We Saw Helicopters Dropping Arms, Food For Boko Haram -Suvivors

Displaced residents of Monguno, in Borno State, which was recently taken over by Boko Haram, have said they saw helicopters dropping arms and food items for the insurgents in the bushes.

According to Leadership.ng, The IDPs, who said they spent about 48 hours in the bush running towards Maiduguri, expressed worry that the Boko Haram sect was not the only ones involved in the insurgency, but that there are many foreign fighters and some external supports.

Leader of the Nigeria Vigilante Group in Monguno, Muhammed Sani,50, said he had, on several occasions, spotted unusual delivery of items in big wooden boxes by air, and sacks being dropped in the bushes around Marte and Monguno where Boko Haram terrorists were camped.

“Even during the attack on Monguno, there was an aircraft that came but did not do anything, not even dropping a single bomb before it left; then another one later came around the Monguno barracks and we saw four men alighting from the aircraft, using a rope. The aircraft left, but we doubt if they were soldiers.
“Even before then, some of my colleagues and I have been sighting helicopters dropping items in sacks and some in boxes to them at the camp of Boko Haram near Chikungudu and Kwalaram villages. Many helicopters came to drop items packed in boxes and sacks to the Boko Haram insurgents at a bush camp between Monguno and Marte; then we would see the Boko Haram gunmen rushing to the spot to pick the dropped items,” he stated.

The displaced vigilante officials said those that attacked Monguno comprised hundreds of foreigners who looked like Chadians.

“Many of them looked like Chadian Arabs – they were light-skinned with coiled hair, and there were many young men from Monguno – who Boko Haram had abducted when Nganzai was attacked last year – that were now active members of the sect.
“While Boko Haram members that are former youths of Monguno were leading other insurgents to attack Monguno town, the foreigners were the ones engaging soldiers near the barracks,” he explained.

Sani, who said he had lived in Monguno for the past 20 years, said he fled amidst the hail of bullets when the terrorists became irritated by his anti-bullet charms that rendered bullets ineffective. His shirt and trousers were riddled by bullets, yet he remained unhurt, he said

Jonathan, Mark blast Maku for dumping PDP

President Goodluck Jonathan; President of the Senate, David Mark; and a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ahmadu Ali, on Tuesday lashed out at a former Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, for dumping the PDP for the All Progressives Grand Alliance.

While Jonathan described Maku’s action as anti-party, Mark said the former minister was a liar while Ali described him as an ingrate.

They spoke at the Lafia Township Stadium during the PDP presidential rally.

Jonathan said there was no truth in the former minister’s claim that he (the President) encouraged him to join APGA.

The President said he could not be involved in anti-party activities.

Jonathan said he did not at any time have any discussion with him. He said he did not encourage Maku to join another party.

He said the PDP did not encourage anti-party activities and he, as the leader, would never flout the party’s rules and regulations.

Mark, on his part, said Maku had to apologise and retrace his steps before he could be accepted back to the party.

“Don’t be deceived by any son of yours that says he has been put in another party to run for the governorship. Mr. President is the PDP from top to bottom,” he said.

The Senate President said the North Central was solidly behind the President and would vote for him because he had brought democratic dividends to bear on the region.

Ali also described Maku as an ingrate, saying that despite using the platform of the party to rise to stardom, he jumped the ship because of greed.

He said the President had never asked anybody to join any party to canvass votes for him. He said Maku’s intention was to smear the image of Jonathan and portray him as a religious bigot.

He accused Maku of dropping the name of the President in his bid to realise his ambition, which he insisted would never happen because he lacked the required integrity.

Ali said Maku’s people now treat him with disdain because he did not portray leadership qualities.

Also at the rally, Jonathan said the person that would succeed him would be younger than him.

The President said that he was close to 60 years, adding that a younger person would succeed.

“Obasanjo was president at 70, Yar’Adua at 60 and me, close to 60. So, the next president must be younger than I,” Jonathan said.

Boko Haram latest attack, 500 Soldiers stranded in Maiduguri without Weapons

More than 500 soldiers who fled from Monguno as Islamist insurgents attacked the town three days ago are now stranded in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. According to SR, the soldiers fled from Monguno after Boko Haram fighters sacked their military base, sending soldiers and thousands of civilians on the run last Sunday.

Some of the soldiers were seen roaming the streets of Maiduguri, with some claiming that they ran from their base after they ran out of bullets during a fierce battle with Islamist militants.

“Some of us had finished all our bullets and we didn’t have spare ones, so that is why we left Monguno,” one of the soldiers revealed.

He added: “On getting to headquarters [Maimalari barracks] they refused to clear us. Please how can we fight when we are not empowered?”


The soldiers categorically stated that they went to Maimalari Barracks in Maiduguri to report themselves, but they were denied entry into the barracks.

Another soldier who spoke to Sahara Reporters said it was really unfortunate that they were being ignored as if they deliberately decided to lose their barracks to Boko Haram fighters.

 
“Some of our regular soldiers were killed in the course of defending this nation,” he said. Now we are roaming the streets of Maiduguri as if it [was] our fault. But our big officers refused to give us weapons to fight Boko Haram,” he added.

Certificate controversy: My critics will remain in court – Buhari
 
Presidential candidate of the APC, Gen Buhari says those who are aggrieved about his certificate and the issues surrounding it should go to court and remain there. He said this while speaking with some journalists after members of the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM came to show their solidarity in the forthcoming election. He said that INEC said it has received his document and that anyone who has a contrary view to this is free to head to the court
"Well, I am not surprised, this is Nigeria. If people are serious about this issue, they ought to have listened to the legal adviser of INEC. This is the first time INEC by law have got those documents and they say they have got them, so anybody who has any different view should go to court, I think they have gone to court, so let them remain there,” he said.

Recall that an Abuja based lawyer, Mr. Chukwunweike Okafor, on Monday January 26th filed a case against Gen Buhari before the Federal High court in Abuja asking the court to disqualify him over the controversies surrounding his academic certificate.

Maiduguri and Konduga under full control, says Nigerian Army

Nigerian army has reported that that the troops were fully in charge of the of Maiduguri and Konduga after they were attacked by the Boko Haram insurgents, the battle lasted many hours till Sunday morning.

Remember the President Jonathan’s campaign team were tmolested as a result of the curfew, but the curfew is now lifted. Even journalists and medical personnel were among those trapped in the curfew.

DHQ through its twitter handle said, “more casualties were inflicted on terrorists as troops battled fleeing ones and reinforcement at outskirts of Maiduguri and Konduga Sunday night. Substantial amounts of heavy weapons have been captured, as more terrorists died in the fight which lasted till early yesterday morning

“Our forces also recorded some casualties. Meanwhile, ground troops are in charge and airforce patrol still ongoing.”

We Will Unseat Tinubu From His 16-Years Rule Of Lagos- Bode George

A South-West leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Bode George has said its party will unseat APC, especially Tinubu from what he describes as his 16years of fruitless rule in Lagos. George made this statement today at a PDP rally in Ikeja, which had all PDP’s past governorship aspirants, including Musiliu Obanikoro in attendance. Hear him;

“We are ready this year to root out the APC which has failed the state. This February is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end the reign of Tinubu in Lagos.Even the APC leaders told us that they want change, so we will give it to them.

“For 16 years, the APC has taken this state on a journey that has leaded us nowhere. This February, we will end Tinubu’s reign. As you all can see, all the governorship aspirants who contested alongside Agbaje are here. There is no dissenting voice in the PDP. We are united.”

“Jonathan has reduced university fees, created 12 new universities, transformed our railway system. He has numerous achievements in the health, education and agriculture sectors. I ask, what has Tinubu done in Lagos? Let us reject them with our votes. Use your Permanent Voter Cards to vote them out in February.”

Ghana Pulls Down Jonathan, Buhari Billboards

The campaign billboards of two Nigerian presidential candidates erected in Ghana’s capital, Accra have been pulled down following an order by the country’s (Ghana) national security agency, Punch reports

The billboards of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party featuring President Goodluck Jonathan, as well as those of the main opposition All Progressives Congress of Muhammadu Buhari, located on Accra roads, were pulled down over the weekend by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.

The decision to pull down the billboards was said to have come amid fears by some Ghanaians that their country could be drawn indirectly into the politics of Nigeria, with security implications, especially with the Boko Haram terrorists wreaking havoc in Nigeria.

Following the order by the National Security, according to GhanaWeb, a security expert at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Dr. Kwesi Annin, had indicated that Ghana had been saved from a possible attack by the terrorist group, Boko Haram, by pulling down the billboards put up in some parts of Accra.

He was quoted to have said that political elite in the country could have been targeted by Boko Haram if the political campaign in Ghana was not stopped.

He said, “I think it is critical that the National Security and Accra Metropolitan Assembly have listened to the concerns and voices raised by ordinary citizens that these billboards and some level of active political engagement might pose potential threat in the future.”

He said the removal of the billboards should not only be about Boko Haram, but also about whether or not laws governing the country permit foreign political entities to campaign in Ghana.

Meanwhile, an international relations expert, Dr. Vladmir Antwi Danso, said Ghana had been saved from severing future relations with Nigeria.

He was reported to have explained that if there was the perception that Ghana was supporting one candidate over the other, then the relationship between Ghana and Nigeria after the elections would be marred.

“What if after the elections the scales change, then the relationship between our country and Nigeria will also have some hiccups,” Danso said.