How second Chibok schoolgirl was rescued from Boko Haram

Hours after Amina Ali, one of the Chibok girls rescued on Wednesday from the insurgents, met with President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Nigerian Army announced the rescue of another of the girls on Thursday evening.

Army spokesperson, Usman Sani, a colonel, who confirmed the rescue, gave the name of the rescued girl as Serah Luka, said to be number 157 on the list of abducted school girls.

Mr. Usman later narrated how the abducted girl was rescued.

He said in a statement, “At about 11.00am today, Thursday, 19th May 2016, troops of 231 Battalion, 331 Artillery Regiment (AR), Detachment of Armed Forces Special Forces (AFSF) 2, Explosive Ordinance (EOD) Team and Civilian Vigilante group of Buratai, conducted clearance operations at Shettima Aboh, Hong and Biladdili general area in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.

“During the operations, the troops killed 35 Boko Haram terrorists and recovered several arms and ammunitions and other items. In addition, they rescued 97 women and children held captives by the Boko Haram terrorists.

“We are glad to state that among those rescued is a girl believed to be one of the Chibok Government Secondary School girls that were abducted on 14th April 2014 by the Boko Haram terrorists.

“Her name is Miss Serah Luka, who is number 157 on the list of the abducted school girls. She is believed to be the daughter of Pastor Luka. During debriefing, the girl revealed that she was a JSS1 student of the school at the time they were abducted.

She further added that she hails from Madagali, Adamawa State. She averred that she reported at the school barely two months and one week before her unfortunate abduction along with other girls over two years ago.

“She added that there other three girls who fled from Shettima Aboh when the troops invaded the area earlier today which led to their rescue. She is presently receiving medical attention at the medical facility of Abogo Largema Cantonment, Biu, Borno State.”

The first rescued girl, Amina Nkeki, was reportedly rescued Wednesday and was received by President Muhammadu Buhari in a State House ceremony Thursday afternoon, with a four-month-old child she reportedly gave birth to while in captivity.

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Another schoolgirl kidnapped by Boko Haram rescued

A second schoolgirl from the more than 200 seized in the Nigerian town of Chibok has been found, the army says.

Spokesman Col Sani Usman said Serah Luka was among 97 women and children rescued by troops in operations in the north-eastern Borno State.

This comes two days after the rescue of the first Chibok girl, Amina Ali Nkeki.

In all, 217 girls remain missing after their abduction by the Boko Haram Islamist group from a secondary school in north-eastern Nigeria in 2014.

In a statement on Thursday, Col Usman said: "We are glad to state that among those rescued is a girl believed to be one of the Chibok Government (Girls) Secondary School girls that were abducted on 14 April 2014 by the Boko Haram terrorists."

"Her name is Miss Serah Luka, who is number 157 on the list of the abducted school girls. She is believed to be the daughter of Pastor Luka.

"During the operations, the troops killed 35 Boko Haram terrorists and recovered several arms and ammunitions and other items. In addition, they rescued 97 women and children held captives by the Boko Haram terrorists."

Col Usman said the army operations were carried out in the Demboa area of Borno.

Earlier on Thursday, the first Chibok girl found, Amina, 19, was flown to the capital Abuja to meet President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Buhari said he was delighted she was back and could resume her education.

"But my feelings are tinged with deep sadness at the horrors the young girl has had to go through at such an early stage in her life," he added.

Amina and her four-month-old baby were found by an army-backed vigilante group in the huge Sambisa Forest, close to the border with Cameroon.

She was with a suspected member of the Boko Haram Islamist group.

BBC

Video - Rescue of kidnapped schoolgirl revitalizes efforts to find the rest captured by Boko Haram

A schoolgirl in Nigeria confirmed to be one of the 219 Chibok girls met the President on Thursday. The girl identified as Amina Ali Darsha Nkeki was picked up on Wednesday in remote northeast Borno by soldiers working with a civilian vigilante group. She was reportedly found with her four-month old baby and a suspected Boko Haram terrorist who claimed to be her husband. The army says the husband was detained. Amina's rescue should give a boost to Buhari and possibly help locate where the other Chibok girls are. Boko Haram captured 276 girls in their night-time raid on Chibok in April 2014.

Video - Nigeria Labour Congress goes on strike despite court order

A Nigerian union defied a court ban and proceeded with a general strike on Wednesday protesting against hefty hikes in fuel prices. Many businesses and government offices however opened as usual. The government hopes that lifting costly fuel subsidies will help alleviate the worst economic crisis in decades in Africa's biggest economy. The move however sent fuel pump prices up by as much as two thirds. A wave of strikes ensued the last time Nigeria tried to introduce a similar measure in 2012, and authorities eventually reinstated some subsidies.

Onitsha has the worst air quality in Nigeria and the world

As global air pollution levels rise, Nigeria appears to be the country most affected by the phenomenon.

New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows four of Nigeria’s cities are among the world’s 20 worst-ranked cities for air quality.

Onitsha, a densely-populated commercial hub in the east of Nigeria had the worst air quality – judged by the annual mean concentrations of particulate matter (PM10).

The commercial hub recorded 30 times more than the WHO’s recommended levels of particulate matter (PM) concentration and was followed by the Pakistani city of Peshawar.

Three other Nigerian cities, Kaduna in the north, Umuahia (south) and Aba (southeast) also featured on the list of the 20 worst-ranked cities.

The top 20 list was dominated by cities in South East Asia and the Middle East with India, Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia each having three cities on the list.

China, well known for its air pollution problems, however had only one city on the list – Shijiazhuang.

According to the WHO data gathered between 2008 and 2013, global urban air pollution levels rose by 8%, despite improvements in some regions.

A press release from the global health body also noted that “more than 80% of people living in urban areas that monitor air pollution are exposed to air quality levels that exceed WHO limits”.

The data however indicated that urban air pollution levels were lowest in high-income countries, with lower levels most prevalent in Europe, the Americas and the Western Pacific region.

On the contrary, urban air pollution levels were high in low and middle-income countries in the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean and South-East Asia region where annual mean levels exceeding 5-10 times the WHO limits.

In the African region, urban air pollution data is sparse, however, available data revealed that particulate matter levels were above the media.

Assistant Director General of the WHO in charge of Family, Women and Children’s Health, Dr. Flavia Bustreo said “air pollution is a major cause of disease and death” but added that it was “good news that more cities are stepping up to monitor air quality”.

She also pointed that “when dirty air blankets our cities, the most vulnerable urban populations – the youngest, oldest and poorest – are the most impacted”.

Member states of the WHO are expected to discuss a road map for an enhanced global response to the adverse health effects of air pollution when they meet for the World Health Assembly from May 23 – 28 in Geneva, Switzerland.

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