Thursday, 25 September 2014

How Army Took Down Shekau – Investigations


New details on how the impostor of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau lost his life have been revealed.
The Nigerian Army took down a commander who acted as Shekau in all the latest Boko Haram videos during a shootout in Konduga last week.
Shekau and imposter
Shekau and imposter
It is said that the deceased was ambushed by the military, the same strategy applied by the sect on the army for some time now.
The first attack on Konduga by the army surprised the militants who numbered in their hundreds.
After an extensive seven hours of fighting hundreds of insurgents lost their lives. Their arms and ammunition were also seized.
The military men had wisely forced captured members of the sect to send a message to Shekau that they (insurgents) have routed the troops.
The captured members were promised a less severe sentence if they cooperated and hence they were convinced.
READ ALSO: 
The captured insurgents had explained that Shekau normally moves in a convoy of vehicles painted in military colours, while he sits in a MOWAG armoured tank with Boko Haram inscription on its front.
Army-Capture-Boko-Haram-tank
Boko Haram’s APC captured in Konduga by soldiers
Then Shekau was called and spoken to in Arabic, reassuring him that Konduga is under the sect’s reign. These were all done with other captured men singing the victory song in Kanuri language they normally sing at the background.
This fully convinced the imposter Shekau that all is well and the message is authentic because it came from his chief courier. He took his boys along to Konduga, heavily armed with anti-aircraft weapons, general purpose machine guns, multiple Kalashnikov (AK 47) rifles and explosive devices.
As he and his members entered the town, they were ambushed by the military. Immediately he noticed something was wrong, it has already been too late.
He then ordered his men to get out of the vehicles and to start shooting in all directions.
This was enough for the army to start responding with fire, and when he understood the his guns could not overpower the infantry and artillery weaponry used by the Nigerian forces, he jumped out of the MOWAG and made to escape.
However, eagle-eyed Nigerian soldiers spotted him and opened fire, shattering his legs in the process. It was learnt that he also received bullet wounds in other parts of his body leading to his bleeding to death.
Flag of the terrorists on one of the captured vehicle by Nigerian troops in Konduga
Flag of terrorists on one of the vehicles captured by Nigerian troops in Konduga
Cameroonian military personnel had claimed to have been the ones to carry out the raid, but the Defence Headquarters yesterday dismissed the insinuation.
On their Twitter handle, the DHQ said: “There was no raid whatsoever in any part of Nigeria’s territory in pursuit of terrorists as claimed in some reports allegedly quoting Cameroon military authorities.
“All operations ongoing in the environs of Konduga & all associated border location within the country are completely being undertaken by Nigerian troops.”
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UPDATE: Journalist Close To Sect Reports Shekau Still Alive
Popular Dubai-based Nigerian journalist, Ahmed Salkida, claims that Boko Haram leaders have told him the real Abubakar Shekau is still alive and well.
Salkida is sure that the man taken down by the Nigerian troops is not the real leader of the sect.
He revealed this through his twitter handle and also reported that the group has not negotiated with the army or the Red Cross for the liberation of
The man whose dead body has been making the rounds is said to be one Mohammed Bashir. 

Saturday, 20 September 2014

So Boko Is Haram After All? By Hamza Ibrahim

The choice of the title name above may come as a surprise to some. Yes Boko is actually haram to many communities in northern Nigeria. While the much dreaded Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati popularly callled Boko Haram is killing our children, destroying our places of worship and decimating our sources of livelihood, another set of Boko Haram living in our midst – these ones, very selfish, greedy elites who show disdain to western education as a way of subjugating the masses to perpetuate the status quo reign with impunity. This is another type of Boko Haram receiving so little coverage but wrecking so much havoc.
Boko is Haram is in my local government, Dawakintofa LG Area of Kano state. Yes western education has become a sin for anybody dreaming to make himself or herself available for any elective position in that area. Dawakintofa local government is one of the oldest local governments in Kano State with a rich history, culture and entrepreneurship. The local government is blessed with vast natural and human resources.
Bordered by two major dams named Thomas to the east and Bagwai to the west, it has vast agricultural lands for irrigational farming and high quality clay for ceramic and domestic use. Dawanau market -the largest food market in West Africa and the biggest mechanic village in northern Nigeria (kwakwaci mechanic village) are located in Dawakintofa local government area. The local government stands tall in human resources. A former acting governor (Late Alhaji Abdu Dawakintofa), a former deputy governor (Engr. Magaji Abdullahi) and the current incumbent deputy governor (Dr.Abdullahi Umar Ganduje), a former surveyor general of the federation (Surveyor Muhammad Nadu Yahaya), a former elected senator of the federal republic ( Dr.MaikanoRabiu) all come from Dawakintofa local government. This in addition to several former/current state and federal commissioners, federal and state civil servants and businessmen. Despite been endowed with all these resources, the local government is left behind in terms of physical, social and other infrastructural development compared to its contemporaries like Bichi, Gwarzo and Dambatta local government areas.
From my submission above, it is doubtless that Dawakintofa is rivalled by a few local governments in northern Nigeria in terms of human and natural resources, henceforth you will agree with me, this community deserve the best in terms of quality leadership and representation at the local and federal levels. The community needs some body with vast experience and capacity in management and administration. Somebody who can effectively utilize human and capital resources to move the local government forward to achieve greatness in the field of education, healthcare, youth and women empowerment, business and farming.
Therefore, when the APC guidelines for the upcoming local government election in Kano state were spelt out, so many candidates including this writer expressed their interests to contest the chairmanship of the local government. Among the fourteen (14) candidates are seven graduates, four NCE/DIPLOMA holders and three (3) secondary school certificate holders. Four out of the seven graduates are actually having post graduate degrees in management, health management, engineering and public administration.
The expectations were high and the public opinion were full of optimism that this time around Dawakintofa would get it right considering the need to consolidate the gains recorded and sustain the legacy of honesty, transparency and efficiency represented by the Kwankwasiyya government of Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. In Dawakintofa, all the candidates were called to the house of his Excellency Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje - Kano state deputy governor. Present to witness the emergence of the candidate were the former deputy governor- Engr Magaji Abdullahi, former elected senator Dr. Maikano Rabiu, former Technical adviser, presidential task force on power, former project team lead Public works SURE-P, and currently senior special assistant to the Governor on projects Engr Muazu Magaji, former chairman Dawakintofa LGA Alhaji Saleh Kuidawa, former commissioner of transport and agriculture Alhaji Alasan Dawaki, Executive Secretary, Kano state relief agency Alhaji Ali bashir and all the caucus members of the party represented by the former executives of defunct ANPP, CPC, ACN and Kwankwasiyya. The event was chaired and moderated by the former surveyor general and current commissioner for land and physical planning Surveyor Nadu Yahaya. I am taking time mentioning all these names for you to appreciate the quality of the people that were mandated to produce a credible chairman for Dawakintofa local government. www.eujournal.org/index.php/esj/article/download/629/69
The criteria adopted by the party to choose the candidate was that of consensus and in line with this, the candidates were asked to first of all introduce themselves, their educational attainments, their experience and their plans and blueprints for Dawakintofa. All the candidates introduced themselves including the writer. The writer took time to inform the gathering about his numerous achievements including his educational attainments (the writer has three degrees), his experience in the medical and managed care including his sojourn in the pharmaceutical industry. The candidates were subsequently asked to go and sort out among themselves and produce the most acceptable and the most credible candidate. After deliberations, we arrived at AlhajiHamisuDanguguwa - a master’s degree holder, a former administrator, a current chairman of caucus APC D/tofa, a member Kano state CRC committee and Chairman revenue committee D/tofa LGA. He was elected by 11 out of the 14 candidates. He was elected not because he was the most educated among us, but because of his track record of honesty, background and experience. The outcome of our consensus election was communicated to the enlarged caucus. While some members like Eng. Muazu, Dr Maikano and Eng. MagajiAbdullahi applauded our decision and congratulated the winner, the chairman and moderator of the event Surveyor Nadu Yahaya rejected our collective decision and instead asked the enlarged caucus to proceed with fresh selection process in the absence of the majority of the candidates and other caucus members. The outcome of his election produced the least educated candidate - a secondary school certificate holder, and a drug addict.
If this is a surprise to you, events which followed will be a shocker. The chanting of "saiJahili" meaning up illiterate resonated among some of the caucus members. If the behaviour of the crowd could be forgiven due to their ignorance and low understanding of the importance of education in today's politics, what could explain the behaviour of the former surveyor general of the federation - a quantity surveyor of international refute, and a deputy governor (a phd holder)  who endorsed this criminality and illegality? When elites are openly showing disdain to western education because of their narrow interests, what do you expect from the majority of the uneducated population? This is the politics in Dawakintofa local government of Kano state and by extension politics of Northern Nigeria.
As it stands now in my local government, it is a sin to present yourself as candidate for elective position as long as you are educated. In fact, it will count as a disadvantage for educated among us to bid for elective position. But how did we arrive at this unfortunate ugly situation? Some of our leaders and elders who immensely benefited from western education free of charge at a very young age have now turned against education because of their very greedy and selfish tendencies. These very selfish old men (in their late sixtees) are toying with the lives of the majority of the population and the future of our children in order to protect their narrow, parochial interests. They have been using all the available weapons to divide and further subjugate us. They have successfully pitched the masses against the educated; the town dwellers against the rural dwellers and in the process promote mediocrity, rancour and disunity among us to perpetuate the status quo. They are promoting hatred towards any educated person attempting to climb up. See this article.
The danger here is that the majority of our uneducated population are encouraged to show contempt and disdain to western education and by extension discourage their wards from attending schools. This explain why some warfed minds are not interested in pursuing higher education since all its required is minimum of secondary school certificate to contest for elective position (this is one area our elected legislatures should look in during the amendment of constitution).
This is the legacy our educated elders are leaving for us. This is the legacy an incumbent deputy governor- who is a PHD holder, and a former surveyor general of the federation and a current commissioner are leaving for us and our children. These are people who immensely benefited from western education, but are doing all they could to jeopardize the lives of their citizens by entrusting the lives of thousands on the hand of uneducated drug addict because of their selfish political ends.
The people of Dawakintofa, Kano state and by extension the people of northern Nigeria must sit up and face these unpatriotic leaders who have outlived their usefulness and are hell bent on destroying our future and that of our children otherwise BOKO WILL BE PERMANANTLY HARAM IN OUR COMMUNITY
Hamza Ibrahim Baba writes from Abuja
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FG, Red Cross in Secret Negotiations with Boko Haram Over Chibok Girls

chibok-girls-300x194

Despite the Nigerian government’s public rejection of any prisoner swap with extremist Boko Haram sect, its officials, alongside the Red Cross, are currently in talks to trade Boko Haram militants for more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls abducted by the sect in April, the U.K. Telegraph reported Friday.

The report said Red Cross officials have held secret negotiations with top Boko Haram leaders held in Nigeria’s maximum security prisons and a list of 16 senior commanders the sect wants freed in exchange for the girls, has been drawn up. Boko Haram insurgents kidnapped over 200 girls from their school dormitory in Chibok on 14 April.

The abductions alarmed the world triggering massive campaign to secure their freedom with the United States, United Kingdom and France and other countries offering technical support.

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Nigeria Bleeds And Burns, Catholic Bishops Lament, As They Dedicate Nov 13 &14 To National All-Night Prayer

Catholic Bishops have called on the Nigerian government to do more to safeguard lives and defend the nation, reminding them that the primary duty of government is to preserve and protect the life of citizens irrespective of tribe, religion, social class or tradition. 
Catholic Bishops have called on the Nigerian government to do more to safeguard lives and defend the nation, reminding them that the primary duty of government is to preserve and protect the life of citizens irrespective of tribe, religion, social class or tradition. Catholic Bishops
The Bishops issued the appeal on Thursday at their Second Annual Plenary meeting in Warn, Delta State, and announced they are organizing a national all-night prayer to be held in Abuja on 13 and 14 November.
“It must do more than it is currently doing to fight off and disarm these actual destroyers of Nigerians and Nigeria,” it said of the federal government.  “It must do more than it is currently doing to prevent segments of our nation from drifting, anarchy and mutual self-destruction and bring criminals to justice.” 
They regretted that their meeting has been strained by first-hand and horrifying reports reaching us from Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Kano and Kaduna states about the mass slaughter of fellow Nigerians; the burning and sacking of whole villages and churches and rectories. Families and individuals are forced to seek places of refuge outside their invaded homes and lands.
“As Nigeria tragically bleeds and burns, we Bishops are really alarmed at the scale of human, material destruction, and the disruption of village and community life with increased levels of hatred and potentials for more conflicts in the nation. While Muslims are sometimes targets of these destructive attacks, Christians Churches and non- Muslims in general are the principal targets for extermination, expropriation and expulsion by the Boko Haram insurgents, the perpetrators of all these destructions.”
They called on Nigerians to recognize the grave danger facing every citizen and Nigeria from within and from without.
“The issue is not about who becomes president or governor or senator after the 2015 General Elections,” the statement said. “The issue is about the life and security of every one of us who loves his or her life and really cares about our living together in peace as noble Nigerians.”
They therefore urged all citizens to support and encourage every positive effort by the current government to protect every Nigerian and defend the integrity and unity of Nigeria, and to equally take lawful measures locally to prevent the destruction of fellow Nigerians and ward off Nigeria’s destroyers.
They Bishops said they have mandated their CARITAS (charity/emergency) office to immediately provide funds and succor to all affected peoples as is within their capacity.
They also urged governments and every endowed Nigerian to reach out in charity and solidarity to rehabilitate and support our displaced brothers and sisters wherever they are and so sustain our God-given human dignity.
The statement was signed by the Most Rev. Ignatius Ayau Kaigama and the Most Rev. William Avenya, the President and Secretary respectively, of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria.

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

National Security Adviser’s Office Fingered In Arms Purchase Scandal, As Oritsejafor Admits Ownership Of Jet

A source in Abuja said some intelligence professionals were questioning the propriety of using cash and secretive means to purchase weapons. “The use of raw cash by government to buy weapons abroad is not appropriate. Look at all the embarrassment now,” said the source. “It’s the kind of system used by criminals and shady organizations,” he added. 
The office of the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, has been fingered in the bungled arms purchase deal that involved two yet-to-identified Nigerians and an Abuja-based Israeli man, Eyal Mesika. In a series of interviews, Nigerian security sources told SaharaReporters that the men caught in South Africa with cash of close to $10 million had ties to the NSA’s office.
Challenger 600 private jet with registration number N808HG
The Nigerian government has maintained a curious silence since the scandal broke on September 5 when South African law enforcement agents confiscated $9.3 million from two Nigerian private jets that landed at Lanseria Airport in Johannesburg. However, a source in the Presidency told SaharaReporters that the government had reached out to South Africa and explained that the arms purchase deal had Abuja’s official approval. Despite such assurances, the deal has continued to raise dust and trigger questions.
A source in Abuja said some intelligence professionals were questioning the propriety of using cash and secretive means to purchase weapons. “The use of raw cash by government to buy weapons abroad is not appropriate. Look at all the embarrassment now,” said the source. “It’s the kind of system used by criminals and shady organizations,” he added.
SaharaReporters reached Mr. Mesika by phone today in Abuja, but he said he had no intention of speaking about the gun purchase affair. He claimed that his trip to South Africa was to buy a “private helicopter,” but declined to answer further questions put to him by our reporter.
Court documents filed by South African prosecutors in order to obtain a freeze order for the cash differ from Mr. Mesika’s account.
A spokesman for South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority disclosed that the country’s investigators found the Nigerian arms buyers with invoices from two South African firms called Tier One and ESD. The invoices were for armaments and a helicopter.
According to South Africa’s CityPress, “In court papers, the NPA submitted evidence that Tier One is not registered with the National Conventional Arms Control Committee and is thus not authorized to enter into any agreements regarding the sale and/or rental of military equipment.”
The paper further revealed, “The agreement between Tier One and ESD was concluded on September 8, three days after the money was seized at Lanseria.”
Meanwhile Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, whose private jet was used in the transactions, has admitted to owning the Bombardier Challenger 600 jet used in ferrying cash to South Africa. Mike Awe, a media representative for the flamboyant pastor, who is also the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), spoke to SaharaReporters and confirmed that the jet belongs to Mr. Oritsejafor. “I can confirm to you that Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor owns the jet,” Mr. Awe said in a phone conversation with SaharaReporters.
Mr. Awe said Mr. Oritsejafor was currently indisposed, adding that the pastor, who is a close confidant of President Goodluck Jonathan, had leased the jet to a third party company for use in air jet charters. He said Mr. Oritsejafor did not personally have knowledge of the trip to South Africa.
Mr. Oritsejafor’s ownership of the jet has raised several questions. One is that the plane seized by South African officials is actually registered in the US for use only as a private jet, not for commercial purposes. Another issue is whether Pastor Oritsejafor owns more than one jet. In 2012, members of his congregation presented him with the gift of a jet. However, the registration number of the jet detained by South African authorities differs from the registration details for the jet purchased by Mr. Oritsejafor’s congregants. In response to criticism of his acquisition of a private jet, the pastor had argued that he needed the jet to enable him to travel widely for events related to his ministry. The question then is whether the commercial leasing of a private jet is part of Mr. Oritsejafor’s ministry.
Mr. Awe was unable to respond to whether the pastor owns more than one jet. He stated that he could not reach Mr. Oritsejafor for clarification of the matter

Nigerian Troops Parade With An APC Captured From Boko Haram Fighters In Maiduguri 

Nigerian soldiers returning from a successful routing of Boko Haram militants in Konduga near Maiduguri jubilate on the streets of the state capital celebrating the capture of an Armed Personnel Carrier (APC) with the insignia of the militants' sect. Nigerian army captures Boko Haram's APC in Konduga 

Monday, 25 August 2014


Jonathan Is Not Sick —Presidency

As against news that went round during the weekend about the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, has declared that the reports are just  “the figments of the writers’ imagination.”
Punch reports that Reuben Abati made it known through a phone call that the President is just on a private visit to Germany and that all the reports about the president being sick is just one of the plots of the opposing party to mislead people concerning what is happening to the President.
Reuben Abati went further to say , was evidence enough to know that the President in not sick.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity said:  “Before leaving Nigeria, I issued a statement that the President will be embarking on a private visit to Germany with a few of his aides. “On Saturday, I sent out a statement that the President spoke with the Falconets on the telephone. I also sent out the video and audio of his conversation with the players where he promised to stay awake and watch the final match. “The NTA and some other broadcasting stations aired the video and audio.Continue reading
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Tuesday, 12 August 2014


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Nigeria Politics 'I Don't Need to be Threatened Before I Perform my Duties' President Jonathan Tells Northern Elders

Discussion in 'Political News' started by Lequte, Today at 5:34 PM.
  1. Lequte
    Aggressive

    Lequte Senior Member

    President Goodluck Jonathan according to #Punch has said no group can threaten him before he will perform his official duties.

    Excerpt:

    The northern elders were of the opinion the military can defeat the Boko Haram terrorists – if, indeed, the government wants to subdue the sect.

    President Jonathan, who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant to the President, Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said he was already working on how to rescue the abducted girls.

    “President Jonathan does not require any threat or ultimatum from any group of persons to be alive to his responsibilities to the Nigerian People.”

    He added that the issue of insurgency, especially those ideologically based on Islamic extremism was a global phenomenon, which he said required tact, military capability, serious de-radicalisation techniques and community based counter insurgency programmes to ensure success.

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Ana tsangwamar masu hijabi a Kano

An sabunta: 12 ga Agusta, 2014 - An wallafa a 00:53 GMT
Yankin da aka kai hari a Kano
Yankin da aka kai hari a Kano
Tun bayan da wasu 'yan mata suka kai wasu hare-haren kunar bakin-wake a jihar Kano dake arewacin Nijeriya, jama'a suka fara dari-dari da duk wasu 'yan matan dake sanye da hijabi.
Hakan dai ta sa wasu 'yan matan da suke sanya Hijabi suke fuskantar tsangwama da kyama, yayinda wasu kuma suka ce sun dakatar da sanya hijabi a yanzu.
Mutane dai na cewa suna nuna rashin amincewar ne kasancewar duka 'yan matan da suka kai hare-haren kunar bakin-wake a watan jiya suna sanye da hijabai ne.
Yanzu haka dai ana sa ido da binciken kwakwaf ga duk wata mace musamman matashiya dake sanye da hijibi a kasunni da ofisoshi a Kano.

Kari a kan wannan labari