be recorded in the country.

According to sources, the bombings which will target churches, Mosques, schools, markets and recreation centres among others, will signal the final push of the terrorists with the aim of stopping Jonathan from contesting the election.

Meanwhile, against the backdrop of President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration to contest the 2015 Presidential election on the platform of the PDP, intelligence reports collated by security agencies have shown that more terrorists bombings will be recorded in the country.

According to sources, the bombings which will target churches, Mosques, schools, markets and recreation centres among others, will signal the final push of the terrorists with the aim of stopping Jonathan from contesting the election.

“Thousands of people have been killed, many separated from their families and thousand others are now refugees in their domain, local government, states and elsewhere. This alone portends danger to the already fragile society and government seems not to be taking decisive action”, he added

Alhaji Abubakar therefore called on the people to stand firm and defend themselves, since government at the national level has refused to live up to its expectations in handling the insurgency problem.

Kenyan women protest harrassment of women over dressing

A video of a Kenyan woman being stripped naked by men on a street in Nairobi last week for dressing 'inappropriately' has sparked outrage in the country leading to several protests.

Several women, including celebs and politicians took to the streets of Kenya today to protest the harassment calling for it to be illegal and asking government to arrest the men shown in the video stripping the woman naked.

The protesters have also started a campaign called #MyDressMyChoice, saying undressing a woman in public is sexual harassment.

what do you think? Is this measure too drastic?

Anger as suicide bomber kills 47 schoolchildren

A   teenage   suicide bomber on Monday killed 47 schoolchildren and three teachers on   the assembly ground of the Government Comprehensive School in Potiskum, Yobe State.

At least 98 other students and teachers were   seriously injured in the incident which occurred hours after Northern governors called on President Goodluck Jonathan “to declare a total war and eliminate Boko Haram in our midst before the 2015 elections.”

Jonathan, who will on Tuesday(today) formally declare his intention to seek a re-election in 2015,     had shortly after the news of the schoolchildren’s killing, assured Nigerians that those behind the act would be apprehended.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the Monday attack, residents believe that the bomber must be a member of Boko Haram.

A bomber had last week attacked a procession of Shiite movement in the town, killing   over 30 persons.

Our correspondents gathered that the teenager bomber beat the school’s security   and joined the students and teachers who were about to have their prayer before detonating explosives strewn to his body at about 7.45am.

An eyewitness who did not want his name in print said that the bodies of “about   50, including three teachers, that died due to the attack were scattered on the assembly ground.

He added, “We heard a loud bang and since then the area was cordoned off but ambulances were seen going into the school to pick corpses and take the injured to the hospital.

“Both members of staff and students who were not hurt wept profusely as they struggled to rush the wounded to the hospital.

“Potiskum has been in pandemonium since 7. 45am as a result of the attack on the school. I can tell you that all schools in the town have been closed now as parents have gone to pick up their children. There is wailing everywhere, especially around the school where the incident happened.”

The state government and the Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, however put the number of the students and teachers that died at 35 and 47 respectively.

Ojukwu confirmed that the bomber wore the school’s uniform and mingled with the students   before detonating “some improvised explosive devices.”

Ojukwu said, “The male suicide bomber was dressed as a student and he was able to enter the school and join the students on the assembly ground where he detonated the IEDs on him. The blast killed 47 students and teachers and injured 98 others. We have secured other schools around the area and investigation has commenced.”

He explained that the bodies of the dead victims were deposited at the General Hospital mortuary close to the school.

Gov. Gaidam closes schools, asks for emergency rule’s scorecard

The state Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, who said the attack had left him heartbroken, closed all public schools in the town pending improved security situation.

He added that he lacked enough words to describe the incident, but challenged Jonathan to come out and explain to all Nigerians, especially those from   the North-East   what had been achieved through   emergency rule in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states.

The governor, in a statement by his spokesman, Abdullahi Bego, said, “This (Monday) morning, our state woke up to a very sad and heart-breaking news of a bomb attack on our young students at the Government Comprehensive School, Potiskum in which no fewer than 35 students were killed and many more injured.

“The governor has noted that this is the fifth time in a little over one year when schools in Yobe State were   attacked and students killed.

“He deeply regrets that all of these dastardly attacks took place under a climate of emergency rule declared in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states by President Jonathan.

“In theory, the emergency rule declaration was a signal that more vigorous steps would be taken to protect lives and property   in the affected states and   restore peace and security. Unfortunately, these have not been fully the case. Instead of forcing insurgents and criminals to flee; the insurgents are forcing innocent people to flee and making life miserable for everyone.

“Governor Gaidam believes that President   Jonathan has a very urgent responsibility to explain to the people of Yobe State and people all across the affected states why murderous and callous insurgent and criminal attacks are still on the rise despite the state of emergency.

“The governor also insists that it was not just enough for the Federal Government to condemn the almost daily rounds of violence. He believes urgent action must be taken right now to restore a fast waning public confidence by doing whatever it takes to stop the escalating violence.

“He has ordered for the immediate closure of all public schools around the Potiskum area until a full review of the situation is undertaken.”

The governor however called on all people   to exercise restraint and continue to pray for the intervention of   Allah.

The governor directed hospital authorities in Potiskum, Nguru and Azare to provide immediate medical support to victims of the   attack free of charge.

Perpetrators’ll be brought to justice

–Jonathan

Jonathan on Monday promised that no matter how long it would take, his administration would ensure that all those responsible for the   killings were brought to justice.

He said the same fate awaited all those behind continuing acts of terrorism across the country.

Jonathan said this in a statement made available to journalists by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati.

He extended his commiseration to the government and people of Yobe State on the death of the students.

He also sympathised with all parents who lost their children and wards in the attack.

The statement read in part, “The President condemns the dastardly murder of the students on their school’s assembly ground as they prepared to begin another week of study in pursuit of a better life for themselves and their families.

“He assures the grieving parents and people of Yobe State that no matter how long it takes, the Federal Government will ensure that all those responsible for the senseless murder of so many promising youngsters and the continuing acts of terrorism across the country are brought to justice and made to pay for their atrocious crimes.

“The President similarly assures all Nigerians that in spite of seeming setbacks, his administration remains fully committed to winning the war against insurgency and terrorism.

“Nigeria, President Jonathan affirms, will ultimately overcome the current security challenges imposed by domestic terrorists and their foreign allies, with the dedication of its Armed Forces and national security agencies, as well as the continued support and cooperation of all patriotic citizens.”

Jonathan had before the statement during the inauguration of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Foundation secretariat in Kaduna   said his administration remained resolute in the protection of lives and property of Nigerians .

The President, represented by the Minister for Special Duties and the supervising Minister of Labour, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, said the issue of security was a collective responsibility and not of security agents alone.

According to him, his administration would   faithfully continue the war against terrorists in the country.

The President, who extolled the virtue of the late Premier of the defunct Northern Region,   Ahmadu Bello,   also said that his   government was still disposed to dialogue with Boko Haram.

He however noted that for those   not prepared for dialogue, the Nigerian Army had the capacity to overrun them.

Northern govs want total war against Boko Haram

The Chairman of the Northern State Governors’ Forum,   Babangida Aliyu, who attended the event, said unless the Federal Government declared a total war against Boko Haram, its members might overrun the North.

Aliyu said the NSGF   would support the Jonathan-led government on a total war against the insurgents.

He argued that since the Boko Haram members “were no longer terrorists but rebels,”   the Federal Government must wage a total war against them.

Aliyu lamented that the activities of the sect had dealt a deadly blow to the socio-economic life of the region.

He said, ‘‘Our job is complicated by the present predicaments in the country – Boko Haram, insecurity and abject poverty, among others.

“We must, as leaders, all come together on bipartisan or non-partisan basis to encourage Mr. President and the Federal Government to declare total war and eliminate Boko Haram in our midst before the 2015 elections.

“They are no more terrorists but rebels, who have declared war against their country and have acquired illegal territories. We must therefore crush them.”

Atiku, Mark, Saraki outraged

A former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, Senate President David Mark and a former Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki, condemned the killings and called for a concerted effort to wipe out Boko Haram.

Atiku said in a statement by his media office in Abuja   that the latest bombing   once again underscored the need for the government at all levels and “our elders and opinion leaders   to find a permanent solution to the insurgency which has ravaged our country for the past five years.”

He said, “One expects that knowing the anti-education mindset of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes, the relevant authorities should have done their bit to ensure that at least, our educational institutions are provided with additional security.”

Mark,   in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary,   Paul Mumeh, expressed regret over the incident and commiserated with the government and people of Yobe State, especially the bereaved parents over the sad development.

He asked the members and sponsors of the “barbaric, senseless, and inhuman attack ” to stop it in the interest of peace and unity.

Mark said, “The war on Nigerians by terrorists without boundaries where men, women, children and even the unborn are victims speaks volumes of the agenda of the terrorists.

“What is the offence of these innocent children? Even in warfare, there are boundaries. Even when enemies are known, women and children are usually spared, talk less of schoolchildren.

“No matter the level of anger, it cannot be endless. Enough is enough. We must remember that no evil done to man by man would go unpunished , if not by man , certainly by the Almighty.

“We cannot continue this way. It is not a way of life. It is time for a ceasefire. What do we achieve by ceaseless killings. How can we suddenly forget our brotherhood?”

Mark, therefore, called on   security operatives to step up action against the terrorists stressing that, “with increase intelligence and surveillance , a lot could be achieved.”

Also, Saraki lamented the killing and asked Jonathan to end the insurgency in the North-East.

Saraki, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology,   noted that Boko Haram had by its action shown that it was bent on destroying the unity of Nigeria.

He said, “In this regard, as we battle this scourge, and unite around those affected by today’s attacks and all victims of this scourge, we must demand that President Jonathan take all necessary action to end Boko Haram’s menace once and for all, instead of using security forces to intimidate perceived opponents.

“My heart goes out to the families of the students affected by the bomb blast on an assembly ground in Yobe State this morning.

“These children are the future of Nigeria, and again we have witnessed the fact that by attacking the young and innocent in our society, Boko Haram is seeking to break our united Nigerian spirit through their evil and cowardly acts. This shall not stand.”

He regretted that Boko Haram had in the past few weeks, “rampaged through the North-East, going as far as being audacious enough to tempt our sovereignty by hoisting   a dark flag to signify conquest.”

Again, military helicopter crashes in Adamawa

A Nigeria Air Force helicopter   on Monday crash landed near the River Benue bank   in Damare,   Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

The chopper   had   five   crew members     said to be American military personnel and a Nigerian.

The Americans, it was learnt, were among the 40 United States military personnel helping   the Nigerian military in the on-going operations against Boko Haram in the North-East.

An eyewitness, who resides close to the crash site, told one of our correspondents that the   helicopter hovered round the area for about 30 minutes before it crashed.

He said that   he   rushed to the crash site but found out that all the crew members, except the pilot, had pulled themselves out of the wreckage of the helicopter.

The witness added that before security personnel arrived the scene,   he overheard one of them (crew members) directing that the helicopter   be set ablaze.

“The pilot and two other persons   suffered injuries. The pilot had a fracture on his leg and hand. An Air force ambulance came and evacuated all of them,” he said.

A military source said that the   40 US   soldiers   had shortly after their   arrival in Nigeria visited Mararaba-Mubi on Sunday for an on the spot assessment of the insurgents’ activities in the area.

Another source said, “The helicopter took off from the airport in Yola and came down just a few metres from the state capital.

“They were five crew members, including   four Americans, They all survived the crash. But those who were injured   are being treated in the hospital.”

Efforts   to get the reactions of the American Embassy in Abuja as of 7pm on Monday failed.

But the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, who confirmed the   crash in an electronic mail, said   the   helicopter involved   was on a training mission in the area.

He said, “A NAF Helicopter with call sign Shark 23 on a training mission executed a controlled forced landing four minutes after take-off at the runway approach end of the Yola International Airport today (Monday) at about 0930hours.

“There is no casualty recorded as all the crew members have been recovered back to the base.

“The NAF headquarters has already set up an investigation panel to unravel the circumstances that led to the incident.”

When journalists visited the site of the crash, stern-looking military personnel had cordoned it off.

Meanwhile, the Adamawa State Government has called on its citizens to be calm, stressing that the military was on top of the situation.

The spokesman for the government, Mr. Phineas Elisha, said that “Adamawa, as of today, was  better than Adamawa of yesterday.

“People should not panic or be afraid. The government is on top of the situation. Insurgency will soon be history because the military are on top of the situation,” Elisha said

Fulani herdsmen kill 25 in Nasarawa

By Abel Daniel

LAFIA—No fewer than 25 persons, including women and children, were yesterday feared killed by suspected Fulani insurgents at Arikya-Soni, a boundary area between Nasarawa-Eggon and Lafia local government areas of Nasarawa State.

Eyewitness told Vanguard in Lafia that the gunmen reportedly ambushed and killed their victims on their way back from the farms early in the morning, and seized nine motorcycles belonging to the deceased persons.

A mass burial was yesterday conducted for the victims after their remains were recovered at Umme, at about 1 pm.
A survivor from the early morning attack

A survivor from the early morning attack

The victims, who are all of Eggon ethnic nationality of the state, hailed from Umme, Arugbadu and Bakyano villages of Nasarawa Eggon local government area.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, of Nasarawa State command, confirmed the incident and said investigation had commenced to unravel the perpetrators of the criminal act.

A survivor, Mrs. Saratu Mustapha, told newsmen at Ashangbo clinic in the locality where she is receiving treatment for gun shots wound, that she was returning from the farm in company of her husband and sister on a motorcycle when the gunmen attacked them.

She explained that her husband and her sister were among those killed during the attack, stating that she was able to escape into the bush.

Another survivor from Arugbadu, Habibu Mohammed, explained that he was returning from the farm along with his parents when Fulani gunmen opened fire on them.

Mohammed who could not control his emotions, further explained that he lost his parents in the attack as well as his motorcycle with which he was conveying them.

Reacting to the incident, a member representing the area (Nasarawa Eggon East constituency) in the state House of Assembly, Mohammed Muluku, who led journalists to the scene of the incident, expressed shock over the high casualty figure.

He called on the Federal Government to establish a permanent military base in the area to prevent further attacks on his constituents.

‘Shekau’ denies ceasefire deal with FG in new video

By Ndahi Marama, with Agency reports

Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau yesterday dismissed claims about ceasefire talks between his group and the government, even as Federal Government officials are now trading blames over the phantom ceasefire deal brokered by the President of Chad, Idriss Déby.

A new Boko Haram video obtained by AFP yesterday showed militants on an armoured vehicle parading down a road in an unidentified town they apparently control and the group’s leader Abubakar Shekau preaching to the residents.

Boko Haram had already renamed Gwoza in Borno as Darul Hikma or House of Wisdom and Mubi in Adamawa as Madinatul Islam which means City of Islam.

In the 44-minute video, Shekau, who is pictured in close-up shots dismissed government claims about ceasefire talks and threatened to kill the man who presented himself as Boko Haram’s negotiator.

The video, which was delivered through the same channels as past messages, shows armed men lined alon
A screengrab taken on November 9, 2014 from a new Boko Haram video released by the Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram and obtained by AFP shows the leader of the Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau preaching to locals in an unidentified town. Shekau again dismisses government claims about ceasefire talks and threatens to kill the man who has presented himself as Boko Haram’s negotiator. AFP PHOTO

A screengrab taken on November 9, 2014 from a new Boko Haram video released by the Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram and obtained by AFP shows the leader of the Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau preaching to locals in an unidentified town. Shekau again dismisses government claims about ceasefire talks and threatens to kill the man who has presented himself as Boko Haram’s negotiator. AFP PHOTO

g a well-paved road, with three pick-up trucks, with heavy weapons also visible.

Black crested flags associated with the Islamist group are also shown.

In the video, Shekau restated a call he first made in August, saying, “We have indeed established an Islamic caliphate. To everyone living in Islamic Caliphate, we convey our greetings,” he said, specifically mentioning “brethren” in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Shishan (an Islamist term for Chechnya), Yemen, Somalia and “The caliphate in Iraq and Syria.”

A graphic shown later includes a picture the IS group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as well as a portion of the message his group issued on July 1, proclaiming a caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

How Chadian President fooled Nigeria on phantom Boko Haram ceasefire

Meanwhile, it was gathered yesterday how the Federal Government was taken for a ride by the president of Chad, Idriss Deby over the phantom ceasefire deal with Boko Haram

A source, who was involved in the negotiations told online news medium, TheCable that the Federal Government was still uncertain if the dummy was deliberately sold to Nigeria by Déby or if the Chadian president himself was hoodwinked into believing it was genuine.

Déby was said to be working for Boko Haram as he has refused to communicate with Nigeria since the insurgents renewed their attacks.

“Nigerian government officials no longer have access to Déby, who is now said to be sick. It appears he set us up to drop our guard and allow Boko Haram to gain ground,” the official said.

A man claiming to be the general secretary of Boko Haram named Danladi Ahmadu, had told the Voice of America on October 17 that the government was negotiating with representatives of the group.

Alex Badeh, an air chief marshal and chief of defence staff later addressed the media asking Nigerians soldiers to cease fire because of the “agreement”, which he said included releasing the 219 Chibok schoolgirls in Boko Haram captivity.

TheCable also reported how Déby put the deal together, revealing how he said Boko Haram got in touch with him, how he authenticated the message and how he got the Nigerian government involved in the negotiations. A journalist with links to the group had however described the claim as “shadows and bubbles” and warned Nigerians not to believe it.

Not long after that, Boko Haram became more ferocious in their attacks, taking over more Nigerian towns, including the country home of Badeh.

A government official, who spoke with TheCable pointed accusing fingers at Déby, accusing him of setting a trap for Nigeria.

According to the source, “The period of the phantom negotiations gave the terror group time to regroup, reinforce and restrategise, which is the intent of Déby for asking the Nigerian government to negotiate a ceasefire with Boko Haram. As soon as Nigeria began to make a lot of gains in the war against Boko Haram, owing to the efforts of the military and President Goodluck Jonathan, who has been discussing with regional leaders to halt the insurgency, and at a time the commanders of the sect were being rounded up, that was when the Chadian president approached the Nigerian government asking that it mediates between the parties in the conflict.

“The discussions between the government and the Chadian president on Boko Haram started in September. However, Déby said he was already talking with Boko Haram.

“The government was trying to verify the authenticity of Boko Haram’s representatives in the supposed negotiations, but Déby asked the Nigerian government to take a chance that he had done the verification already. He affirmed that Boko Haram’s representatives were truly standing in for the group in the negotiations.”

It was at this stage the government nominated the principal secretary to the president, Awwal Tukur, to be part of the negotiations in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad.

“Tukur was the one spearheading the dialogue with Boko Haram on behalf of the Nigerian government. He had the first contact with group. It was still in the middle of the supposed negotiations that Danladi Ahmadu announced on Voice of America that the group had ceased fire. Following the announcement of ceasefire by the group, the Nigerian government equally announced a ceasefire on October 17 for the supposed negotiations to continue.

“A Nigerian delegation left for Chad on October 21 for talks with Boko Haram, but the Chadian president became evasive. The Nigerian delegation was told that Déby was sick and that the meeting be rescheduled for October 23.

“However, on that date, the delegation was told that the Chadian president was still sick after waiting for six hours. The delegation made visits to Chad a number of times, but met a brickwall.

“As Boko Haram’s resumed attacks grew in intensity, the Nigerian government became worried. Many attempts were made to inquire from the Chadian president, who was supposed to be mediating between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram, but the attempts were all futile.

“France was privy to the botched negotiations, but said nothing just like the Chadian government.

“It became clear to the Nigerian government that Déby was working for Boko Haram. The government of Chad has not said a word to the Nigerian government since Boko Haram’s resumed onslaughts. It has simply refused to make any comment or communicate with the Nigerian government.

“The Nigerian government has also ceased to speak with the Chadian government on the matter since it is now clear that Chad is working with Boko Haram.”

Monarch of captured town appeals to Jonathan

Meanwhile, the emir of Gwoza in Borno State, Alhaji Mohammed Timta has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to redeem his pledge on the recapture of his chiefdom being occupied by Boko Haram insurgents for over three months.

Africa sets up $28 million Ebola crisis fund

The African Union, African Development Bank and regional business leaders have set up a crisis fund to help areas hit by the Ebola outbreak, the AU said in a statement.

The organisation said a landmark pledging meeting held in the Ethiopian capital on Saturday saw African business leaders offer more than $28 million to help the response to the epidemic.

According to the World Health Organization, 13,268 people had been infected with Ebola across eight countries, and 4,960 of them have died.

“While the global response to the current crisis has increased in recent weeks, there is still a critical need for additional competencies to care for those infected, strengthen local health systems and prevent the disease spreading,” the AU said.

It said the pledging meeting was attended by leaders from the banking, telecommunications, mining, energy, services and manufacturing sectors from across Africa.

“They agreed to establish a fund under the auspices of the African Union Foundation through a facility managed by the African Development Bank, to boost efforts to equip, train and deploy African health workers to fight the epidemic,” it said.

The companies also pledged “logistical support” and “in kind contributions” to help the relief effort, and the AU said it was expecting more pledges in the coming days.

It said the funds would be used to “support an African medical corps –- including doctors, nurses and lab technicians –- to care for those infected with Ebola, strengthen the capacity of local health services and staff Ebola treatment centres in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.”

Eight years after, abandoned kids reunite with father (Watch Video)

Story: PUNCH
Emotions ran wild on Friday when Segun Adepegba, the father of the three children abandoned in a boarding school in Abule-Iroko, in the Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, finally reunited with his children.

Adepegba, who visited Solid Rock Model College where they had been abandoned for eight years, was locked in a tight embrace with his children, promising never to leave them again.

Adepegba told his children, “I am sorry for leaving you, Titi, Seun and Seyi. I am really very sorry. I have missed you all so much. I will not leave you again.”

Many were greatly moved as father and children bonded in what they described as “a mystery and a miracle.”

Last week, PUNCH Metro had exclusively reported the story of the abandoned children, Seun, 14, Titilola 13, and Seyi 10.

The story of the abandoned children reached its climax on Friday when Adepegba bowed to pressure after reading the reports in PUNCH Metro and visited the school.

When he arrived, an angry mob was prevented from attacking him when they learnt he was the father of the “abandoned children.”

The father of three was accompanied by four friends who pleaded on his behalf, saying that he was a changed person.

A friend of the school proprietor, Mr. Ademola Adeyemi , described Adepegba’s return as a miracle, saying he had held vigils to ensure that he returned. “This has shown that God truly answers prayers,” he said.

The news of Adepegba’s arrival attracted passers-by and residents who trooped into the school compound to see him. The students of the school also gathered in groups, discussing the story. They were all smiles seeing their friends reunited with their father.

This moment of joy and reminiscence, however, lasted for a short time as the staff of the school and the residents swooped on Adepegba, blasting him for abandoning his children.

A mild drama ensued when an aged sports facilitator in the school, Godfrey Olopele, who sighted Adepegba from the gate, asked, “Is this the father of the children?” When told it was him, he said, “I have some words for this man. You have not done well. You are very wicked. How could you abandon your children for so long?”

Adepegba’s friends, who spoke with PUNCH Metro, said he never told them he had children in a boarding school.

One of them, identified as Mr. Muyiwa Akinseye, said, “I have known Adepegba for a very long time but I never knew that he had children somewhere. It was until I saw his photograph in the PUNCH that I was shocked to know that my friend had some children somewhere. He had never mentioned a thing like that. I still wondered why he kept something as important as this from me.”

Another friend of Adepegba, identified as Ola, said, “I am a father and I can’t leave my child for that long. Adepegba’s behaviour is really condemnable. When I saw his picture on the PUNCH front page, I had jokingly told him, ‘Adepegba, you have become a superstar. So you have children somewhere?’ I was surprised.”

Adepegba swallowed the rebuke in penitence, prostrating himself intermittently before a crowd in the expansive hall of the school.

He said, “I have offended a lot of people. I have offended my children. I have offended Nigerians. I accept all the blame. And I am really very sorry. I understand that what I have done is very wrong. I was afraid of two things: One was that if I came here, I would be arrested and the second reason was the accumulated debt of the children’s school fees. I reasoned that if I should come to the school, I would be handed over to the police.

“I really miss my children and this time around, I am going to change. I want them to have a good educational background so that they can become important persons in the future. I don’t want them to suffer. I will never leave them again. But all these years, I have been battling with hard times. Things have been very tough for me.

His excuse, however, seemed to aggravate the issue, as more people chided him for his negligence. The Chairman, Parent-Teacher Association of the school, Mr Busari, urged Adepegba to seek the face of God in prayers.

He said, “I advise you to lock up yourself for three days in deep prayers. It is only then that God will open doors for you. You have committed a grievous offence. You have put the proprietor of the school and residents of the neighbourhood into trouble with your untoward behaviour. It is only after doing this that God would forgive you and open doors for you.”

A teacher, Mrs Grace Ajayi, described Adepegba as a bad example of a father. She urged him to look for his wife and reconcile with her. She said it was unfortunate that while many couples were praying to have children, Adepegba chose to abandon his.

Recounting his ordeal, the school proprietor, Mr Samuel Ayegbusi, said he suffered in the hands of the police when Titilola ran away from the school.

“When Titilola ran away from the school and I went to report the matter at the Sango Ota Police Division, the police arrested me, saying I was the first suspect . The matter caused trouble in this community and the issue dented my image. I was forced to cough out close to N50,000 to be bailed,” he said.

Adepegba, however, promised to visit the children regularly. He appreciated many PUNCH readers that indicated interest to pay his children’s debts.

Although Adepegba’s children were relieved that their father was back, they told PUNCH Metro that they were still longing to meet their mother. Seun, the eldest, expressed his joy on the fact that he would not have to spend the holidays in the school hostel while Seyi, the youngest, asked her father to buy her a gift.

Titilola said, “I am very excited that my father is back. All I can say is that I am happy. But I want to see my mother too.”

Adepegba told our correspondent that he would look for their mother. He said her name is Ruth Okochi from Ogwashi-Uku in the Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.

“I know a place she lives in Abuja but I am not sure if she still lives there. I owe it a responsibility to find her for the sake of my children,” he said

Read heartbreaking last letter Iranian woman wrote before she was hanged

 27 year old Reyhaney Jabbari was executed on Saturday October 25th by hanging in Iran seven years after she killed a man that she claimed had attempted to rape her. (read here). Before she was killed, Reyhaney wrote a very emotional letter to her mother, asking that her organs be donated to those who need them. See the full text of the letter after the cut...

The full text of the letter was translated by the National Council of Resistance of Iran:

    Dear Sholeh, today I learned that it is now my turn to face Qisas (the Iranian regime's law of retribution). I am hurt as to why you did not let me know yourself that I have reached the last page of the book of my life. Don’t you think that I should know? You know how ashamed I am that you are sad. Why did you not take the chance for me to kiss your hand and that of dad?

    The world allowed me to live for 19 years. That ominous night it was I that should have been killed. My body would have been thrown in some corner of the city, and after a few days, the police would have taken you to the coroner’s office to identify my body and there you would also learn that I had been raped as well. The murderer would have never been found since we don’t have their wealth and their power. Then you would have continued your life suffering and ashamed, and a few years later you would have died of this suffering and that would have been that.

    However, with that cursed blow the story changed. My body was not thrown aside, but into the grave of Evin Prison and its solitary wards, and now the grave-like prison of Shahr-e Ray. But give in to the fate and don’t complain. You know better that death is not the end of life.

    You taught me that one comes to this world to gain an experience and learn a lesson and with each birth a responsibility is put on one’s shoulder. I learned that sometimes one has to fight. I do remember when you told me that the carriage man protested the man who was flogging me, but the flogger hit the lash on his head and face that ultimately led to his death. You told me that for creating a value one should persevere even if one dies.

    You taught us that as we go to school one should be a lady in face of the quarrels and complaints. Do you remember how much you underlined the way we behave? Your experience was incorrect. When this incident happened, my teachings did not help me. Being presented in court made me appear as a cold-blooded murderer and a ruthless criminal. I shed no tears. I did not beg. I did not cry my head off since I trusted the law.

    But I was charged with being indifferent in face of a crime. You see, I didn’t even kill the mosquitoes and I threw away the cockroaches by taking them by their antennas. Now I have become a premeditated murderer. My treatment of the animals was interpreted as being inclined to be a boy and the judge didn’t even trouble himself to look at the fact that at the time of the incident I had long and polished nails.

    How optimistic was he who expected justice from the judges! He never questioned the fact that my hands are not coarse like those of a sportswoman, especially a boxer. And this country that you planted its love in me never wanted me and no one supported me when under the blows of the interrogator I was crying out and I was hearing the most vulgar terms. When I shed the last sign of beauty from myself by shaving my hair I was rewarded: 11 days in solitary.

    Dear Sholeh, don’t cry for what you are hearing. On the first day that in the police office an old unmarried agent hurt me for my nails I understood that beauty is not looked for in this era. The beauty of looks, beauty of thoughts and wishes, a beautiful handwriting, beauty of the eyes and vision, and even beauty of a nice voice.

    My dear mother, my ideology has changed and you are not responsible for it. My words are unending and I gave it all to someone so that when I am executed without your presence and knowledge, it would be given to you. I left you much handwritten material as my heritage.

    However, before my death I want something from you, that you have to provide for me with all your might and in any way that you can. In fact this is the only thing I want from this world, this country and you. I know you need time for this. Therefore, I am telling you part of my will sooner. Please don’t cry and listen. I want you to go to the court and tell them my request. I cannot write such a letter from inside the prison that would be approved by the head of prison; so once again you have to suffer because of me. It is the only thing that if even you beg for it I would not become upset although I have told you many times not to beg to save me from being executed.

    My kind mother, dear Sholeh, the one more dear to me than my life, I don’t want to rot under the soil. I don’t want my eye or my young heart to turn into dust. Beg so that it is arranged that as soon as I am hanged my heart, kidney, eye, bones and anything that can be transplanted be taken away from my body and given to someone who needs them as a gift. I don’t want the recipient know my name, buy me a bouquet, or even pray for me. I am telling you from the bottom of my heart that I don’t want to have a grave for you to come and mourn there and suffer. I don’t want you to wear black clothing for me. Do your best to forget my difficult days. Give me to the wind to take away.

    The world did not love us. It did not want my fate. And now I am giving in to it and embrace the death. Because in the court of God I will charge the inspectors, I will charge inspector Shamlou, I will charge judge, and the judges of country’s Supreme Court that beat me up when I was awake and did not refrain from harassing me. In the court of the creator I will charge Dr. Farvandi, I will charge Qassem Shabani and all those that out of ignorance or with their lies wronged me and trampled on my rights and didn’t pay heed to the fact that sometimes what appears as reality is different from it.

    Dear soft-hearted Sholeh, in the other world it is you and me who are the accusers and others who are the accused. Let’s see what God wants. I wanted to embrace you until I die. I love you

Gunmen kill 300-level UNIBEN student on campus

There was pandemonium at the Ugbowo Campus of the University of Benin on Friday when a 300-level student of the Department of Chemistry, Gbenedio Ejyroghene, was gruesomely murdered by unknown gunmen.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Ejyroghene, popularly called “Kazito,” was taking part in a jeans carnival organised for final-year students of the Faculty of Physical Sciences at the 1000-Lecture Theatre field of the faculty when he was shot in the head by the assailants around 7pm.

A source in the institution, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that the late chemistry student was on probation until his death and was often spotted in the final-year class of the department.

He said, “He was in 300 level and was on probation. But he was not always in his class.

“A final-year jeans carnival was being held on that day for the faculty and students were having fun. So, he joined them. Suddenly, we heard a gunshot.

“We didn’t even know that he was the one that was shot. It was later that we saw him on the ground.”

The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Harris Osarenren, who confirmed the incident, said that the remains of the deceased had been deposited at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.

He also disclosed that the case had been reported to the Ugbowo Police State while investigation had commenced.

He said,“The incident which took place at the Ugbowo Campus of the University has been reported at the Ugbowo Police Station, while the body has been deposited at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City.

“Investigation is on-going by the Nigeria Police Force to unravel the circumstances surrounding his death.”

Efforts to reach the Public Relations Unit of the Edo State Police Command, however, proved abortive at the time of filing the report.

Police parade dogs that attacked four-year-old boy

The Lagos State Police Command on Tuesday paraded the two dogs that attacked four-year-old Omonigho Abraham in the Igando area of the state.

The police, while parading the two German shepherd dogs at its headquarters in Ikeja, added that the dogs had been examined and had been found to be disease-free.

The Commissioner of Police, Cornelius Aderanti, said it was important to parade the dogs so that the public would be convinced that the dogs were still in police custody, and had not been released as was being rumoured.

He, however, said only a court of law could decide whether the two dogs-which devoured the scalp of the little boy-would be killed or not.

He said, “We have brought the dogs out so that the public would know that they are still in police custody. They have been examined and they show no negative trait. It is only the court that will decide what happens to them. The police cannot decide to kill the dogs.”

PUNCH Metro had reported on Tuesday, October 21, that the victim, Omonigho, had asked the police and the government to ensure that the dogs which almost took his life be killed.

It was reported that Omonigho, who was now in the Burns and Plastic Wards of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja still had a bandaged head and some scars on his face.

On Tuesday at the police command, a veterinary police officer, Yahaya Usman, also told journalists that the medical report showed the dogs had no infection.

He said, “Initially, we quarantined the dogs and wanted to find out whether the dogs had any disease or not. That was the first step taken by the police. The dogs were under our watch for weeks.

“So far, they have not shown any negative trait. The medical history shows that they don’t have rabies or the Ebola Virus Disease. The dogs are with us, and only the court will determine what happens to them.”

Meanwhile, the victim’s father, Mr. Odiah Abraham, said apart from the attack on his son, the dogs had also terrorised other residents.

He said three days prior to his son’s attack, the dogs had chased a neighbour and residents had thereafter warned the dog owner.

He said, “Three days to the incident, a woman who lives in the neighbourhood had gone downstairs to spread her clothes on the line. She had left and was approaching her room when the dogs broke out of their cage and pursued her. She was just lucky that she was close to her room, if not they would have bitten her.

“She ran in and shut the door against herself. The dogs stood at the gate for some time and when they saw she did not open, they ran back to their cage. My wife met the dog’s owner and told him to do something about the dogs, as there were little children within the neighbourhood, but he just ignored the warning.”

However, the owner of the dogs, Mr. Stanley Wesley, has been arraigned in court for negligence but has been granted bail.

Boko Haram breaks ceasefire agreement, attacks Borno villages

Less than 24 hours after the much-publicised ceasefire deal reached by the Federal Government and the Boko Haram sect, the terrorist group attacked two communities in Borno State, a security source told SUNDAY PUNCH.

The Nigerian government had announced on Friday that the Islamic sect and the military had agreed to a ceasefire.

According to the military source, about 20 Boko Haram fighters in two pick-up vans stormed Maikadiri in Abadam Local Government Area, northern part of Borno on Friday evening, shooting into homes.

A member of the local vigilance group, Adam Kolo, in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Maiduguri on Saturday, said the sect had shown that there was no ceasefire with the latest attack.

He stated that the insurgents killed the father of the former Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Goni Ali-Modu.

Another indigene of the attacked communities, Masta Ibrahim, said in Maiduguri that, “My parents are there and my brother called from Monguno to inform me early this morning but we couldn’t get across to our aged parents.”

Also in a renewed attack on Shaffa, Hawul Local Government Area, south of Borno on Saturday morning, scores of Boko Haram insurgents rode to a village near the town in the early hours of the day, shooting indiscriminately.

Eight people were killed, according to a resident, Elijah Msheliza.

He told our correspondents that many of the residents of the town had fled into the bush.

Msheliza said, “There was pandemonium in Shaffa as Boko Haram invaded the nearby village, shooting at everybody at sight. We had to flee into the bush and, as I am talking to you, many of us are taking refuge in the bush.”

Shaffa is about 230 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital, and had recently witnessed series of attacks by the insurgents.

Nigerian man jumps to his death trying to escape from police in Malaysia

The Nigerian man pictured above named Osazuwa allegedly jumped to his death from a 15-storey building on Monday October 13th as police stormed a place he was staying with friends in Malaysia. According to local media report, a Nigerian student had lodged a police report in Puchong on Sunday October 12th claiming his girlfriend had been kidnapped by Osazuwa and his gang.

"The boyfriend said he received a call from a suspect who demanded RM40,000 for the release of his girlfriend, also a Nigerian student here. We suspected the kidnappers were people that the victim must have known. Police immediately tracked the victim and her kidnappers’ whereabouts.” criminal investigator Datuk Mohd Adnan Abdullah said.

Malaysia police said the victim’s boyfriend cooperated with the police in their investigations and he managed to coax the suspects into giving him more time and told them he was gathering the funds.

The police managed to find the victim’s location on Monday. She was being held in a condominium unit in Taman Melati, Ampang.
“We formed a team to raid the condominium unit and moved in on the suspects at about 5pm.”

Mohd Adnan said when police ambushed the unit located at the condominium’s 13th floor, there were three Nigerian men and two local women.

The victim was being held in one of the rooms.
“Upon seeing the police, the suspects attempted to escape. The raiding team arrested two women and two men,” he said.
The other suspect tried to climb down from the balcony to a unit below.

However, he could not grab hold of anything and fell to his death.
“The suspect who died was in his 20s and we are still trying to establish his identity,” Mohd Adnan said.

The victim was unharmed while in the custody of the suspects. He said investigation are underway to determine how many other kidnapping cases they were involved in.

“The gang thought they could get money quickly by carrying out this crime, but look what had happened — it has just gone awfully wrong,” he said.

source - http://afikpochic.blogspot.com/2014/10/photo-nigerian-man-jumps-to-his-death.html

Man rapes, infects lover’s kids with HIV

A 32-year-old man, Mr. Terkura Iorpuu, was on Thursday arraigned before a chief magistrate’s court in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, for raping and infecting two young girls with HIV.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the two victims, aged eight and six, were the daughters of his lover, Mrs. Mson Tor.

PUNCH Metro learnt that both the rapist and the mother of the two minors had been HIV positive for over a year and had been using anti-retroviral drugs.

It was learnt that the bubble burst after the kids started walking in an unusual manner and were subsequently taken to Hemko Hospital, Makurdi for medical examination.

After the test, it was discovered that the girls had been defiled through “forceful penetration”.

Medical examination also showed that the two sisters were HIV positive.

The victims, when interviewed, revealed that it was their mother’s boyfriend that raped them.

The magistrate, Lilian Tsumba, adjourned till December 4 for further mentioning and ordered that the accused be remanded in prison.

UPDATE: FG, Boko Haram agree ceasefire -CDS

Reuters: Punch

Islamist militant group Boko Haram and the Federal Government have agreed to a ceasefire.

Chief of Defense Staff Alex Badeh issued an order Friday, telling all service chiefs “to comply with the ceasefire agreement between Nigeria and Boko Haram in all theaters of operations.”

The text went out after Danladi Ahmadu, who calls himself the secretary-general of Boko Haram, told VOA that a cease-fire agreement had been reached.

Earlier, Ahmadu and a close advisor to President Goodluck Jonathan, Ambassador Hassan Tukur, told VOA that the sides were holding talks in Saudi Arabia, aided Chadian President Idriss Deby and high-level officials from Cameroon.

Those talks also focused on the release more than 200 girls abducted by Boko Haram six months ago. There was no immediate word on the fate of the girls.

Ahmadu, who said he is at a location on the Nigerian-Chadian border, said the girls are “in good condition and unharmed.”

On April 14, dozens of Boko Haram fighters stormed a secondary school in the remote northeastern village of Chibok, kidnapping around 270 girls. Fifty-seven managed to escape.

Boko Haram leader “Abubakar Shekau” later threatened to sell the remainder as slave brides, vowing they would not be released until militant prisoners were freed from jail.

Ahmadu would not elaborate on the conditions under which the girls would be freed. The Saudi government is not involved in the negotiations.

Nigerian President Jonathan has been criticized at home and abroad for his slow response to the kidnapping and for the inability of Nigerian troops to quell the violence by the militants, seen as the biggest security threat to Africa’s top economy and leading energy producer.

Boko Haram has said it is fighting to establish an Islamic state in Muslim-majority northern Nigeria.

The group has launched scores of attacks in the past five years, targeting markets, bus stations, government facilities, churches and even mosques. Militants recently took over some towns in the northeast for what the group’s leader said would be an Islamic caliphate.

The Nigerian military says the man who appeared in Boko Haram videos as Abubakar Shekau was actually an impostor, and that the real Shekau was killed several years ago.

It says the impostor was killed last month during a battle in the town of Konduga. A new video of the man appeared a few days later but the military has stood by its assertion that the Boko Haram leader is dead.

Caribbean countries announce Ebola travel bans

A group of Caribbean countries have announced bans on entry to foreigners who have travelled through the three West African countries most affected by Ebola.

Jamaica said it would not accept travellers from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone for the time being.
Guyana, the island of St Lucia, Haiti and Colombia also introduced a ban.
In the United States, President Barack Obama has resisted pressure to put similar bans in place.
Jamaica’s travel ban extends to “persons ordinarily resident in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone as well as persons who have travelled to or transited through Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, within 28 days of having departed from these countries”.

The government said Jamaican citizens and residents would be quarantined for 28 days and that it was a temporary measure.
St Lucia’s Prime Minister Kenny Anthony said his country was a poor small national that did not have the capacity “to manage any crisis that lands on our doorstep, any crisis of that kind”.
He said an outbreak of the virus would be devastating for a country of only 200,000 people, where tourism is more than 60 per cent of GDP.

Passengers from Nigeria would also be required to present a “recent medical certificate” clearing them of the virus he said.
Colombia included Senegal as well as Nigeria in their ban.

In Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett said Guyanese diplomatic missions had been directed not to issue visas to people form West African nations until further notice.

Haiti’s Prime Minister tweeted that the UN peacekeeping force in Haiti was suspending the rotation of troops from African countries as a preventive measure.

Vomiting man dies on flight from Nigeria to NYC

(NEW YORK POST) A passenger died on a Nigeria-to-JFK flight after a vomiting fit Thursday — and a top lawmaker said officials gave the corpse only a “cursory” exam before declaring that the victim did not have Ebola.

Rep. Peter King said in a letter to Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection that the handling of the remains exposed serious flaws in airport preparedness for an Ebola outbreak.
Between 70 and 100 passengers a day arrive at JFK from the Ebola epicenter countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, King noted, and they have access to public restrooms and mingle with other travelers before their first screening.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2014/10/vomiting-man-dies-on-flight-from-nigeria-to-nyc/#eLRWpRISrFaGjvRw.99

US Lawmakers Call for Travel Ban on Ebola-Stricken Countries

With Americans worried about Ebola, a number of U.S. lawmakers Thursday interrupted their election campaigns to return to Washington, and President Barack Obama met with his top advisers acknowleding people are afraid.

Some members of a congressional panel called for a travel ban on the three West African countries ravaged by Ebola, until the deadly outbreak can be brought under control. VOA’s Cindy Saine reports from Capitol Hill.

More to follow.............

1000 B-Haram members nabbed in S-West – Serki Hausawa

SARKIN Hausawa of Lagos, Alhaji Sani Kabir, yesterday, told the Federal Government that northerners in the South West have arrested more than 1,000 members of the Boko Haram insurgents in parts of the South West.

Speaking when the Arewa Council of Chiefs in the South West paid a visit to the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, in Abuja, Alhaji Kabir said the arrests were made at different times.
Suspected terrorists arrested while attempting to escape into Cameroon through Taraba and Gumti, Adamawa State.

Suspected terrorists arrested while attempting to escape into Cameroon through Taraba and Gumti, Adamawa State. He said that those arrested were Boko Haram members who fled from the Civilian JTF/military onslaught on the insurgents in the North East and those who came to the South West to further the insurgency.

Kabir said the Council has taken it upon itself to ensure that Boko Haram did not take root in the South West because according to him, such a development would complicate the security challenges facing Nigeria.

He said, So far in the South west, we have peace and this is achieved through the collaboration of Arewa people and Arewa chiefs. If you can confirm with the security agencies, we have arrested more tham 1,000 Boko Haram members throughout the south west states. We promptly report any suspicious movement to the security agents because we believe that the problem is actually the Nigerian problem but if there is any breakdown of law and order in the south west, we are the prime targets irrespective of whether one is a member of Boko Haram or not.

“All the Arewa sarkis (kings) in the south west are up and doing to make sure that we do not allow any breakdown of law and order in our communities.”

On how they effected the the arrest, Kabir said, “we inform our leaders that when new people come into their midst, they should observe their behaviour. Some of the leaders in the south west are northerners, some of them are from Borno State, they can know. There were even instances where JTF came from Borno State to identify some of them.”

On their support for the re-election President Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Kabir said, “I will like to start by going back to 2011 electioneering campaign. There was a team that was led by the president and the vice president and they met with the Council members and we pledged to give our assistance and support during the election period and beyond. Since that time, there has been no communication between us and the president or the federal government.

Responding, the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Alhaji Kabir Tanimu Turaki, who received the group on behalf of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan thanked the Arewa leaders for their efforts to ensure that insurgency did not extend to the south west.