Once counted as the largest water reservoir in Africa, Nigeria's Lake Chad is rapidly shrinking due to excessive use and climate change. The lake supplies water to four different countries but it could dry up by the end of the century. Efforts to solve the problem and replenish the lake's water, however, are stuck in the pipeline.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Video - Lake Chad left out to dry
Once counted as the largest water reservoir in Africa, Nigeria's Lake Chad is rapidly shrinking due to excessive use and climate change. The lake supplies water to four different countries but it could dry up by the end of the century. Efforts to solve the problem and replenish the lake's water, however, are stuck in the pipeline.
Suspected mastermind behind media houses attack arrested
Barely 24 hours when a top suspected Boko Haram terrorist was arrested in Abuja at a former National Assembly Lawmaker, the Joint Task Force, JTF, "Operation Restore Order," said, Sunday, it has also arrested one Mohammed Zangina, a high profile Boko Haram Commander and Shura Committee member who reportedly co-ordinated the bombings of Thisday and The Sun newspapers last year at the Government Reserved Area,GRA, Maiduguri.
In a statement in Maiduguri by the JTF spokesman, Lt Col. Sagir Musa the JTF said, the suspect was in Maiduguri to plan several deadly attacks against civilians and security personnel any moment from yesterday.
Meanwhile, all major roads leading to churches and other strategic locations were cordoned off for several hours by JTF operatives, yesterday, resulting to traffic gridlocks for hours during and after Sunday services. The JTF, however, said Mohammed Zangina a.k.a Mallam Abdullahi or Alhaji Musa, was the leader of North Central and Coordinator of most of the suicide attacks and bombings in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Jos and Potiskum.
Sagir further insisted that Zangina was a key member of the Shura Committee of the Boko Haram who was among those declared wanted with a bounty of N25 million placed on him by the JTF on November 23, 2012.
Sagir added that he survived several security manhunts on his hideouts in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Jos and Potiskum town of Damaturu, the Yobe State capital which has remained centre of attacks and killings. The spokesman said Zangina's arrest was effected by JTF troops following a special operation conducted in GRA, Maiduguri.
In a statement in Maiduguri by the JTF spokesman, Lt Col. Sagir Musa the JTF said, the suspect was in Maiduguri to plan several deadly attacks against civilians and security personnel any moment from yesterday.
Meanwhile, all major roads leading to churches and other strategic locations were cordoned off for several hours by JTF operatives, yesterday, resulting to traffic gridlocks for hours during and after Sunday services. The JTF, however, said Mohammed Zangina a.k.a Mallam Abdullahi or Alhaji Musa, was the leader of North Central and Coordinator of most of the suicide attacks and bombings in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Jos and Potiskum.
Sagir further insisted that Zangina was a key member of the Shura Committee of the Boko Haram who was among those declared wanted with a bounty of N25 million placed on him by the JTF on November 23, 2012.
Sagir added that he survived several security manhunts on his hideouts in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Jos and Potiskum town of Damaturu, the Yobe State capital which has remained centre of attacks and killings. The spokesman said Zangina's arrest was effected by JTF troops following a special operation conducted in GRA, Maiduguri.
Related stories: This Day publication offices hit by suicide bombers
Friday, January 11, 2013
Nigeria ranked 20th saddest country in the world
The influential Forbes Magazine, has listed the country as ranking high in global index for harbouring one of the world's saddest people, saying the country's leadership must move from corrupt practices and official profligacy to render quality leadership to the people.
This is contained in the annual development analysis index that was released on Thursday culled by LEADERSHIP from the Magazine's website, stating that citizens of the country ranked 20th amongst their counterpart sampled across the globe, thus making the country one of the worst country to live in.
Nigeria also shares the same unenviable position with several other African and Asian countries of the world with the war torn Central African Republic topping the chart as the country harbouring the saddest people in the globe.
Below are the first 20:
1. Central African Republic
2. Republic of Congo
4. Chad
5. Haiti
6. Burundi
7. Togo
8. Zimbabwe
9. Yemen
10. Ethopia
11. Pakistan
12. Iraq
13. Liberia,
14. Angola
15. Sierra Leone
16. Guinea
17. Ivory Coast
18. Sudan
19. Mozambique
This is contained in the annual development analysis index that was released on Thursday culled by LEADERSHIP from the Magazine's website, stating that citizens of the country ranked 20th amongst their counterpart sampled across the globe, thus making the country one of the worst country to live in.
Nigeria also shares the same unenviable position with several other African and Asian countries of the world with the war torn Central African Republic topping the chart as the country harbouring the saddest people in the globe.
Below are the first 20:
1. Central African Republic
3. Afghanistan
4. Chad
5. Haiti
6. Burundi
7. Togo
8. Zimbabwe
9. Yemen
10. Ethopia
11. Pakistan
12. Iraq
13. Liberia,
14. Angola
15. Sierra Leone
16. Guinea
17. Ivory Coast
18. Sudan
19. Mozambique
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Video - Russia wants Nigeria to release arrested sailors
The Russian government Wednesday called for the immediate release of the 15 sailors arrested by the Nigerian Navy for allegedly smuggling arms into the country.
Nigerian authorities intercepted a ship and arrested its Russian crew on October 23 last year after they found 14 AK-47 riffles guns and 8,500 rounds of ammunition on board.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the sailors were facing a court case initiated "under false pretexts" and that Nigeria broke a promise given to Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, that the men would return to Russia before the New Year.
"We expect that this time around, the Nigerian partners will stick to their word and release the Russian sailors in the nearest time without additional conditions and further delays," Reuters quoted the ministry as saying in a statement Wednesday.
The sailors, who had been kept in navy custody since their arrest in October, were handed over to the police last Monday.
"On Monday, we handed over the crew to the police as we have completed preliminary investigations," spokesman for the Western Naval Command, Lieutenant Commander Jerry Omodara said on telephone, adding that "The ship and the weapons are still in our custody."
The Moran Security Group, the Russian company that owns the confiscated vessel, called the accusations "groundless" and urged Nigeria to release the sailors.
Five dead in Lagos oil barge explosion
At least five people were feared dead and many injured in the late hours of the morning Wednesday, as an oil barge offloading products at the MRS Jetty located at the Tin Can Island Port, Apapa Lagos exploded into flames.
The high degree explosion, which happened at about 11.30 am shattered glass doors and windows of buildings as far as 500 metres away from the jetty, including the administrative building of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ports and Cargo complex and a branch of First Bank situated over 500 metres away from the scene.
Our correspondent gathered that the incident occurred after a barge, a small ship bringing in fuel from the mother ship and offloading into the MRS tank farm was improperly handled. The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) confirmed the barge was bearing petroleum motor spirit (PMS) commonly known as fuel.
When LEADERSHIP visited the MRS complex at 12.30pm, business activities at the port have come to a halt, with people settling in small groups and discussing the incident, which was said to have caused stampede at the port.
Officials of MRS were not available for comment and the place was filled with security operatives who barred newsmen from entering the facility. Our correspondent however sighted officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), fire-fighting vehicles belonging to neighbouring Integrated Oil Services and the Lagos State Fire Service, which came in at 1.26pm.
An eyewitness said he saw at least five lifeless bodies wrapped in white cloths and taken away to an unknown morgue before he was asked to leave the premises.
Willem Auret, who witnessed the blast from a ship on its way to Snake Island in Apapa, said he saw a tanker barge catch fire at about 11:00 local time (10:00 GMT). "The fire started slowly and then expanded into chaos, exploding more than once," he told the BBC.
"After the initial explosion, which I caught on camera, there was a secondary explosion," he said.
It took about an hour and a half for the port authorities to arrive on the scene, he said.
"First one tugboat arrived... then several others joined it in an attempt to extinguish the fire. They seem to have the fire under control now."
Nema's Akande Iyiola told the BBC that the oil depot at Tin Can Island port where the explosion occurred was owned by the petroleum company MRS Oil.
"I felt the explosion from where we are," Charles Osagie, who works at an import-and-export office in the district, told AFP.
The high degree explosion, which happened at about 11.30 am shattered glass doors and windows of buildings as far as 500 metres away from the jetty, including the administrative building of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ports and Cargo complex and a branch of First Bank situated over 500 metres away from the scene.
Our correspondent gathered that the incident occurred after a barge, a small ship bringing in fuel from the mother ship and offloading into the MRS tank farm was improperly handled. The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) confirmed the barge was bearing petroleum motor spirit (PMS) commonly known as fuel.
When LEADERSHIP visited the MRS complex at 12.30pm, business activities at the port have come to a halt, with people settling in small groups and discussing the incident, which was said to have caused stampede at the port.
Officials of MRS were not available for comment and the place was filled with security operatives who barred newsmen from entering the facility. Our correspondent however sighted officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), fire-fighting vehicles belonging to neighbouring Integrated Oil Services and the Lagos State Fire Service, which came in at 1.26pm.
An eyewitness said he saw at least five lifeless bodies wrapped in white cloths and taken away to an unknown morgue before he was asked to leave the premises.
Willem Auret, who witnessed the blast from a ship on its way to Snake Island in Apapa, said he saw a tanker barge catch fire at about 11:00 local time (10:00 GMT). "The fire started slowly and then expanded into chaos, exploding more than once," he told the BBC.
"After the initial explosion, which I caught on camera, there was a secondary explosion," he said.
It took about an hour and a half for the port authorities to arrive on the scene, he said.
"First one tugboat arrived... then several others joined it in an attempt to extinguish the fire. They seem to have the fire under control now."
Nema's Akande Iyiola told the BBC that the oil depot at Tin Can Island port where the explosion occurred was owned by the petroleum company MRS Oil.
"I felt the explosion from where we are," Charles Osagie, who works at an import-and-export office in the district, told AFP.
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