A Nigerian man has been sent to a mental institute in Kano state after he declared that he did not believe in God, according to a humanist charity.
Mubarak Bala, 29, is said to have been forcibly medicated by his Muslim relatives, despite being given a clean bill of health by a doctor.
The International Humanist and Ethical Union say a Lagos-based group has asked a lawyer to take up his case.
Kano is a mainly Muslim state and adopted Sharia (Islamic law) in 2000.
The IHEU says that when Mr Bala told relatives he did not believe in God, they asked a doctor if he was mentally ill.
Despite being told that he was not unwell, Mr Bala's family then went to a second doctor, who declared that his atheism was a side-effect of suffering a personality change, the group says.
Mr Bala, a chemical engineering graduate, was forcibly committed to a mental institution, but was able to contact activists using a smuggled phone.
IHEU spokesman Bob Churchill said the group was concerned about his "deteriorating condition" and called for his "swift release".
BBC
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Boko Haram kidnap 60 more girls and 31 boys
Islamic extremists have abducted 60 more girls and women and 31 boys from villages in northeast Nigeria, witnesses said Tuesday.
Security forces denied the kidnappings. Nigeria’s government and military have attracted widespread criticism for their slow response to the abductions of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped April 15.
There was no way to safely and independently confirm the report from Kummabza, 150 kilometres (95 miles) from Maiduguri, capital of Borno state and headquarters of a military state of emergency that has failed to curtail near-daily attacks by Boko Haram fighters.
Kummabza resident Aji Khalil said Tuesday the abductions took place Saturday in an attack in which four villagers were killed. Khalil is a member of one of the vigilante groups that have had some success in repelling Boko Haram attacks with primitive weapons.
A senior local councillor from the village’s Damboa local government told The Associated Press that abductions had occurred but requested anonymity because he was not authorized to give information to reporters. He said elderly survivors of the attack had walked some 25 kilometres (15 miles) to the relative safety of other villages.
The Damboa council secretary, Modu Mustapha, said he could not confirm or deny the abductions and directed a reporter to the council chairman, Alamin Mohammed, who did not answer phone calls or respond to text messages.
Boko Haram has been demanding the release of detained members in exchange for its hostages but President Goodluck Jonathan has said he will not consider a swap.
A strategy to rescue the girls appears to have reached an impasse. Nigeria’s military has said it knows where they are but fears their abductors would kill them if any military action is taken.
Politics have bedeviled the issue, with many distracted by upcoming presidential elections in February 2015. The first lady, Patience Jonathan, and some other supporters have claimed the reports of the April abductions of the schoolgirls were fabricated to discredit her husband’s administration.
Last week, a presidential committee investigating the kidnappings stressed that they did in fact happen and clarified the number of students who have been kidnapped. It said there were 395 students at the school, 119 escaped during the siege of the school, another 57 escaped in the first couple of days of their abduction, leaving 219 unaccounted for.
This year, the Boko Haram insurgents have embarked on a two-pronged strategy — bombing in cities and a scorched-earth policy in rural areas where they are devastating villages. Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, the central city of Jos and the northeastern state capital of Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram, all have been bombed.
On Monday, an explosion at a medical college in the northern city of Kano killed at least eight people and wounded 12, police said. It was the third bomb blast in four months in Kano, Nigeria’s second city.
Also on Saturday, the same day as the latest abductions, scores of Boko Haram fighters attacked four other villages, near Chibok town from which the girls were kidnapped. Witnesses said at least 33 villagers were killed as well as six vigilantes and about two dozen Boko Haram fighters.
AP
Related stories: Boko Haram kidnap 20 women
Video - Search continues for the 200 kidnapped schoolgirls
Security forces denied the kidnappings. Nigeria’s government and military have attracted widespread criticism for their slow response to the abductions of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped April 15.
There was no way to safely and independently confirm the report from Kummabza, 150 kilometres (95 miles) from Maiduguri, capital of Borno state and headquarters of a military state of emergency that has failed to curtail near-daily attacks by Boko Haram fighters.
Kummabza resident Aji Khalil said Tuesday the abductions took place Saturday in an attack in which four villagers were killed. Khalil is a member of one of the vigilante groups that have had some success in repelling Boko Haram attacks with primitive weapons.
A senior local councillor from the village’s Damboa local government told The Associated Press that abductions had occurred but requested anonymity because he was not authorized to give information to reporters. He said elderly survivors of the attack had walked some 25 kilometres (15 miles) to the relative safety of other villages.
The Damboa council secretary, Modu Mustapha, said he could not confirm or deny the abductions and directed a reporter to the council chairman, Alamin Mohammed, who did not answer phone calls or respond to text messages.
Boko Haram has been demanding the release of detained members in exchange for its hostages but President Goodluck Jonathan has said he will not consider a swap.
A strategy to rescue the girls appears to have reached an impasse. Nigeria’s military has said it knows where they are but fears their abductors would kill them if any military action is taken.
Politics have bedeviled the issue, with many distracted by upcoming presidential elections in February 2015. The first lady, Patience Jonathan, and some other supporters have claimed the reports of the April abductions of the schoolgirls were fabricated to discredit her husband’s administration.
Last week, a presidential committee investigating the kidnappings stressed that they did in fact happen and clarified the number of students who have been kidnapped. It said there were 395 students at the school, 119 escaped during the siege of the school, another 57 escaped in the first couple of days of their abduction, leaving 219 unaccounted for.
This year, the Boko Haram insurgents have embarked on a two-pronged strategy — bombing in cities and a scorched-earth policy in rural areas where they are devastating villages. Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, the central city of Jos and the northeastern state capital of Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram, all have been bombed.
On Monday, an explosion at a medical college in the northern city of Kano killed at least eight people and wounded 12, police said. It was the third bomb blast in four months in Kano, Nigeria’s second city.
Also on Saturday, the same day as the latest abductions, scores of Boko Haram fighters attacked four other villages, near Chibok town from which the girls were kidnapped. Witnesses said at least 33 villagers were killed as well as six vigilantes and about two dozen Boko Haram fighters.
AP
Related stories: Boko Haram kidnap 20 women
Video - Search continues for the 200 kidnapped schoolgirls
Monday, June 23, 2014
Video - Classmates of kidnapped schoolgirls worry about their abducted friends
It's been 69 days since Boko Harm abducted more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls. Despite a worldwide outcry, the majority of them are still missing. For those left behind, it's a daily struggle to
continue with their lives. Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons spoke to some of the girls who escaped that night in April.
Related stories: Increasing possiblilty that kidnapped schoolgirls may never be rescued
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo says some of the 200 abducted schoolgirls may never be found
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Nigeria beat Bosnia 1-0 in FIFA 2014 World Cup
Nigeria beat Bosnia 1-0 on Saturday to record their first World Cup finals victory since 1998 and condemn the European team to an early exit in their first appearance at the tournament.
Peter Odemwingie's 29th-minute goal lifted the African champions to four points from two games, two less than Argentina who they meet in their final Group F match on Wednesday with top spot at stake.
"It's been 16 years and no wins for our country so we are very excited," Odemwingie said in a television interview.
"We needed the win. They have some fantastic players so we are happy to bounce back after what our people thought was a poor performance in the first game (a 0-0 draw with Iran).
"Victories affect people in different ways so we are looking up now and if we get into the second round anything can happen. Maybe we will be inspired as we were in the last African Nations Cup."
Nigeria took the lead when Odemwingie fed Emmanuel Emenike on the right wing and raced into the box to receive the striker's low return before sweeping the ball under goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
The Bosnian bench angrily protested that Emenike had fouled captain Emir Spahic as he bundled past him into the box before making his cross.
The tournament newcomers had earlier been denied a goal after a poor offside decision against striker Edin Dzeko after he ran on to a through pass and beat goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama in the 21st minute.
Dzeko had another shot saved by Enyeama but he was well off target with chances later in the half as he fought a lonely battle with the Nigeria defence.
The more experienced Nigerians, playing in their fifth World Cup, created several chances in the first half but were let down by the final pass, poor control or wayward shooting and a couple of smart diving saves by Begovic.
The Bosnia keeper, a team mate of Odemwingie's at Premier League club Stoke City, made a string of saves, denying Emenike and midfielder Ogenyi Onazi to keep his side in the match in a second half of end-to-end excitement.
Dzeko nearly stole an equaliser for Bosnia, his shot in a goalmouth melee hitting Enyeama's legs and coming back into play off the post deep into stoppage time.
Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi was rewarded for his adventurous tactics while Safet Susic packed his midfield as he had done in the 2-1 defeat by Argentina and only sent on a second striker in Vedad Ibisevic, whose best headed effort went over the bar, for the last half hour.
Just before the Nigerian goal, Enyeama had parried a shot from midfielder Miralem Pjanic and the ball rebounded into the middle of the box but no Bosnian player was following up to take advantage.
CBC
Peter Odemwingie's 29th-minute goal lifted the African champions to four points from two games, two less than Argentina who they meet in their final Group F match on Wednesday with top spot at stake.
"It's been 16 years and no wins for our country so we are very excited," Odemwingie said in a television interview.
"We needed the win. They have some fantastic players so we are happy to bounce back after what our people thought was a poor performance in the first game (a 0-0 draw with Iran).
"Victories affect people in different ways so we are looking up now and if we get into the second round anything can happen. Maybe we will be inspired as we were in the last African Nations Cup."
Nigeria took the lead when Odemwingie fed Emmanuel Emenike on the right wing and raced into the box to receive the striker's low return before sweeping the ball under goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
The Bosnian bench angrily protested that Emenike had fouled captain Emir Spahic as he bundled past him into the box before making his cross.
The tournament newcomers had earlier been denied a goal after a poor offside decision against striker Edin Dzeko after he ran on to a through pass and beat goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama in the 21st minute.
Dzeko had another shot saved by Enyeama but he was well off target with chances later in the half as he fought a lonely battle with the Nigeria defence.
The more experienced Nigerians, playing in their fifth World Cup, created several chances in the first half but were let down by the final pass, poor control or wayward shooting and a couple of smart diving saves by Begovic.
The Bosnia keeper, a team mate of Odemwingie's at Premier League club Stoke City, made a string of saves, denying Emenike and midfielder Ogenyi Onazi to keep his side in the match in a second half of end-to-end excitement.
Dzeko nearly stole an equaliser for Bosnia, his shot in a goalmouth melee hitting Enyeama's legs and coming back into play off the post deep into stoppage time.
Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi was rewarded for his adventurous tactics while Safet Susic packed his midfield as he had done in the 2-1 defeat by Argentina and only sent on a second striker in Vedad Ibisevic, whose best headed effort went over the bar, for the last half hour.
Just before the Nigerian goal, Enyeama had parried a shot from midfielder Miralem Pjanic and the ball rebounded into the middle of the box but no Bosnian player was following up to take advantage.
CBC
Friday, June 20, 2014
Nigeria to extradite suspected Boko Haram terrorist from Sudan
The extradition process of Aminu Ogwuche, the suspected mastermind of the bus station bombings in the capital city of Abuja that killed over 70 and injured many others, would be completed soon, an official said on Wednesday.
The Sudanese Ambassador to Nigeria Tagelsir Ali told reporters in Abuja, the West African country’s capital city that both Sudan and Nigeria had similar standards guiding an extradition process.
Ogwuche was arrested in Sudan in May following the joint efforts of the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, the National Bureau of Interpol based at the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters, and the Sudanese security operatives.
According to him, there is an agreement between Sudan and Nigeria, adding that it was supposed to be revisited in the last bilateral meeting that took place in Khartoum.
The envoy said the extradition treaties always got a sequence of procedures that has to be taken care of, about 17 or 18 procedures that have to be dealt with before a person can go back to his or her country.
Ali acknowledged that the extradition process was delayed at the initial stage.
He gave the assurance that the authorities involved in the process were working hard to ensure that the requirements for the repatriation of Ogwuche were fully met.
He also noted that both parties shared cooperation in the areas of security adding that the head of security here in Nigeria is scheduled to visit the head of security in Sudan.
He said both countries shared similar experiences and expressed the willingness of the Sudanese Government to assist where necessary.
Nigeria’s Boko Haram sect has claimed responsibility for the deadly explosion at a crowded bus station in Abuja that killed at least 75 people.
Abubakar Shekau, leader of Boko Haram which has been responsible for major killings in Nigeria since 2009, said in a video message that the network was behind the bomb attack in Abuja.
Proved to be the biggest security challenge in the West African country, Boko Haram seeks to enshrine the Islamic Sharia law into the constitution and declared war against Western education.
Xinhua
Related story: Bomb blast at World Cup screening in Northern Nigeria - 21 confirmed dead
The Sudanese Ambassador to Nigeria Tagelsir Ali told reporters in Abuja, the West African country’s capital city that both Sudan and Nigeria had similar standards guiding an extradition process.
Ogwuche was arrested in Sudan in May following the joint efforts of the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, the National Bureau of Interpol based at the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters, and the Sudanese security operatives.
According to him, there is an agreement between Sudan and Nigeria, adding that it was supposed to be revisited in the last bilateral meeting that took place in Khartoum.
The envoy said the extradition treaties always got a sequence of procedures that has to be taken care of, about 17 or 18 procedures that have to be dealt with before a person can go back to his or her country.
Ali acknowledged that the extradition process was delayed at the initial stage.
He gave the assurance that the authorities involved in the process were working hard to ensure that the requirements for the repatriation of Ogwuche were fully met.
He also noted that both parties shared cooperation in the areas of security adding that the head of security here in Nigeria is scheduled to visit the head of security in Sudan.
He said both countries shared similar experiences and expressed the willingness of the Sudanese Government to assist where necessary.
Nigeria’s Boko Haram sect has claimed responsibility for the deadly explosion at a crowded bus station in Abuja that killed at least 75 people.
Abubakar Shekau, leader of Boko Haram which has been responsible for major killings in Nigeria since 2009, said in a video message that the network was behind the bomb attack in Abuja.
Proved to be the biggest security challenge in the West African country, Boko Haram seeks to enshrine the Islamic Sharia law into the constitution and declared war against Western education.
Xinhua
Related story: Bomb blast at World Cup screening in Northern Nigeria - 21 confirmed dead
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