Two pupils were yesterday killed at Ogbia town, headquarters of Ogbia council area when a sand truck crashed into a nursery school wall.

The tipper, it was gathered, was trying to offload sand when the tragic incident occurred at about 11am at the Enidav Group of Schools in Ogbia.

The deceased girls, according to eyewitness were aged 3 and 4.

Leadership Weekend learnt that driver of the tipper was trying to tip sand from the truck when it touched the roof of the school, causing its wall to collapse on the pupils.

Sympathisers were said to have rushed the injured pupils to the School of Health Technology clinic at Otuogidi, where they were confirmed dead.

The divisional police officer in charge of Ogbia council, it was learnt, visited the scene of the tragic accident while the driver of the ill-fated tipper has been arrested.

The remains of the deceased pupils were deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa morgue.

When contacted, the state police public relations of officer, Alex Akhigbe, confirmed the incident, adding that the police had commenced investigations into the tragic incident.



SOURCE :     >>>  SOURCE  <<<

■ Deserter reveals how leadership vacuum, internal squabble, hunger, desertion by members made Adamawa military exploit possible

Indications abound that the Nigerian troops are getting upper hand against the Boko Haram sect, following the continued noticeable frictions existing among members of the gang and lack of clear, respectable chain of command hitherto existing before the killing of its leader, Abubakar Shekau, a source told Saturday Sun.

Saturday Sun authoritatively gathered that recent breakthroughs by the Nigerian troops is also informed by the demise of a prominent leader of the insurgents, after the death of Abubakar Shekau at Konduga in Borno State. It is suggested that the weakening of the sect also results from power tussle amongst those who are jostling to lead the gang. The development, which our sources said, has led to internecine squabble even among the rank and file in the Boko Haram camp.

It will be recalled that, as a result of the friction, which culminated in the fierce battle within their ranks and the death of over 30 insurgents in the process, succession palaver, is also said to have informed the new development. In the circumstances, it would seem that things have begun to fall apart with the terror group.

Coupled with all that is the apparent disenchantment by those that were forcefully recruited. For example, there were hundreds that were recruited in Michika and Madagali localities of Adamawa State. According to one of them who deserted the group recently, they were mostly natives who were used by the insurgents to identify houses of prominent figures in government in the two localities and their environs.

Some of the indigenes, who were rescued from captivity during an interaction with Saturday Sun, maintained that the recent military breakthroughs were made possible because the cohesion that once existed within the group has begun to weaken and, therefore, the centre is beginning to bottom out.

The recruited natives, who claimed that they were hypnotized by the insurgents toward assisting in dishing out vital information, took the advantage of these recent breakthroughs of the troops to escape to Mubi and Yola, the state capital.

Aliu Dauda, one of those that escaped, relayed his experience in the camp to Saturday Sun. He said that many of them that were recruited were did not join on their volition. According to him, they hypnotized, using certain liquid substances.

“Most youths in Michika were forcefully recruited to join the gang, first as subsidiary staff. Failure to do their bidding attracted lashes or being shot in the leg or confined in an underground detention camp.

“We served as informants and any attempt to give out false information will be punished severely. The fact remains that we were placed under a spell, which made it possible for us to obey them. We discovered that we were doing everything they told us without complaints.

“I thank God that I survived and now in the midst of our kinsmen who have helped us to recover from the after effect of our abduction,” Dauda enthused.

Adding, he said: “Those that forcefully recruited us do not have human feelings. While we were in their midst, we could not resist whatever they told us because a liquid substance was given to us.”

When asked how he was able to escape, he said that, “first and foremost, there were disagreement and disenchantment between the rank and file of the gang and our supposed leaders. Those of us that were newly recruited five months ago, had to escape when it was apparent that Nigerian troops were having an edge over the Boko Haram sect.

“At the stage we were, we weren’t given arms and ammunitions but rather our assignments were to give out information and identify locations and targets for destruction. We had not graduated to that stage; those recruited in Konduga and Gwoza were our seniors in the business of killing. We that were forcefully recruited in Gulak, Madagali and Michika, were considered not mature or trained to handle weapons or take charge of ammunition.”

Dauda disclosed to Saturday Sun that hunger and starvation in the camp of the gang immensely contributed to the breakthroughs recorded by the Nigerian side. “As a result of hunger and starvation, the gang allowed the newly recruited to search everywhere for food. We were given this assignment because we are familiar with the localities. We had no choice but to break into people’s houses who are our kinsmen to get raw food. Besides, houses of prominent persons in Michika were taken over by the sect.”

Army recovers more towns, arms and ammunition</b

In recent times, Nigerian troops’ successes over the insurgents have reverberated, especially with the capture of two armoured tanks belonging to the sect. Apart from serious casualty figures recorded by the group, the Nigerian military has also captured a massive armoury with arms and ammunitions belonging to the fleeing terrorists.

“The large quantities of weapons recovered in the raid are still being evacuated from the scene of the night raid where several terrorists died,” Major General Chris Olukolade, the defence spokesman said recently. He added: “Similar operations took place in coordination with the troops of Multinational Joint Task Force in the raids in other camps located on the outskirts of Duguri, Polkime, Malafatori and other locations around the fringes of Lake Chad.”

He also revealed that substantial amounts of “money in different currencies and denominations were recovered from the camps, while a total of seven terrorists were captured in the operation.”

The statement also gave an update on the foiled attack on Giwa Barrack in Maiduguri, Olukolade had said: “Troops conducting cordon and search for remnants of the daring terrorists who attacked Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri, had an encounter with some of the surviving terrorists in the general area of Kayamla and Alu Dam on the outskirts of Maiduguri this morning. More of the terrorists have been killed and arrested in the ongoing encounters.

He added that more bodies of fleeing terrorists had been discovered along the routes of their escape. Troops’ morale and fighting spirit have been further boosted by the outcome of the operations so far, he said, adding that cordon-and-search as well as patrols and pursuit by air and land were continuing in the entire mission area of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

Meanwhile, West African leaders have planned to establish a multi-national force to counter the Boko Haram Takfiri militants operating in the region. The decision was taken on Tuesday during a summit attended by the presidents of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Benin and the foreign minister of Cameroon in Niger’s capital, Niamey. Nigerien president, Mahamadou Issoufou, reportedly said after the meeting, that the establishment of headquarters for the multi-national force will be “accelerated to make it operational before the end of November.” Battalions will be deployed to “our respective borders” in the same time frame, Issoufou had added.



SOURCE :     >>>  SOURCE  <<<

The marriage of sexy songstress, Tiwatope Savage, seems to have entered troubled waters, according to rumours making the rounds.

Reports have it that the singer and her hubby, Tee Blizz are having it rough in their 10-month old union, as Tiwa is said to have sacked her husband cum manager, effectively barring him from handling her tours, bookings and other corporate responsibilities, aside her record label.

Fans of the artiste have grown increasingly worried as Tiwa Savage has kept mum on her purported marriage crisis. Could it be true or is it a publicity stunt? Some have asked.

Previously, the Eminado and Kelekele Love crooner had been receiving protracted criticism from fans and others over her recent raunchy video, which many say was unbecoming for a married woman. Even veteran musician, Onyeka Onwenu went on Twitter to caution Tiwa Savage, telling her she is not Beyonce and thus shouldn’t act like her.

Limpopo and Ogaranya crooner, Kcee was on radio last Friday and added his voice to Tiwa’s marriage crisis, calling on her to clear the air now on the issue and halt the speculations, in the interest of her career and family.


SOURCE :          >>  SOURCE  <<   

This is, indeed, not the best of times for Nigeria and South Africa, two African countries that have maintained bilateral and brotherly relations for decades. Apart from being in the forefront of the anti-apartheid struggle, Nigeria was among those African countries that helped immensely in bringing down racist and white minority rule in South Africa. The late South African President, Nelson Madiba Mandela, publicly acknowledged it before his death. Upon their independence, Nigeria has had cordial relationship with South Africa with some occasional squabbles like xenophobia and the like. Despite such xenophobic hiccups, there is no love lost between the two friendly African countries that enjoy diplomatic, business and educational relationships. The two countries hold the economic hub in the continent.

But the two recent botched arms deal between the Nigerian government and some firms in South Africa and the furore they generated have shown that there are strains in the relationship between the otherwise two friendly African countries. Apart from the fact that most of the victims that died in the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) building collapse incident at Ikotu, Lagos, were nationals of South Africa, there is nothing to suggest that the two African countries have unsettled issues at diplomatic level before the arms deal. Besides the South African angle to the arms importation saga, the attempt by the Nigerian government to procure arms from South Africa in its ongoing war against insurgency in the North-East region has also been unduly politicized locally by two leading political parties in the country, the ruling PDP and the opposition APC. Their differing positions on the arms deal can understandably be seen as politics, especially with the 2015 general polls fast approaching.

But such unnecessary politicization of the arms deal, if not well handled, may constitute a clog in the prosecution of the ongoing war against terrorism in the country. It is important at this juncture to let Nigerian politicians understand that they can only ply their trade in a peaceful atmosphere. They should respond to urgent national issues, such as the arms deal, from the angle of patriotism and not bi-partisanship. The issue of the arms deal gone awry following the seizure of the money involved by South African authorities should be seen as a serious national embarrassment that should be thoroughly investigated. It is a serious security issue that should not be politicized. Why Nigerians are free to raise issues over the arms deal, they should also be willing to hear the other side of the story.

Although the South African government is reportedly acting on the fact that carrying undeclared $9.3 million in a jet to their country contravenes their financial law, how does the second $5.7 million arms money that reportedly passed through the banks constitute a problem again? This is the issue that should worry our compatriots and not who owns a chartered plane that was on lease in the case of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), whose jet was unfortunately used by those that went for the first arms deal. The way and manner some Nigerians derided Oritsejafor without listening to his side of the story is condemnable. Somebody of his standing should not be treated like that.

Even when he explained that the plane which was his was leased, some people still expect him to know what those that hire the plane use it for, the occupants and their wares. But those conversant with aviation business should understand that the owner of a plane does not know who travels with his plane or what he has in his luggage. But in Nigeria, they want to hold Oritsejafor responsible for what he did not reportedly know. By the way, why is it that of all the private jets available for hire, it is that of Oritsejafor that those going for arms deal should hire? Is this a mere coincidence or an attempt to smear the character of the owner of the hired jet? These are questions that beg for answers.

Even when the federal government has said that the $9.3 million arms money belongs to her, some people are still raising dust. Similarly, the CAN has in a statement signed by its Vice president, Rev. Supo Ayokunle and General Secretary, Rev. (Dr) Musa Asake, affirmed, among others, that the said $9.3 million found on the said aircraft does not belong to the President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and neither CAN President nor CAN as a body is involved in any legal or illegal form of arms procurement for any person or institution and for any reason whatsoever. CAN also averred that the National Security Adviser, the Minister of Defence and all those who ought to know about the transaction should tell the world all they know about the circumstances surrounding the embarrassing incident. CAN notes that this war against Christians in Nigeria is being fought on many fronts and this unfortunate incident is another dimension in the assault against the body of Christ.

Assuming that Nigeria contravenes South African financial laws while trying to procure arms to fight terrorism, are there no other diplomatic ways of handling such matters than this global embarrassment? This kind of embarrassment is the least expected from the rainbow country in view of Nigeria’s commitment in their struggle for freedom. I think that Nigeria deserves a better treatment than this from South Africa. Is this the way South Africa wants to pay Nigeria for her frontline role in her independence struggle? This type of embarrassment is not good for both countries and robust African brotherhood and cooperation.

While the Nigerian government should put its arms procurement machinery in order to avoid this type of embarrassment again, I urge President Jacob Zuma and President Goodluck Jonathan to find amicable means of settling the rift between Johannesburg and Abuja forthwith over the arms deal. I tend to believe that what is happening between both countries is surely beyond the propriety or otherwise of the arms deal. There is a lot of politics in it. The matter may further degenerate if Nigeria retaliates by invoking the principles of reciprocity. Both leaders should spare the continent of such rambunctious relationship and handle this matter diplomatically.


SOURCE :     >>>  SOURCE  <<<

The American Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle disclosed on Thursday in Yola that the Boko Haram insurgency in the north eastern part of Nigeria is more political than religious

The American ambassador, who made the disclosure during a press conference at the American University of Nigerian (AUN), said the fact that the two major religions had suffered massive casualties from the activities of Boko Haram should be a pointer to the fact that the insurgency was not religious.

He said the growth of Boko Haram from just a small group with arms to a full blown organisation that had full military training and military equipment raised more questions than answers.

Entwisle explained that up till now nobody could really fathom what the
Boko Haram insurgents wanted,or what their demands were, adding that the way out was to sensitise the youth through the media on danger of such crime.

The ambassador said that the American government was working closely with its Nigerian counterpart to combat the activities of the Boko Haram, adding that
his country had been assisting Nigeria in the area of military training and intelligence.

The Ambassador denied the allegation that his country refused
selling war equipment to Nigeria, adding that the latest war equipment
procured by Nigerian Navy was from the America government.

He, however, noted that the American government would only sell or give out arms when it was sure of the purpose it was meant for, saying Nigeria was
America’s biggest interest in Africa.

Entwistle expressed confidence that Nigeria would overcome the current
security challenges when genuine democratic process was entrenched.

SOURCE :     >>>  SOURCE  <<<

No fewer than 12 persons died in a fatal road accident involving four vehicles on Tuesday night in the outskirts of Katsina, Katsina State.The State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Umar Ibrahim, who confirmed the report attributed the accident to over speeding of the driver of the vehicles.

Daily Sun learnt that about a dozen passengers, who sustained various degrees of injuries however, cheated death in the tragedy that occurred near Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina-Dutsinma Road.

An eyewitness confirmed that the remains of the victims and the injured passengers were taken to Katsina General Hospital and Federal Medical Centre, Katsina by FRSC officials and some good samaritans.

It was learnt that the accident occurred when one of the ill-fated vehicles, a J-5 Peugeot bus,  Katsina-bound  rammed into a Toyota Starlet car coming from opposite  direction.

“Immediately after the collision, another Golf car driving towards the state capital from Dutsinma collided with the two vehicles. While rescue efforts were in progress, a second Golf car crashed into the badly-damaged vehicles at the scene,” an eyewitness told Daily Sun.

Contrary to the rumour that the bus was running away from men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NSC), the Chief Public Relations Officer of Katsina-Kaduna states Command of the NCS, Mohammed Giade, dismissed the allegation as baseless and malicious.

While commiserating with the families of the deceased, Giade, in a statement said the command had no hand in the accident.

Some of the victims have since been buried in accordance with Islamic rites while some of the injured, who were mainly women and children, have been treated and discharged from the hospitals as at the time of filing this report on Thursday.


SOURCE :     >>>  SOURCE  <<<

The Nigerian Army has revealed that about 1332 of its peace keeping troops in Liberia have been placed under surveillance following their contact with a Sudanese who later died of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

The director of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Major-General Obashina Ogunbiyi stated this in Abuja yesterday.

According to the Army medical officer, the incident followed the death of a Sudanese Muslim man who had come to the camp of the soldiers to lead them in prayer during the Eid-el Fitri celebration, but developed Ebola symptoms the following day and later died.

Ogunbuyi noted that the country remained at risk as any of the soldiers could choose to travel home anytime, saying “that is why the military had to be totally involved in the fight against the Ebola virus.”

Nigeria To Produce Vaccines Within 1 Year

…Experts Brainstorm On Treatment, Receive 32 Treatment Claims

Health minister Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu has given the assurance that the country will start producing vaccines for Ebola within the next one year, adding that any disease that has a vaccine is as good as eradicated.

“Vaccine is very important, it is better than any drug but it takes time in terms of research to produce. Right now, we have a number of candidate vaccines and we are also going to be part of the clinical testing of Ebola vaccines,” he said.

The minister made these revelations yesterday at the opening of a high level expert meeting on treatment and research for Ebola and other emerging infections in Abuja.

Chukwu added that there is a current need to also focus on diagnosis and the development of affordable and reliable rapid diagnostic test kits to facilitate early diagnosis of EVD and other infectious diseases

Meanwhile, the Ebola Treatment and Research Group (TRG) set up by the federal government said it had received 32 treatment claims for Ebola.

The group stated that all of them are being evaluated as the country remains determined to find a possible drug or vaccine for the virus.

The TRG, which was inaugurated on August 4, has the mandate to collate and analyse related research findings on Ebola, verify claims relating to the treatment of the virus and carry out research into its treatment.

The minister charged the research group to fashion out ways of protecting health workers beyond the current state of the art in cases of outbreaks like Ebola as they are the most vulnerable.

Chukwu said the stakeholders’ meeting was one in a series of efforts to ensure that suitable medicines for the treatment of EVD are evaluated and roadmap for achieving success adopted.

Earlier, the chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, had said that the Senate had instituted a public health legislation which had taken control of borders in the country, even as the international health regulations have been incorporated into the Public Health Act.

According to him, “This motion has passed through the first and second readings in the Senate and is currently at the House of Representatives, after which it will become law and repel the Quarantine Act of 1926 which is already obsolete.”

In his contribution, one of the resource persons and associate professor at Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, where the US Ebola patients were treated, Dr Igho Ofotokun, asserted that there are no proven therapeutics for the virus in humans as only fluids, electrolytes and the experimental drugs were what the hospitals used in treating patients.

He said only approved personnel were allowed in the isolation wards. Narrating how the hospital was able to manage the patients, he encouraged all hospitals in the country to create and maintain a special isolation unit and to invest heavily in infectious diseases training.

“We had problem with waste management, too. The central waste management authority did not allow us to dispose waste at the central area, so we had to decontaminate our own waste,” he explained.

Ebola: FAO Launches Initiative To Fight Food Insecurity In West Africa

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation yesterday launched a programme that will assist 90,000 Ebola-vulnerable households in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The UN secretary-general, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, also announced the appointment of the respective UN crisis managers in the three countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, as part of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response.

In their respective roles, the crisis managers will work with their host governments along with other partners to ensure a rapid international response to the Ebola crisis.

Speaking during the launch, head of FAO’s Dakar-based Subregional Resilience Hub, the office coordinating the response for the countries whose food supply and livelihoods are threatened by the disruptive effect of the Ebola epidemic on rural economies, agricultural activities and markets, Mr Vincent Martin, said that the comprehensive response of the agency was part of overall United Nations’ efforts to save lives and protect livelihoods.

On his part, Bukar Tijani, assistant director-general at the Regional Office for Africa, noted that these actions could not wait, as the outbreak was already reducing purchasing power of vulnerable households, which means less food on their plates and increased nutritional risks for families already on subsistence diets.

He added that fear and stigmatisation also threatened to reduce agricultural activities, thereby placing food security at risk.

The FAO, in a statement after the launching, said: “Early results from rapid assessments point to a worrisome situation. In Sierra Leone, for example, 47 per cent of the respondents said Ebola was considerably disrupting their farming activities. In Lofa County, rural Liberia’s most affected area, the process of commodities, including food, increased from 30 to 75 per cent in August 2014.

“If not addressed now, the current impact of the outbreak on the livelihoods could lead to long-lasting impacts on farmers’ livelihoods and rural economies.”

US Deploys Troops To Fight Ebola Outbreak In Africa

The United States government will be deploying 100 troops from a special Marine response force to West Africa to help fight the Ebola outbreak, and these personnel will arrive in Senegal and Liberia within the next 24 hours, Pentagon press secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said yesterday.

According to him, the 100 troops, mostly Marines, along with some Navy corpsmen, are part of a force of up to 3,600 U.S. troops that could deploy to West Africa to help efforts to stem the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.

So far, about 350 troops are on the ground now, running laboratories, setting up treatment facilities, training healthcare workers and assisting with logistics.

He also said that the Marine unit would provide supply and transportation assistance for the anti-Ebola effort until Army units will arrive later this month to take over the possibly year-long mission.

Kirby further said that the troops, who come from a special Marine air-ground task force responding to crises in Africa, would deploy with four MV-22 Osprey and two KC-130 Hercules tanker aircraft.

Obama Calls For Urgent Actions To Curb Outbreak

After U.S. recorded its first Ebola death on Wednesday, President Barack Obama yesterday urged 1,500 state health leaders to do their best to prevent the spread of the virus.

Obama, who was reacting to the death of the country’s first Ebola patient, called on all of America’s health leaders to partner his administration in the fight against the deadly disease.

Speaking further, the president instructed local authorities to follow federal guidelines precisely to prepare for a potential rise in the cases of the deadly disease, stressing that it was crucial to respond with an appropriate sense of urgency.

Niger approves N173m, trains 1,400 in Ebola control, prevention

Niger State government said it has trained 1,400 health workers on the prevention of Ebola virus disease in the state, just as the state government has approved the sum of N173 million for the prevention of the disease in the state.

The state Commissioner of Education, Abdulhammeed Danladi Umar, and a director in the State Ministry of Health, Dr James Kolo, both disclosed this in a separate speech yesterday in Minna at a workshop organized by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) on Ebola.

Abdulhammeed told the teachers that the state governor, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu, did not hesitate to approve N173 million for use to ensure that all precautionary measures are taken to prevent the spread of the disease to the state and raise awareness among the populace.

He said it was in that direction that some teachers, drawn from all the schools in the state, were trained on the Ebola virus disease to ensure preventive measures were put in place before the schools reopen next week.

“When we met with the minister of education, we thought the money for the control of the Ebola virus disease in schools will be extended to us, but I am surprised that we were not given any support; but it is our responsibility to protect life, that is why the governor approved N173 million.”

The commissioner noted that it was because of the absence of such support that delayed the resumption of schools.

Chairman of the state chapter of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Ibrahim Umar, said that in line with the directive of the national headquarters of the union, the members would not resume work until government provides safety gadgets against the spread of Ebola virus in the schools.


SOURCE :        >>  SOURCE  <<   

An Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court on Thursday remanded a teenager, Hassan Muize, 19, in prison custody for allegedly stabbing a man to death, and injuring another.

The accused, whose plea was not taken, is facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, murder, attempted murder and belonging to secret cult.

The magistrate, Mr Martins Akinyemi, ordered the remand of the accused in Oba Prison, pending the advice of Director of Public Prosecution.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Moshood Hammed, said that the accused committed the offences on Sept. 23 at about 10.00 a.m. at Igbore in Abeokuta.

Hammed said that the accused, with others at large, unlawfully killed one Sunday Ifetayo, 23, by stabbing him to death.

He further told the court that the accused attempted to kill one Yeniz Ayeni, 24, by also stabbing him at the back with a broken bottle.

“The accused, who belonged to a secret cult (Eiye confraternity), was engaged in a fight with five others.

“The deceased and Ayeni were trying to intervene when the accused stabbed them with a broken bottle,” he said.

The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 324, 316, 319 (a) 320 (1) of the Criminal Laws and Sections 3 and 5 of (Prohibition and Special Provision) Laws of Ogun, 2006.

The magistrate adjourned the case to Jan. 14, 2015 for further hearing on the matter.


SOURCE :          >>>  SOURCE  <<<     

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to explain to Nigerians, what Mujaheed Asari Dokubo, was doing on the plane that ferried US$9.3 million to South Africa, where the for­mer militant leader, another Nigerian and an Israeli were arrested, according to a pub­lished report.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its Nation­al Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said since the Federal Government had taken ownership of the funds by saying that the Na­tional Security Adviser (NSA) issued the end-user certificate for the arms purchase, “it stands to reason that the same government would know the involvement of all those aboard the plane.”

It stated, therefore, that the Federal Government had a lot of questions to answer on the whole deal, including whether Asari Dokubo is the contrac­tor or the end user, who he was procuring arms for and for what purpose.

The APC said the questions became pertinent because even the NSA, who issued the end-user agreement for the purchase, “does not and can­not” purchase arms for any of the Armed Services, point­ing out that the Service Chiefs have separate budgets from the NSA, for arms purchase.

“Under our Constitution, the NSA is an adviser and has no executive powers to deploy troops from any of the servic­es or purchase arms for them.

That the arms purported to be purchased from South Africa were ordered from the office of the NSA is nothing but a mere fabrication, and raises serious questions about the motive for the purchase.

“Nigerians will therefore, like to know on whose behalf Asari Dokubo was purchasing arms. This is very crucial be­cause Asari Dokubo has been threatening that Nigeria will not know peace if his benefac­tor, President Jonathan, is not re-elected. Therefore, Nigeri­ans will like to know whether he has started stockpiling arms to make his threat a reality, since elections are due in a few months’ time.

“If these arms are meant to fight insurgency, as the gov­ernment has claimed, what is Asari Dokubo’s business pur­chasing arms for the Nigerian military, if indeed they were for the military? Does it not occur to the Nigerian govern­ment that this man, who once took arms against the state, may not have jettisoned his sinister plan against the same state? Which country will ever allow a man who once car­ried arms against the state to now be purchasing arms for the same state? “Even if it is true that he is purchasing the arms for the state, what pre­vents him from also using the opportunity to purchase arms for his own sinister motive? Could this be why Asari Do­kubo has been talking publicly and confidently, without of­ficial censure, that President Jonathan must be re-elected or Nigeria will not know peace again?’’ the party queried.


SOURCE :      >>>  SOURCE  <<< 

A major clash was averted in Enugu yes­terday, when a team of policemen drove away pastors and deacons of the Assem­blies of God and sealed the Ishiagu Street branch of the church at Uwani area of the state capital where they had gathered to hold a fo­rum.

But for the interven­tion of the District Su­perintendent of Enugu South District of the church, Revd David Agu, the pastors num­bering over 200, were set to engage the armed policemen whom they alleged did not give any reason for their action.

Speaking to Daily Sun outside the church prem­ises, Agu stated that they had scheduled a forum for pastors and deacons of the various churches in the district before the incident.

“We have over 200 churches with the same number of pastors in the district and we are here to hold our usual forum.

“So, it all means that people came in from all these churches for this meeting. But while I was driving in, I saw some policemen locking the gate. I asked what the matter was, but they re­fused talking to me.

“I told them if they have any reason to stop our meeting or any paper authorising them to lock the church, we also have the right to know.

“I further queried why they had to lock some people inside the prem­ises but they never talk­ed to me. So, since then, we have been standing outside. I have called the acting General Super­intendent, Revd Chidi Okorafor, to ask him, but he said he had no knowledge of that. He tried reaching the com­missioner of police, but he was not picking his phone,” he said

Agu stated that no major decision was to be taken at the meet­ing, adding: “It was not a policy-making fo­rum, it is just a fellow­ship. Normally, when we have such meeting, I will preach, we will sing and pray for the district and then, if there are announcements, I will make the announce­ments. We have been having such a forum for deacons and pastors fo­rum.

He condemned the ac­tion of the police, insist­ing that what they did was violently done.

His words: “No expla­nation, no reason, even when he was told I was the district superinten­dent, courtesy demands that he should have told me that this person sent us or that there is going to be a breakdown of law and order.

“He did not even tell me why he was lock­ing the gate, he did not tell me we should not have meeting; he did not tell me there was go­ing to be any problem. I even wanted to provoke him by saying that no­body has monopoly of violence that by using violence there could be counter violence.”

When contacted, the Enugu State Police Pub­lic Relations Officer, Eb­ere Amaraizu, attributed the action of the police to the ongoing leader­ship crisis in the church.

He told Daily Sun that there was a petition that the meeting would lead to a breakdown of law and order and the police team was told to stop the meeting.


SOURCE :     >>>  SOURCE  <<<

For alleged unlawful entry and stealing, a teenager, Adewale Oluwatobi, was yesterday arraigned before an Osogbo Magistrate court.

The accused person was alleged to have broken into the house of one Awofisayo Arike at Baruwa Area, Osogbo around 2 a.m, and stole property worth N75,000.

He was said to have stolen one Bold five Blackberry valued at N45,000 and one Nokia phone valued at N15,000 with a cash sum of N15,000.

The police prosecutor, Mr. Fagboyinbo Abiodun, informed the court that the accused person allegedly damaged the window of his victim adding that the purported window costs N15,000.

Meanwhile, the accused person pleaded not guilty to the three- count charges of house breaking, stealing and unlawful damage, leveled against him by the police.

Counsel to the accused person, Mrs. Nnena Ngwu, prayed the court to

grant her client bail in a liberal term promising that he would provide reliable sureties, if granted bail.

However, Magistrate Olusola Aluko, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties as he adjourned the case to November 7, 2014 for mention.

SOURCE :     >>>>>> SOURCE  <<<<<<

An international medical official with the U.N. Mission in Liberia has tested positive for the Ebola virus and is receiving treatment, the U.N. said on Wednesday.

The official, who was not identified, is the second member of the mission, known as UNMIL, to contract Ebola. The first died on Sept. 25.

The world’s worst outbreak of Ebola has killed more than 3,400 people, predominantly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

The staff member reported having symptoms to UNMIL medics on Sunday, a statement said.

“The UNMIL Medical team has conducted immediate and robust contact tracing to ensure all people that came into contact with both staff members while they were symptomatic are assessed and quarantined,” it said.

All staff members considered at-risk have been isolated and ambulances and other locations have been decontaminated.

Liberia has suffered 2,210 deaths from Ebola as of Oct 4, the government said, adding 212 to the death toll since a previous update published by the World Health Organization, which gave figures as of Sept 28.


SOURCE :     >>>>>> SOURCE  <<<<<<

The Katsina State Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday said 200 people had been affected by flood in the state this year.

The Executive Secretary of the Agency, Alhaji Hassan Rawayau, disclosed this Katsina at the opening of a 3-day workshop on `’Strengthening Sub-National Humanitarian Co-ordination’’.

The workshop was organised by the Agency in collaboration with Coalition of Civil Society for Poverty Eradication (CCSPE), an NGO.

Rawayau said the affected persons were from Bakori and Musawa local government areas, adding that there was no injury or loss of lives during the disaster.

He said the state government had distributed relief materials worth N5 million to the victims.

He said about 4,000 people in 21 local government areas of the state were affected by simialr disaster last year.

The Programme Coordinator of CCSPE, Mr Peter Egwudah, said in his speech that the group had selected 30 stakeholders for the workshop.

He said the event was organised to prepare participants for effective disaster management.

Egwudah urged the participants to improve their coordination during emergency situations to save lives and property.

SOURCE :     >>>>>> SOURCE  <<<<<<

• WHO declares Nigeria, Senegal free of disease this week

 Sex could keep the Ebola epidemic alive even after the World Health Organization (WHO) declares an area free of the disease, one of the discoverers of the deadly virus said yesterday.The WHO is hoping to announce later this week that Nigeria and Senegal are free of Ebola after 42 days with no infections, the standard period for declaring an outbreak over, twice the maximum 21-day incubation period of the virus.

However, it appears the disease can last much longer in semen. “In a convalescent male, the virus can persist in semen for at least 70 days; one study suggests persistence for more than 90 days,” the WHO said in an information note on Monday.

“Certainly, the advice has to be for survivors to use a condom, to not have unprotected sex, for 90 days,” said Peter Piot, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a discoverer of Ebola in 1976.

“If we would apply the rule for double the time, that would be 180 days, six months. I think it (90 days) is probably a compromise, for practicality,” he told a news conference in Geneva. Ebola spreads via bodily fluids such as blood and saliva, but it has also been detected in Bosom  milk and urine, as well as semen, the WHO said. The whole live virus has never been isolated from sweat, however.

More than 3,400 people are already known to have died in the world’s worst Ebola outbreak on record, the vast majority of them in three West African countries: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

SOURCE:             >>>>>>>>>>>> SOURCE  <<<<<<<<<<< 

 

Former president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) has confirmed to journalists in Minna that he is recuperating from his surgery in Germany.

The former leader who spoke to the journalists through the telephone of another former head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar when he paid a Sallah homage to Niger State governor, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu said he will soon be back home.

IBB who did not specify the time he would come home confirmed the earlier report of LEADERSHIP that he underwent a surgery in Germany and he is recovering as expected.

“I miss all of you; I wish you all Barka Da Sallah; I am better now; I will be back in few days time,” IBB said.

LEADERSHIP gathered from a source close to the family that IBB is expected back next week Friday and that he would have been back before Sallah but he was advised to undergo some routine medical examinations before returning home.

The source added that it was because of his appreciable level of recovery that he told Mohammed his son to come and celebrate Sallah with his friends as usual in Minna.

IBB left Nigeria on the 6th of September, 2014 for Germany where he underwent a surgery to relieve him of some back pains.

Meanwhile, General Abdulsalami Abubakar said he came for the Sallah homage with two of IBB’s closest friends because the tradition was for him and IBB to pay Sallah homage to the governor.

Speaking on the 2015 general elections, he said, “Politicians should learn to play the game of politics without bitterness. We are all one as we are all brothers and sisters.”

Also speaking, Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu said he was pleased when the team sent by the state government to see IBB came back home with the news that he was recuperating, adding “When the team came back, they told us they had a conversation with him for over four hours. This is a pleasant piece of information compared to what we heard before.”

SOURCE : >>>>>>>>>>>> SOURCE    <<<<<<<<<<<

The Nigeria Social Violence Dataset, now publicly available, reports that since July 2009 when the Boko Haram conflict escalated, at least 11,100 people have died on both sides of the insurgency.

The levels of casualties, internal displacement, social disruption and government failure are fomenting a widespread crisis, spilling over the borders of neighbouring states such as Niger, Cameroon and Chad, the report says.

According to the new dataset compiled at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Boko Haram-related violence is the most lethal conflict that Nigeria has confronted in decades and that deaths attributable to Boko Haram has been increasing over time, but this increase has been particularly sharp in the past year.

The report said that since 1998, at least 29,600 Nigerians have been killed in more than 2,300 incidents, reflecting a wide range of ethnic, religious, political and economic tensions across large portions of the country.

“The conflict is rapidly intensifying. We estimate that 7,000 people died in incidents related to the insurgency between July 2013 and June 2014, compared with fewer than 1,900 in the preceding year. These deaths account for more than a quarter of all the recorded deaths in the past 15 years.

“Since January, more than 5,000 people have died, making the past eight months almost as deadly as the preceding five years,” it said.


SOURCE;    >>>>>>>>>>>  SOURCE   <<<<<<<<<<<<

A fierce battle is ongoing between Boko Haram insurgents and Nigerian troops who have been intensifying efforts to reclaim territories captured by the insurgents in northern Adamawa.

Reports indicate that about 100 insurgents have been killed in the latest offensive as Nigerian troops forced the terrorists out of Michika town which had been under their bloody grip for close to a month.

The Nigerian troops are reportedly advancing towards Gulak in consolidation of the successes they have recorded but the insurgents were reported to have regrouped and launched an offensive against them, leading to the fierce battle between the two sides.

A source in Michika said Nigerian troops had entered the town following a phenomenal success they recorded against the insurgents who suffered severe casualties, forcing the surviving ones beat a retreat.

“The Nigerian troops have gained entry into Michika and are now fully in control of the town, having dealt a severe blow to the insurgents, as they lost about 100 members; some escaped with injuries sustained from gun shots,” the source said.

Another source from the area said Nigerian troops were facing a stiff resistance from the insurgents as they advanced towards Gulak, leading to prolonged battle as Boko Haram had deployed many insurgents and ammunition to confront the troops.

“There is heavy fighting between the insurgents and Nigerian troops as the insurgents are doing everything to frustrate the efforts of the Nigerian troops, and many people who are trapped in the towns are now sneaking out following intensified fighting,” the source said.

 

Jonathan Heads To Niger In Search Of Solution

President Goodluck Jonathan will today leave Abuja for Niamey, the capital of Niger Republic, on a one-day official visit to participate in an extraordinary summit of heads of states and governments of the Lake Chad Basin Commission.

According to a statement by presidential spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati, Jonathan and other participating heads of states and governments are expected to review ongoing collaboration against terrorism and agree on further joint actions to curb terrorism and insurgency within and across their national boundaries.

Abati recalled that the president and the heads of states and governments of the neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin Republic had resolved at a meeting in Paris in May this year to intensify joint efforts to curtail terrorism and violent extremism.

“At the Paris Summit hosted by President Francois Hollande of France in the aftermath of the dastardly abduction of the Chibok College girls,   President Jonathan and neighbouring heads of states and governments also agreed to establish joint anti-terrorism patrols and a system of sharing intelligence to support operations against terrorists and other cross-border criminals,” he noted.

Abati noted that Benin Republic, which participated in the Paris Summit but is not a member of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, had been invited to the Niamey talks.

“President Jonathan who will be accompanied to Niamey by the minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Aminu Wali, the minister of State for Defence Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, the Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshall Alex Barde and other senior government officials will return to Abuja at the conclusion of the one-day summit,” he added.

The Lake Chad Basin Commission was established in 1964 by Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon with the mandate of sustainably and equitably managing   shared water resources of the Lake Chad Basin and promoting regional integration, peace and security across the Basin.

 

NAF Acquires More Aircraft To Fight Terrorism – CAS

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has purchased some new and refurbished aircraft to sustain the tempo against the terrorists in the North East with a view to restoring permanent peace and stability in the area.

The good news was disclosed by the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Adesola Amosu in Abuja at the reception in his honour for the National Award of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) by President Goodluck Jonathan in commemoration of the 54th Independence Anniversary.

Speaking at the reception held at the NAF Conference Centre and Suite, Kado, Abuja, the CAS disclosed that some new and reactivated platforms would soon arrive the country to join the aircraft in the NAF inventory, just as he maintained that there was the need to effect some changes in the current NAF Mission Statement to encompass the acquisition of the new platforms.

He expressed NAF’s determination to bring to conclusion the insurgency in the northeast region as soon as possible.

Air Marshal Amosu further reiterated the determination of NAF leadership to ensure that the Service was better positioned for greater performance and set a new focus toward national security.

He used the occasion to thank President Jonathan for finding him worthy to bag the prestigious national award of CFR. He dedicated the award to the officers and men of the NAF who were fighting the insurgency in the northeast, noting that “their gallant efforts and sacrifices deserve greater honour.”

 

Boko Haram Has Seized 185 churches – Catholic Church

The director of Catholic Social Communication of Maiduguri Diocese, Rev. Gideon Obasogie, has said that two months after the capture of 11 towns in Borno and Adamawa states by Boko Haram, 185 churches in the diocese have been torched and 190, 545 people displaced, with surviving residents unable to return to their houses and places of worship.

Obasogie made this disclose yesterday in a statement entitled “State of Captured Towns” and made available to newsmen in Maiduguri, the state capital.

According to the statement, the “ransacking and torching” of churches in the captured towns and villages have already displaced many priests and lay faithful who are taking refuge in either Yola or Maiduguri metropolis in the last few weeks.

He described the capturing of towns along with the torching of about 185 places of worship as “sad, heart aching and potentially dangerous to the territorial integrity and common good of Nigeria.”

According to the church, “It is over 30 days now that our church communities in Gulak, Shuwa, Michika, Bazza, etc, were sacked by the callous attacks of the Boko Haram terrorists while Gwoza and Magadali had been under the tyrannical and despotic control of the terrorists and this is almost the 60th day.

“Our priests are displaced, while citizens who were supposed to celebrate their independence as a free nation were rather counting their losses and regrets as they had been reduced to the status of internally displaced persons (IDPs).”

 

Dozens Of Soldiers Feared Killed As Boko Haram Aims To Capture Hometown Of CDS

Reports from the border town of Mubi in Adamawa State indicate that dozens of soldiers are feared killed as insurgents ambushed the troops in the latest attack.

A fierce battle has reportedly ensued between the insurgents and Nigerian troops for the control of Vimtim, the hometown of the present chief of defence staff (CDS) Alex Badeh.

It was reported that in their bid to capture the hometown of the CDS, the insurgents deployed many helicopters against Nigerian troops, giving them an edge in the fight.

Mubi, which is close to Vimtim, was thrown into confusion as residents panicked on sighting fleeing soldiers and began to scamper in different directions, with many moving out of the town.

The development came less than 48 hours after Nigerian troops vanquished the insurgents from Michika where they killed about 100 of the insurgents with the remainders retreating into the nearby bushes.

About 300 insurgents were said to have regrouped following the initial setback they encountered and launched an offensive against the Nigerian troops which led to a sustained battle that lasted for hours.

Eye witnesses in Mubi said the dead and the injured among the soldiers have been taken to Mubi Specialist Hospital.

A fleeing resident of Mubi said he and others were forced to escape the area as a result of the massive casualties recorded by the Nigerian troops.

“I carried six fleeing soldiers who are running from the warfront in my car. They first asked me to assist them with my dress which they used as a camouflage before we left,” the source said.

 

11,100 Dead From Boko Haram Attacks – Report

The Nigeria Social Violence Dataset, now publicly available, reports that since July 2009 when the Boko Haram conflict escalated, at least 11,100 people have died on both sides of the insurgency.

The levels of casualties, internal displacement, social disruption and government failure are fomenting a widespread crisis, spilling over the borders of neighbouring states such as Niger, Cameroon and Chad, the report says.

According to the new dataset compiled at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Boko Haram-related violence is the most lethal conflict that Nigeria has confronted in decades and that deaths attributable to Boko Haram has been increasing over time, but this increase has been particularly sharp in the past year.

The report said that since 1998, at least 29,600 Nigerians have been killed in more than 2,300 incidents, reflecting a wide range of ethnic, religious, political and economic tensions across large portions of the country.

“The conflict is rapidly intensifying. We estimate that 7,000 people died in incidents related to the insurgency between July 2013 and June 2014, compared with fewer than 1,900 in the preceding year. These deaths account for more than a quarter of all the recorded deaths in the past 15 years.

“Since January, more than 5,000 people have died, making the past eight months almost as deadly as the preceding five years,” it said.

 

Boko Haram attacks Borno villages, slaughters 7 top traders, others

Members of the Boko Haram sect hacve attacked Ngamdu village of Borno State, beheading at least seven prominent businessmen, security sources said.

The gunmen had, on the same day, also attacked Mobbar village where they also killed a number of village heads there.

The assailants, who invaded the village, which is about 100km away from Maiduguri and 35km away from the neighbouring Yobe State capital, Damaturu, were very specific in their mission as they targeted only top businessmen.

Security operatives in Ngamdu village said the terrorists crept upon the villagers at about 4am to carry out the killings.

Ngamdu is also a border town of Borno near a village in Yobe State called Kukareta, where a recently established military formation is located.

“They did not attack everyone in Ngamdu; they just selected some top business merchants there and slaughtered them in the early hours of today (Monday)”, said Abba Gava, a chieftain of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Borno State.

“We have also heard that they were attacking Mobbar village today also, but we have no knowledge of the casualty figures yet, even though those attacked and managed to escape said it was a massive attack.”


SOURCE;     >>>>>>>>>>  SOURCE     <<<<<<<<<<<

Members of the Boko Haram sect hacve attacked Ngamdu village of Borno State, beheading at least seven prominent businessmen, security sources said.

The gunmen had, on the same day, also attacked Mobbar village where they also killed a number of village heads there.

The assailants, who invaded the village, which is about 100km away from Maiduguri and 35km away from the neighbouring Yobe State capital, Damaturu, were very specific in their mission as they targeted only top businessmen.

Security operatives in Ngamdu village said the terrorists crept upon the villagers at about 4am to carry out the killings.

Ngamdu is also a border town of Borno near a village in Yobe State called Kukareta, where a recently established military formation is located.

“They did not attack everyone in Ngamdu; they just selected some top business merchants there and slaughtered them in the early hours of today (Monday)”, said Abba Gava, a chieftain of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Borno State.

“We have also heard that they were attacking Mobbar village today also, but we have no knowledge of the casualty figures yet, even though those attacked and managed to escape said it was a massive attack.”


SOURCE:       >>>>>>>>>    SOURCE  <<<<<<<<<< 

The Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) in Sokoto State said that one person died while 17 others sustained injuries in an accident that occurred between Sokoto and Sabon-garin Kwannawa on Monday.

Mr Kuteb Takum, the Sector Commander of the Commission in the state, who confirmed the accident, said the victims were returning from a ceremony in Sabon-garin Kwannawa– outskirt of Sokoto.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto that the vehicle –Pick-up van– marked Edo XF 739 BEN, somersaulted at the Sabon-garin Kwannawa Junction at about 10 a.m.

“The driver of the vehicle, who is now on the run, lost the control of the vehicle while on Kwannawa- Sokoto highway.

“It was not a head on collision, the van somersaulted several times after the driver lost the control of the vehicle and veered off the road,’’ he said.

Takum said that one person died immediately while other sustained injuries.

He said that seven of the injured were receiving treatment at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.

According to him, the remaining 10 injured are responding to treatment at the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto.

SOURCE;     >>>>>> SOURCE    <<<<<<