DJ Jimmy Jatt dethrones 2face on iTunes Nigeria chart

Popular DJ, Jimmy Jatt’s The Industry, has displaced Tuface’s Ascension from the number one spot on the iTunes chart for Nigerian albums.

The Industry, which was released August 17 at the Intercontinental Hotel to mark JimmyJatt’s 25th anniversary features over 60 artistes.

It has 26 digital tracks and, according to its producers, is the biggest collaborative album out of Africa.

Jimmy Jatt, real name – Adewale Amu, has being a fixture on the Nigerian entertainment scene since the nineties.

His first ever single Stylee featuring Tu Face Idibia, Mode 9 and Elajoe, was released in 2007 and was off his debut album, The Definition.

Glasses Up is the theme song for his 25th year anniversary. It features TuFace Idibia, Sound Sultan, Burna boy.

Premium Times

Boko Haram seize police academy in Northern Nigeria

Northern Nigeria's riot police training academy has been overrun by Boko Haram Islamist militants, a witness in Borno state has told the BBC.

Shots were heard after the militants arrived in three armoured vehicles and on dozens of motorcycles, he said.

A police spokesman confirmed the attack while a senior security source said it had not been possible to communicate with the academy since Wednesday.

The Liman Kara college is near Gwoza town, seized by Boko Haram this month.

Thousands have been killed across north-eastern Nigeria since Boko Haram launched its violent campaign for an Islamic state in 2009.

The militants have stepped up their attacks after being pushed out of their bases in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, and have been targeting towns and villages in deadly raids.

In recent weeks, the militants have been moving from their rural camps and taking over substantial towns.

'Residents fled'
The militants have been in control of Gwoza, which had a population of about 50,000, since the beginning of August.

They apparently retreated about 100km (62 miles) to Gwoza after losing control of Damboa - both large towns in Borno state.

But attempts by the security forces to retake Gwoza have failed - and a group of about 40 soldiers is now refusing to fight, saying they are too poorly equipped to take on the heavily armed insurgents.

BBC

Related stories: Some Nigerian soldiers refuse to fight Boko Haram until given new weapons

Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram

Nigeria plays Germany in women's under 20 World Cup final

 Asisat Oshoala scored four goals to lift Nigeria to a 6-2 victory over North Korea at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup semifinal at Moncton Stadium on Wednesday.

Nigeria will face Germany, which beat France 2-1 in the other semi on Wednesday in Montreal, in the championship match on Sunday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 6 p.m. ET).

Oshoala scored in the 24th minute to give Nigeria a 2-0 advantage, and added her other three goals in a 25-minute span in the second half. Courtney Dike and Uchechi Sunday also scored for the winning side.

Jon So Yon, on a penalty kick in the 62nd minute, and Ri Un Sim replied for North Korea. The North Koreans will play France in the third-place match on Sunday.

At Montreal's Olympic Stadium, Lena Petermann's goal in the 81st minute stood up as the winner as Germany edged France in the later semifinal match.

Pauline Bremer scored in the 12th minute to give Germany a 1-0 edge, but Griedge Mbock Bathy replied for France to tie the game in the 45th.

CBC

Fire destroys Nigeria Football Federation headquarters in Abuja

A huge fire has ripped through the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) building in the capital Abuja on Wednesday.

Flames were spotted coming out of the building at about 1000 local time and it took fire fighters almost two hours to extinguish the blaze.

Nigerian Fire Service official Eyo Ime said it is suspected an electrical fault caused the fire.
"The fire started from the chief accountant's office as I was told," said NFF general secretary Musa Amadu.

"I just arrived at the office and saw the smoke and was not allowed to go upstairs, obviously, for safety reasons.

"Staffers would have been able to reduce the impact of the damage, but could not gain access into his office and as such could not quell or trace where the smoke was coming out from.
"But we must not engage in blame games and thank God that no life was lost. But this is sad and unfortunate."

The disaster is another blow for the NFF, coming at a time when it is locked in a bitter leadership crisis which has seen president Aminu Maigari sacked and reinstated twice.

The African champions are also without a coach as the football authority continues to negotiate with Stephen Keshi, whose contract ran out in June, over his return to the job.

However, Keshi told BBC Sport he "cannot wait much longer", adding "it should only take the 24 hours or 48 hours to agree a contract; this is taking too much time".

BBC

Related story: FIFA gives Nigeria new deadline to reinstate NFF board

Some Nigerian soldiers refuse to fight Boko Haram until given new weapons

A group of soldiers in north-eastern Nigeria is refusing to fight Islamist Boko Haram militants until they receive better equipment, one of the mutineers has told the BBC.

The soldier, who requested anonymity, said at least 40 of his colleagues would refuse orders to deploy.

A defence ministry spokesman said the incident was being investigated.

A state of emergency that was declared in three north-eastern states last year has failed to curb the insurgency.

Boko Haram is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria - and has stepped up its attacks after being pushed out of its bases in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, targeting towns and villages in deadly raids.

'Sacrificing soldiers'
"Soldiers are dying like fowl," the soldier, who said he and his colleagues were just outside Maiduguri, told the BBC Hausa service.

"The Nigerian army is not ready to fight Boko Haram," he said, explaining that soldiers were not being given enough weapons and ammunition to take them on.

"Boko Haram are inside the bush, everywhere," he said "They [senior commanders] are sacrificing soldiers," he said.

Defence ministry spokesman Gen Chris Olukolade told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that he could not confirm the reports of a mutiny but would investigate.

He denied that soldiers were being "sent to die".

"We may not have all it takes but we are improving on it [equipment] regularly," he said.

Even the vehicles the soldiers were expected to use were old armoured cars that were not up to the job, he added.

A general in the army, who asked not to be named, told the BBC that he was unable to confirm the mutiny, but said "cowardice" was not uncommon in times of war - and any mutineers would be punished.

When the solder was asked if he feared being court-martialled for taking part in the mutiny, he said that a soldier could only be taken to task for refusing to go to war.

"I joined the army to defend my country", but you cannot defend it without being equipped to do so, he said.

In April, Boko Haram caused global outrage by abducting more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the remote town of Chibok in Borno state.

The group has also carried out a wave of bombings and assassinations, including that of moderate Muslim leaders opposed to its ideology.

BBC

Related stories: Wives of Nigerian soldiers protest the lack of resources troops have to combat Boko Haram

Boko Haram suspected of kidnapping about 50 men and boys in Northern Nigerian villages