SEE FACES OF 82 FREED CHIBOK GIRLS RECEIVED BY BUHARI

On 7th May, 2017,president Buhari received the 82 released Chibok Girls in State House .The president who delayed his medical trip to London to receive them said

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SOUTHERN KADUNA ONSLAUGHT BY GUNMEN AGAIN

Just as Nigerians were beginning to heave a sigh of relief over the Southern Kaduna crisis, gunmen have reportedly attacked Asso community in Jema’a local government area of the state. At the time of this report, the details of the attack were not clear, but a statement by Samuel Aruwan,

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4 Soldiers Wounded as Troops Ransack and Clear Boko Haram Terrorists From Borno

Troops of 8 Task Force Division, Nigerian Army, on clearance operations under the auspices of Operation LAFIYA DOLE in the North East on saturday were reported to have had an encounter with Boko Haram terrorists at Chikun Gudu, Northern part of Borno State.
During the encounter, the gallant troops neutralized quite a number of the terrorists, while others escaped with gun shot wounds. They also captured gun trucks, arms and ammunition as well as 14 terrorists.

The troops captured 2 Toyota Gun trucks stolen from Niger Republic Defence Forces, 2 Toyota Hilux Gun trucks, one of which was taken by the Boko Haram terrorists from 153 Task Force Battalion location sometime back, a 25 HP Yamaha Outboard Engine, 2 Solar panels and 5 empty Belts of Anti-Aircraft Guns ammunition links.

Others include 1 Gun bipod, 12 pairs of Boko Haram terrorists fighters uniform, 5 flags, 37 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition, 84 copies of Holy Quran and 270 books on Islamic Literature.

The troops also recovered and destroyed over 70 motorcycles used by the terrorists to launch attacks, 3 shops stocked with medical supplies, 3 other shops with provisions and 3 wooden boats.

They also recovered 2 Niger Republic Drivers' Licenses, 2 mobile telephone handsets and 2 Wooden Slates.

Unfortunately 4 of soldiers were wounded in action and they have evacuated to a medical facility where they are receiving treatments.

Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman
Director Army Public Relations

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OH NO!! Heartbreaking Pictures - Three Killed & Eyes Plucked Out as Suspected Fulani Herdsmen Attack Benue Community (Graphic Photos)

No fewer than three persons have been butchered to death in a latest attack on Benue community by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

The attack, which took place in Mbahimin area of Gwer East Local Government also left many others injured.

According to an eyewitness who disclosed to Daily Post revealed that the suspected gunmen, who invaded the community in their numbers butchered anyone on sight with their swords.


Some of the victims were identified as: Jimmy Angbian Ugon, Benjamin Iorcher Agah and another man, whose identity was given as Puusu, a visitor who came to the community for marriage arrangements for his son.

The source said the strange thing about the attack was that, Jimmy and Benjamin had their eyes plucked out by the attackers.
When contacted, the Benue State Police PRO, Moses Yamu said he was not aware of the incident at the moment.
He, however, promised to call back whenever he confirms it

.

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See the 5-Year-Old Girl with a Bomb Pellets Lodged Near Her Heart.

Here’s a sad story of a little girl just 5 years of age with bomb pellets lodged near her heart and whom has allegedly been neglected by the government after the so-called accidental misfire by the Nigerian Air Force on Rann IDP camp in Borno state... Read below;Hammin Mohammed was playing with her siblings and friends near a bore-hole, which was said to have been the input of the ministry of water resources and AID groups at the camp. The new set of bore-hole was going to bring a huge relief to the IDPs, who queued for hours to fetch a gallon of water for a household use daily.

As they played around oblivious of the tension that was building in the camp, owing to the strange movement of a military jet in the skies, the bomb dropped. Free-spirited Hammin was injured by shrapnels fragmentation thrown out by an exploding bomb. This transformed her from a happy, singing child, to a numb five-year-old girl.

From January 17 till February 17, 2017, Hammin has not uttered a single word, her caretaker and sister, Kally Mohammed, tells TheCable.

The five-year-old, who lies expressionless on a duvet-covered bed at the end of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) paediatric ward, looked at everyone around, with no words for them. Regardless of how good she looked, it was clear all was not well with her.

A CRUEL CASE OF NEGLECT
When Hammin was taken to the accident and emergency unit of the teaching hospital, she was referred to the pediatric ward but was neglected and left untreated for the “lack of funds”. Hajia Fatima (pseudonym), who eventually paid the bills, narrates how Hammin was neglected by the authorities of UMTH and the military, which “orchestrated” her fate.

“I called one of the junior doctors and asked why is this girl not being treated, he said because she didn’t pay the bills, I said how much; he said N3,000 for the X-ray and N3,750 for medicine,” she recalls. “I paid for all and said just take care of her. For two days, they didn’t carry out the blood test because of lack of money. 

“Apparently, she had malaria because of mosquitoes in the hospital, and they later found she had typhoid too, after she did the test. For God sake, is it their fault that they bombed their base?”

X-RAY: RAN BOMB PELLET LODGED NEAR VITAL ORGANS

When the X-ray was eventually carried out, the film revealed that bomb pellets were still lodged somewhere in Hammin’s rib-cage, a few inches from her heart and at the lower part of her abdomen, which has contributed to her silence since the day the bombs dropped in Rann.

The five-year-old has not been getting the best of care at the hospital and the doctors are not in any way ready to carry out a surgery to help remove the “foreign bodies” in her system.
Hammin Bomb Pellet

“The doctors said they are not removing the pellet,” Kally says, as Hammin interrupts with a coughs. The five-year-old has three major activities in her new life: coughing, sleeping and – fortunately – eating.

UMTH feeds her three times a day but her family of eight – who are also tending to treatment and care in Rann, with less complex injuries from the bombing – bear the responsibility for footing her medical bills.

Hajia Mohammed, Hammin’s mother, who was initially taking care of her at UMTH had to return to Rann to cater for four other children, who were also affected in the bomb blast, sending Kally to watch over her little sister.

A doctor, who spoke to TheCable on the sensitivity of a surgery, also revealed that the “foreign bodies” in Hammin’s body will not be removed for now, because more damage can be caused in the process of removal, hence the need to leave it there “for now”.

“Her silence and pain may be psychological,” he says.

Source; The Cable

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Boko haram recruited 2000 child soldiers in 2016 - UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says Boko Haram recruited about 2,000 children in 2016 as child soldiers.

UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, disclosed this during a meeting of global leaders in Paris, on the anniversary of the Paris Commitments to end the use of children in conflict.

According to Lake, it was difficult to ascertain the number of children used and recruited, because of the unlawful nature of child recruitment.

“For instance, since 2013 an estimated 17,000 children have been recruited in South Sudan and up to 10,000 have been recruited in the Central African Republic (CAR).

“Similarly, nearly 2,000 children were recruited by Boko Haram, in Nigeria and neighbouring countries, last year alone, and there have been nearly 1,500 cases of child recruitment in Yemen since the conflict escalated in March 2015.

“We cannot give up the fight to end child recruitment,” the UNICEF chief said.

The Paris Agreement helps with the release of child soldiers and their reintegration.

“There has also been progress: since it was adopted, the number of countries endorsing the Paris commitments has nearly doubled from 58 countries in 2007 to 105 at present, signalling an increasing global commitment to end the use of children in conflict.

“Globally, more than 65,000 children have been released from armed forces and armed groups, including 20,000 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“Nearly 9,000 in the Central African Republic; and over 1,600 children in Chad. But more needs to be done,” the UNICEF chief said.

“It is also calling for increased resources to help reintegrate and educate children who have been released, and urgent action to protect internally displaced children, child refugees and migrants.

“As long as children are still affected by the fighting, we cannot give up the fight for the children,” Lake added.

Source: dailypost

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At It AGAIN!!! - Fulani Herdsmen Massacres 12 in Southern Kaduna

Heavily armed herdsmen, on Sunday and Monday, killed at least 20 people in Southern Kaduna during attacks on four different locations.
The herdsmen also engaged in fierce gun battles with soldiers and mobile policemen, who moved in to quell the attacks. SaharaReporters learned that the killings took place in Bakin Kogi, Jema’a Local Government Area, Ashim and other villages in Kaura Local Government Area, where dozens of homes were also razed. 

Heavily armed herdsmen, on Sunday and Monday, killed at least 20 people in Southern Kaduna during attacks on four different locations. The herdsmen also engaged in fierce gun battles with soldiers and mobile policemen, who moved in to quell the attacks. SaharaReporters learned that the killings took place in Bakin Kogi, Jema’a Local Government Area, Ashim and other villages in Kaura Local Government Area, where dozens of homes were also razed.

A senior military officer at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, told SaharaReporters that without the sturdy resistance put up by soldiers and mobile policemen, the herdsmen would have burnt down all the villages attacked and killed more villagers in the area. 

As at the time of filing this report, more security operatives were said to have moved into the affected locations.

see more photos;

Source: Sahara reporters

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"Boko Haram knows and fear me"- Aisha Bakari

Like many in the North-east region of Nigeria, Aisha Bakari Gombi is a Muslim but also believes in traditional spirits.
Aisha, 38, grew up near the Sambisa forest, where the extremists still operate despite a military offensive last year that destroyed many of their major camps. 

She used to hunt antelopes, baboons and guinea fowl with her grandfather. Now she hunts Boko Haram.

As seven abducted women and four children were being taken deeper into Sambisa forest, Aisha Bakari Gombi received a call.

The voice was familiar: an army commander asking her to assemble a group of hunters to track them down.

The 11 had vanished earlier that day after a group of Boko Haram militants attacked their village, Daggu. Three local people were shot dead and cars, houses and food stores set ablaze.

Daggu is a half-hour drive from Chibok where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted in April 2014. Both villages are in the region of Borno state, which has become all too familiar with such attacks by the world’s deadliest terrorist group.

There are thousands of hunters in the region who have been enlisted by the military on an ad hoc basis. But Bakari Gombi is one of only a handful of women involved and she has become a heroine for hunters and local people alike. Her gallantry has won her the title “queen hunter”.

The first rescue mission in Daggu failed “because Boko Haram was heavily armed. But we saw where [the girls] are being held,” Bakari Gombi explains the morning after. “We could free them if the military would give us better weapons,” she adds, eyeing the double-barrel shotgun on her lap.

Like many in the rural regions of north-east Nigeria, Bakari Gombi is Muslim but also believes in traditional spirits. One of her rituals is to douse fellow hunters with a secret potion to protect them from bullets.

The 38-year-old leads a command of men aged 15-30 who communicate using sign language, animal sounds and even birdsong.

“Boko Haram know me and fear me,” says Bakari Gombi whose band of hunters has rescued hundreds of men, women and children.

Source: Nigerianeye

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Trump is Right Afterall As France Reveals Whats Found Hidden In Mosque

The deadly Islamic terrorist attack in Paris in France has reportedly left more than 130 people dead. and unlike America after the attack, France started immediately raiding Islamic mosques to see what they could find. After all, far too many people in the Muslim community have not been helpful with bringing forth information to authorities.

And while the French investigators have been called racists, a Langy-sur-Marne based mosque was raided this week all the same. And it was reported that they found a large collection of 7.62 Kalashnikov ammonition along with boxes of Islamic State (ISIS) propaganda videos.

Authorities also raided one of the mosque’s leader’s homes, and found a revolver hidden near jihadist documents.

Police also found recordings of religious chants “glorifying the martyrs of jihad linked to the terrorist organization Jabhat al-Nusra”, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, the prefecture added.

The recordings were found among a wealth of teaching material for young people in an undeclared madrassa, or religious school. Police removed a hard disk and 10 computers.

“No request was made to open a private school,” the state prefecture said in its statement.

Mohammed Ramdane, president of the local Muslim association in Lagny, had criticised the closure of the prayer hall at the time, saying: “Nothing has been found in the mosque. Nothing is hidden, we don’t hide anything.

France has reportedly arrested more than 230 Muslims and collected more than 324 weapons. Many others are under travel bans and house arrest. They have shut down three mosques and have raided more than 2,300 homes. As France’s Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve recently noted:

Cazeneuve mentioned that the number of weapons apprehended so far is staggering.

He said: “In 15 days we have seized one-third of the quantity of war-grade weapons that are normally seized in a year.”

And many French leaders have joined those voices in the EU calling for an end to importing Syrian Islamic refugees, as a proper screening process is impossible.

Compare that to the response we saw from President Barack Obama, who tried to blame the attacks on San Bernardino on “workplace violence” for days, while calling on his Attorney General to prosecute those who speak out against radical Islam.

It looks like Trump’s comments were right afterall, and it’s time to start treating Muslim communities with suspicion!

Do you support France’s approach to stomping out terrorism? Please leave us a comment (below) and tell us what you think.

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Fulani Herdsmen Attack Catholic Rev. Father In Anambra Leaves Him Severely Injured

A Catholic Priest of Nnewi Diocese, Anambra State in person of Rev. Fr. Jude Chetanna Chukwuneke, would have been dead and buried by now if not for divine intervention reported by the Sunday Sun after being attacked by the insurgent fulani herdsmen.

Chukwuneke, a youth motivator and the Chaplain, St. Camillus De Lelis Catholic Chaplaincy, College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Okofia, Nnewi Campus, was attacked by suspected Fulani herdsmen on Monday, September 26, 2016, while returning from the burial ceremony of the mother of a fellow priest in Nsukka Diocese, Enugu State.

In company with two other priests, Rev. Prof. Jude Ezeokanna and Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Dim, the attack, which happened within the Uzo-Uwani axis of the old Adani-Anambra road, left in its wake sorrows, tears and blood.Chukwuneke, who was driving, was shot in the head by one of the herdsmen and in a staggering deadly fit, lost control of the steering and the vehicle ran into a ditch. Though he escaped with serious injuries, the exhaust pipe of the vehicle caused serious burns on his colleague, Ezeokanna, who attempted to jump out of the vehicle while the attack lasted. Dim was forcefully abducted by the attackers.Through intelligence gathering and spirited efforts, the kidnappers released Dim two days after while Chukwuneke and Ezeokanna began the tortuous battle to save their lives at different hospitals.After undergoing treatment at different hospitals in Nsukka, Enugu, Anambra and also abroad, which lasted for four months, Chukwuneke, who still has some pellets lodged in his head, gathered friends and well wishers recently at the College auditorium in Nnewi for a thanksgiving service.At the ceremony, which attracted several dignitaries including Anambra Governor, Willie Obiano who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha; Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ebonyi State, Prof. Bernard Odoh; former SSG, Anambra State, Oseloka Obaze; and business mogul, Chief Cletus Ibeto; among others, Chukwuneke told the pathetic story of his encounter with death and how God miraculously saved him. “I’m resting in peace but still alive,” he said pathetically. Narrating his ordeal inside the capacity filled auditorium, Chukwuneke recalled how on that fateful day they had finished their condolence visit to Nsukka and were chatting in the vehicle on their way back to Anambra when suddenly, few minutes after passing a police check point, they came upon a figure on the road holding a gun about 200 metres ahead. He said he looked back and spotted another figure, also some 200 metres behind. Sensing trouble, he decided to take the option of escaping by engaging the reverse gear. This was the last thing he recalled doing.

“It was a marksman that shot me at a close range and if you see my vehicle dashboard, you will realise that miracles do happen even now. He pointed the gun directly at my face and the bullet shattered the windscreen and penetrated. The next was that I found myself in the middle of the bush about 20 metres away from the road. I also realised that I was bleeding profusely in the head and that my immaculate white cassock has been drenched in blood.
“Fearing for my life, I asked Fr. Ezeokana who was in the passenger seat to perform the last rites for me but he was also traumatised. At this point, I told my fellow priests let everybody run for dear life. But I was pursued by one of the gunmen who soon caught up with me and demanded for money.“I told him I had no money. He cocked his gun as if to shoot me again, but probably believing there was no need, and since I would soon die because of the amount of blood he saw, he left me and ran back towards the others in the car. I soon heard one of the priests shouting, ‘I am a priest of God!’ and when I looked, I saw Fr. Emmanuel Dim being marched off with his hands in the air.
”Chukwuneke said that at that point, he remembered that he had a watch; he tore it off his wrist to check the time and realised it was 6.15pm. He stated that his experience in the modus operandi of robbers told him that they do not usually remain at the scene of robbery beyond 20 minutes. But he decided to wait another 10 minutes before making a move.
According to him, his decision to move out of the bush was to ensure that even if he died, his body would be discovered. When he succeeded in coming to the road, he tried stopping passing vehicles whose drivers refused to stop. He saw a group of people at a distance and began to run towards them. But after running for about 200 metres, he became exhausted.It was then that God sent one Ebuka Oluka to help him. Chukwuneke said he immediately grabbed the scruff of Ebuka’s shirt for support. Together, they ran again for the rest of the distance towards the group of people. 
He further stated that while he ran, he kept calling out the phone number of his brother which was the only number he had memorised. He said he was doing that because he was afraid that he could pass out at any moment.
He also said that Ebuka tried calling his brother with the number but he did not pick his calls. Before then, Ebuka had pulled off his shirt and wrapped it on Chukwuneke’s head to stem blood flow. When they eventually got to the people, he was taken to Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka.Chukwuneke expressed regret that in most cases in Nigeria, people die and property are also lost due to ineffectiveness of emergency services. 
He recalled that when it became expedient that he should be transferred to a specialist hospital in Enugu for proper medicare, he was surprised that even the life ambulance that was supposed to convey him first of all had to look for a nearby filling station to buy fuel before they could proceed on the journey.
[Source: Sunday Sun]

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REVEALED!!! - Boko Haram Pays Girl #200 to Bomb Borno-State

A 18-year-old Boko Haram suicide bomber, Amina, who was intercepted by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on Tuesday in Maiduguri, Borno State confessed that she was offered N200 for the suicide mission.

Amina said she was seized some two years ago by the sect members in Madagali, Adamawa State and taken to Sambisa forest.

She said: “They gave us N200 each, which they said we should use to buy food for ourselves.

“It took us three days to come to Maiduguri on a motorcycle.

“We were directed by the sect members to detonate our explosives any where we saw any form of gathering.

“They said if we press the button, the bomb would explode and we will automatically go to heaven.

“I was scared, so, I told them that I could not detonate any explosive.

“So, they said if Zainab detonated her own, it would serve the purpose.

“On our way to Maiduguri, we encountered the military and they were shooting.

“I was very scared and the people that brought us ran away.

“I am from Imam Shekau’s faction of Boko Haram, even though I have never seen Shekau.But I hear about him in Gobarawa.”

Amina said that her father, mother and younger brother, Umar, were all killed when they tried to escape from the Boko Haram enclave where they were held hostage.

She said: “We came from Gobarawa along Damboa, Madagali and Algarno axis, in a community where a lot of us were held hostage and married off by the sect members.

“I also am married to a Boko Haram Commander known as ‘Amir’.”

The NSCDC Commandant in Borno State, Abdullahi Ibrahim, said the command had handed over the suspect to the Garrison Commander, 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri “for proper investigation”.

The Theater Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maiduguri, Major General Lucky Irabor, confirmed that the suspect was in the custody of the Army and that she would undergo investigation.

Irabor said: “We are going to profile her as she would give us the lead to get to other insurgents.”

Operatives of the NSCDC had earlier intercepted two female suicide bombers who tried to ram into motorists at the NNPC Mega Station along Damboa Road, Maiduguri.

Ibrahim told the News Agency of Nigeria that the incident occurred at about 6.45am.

He said: “Our personnel at the NNPC station intercepted two female suicide bombers who were targeting motorists on the long queue at the NNPC mega petrol station at about 6.45am.

“One of the bombers got scared and threw away her bomb and was instantly arrested, while the other one began to run after people with her explosive, but luckily, she was shot on the leg by our personnel after he chased her to a safe place.”

NAN.

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Top Officials and Generals Crash in Helicopter Crash in Cameroon

General Kodji died in the crash on Sunday evening near Bogo, a Cameroon village, while on an inspection mission, a top military official said.

Confirming this, a senior military official, who is also involved in the fight against Boko Haram, told AFP that “We lost four men, including the general (Jacob Kodji).”

The colonel, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, added that the men were killed when the Cameroonian military helicopter they were traveling in crashed in Bogo region in the far north.

Read also - Anambra state Government Set to Establish 326 health centers in 2017 

He however did not give further details of the cause of the accident.

Also confirming the incident, a local government official said General Jacob Kodji was the leader of Emergence 4, the name given to one of the operations launched by Cameroon against Boko Haram

As the fight against the Nigerian jihadists raged, Kodji was prompted in August 2015 to general by President Paul Biya.

He is the first Cameroonian general to die in the battle against Boko Haram.

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Nigeria Army Stakes #500,000 on Insurgence

Condemnation, yesterday, continued to trail Monday’s bombing of worshipers in the University of Maiduguri mosque in Borno State, as the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, claimed responsibility for the act. 

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and All Progressives Congress, APC, have joined other Nigerians to condemn the attack, in which a professor of Veterinary Medicine, Professor Aliyu Mani, and six others were killed. Also yesterday, some students of the University of Maiduguri, UNIMAID, called for proactive security measures to contain the frequent attacks on their campus by Boko Haram terrorists. 

Read also - South-African Journalist Kidnapped in Syria

A video featuring an audio recording, purporting to be that of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, was posted on social media late on Monday. “The bomb that exploded on Monday morning; our brothers are responsible for it,” the recording said. CAN, while condemning the bombing, commiserated with the families of the victims and expressed optimism that the terrorist menace will soon be history.

Read also - Armed Men Attack Turkish School In Ogun State, Kidnaps 3 Females

CAN President, Rev. Dr. Samson Ayokunle, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, said only satanic agents could perpetrate such acts and wondered when worshiping God has become a crime. 

said: “What offense did these worshipers commit to warrant this? Only demon-possessed individuals can be behind this type of act. “CAN commiserates with the family of the victims of the terrorist attack and prays for the comfort of the Holy Spirit for them. “The Association as well prays for quick recovery for those that were injured.” Ayokunle tasked the security agencies to go after the terrorists, who have been dislodged from their strongholds, but are going about attacking soft targets with a view to ending the menace as soon as possible. He urged members of the public to compliment the efforts of the security operatives by reporting suspected people to them.

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South-African Journalist Kidnapped in Syria

Shiraaz Mohammed

Times Live reports that Shiraaz Mohamed has apparently been kidnapped in Syria while he was traveling with members of the Gift of the Givers hospital in Syria four days ago

Gift of the Givers says the team was on its way to the Turkish border from Syria when a group of armed men took him, promising to return him to the hospital in two days after he has been questioned.

He has not been seen or heard from since.

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Armed Men Attack Turkish School In Ogun State, Kidnaps 3 Females

Some armed men on Friday kidnapped three female students from the Nigerian Tulip International Colleges (NTIC) in Ogun state.

In statement issued on Saturday, Cemal Yigit, spokesman of the school, said five female staff were also kidnapped.

“We wish to notify the general public of the unfortunate incident that occurred on January 13, 2017, at the premises of the Nigerian Tulip International Colleges (NTIC) Ogun state,” he said.

Read More - 

France Presidents Says Africa and France are Battling Same 

“At about 9.30pm local time, a group of people armed with dangerous weapons gained entrance to the girls’ section through different means and held hostage three female supervisors, a female cook, a female teacher (Turkish) and three students.

“The school security noticed some movement on the CCTV camera at the girls’ section and promptly deployed security personnel and alerted the relevant security agencies in the area as customary.  Upon hearing the security alarm activated and sighting our security personnel, the armed invaders opened fire on the security staff and managed to escape through a very dangerous route with the hostages.

“The security agencies are currently on their trail as the whole area has been cordoned off.”

He assured parents and guardians that the students and staff would return to safety soon as everything possible had been deployed “to ensure that our teachers and students return unhurt by God’s grace.”

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Soyinka Blames Buhari and and El-Rufai Over the Killings in Southern Kaduna

Prof. Wole Soyinka

Yesterday, Professor Wole Soyinka faults President Muhammadu’s and Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s handling of the Southern Kaduna crisis.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) alleged that no fewer than 808 people have been killed.

Prof. Soyinka criticised the admission by El -Rufai that he paid killers of Southern Kaduna people to stop the carnage.

He said religion “is more likely to induce anxiety leading to trauma rather than solace and the consolation of spirituality which many religions claim for themselves.”

He spoke in Abuja at the launch of the book “Religion and the Making of Nigeria” written by Prof. Olufemi Vaughan, in Abuja. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was present.

Among those who witnessed the event at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre were Secretary to Oyo State Government Olalekan Alli, Senator Effiong Bob, former Cross River Governor Donald Duke, Amb. Folorunso Otukoya, Amb. Funke Adefope, Justice Ajoke Adepoju, Prof Hamidou Bole, Bishop Hassan Kukah, and  Sen. Babafemi Ojudu.

 Soyinka said: “What astonished me was not the admission by the governor but the astonishment of others at such governmental response to atrocity.

“There was nothing new about it. If you ask why Gen. Buhari did not act fast enough when these events take place, which degrade us as human beings, well it is perhaps he has been waiting for the governor of that state to send money to the killers first for them to stop the killing. He said it was no longer enough for religious leaders to simply condemn violence perpetrated by their followers. The sitting president of this nation, Gen. Buhari once said “If you don’t kill corruption in this nation, corruption would kill us.” I would like to transfer that cry from the moral zone to the terrain of religion. If we do not tame religion in this nation, religion would kill us.

“I do not say kill religion though I wouldn’t mind a bit if that mission could be undertaken surgically; painlessly, perhaps, under anesthesia effectively spayed all over the nation or perhaps during an induced pouch of religious ecstasy, However, one has to be realistic. Only the religiously possessed or committed would deny the obvious. The price that many have paid not just within this society but by humanity in general makes one wonder if the benefits have really been more than the losses.

“I’ve quite often imagined what the world would be if religion had never been invented. Can one think of any landscape without religious architecture? What went wrong? What has gone wrong? When where and how did religion become a killing machine? The book under consideration does not pretend to attend to those issues.”

 “However, for both the monk and the clerical or spiritual leaders, it is simply no longer sufficient to say this or that form of conduct is not permitted by this religion or the other. Or those who do this or that are not true believers of this prophet or that avatar or sage for the simple reason that others who dissociate themselves from conduct which universally is condemned are themselves declaring themselves partisans of their own in contradistinctions to others. What however, concerns the rest of us no matter the internal wrangling, rivalries or controversies within any religion, what concerns us is that the innocent are often those who pay highest price. The non-adherents to one line of belief or another.

Osinbajo who described the issue of federal character as a hypocritical tool in the hands of the elite in peddling influence observed that at critical times, they forget religion and ethnicity.

“Very few people have been prosecuted for religious violence but none has ever been brought to conclusion. Why it is that such case are never concluded? Too many cases of high profile murders that are not concluded in this country.

“National character is very hypocritical. When we are playing football, we all clamour for the best legs because we want to win. We don’t ask how many Muslims or Christians are in the team. When you are sick, nobody asks the religion of the doctor. We only ask about competencies.”

He declared that religion has been a veritable tool in forging educational development of Nigeria but that “the manipulation of religion by the elites has led to the problem that we are facing. Nigerian elite will use religion when it is convenient and at other times they may use ethnicity or some other form of identification.”

Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese Mathew Hassan Kukah lamented that religion had been used mainly for manipulative tendencies by northern elites.

“Unless we get round to defining what constitutes religion and in this particular case, the way and manner in which how the northern ruling class continues to use religion as a cover to perpetuate and subjugate the people, the problem will persist.”

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Jerusalem Lorry Attacker said to be a "IS Supporter'

Prime minister of Isreal Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that all signs reveal that the man who killed four soldiers in Jerusalem was a supporter of the Islamic state.

Even though his claims are not solidly backed by evidences, the prime minister however sounded convincing from the evidence gathered.

The police had earlier said that the event took the life of three women and a man was killed in the attack and 17 others were wounded. The attacker, identified as 28-year-old Fadi Qunbar, came from the Palestinian district of Jabel Mukaber in east Jerusalem, near to the attack site.

CCTV footage showed the truck ploughing at high speed into the soldiers, before reversing over the victims.

"He drove backward to crush more people," eyewitness Leah Schreiber told reporters. "That was really clear."

Other soldiers shot the driver dead. Nine people were arrested in a raid on his neighbourhood, including five members of his family.

Mr Netanyahu visited the site of the attack on Sunday afternoon and said: "We know that there has been a series of terror attacks.

"There definitely could be a connection between them - from France to Berlin, and now Jerusalem."

Attackers in Nice and Berlin last year used the same method of driving a lorry through a crowd.

National police Chief Roni Alseich said it was possible the driver had been motivated by last month's lorry attack in Berlin.

He said: "It is difficult to get into the head of every individual to determine what prompted him, but there is no doubt that these things do have an effect."

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NAF - We Will Stop Boko-Haram From Re-organizing Anywhere in Nigeria

The chief of air staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, has disclosed that the Nigerian Air Force will sustain aerial surveillance in the North East to stop Boko Haram terrorists from regrouping.

Abubakar stated this yesterday at the NAF Headquarters in Abuja while speaking on the activities and achievements of NAF in 2016.

The air force chief revealed that the focus of the Force in 2017 is to ensure that Boko Haram insurgents do not reorganise anywhere in Nigeria after they were chased out of Sambisa Forest, to ensure that they will not have the capacity to constitute any form of threat to troops and to communities.

He said the Force will do more in 2017 in terms of ensuring the safety of Nigerians and maintained that NAF personnel will sustain the present level of operations, with support from government.

CAS said troops on operations had been operating within the rules of engagement, adding that they adhere strictly to international laws as applicable.

He said the NAF had changed the training curricular for recruits, inculcating the respect for human rights.

Abubakar said the Force had, in 2016, expanded from four commands to five, as four commands were no longer adequate for the force.

He also revealed that NAF would recruit 5,000 non-commissioned officers  in 2017.

Earlier in his presentation, chief of administration, Air Vice Marshal

Lawal Alao had listed NAF’s multiple operations in 2016 to include ‘Operation Safe Haven’, ‘Operation Awatse’, ‘Operation Delta Safe’, ‘Operation Sharan Daji and ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’.

He said the bombing attacks and terror activities of Boko Haram in the North East, cattle rustlings/bandit activities in the North West and militant activities/oil vandalism in the South-South and South-West of the country warranted the deployment of Nigerian Armed Forces to the affected regions to restore peace and security.

Alao also stated that in 2016, 62 per cent of Intelligence missions were conducted, not only to determine the location of abducted Nigerians but to also provide battle field situational awareness for the land forces.

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