2015-02-02 13:17
Maiduguri - Residents of Maiduguri on Sunday commended the
military for successfully repelling another round of insurgents' attacks
on Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.
The insurgents had launched an early morning multiple attacks on Maiduguri-Biu road and
Maiduguri-Ngala road within Maiduguri metropolis before they were repelled by the military.
Jubrin
Gunda, a legal practitioner in Maiduguri town, said that the military
had lived up to the expectations by its gallantry efforts in repelling
the attacks.
Gunda, who is also the Secretary of a
vigilante group, called Civilian JTF, said that the gallantry of the
military boosted the morale of the members of his vigilance group in
rendering support to the military operation.
"The bravery of the military encouraged our boys to support them (military) in quelling the attacks.
"I think, they (military) deserve commendation.''
Gunda said that hundreds of the insurgents were killed during the encounter with the military, which lasted for hours.
Modu
Wallama, a Maiduguri-based businessman, also applauded the military for
gallantry and urged the military to sustain the tempo in fighting the
insurgents.
Commenting on the feat achieved by the
military, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, the Director of Defence
Information, in Maiduguri, confirmed that the military had successfully
repelled the attacks.
Monday, 2 February 2015
Buhari threatens to sue NTA, AIT over hate broadcasts
2015-02-02 13:17Abuja - The Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress
(APC) General Muhammadu Buhari, has threatened to sue the Nigerian
Television Authority (NTA) and the African Independent Television (AIT)
for airing hate broadcasts against his personality, Daily Post reports.
Buhari insisted that the two television stations must not only retract the “hate documentaries,” but also issue a public apology to him.
He said he had petitioned the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) asking them to investigate both NTA and AIT over the hate broadcasts and take necessary punitive actions.
This is coming on a day the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, cautioned all broadcasting stations operating in the country to adhere strictly to the provisions of the broadcasting code or risk sanctions.
Read more at Daily Post
Buhari insisted that the two television stations must not only retract the “hate documentaries,” but also issue a public apology to him.
He said he had petitioned the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) asking them to investigate both NTA and AIT over the hate broadcasts and take necessary punitive actions.
This is coming on a day the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, cautioned all broadcasting stations operating in the country to adhere strictly to the provisions of the broadcasting code or risk sanctions.
Read more at Daily Post
Police begin investigations over war threats
2015-02-02 14:06
Abuja - The Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, said on Sunday that the force had begun investigation into inflammatory statements allegedly made some Niger-Delta ex-militants.
Abba said this while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after the inauguration of some operational vehicles for police by President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.
However, he said that not every incident warrant arrest.
"Do not forget it is not at every instance you arrest someone, sometimes, the best you do is to prepare yourselves, get your evidence first.
"When you have your evidence, then you go into arrest. Arrest should normally come after the investigations, investigations are ongoing,’’ he said.
On whether the police need formal complaint on those statements, Abba said that the force did not need any formal complaint.
"I am not aware that any of my officers have said that you require complaint over that inflammatory statements by ex-militants.
"Like I said investigations are going on, when it is the time to arrest, we will effect arrest,’’ the I-G said.
On political thuggery, Abba said that all those involved in the act during political campaign rallies had been arrested, except the incidents in Rivers state, which were still being investigated.
There is no single incident during political rallies that arrests have not been made, except like I said earlier one or two incidents in Rivers, which investigation is still going on.
Abuja - The Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, said on Sunday that the force had begun investigation into inflammatory statements allegedly made some Niger-Delta ex-militants.
Abba said this while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after the inauguration of some operational vehicles for police by President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.
However, he said that not every incident warrant arrest.
"Do not forget it is not at every instance you arrest someone, sometimes, the best you do is to prepare yourselves, get your evidence first.
"When you have your evidence, then you go into arrest. Arrest should normally come after the investigations, investigations are ongoing,’’ he said.
On whether the police need formal complaint on those statements, Abba said that the force did not need any formal complaint.
"I am not aware that any of my officers have said that you require complaint over that inflammatory statements by ex-militants.
"Like I said investigations are going on, when it is the time to arrest, we will effect arrest,’’ the I-G said.
On political thuggery, Abba said that all those involved in the act during political campaign rallies had been arrested, except the incidents in Rivers state, which were still being investigated.
There is no single incident during political rallies that arrests have not been made, except like I said earlier one or two incidents in Rivers, which investigation is still going on.
Boko Haram attacks spike as Nigeria vote looms
2015-02-02 14:38
Lagos - Nigeria on Monday braced for fresh Boko Haram attacks
ahead of this month's elections, with the key city of Maiduguri in the
firing line and forces from Chad and Cameroon joining the regional
fight.
A weekend of violence saw the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, hit for the second Sunday in a row, but Nigerian Army soldiers, helped by civilian vigilantes, managed to keep the militants at bay.
The border town of Gamboru, on Borno's eastern fringe, meanwhile was pounded by artillery fire and from the air by Chadian jets, as troops massed in Cameroon for a possible ground offensive.
The increase in both militant and military activity reflects growing fears over the Islamists' threat to regional security and crucial elections scheduled for 14 February.
Security analysts believe Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram, will likely be hit again before polling day, given its symbolism for the group and because it would undermine the vote, which it sees as "un-Islamic".
"The insurgents had long denounced elections as a pagan practice incompatible with the Islamic state and they had vowed they would never allow democracy to thrive in the region," said Nnamdi Obasi, from the International Crisis Group.
"So, it was predictable they would step up attacks to pre-empt the coming elections, particularly in Maiduguri, and we may not have seen the end yet," he told AFP.
Regional force
Boko Haram was founded in 2002 in Maiduguri, which is currently home to hundreds of thousands of people displaced by violence elsewhere in Nigeria's far northeast in the last six years.
The militants are in control of most of the state and have effectively surrounded the city, which is seen as one of the few places left in Borno where voting could feasibly still take place.
Turn-out could be affected if large numbers desert the city, which with other areas in the northeast is a main opposition stronghold.
Capturing Maiduguri would not only be a morale-booster for the rebels but also likely sink President Goodluck Jonathan's re-election bid once and for all, said Obasi.
Chad's offensive comes after the African Union and United Nations last week backed a new 7 500-strong, five-nation force to tackle Boko Haram.
Nigeria's military maintains that N'Djamena's involvement is part of the existing agreement with Chad and Niger for their troops to assist in the counter-insurgency.
Chad and Niger had withdrawn their troops from the multi-national base at Baga, in northern Borno, last year, leaving only Nigerian soldiers to defend the town when it was attacked on 3 January.
That led some to assume the existing force was dead in the water but the devastating strike on Baga, in which hundreds or more were feared killed, appears to have jolted it into action.
Chadian jets last week bombed the Boko Haram-controlled town of Malam Fatori, near the border with Niger.
Two fronts
Jonathan, who has been criticised for failing to end the violence, could be hoping for a political bounce from any military successes in the tight election campaign, even at this late stage.
But Mark Schroeder, from security and political analysts Stratfor, believes that allowing foreign forces to operate on Nigerian soil would be counter-productive to him and the country.
"This is essentially absolving Nigeria of its long-standing geopolitical strength as the region's hegemon able to assist internal and pan-West African security stability," he said.
Schroeder, the group's vice-president for Africa analysis, also considered Nigerian Army operations no more than "forays", adding that a sustained effort was needed to claw back territory.
Boko Haram's attacks on Maiduguri may be designed to draw the Nigerian Army to defend the city, allowing the group to mount strikes elsewhere in the northeast and defend eastern positions.
Ryan Cummings, chief Africa analyst at risk consultants Red24, suggested the last two strikes may have been preliminary tests of the city's defences.
"Boko Haram is currently in its most advantageous tactical position to launch a large-scale offensive on Maiduguri, with the intent of actually capturing the city," he said.
"This could be the preamble to such a push. I still remain sceptical as to whether Boko Haram has the resources to either capture or hold a city the size of Maiduguri.
"But the sect may well be planning to give it a go."
AFP
A weekend of violence saw the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, hit for the second Sunday in a row, but Nigerian Army soldiers, helped by civilian vigilantes, managed to keep the militants at bay.
The border town of Gamboru, on Borno's eastern fringe, meanwhile was pounded by artillery fire and from the air by Chadian jets, as troops massed in Cameroon for a possible ground offensive.
The increase in both militant and military activity reflects growing fears over the Islamists' threat to regional security and crucial elections scheduled for 14 February.
Security analysts believe Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram, will likely be hit again before polling day, given its symbolism for the group and because it would undermine the vote, which it sees as "un-Islamic".
"The insurgents had long denounced elections as a pagan practice incompatible with the Islamic state and they had vowed they would never allow democracy to thrive in the region," said Nnamdi Obasi, from the International Crisis Group.
"So, it was predictable they would step up attacks to pre-empt the coming elections, particularly in Maiduguri, and we may not have seen the end yet," he told AFP.
Regional force
Boko Haram was founded in 2002 in Maiduguri, which is currently home to hundreds of thousands of people displaced by violence elsewhere in Nigeria's far northeast in the last six years.
The militants are in control of most of the state and have effectively surrounded the city, which is seen as one of the few places left in Borno where voting could feasibly still take place.
Turn-out could be affected if large numbers desert the city, which with other areas in the northeast is a main opposition stronghold.
Capturing Maiduguri would not only be a morale-booster for the rebels but also likely sink President Goodluck Jonathan's re-election bid once and for all, said Obasi.
Chad's offensive comes after the African Union and United Nations last week backed a new 7 500-strong, five-nation force to tackle Boko Haram.
Nigeria's military maintains that N'Djamena's involvement is part of the existing agreement with Chad and Niger for their troops to assist in the counter-insurgency.
Chad and Niger had withdrawn their troops from the multi-national base at Baga, in northern Borno, last year, leaving only Nigerian soldiers to defend the town when it was attacked on 3 January.
That led some to assume the existing force was dead in the water but the devastating strike on Baga, in which hundreds or more were feared killed, appears to have jolted it into action.
Chadian jets last week bombed the Boko Haram-controlled town of Malam Fatori, near the border with Niger.
Two fronts
Jonathan, who has been criticised for failing to end the violence, could be hoping for a political bounce from any military successes in the tight election campaign, even at this late stage.
But Mark Schroeder, from security and political analysts Stratfor, believes that allowing foreign forces to operate on Nigerian soil would be counter-productive to him and the country.
"This is essentially absolving Nigeria of its long-standing geopolitical strength as the region's hegemon able to assist internal and pan-West African security stability," he said.
Schroeder, the group's vice-president for Africa analysis, also considered Nigerian Army operations no more than "forays", adding that a sustained effort was needed to claw back territory.
Boko Haram's attacks on Maiduguri may be designed to draw the Nigerian Army to defend the city, allowing the group to mount strikes elsewhere in the northeast and defend eastern positions.
Ryan Cummings, chief Africa analyst at risk consultants Red24, suggested the last two strikes may have been preliminary tests of the city's defences.
"Boko Haram is currently in its most advantageous tactical position to launch a large-scale offensive on Maiduguri, with the intent of actually capturing the city," he said.
"This could be the preamble to such a push. I still remain sceptical as to whether Boko Haram has the resources to either capture or hold a city the size of Maiduguri.
"But the sect may well be planning to give it a go."
AFP
More bodies to return from Nigeria
2015-02-02 14:31
Pretoria - Families of the 11 victims of the Nigerian church
building collapse whose bodies remain in that country almost five months
after the disaster, will know on Tuesday which of them will be returned
this week.
"A SANDF [SA National Defence Force] C130 aircraft with a repatriation team is departing to Lagos to bring [back] the mortal remains of those that have been positively identified," Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe told reporters in Pretoria on Monday.
However, it would not be clear until Tuesday if all or only some of the bodies will be coming home.
"Our repatriation team is leaving [today] at 15:00 for Lagos, where they will be meeting the Nigerian authorities for purposes of repatriation. When they land later this evening or tomorrow [Tuesday], we'll know precisely how many South Africans will be repatriated," Radebe said.
He noted the process of identifying the bodies was not led by the South African government.
"All the verification and the testing is done by the Nigerian authorities. Ours is to provide the necessary information to ensure that the process is finally concluded.
"So tomorrow, we will know for certain how many will be repatriated."
In constant communication
Eighty-one South Africans were among the 116 people who died on 12 September last year when a guest house belonging to the Synagogue Church Of All Nations in Lagos - headed by preacher TB Joshua - collapsed.
Seventy-four bodies - including four foreign nationals - were returned to South Africa last November.
Responding to a question, Radebe said the government was in continuous communication with the 11 families.
"If and when we get the full briefing [on Tuesday] from our NATJOINTS [National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure] team in Nigeria, our team will be informing the South African families about the identities."
The plane would return on Wednesday, and was likely to touch down in the early hours of Thursday morning at Waterkloof Air Force Base, at about 01:00 or 02:00.
The bodies would be transported to the nearest government mortuaries ahead of release to the families.
Radebe said the government had been working "tirelessly" with the Nigerian authorities over the past two months to try and identify the remaining 11 South Africans.
"Fresh [DNA] samples were collected from the 11 families for further verification tests," he said.
SAPA
"A SANDF [SA National Defence Force] C130 aircraft with a repatriation team is departing to Lagos to bring [back] the mortal remains of those that have been positively identified," Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe told reporters in Pretoria on Monday.
However, it would not be clear until Tuesday if all or only some of the bodies will be coming home.
"Our repatriation team is leaving [today] at 15:00 for Lagos, where they will be meeting the Nigerian authorities for purposes of repatriation. When they land later this evening or tomorrow [Tuesday], we'll know precisely how many South Africans will be repatriated," Radebe said.
He noted the process of identifying the bodies was not led by the South African government.
"All the verification and the testing is done by the Nigerian authorities. Ours is to provide the necessary information to ensure that the process is finally concluded.
"So tomorrow, we will know for certain how many will be repatriated."
In constant communication
Eighty-one South Africans were among the 116 people who died on 12 September last year when a guest house belonging to the Synagogue Church Of All Nations in Lagos - headed by preacher TB Joshua - collapsed.
Seventy-four bodies - including four foreign nationals - were returned to South Africa last November.
Responding to a question, Radebe said the government was in continuous communication with the 11 families.
"If and when we get the full briefing [on Tuesday] from our NATJOINTS [National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure] team in Nigeria, our team will be informing the South African families about the identities."
The plane would return on Wednesday, and was likely to touch down in the early hours of Thursday morning at Waterkloof Air Force Base, at about 01:00 or 02:00.
The bodies would be transported to the nearest government mortuaries ahead of release to the families.
Radebe said the government had been working "tirelessly" with the Nigerian authorities over the past two months to try and identify the remaining 11 South Africans.
"Fresh [DNA] samples were collected from the 11 families for further verification tests," he said.
SAPA
Friday, 30 January 2015
Hundreds of thousands of Africans stateless
2015-01-30 07:03
Addis Ababa - A new report says hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of Africans are stateless because of gaps in the citizenship laws of many countries.
The report from the African commission on human and people's rights says Africans whose legal existence is jeopardised often are deprived of the right to education, health care and to vote and travel.
Commissioner Maya Fadel-Sahli says such people are denied the right to exist "not because they are not Africans, but because some people in power say they do not deserve to be".
She spoke at the launch of the report on Thursday at the African Union in Addis Ababa, calling for a protocol on the right to nationality, saying this would strengthen democracy and integration and reduce conflict on the continent.
Addis Ababa - A new report says hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of Africans are stateless because of gaps in the citizenship laws of many countries.
The report from the African commission on human and people's rights says Africans whose legal existence is jeopardised often are deprived of the right to education, health care and to vote and travel.
Commissioner Maya Fadel-Sahli says such people are denied the right to exist "not because they are not Africans, but because some people in power say they do not deserve to be".
She spoke at the launch of the report on Thursday at the African Union in Addis Ababa, calling for a protocol on the right to nationality, saying this would strengthen democracy and integration and reduce conflict on the continent.
Babies found alive after hospital explosion
2015-01-30 07:03
Mexico City - A gas truck explosion ripped through a maternity hospital on the western edge of Mexico City on Thursday, killing one woman and two children and injuring dozens, authorities said, with several babies found alive in the rubble.
A nurse and a child died after the blast, which destroyed around 70% of the hospital, Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said.
Speaking on national television, Mexico City's health minister said another child had died and more than 70 people were injured.
Several babies were found under the rubble. Scores of rescue workers dug through the concrete and twisted metal for survivors.
People
seeking information on family members gathered around police lines that
were set up to keep bystanders away from the chaotic scene earlier in
the day.
Some of the injured were evacuated by helicopter, and aerial footage showed firefighters scrambling over the skeletal wreckage of the building.
"I am so worried about my sister. She's supposed to have given birth. We brought her in yesterday," said Monserrat Garduno, a 32-year-old nurse. "They won't let us pass. I want to know how she is."
Ambulances were at the scene to treat survivors. Around 100 people were in the hospital at the time of the explosion, according to a city official.
A leak in a hose from the truck, which was fuelling the hospital's tanks, was believed to have triggered the explosion, officials said.
"They tried to stop the leak, but it was not possible," Mancera said. Three people had been detained and two had been hospitalised, he added.
Many areas of Mexico City have no mains gas supply, and rely on deliveries from gas trucks. Mancera said the gas truck company involved had been working in Mexico City since 2007.
President Enrique Pena Nieto gave his condolences on Twitter, while Pope Francis urged his Twitter followers to pray for the victims and their families.
Mexico City - A gas truck explosion ripped through a maternity hospital on the western edge of Mexico City on Thursday, killing one woman and two children and injuring dozens, authorities said, with several babies found alive in the rubble.
A nurse and a child died after the blast, which destroyed around 70% of the hospital, Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said.
Speaking on national television, Mexico City's health minister said another child had died and more than 70 people were injured.
Several babies were found under the rubble. Scores of rescue workers dug through the concrete and twisted metal for survivors.
Some of the injured were evacuated by helicopter, and aerial footage showed firefighters scrambling over the skeletal wreckage of the building.
"I am so worried about my sister. She's supposed to have given birth. We brought her in yesterday," said Monserrat Garduno, a 32-year-old nurse. "They won't let us pass. I want to know how she is."
Ambulances were at the scene to treat survivors. Around 100 people were in the hospital at the time of the explosion, according to a city official.
A leak in a hose from the truck, which was fuelling the hospital's tanks, was believed to have triggered the explosion, officials said.
"They tried to stop the leak, but it was not possible," Mancera said. Three people had been detained and two had been hospitalised, he added.
Many areas of Mexico City have no mains gas supply, and rely on deliveries from gas trucks. Mancera said the gas truck company involved had been working in Mexico City since 2007.
President Enrique Pena Nieto gave his condolences on Twitter, while Pope Francis urged his Twitter followers to pray for the victims and their families.
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