DEVELOPING STORY: Unconfirmed Number of Chibok girls freed

A yet unclear number of the Chibok girls kidnapped by the extremist Boko Haram sect in April have been released, officials said.

A top military source said two Toyota Hiace buses loaded with the girls were driven into the Maimalari Barracks, the headquarters of the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, this evening.

When contacted, Defence Spokesperson, Chris Olukolade, confirmed the development.

He said the exercise was still ongoing and that appropriate statement would be made soon.

The over 200 girls, mostly teenagers, were kidnapped from their secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, on April 14.

Details of the negotiation that led to the release of the girls is unclear at this time. Mr. Olukolade said such details would only be provided later.

Details later…

Credit: Premium Times

APC a party with Janjaweed ideology has been promoting terrorism – PDP

NATIONAL leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP yesterday alleged that National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the leadership of the party and the party structure were frustrating efforts by the Federal Government to contain the lingering cases of Boko Haram insurgency with many killed regularly and property worth millions of naira destroyed. 

In a statement yesterday by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the PDP also accused the APC of being a party made up of desperate politicians who support violence in all its ramifications.

Metuh described the statement by the leadership of APC on statement made by Australian, Dr. Stephen Davis as completely lacking in validity, character and intellectual content befitting the chairman of a political party.

The PDP spokesman said:

“The Peoples Democratic Party has noted yet another failed image laundering stunt by the APC wherein its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun cheapened his office and person by attempting to use an unempirical statement by Australian Dr. Stephen Davis, to absolve his party of blames for promoting insurgency in the country.

“Whilst we recognize the right of citizens to hold and canvass opinions in a democratic setting such as guaranteed under the PDP-led administration, we hold, and strongly too that such rights must be properly and respectably exercised.

“It is therefore shocking and worrisome that the APC National Chairman, Oyegun, in a frenzied effort to extricate his party, rather than exonerate the APC has reinforced and underscored its true identity as a party of desperate politicians supportive of violence and disunity through their utterances and body language, a fact that is already well known to all Nigerians.

“In trying to stand the truth on its head, Oyegun has succeeded in further exposing the desperation of the APC to launder its image through renewed propaganda and blackmail, a project which has already failed.

“If not to achieve the self-serving purpose of exonerating the APC, why would Oyegun’s statement choose to be silent on the revelation by Davis that some people opposed to President Goodluck Jonathan used their connections with Boko Haram to frustrate his efforts?

“We also wonder why the APC has chosen to ignore some of the revealing aspects of Dr. Davis’ interview concerning Boko Haram’s funding and sponsorship. Is it because they are not favourable to them?

“While not holding brief for anybody, it is clear to every discerning mind that Oyegun’s statement, with all intent and purpose is yet another decoy to frustrate genuine efforts at finding solutions to the security challenges we face as a nation to the advantage of the APC whose penchant to use the promotion of violence as tool to achieve political control is well known to all.

“Nigerians may recall the frenzy with which the APC fought against moves by the British Parliament to investigate its involvement with terrorist elements as well as to divert attention from their meetings outside the shores of our country in their bid to promote insurgency in Nigeria.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to restate that we stand by our statements that the APC as a party with a Janjaweed ideology has been promoting insurgency and acts of terrorism through the actions and utterances of its leaders. Indeed, no amount of blackmail or propaganda can erase this truth.

“Nigerians have since noted the pattern and timing of violent attacks against our people which betray a trend tailored against the PDP and the Federal Government and provide impetus for the APC to find a voice and thrive. They know that it has become a recurring decimal that whenever the PDP or the Federal Government records or is about to record a major milestone, insurgents launch attacks on the people.

“Oyegun must understand that Nigerians know the APC for what it truly is and can no longer be hoodwinked by propaganda, blackmail and tactical misrepresentation. He should therefore stop debasing his office by struggling for media space with his National Publicity Secretary.

“It is indeed disheartening that the APC National Chairman has continued to disparage his office and age by making series of unguarded and inflammatory utterances and issuing statements laced with fabrications and wild allegations while leading his party like a frustrated rebel group desperate for political control; and whose understanding of opposition is crass unruliness and a culture of irresponsibility.

“Chief Oyegun has only succeeded in disappointing many Nigerians who thought his coming to office will result in a more responsible and constructive opposition. Instead, the reprehensible image of APC as a party that has nothing good to offer has worsened under him.”

 VANGUARD

 

Official: Militants asked $132.5 million ransom

 A U.S. official says the Islamic State militants who beheaded American journalist James Foley in Syria had demanded $132.5 million — or 100 million Euros— in ransom for his release.

A second U.S. official says the demands were sent in emails to Foley’s family in New Hampshire. Both officials spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ransom demands by name.

Separately, Foley’s former employer said that the militants first demanded the money late last year.

GlobalPost CEO Philip Balboni also indicated that European governments paid far less to have the Islamic State release their hostages.

U.S. policy prohibits the government negotiating with terrorists, including paying ransom.

A video of Foley’s beheading was released on websites Tuesday

Source AP

Gwoza: Special Forces clear terrorists’ siege on communities

Though the Defence Headquarters has kept sealed-lips on the alleged take-over of Gwoza by the Boko Haram insurgents, it said on Thursday that the Special Forces are on the trail of terrorists who have been attacking Gwoza and surrounding localities since Tuesday causing the death of many civilians.

The Defence Headquarters said “the troops were involved in manoeuvres to apprehend terrorists who have been attacking Gwoza and surrounding localities since Tuesday, causing the death of many civilians.”

It equally doused the apprehension of residents of Delwa, Mustafari, Manga, Wanga and Damboa who have been under the terrorists’ siege, saying the troops have cleared the communities of the terrorists.

“Special Forces in the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign have cleared Delwa, Mustafari, Manga, Wanga and Damboa of terrorists who have been rampaging in the communities.

“The special operation which began early in the week is meant to restore law and order to the area and apprehend all terrorists who have been operating in the locality.

“The operation which has so far lasted 40 hours has dove-tailed into the mop up phase during which the remnants of insurgents are being cleared from the communities.

“The mop up phase will also ascertain the casualties as additional efforts are also being made to ensure the protection of innocent civilians during the operation,” the DHQ stated.

Kano Bombings Traced to Female Beggars

Military denies use of Chibok girls

Current intelligence reports on the emergence of female suicide bombers mostly in Kano and other states in northern Nigeria have been linked to the possible conscription of female beggars by Boko Haram members, investigations by THISDAY have revealed.

THISDAY learnt from reliable security sources in Abuja that the female beggars were banned and relocated outside the Kano metropolis by the state government sometime last year but were quickly recruited by the terrorists to disperse the attacks across Kano, Yobe and Gombe States, while the male recruits and Boko Haram members hold sway in Borno State.

A military source, while dismissing the suggestion that some of the suicide bombers might be the abducted Chibok girls, added that some of the female suicide bombers who had been used by the terrorists might have been unaware that they were being strapped with deadly explosives.

The source said: “They are not the Chibok girls and secondly, some of those girls might not really know they were strapped. Don’t forget that the Kano State Government sometime early this year or late last year banned and drove out beggars from the city.

“Now the question you should ask is where are those girls who were begging?. Could they have gone back to their various places or have they been hiding somewhere or they are the ones being recruited by Boko Haram to carry out these attacks?.

“Our findings show that these women are easy to recruit and have fallen prey to Boko Haram members who have lured them with a few naira notes. They may also be ignorant of what they are being asked to do.”

In addition to the suspicion that female beggars may have been conscripted into the sect by Boko Haram members, security sources said they were also working on the possibility that the female suicide bombers might be the wives of slain or arrested members of the Islamic sect who have been indoctrinated and brainwashed to take revenge on behalf of their husbands.
Speaking to THISDAY on the issue yesterday, the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said while the use of female suicide bombers was consistent with the terrorists’ murderous behaviour, the involvement of the abducted Chibok girls in suicide attacks had not been confirmed.

Olukolade said: “We can only subscribe to this claim if ongoing intelligence and surveillance activities in relation to efforts to recover the girls indicated such a development.”

He maintained that the involvement of the Chibok girls in suicide bombings remained speculative that needed to be proven.

Following the failed suicide bombing at a military facility in Gombe State by a female bomber in June, the military last month arrested three suspected female terrorists who it alleged had been secretly recruiting ladies into the female wing of the terrorist group.

Speaking on the development, the Deputy Director of Defence Information, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, had said the suspects, Hafsat Usman Bako, Zainab Idris and Aisha Abubakar, were intercepted while travelling to Madagali from where they were to transit to the forest to reunite with their cohorts.

He revealed that the suspects, led by Bako, had been assigned to recruit members into the female wing as well as conduct espionage for the group.
Nwachukwu said the arrested suspects were luring ladies especially widows and young girls by enticing them with male suitors who are mainly members of their terror group for marriage.

Source: THISDAY

Boko Haram suicide mission: Military traces explosives’ source to Chinese factory in Cameroon

…May launch full-scale war against Boko Haram before December

The military has traced some of the explosives being used by Boko Haram female suicide bombers to a Chinese factory which was seized some weeks ago by the sect.

Also, preliminary findings revealed that some of the teenage bombers were not aware that they were on suicide mission.

It was learnt that most of the girls were lured on errands without knowing the import of their mission.

But there were feelers last night that the Federal Government may direct the military to wage a full-scale battle against the sect in Sambisa Forest before the December deadline given by the National Council of State.

According to a military source, who spoke in confidence, the military and other security agencies have started probing the increase in suicide bombings by Boko Haram and sources of the Improvised Explosive Devices which were mostly remote controlled.

The source claimed that one of the clues stumbled upon by the military traced the explosives to a Chinese plant which was attacked by Boko Haram in May.

The sect had attacked a quarry plant of a Chinese road construction firm in Northern Cameroon near Waza town, which is about 20 kilometres to Sambisa Forest.

Apart from abducting 10 Chinese workers, many blasting materials were carted away by the insurgents.

The military source said: “”The military and security agencies have started probing how the insurgents came about the massive IEDs being deployed to attack various institutions and locations.

“We have done analysis of some samples of the fragments of the IEDs used to attack some of these places.

The initial part of the investigation showed that some of the explosives forcibly evacuated from the Chinese plant in May were being used for the ongoing suicide mission.

“The second leg of the ongoing probe borders on the need to find out whether some of the IEDs also came from some of the allies of the sect in other countries like the Taliban, Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb and others.

“But certainly investigation is in progress in order to nip the spate of suicide bombings in the bud.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “Findings also confirmed that some of the female suicide bombers were innocently conscripted to run errands they were not aware of.

“Once the girls were sent on errands, the sect members used to stay somewhere to use remote control to detonate the IEDs.

“This development does not rule out the possibility of the training of some of the female bombers for the missions.

“We are studying all bends to the new tricks of bombing before it assumes a large scale dimension.

On the December deadline given by the National Council of State to end the insurgency in the North, the source added: “We are working to address the security challenges before the timeline.

“The deadline presupposes that we will wage a full-scale battle against the insurgents without minding the collateral damage.

“Once the presidency gives the directive, the military will have no option than to launch an outright war against the insurgents in Sambisa Forest or wherever is their base.

“I think we have reached a stage to either address the insurgency or allow the situation to degenerate.”

AFRICA: Somali MP shot dead outside mosque by al-Shabab

 

Al-Shabab is fighting the government to create an Islamic state in Somalia

A Somali MP has been assassinated in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu – the fifth parliamentarian to be killed this year.

Aden Madeer was shot when he left a mosque in the city after Friday prayers, witnesses said.

The Islamist militant group al-Shabab told the BBC it carried out the assassination.

The al-Qaeda aligned militants said they would continue to target MPs who supported the UN-backed government.

Mr Madeer was the chairman of the parliamentary finance committee.

Last month, popular musician and MP Saado Ali Warsame was shot dead by al-Shabab gunmen.

“The murder of MPs is an attempt to intimidate and undermine those working to build a better Somalia. Their killers will not achieve that objective,” UN envoy Nicholas Kay said in a statement.

“I commend Somalia’s MPs for their courage and dedication in the face of continued attacks against them,” he said.

Al-Shabab advocates the strict Saudi-inspired Wahhabi version of Islam and is battling the government to create an Islamic state.

Some 22,000 African Union troops are helping the government try to win back territory from the group.

They have taken back several key cities over the last three years, but al-Shabab still controls many smaller towns and rural areas of the country – and regularly launches attacks in Mogadishu.

Breaking News: 15 feared killed as gunmen sack Rivers Communities

15 feared killed as gunmen sack Rivers communities

JULY 31, 2014 BY CHUKWUDI AKASIKE, PORT HARCOURT

No fewer than 15 persons were feared killed in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State by some rampaging gunmen.

The gunmen, numbering about 12, stormed seven communities in the local government area and opened fire on unsuspecting persons.

It was gathered that the assailants, who were all armed with AK-47 rifles, rode into the area with six motorcycles and operated from 9pm on Wednesday till the early hours of Thursday.

A source in the are told The PUNCH that while three persons were shot dead in Ede, one of the communities in the area, one person lost his life in Obite.

In Egite community, two persons were killed by the trigger-happy gunmen while two others were injured.

The source told our correspondent that four persons were shot at close range in Egita community while one also died in Obiosimiri community during the raid.

“In Akabta community, the gunmen killed one person and injured an undisclosed number of people. So far, 15 persons were killed during the night raid by the gunmen.

“They (gunmen) began their operation at about 9pm on Wednesday night till early this (Thursday) morning. As I speak with you, some of our people, who were injured, are in the hospital,” the source from Egi clan in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni added.

The State Police Commissioner, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin, confirmed the attack but said eight people were killed.

Ogunsakin added that investigations into the killings had begun.

Culled from Punch News

Islamic cleric vows to prevent Boko Haram

The Chief Imam of Abia State, Sheikh Ali Ukiwo, has said that he and other Muslims would prevent Boko Haram insurgents from invading the state.

Speaking in Umuahia when he led a delegation of the Muslim faithful to Governor Theodore Orji for a Sallah homage, Ukiwo said Boko Haram is un-Islamic.

He added that the Muslim community would support the governor to fight the insurgency.

Ukiwo noted that the assurance became necessary, following anxiety and speculations in the state that members of the terror group had infiltrated Abia and other Southeast states.

He decried the activities of the sect.

Don’t politicise attack on Buhari – Presidency

The Presidency has cautioned the political class against politicising Wednesday’s bomb attacks targeted at former Head of State, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari.

Speaking in Abuja on Friday, the Political Adviser to the President, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, said resorting to blame game could be counter productive to the war against terrorism.

Alkali sympathised with Buhari over the attack, saying it was by providence that the nation was saved the trauma of having the former head of state come to harm.
Alkali said: “I want to express my sincere concern over what happened to our former head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. You all recall two or three days ago there was an attempted attack on his life and that of another senior citizen, Sheik Dahiru Bauchi in Kaduna.

“It is by the grace of God that today the lives of these two senior citizens were spared. We want to thank God for saving them and for saving this country from the trauma of what could have happened if the people behind it had achieved their objective.

“I want to also state that in a season like this, the usual thing is what has become the popular culture of blame game. I don’t think anybody in this country would be associated with such thing in any way or form.

“Therefore, those who want to trivialise or personalise these issues by attributing it to this government or the leadership of this government in any form, directly or indirectly, should desist from that.

“This government is committed to the security of this nation, it is committed to lasting peace in this country and Mr. President is deeply committed to bringing stability in our political environment.

“We should not over dramatise these issues. All of us must come together, we have a collective responsibility to protect and defend our country. This is not a time for politicising issues.

“Security matters are not for politicians. There are people who have been trained and who are responsible for security. We cannot do their job for them; they should be allowed to do their job.

“We should also desist from any attempt that will weaken the institutions of government, especially security agencies who are doing very well in containing the situation.”

Source: The Nation