The Nigerian military has confirmed that one Mohammed Bashir, who has been acting or posing on videos as the deceased Abubakar Shekau, the eccentric character known as the leader of the Boko Haram sect, was killed in a counter-terrorism operation in the north-east.
In a statement, the spokesman for the military, Major General Chris Olukolade, said that Mr Bashir was killed after members of the terrorist group made not less than four attempts between September 12 and 17 to violate the security strategy and enter Konduga to attack citizens in the area.
“Air and land forces were subsequently deployed to handle the situation.
“The convoy of combat vehicles typical of terrorists’ mission that involves their top commanders, were fiercely engaged by the land and air forces. Several of the terrorists including some of their commanders lost their lives in the encounters which lasted an average of about four hours each, leading to the death of the man claiming to be Mr Shekau,” the statement read.
According to Mr Olukolade, the troops captured some of the terrorists and their equipment. He explained in the statement that “after normalcy was restored, inhabitants of the community, who were victims of terrorists activities corroborated information on the identity of Mr Bashir, alias Abubakar Shekau, alias Abacha Abdullahi Geidam and alias Damasack”.
He emphasised that the recent devastation on the leadership of the insurgents was as a result of the renewed commitment to the mission of eradicating terrorism in Nigeria.
The military warned that “since the name Shekau had become a brand name for the terrorists’ leader, it would remain resolute to serve justice to anyone who assumes that designation or title as well as all terrorists that seek to violate the freedom and territory of Nigeria”.
The Defence Headquarters also applauded the gallantry of the Nigerian troops who had remained undaunted and professional in prosecuting the campaign against terror.
It also mentioned that the keen interest exhibited by Nigeria’s neighbours and allies had been commendable, reassuring all allies in the war against terrorism of the Nigerian military’s resolve to maintain momentum in the efforts to decimate and defeat terrorists.
The military further stressed the need for all Nigerians to be alert, vigilant and cooperate with security forces in the war on terror campaign.
Meanwhile, a total of 135 terrorists on Tuesday evening surrendered along with equipment to troops around Biu Local Government Area in Borno State.
According to the military’s statement, a group of 88 submitted themselves at Mairiga/Bun-Yadi while another group of 45 terrorists were taken in around Mubi-Michika.
They are all being interrogated and processed in conformity with the dictates of standard best practices.
Channels
Related story: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau possibly dead
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
About 50 Nigerian MPs walk out of parliament over arms deal with South Africa
Nearly 50 Nigerian parliament members have angrily left the legislature’s lower house after a motion to probe a huge cash arms deal worth $9.3 million with South Africa was blocked.
The Tuesday development came after South African police announced last week that its customs authorities seized cash funds in 100 dollar bills in three suitcases, which arrived on a private jet from Nigeria at Johannesburg’s Lanseria airport earlier in the month.
South African authorities then seized the cash-filled luggage after two Nigerians and an Israeli carrying them did not declare the money, according to local press reports.
The three individuals with the funds, however, were not charged with any wrongdoing by the authorities.
No explanation has been released so far about the Israeli connection to the cash weapons deal, apparently between the Nigerian government and South Africa.
Meanwhile, the lawmakers that stormed out of the parliament chamber were reportedly mostly from opposition parties, accusing the ruling People’s Democratic Party of blocking the motion to probe the arms deal through Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihiodioha.
Ihiodioha has reportedly reasoned that since the weapons deal was an issue of national security, it could not be broached.
This is while the upper chamber of the Nigerian legislature has also summoned the country’s security chiefs over the suspicious arms deal.
However, it is not yet clear whether the security chiefs did in fact appear on Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Defense, which issued its summons last week.
Correspondents say the revelations have shocked many Nigerians and there have been calls for an inquiry.
Meanwhile, PRNigeria, which does communication consultancy for the Nigerian military and enjoys strong links with the country’s security agencies, cited a source as claiming that the money was for a legitimate government transaction to purchase weapons.
PressTV
Related story: $9.3 million in cash seized in South Africa traced to Nigerian intelligence agency
The Tuesday development came after South African police announced last week that its customs authorities seized cash funds in 100 dollar bills in three suitcases, which arrived on a private jet from Nigeria at Johannesburg’s Lanseria airport earlier in the month.
South African authorities then seized the cash-filled luggage after two Nigerians and an Israeli carrying them did not declare the money, according to local press reports.
The three individuals with the funds, however, were not charged with any wrongdoing by the authorities.
No explanation has been released so far about the Israeli connection to the cash weapons deal, apparently between the Nigerian government and South Africa.
Meanwhile, the lawmakers that stormed out of the parliament chamber were reportedly mostly from opposition parties, accusing the ruling People’s Democratic Party of blocking the motion to probe the arms deal through Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihiodioha.
Ihiodioha has reportedly reasoned that since the weapons deal was an issue of national security, it could not be broached.
This is while the upper chamber of the Nigerian legislature has also summoned the country’s security chiefs over the suspicious arms deal.
However, it is not yet clear whether the security chiefs did in fact appear on Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Defense, which issued its summons last week.
Correspondents say the revelations have shocked many Nigerians and there have been calls for an inquiry.
Meanwhile, PRNigeria, which does communication consultancy for the Nigerian military and enjoys strong links with the country’s security agencies, cited a source as claiming that the money was for a legitimate government transaction to purchase weapons.
PressTV
Related story: $9.3 million in cash seized in South Africa traced to Nigerian intelligence agency
Nigerian military backtracks on statement of rescuing kidnapped schoolgirls
Nigeria's military has retracted its statement that some of the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok town in April by Islamist militants had been freed.
Army spokesman Major General Chris Olukolade told the BBC there were girls in military custody, but not those from Chibok as originally thought.
More than 200 girls were seized by Boko Haram fighters from a boarding school in the north-eastern Borno state.
It caused worldwide outrage and sparked a social media campaign.
Protests were organised under the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, calling on the authorities to do more to free the girls, who had gone to the school in Chibok from surrounding areas to take their final year exams.
Shortly after the abduction, Boko Haram released a video showing more than 100 of them and offering an exchange for prisoners.
In recent days there have been unconfirmed reports that the Nigerian government has been negotiating a deal with Boko Haram to exchange the abducted girls for imprisoned Islamist fighters.
Since a state of emergency was declared in May 2013 in the north-east to end Boko Haram's insurgency, the group's attacks have increased.
Many women and children - including teenage girls - have been taken hostage since then.
Earlier, Gen Olukolade told the BBC there was an ongoing exercise to release the schoolgirls taken from Chibok and that some of them were safe in a military barracks.
But he later called back to retract his statement, saying the authorities were trying to confirm the identities of the girls who are in the custody of the army, but they did not come from Chibok.
Boko Haram's name translates as "Western education is forbidden", and it has carried out raids on schools and colleges, seeing them as a symbol of Western culture.
BBC
Related story: Some of the kidnapped schoolgirls have been rescued by Nigerian army
Army spokesman Major General Chris Olukolade told the BBC there were girls in military custody, but not those from Chibok as originally thought.
More than 200 girls were seized by Boko Haram fighters from a boarding school in the north-eastern Borno state.
It caused worldwide outrage and sparked a social media campaign.
Protests were organised under the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, calling on the authorities to do more to free the girls, who had gone to the school in Chibok from surrounding areas to take their final year exams.
Shortly after the abduction, Boko Haram released a video showing more than 100 of them and offering an exchange for prisoners.
In recent days there have been unconfirmed reports that the Nigerian government has been negotiating a deal with Boko Haram to exchange the abducted girls for imprisoned Islamist fighters.
Since a state of emergency was declared in May 2013 in the north-east to end Boko Haram's insurgency, the group's attacks have increased.
Many women and children - including teenage girls - have been taken hostage since then.
Earlier, Gen Olukolade told the BBC there was an ongoing exercise to release the schoolgirls taken from Chibok and that some of them were safe in a military barracks.
But he later called back to retract his statement, saying the authorities were trying to confirm the identities of the girls who are in the custody of the army, but they did not come from Chibok.
Boko Haram's name translates as "Western education is forbidden", and it has carried out raids on schools and colleges, seeing them as a symbol of Western culture.
BBC
Related story: Some of the kidnapped schoolgirls have been rescued by Nigerian army
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Some of the kidnapped schoolgirls have been rescued by Nigerian army
Nigeria's military has told the BBC that some of the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok town in April by Islamist militants have been released.
Army spokesman Brig Gen Chris Olukolade did not give details about the number of girls freed, saying the exercise was "ongoing".
More than 200 girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram fighters from a boarding school in the north-eastern Born state.
It caused worldwide outrage and sparked a social media campaign.
BBC
Related stories: 11 parents of some of the kidnapped schoolgirls now dead
Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan finally meets with parents of kidnapped schoolgirls
Army spokesman Brig Gen Chris Olukolade did not give details about the number of girls freed, saying the exercise was "ongoing".
More than 200 girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram fighters from a boarding school in the north-eastern Born state.
It caused worldwide outrage and sparked a social media campaign.
BBC
Related stories: 11 parents of some of the kidnapped schoolgirls now dead
Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan finally meets with parents of kidnapped schoolgirls
Nigeria's own Comic-Con celebrates 3 years
The country also boasts a thriving independent press, and internet penetration is rapidly rising as the government pushes out broadband. Books, too, remain popular, led by the public intellectual and Nobel Prize Winner Wole Soyinka and the emergence of the national $100,000 NLNG Nigeria Prize– although a recent decision by the Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to place a crippling tax on imported texts has limited their availability. Piracy is also a problem. On my recent trip to Nigeria, I purchased a few CDs at what appeared to be a fancy music store and they all turned out to be pirated, and even the distributors of Nollywood films pirate the films they are supposed to be selling.
The comics scene in Nigeria has been thriving since the 1980s, but has yet to burst into the mainstream. There are tastes of what may soon emerge as youth in Nigeria fully embrace the internet—check out this sci-fi short on YouTube here, which includes an animated spaceship—but comics are still an emerging industry. On Friday, the third annual Lagos Comic Con will launch in the commercial capital of 20 million people. I corresponded with comics creator and co-founder Ayodele Elegba about the event, where we wrote about attractions, popular comics, Ebola, and cosplay.
Q: How did the Lagos Comicon get started?
Elegba: The Lagos Comic Con began in 2012 when I realized that the comic medium was not appreciated by the Nigerian public like it used to be in the 80s while I was growing up. I had previously published a newsletter to raise awareness about the scene but the response was low and people kept asking me where they could get comic books and if there were comics created by Nigerians. I wanted to debunk the myth and show people that Nigerian Comics do exist and that we have comic artists and writers here in Nigeria. That was when I decided to start the Lagos Comicon, with no funds but a dream to make it an international festival.
Q: What will you have at the event?
Elegba: This year the event is much bigger because we have included other genres of entertainment such as movies, games, and animations, which are like an extension of comic books. We will have a Comic Zone, where you can buy Nigerian Comics and meet African creators. We also have Nollywood Village: this is where you can buy Nigerian-made movies with an action/comics bent and meet A-list Nigerian film stars and music celebrities. We have the Game Zone, where we’ll run a competition this year called “Battle of the Game Lords,” where gamers will compete for a prize of over US$2000. We have an Arts and Culture Zone where we showcase fine arts, sculptures, paintings, and the beautiful culture of the Nigeria. We have a workshop session with 12 speakers who will talk about various genres of entertainment. Finally, we have the Kids Zone, where kids can play and have fun while their parents shop. We also have other segments like karaoke, exhibitions, dance performances and music performances from pop stars.
Q: What are some of the most popular themes in Nigerian comics (e.g. scifi, history, romance, adventure)?
Elegba: The most popular themes right now in Nigerian comics are magical or cultural, though we have superhero comics and military comics too.
Q: Are there any topics that you won’t find in other countries? For example, there is a series on President Goodluck Jonathan.
Elegba: Well Nigeria is unique, and there is a particular comic called Central Attack which deals with the issue of Boko Haram, the terrorist group in Nigeria.
[Interviewer’s Note: Central Attack depicts an elite government strike team that protects the country against the militant Islamic sect Boko Haram. You can read more about it here.]
Q: Who are the most popular comic book authors and writers?
Elegba: The most popular comic book artists are Ibrahim Ganiyu, Jide Olusanya, Stanley Obende, Mohammed Agbadi and many more. Writers include myself Ayodele Elegba, Wisdom Omon, Niyi, and Niran Adeniji.
Q: Piracy is a problem in Nigeria for fiction authors and for films. Is this an issue for comics in Nigeria?
Elegba: Right now there is no piracy in comics. Piracy dwells on the financial success of a products. Comics don’t have that yet.
Q: Will scares about Ebola cause any issues for attendance?
Elegba: I don’t think so. The Ebola scare has been well curbed by the Nigerian government and so far all cases of Ebola infections have been effectively quarantined and taken care of. We have also put in place measures for hand washing and sanitization at the event. We will be checking everyone’s temperature as they go into the hall.
Q: How is the internet affecting the comics scene in Nigeria? Can you buy local comics online?
Elegba: The internet is a developing media in Nigeria, but so far Nigerian comics are doing well. We have about five indigenous online comic stores in Nigeria now.
Will there be any cosplay?
Elegba: Sure, what’s a comic con without cosplay? There will be cosplay and there will be prizes for the winners.
The Beat
Related stories: Nollywood: most prolific movie machine
How Nigerian students created Nigeria's biggest online-job search site Jobberman
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